Stephen C. Smith

Stephen C. Smith is Professor of Economics and International Affairs and Chair of the Department of Economics at George Washington University. He is also Research Fellow at the Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, and member of the BRAC-USA Advisory Council. He previously served as Director of the Institute for International Economic Policy (IIEP) and as founding director of GW’s International Development Studies Program.

• Ph.D. in Economics, Cornell University

His research focuses on development economics, particularly poverty reduction, climate change adaptation, and the economics of cooperatives and employee participation. His work combines rigorous empirical analysis with policy relevance, drawing on field research in Bangladesh, India, Uganda, Senegal, Germany, and other countries. He has authored or co-authored over 50 journal articles and several influential books, including the widely adopted textbook Economic Development (13th ed., 2020) with Michael Todaro and Ending Global Poverty: A Guide to What Works.

His recent publications span topics such as agricultural extension in Uganda, works councils in Germany, multidimensional poverty targeting in Bangladesh, and climate adaptation in India. These works reflect a consistent focus on policy evaluation, institutional design, and the economic mechanisms underlying poverty traps and development outcomes.

• Fulbright Research Scholar
• Jean Monnet Research Fellow
• IZA Research Fellow
• Visiting Fellow, Brookings Institution
• Nonresident Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
• Fulbright Senior Specialist
• UNICEF Senior Research Fellow

Smith has supervised numerous doctoral students and taught core courses in development economics at undergraduate, master’s, and PhD levels. He has been Principal Investigator on major research projects funded by USAID/BASIS, including work on training, technology, and credit in smallholder agriculture. He has also served as Associate Editor of the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization and consulted for the World Bank, UNDP, ILO, and USAID. His research program integrates fieldwork, policy engagement, and academic scholarship to advance understanding of effective strategies for global poverty reduction.