dissertation economics harvard

• Utility Menu

44d3fa3df9f06a3117ed3d2ad6c71ecc

• Administration

2019 Harvard Economics Dissertation Prizes Awarded

Three recent Econ grads have have been afforded special recognition for their dissertations. Ellora Derenoncourt has been awarded the David A. Wells Prize, while Shoshana Vasserman and Valentin Bolotnyy were awarded the Padma Desai Prize in Economics.

Ellora Derenoncourt's research interests are in labor economics and economic history. She combines quasi-experimental methods with original data collection from historical sources to understand the long-run determinants of inequality. Her current research focuses on the evolution of racial inequality in the US, including how northern responses to the Great Migration exacerbated racial inequality in upward mobility and how federal minimum wage policy accelerated racial convergence during the Civil Rights Era. She is currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Economics (Industrial Relations Section) at Princeton University. In the Fall of 2020, she will join the Economics Department and the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley as an Assistant Professor.

Valentin Bolotnyy has worked on topics across public and labor economics, focusing on improving the provision of public services as well as student well-being. His graduate work, in collaboration with other graduate students, analyzed the gender earnings gap, public infrastructure procurement, immigration policies, and graduate student mental health. The studies have received national attention in outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, The Atlantic, and Vox. Valentin will start as a Hoover Fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution in September.

Shoshana Vasserman is an applied microeconomist with a focus on empirical industrial organization. Her work aims to understand the equilibrium implications of large scale policies that relate to information disclosure, risk sharing and commitment across a number of industries and domains. In addition to economics research, Shoshana enjoys exploring methods for statistical computing as well as simulation-based techniques for illustrating complex models. Prior to her Ph.D, Shoshana earned an S.B. in mathematics and in economics from M.I.T. in 2013. She will serve as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research during 2019-2020, and will start as an assistant professor in the economics group of the Stanford Graduate School of Business in July 2020.

Latest News

• David Cutler Awarded William B. Graham Prize for Health Services Research
• Senior Economics Winners Announced
• Jiafeng Chen Awarded for Best Dissertation
• Kunal Sangani awarded Padma Desai Prize
• Professor Ed Glaeser Elected into the National Academy of Sciences
• Professor Claudia Goldin Appears on NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me

Filter News by Month

• June 2024 (1)
• May 2024 (3)
• April 2024 (1)
• March 2024 (1)
• February 2024 (3)

• Utility Menu

Mikkel Plagborg-Møller

Postdoctoral fellow.

Department of Economics, Harvard University

Essays in Macroeconometrics

Thesis Type:

This dissertation consists of three independent chapters on econometric methods for macroeconomic analysis.

In the first chapter, I propose to estimate structural impulse response functions from macroeconomic time series by doing Bayesian inference on the Structural Vector Moving Average representation of the data. This approach has two advantages over Structural Vector Autoregression analysis: It imposes prior information directly on the impulse responses in a flexible and transparent manner, and it can handle noninvertible impulse response functions.

The second chapter, which is coauthored with B. J. Bates, J. H. Stock, and M. W. Watson, considers the estimation of dynamic factor models when there is temporal instability in the factor loadings. We show that the principal components estimator is robust to empirically large amounts of instability. The robustness carries over to regressions based on estimated factors, but not to estimation of the number of factors.

In the third chapter, I develop shrinkage methods for smoothing an estimated impulse response function. I propose a data-dependent criterion for selecting the degree of smoothing to optimally trade off bias and variance, and I devise novel shrinkage confidence sets with valid frequentist coverage.

• Harvard Library
• Research Guides
• Faculty of Arts & Sciences Libraries

Chemistry and Chemical Biology Resources

Find dissertations and theses.

• Getting Started
• Chemistry journals and databases
• Find Conference Proceedings
• Find Technical Reports
• Literature Review
• Managing Citations
• Research Data Management
• Managing Your Academic Identity  
• Helpful Tools

• << Previous: Find Books
• Next: Find Conference Proceedings >>
• Last Updated: Sep 13, 2023 2:15 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.harvard.edu/CCB

Harvard University Digital Accessibility Policy

• Harvard Business School →
• Doctoral Programs →
• PhD Programs
• Accounting & Management

Business Economics

• Health Policy (Management)
• Organizational Behavior
• Technology & Operations Management
• Program Requirements

Curriculum & Coursework

Research dissertation, areas of specialization.

• Behavioral Economics
• Development
• Econometrics
• Economic History
• Economic Theory
• Economics of Organization
• Entrepreneurship
• Industrial Organization
• International Economics
• Labor Economics
• Macroeconomics
• Political Economy
• Public Economics
• Organizational Economics

Fanele Mashwama

Sagar Saxena

“ HBS is the ideal environment because I get to think about the world like an economist, but I have the freedom and resources to draw on methods from other disciplines as I study market design and industrial organization. ”

Current Harvard Economics Faculty

• Pol Antràs
• Robert Barro
• Emily Breza
• John Y. Campbell
• Raj Chetty
• Gabriel Chodorow-Reich
• Richard Cooper
• David M. Cutler
• Melissa Dell
• Karen Dynan
• Benjamin Enke
• Richard B. Freeman
• Benjamin M. Friedman
• Roland G. Fryer, Jr.
• Xavier Gabaix
• Edward Glaeser
• Claudia Goldin
• Benjamin Golub
• Gita Gopinath
• Oliver Hart
• Elhanan Helpman
• Dale Jorgenson
• Myrto Kalouptsidi
• Maximilian Kasy
• Lawrence Katz
• Gabriel Kreindler
• David Laibson
• Robin S. Lee
• N. Gregory Mankiw
• Stephen Marglin
• Eric S. Maskin
• Marc Melitz
• Jeffrey Miron
• Ariel Pakes
• Amanda Pallais
• Matthew Rabin
• Gautam Rao
• Kenneth Rogoff
• Amartya Sen
• Neil Shephard
• Andrei Shleifer
• Stefanie Stantcheva
• Jeremy Stein
• James Stock
• Ludwig Straub
• Tomasz Strzalecki
• Lawrence H. Summers
• Elie Tamer
• Winnie Van Dijk
• David Yang

Current HBS Faculty

• Laura Alfaro
• Samuel B. Antill
• Brian K. Baik
• Malcolm P. Baker
• John Beshears
• Alberto F. Cavallo
• Wilbur X. Chen
• Katherine B. Coffman
• Lauren H. Cohen
• Shawn A. Cole
• Joshua D. Coval
• Mihir A. Desai
• Mark L. Egan
• Benjamin C. Esty
• C. Fritz Foley
• Stuart C. Gilson
• Paul A. Gompers
• Jerry R. Green
• Shane M. Greenstein
• Robin Greenwood
• Brian J. Hall
• Samuel G. Hanson
• Victoria Ivashina
• Ebehi Iyoha
• Robert S. Kaplan
• William R. Kerr
• Tarun Khanna
• Raymond P. Kluender
• Jacqueline Ng Lane
• Josh Lerner
• Edward McFowland III
• David A. Moss
• Joseph Pacelli
• Matthew Rabin
• Sophus A. Reinert
• Forest L. Reinhardt
• Meg Rithmire
• Clayton S. Rose
• Benjamin N. Roth
• Raffaella Sadun
• David S. Scharfstein
• Joshua R. Schwartzstein
• Arthur I Segel
• Emil N. Siriwardane
• Adi Sunderam
• Boris Vallee
• Luis M. Viceira
• Matthew C. Weinzierl
• Dennis A. Yao

Current Business Economics Students

• Maxim Alekseev
• Sage Belz
• Fiona Chen
• Cameron Cohen
• Jorge Colmenares
• Terry Culpepper
• Songyuan Ding
• Jo Ellery
• Simon Essig Aberg
• Toren Fronsdal
• Jacob Furst
• Jeffrey Gortmaker
• Shlok Goyal
• Helene Hall
• Ruru (Juan Ru) Hoong
• Catherine Huang
• Baiyun Jing
• Nathan Kaplan
• Justin Katz
• Lev Klarnet
• Shira Li
• Alex Magnuson
• Fanele Mashwama
• Marcela Mello
• Laura Nicolae
• Lauren Rice
• Maya Roy
• Dominic Russel
• Claire Shi
• Wilbur Townsend
• Jennifer Walsh
• Andi Wang
• Alex Wu
• Jeffrey Yang
• Jennifer Zou

Current HBS Faculty & Students by Interest

Recent placement, martin aragoneses, 2024, angela ma, 2024, john conlon, 2023, erica moszkowski, 2023, ran zhuo, 2023, matthew lilley, 2022, david zhang, 2022, karen shen, 2021, ravi jagadeesan, 2020, vitaly bord, 2019, weiling liu, 2019, michael blank, 2024, kunal sangani, 2024, spencer yongwook kwon, 2023, daniel ramos, 2023, francesca bastianello, 2022, frank pinter, 2022, andreas schaab, 2021, edoardo maria acabbi, 2020, michael thaler, 2020, oren danieli, 2019, janelle schlossberger, 2019, jiafeng (kevin) chen, 2024, hanbin yang, 2024, robert minton, 2023, sagar saxena, 2023, talia b. gillis, 2022, ron yang, 2022, gregor schubert, 2021, xiang ding, 2020, christopher anderson, 2019, yizhou jin, 2019.

All virtual services are available and some libraries are open for in-person use, while others remain closed through January 23, 2022. Learn more .

• Ask a Librarian

How can I find a Harvard thesis or dissertation?

• COVID-19 Spring 2020
• FAS General
• Harvard Map Collection
• Houghton Library
• How to Do Research in...
• 2 African American Studies
• 1 Anthropology
• 1 Art in Harvard Libraries
• 2 Asian Studies
• 1 Audio Books
• 1 Biography
• 4 Borrow Direct
• 13 Borrowing
• 1 Calendars
• 6 Citation of Sources
• 1 Citation Tools
• 1 Computer Science
• 5 Computers
• 4 contemporary legends
• 1 Copyright
• 3 Crimson Cash
• 9 Databases
• 2 Digital Collections
• 2 Distance Learning
• 28 E-Resources
• 1 Economics
• 5 Electronic Books
• 1 Employment
• 1 Equipment
• 1 Extension School
• 1 Foreign Study
• 2 Genealogy
• 3 Government
• 2 Government Documents
• 1 Harvard Depository
• 3 Harvard Studies
• 3 Harvard University Archives
• 32 Harvardiana
• 5 HOLLIS help
• 5 Interlibrary Loan
• 1 Internet access
• 1 Language Resource Center
• 2 Languages
• 9 Libraries
• 3 Library History
• 1 Library science
• 3 Library services
• 1 Library student
• 1 Literature
• 2 Manuscripts
• 2 Microfilm
• 17 miscellaneous
• 17 Newspapers
• 4 Off-Campus
• 1 Permissions
• 1 Phillips Reading Room
• 3 Photographs
• 1 Plagiarism
• 4 Primary Sources
• 12 Privileges
• 1 Public Libraries
• 2 Purchase requests
• 4 Quotations
• 2 Rare Books
• 4 Reference
• 1 Reproduction Request
• 22 Research Assistance
• 1 Safari Books Online
• 1 Scan & Deliver
• 4 Special Borrowers
• 2 Special Collections
• 5 Statistics
• 1 Study Abroad
• 3 Study spaces
• 1 Summer School
• 2 technology
• 5 Theses, Dissertations & Prize Winners
• 3 Web of Science

Start with  HOLLIS  (HarvardKey login required for some full text, including theses & dissertations)

• Those presented for graduate degrees 
• Bowdoin prize essays 
• Undergraduate honors theses

How do you know if it's available online? 

• “View Online” button links out to full text.
• If there's no "View Online" button, the work probably has not been digitized.

What Harvard theses and dissertations can you expect to find online in full text? How do you get to them?

• Follow the links in HOLLIS.
• Not a Harvard affiliate? log in through the library of your academic institution OR
• you can usually purchase directly from  ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Express.  
• undergraduates are not required to submit theses or prizewinning papers to DASH
• Harvard Extension School ALM theses 2012-2016 were not entered into DASH. 
• Under certain circumstances dissertations may be embargoed by the author; DASH may be the only place this information is given.

If the work hasn't been digitized:

You can order PDFs or photocopies of most Harvard theses and dissertations (unless they're available through the Proquest database linked above) from 1873 through November 2011 (and ALM theses to 2016) 

• See our Reproduction Requests page to register
• When you submit the online order form, Imaging Services staff will reply with cost and delivery information.
• Questions about the online ordering process or pricing? Contact Imaging Services staff directly for additional information at 617/495-3995  or [email protected] (M-F, 9-5 Eastern) ​

For Extension School ALM theses  check out our  Library Guide for Harvard Extension School theses page

Want to view a dissertation or thesis at the library? Check with the archival collection location listed in HOLLIS.

Wondering what dissertations and theses have been submitted in the recent past?  Use DASH .

For more on undergraduate theses and dissertations, see our " How can I locate a Harvard undergraduate thesis?" FAQ.

Looking for non-Harvard theses & dissertations? See our "How can I find theses and dissertations?"  FAQ.

• Ask a Librarian, including chat and email, will be suspended Thursday July 4 through Sunday, July 7, 2024, in observance of the holiday weekend. Any questions received during this period will be answered beginning Monday, July 8 .
• If If you're experiencing an ongoing technical issue when you attempt to access library materials with your HarvardKey during these times, please report it to Library Technology Services.

Monday-Thursday 9am-9pm

Friday-Saturday  9am-5pm

Sunday 12noon-7pm

Chat is intended for brief inquiries from the Harvard community.

Reach out to librarians and other reference specialists by email using our online form . We usually respond within 24 hours Monday through Friday.

Talk to a librarian for advice on defining your topic, developing your research strategy, and locating and using sources. Make an appointment now .

These services are intended primarily for Harvard University faculty, staff and students. If you are not affiliated with Harvard, please use these services only to request information about the Library and its collections.

• Email Us: [email protected]
• Call Us: 617-495-2411
• All Library Hours
• Library Guides
• Staff Login

Harvard Library Virtual Reference Policy Statement

Our chat reference and Research Appointment Request services are intended for Harvard affiliates. All others are welcome to submit questions using the form on this page.

We are happy to answer questions from all Harvard affiliates and from non-affiliates inquiring about the library's collections.

Unfortunately, we're unable to answer questions from the general public which are not directly related to Harvard Library services and collections.

Harvard University Digital Accessibility Policy

PPOL PhD Dissertations and Job Placements

In this section.

• Economics Track
• Judgment and Decision Making Track
• Politics and Institutions Track
• Science, Technology and Policy Studies Track
• Current Students
• Doctoral Student Handbook
• Dissertations & Job Placements
• PhD Student Life
• Faculty & Research

Learn about the dissertations of our PhD in Public Policy graduates and their job placements directly following graduation.

2021-present

Layane alhorr (economics track).

Dissertation Title: Essays in Development Economics: Evidence On Entrepreneurship, Digitization, and Gender Advisor: Rema Hanna Job Placement: Associate, Cornerstone Research

Marcos Barrozo (economics track)

Dissertation Title: The Economics of Deforestation in the Amazon Advisor: Joseph Aldy Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, DePaul University

Ben Berger (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Economics of Health Care and Innovation Advisor: Amitabh Chandra Job Placement: Economist, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Jacob Bradt (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on Energy and Environmental Economics Advisor: Joseph Aldy , Myrto Kalouptsidi Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Business, Government & Society and (by courtesy) of Economics, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin

Tridevi Chakma (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays in Environmental Economics Advisor: Joseph Aldy , Nathaniel Hendren Job Placement: Associate, Cornerstone (London)

Robert French (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays in Urban Economics Advisor: Edward Glaeser Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow (1 year), Harris School of Public Policy and Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation, University of Chicago; Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Loyola Marymount University  

VAlentine Gilbert (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays in Urban Economics Advisor: Edward Glaeser Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Hobby School of Public Affairs, University of Houston

Alice Heath (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on Economics and Social Policy Advisor: Jeffrey Liebman Job Placement: Office of Tax Analysis, U.S. Department of the Treasury

Eleanor Krause (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Economics of Place Advisor: Joseph Aldy , Gordon Hanson Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, University of Kentucky

J. Mintzmyer (Politics and Institutions track)

Dissertation Title: Assessing Sanctions Motivations via Real-Time Shipping Data Advisor: Stephen Walt Job Placement: U.S. Air Force

Molly Moore (Judgment and Decision Making track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on Reputation and Decision Making Advisor: Julia Minson Job Placement: Lecturer in Economics, Washington University in St. Louis

Kadeem Noray (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on Talent Allocation in the Economy Advisor: David Deming Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Opportunity Insights

Guillermo Palacios (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on Education Economics and Applied Data Science Advisor: Rema Hanna Job Placement: Associate, Analysis Group

Emma Rackstraw (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays at the Intersection of Labor and Crime Economics Advisor: Will Dobbie Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Economics, Swarthmore College; Post-Doctoral Fellow (1 year), Social Science Research Council Criminal Justice Innovation, Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School 

Melanie Rucinski (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on Teacher Labor Markets Advisor: Christopher Norio Avery Job Placement: Lecturer, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Avery Schmidt (Politics and Institutions track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Politics of International Law Advisor: Kathryn Sikkink Job Placement: Watson Post-Doctoral Fellow (2024-2025), Brown University; Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of Southern California (2025)

Emma Smith (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays in Development Economics Advisor: Rema Hanna Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University

Ke Wang (Judgment and Decision Making track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on Emotion and Decision Making, with Implications for Policy Advisor: Jennifer Lerner Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia

jiahua liu (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on International Trade and Firm Growth in Developing Countries Advisor: Gordon Hanson Job Placement: Economist, Cornerstone Research

kristen McCormack (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays in Environmental Economics Advisor: David Cutler Job Placement: Economist, U.S. Treasury

dayea oh (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on Applied Microeconomics Advisor: Will Dobbie Job Placement: Assistant Professor, School of Public Policy, Pepperdine University

lauren russell (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on the U.S. Criminal Legal System and Black-White Inequality Advisor: David Deming Job Placement: Economist, Labor Markets Section, Federal Reserve Board

Samuel stemper (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Economics of Education Advisor:  Christopher Avery Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, University of Auckland

Amy wickett (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on Diversity Advisor:  Desmond Ang Job Placement: to be confirmed

Shweta Bhogale

Dissertation Title: Essays on Agriculture and Rural Development in Developing Countries Advisor:  Rema Hanna Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, King Climate Action Initiative, J-PAL

Kevin Carney

Dissertation Title: Essays in Development and Behavioral Economics Advisor:  Gautam Rao Job Placement:

• Post-Doctoral Fellow (one year), Department of Economics, University of Chicago
• Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, University of Michigan

Dissertation Title: Two Essays on Legal Entanglements and One Essay on Worker Voice Advisor: Will Dobbie Job Placement: Research Director, People Lab, University of California, Berkeley

Stuart Iler

Dissertation Title: Essays on Shock Propagation in Economic Production Networks: Applications to U.S. Oil Price Episodes and Green Jobs Advisor: Joseph Aldy Job Placement: Consultant, Resources for the Future

frina Lin (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on Health Care and Inequality Advisor: Marcella Alsan Job Placement: to be confirmed

Grace McCormack

Dissertation Title: Three Essays in Applied Microeconomics Advisor: David Cutler Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Researcher, University of Southern California

José Morales-Arilla

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Political Economy of Development Advisor:  Edward Glaeser Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University

Felix Owusu (Economics track)

Dissertation Title: Policy and Inequality in the Criminal Legal System Advisor: David Deming Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley

James Reisinger

Dissertation Title: Social Spillovers in Beliefs, Preferences, and Well-being Advisor:  Michela Carlana Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Furman Center, New York University

Elizabeth Spink (economics track)

Dissertation Title: Essays on Water Utility Quality and Access Advisor: Rema Hanna Job Placement: Economist, Environmental Protection Agency

Yazan Al-Karablieh

Dissertation Title: Essays on Corporate Taxation Advisor:  Stefanie Stantcheva Job Placement: Economist, Economist Program, International Monetary Fund

Sebastián Bustos

Dissertation Title: Essays in International Economics, Development, and Globalization Advisor: Ricardo Hausmann Job Placement: Senior Fellow, Growth Lab , Center for International Development , Harvard Kennedy School

Holly Dykstra

Dissertation Title: Essays in Behavioral Economics Advisor:  Brigitte C. Madrian Job Placement: Junior Professor, Department of Economics, University of Konstanz

Marie-Pascale Grimon

Dissertation Title: Essays in Labor Economics and Child Welfare Advisor:  Amanda Pallais Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Swedish Institute for Social Research, Stockholm University

Blake Heller

Dissertation Title: Essays on Late Investment in Human Capital Advisor: Joshua Goodman Job Placement:

• Assistant Professor, Hobby School of Public Affairs, University of Houston
• Post-Doctoral Fellow 2021-2022, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University

Shefali Khanna

Dissertation Title: Essays in Energy and Development Economics Advisor: Rema Hanna Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Economics and Public Policy Department, Imperial College London

Kunal Mangal

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Economics of Public Sector Recruitment in India Advisor: Asim Khwaja Job Placement: Visiting Fellow, Azim Premji University

Niharika Singh

Dissertation Title: Essays in Development Economics Advisor:  Asim Khwaja Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, University of Notre Dame

Daniel Stuart

Dissertation Title: Essays in Energy and Environmental Economics Advisor: Joseph Aldy Job Placement: Associate, Analysis Group

Andrew Bacher-HicKs

Dissertation Title:  Essays on the Economics of Education Advisor: Christopher Avery Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Education Policy, Boston University

Megan Bailey

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Climate Policy and Innovation Advisor: Joseph Aldy Job Placement: Assistant Professor, University of Calgary

Patrick Behrer

Dissertation Title:  Three Essays in Environmental and Development Economics Advisor: Rema Hanna Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Center on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University

Elijah de la Campa

Dissertation Title:  Three Essays on the Provision of Local Public Goods Advisor:  Jeffrey Liebman Job Placement: Senior Research Associate in Economics and Urban Analytics, Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative

Charlie Dorison

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Emotion and Decision Making Advisor: Jennifer Lerner Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Dispute Resolution Research Center, Management and Operations Department, Northwestern University

Madeleine Gelblum

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Labor and Personnel Economics Advisor: David Deming Job Placement: Labor Market Analyst, Facebook

Guthrie Gray-Lobe

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Development Economics Advisor: Michael Kremer Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Harvard University

Asad Liaqat

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Development Economics and Political Economy Advisor: Asim Khwaja Job Placement: Research Scientist, Novi Economics team, Facebook

Heidi Liu 

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Behavioral Economics, Gender and Employment Advisor: Iris Bohnet Job Placement: Sharswood Fellow, University of Pennsylvania School of Law

Sharan Mamidipudi

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Development Economics and Political Economy Advisor: Gautam Rao Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland

Aroop Mukharji

Dissertation Title:  Sea Change: McKinley, Roosevelt, and the Expansion of U.S. Foreign Policy 1897-1909 Advisor:  Fredrik Logevall  Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University

Christine Mulhern

Dissertation Title:  Personalized Information and College Choices: The Role of School Counselors, Technology, and Siblings Advisor: Christopher Avery Job Placement: Associate Policy Research, RAND

Dissertation Title: Essays in Energy and Development Economics Advisor: Rohini Pande Job Placement: Applied Scientist, Uber

Rebecca Sachs

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Health Care Markets and the Safety Net Advisor: David Cutler Job Placement: Analyst, Health Studies Unit, Congressional Budget Office

Chris Umphres

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Judgement and Decision Making Advisor: Jennifer Lerner Job Placement: United States Air Force

Bradley DeWees

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Judgment and Decision Making Advisors:  Jennifer Lerner , Julia Minson Job Placement: Assistant Director of Operations, United States Air Force

Abraham Holland

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Development Economics Advisors: Edward Glaeser ,  Rohini Pande Job Placement: Research Staff Member, Institute for Defense Analyses

Ariella Kahn-Lang

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Labor Market Inequality Advisors:  Christopher Avery ,  Lawrence Katz Job Placement: Researcher, Human Services, Mathematica

Jennifer Kao

Dissertation Title:  Essays in the Economics of Health and Innovation Advisors:  Pierre Azoulay ,  Amitabh Chandra ,  David Cutler Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Strategy Unit, UCLA Anderson School of Management

Stephanie Majerowicz

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Education and Development Economics Advisors:  Asim Khwaja ,  Michael Kremer Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Government, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia (Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, briq Institute on Behavior & Inequality)

Emily Mower

Dissertation Title:  Algorithms and Applied Econometrics in the Digital Economy Advisors: Kris Johnson Ferreira ,  Joshua Goodman , Shane Greenstein Job Placement: Senior Data Scientist, edX

Gabriel Tourek

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Development and Public Economics Advisors:  Nathaniel Hendren ,  Asim Khwaja Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Associate, Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)

Daniel Velez-Lopez

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Environmental Economics Advisor:  Joseph Aldy Job Placement: Lead Analyst, Venture Fellowship Program, National Grid Partners

Rohit Chandra

Dissertation Title:  Adaptive State Capitalism in the Indian Coal Industry Advisor: José A. Gómez-Ibáñez

Juan Pablo Chauvin

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Urban Economics and Development Advisor:  Edward Glaeser Job Placement: Research Economist, Inter-American Development Bank

Cuicui Chen

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Environmental Economics and Industrial Organization Advisors: Joseph Aldy , Ariél Pakes Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, State University of New York at Albany

Stephen Coussens

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Health and Behavioral Economics Advisors:  David Cutler , Brigitte Madrian Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University

Raissa Fabregas

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Development Economics and Education Advisors: Michael Kremer , Rohini Pande Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin

Todd Gerarden

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Environmental Economics and Industrial Organization Advisors: Ariél Pakes ,  Robert Stavins Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University

Sarika Gupta

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Development Economics and Governance Advisor:  Rohini Pande Job Placement: Young Professionals Program, The World Bank

Alicia Harley

Dissertation Title:  Why Does Technology Fail to Benefit the Poorest Farmers? A Sociotechnical Approach to the Study of Innovation and Poverty Advisor: William Clark Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Sustainability Science Program, Harvard Kennedy School

Janhavi Nilekani

Dissertation Title:  Essays at the Intersection of Environmental and Development Economics Advisors: Rema Hanna ,  Rohini Pande Job Placement: Founder, Aastar

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Structural Transformation and Trade Advisors:  Melissa Dell ,  Martin Rotemberg Job Placement: Harvard Graduate Students Union, United Auto Workers

Martin Abel

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Labor Markets in Developing Countries Advisors: Rema Hanna , Lawrence Katz Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Middlebury College

Jonathan Baker

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Water Conservation and Water Quality Programs Advisor: Robert Stavins Job Placement: Economist, Analysis Group

Tomoko Harigaya

Dissertation Title:  Delivering Financial Services to the Poor: Constraints on Access, Take-up, and Usage Advisor:  Rohini Pande Job Placement: Research Associate, Precision Agriculture for Development

Laura Quinby

Dissertation Title:  Compensation and Employment Policies in the U.S. Public Sector Advisor:  Lawrence Katz Job Placement: Research Economist, Center for Retirement Research, Boston College

Dissertation Title:  State Strategies Under Global Rules: Chinese Industrial Policy in the WTO Era Advisor: Peter A. Hall Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Oregon

Samura Atallah

Dissertation Title:  Studies in Labor Economics, Organizational Economics, and Development Advisor: Ellen J. Langer Job Placement: Associate, McKinsey & Company

Tara Grillos

Dissertation Title:  Participation, Power, and Preferences in International Development Advisor:  William Clark Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Purdue University

Nils Hägerdal

Dissertation Title:  Ethnic Cleansing as Military Strategy: Lessons From Lebanon, 1975-1990 Advisor: Robert H. Bates Job Placement: Junior Research Fellow, Brandeis University

Elizabeth Linos

Dissertation Title:  Three Essays on Human Capital in the Public Sector Advisor:  Jeffrey Liebman Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Optimizing Social Policy for Different Populations: Education, Targeting, and Impact Evaluation Advisor:  Lant Pritchett Job Placement: Founder and CEO, StellarEmploy

Yusuf Neggers

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Economic Development and Political Economy Advisor:  Rohini Pande Job Placement: Watson Post-Doctoral Fellow, Brown University

Oyebola Okunogbe

Dissertation Title:  Essays in Political Economy and Development Advisor:  Asim Khwaja Job Placement: Economist, Development Research Group, The World Bank

Trisha Shrum

Dissertation Title:  Behavioral and Experimental Insights on Consumer Decisions and the Environment Advisors: Joseph Aldy ,  David Laibson Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Earth Lab, University of Colorado

Samuel Stolper

Dissertation Title:  Oil and Water: Essays on the Economics of Natural Resource Usage Advisors:  Joseph Aldy , Robert Stavins Job Placement:

• Fall 2016 > Post-Doctoral Fellow, Energy Initiative, Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Fall 2017 > Assistant Professor, School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan 

Maria Cecilia Acevedo

Dissertation Title:  Essays in the Political Economy of Conflict and Development Advisors: Rohini Pande , James Robinson Job Placement: Consultant, Poverty Global Practice Division, The World Bank

Natalie Bau

Dissertation Title:  Essays at the Intersection of Development and Education Advisors:  Asim Khwaja ,  Nathan Nunn Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, University of Toronto

Syon Bhanot

Dissertation Title:  Field Experiments in Behavioral and Public Economics Advisors:  Brigitte Madrian ,  Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Swarthmore College

Gabriel Chan

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Energy Technology Innovation Policy Advisors:  William Clark ,  Laura Díaz Anadón Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Science, Technology and Policy, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota

Sarah Cohodes

Dissertation Title:  Essays on the Economics of Education Advisor:  Christopher Avery Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Education Policy and Social Analysis, Teachers College, Columbia University

A. Nilesh Fernando

Dissertation Title:  Land, Labor and Technology: Essays in Development Economics Advisors:  Lawrence Katz ,  Asim Khwaja Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, University of Notre Dame (Post-Doc at Harvard University)

Daniel Honig

Dissertation Title:  Navigating by Judgment: Organizational Structure, Autonomy, and Country Context in Delivering Foreign Aid Advisor:  Peter A. Hall Job Placement: Assistant Professor, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University

Mahnaz Islam

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Development Economics Advisors: Rema Hanna , Rohini Pande Job Placement: Economist, Amazon

joo Julia A. lee

Dissertation Title: Essays in Organizational Behavior Advisor:  Francesca Gino Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Institutional Corruption Program, Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, Harvard University

Andry Liscovich

Dissertation Title: Essays in Experimental and Labor Economics Advisor:  Nicholas A. Christakis Job Placement: Director of Technology, RA Capital Management

Richard Sweeney

Dissertation Title:  Essays on Industry Response to Energy and Environmental Policy Advisors: Ariél Pakes ,  Robert Stavins Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Boston College

Elizabeth Walker

Dissertation Title:  Essays at the Intersection of Environment and Development Economics Advisor:  Rema Hanna Job Placement: Consultant, Energy, Environment, and Network Industries Practice, NERA Economic Consulting

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Transmission and Diffusion of Productive Knowledge in International Economics Advisor:  Elhanan Helpman Job Placement: Senior Associate Economist, Inter-American Development Bank

Ariel Dora Stern

Dissertation Title: Essays in the Economics of Health Care and the Regulation of Medical Technology Advisor:  Amitabh Chandra Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Technology and Operations Management Unit, Harvard Business School

Alexandra van Geen

Dissertation Title: Essays in Experimental Economics and the Improvement of Judgment and Decision Making Advisor: Iris Bohnet Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Finance, Erasmus School of Economics

Clara Monika Zverina

Dissertation Title: Essays in Public and Labor Economics Advisor: Jeffrey Liebman Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow in Disability Research, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Will Dobbie

Dissertation Title: Essays in Labor Economics Advisor: Roland G. Fryer, Jr. Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, Department of Economics, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University

Jeffrey Friedman

Dissertation Title: Cumulative Dynamics and Strategic Assessment: U.S. Military Decision Making in Iraq, Vietnam, and the American Indian Wars Advisor: Stephen Walt Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow in International Security and U.S. Foreign Policy, John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding, Dartmouth College

Marie E. Newhouse

Dissertation Title: Kant's Typo, and the Limits of Law Advisor: Arthur Applbaum Job Placement: Residential Lab Fellow, Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, Harvard Law School

Olga Rostapshova

Dissertation Title: Pushing a Troika of Development: Promoting Investment, Curbing Corruption, and Enhancing Public Good Provision Advisor: Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Specialist, Social Impact, Social Science Genetics Association Consortium, National Bureau of  Economic Research (NBER) and Senior Evaluations

Laurence Tai

Dissertation Title: Hierarchical Game-Theoretic Models of Transparency in the Administrative State Advisor: Daniel Carpenter   Job Placement: Residential Lab Fellow, Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, Harvard Law School

Christopher Carrigan

Dissertation Title: Structured to Fail? Explaining Regulatory Performance Under Completing Mandates Advisor:  Daniel Carpenter Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, George Washington University

Souman Hong

Dissertation Title: Online Institutions, Markets, and Democracy Advisor: Matthew Baum Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Yonsei University

Avinash Kishore

Dissertation Title: Essays on Economics of Indoor and Outdoor Air Pollution in India Advisor: Dale Jorgenson Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), New Delhi, India

Robyn Meeks

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Economics of Household Water Access in Developing Countries Advisor: Rohini Pande Job Placement: Assistant Professor in Environmental Economics, School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan 

Karl Neumar

Dissertation Title: Essays on Optimal Management of Portfolios Advisor:  Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement:, Founding Partner, HNC Advisors

Philip Osafo-Kwaako

Dissertation Title: Essays in Economic History and Development Advisor: James Robinson Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Institute for Quantitative Social Sciences at Harvard

Matthew Ransom

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Economics of Climate Change Advisor:  Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: Senior Analyst, Health and Environment Division, Abt Associates

Christopher Robert

Dissertation Title: Wealth, Welfare, and Well-being: Essays in Indebtedness and Normative Analysis Advisor:  Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: President and CEO, Dobility; Adjunct Lecturer, Harvard Kennedy School

William Skimmyhorn

Dissertation Title: Essays in Behavioral Household Finance Advisor:  Brigitte Madrian Job Placement: Assistant Professor, United States Military Academy (West Point)

Maoliang Ye

Dissertation Title: Gradualism in Coordination and Trust Building Advisors: Raj Chetty ,  Brigitte Madrian Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Remin University of China

Tristan Zajonc

Dissertation Title: Essays on Causal Inference for Public Policy Advisor: Guido Imbens Job Placement: Visiting Fellow, Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard; Co-founder and CEO, Sense, Inc.

Ina Ganguli

Dissertation Title: Labor Markets in Transition: Science and Migration After the Collapse of the Soviet Union Advisor: Richard B. Freeman Job Placement:

• 2011–2012 > Post-Doctoral Fellow, Harvard Business School, Harvard Medical School
• 2012 > Assistant Professor, Stockholm School of Economics

John Horton

Dissertation Title: Online Labor Markets Advisor:  Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: Economist, Odesk

Victoria Levin

Dissertation Title: Choices and Consequences: Decisions on Health, Wealth, and Employment Advisor:  Brigitte Madrian Job Placement: Economist, The World Bank

Suerie Moon

Dissertation Title: Embedding Neoliberalism: Global Health and the Evolution of the Global Intellectual Property Regime (1995-2009) Advisor: John Ruggie Job Placement: Non-academic offers—undecided

Gary Reinbold

Dissertation Title: Essays on Child Mortality and Growth Faltering in Bangladesh and Kenya Advisor: Mary Jo Bane Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Public Administration, University of Illinois Springfield

Abigail Fisher Williamson

Dissertation Title: Beyond the Passage of Time: Local Government Response in New Immigrant Destinations Advisor: Robert D. Putnam Job Placement: Preceptor, Harvard College Writing Program

Andrés Zahler

Dissertation Title: Essays on Export Dynamics Advisor: Ricardo Hausmann Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Public Policy Institute, Diego Portales University

Mohamad Al-Ississ

Dissertation Title: The Role of Beliefs in Financial Markets: Three Essays on Violence, Trust and Religion Advisor: Iris Bohnet Job Placement: Assistant Professor, University of Cairo, Joint appointment with Business School and School of Global Affairs

Sharon Barnhardt

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Impact of Residential Location on Networks, Attitudes and Cooperation: Experimental Evidence from India Advisor:  Rohini Pande Job Placement: Institute for Financial Management and Research, Chennai, India

David Deming

Dissertation Title: Long-Term Impacts of Educational Interventions Advisor: Lawrence Katz Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Heinz School of Public Health, Carnegie Mellon University

Brooke Kelsey Jack

Dissertation Title: Essays on Developing Country Markets in Environment and Health Advisor: Christopher Avery Job Placement:

• 2010–2011 > Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• 2011 > Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Tufts University

David J. Lynch

Dissertation Title: Does Analogical Reasoning Affect Political Attitudes? Evidence from Survey Experiments Advisor: Gary King Job Placement: Consultant, RWS Advisory

Santitarn Sathirathai

Dissertation Title: Loyal Friends and Fickle Lenders: The Behavior of Financial Institutions During Financial Crises Advisor: Asim Khwaja Job Placement: Credit Suisse, Singapore

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Economics of Education Advisor:  Lawrence Katz Job Placement: Institute of Education Sciences, (National Center for Education Evaluation), U.S. Department of Education

Hunt Allcott

Dissertation Title: Consumer Behavior and Firm Strategy in Energy Markets Advisor: Robert Stavins Job Placement:

• 2009–2011 > Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• 2011 > Assistant Professor of Economics, New York University

Jeffrey Bielicki

Dissertation Title: Integrated Systems Analysis and Technological Findings for Carbon Capture and Storage Deployment Advisor: John Holdren Job Placement: Weinberg Fellow, Research Scientist, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Jonathan Borck

Dissertation Title: Beyond Compliance: Three Essays on Voluntary Corporate Environmentalism Advisor:  Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: Economist, Analysis Group, Boston

Warigia Bowman

Dissertation Title: Digital Development: Technology, Governance, and the Quest for Modernity in East Africa Advisor: Sheila Jasanoff Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Public Policy Leadership, University of Mississippi

Jennifer Bulkeley

Dissertation Title: Perspectives on Power: Chinese Strategies to Measure and Manage China’s Rise Advisor: Ashton Carter Job Placement: Special Assistant for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, Office of the Secretary of Defense

Oeindrila Dube

Dissertation Title: Essays in the Political Economy of Conflict and Development Advisor:  Sendhil Mullainathan Job Placement: 2009–2010 > Post-Doctoral Fellow, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Center for Global Development, New York University

Allan Friedman

Dissertation Title: Privacy, Security, and the Dynamics of Networked Information Sharing Advisor: David Lazer Job Placement:

• 2009–2010 > Post-Doctoral Fellowship, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Center for Research on Computation and Society, Harvard University
• 2010 > Brookings Institution

Felipe Kast

Dissertation Title: Essays on Poverty Dynamics and Social Policy Advisor: Alberto Abadie Job Placement: Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Dissertation Title: Green Chemistry: A Study of Innovation for Sustainable Development Advisor: William Clark Job Placement: Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering, Yale University

Holly Ho Ming

Dissertation Title: Growing Up in the Urban Shadow: Realities and Dreams of Migrant Workers’ Children in Beijing and Shanghai Advisor: Anthony Saich Job Placement: Breakthrough, Ltd, Hong Kong, Youth Foundation, Beijing and Shanghai

Tatsuya Nishida

Dissertation Title: Incomplete Alliances: A Comparative Analysis of the Hub-and Spoke System in the Asia-Pacific Advisor: Stephen Walt Job Placement: Post-Doc at a Japanese university

Jason Richwine

Dissertation Title: IQ and Immigration Policy Advisor: George Borjas Job Placement: Research Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

Juan Saavedra

Dissertation Title: The Role of Resources and Incentives in Education Production Advisor:  Lawrence Katz Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Public Policy, School of Government, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia

Judith Scott-Clayton

Dissertation Title: Understanding America's Unfinished Transformation: Three Essays on the Economics of Higher Education Advisor: Christopher Jencks Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Economics and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University

Sandra Sequeira

Dissertation Title: On the Waterfront: An Empirical Study of Corruption in Ports Advisor:  Sendhil Mullainathan Job Placement:

• 2009 > Post-Doctoral Fellow, New York Law School
• 2010 > Lecturer in Development Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science

Yuhki Tajima

Dissertation Title: Order and Violence in Authoritarian Breakdowns: How Institutions Explain Communal Violence in Indonesia Advisor: Robert H. Bates Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of California, Riverside

Ngoc Anh Tran

Dissertation Title: Corruption, Ranking and Competition Advisor:  Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Public Policy, University of Indiana

Dissertation Title: Three Essays in Environmental Economics Advisor: Robert Stavins Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Economics, Mount Holyoke College

Fotini Christia

Dissertation Title: The Closest of Enemies: Alliance Formation in the Afghan and Bosnian Civil Wars Advisor: Robert H. Bates   Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Kessely Corea Hong

Dissertation Title: Group Differences in Preferences, Beliefs, and Perceptions? Advisor: Iris Bohnet On family leave

Sebastian S. James

Dissertation Title: Essays on Tax Policy and Tax Compliance Advisor: Caroline M. Hoxby Job Placement: Senior Economist on Tax Policy, The World Bank

Bailey W. Klinger

Dissertation Title: Discovering New Export Activities in Developing Countries: Uncertainty, Linkages, and the Product Space Advisor: Ricardo Hausmann Job Placement: Director, Center for International Development (CID) Research Lab, Harvard Kennedy School

Carolyn M. Kousky

Dissertation Title: Responding to Risk: Information and Decision Making in the Floodplains of St. Louis County, Missouri Advisor:  Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: Fellow, Resources for the Future

Elta C. Smith

Dissertation Title: Governing Rice: The Politics of Experimentation in Global Agriculture Advisor: Sheila Jasanoff Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Environment and Political Economy, University of California, Berkeley

Nicole A. Szlezak

Dissertation Title: Global Health in the Making: China, HIV/AIDS and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Advisor:  Sheila Jasanoff Job Placement: Consultant, McKinsey & Company

Adam T. Thomas

Dissertation Title: Forgotten Fathers: A Collection of Essays on Low-Skilled Men and Marriage Advisor: William Julius Wilson Job Placement: Research Director, Economic Studies, Brookings Institution

Dissertation Title: Nonparametric Methods for Inference After Variable Selection, Comparisons of Survival Distributions, and Random Effects Meta-Analysis, and Reporting of Subgroup Analyses (Department of Biostatistics) Advisor: Stephen Lagakos Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Urban Planning, University of California, Los Angeles

Blair s. Williams

Dissertation Title: Essays in Legislative Behavior Advisor: David King Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences, United States Military Academy (West Point)

Naomi Calvo

Dissertation Title: How Parents Choose Schools: A Mixed-Methods Study of Public School Choice in Seattle Advisor: Christopher Jencks Job Placement: Principal Associate, Education Resource Strategies

Dissertation Title: Essays on Environmental Tax Policy Analysis: Dynamic Computable General Equilibrium Approaches Applied to China Advisor: Dale Jorgenson Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University

Andrew Feldman

Dissertation Title: What Works in Work-First Welfare? Advisor: Jeffrey Liebman Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School

Fiona Greig

Dissertation Title: Barriers to Advancement: Perspectives from Behavioral Economics, Negotiation and Gender Analysis Advisor: Iris Bohnet Job Placement: Consultant, McKinsey & Company

Dissertation Title: Essays on Education Production in China and the U.S. Advisor: Anthony Saich Job Placement: Policy Specialist, Human Development Report Office, UN Development Programme

Beau Kilmer

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Consequences of Drug Use and Drug Testing Advisor: Mark Moore Job Placement: Associate Policy Researcher, RAND

Indhira Santos

Dissertation Title: Essays on Natural Disasters and Household Income Advisor:  Jeffrey Liebman Job Placement: Research Fellow, Bruegel

Dissertation Title: Essays on Environmental, Energy, and Natural Resource Economics Advisor: William Hogan Job Placement: Assistant Professor in Energy Economics and Policy, Department of Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering, Penn State University

Pelin Berkmen

Dissertation Title: Essays on Monetary Policy and Debt Accumulation Advisor: Andrés Velasco Job Placement: Research Economist, International Monetary Fund

Eduardo Cavallo

Dissertation Title: Living as a Debtor in a World of Sudden Stops: The Roles of Exposure to Trade and Commitment Advisor: Jeffrey Frankel Job Placement: Research Economist, Inter-American Development Bank

Dissertation Title: Household Behavior and Energy Demand: Evidence from Peru Advisor: Mark Rosenzweig Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, The Earth Institute, Columbia University

Dissertation Title: The Economic Interdependence of China and the World Advisor: Robert Lawrence Job Placement: Private Sector Consultant

Jenny Schuetz

Dissertation Title: Land, Money and Politics: Essays on Government Intervention in Housing Markets Advisor:  José A. Gómez-Ibáñez Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, New York University

Jong-Sung You

Dissertation Title: A Comparative Study of Income Inequality, Corruption, and Social Trust Advisor: Robert D. Putnam Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, University of California, San Diego

Chad b. steinberg

Dissertation Title: Does the Neighborhood Matter? Three Essays in International Economics Advisor: Dani Rodrik Job Placement: Economist, International Monetary Fund

Khuong Minh Vu

Dissertation Title: ICT and Global Economic Growth: Contribution, Impact, and Policy Implications Advisor: Dale Jorgenson Job Placement: Visiting Professor, Sawyer School of Management, Suffolk University

Steven c. Anderson

Dissertation Title: Analyzing Strategic Interaction in Multi-Settlement Electricity Markets: A Closed-Loop Supply Function Equilibrium Model Advisor: William Hogan Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Harvard Electricity Policy Group

Dissertation Title: Essays in Environmental Economics and Policy Advisor: Robert Stavins Job Placement: Visiting Professor, University of Texas at Dallas

Andrew k. Leigh

Dissertation Title: Essays in Poverty and Inequality Advisor: Christopher Jencks Job Placement: Fellow, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University

Gavin Samms

Dissertation Title: Essay in Education Policy Advisor:  Christopher Jencks Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Sheryl Winston Smith

Dissertation Title: Innovation and Globalization in Four High-Technology Industries in the United States: One Size Does Not Fit All Advisor: Lewis Branscomb Job Placement: Research Associate in Economics and Management, Gustavus Adolphus College

Lori d. Snyder

Dissertation Title: Essays on Facility-Level Response to Environmental Regulations Advisor:  Robert Stavins Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Environmental Economics and Policy, Nicholas School of Environmental and Earth Sciences, Duke University

Carolyn Gideon

Dissertation Title: Sustainable Competition or Inevitable Monopoly? The Potential for Competition in Network Communications Industries Advisor:  Lewis Branscomb Job Placement: Assistant Professor of International Communications and Communications Technology, Tufts University

Gabriel Kaplan

Dissertation Title: Between Politics and Markets: The Institutional Allocation of Resources in Higher Education Advisor: Joseph Kalt Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Public Affairs, University of Colorado Denver

Tuan Minh Le

Dissertation Title: Analysis of Tax and Trade Incentives for Foreign Direct Investment: The Case of Vietnam Advisor: Dwight H. Perkins Job Placement: Public Finance Economist, The World Bank

Pierre LeBlanc

Dissertation Title: Essays on Tax-Deferred Saving in Canada Advisor: David Wise Job Placement: Economist, Department of Finance, Government of Canada

Dorina Bekoe

Dissertation Title: After the Peace Agreement: Lessons for Implementation from Mozambique, Angola, and Liberia Advisor: Robert H. Bates Job Placement: Associate, International Peace Academy

Sheila Cavanagh

Dissertation Title: Essays in Environmental Economics and Policy Advisor: Robert Stavins Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Economics, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University

Ajay Chaudry

Dissertation Title: Child Care Arrangements Among Low-Income Families: A Qualitative Approach Advisor: Mary Jo Bane Job Placement: Faculty Member, The New School

Dissertation Title: Money and Mission: How Non-Profit Organizations Finance Their Charitable Activities Advisor: Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: Public Finance Associate, UBS Paine Webber 

R. Karl Rethemeyer

Dissertation Title: Centralization or Democratization: Assessing the Internet's Impact on Policy Networks Advisor: Jane Fountain Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Public Affairs and Policy, Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Policy, State University of New York at Albany

Lisa Sanbonmatsu

Dissertation Title: Child Neglect in a Changing Economic and Social Policy Context Advisor:  Mary Jo Bane Job Placement: Post-Doctoral Fellow, National Bureau of Economic Research

Andres Vinelli

Dissertation Title: The Management and Performance of Microfinance Organizations Advisor: Mark Moore Job Placement: Special Assistant to the Chairman, National Association of Securities Dealers

Alix Peterson Zwane

Dissertation Title: Essays in Environment and Development Advisor:  Robert Stavins Job Placement: Cooperative Extension Specialist, Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics, University of California, Berkeley

Dissertation Title: Integrating Information and Decision Making in a Multi-Level World: Cross-scale Environmental Science and Management Advisor: William Clark Job Placement: Research Associate, Sustainability Systems Project, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

RicHARD Doblin

Dissertation Title: Regulation of the Medical Use of Psychedelics and Marijuana Advisor: F.M. Scherer Job Placement: President, Multi-Disciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies

Judith Kelley

Dissertation Title: Norms and Membership Conditionality: The Role of European Institutions in Ethnic Politics in Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia and Romania Advisor: Lisa Martin Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Duke University

Anthony Patt

Dissertation Title: Strategy and Psychology in Environmental Assessment Advisor: William Clark Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Center for Energy and Environmental Studies, Boston University

Sasha Pivovarsky

Dissertation Title: Essays on Institutions and Finance Advisor: Benjamin Sachs Job Placement: Economist, International Monetary Fund

David Skilling

Dissertation Title: Policy Coordination, Political Structure, and Public Debt: The Political Economy of Public Debt Accumulation in OECD Countries Since 1960 Advisor:  Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: Economist, New Zealand Treasury

Marcus Stanley

Dissertation Title: Essays in Program Evaluation Advisor: Claudia Goldin Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Economics, Case Western Reserve University

Robert Taliercio

Dissertation Title: Administrative Reform as Credible Commitment: The Design, Sustainability, and Performance of Semi-Autonomous Revenue Authorities in Latin America Advisor: Merilee Grindle Job Placement: Fellow, Young Professionals Program, The World Bank

Todd Olmstead

Dissertation Title: The Effects of Freeway Management Systems and Motorist Assistance Patrols on the Frequency of Reported Motor Vehicle Crashes Advisor:  José A. Gómez-Ibáñez Job Placement: Consultant, McKinsey & Company

Gustavo Merino-Juarez

Dissertation Title: Federalism and the Policy Process: Using Basic Education as a Test-Case of Decentralization in Mexico Advisor: John Donahue Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Economics, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México

Carlos Rufin

Dissertation Title: The Political Economy of Institutional Change in the Electricity Supply Industry Advisor: William Hogan Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Business Strategy, Babson College

Howard Shatz

Dissertation Title: The Location of U.S. Multinational Affiliates Advisor:  Benjamin Sachs Job Placement: Research Fellow, Public Policy Institute of California

David Snelbecker

Dissertation Title: Pension Reform in Economies with Large Informal Sectors: The Case of the Ukraine Advisor: William Hogan Job Placement: Manager, The Services Group

David Autor

Dissertation Title: Essays on the Changing Labor Market: Computerization, Inequality, and the Development of the Contingent Work Force Advisor: Lawrence Katz Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Alison Earle

Dissertation Title: Keeping the Job You Find: Understanding Job Turnover Among Welfare Recipients Who Obtain Work Advisor: David Ellwood Job Placement: Research Scientist, Department of Health and Social Behavior, Harvard School of Public Health

Karen Eggleston

Dissertation Title: Incentives in Health Care Payment Systems Advisor: Joseph P. Newhouse Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Economics, Tufts University

Karen Fisher-Vanden

Dissertation Title: Structural Change and Technological Diffusion in Transition Economies: Implications for Energy Use and Carbon Emissions in China Advisor: Dale Jorgenson Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Environmental Studies Program, Dartmouth College

WooChan Kim

Dissertation Title: Essays in International Capital Markets Advisor: Wei Job Placement: Deputy Director, Ministry of Finance and Economy, Republic of Korea

Chang-Yang Lee

Dissertation Title: A Theory of the Determinants of R&D: Consumer Characteristics and Technological Competence Advisor: F.M. Scherer Job Placement: Director, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, Republic of Korea

Steven Todd Schatzki

Dissertation Title: A Theoretical and Empirical Examination of Land Use Change Under Uncertainty Advisor: Robert Stavins Job Placement: Senior Analyst, National Economic Research Associates

Stuart Orin Shapiro

Dissertation Title: Speed Bumps and Road Blocks: Procedural Controls and Regulatory Change Advisor: Cary Coglianese Job Placement: Policy Analyst, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, U.S. Office of Management and Budget

Tay Keong Tan

Dissertation Title: Silence, Sacrifice, and Shoofly Pies: An Inquiry into the Social Capital and Organizational Structures of the Amish Community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Advisor:  Katherine S. Newman Job Placement: Assistant Professor, National University of Singapore

Kathryn p. Boudett

Dissertation Title: In Search of a Second Chance: The Consequences of GED Certification, Education and Training for Young Women Without Traditional High School Diplomas Advisor: Thomas Kane Job Placement: Research Fellow, Harvard Project on Schooling and Children

Bryan c. Hassel

Dissertation Title: Designed to Fail? Charter School Programs and the Politics of Structural Choice Advisor: Paul E. Peterson Job Placement: Consultant, Private Company

Christopher e. Herbert

Dissertation Title: Limited Choices: The Effect of Residential Segregation on Homeownership Among Blacks Advisor: Kain Job Placement: Senior Analyst, Abt Associates

Jason c. Snipes

Dissertation Title: Skill Mismatch, Turnover, and the Development of Young Workers’ Careers Advisor: Ronald Ferguson Job Placement: Research Associate, Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation

John d. Chapman

Dissertation Title: Biased Enrollment and Risk Adjustment for Health Plans Advisor: Joseph P. Newhouse Job Placement: Vice President, Health Care Information Systems

Ingrid gould Ellen

Dissertation Title: Sharing America's Neighborhoods: The Changing Prospects for Stable, Racial Integration Advisor:  Richard Zeckhauser Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University

Tae Yun Kim

Dissertation Title: An Analysis of Defense Procurement Policy in Korea: Selection, Cost Accounting, and Profit Policies Advisor:  F.M. Scherer Job Placement: Government Official, Republic of Korea

Dara e. Menashi

Dissertation Title: Making Public/Private Collaboration Productive: Lessons for Creating Social Capital Advisor:  Ronald Ferguson Job Placement: Consultant, Private Company

Richard g. Newell, Jr.

Dissertation Title: Environmental Policy and Technological Change: The Effect of Economic Incentives and Direct Regulation on Energy-Saving Innovation Advisor:  Robert Stavins Job Placement: Fellow, Resources for the Future

Vicki Norberg-Bohm

Dissertation Title: Technological Change for Sustainable Development: Lessons from the Mexican Electric Power Sector Advisor: William Clark Job Placement: Assistant Professor of Environmental Policy and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Michael a. Santoro

Dissertation Title: Trade Investment and Human Rights: A Moral Framework for Foreign Relations with China Advisor: Frederick Schauer Job Placement: Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Management, Rutgers University

Dissertation Completion Fellowships

Dissertation completion fellowships provide advanced doctoral students in the humanities and social sciences with an academic year of support to write and complete their dissertation.

• Dissertation
• External Fellowships
• Instructions for Dissertation Completion Fellowships
• Fellowships from Harvard Research Centers
• Jens Aubrey Westengard Fund
• Research Fellowships
• Summer Fellowships
• Maximizing Your Degree
• Before You Arrive
• First Weeks at Harvard
• Harvard Speak
• Pre-Arrival Resources for New International Students
• Alumni Council
• Student Engagement
• Applying to Degree Programs
• Applying to the Visiting Students Program
• Admissions Policies
• Cost of Attendance
• Express Interest
• Campus Safety
• Commencement
• Diversity & Inclusion Fellows
• Student Affinity Groups
• Recruitment and Outreach
• Budget Calculator
• Find Your Financial Aid Officer
• Funding and Aid
• Regulations Regarding Employment
• Financial Wellness
• Consumer Information
• Life Sciences
• Policies (Student Handbook)
• Student Center
• Title IX and Gender Equity

Eligible students in the humanities and social sciences are guaranteed a dissertation completion fellowship (DCF) between the G4 and G7 years and must apply for the DCF in advance of the dissertation completion year.

Before applying, students should:

• review DCF opportunities offered by Harvard research centers (see below) and search the CARAT database for DCFs offered by non-Harvard agencies
• review dissertation completion fellowships policy
• follow the instructions for dissertation completion fellowships and apply by February 9, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.

Award description and confirmation typically occurs in early May.

While there is no guarantee of a DCF beyond the G7 year, requests will be considered upon recommendation of the faculty advisor.

Instructions for departments can be found on the instructions for dissertation completion fellowships page.

Harvard Research Centers

Other dissertation completion fellowships are available through the Harvard research centers.

• Charles Warren Center for Studies in American History Dissertation Completion Grants
• Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Dissertation Completion Fellowships
• Edmond J. Safra Graduate Fellowships in Ethics
• Mahindra Humanities Center Mellon Interdisciplinary Dissertation Completion Fellowship
• Center for European Study Dissertation Completion Fellowship
• Radcliffe Dissertation Completion Fellowships
• Weatherhead Center for International Affairs Canada Program Dissertation Research and Writing Fellowships
• Weatherhead Center for International Affairs Dissertation-Writing Grants

External Dissertation Completion Fellowships 

Search the CARAT database for dissertation completion fellowships offered by non-Harvard agencies.​ Here are a couple of examples:

• American Association of University Women Dissertation Fellowship
• Charlotte W. Newcombe Fellowship

Please contact the Academic Programs office with any questions.

Fellowships & Writing Center

Academic programs, share this page, explore events, related news.

Notes From a Writer's Desk: Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of August

August in New England signals the height of summer heat, and with it, the tendency to move at a slower pace. But for those of us who live by the academic calendar, the laziness of August quickly yields to a bubbling sense of urgency as the fall term approaches.

Notes From a Writer's Desk: Summer by the Charles

A few hours in a kayak on the Charles is, for me, a uniquely refreshing summer activity. Between instinctual stroke after stroke on the tranquil waters, my mind can relax, thoughts meander, and ideas flow. 

Notes From a Writer's Desk: Summer Writing & Research Plans

Summer is a time to exhale and refresh our minds before evaluating and resetting our goals. After the hustle and bustle of the academic year, what kinds of projects might you tackle over the summer and how might you move forward with them?

Notes From a Writer's Desk: From Text to Text

The Fellowships & Writing Center (FWC) recently held two talks as part of our annual April Speaker Series: “The Translator as Reader and Writer”; and “Moving from the Dissertation to the Book.” [...] While these talks might seem to bear little similarity, a common theme emerged: the transformation of one form of text into another.