Economics of Development
Researchers in the development group study the constraints faced by households in low-income countries and regions and the policies and programs that can make these people better off. They use theory, field experiments, randomized controlled trials and rigorous mathematical and econometric analysis to find ways to advance social and human well-being. Topics include: reducing poverty, improving human health and access to education, advancing agricultural productivity, coupling environmental sustainability with human development and supporting healthy urban and regional growth.
Their research shows how policies and innovations in poverty reduction, health, education, agriculture, environment and urban development can improve economic outcomes for people in low‑income settings.
Recent publications
Teacher Content Knowledge in Indian Secondary Schools and Its Relationship with Student Learning
Cultural Distance and Internal Migration: Evidence from Indonesia
Agricultural and applied economists' views on pre‐registration and pre‐analysis plans for empirical research
When regional policies fail: An evaluation of Indonesia's integrated economic development zones
An overview of the history, role, and struggles of agricultural economics and business programs at 1890 Land-Grant Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)
Policy and Market Forces Delay Inevitable Real Estate Price Declines on the US Coast
‘Understanding Rural Households’ Time Use in a Developing Setting; Validating a Low-Cost Time Use Module
A Simple but Powerful Simulated Certainty Equivalent Approximation Method for Dynamic Stochastic Problems
Urban sprawl and social capital: evidence from Indonesian cities
Does bundling credit with index insurance boost agricultural technology adoption? Evidence from Ghana.
Economic Effects of Environmental Crises: Evidence from Flint, Michigan
Indian Female Migrants Face Greater Barriers to Post-Covid Recovery than Males: Evidence from a Panel Study
Impacts of Forest Conservation on Local Agricultural Labor Supply: Evidence from the Indonesian Forest Moratorium
Simulated power analyses for observational studies: An application to the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion.
Insured Loans and Credit Access: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment in Northern Ghana.
On Her Own Account: How Strengthening Women’s Financial Control Impacts Labor Supply and Gender Norms
Programmatic support and networks
Researchers in this group secure major grants and funding from sources such as USAID, the Gates Foundation, among others.
Faculty researchers
- Development Economics and Public Safety
- Development Economics, Global Health, & Educational Economics
- Environmental and Development Economics
- Development Economics and Policy Evaluation
- Corporate Environmentalism and Development Economics
- Food Value Chains and Production Economics
- Urban and Regional Economics
