Esther Duflo is the Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics at MIT's Department of Economics. She co-founded and co-directs the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) and holds the Chaire Pauvreté et politiques publiques at the Collège de France. A graduate of École Normale Supérieure (Paris) and MIT (PhD, 1999), her work focuses on experimental approaches to combat poverty through health, education, financial inclusion, environment, and governance research. She received the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics for her experimental methods in development economics, alongside Abhijit Banerjee and Michael Kremer. Other honors include the John Bates Clark Medal (2010), MacArthur Fellowship (2009), and Princess of Asturias Award (2015). Duflo has advised governments and international bodies, including the U.S. President’s Global Development Council (2013–2021). Her books Poor Economics and Good Economics for Hard Times popularized her research. She also authored children’s books explaining poverty, aiming to demystify socioeconomic challenges for younger audiences.
Dr. Adriana Kugler is a Full Professor at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy and Economics. She currently serves as Governor of the Federal Reserve Board, on leave from Georgetown since 2023. Previously, she was U.S. Executive Director at the World Bank (2022–2023), Chief Economist at the U.S. Department of Labor (2011–2013), and Vice Provost for Faculty at Georgetown (2013–2016). Her research focuses on labor markets, policy evaluation, and development economics, with notable work on unemployment insurance, immigration, and vocational training. She holds a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley (1997) and a BA from McGill University (1991). Education : Ph.D. in Economics, University of California, Berkeley (1997) B.A. in Economics and Political Science (First Class Honors), McGill University (1991) Research Interests : Dr. Kugler examines the impact of public policies on labor markets, including payroll taxes, employment protections, and unemployment insurance. Her work bridges academia and policy, addressing issues like occupational licensing, immigration, and global development. She has published in top journals such as the American Economic Review and the Journal of Labor Economics. Awards : Chase Award (U.S. Treasury, 2023) 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance (Barrons, 2024–2025) John T. Dunlop Outstanding Scholar Award (2007) Global Development Network First Prize (2010) Grants and Service : She secured NSF grants supporting women in STEM and advised Congress on economic policies. She chairs committees at the National Academies of Science and served on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Technical Advisory Committee. Labs/Teams : Founder of the International Summer Institute on Policy Evaluation (2010–2013) and affiliated with multiple research institutes, including NBER and CEPR.
Professor Ruerd Ruben is an external academic expert in Development Economics with over 300 research outputs spanning food systems, smallholder livelihoods, and rural poverty alleviation. His work focuses on value chain transformation, nutrition, and sustainable agricultural practices in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Research Pillars: Food systems optimization Smallholder economic empowerment Value chain governance Sustainable diets and nutrition Rural development strategies Ruben's recent publications examine midstream actors in informal economies (2025), market-based poverty reduction (2024), and fair trade limitations (2023). His editorial work includes contributions to Food Security journal, and he has supervised 19 PhD projects on topics ranging from Ethiopian potato chains to climate-resilient East African agribusinesses. Scientific Leadership: Contributed to 300+ academic works Received 7 Scopus citations for key publications Active in global food systems discourse
Professor Susan Goodwin is a leading academic at the University of Sydney, specializing in social policy, gender studies, and social justice. She holds a BA(Hons) from ANU and a PhD from the University of Sydney. Her work focuses on collaborative research projects with government and civil society organizations, emphasizing participatory methodologies to address poverty and inequality. Educations: PhD, University of Sydney BA(Hons), Australian National University Her research interests span social structures, gender relations, and community development, with a focus on policy analysis methodologies. Notable projects include participatory approaches to community revitalization in Australia and Hong Kong, and interrogating constructions of motherhood in Australia. Professor Goodwin is affiliated with the Sydney Policy Lab, Sydney Southeast Asia Centre, and the Charles Perkins Centre. Her awards include the 2016 Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Research Supervision and a 2014 residency at Hong Kong Baptist University. Key Grants & Projects: ARC Linkage Project on participatory community development in public housing neighborhoods NSW Refugee Youth Policy Initiative Research on gender, social policy, and adolescent girls' sexuality in Indonesia She actively contributes to policy networks like the Social Policy Research Network and co-convenes the Sydney Social Justice Network. Her work bridges academic research with practical policy impact, emphasizing grassroots engagement and equity.
Dr. Silvia Baiocco serves as Assistant Professor at University of Rome Tor Vergata, teaching entrepreneurship, tourism management, and marketing courses across Bachelor and Master programs including 'Creation of Enterprises and Entrepreneurship' (Master), 'Fundamentals of Service Management' (Bachelor), and 'Tourism and Cultural Management for Sustainability' (Bachelor). Her institutional affiliation centers on Business Economics (sector ECON-07/A) with research rooted in co-evolutionary theory. Her research critically examines sustainable business model innovation through three interconnected lenses: (1) tourism-destination co-evolution in historic villages and Alberghi Diffusi, (2) university-industry knowledge exchange for sustainable spin-offs via PNICube Observatory frameworks, and (3) technology integration in smart tourism through AI-driven destination management. She emphasizes context-specific adaptation in both high-income (Italy) and low/middle-income settings (Ghana), with strong focus on social impact and heritage preservation. Analysis of her 2023-2025 publications reveals accelerating focus on digital tourism transformation (AI applications, smart city integration) and resilience-building in accommodation firms. Her work consistently applies co-evolutionary frameworks to decode organizational adaptation, particularly in sustainable entrepreneurship contexts. The PNICube Observatory reports highlight her policy-relevant contributions to university research valorization. As educator, Dr. Baiocco actively shapes future business leaders through courses spanning startup creation to sustainable destination management. Her research trajectory indicates deepening engagement with technology-mediated sustainability solutions and cross-sectoral innovation ecosystems, particularly through ongoing PNICube Observatory initiatives.
Professor Maia Chankseliani is Professor of Comparative and International Education at the University of Oxford and a Governing Body Fellow of St Edmund Hall. She serves as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Educational Research and Chair of the Executive Committee of the Education and Development Forum (UKFIET), and is a Trustee of the University of Bahrain. She leads the International Mobility and World Development research project funded by the U.S. Department of State. Her educational background includes: BA and MA from Tbilisi State University MA from the University of Warwick EdM from Harvard University PhD from the University of Cambridge Professor Chankseliani's research explores the public role of tertiary education in diverse settings, examining how universities contribute to social, economic, and political development, and how international engagement shapes both institutions and societies. Her work spans international student mobility and its developmental impact, academic freedom, university contributions to sustainable development, and higher education in post-Soviet contexts. Her monograph What Happened to the Soviet University? (OUP, 2022) offers insights beyond the former Soviet context, addressing contemporary debates around academic freedom and institutional autonomy. Her major international study International Mobility and World Development represents the first global mixed-methods project examining how international education contributes to societal development. Her recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate a consistent focus on the ripple effects of international student mobility, particularly examining poverty reduction mechanisms, intercultural competence development, and systemic impacts on home countries. Based on extensive qualitative data from over 700 interviews across 70 countries combined with quantitative analysis, her research reveals how internationally mobile individuals become agents of change through knowledge transfer, policy influence, and institutional reform. This body of work shows that returnees adapt, translate, and embed reform through multiple mechanisms far beyond simple skill transfer. Professor Chankseliani has secured significant research funding from diverse sources including the U.S. Department of State, UKRI/ESRC, British Council, World Bank, Qatar Foundation, and European Commission. Her research has informed policy dialogue in areas such as poverty reduction, education and health systems, gender equality, and civic life. She regularly engages with governments and international audiences, and her work is frequently featured in global media outlets including Nature and University World News. At Oxford, Professor Chankseliani convenes the Comparative and International Education Research Group and previously led the department's MSc in Comparative and International Education from 2017 to 2024. She supervises multiple doctoral students and has worked on numerous externally funded research projects involving UK government departments, international organizations, and academic institutions. Her current research portfolio includes examining how international education experiences translate into societal development outcomes, with particular emphasis on poverty reduction mechanisms and the long-term impacts of mobility on home countries.
Jesse J. Helton, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Saint Louis University, where he has been since 2014. His research focuses on child maltreatment, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), food insecurity, and disability, with notable work published in JAMA Pediatrics , Child Maltreatment , and Preventative Medicine . He holds editorial roles at the Child Maltreatment journal and serves on the Prevention Committee of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children. Dr. Helton’s community partnerships address child abuse prevention, food security, and family violence mitigation in collaboration with statewide and local organizations. Education: Ph.D. in Social Work, University of Illinois; M.A. in Social Work, University of New Hampshire. Research Interests: Dr. Helton’s work explores intersections between childhood trauma, socioeconomic factors, and health outcomes. Key themes include the impact of food insecurity on caregiver-child dynamics, disparities in ACEs among marginalized groups, and policy interventions to reduce maltreatment. His studies often employ mixed-methods approaches, combining quantitative data analysis with qualitative insights from affected communities. Awards: Recipient of the 2020 Association of Jesuit Colleges Leadership Institute award, 2018 Outstanding Young Alumni from Eureka College, and a 2014 Innovative Teaching Fellowship from SLU’s Reinert Center. Teaching: Courses include Principles of Statistics and Data Analysis , Research Methods for Diverse Societies , and Science of Helping . He emphasizes evidence-based practices and culturally responsive pedagogy. Labs/Teams: Collaborates with multidisciplinary teams across universities and NGOs, focusing on translational research to inform child welfare policies and community programs.
Leandro "Leo" Pongeluppe serves as an Assistant Professor of Management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, holding the distinguished position of Leonard J. Horwitz Faculty Scholar. His academic journey culminated with a PhD from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, positioning him at the forefront of research at the intersection of business and societal challenges. Pongeluppe's research program centers on understanding how organizational design and governance mechanisms influence the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. His work spans multiple continents and contexts, with field research conducted in Brazilian favelas, the Amazon rainforest, worldwide desalination plants, and African HIV/AIDS treatment clinics. Methodologically, he employs innovative mixed-methods approaches that combine econometric causal inference with ethnographic techniques to tackle complex socio-environmental challenges. His publication portfolio reveals a consistent focus on stakeholder management within contexts of socioeconomic development and environmental sustainability. The research demonstrates how businesses can effectively address global challenges through strategic stakeholder engagement, showing particular promise in environmental conservation efforts and inclusive business models. His work on the Amazon rainforest reveals how companies like Natura have successfully preserved forests through stakeholder alignment, while his favela research exposes the complex social consequences of economic mobility. Wharton AI & Analytics Initiative Research Funding (2024) Wharton Teaching Excellence Awards (2023-24) Wiley Blackwell Outstanding Dissertation Award (Academy of Management, 2023) Multiple Best Paper Awards from Strategic Management Society and Academy of Management conferences Wharton Global Initiatives and ESG Initiative Funding (2023) Prior to his academic career, Pongeluppe co-founded Insper Metricis, a research group focused on socio-environmental impact evaluation, where he contributed to Brazil's first Social Impact Bond in partnership with São Paulo State Government and international development institutions. His professional experience also includes three years as an associate researcher at the Accenture Institute for High Performance, working on inclusive innovation projects across Brazil, China, Ghana, India, Mozambique, Nigeria, and South Africa. This practical experience deeply informs his scholarly work and teaching approach, particularly in his course on Managing Established Enterprises which addresses strategic challenges facing incumbent firms.
Peter Fredriksson is a Professor at the Department of Economics, Uppsala University. He serves on the Nobel Committee for the Prize in Economic Sciences (Chair 2019-2021) and is affiliated with institutions like the Rockwool Foundation, IZA, CESifo, UCLS, and IFAU. His work spans labor economics, education economics, and policy evaluation. Research Focus : Labor economics, education economics, and policy evaluation Affiliations : Uppsala University, Rockwool Foundation, IZA, CESifo, UCLS, IFAU Research Interests center on labor economics, particularly unemployment insurance, class size effects, peer influences, and policy impacts. His work connects wage dynamics, educational outcomes, and public program evaluations. He explores non-cognitive skills' rising importance and gender pay disparities. Recent Publications (2025-2013) address topics like job mobility, layoff policies, child development, and global poverty. Key journals include Quarterly Journal of Economics , American Economic Review , and Journal of Human Resources . Scientific Awards & Roles : Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Science Chair of the Nobel Committee for Economic Sciences (2019-2021) Research Fellow at IZA and CESifo Affiliated with Uppsala Center for Labor Studies and IFAU Associate Editor at Scandinavian Journal of Economics Collaborations include the Rockwool Foundation's program committees and extensive work with Björn Öckert, Per-Anders Edin, and Hessel Oosterbeek.
Viviane Sanfelice is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at Temple University's College of Liberal Arts. She joined the faculty in Fall 2019 after earning a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Rochester (2014), an M.A. in Economics from Fundação Getúlio Vargas (2010), and a B.A. in Applied Mathematics from the University of São Paulo (2008). Her professional experience includes roles at the World Bank as a junior professional associate and at São Paulo’s Education Department as a technical advisor. Education: Ph.D. in Economics, University of Rochester (2014) M.A. in Economics, Fundação Getúlio Vargas (2010) B.A. in Applied Mathematics, University of São Paulo (2008) Her research focuses on applied microeconomics, particularly in public and urban economics. Key areas include the economic impacts of crime, maternal labor supply dynamics, health outcomes affected by environmental factors, and poverty/labor market analysis in developing contexts. She has contributed to software tools like ADECOMP for econometric welfare decomposition. Recent publications analyze housing policy and crime reduction (2025), maternal childcare policy in Brazil (2023), and urban safety programs in Chicago (2019). Her work spans journals such as Journal of Public Economics , Journal of Urban Economics , and Health Economics . Teaching responsibilities include courses in microeconomic principles, econometrics, and advanced econometric methods.
Rachel Heath is the Alberta C. Corkery Professor of Economics at the University of Washington, where she has been a faculty member since 2011. She was promoted to Associate Professor in 2018 and to her current named professorship in 2024. Her research focuses on development and labor economics, with particular emphasis on women's economic empowerment in developing countries. Dr. Heath received her PhD in Economics from Yale University in 2011, following an M.Phil (2008) and M.A. (2007) from the same institution. She earned her B.S. in Economics, magna cum laude, from Duke University in 2005, where she was also awarded the Robertson Scholarship and elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Her research interests span several interconnected areas within development economics. Much of her work examines labor market opportunities for women in developing countries, particularly in the garment industry in Bangladesh. She investigates how these new job opportunities affect women's lives, the factors influencing women's decisions to join the labor force, and how to improve working conditions in export manufacturing. Her research also explores intra-household resource allocation, social networks, and the relationship between female labor force participation and domestic violence. She has conducted extensive fieldwork in Africa (particularly Ghana) and South Asia (particularly Bangladesh). Her recent publications show a consistent focus on women's economic empowerment across multiple dimensions. She has examined the effects of graduation programs targeting women in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the impact of international scrutiny on manufacturing workers following the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh, and labor supply responses to health shocks in urban Ghana. Her work often employs rigorous experimental and quasi-experimental methods to establish causal relationships. Dr. Heath has received numerous honors and awards for her scholarly contributions: Milliman Distinguished Scholar (2018-2024) World Bank Economic Review Excellence in Refereeing Award (2018, 2022, 2023) Corkery Distinguished Scholar (2017-2018) American Institute of Bangladesh Studies Program Support Award (2016) As an advisor, Dr. Heath has chaired or served on committees for numerous PhD students, many of whom have gone on to academic positions at institutions including UCLA, Rhodes University, Central Bank of Colombia, and Bryant University. Her research has been supported by substantial grants from organizations including the International Growth Centre, Weiss Foundation, Women's Economic Empowerment and Digital Connectivity initiative, and the Social Science Research Council. Dr. Heath is actively engaged with several research centers and initiatives, including the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), Henry Bridges Center for Labor Studies, Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development (BREAD), Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA), and Center for Statistics in the Social Sciences (CSSS) at the University of Washington.
Professor Linda M. Burton is a leading sociologist and ethnographer specializing in child welfare, poverty, and family dynamics. Currently serving as Dean of Berkeley Social Welfare (2019-2024) and holding the Eugene and Rose Kleiner Chair, she previously held the James B. Duke Professorship at Duke University and directed its Center for Child and Family Policy. Education: PhD in Sociology from the University of Southern California Leadership: Dean at Berkeley Social Welfare, Director of Duke's Center for Child and Family Policy, Co-director of Duke's undergraduate International Comparative Studies program Her research integrates life course theory, developmental frameworks, and ecological perspectives to examine: Intergenerational family structures and role transitions Context/place influences on family dynamics Childhood adultification and accelerated life courses Recent publications focus on health disparities, welfare reform impacts, and multi-method ethnographic approaches. Key subfields include poverty, African-American families, rural/urban contexts, racial inequality, and kinship networks. Scientific honors include: 2022 Fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare 2017 Dean’s Excellence in Mentoring Award (Duke University) 1996 American Family Therapy Academy Award for Innovative Contributions Burton's ethnographic work spans decades, with landmark studies like the Three-City Study (2002-2006) and the Family Life Project (2003-2008). She has mentored extensively in child development and multi-generational research.
Om Narasimhan is Professor of Marketing at the London School of Economics and Political Science. His research focuses on entrepreneurship in emerging markets, innovation, pricing, and distribution channels. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California and previously held the Board of Overseers Chaired Professorship at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. Education: Ph.D. in Business Administration (Marketing), University of Southern California M.S. in Physics, University of Virginia B.S. in Physics, University of Delhi His work explores how microentrepreneurs navigate informal economies and how marketing strategies adapt to emerging market constraints. Research integrates behavioral economics, supply chain dynamics, and consumer psychology to address real-world business challenges. Publications emphasize empirical analyses of market mechanisms, with recurring themes in retail strategy, compensation models, and global business development. Article keywords frequently include entrepreneurship, consumer behavior, and emerging economies. Awards: SIG Best Paper awards (American Marketing Association) John D. Little award finalist Marketing Science Institute Young Scholar Outstanding Researcher Award (Carlson School) Best MBA Professor Award (Carlson School) He teaches in the Masters in Management and Global Executive programs, with executive education engagements at companies including 3M, Samsung, and Target. Leads the Marketing Faculty Research Group at LSE.
Maxim Sinitsyn is an Associate Professor of Instruction in the Department of Economics at Northwestern University, where he has held his PhD since 2005. His research focuses on product pricing strategies, particularly examining price promotions, coordination of promotions for related products, and the impact of technology licensing mechanisms on market outcomes. He has explored topics such as prescheduled sales, anti-stacking royalty clauses, and the effects of horizontal mergers in promotional contexts. Education: PhD in Economics from Northwestern University (2005). Research Interests: Dr. Sinitsyn's work concentrates on strategic pricing, including how firms optimize promotions for complementary products, the role of advance planning in promotional strategies, and the implications of different licensing payment structures for market dynamics. His studies also extend to broader economic phenomena such as price dispersion in duopolies and governance trade-offs in institutional design. Advising/Grants: No specific advising or grant information is listed in the provided texts. His contributions are primarily through research publications and teaching. Labs/Teams: No affiliated labs or research teams are mentioned.
Scott McCabe is a Professor of Marketing at Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham. He earned his PhD from the University of Derby in 2001, focusing on visitor motivations in the Peak District National Park, and holds an MA in Leisure and Tourism Studies from the University of North London (1993) and an HND in Leisure Studies from the University of Salford (1991). Current co-editor in Chief of the Annals of Tourism Research Editorial board member of Tourism Management Elected fellow of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism (2019+) His research spans social tourism , responsible tourism , tourist emotions , and socio-linguistic methodology , with significant work on wellbeing outcomes from supported holidays for disadvantaged families. He has contributed to Annals of Tourism Research , Journal of Travel Research , and other top-tier journals. Recent publications address topics like qualitative research sampling , tourism theory , dark tourism motivations , and smart destination engagement . His work combines tourism policy critique , consumer behavior analysis , and methodological innovation . Scientific awards include fellowships and leadership roles in international tourism research committees. He has served as VP for the International Sociological Association's Tourism Research Committee and co-chairs the Academy of Marketing's Tourism Marketing SIG.
