Kate Roll

Kate Roll is an Associate Professor in Innovation, Development and Purpose at the Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP), University College London (UCL). She serves as Head of Teaching and Admissions Tutor at IIPP, and acts as the Bartlett Faculty Lead for Public Policy at UCL. Previously, she held roles as a Senior Research Fellow at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and Lecturer in Empirical Politics at Somerville College and Lecturer in General Management at Lady Margaret Hall, both at Oxford. Her work bridges academia and policy, with a focus on reimagining conflict histories, fiscal alignment with SDGs, and leveraging technology for societal impact.

• Education:
• DPhil in Politics (2015), University of Oxford
• MPhil in International Development Studies (2011; distinction), University of Oxford
• BA in International Relations (2006; honours, Phi Beta Kappa), Brown University
• Research Interests:
• Political Economy: Examines resource distribution, vulnerability, and risk in post-conflict environments and corporate development strategies.
• Development Studies: Investigates private sector engagement in poverty alleviation (base-of-the-pyramid models) and ethical business practices.
• Sustainable Development: Explores policy integration of UN SDGs, notably through fiscal reforms in the Biscay region (Spain) via the BEAR project.
• Advising & Grants:
• Co-leads a randomised control trial (RCT) with Oxford’s Centre for the Study of African Economies on micro-finance risk-sharing.
• Developed IIPP’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) and executive education programs.
• Labs/Teams:
• Founder and Chair of the UK Sustainable Development Solutions Network (supported by the United Nations).
• LEAD: Co-leads the University of Toronto’s Global Reach program initiative at UCL.