I am a development economist at the University of Michigan. I am a Professor in the Department of Economics, Professor at the Ford School of Public Policy, and Research Professor at the Population Studies Center (Institute for Social Research).
I am a Co-Editor of the Journal of Development Economics, and in particular handle our Pre-Results Review submission track.
Learn more about my research group, DevLab, and Development Economics @ Michigan.
The NBER Reporter (April 2025) featured an overview of my research on international migration.
PAPERS NEWLY CONDITIONALLY ACCEPTED, FORTHCOMING, OR IN PRINT
Abundance from Abroad: Migrant Income and Long-Run Economic Development, American Economic Review, conditionally accepted. (With Gaurav Khanna, Emir Murathanoglu, and Caroline Theoharides.)
Picture This: Social Distance and the Mistreatment of Migrant Workers , Journal of Political Economy Microeconomics, forthcoming. (With Toman Barsbai, Vojta Bartoš, Victoria Licuanan, Andreas Steinmayr, and Erwin Tiongson.)
Brain Drain or Brain Gain? Effects of High-Skilled International Migration on Developing Countries, Science, Vol. 388, Issue 6749, 22 May 2025. (With Catia Batista, Daniel Han, Johannes Haushofer, Gaurav Khanna, David McKenzie, Mushfiq Mobarak, and Caroline Theoharides.)
NEW WORKING PAPERS
The Long Shadow of Early Education: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in the Philippines, NBER Working Paper, No. 33600, March 2025. (with Thomas Lloyd.)
The Price of Faith: Economic Costs and Religious Group Membership in Sub-Saharan Africa, NBER Working Paper, No. 33482, February 2025. (with Eduardo Montero and Triana Yentzen.)
Ancient Epics in the Television Age: Media, Identity, and the Rise of Hindu Nationalism in India, NBER Working Paper, No. 33417, January 2025. (with Resuf Ahmed, Paul Brimble, Akhila Kovvuri, and Alessandro Saia.)
War Mobilization and Economic Development: World War II and Structural Transformation in India, NBER Working Paper, No. 33246, December 2024. (With Aneesha Parvathaneni.) Coverage: Ideas for India article
Some podcasts where I discuss my research:
Eduardo Montero and me on the AEA Research Highlights Podcast on “Religious Festivals and Economic Development”, American Economic Review, October 2022. This NBER Digest article provides a nontechnical summary.
AEA Research Highlights Podcast on “Subsidies and the African Green Revolution” (with Michael Carter and Rachid Laajaj), American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, April 2021. This VoxDev article provides a nontechnical summary.