Jenny Aker

Jenny Aker is the Daniel G. Sisler Professor of Development Economics at Cornell University's Department of Global Development, affiliated with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on economic development in Africa, particularly the role of information technology in improving agricultural markets, financial inclusion, and adult education. She has conducted fieldwork across multiple African countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, and Kenya, among others.

Dr. Aker holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of California-Berkeley. Before joining Cornell, she was a Professor of Development Economics at Tufts University’s Fletcher School, where she directed initiatives like the Fletcher Leadership Program for Financial Inclusion. She currently co-chairs J-PAL Africa's Digital Identification and Finance Initiative and is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Global Development.

Her research explores themes such as cash transfer impacts, mobile phone adoption, and the efficacy of development interventions. Key awards include the 2017 Fletcher School Research Prize and the 2015 Paddock Teaching Award. She has advised students like Kelsey A. Wright and collaborates with institutions globally to advance evidence-based policies.

Notable contributions include studies on mobile phone effects on market efficiency, adult literacy programs, and cash transfer dynamics in rural Africa. Her work emphasizes bridging gaps between technology and socioeconomic outcomes in underserved regions.