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 honored to serve as the Founding President of the International Development Economics Association (IDEA), the first global professional association for development economics.

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

• International Migration and Economic Development, Annual Review of Economics, Vol. 18, 2026.

• Abundance from Abroad: Migrant Income and Long-Run Economic Development, American Economic Review, Vol. 116, No. 4, April 2026. (with Gaurav Khanna, Emir Murathanoglu, and Caroline Theoharides)
  Coverage: VoxDev article

• Picture This: Social Distance and the Mistreatment of Migrant Workers, Journal of Political Economy Microeconomics, Vol. 4, No. 2, May 2026. (with Toman Barsbai, Vojta Bartoš, Victoria Licuanan, Andreas Steinmayr, and Erwin Tiongson)

• International Migration, VoxDevLit, 21(1), January 14, 2026. (with Catia Batista, Gaurav Khanna, David McKenzie, Mushfiq Mobarak, and Caroline Theoharides)

• 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)

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: Religious 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)
  Coverage: VoxDev article

• 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

RECENT VIDEOS AND PODCASTS

• Launch presentation for the VoxDevLit on “International Migration”, January 14, 2026.

• 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.

• Lecture on “International Migration”, BREAD-IGC Virtual Ph.D. Course on Migration, April 14, 2022.

• 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.