Grad students & junior researchers blogging on dev econ, poverty reduction and ag development. All views our own. RTs ≠ endorsement.
Ithaca, NY
Joined September 2014
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“Fieldwork is fundamentally about relationship building.”
Cornell PhD student Alix Naugler on fieldwork in Tanzania and Zambia: a grocery-line chat that became her JMP idea, finding enumerators through trusted networks, and showing up in person.
econthatmatters.com/2026/10/…
ALT Portrait of Alix Naugler beside the quote: Fieldwork is fundamentally about relationship building. ETRM Interview Series, Alix Naugler, PhD student, Cornell University.
“And it really was in Starbucks.”
Deniz Sanin on spotting premium Rwandan coffee at the Starbucks at Georgetown, the coffee mill expansion that became her natural experiment, and her advice: read for the contribution and the gap.
Full interview 👇
econthatmatters.com/2026/10/…
ALT ETRM Interview Series card: smiling portrait of Deniz Sanin, Assistant Professor of Economics, University of South Carolina, beside her quote: And it really was in Starbucks.
When non-compliance gets costlier, do firms become more formal?
Alix Naugler finds firms didn’t stay below the threshold — they used less unpaid labor and registered without giving every worker a contract.
New in our Working Paper Series 👇
econthatmatters.com/2026/10/…
Final JMP post! Anirudh Sankar writes on how explaining why a technology works, rather than just giving instructions, boosts farmer yields.
Read: econthatmatters.com/2026/02/…
#JMP #Econtwitter #ETRM
We just released our 5th blog post of our JMP series!
@kp_pahurkar
examines India's small-scale industry policy, showing how reserving products for small firms created "quality traps" and stunted growth. Check it out: econthatmatters.com/2025/12/… #JMP #Econtwitter #ETRM
Our fourth blog post of the JMP series is out! @Khyati_Econ writes on soil-carbon programs, showing why they must consider soil type heterogeneity to improve efficiency.
econthatmatters.com/2025/12/…
#JMP #Econtwitter #ETRM
3rd JMP post! Maximiliano Garcia writes on Chile's water markets, showing legal rights are not enough. Local institutions are essencial for enforcement.
Check it out: econthatmatters.com/2025/12/…
#JMP #Econtwitter #ETRM
Our second blog post for the JMP Series is posted! @RoshanSaha26 writes on how irrigation can worsen wage drops after rainfall shocks.
Read: econthatmatters.com/2025/12/…
#JMP #Econtwitter #ETRM
To kick things off for our 2025 Job Market Paper series, @ferran__vega writes about his JMP about Solar Electrification in Rural Myanmar.
Check it out: econthatmatters.com/2025/12/…
#JMP #Econtwitter #ETRM
Our new ETRM interview with Jing Cai is out! We talked about her work on technology adoption, improving SME growth in China, and the importance of "bottom-up" feedback for worker retention. #ETRM #Econtwitter econthatmatters.com/2025/11/…
Our new ETRM interview with Jacob Moscona is live! We discussed his research on innovation in developing countries, the role of public R&D, and the persistent challenges of technology adoption. #Econtwitter #ETRM econthatmatters.com/2025/10/…
Our new interview with @nico_de_roux is out! We talked about his research on production in developing countries, the usage of models and causal estimation together, and how his research influences policy in Colombia. #Econtwitter #ETRM
econthatmatters.com/2025/09/…
Next up in our interview series is a conversation with @EmmaRiley19 ! She talks about her research on financial inclusion and women's empowerment, tips on conducting field work in development econ and much more! Check it out: #EconTwitter #ETRM
econthatmatters.com/2025/07/…
In our latest blog post,
@AnoukvVeldhoven
talks about her paper that models intimate partner violence as a function of disagreement and communication between partners, and confirms the model's predictions with data from an RCT in Pakistan. econthatmatters.com/2025/07/… #EconTwitter
Your latest interview is out! @manysheva_k talks about the importance of using macroeconomics to study development, innovation in a development context, and engaging with stakeholders. Check it out!
econthatmatters.com/2025/06/…
#ETRM #EconTwitter
Check out our newest interview! @oyebolaoo talks about taxation policy in developing countries, working at the World Bank and advice for PhD students
econthatmatters.com/2025/05/… #ETRM
Just published! Don't miss our interview with Dean Karlan (@deankarlan) on his path in development economics, the current funding uncertainty, and the value of development aid. Read it here: econthatmatters.com/2025/04/… #econtwitter #ETRM
New interview on the blog! @claudferraz talks about the importance of understanding local context and political constraints when studying development policies, among other insights into his career and research. Read the full interview here: econthatmatters.com/2025/04/… #econtwitter
We continue with our interview series. This time we interviewed Meredith Startz to discuss development, trade, and the challenges of collecting data to answer questions in these fields econthatmatters.com/2025/03/…
#econtwitter #DevelopmentEcon #innovation #firm
Studying Brazil's Bolsa Família program, @LeiteMariante finds that unconditional cash transfers boost formal employment among women by 7% over two years, while men's employment remains unaffected. econthatmatters.com/2025/02/… #econtwitter #ETRM #econ
