Matthew K. Ribar

Matt Ribar is a Research Fellow in the Department of Political Science at Washington University in St. Louis, housed within the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy. His research examines political economy dynamics in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on land rights, development, and conflict resolution with regional expertise in West Africa.

His educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Political Science from Stanford University (2025)
• M.A. in Political Science from Stanford University
• B.A. in International Relations from College of William & Mary and University of St. Andrews

Ribar employs mixed-method approaches including survey experiments, machine learning, natural experiments, and qualitative fieldwork to investigate how customary institutions mediate land formalization processes and how conflict resolution training reduces youth vulnerability to extremism. His work bridges theoretical political science with practical development applications, particularly in contexts of informality and state weakness.

His publications reveal a consistent focus on empirical puzzles in comparative politics, with recent work analyzing humanitarian aid's impact on civil conflict and historical shifts in international relations scholarship. This demonstrates methodological versatility across quantitative causal inference and qualitative disciplinary analysis.

Scientific recognition includes:

• National Science Foundation Graduate Student Fellowship

Ribar has secured substantial research funding from United States Agency for International Development, Structural Transformation and Economic Growth Initiative, Stanford King Center on Global Development, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, and SurveyCTO data collection grants. His collaborative work with Mercy Corps on Niger-based conflict prevention trials exemplifies his commitment to evidence-based policy interventions.

He maintains active affiliations with the Weidenbaum Center and previously contributed to Stanford's Center for African Studies and King Center on International Development, where he conducted fieldwork and managed large-scale data collection projects across multiple African nations.