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I am currently a PhD student in the Department of Economics at the University of Michigan. My CV can be found here.

I was previously a research assistant in development economics at the the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford where I worked at Digital Pathways at Oxford and the Mind and Behaviour Research Group (MBRG), Centre for the Study of African Economies (CSAE). Prior to this, I was an economic advisor on the ODI Fellowship Scheme at the Rwandan Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning where I worked at the Macroeconomic Policy Unit in the Office of the Government Chief Economist between 2017 and 2019. I completed an MPhil in Economics at the University of Oxford in 2017 and a BA in Economics at the University of Cambridge in 2015.

Research in Progress

The Ramayan Effect: Mass Media, Identity, and the Rise of Hindu Nationalism in India
with Resuf Ahmed, Akhila Kovvuri, Alessandro Saia and Dean Yang

Can Cash Transfers Facilitate Occupational Upgrading in Frictional Markets?
with Rob Garlick and Kate Orkin

Financial Inclusion and Rural Electrification: Evidence from Togo
with Axel Eizmendi-Larrinaga, Deivy Houeix and Toni Oki

Abstract : Most people in sub-Saharan Africa still lack access to electricity, despite rural electrification being a policy priority. We provide evidence that high transaction costs, particularly transportation expenses to access mobile money agents for bill payments, are a key friction for rural households. In rural Togo, these costs account for 28% of solar electricity-related expenditures, rising to 43% in more remote areas. To assess the impact of transaction costs on policy outcomes, we analyze the staggered rollout of two nationwide policies in Togo in 2019: a solar home system subsidy and an expansion of mobile money agents. The subsidy, which nearly halves electricity prices, more than doubles adoption rates. However, the effects vary significantly: households with lower transaction costs—those with direct access to mobile money agents—adopt at much higher rates and decrease the number of payments they make in response to the price reduction. The mobile money agent expansion led to nearly a threefold increase in adoption, an effect similar to that of the subsidy. By reducing transaction costs, these policies enable bulk purchases and lessen the need for frequent payments. Our findings highlight the complementary roles of subsidies and financial inclusion in improving rural electrification and access to essential services.

Lighting Aspirations in Schools: The Impact of Lighting and Role Models on Educational Outcomes
with Axel Eizmendi-Larrinaga

Zoning Laws and Land Value Capture: Evidence from Rwanda
with Guy Michaels, Matthew Sharp and Tanner Regan

Abstract: Rapid urbanisation in Africa and other developing regions increases demand for urban services, which local governments often struggle to provide. Land value capture and taxation through zoning presents an under-exploited opportunity to mitigate this problem. Rwanda, with its fast-growing cities, first adopted a comprehensive land use zoning law in 2013. Focusing on the urban fringe in Rwandan cities, we compare the value of (previously unbuilt) land zoned for residential use to nearby land zoned for agricultural use, allowing us to assess the potential for revenue generation from zoning.

VIIRS and the Future of Night Lights Data in Economics
with Adam Storeygard, Axel Eizmendi-Larrinaga and Kazuki Motohashi

Valuing Property and Buildings in Kigali and Secondary Cities for an Operational CAMA
with Patrick McSharry, Kaspar Kundert, Felix Bachofer and Andreas Braun