Team

  • Scholars / UChicago Scholar

    Michael Kremer

    University Professor in Economics and the College and the Harris School of Public Policy, Director of the Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Maria Adelaida Martinez

    Postdoctoral Scholar , Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Funmilayo Ajayi

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Luiza Andrade

    Data Analytics Lead, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Arthur Baker

    Chief of Staff of the Office of the Faculty Director, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Grace Barasa

    Director, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Ishita Batra

    Senior Manager, OFD, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Kevin Carney

    Postdoctoral Scholar, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Esha Chaudhuri

    Policy Coordinator, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Michelle Cherian

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Nicole Colegrove

    Director, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Carolina Concha-Arriagada

    Postdoctoral Scholar , Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Selene Cueva Madrid

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Emily Cupito

    Executive Director, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Joy Dada

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Joshua Deutschmann

    Postdoctoral Scholar and Lead Researcher, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Madeline Edwards

    Senior Administrative & Operations Associate, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Julia Eigner

    Research Manager, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Guthrie Gray-Lobe

    Research Associate and Lead Researcher, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Siddhartha Haria

    Policy Lead, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Maryiam Haroon

    Postdoctoral Scholar, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Cynthia Ji

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Akito Kamei

    Postdoctoral Scholar and Lead Researcher, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Benjamin Krause

    Executive Director, Development Economics Centerr
  • Scholars /

    Alexander Lehner

    Postdoctoral Researcher, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Toniann Liotta

    Executive Assistant to the Faculty Director, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Elisa Maffioli

    Visiting Scholar and Director, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Kelly McGuire

    Associate Director, Finance, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Claire McMahon

    Policy Analyst, Market Shaping Accelerator
  • Scholars /

    Kyle Murphy

    Director, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Jiya Nair

    Special Projects Coordinator, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Vesall Nourani

    Senior Research Associate and Director, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Uba Ogidi

    Administrative and Operations Coordinator, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Mauricio Ortiz-Riomalo

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Shardul Oza

    Associate Director, Research Operations, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Pragya Parthasarathy

    Research Specialist, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Shashank Patil

    Predoctoral Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Pablo Pena

    Assistant Instructional Professor and Director, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Matheus Proença

    Predoctoral Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Ana Radu

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Conrad Rein

    Director of Policy Outreach, Innovation Commission, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Sara Restrepo Tamayo

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Leah Rosenzweig

    Director, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Jessica Rudder

    Postdoctoral Scholar and Lead Researcher, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Heather Rushing

    Operations Associate, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Juan Saavedra

    Consulting Director, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Imara Salas

    Senior Manager, Development Economic Center
  • Scholars /

    Akanksha Saletore

    Research Manager , Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Sabarish Shankar

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Alejandra Shuber

    Grants & Contracts Coordinator, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Rathan Sudheer

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Santiago Velasquez

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Antony Wangari

    Research Coordinator, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Cole Weaver

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Witold Wieçek

    Consulting Director, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Wendy Wong

    Postdoctoral Scholar and Lead Researcher, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Adrian Youssef

    Administrative Coordinator, Finance, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Shengning Zhang

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab
  • Michael Kremer

    University Professor in Economics and the College and the Harris School of Public Policy, Director of the Development Innovation Lab

    Michael Kremer is University Professor at the University of Chicago, in the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics. Previously he was Gates Professor of Developing Societies in the Department of Economics at Harvard University. He was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. His recent research examines education and health in developing countries, immigration, and globalization.

    Professor Kremer is the recipient of the 2019 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, awarded jointly with Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo “for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.”

    Maria Adelaida Martinez

    Postdoctoral Scholar , Development Innovation Lab

    Maria Adelaida Martinez is a Postdoctoral Scholar at DIL. Her work focuses on development economics, migration, and education. She received her Ph.D. in Public Policy Studies from The University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy in 2023. Prior to her Ph.D., she worked for the Social Sector at the Interamerican Development Bank (IADB). Her current research studies the factors driving school sorting and its effects on children’s schooling outcomes. She will join Bentley University as an Assistant Professor of Economics in 2024. Maria Adelaida is originally from Colombia and holds a BA and MA in Economics from the Universidad de los Andes.

    Contact: mariaadelaidamc@uchicago.edu

    Funmilayo Ajayi

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab

    Funmilayo Ajayi is a Pre-doctoral Research Professional at DIL. She is currently engaged in the Safe Water Initiative in Nigeria. In her current role, she provides support to lead researchers Professor Michael Kremer and Professor Elisa M Maffioli in their efforts to implement the safe water initiative in Nigeria. Previously, Funmilayo worked as a Research Assistant for Professor David Engerman at the Jackson School of Public Policy. During this time, she conducted research on quantitative and qualitative trends in development economics. She also focused on analyzing AIDS funding allocation, funding strategies, and potential disparities in funding distribution from specific donors to recipients across different regions of the world. Funmilayo’s interests lie in development economics, policy, and finance. She holds a master’s degree in International and Development Economics from Yale University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. Prior to pursuing her master’s degree, she gained professional experience as an Audit Associate at KPMG Nigeria.

    Contact: funmilayoajayi@uchicago.edu

    Luiza Andrade

    Data Analytics Lead, Development Innovation Lab

    Luiza Andrade is a Data Analytics Lead at DIL. Her work focuses on incorporating non-traditional data sources into development research, promoting transparency and reproducibility in social sciences, and developing software tools to simplify research data work. Prior to joining DIL, she was a Junior Data Scientist at the World Bank’s Development Impact Evaluation department. Luiza is a Brazilian national and holds a BA and an MSc in economics from the University of Sao Paulo.

    Contact: luizaandrade@uchicago.edu

    Arthur Baker

    Chief of Staff of the Office of the Faculty Director, Development Innovation Lab

    Arthur Baker is the Chief of Staff of the Office of the Faculty Director at DIL. In this role, he works on research, strategy, and policy outreach. He is also a member of the Accelerating Health Technologies team, for which he was awarded an Emergent Ventures prize. Previously, he was a Research Associate at the Centre for Global Development, where he conducted research on climate finance, aid effectiveness, and aid transparency. He was also the Research Coordinator for Innovations for Poverty Action Sierra Leone, where he managed randomized control trials, including on election debates and incentives for childhood immunization.

    Contact: arthurbaker@uchicago.edu

    Grace Barasa

    Director, Development Innovation Lab

    Grace Barasa is an Anthropologist and Public Policy Professional serving as the Kenya Country Director. She supports project and initiative activities, stakeholder engagement, scaleup works, and overall county office program and operations functions for Kenya and the East Africa region. Grace has over 20 years experience of implementing and managing impact evaluations. Her experience ranges from public health, agriculture, education, and entrepreneurship. Most of the projects she managed employed the methodology of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs). Grace is passionate about ecological economics, water quality, and agriculture.

    Contact: gmbarasa@uchicago.edu

    Ishita Batra

    Senior Manager, OFD, Development Innovation Lab

    Ishita Batra is a Senior Manager at the Office of the Faculty Director at DIL, where she works on policy outreach, strategy, and research. Previously, she worked at IDinsight in New Delhi, where she supported government and nonprofits in using evidence in their programs. She also has experience in health policy, financial inclusion, innovation prizes, and economic consulting. Ishita holds a Master in Public Affairs from Princeton University.

    Contact: ishitabatra@uchicago.edu

    Kevin Carney

    Postdoctoral Scholar, Development Innovation Lab

    Kevin Carney is a Postdoctoral Scholar at DIL. He is a behavioral economist and works on topics including political economy, household finance, and health. At DIL, Kevin is working on research about improving financial contracts for dairy farmers and increasing COVID-19 vaccination. Most of his work involves field experiments in Kenya and India. Before joining DIL, Kevin completed a PhD in Public Policy at Harvard University.

    Contact: kec@uchicago.edu

    Esha Chaudhuri

    Policy Coordinator, Development Innovation Lab

    Esha Chaudhuri is a Policy Coordinator at DIL, working on the vouchers for safe water project in Nigeria. Prior to her current role, she worked on research, policy outreach, and dissemination in the Office of the Faculty Director at DIL, and on optimal dosing of COVID-19 vaccines. She holds an AB in economics with a secondary in math from Harvard University.

    Contact: echaudhuri@uchicago.edu

    Michelle Cherian

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab

    Michelle Cherian is Predoctoral research professional at DIL. In her current position, she will be supporting lead researcher Akito Kamei and professor Elisa M. Maffioli on a scaled-up chlorine coupon program in Kenya, while also supporting efforts to study the feasibility of setting up similar programs in India and Nigeria. She has previously worked as a data research assistant on gender-related projects at Oxford University as well as a policy consultant in the education space at the OECD. She has also led a large-scale RCT in Punjab and Haryana in India as a research associate at J-PAL SA, supervising implementation-monitoring, managing field teams, and working on survey design, data collection and analysis. Michelle completed her master’s degree in Economics and Public policy from the Paris School of Economics and her bachelor’s degree in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University.

    Contact: cherianm@uchicago.edu

    Nicole Colegrove

    Director, Development Innovation Lab

    Nicole Colegrove is a Director at DIL, overseeing the administration and operations functions across the lab. Prior to her current role, Nicole was the Director of Programs at the Tata Center for Development, a development economics research fund based at the University of Chicago. She has over 13 years of experience in international development and nonprofit management, including 7.5 years managing international programs at UChicago. During her time at UChicago, Nicole has led the start up of several new international programs in India and Brazil. She started her career as a US Peace Corps Volunteer, based in Morocco where she worked with youth development programs. Nicole completed her masters from DePaul University in Chicago.

    Contact: nicolecolegrove@uchicago.edu

    Carolina Concha-Arriagada

    Postdoctoral Scholar , Development Innovation Lab

    Carolina Concha-Arriagada is a Postdoctoral Scholar at DIL. Her work focuses on education, development, applied microeconomics, and political economy. She received her PhD in Economics from Georgetown University. Her current research focuses on mechanisms to help improve the educational system in developing countries and pre-college consequences of different college admission policy design. She will join Columbia University, Teachers College as an Assistant Professor of Economics and Education in 2024. She is an embroidery and pottery/ceramic enthusiast.

    Contact: conchaarriagada@uchicago.edu

    Selene Cueva Madrid

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab

    Selene Cueva Madrid is a Research Professional at DIL working on the scaling-up of a chlorine voucher program in Kenya. She previously worked at J-PAL LAC in the evaluation of multiple programs of labor markets, disabilities, education and gender in different countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to this, she worked as a research assistant at the Group for the Analysis of Development (GRADE) in Peru. Selene holds a master’s degree in Economics from Boston University.

    Contact: cueva@uchicago.edu

    Emily Cupito

    Executive Director, Development Innovation Lab

    Emily Cupito is the Executive Director at DIL, leading the Education Initiative. She is passionate about helping to facilitate the scale up of proven innovations, and she is particularly interested in helping governments to be more effective. Emily spent a decade in Africa, where she most recently led J-PAL Africa’s policy team. In this role, she worked with governments and partners across the continent to explore if and how to scale evidence-based innovations in their contexts. In collaboration with Indian NGO Pratham, her team helped found Teaching at the Right Level Africa, a new team striving to scale an evidence-based literacy and numeracy approach across the continent. Emily has a Master’s in Public Policy from Duke University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Public Policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Emily’s work has spanned over a dozen countries, including Egypt, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia.

    Contact: cupito@uchicago.edu

    Joy Dada

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab

    Joy Dada is a Predoctoral Research Professional at DIL. She is currently supporting Professor Elisa Maffioli on the Water and Health Initiative, alongside assisting Professor Pablo Peña’s impact evaluation of the provision of eyeglasses on academic performance among public school students in Mexico. Previously, she was a research assistant (RA) for Professor Michael Kremer at DIL, and a RA at the Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution where she researched US social welfare programs and licensing for healthcare professionals. Joy has also worked at the Office of State Senator Sara Feigenholtz, and as a RA with Professor of Special Education Robin McWilliam, interning at the Scottish Parliament and the Institute of Economic Affairs in London. Her work focuses on education and health programs, with an emphasis on early childhood interventions. She holds a BS in Mathematics and a BA in Economics from the University of Chicago.

    Contact: jdada@uchicago.edu

    Joshua Deutschmann

    Postdoctoral Scholar and Lead Researcher, Development Innovation Lab

    Joshua Deutschmann is a Postdoctoral Scholar and Lead Researcher at DIL. In this role he oversees a portfolio of research projects primarily focused in agriculture. His research spans topics in agriculture, sanitation, energy, and applied econometrics. He previously completed a PhD in Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to graduate school, he helped manage the Dakar Urban Sanitation Project with Innovations for Poverty Action (as profiled on Planet Money).

    Contact: jdeutschmann@uchicago.edu

    Madeline Edwards

    Senior Administrative & Operations Associate, Development Innovation Lab

    Madeline Edwards is the Senior Administrative & Operations Associate at DIL. In this role, she supports the operations of DIL and coordinates with the Becker Friedman Institute’s Human Resources Team. Prior to joining DIL, Madeline worked with non-profits most recently as a consultant, and previously in project management and various administrative roles. She began her career working in refugee resettlement and immigrant integration in Seattle, WA. She recently relocated to Chicago and is enjoying exploring the different neighborhoods.

    Contact: madelinege@uchicago.edu

    Julia Eigner

    Research Manager, Development Innovation Lab

    Julia Eigner is a Research Manager at DIL supporting agriculture and education research in East Africa. She is based in Nairobi, Kenya and previously worked with Precision Development (PxD) on a portfolio of research from proof-of-concept to scale-up stages. She holds a master’s degree in International Development Policy from Georgetown University.

    Contact: jeigner@uchicago.edu

    Guthrie Gray-Lobe

    Research Associate and Lead Researcher, Development Innovation Lab

    Guthrie Gray-Lobe is a Research Associate and Lead Researcher at DIL and a research affiliate at MIT’s Blueprint Labs. His work focuses on labor economics, education, and market design. He received his PhD in Public Policy from Harvard University. He has previously worked at the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative in Liberia and Social Welfare and Innovations for Poverty Action in Bangladesh. He holds an BA from St. John’s College and an MA from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

    Contact: graylobe@uchicago.edu

    Siddhartha Haria

    Policy Lead, Development Innovation Lab

    Siddhartha Haria is a Policy Lead at DIL based in Nairobi, Kenya. He currently works on policy outreach and Advance Market Commitments. He was previously an Economic Adviser at the UK Department for International Development and worked in Sierra Leone and Afghanistan. Prior to this, he was an ODI Fellow in Ghana. He holds an MSc in Economics for Development from the University of Oxford.

    Contact: siddharthaharia@uchicago.edu

    Maryiam Haroon

    Postdoctoral Scholar, Development Innovation Lab

    Maryiam Haroon is a Postdoctoral Scholar at DIL. Her work focuses on education, health, and labor economics in low- and middle-income countries. She previously completed a PhD in Economics at the Lahore School of Economics in Pakistan. She has worked as a senior research fellow at the Centre for Research in Economics and Business, Lahore School of Economics.

    Contact: maryiamharoon@uchicago.edu

    Cynthia Ji

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab

    Cynthia Ji is a Research Professional at DIL, supporting various education portfolios across East Africa. She has recently completed a master’s degree at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. Prior to Harris, she received her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley, where she majored in Data Science and Economics and minored in Music.

    Contact: cynthiaji@uchicago.edu

    Akito Kamei

    Postdoctoral Scholar and Lead Researcher, Development Innovation Lab

    Akito Kamei is a Postdoctoral Scholar and Lead Researcher at DIL. He oversees a portfolio of research projects primarily focused on water and sanitation. Akito’s research focuses on applied microeconomics specializing in human capital investment and global health in developing countries. Before joining the Development Innovation Lab, Akito worked at the UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti conducting education research. He also worked at the Inter-American Development Bank to evaluate a large-scale government early childhood development program. With the World Bank, he conducted research on urban poverty and labor market outcomes in Ethiopia. He completed a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

    Contact: akamei@uchicago.edu

    Benjamin Krause

    Executive Director, Development Economics Centerr

    Benjamin Krause is the Executive Director of the Development Economics Center (DEC). Ben’s work in academia, development and nonprofit management spans more than two decades and nearly three-dozen countries. Most recently he was at UC Berkeley’s Agricultural and Resource Economics Department for his PhD studying development economics and political economy. His research focuses on government management and state formation in weak states and ungoverned spaces. Ben has built several different organizations in the social sector, and he continues to serve on several nonprofit boards. He has successfully designed, fundraised for, and implemented development programs and research in a variety of sectors including safe water, agricultural extension, public health, urban engineering, and education. He has advised several heads of state, prime ministers, and other elected and government officials on development policy and has helped facilitate negotiations between recipient and donor governments. A native English speaker, he also works in Haitian Kreyol, French and Spanish. Ben also holds a BA in Philosophy and Spanish from Xavier University, an MA from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and an MS in Agricultural and Resource Economics from UC Berkeley. See his personal website for more.

    Contact: benjaminkrause@uchicago.edu

    Alexander Lehner

    Postdoctoral Researcher, Development Innovation Lab

    Alexander Lehner is a Postdoctoral Researcher at DIL. He is an applied economist with a passion for statistical programming. His research lies at the intersection of spatial economics and economic development. Prior to moving to Chicago, he obtained his PhD in Economics in Bologna, Italy, at the oldest university in the Western world. During his studies, he was a guest scholar at the University of Chicago (Center for Spatial Data Science), Brown University, and Seoul National University.

    Contact: lehner@uchicago.edu

    Toniann Liotta

    Executive Assistant to the Faculty Director, Development Innovation Lab

    Contact: tliotta@uchicago.edu

    Elisa Maffioli

    Visiting Scholar and Director, Development Innovation Lab

    Elisa M Maffioli is a Visiting Scholar and Director at DIL, leading the Water and Health Initiative. She is an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and a Visiting Scholar at the Becker Friedman Institute (BFI) at the University of Chicago. Her research is in development economics, health economics and political economy. She has years of experience conducting field data collections and running RCTs in lower and middle income countries. She currently has projects in Liberia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Somaliland, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Additionally, she has conducted research in Lesotho, Brazil, Myanmar and India. She holds a PhD and MA in Economics from Duke University and a MSc and BA in Economics and Social Sciences from Bocconi University in Italy. She worked as a consultant for the World Bank, UNICEF, Save the Children, the International Growth Center, HelpAge and the Malaria Consortium.

    Contact: elisamaf@umich.edu

    Kelly McGuire

    Associate Director, Finance, Development Innovation Lab

    Contact: kellymcguire@uchicago.edu

    Claire McMahon

    Policy Analyst, Market Shaping Accelerator

    Contact: clairemcmahon@uchicago.edu

    Kyle Murphy

    Director, Development Innovation Lab

    Kyle Murphy is a Director at DIL leading work on the Innovation Commission for Agriculture, Food Security, and Climate Change. Kyle previously headed funding initiatives, cost effectiveness analysis and agriculture sector work at J-PAL as the Initiatives Lead. Kyle holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy and served as an agricultural extensionist and volunteer coordinator for three years with the United States Peace Corps in Nicaragua.

    Contact: kylemurphy@uchicago.edu

    Jiya Nair

    Special Projects Coordinator, Development Innovation Lab

    Jiya Nair is Special Projects Coordinator to Dr. Michael Kremer and Executive Assistant to Dr. Rachel Glennerster, supporting the administration and dissemination of their research, policy, and academic portfolios. Prior, Jiya worked on Michelle Wu’s Boston mayoral campaign, following policy fellowship in Wu’s City Council office, focusing on research, policy advocacy, and outreach to Boston’s immigrant and refugee communities. As a Fulbright Scholar in India, Jiya conducted independent ethnographic research and resource mapping on capacity-building as well as housing rights in Mumbai slum-dwelling communities. Jiya holds a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and Bachelors of Business Administration in Operations and Information Management (OIM) from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

    Contact: jiyanair@uchicago.edu

    Vesall Nourani

    Senior Research Associate and Director, Development Innovation Lab

    Vesall Nourani is a Director and Lead Researcher at DIL and a Senior Research Associate in the Kenneth Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics at the University of Chicago. Vesall is currently based in Uganda where he is also a visiting lecturer at Makerere University’s School of Economics. Vesall’s research to date explores the roles of knowledge and learning in economic activity across sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to joining DIL/UChicago, Vesall completed a post-doctoral fellowship at MIT and earned his PhD from Cornell University.

    Contact: vnourani@uchicago.edu

    Uba Ogidi

    Administrative and Operations Coordinator, Development Innovation Lab

    Uba Ogidi is an Administrative and Operations Coordinator for the DIL, supporting the day-to-day operations of the lab. She is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College, Philadelphia, where she majored in Philosophy with a concentration in racial ethics. Her background is in Human Resources/Talent Acquisition and Dining Services Administration, previously working at Unity Technologies as a Recruiting Intern.

    Contact: ufogidi@uchicago.edu

    Mauricio Ortiz-Riomalo

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab

    Mauricio Ortiz-Riomalo is a Research Professional at DIL. He supports Vesall Nourani in a rural education program in Colombia and is working with Leah Rosenzweig in a COVID-19 vaccine acceptance study. Before joining DIL, he completed a Master in Public Policy at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. He has previously worked in the National Planning Department at the Government of Colombia, designing and supervising evaluations of public housing projects and resocialization programs in prison. He also assisted in the discussions and design of public policy documents on topics such as health, criminal policy, national security, productive development policies, and social infrastructure. He holds a Master in Political Science and was a research assistant in a think tank (Observatorio de la Democracia, Universidad de Los Andes) where he contributed to the design of public opinion surveys and the analysis of democratic attitudes and behavior.

    Contact: ortizriomalo@uchicago.edu

    Shardul Oza

    Associate Director, Research Operations, Development Innovation Lab

    Contact: sharduloza@uchicago.edu

    Pragya Parthasarathy

    Research Specialist, Development Innovation Lab

    Pragya Parthasarathy is a Research Specialist at DIL. She is currently working on the ongoing water treatment project in Kenya and the adolescent mental health project in Colombia. Her primary research interests are racial and gender inequity, technology and bias, and healthcare. Before joining DIL, Pragya was pursuing a Master’s in International and Development Economics at Yale University, and prior to this, received her undergraduate degree from New York University, where she majored in Economics and minored in Mathematics and Computer Science. Pragya has previously worked at the Courant Institute at NYU, where she focused on systematic bias in prosecutorial decision-making, and the White House, where she focused on healthcare in opportunity zones; she has also received grants focusing on financial literacy for women surviving domestic violence, criminal justice reform, and reproductive healthcare for incarcerated women. 

    Contact: pragyap@uchicago.edu

    Shashank Patil

    Predoctoral Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab

    Shashank Patil is a Predoctoral Research Professional at DIL. At DIL, he works on economics of education and assists in research projects associated with the Global Educational Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP). Prior to joining DIL, Shashank interned at the Good Business Lab working on evaluating interventions in labor well-being and productivity. His interests include development policy, political economy of development, and governance. Shashank completed his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, India.

    Contact: shashankp@uchicago.edu

    Pablo Pena

    Assistant Instructional Professor and Director, Development Innovation Lab

    Pablo Peña is a Director at DIL and an Assistant Instructional Professor at the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics at UChicago. His areas of interest include human capital, applied price theory, and business economics. Previously, he conducted impact evaluations at Microanalitica. He was Chief Economist at Mexico’s National Banking Commission, consulted on antitrust legal conflicts at Chicago Partners, and was a tax policy analyst at Mexico’s treasury. Pablo holds a BA in economics from ITAM (Mexico) and a PhD in economics from the University of Chicago.

    Contact: pablo@uchicago.edu

    Matheus Proença

    Predoctoral Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab

    Matheus Proença is a Predoctoral Research Professional at DIL. He supports Prof. Michael Kremer and co-authors on education projects in Kenya and Prof. Rachel Glennerster on Advance Market Commitment (AMC) initiatives. Previously, he worked as a Field Coordinator on a large-scale RCT at the World Bank’s Africa Gender Innovation Lab and as a Research Assistant at the World Inequality Lab. Matheus holds a Master’s degree in Applied Economics from the Paris School of Economics.

    Contact: matproenca@uchicago.edu

    Ana Radu

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab

    Ana Radu is a Pre-doctoral Research Professional at DIL, currently supporting the scaling-up of a chlorine vouchers program in Western Kenya. Previously she worked as a Research Assistant for professor Torsten Figueiredo Walter and interned with Innovations for Poverty Action and the World Bank. Ana holds a B.S. in Mathematics and Economics from New York University Abu Dhabi.

    Contact: aradu@uchicago.edu

    Conrad Rein

    Director of Policy Outreach, Innovation Commission, Development Innovation Lab

    Conrad Rein is a Director at DIL leading the policy outreach activities of the Innovation Commission through engagement with governments, international organizations, civil society and other relevant stakeholders. He also leads on the drafting of policy memoranda and organizes events for the Commission. Conrad joined from the European Commission where he was in charge of policy and governance issues and coordinated EU development cooperation on Sustainable Agri-Food systems and Fisheries with EU Members States, the G7, G20 and beyond. He was also the Co-Chair of the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development (GDPRD) hosted by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Furthermore, he led a major strategic evaluation of EU cooperation 2014-2020. Conrad has also previously worked for the United Nations, the Hudson Institute, and the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, in addition to work in the private sector. Conrad holds a PhD in Government from University College Cork.

    Contact: conradrein@uchicago.edu

    Sara Restrepo Tamayo

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab

    Sara Restrepo Tamayo holds an MPP and MA in Economics from Universidad del Rosario, from Bogotá, Colombia. She has previously worked at the InterAmerican Development Bank, Innovations for Poverty Action, and the Central Bank of Colombia. She has worked on RCTs looking to reduce the gap in STEM between K-12 girls and boys, the RECOVR project, and measuring the impact of VAT devolution to the poorest in expenditure outcomes.

    Leah Rosenzweig

    Director, Development Innovation Lab

    Leah Rosenzweig is a Director at DIL. In addition to coordinating research activities across the lab, Leah leads several projects related to COVID-19. Using behavioral and social science tools, Leah is testing interventions to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake and online experiments to reduce the spread of COVID-19 misinformation online in Kenya and Nigeria. Leah also manages the lab’s policy work related to fractional doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Prior to joining DIL, Leah held positions at Stanford University, the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, and was a consultant for the Nigerian government. Leah received her PhD in Political Science from MIT. She is currently writing a book about social norms of voting in autocracies.

    Contact: lrosenzweig@uchicago.edu

    Jessica Rudder

    Postdoctoral Scholar and Lead Researcher, Development Innovation Lab

    Jess Rudder is a Postdoctoral Scholar and Lead Researcher at DIL. She is an applied microeconomist with a PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of California Davis. Her research draws from development, agriculture, information technology, and industrial organization. She works on projects to learn about how digital platforms reduce information frictions for small-scale farmers and rural businesses. Prior to her PhD, Jess received a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Washington and was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Panama.

    Contact: jrudder@uchicago.edu

    Heather Rushing

    Operations Associate, Development Innovation Lab

    Heather Rushing is an Operations Associate at DIL.  In this role, she assists with the overall operations of the department, overseeing equipment purchases, office supplies, financial assistance, and reimbursements.  Her ongoing work at DIL will be to provide efficient procedures to streamline processes for all DIL staff.  Her most recent role was an Administrative Assistant within the Office of International Affairs where she worked for several years.  In her role at OIA, she assisted with GEMS reimbursements, H-1B, J-1 and F-1 processing and triaging the front desk operations.  Heather holds an MBA in HR Management from Keller School of Management.

    Contact: hvelasquez@uchicago.edu

    Juan Saavedra

    Consulting Director, Development Innovation Lab

    Contact: juan.e.saavedra@gmail.com

    Imara Salas

    Senior Manager, Development Economic Center

    Imara Salas is a Senior Manager at DEC, where she manages the Secretariat of the Innovation Commission for Climate Change, Food Security and Agriculture. Previously, she worked at the Center for Public Policy in Chile, where she evaluated government programs focused on innovation and agriculture. She has worked as a consultant with the World Bank and the IDB on projects related to agriculture and digital government. Imara holds an MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School and a BSFS from Georgetown University.

    Contact: imara@uchicago.edu

    Akanksha Saletore

    Research Manager , Development Innovation Lab

    Akanksha Saletore is a Research Manager at DIL. Previously, she was a Research Manager with J-PAL South Asia, at the Payments and Governance Research Program. In her role there, she worked on randomized controlled trials in public service delivery, health, and education. Akanksha has an MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics.

    Contact: asaletore@uchicago.edu

    Sabarish Shankar

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab

    Sabarish Shankar is a Research Professional at DIL. In his role, he has worked on looking at the impact of the Weiss Fund, contributed to a chapter handbook on Conditional Cash Transfer and currently works on health based interventions in Kenya. Before joining the Lab, Sabarish completed his Masters in Public Policy from the Harris school at University of Chicago with certificates in Survey Research Methodology and Data Analytics as a JN Tata Scholar. Sabarish holds a Bachelor in Technology from Shiv Nadar University and a micromasters in Data, Economics and Development Policy from MIT. Previously, he served as a Teach for India fellow, teaching Math and English to middle school students in a government school in Tamil Nadu, India.

    Contact: sabarish@uchicago.edu

    Alejandra Shuber

    Grants & Contracts Coordinator, Development Innovation Lab

    Alejandra Shuber is a Grants & Contracts Coordinator at DIL. Before her current role, Alejandra was a Financial & Contracts Specialist at the University of Colorado. She has over six years of experience in the financial industry and operations support for Fortune 100 companies. Alejandra has a degree in Performing Arts and is a certified Business Specialist in Marketing.

    Contact: alexshuber@uchicago.edu

    Rathan Sudheer

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab

    Rathan Sudheer is a Research Professional at DIL. He is currently working to support the agriculture projects in Kenya. He previously worked with EPIC India as a Senior Research Associate for three years where he supported multiple research projects at the intersection of energy and climate change. Rathan holds a masters degree in Public Policy and Governance from Azim Premji University, India.

    Contact: rsudheer@uchicago.edu

    Santiago Velasquez

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab

    Santiago Velasquez is a Research Professional at DIL in educational research projects in South America and Africa. Prior to coming to Chicago, Santiago worked as a Research Assistant for UC Berkeley Ph.D. Student Arlen Guarin and UCLA Professor Juliana Londoño-Velez assessing the impact of the Colombian reparation program for victims of the armed conflict. He has also previously worked as RA for Professor Jorge Tamayo and as an intern in the Colombian Central Bank. Santiago is completing his master’s degree at EAFIT University in Colombia and holds a bachelor’s in Economics from the same institution.

    Contact: svelasquez1@uchicago.edu

    Antony Wangari

    Research Coordinator, Development Innovation Lab

    Antony Wangari is a Research Coordinator at DIL working on the scaling-up of Asset Collateralized Loan (ACL) projects in Kenya. Before joining the Lab, he worked at Georgetown University’s Initiative on Innovation and Development (Gui2de) in the evaluation of multiple programs in digital financial inclusion, agriculture, road safety, gender, and education in different countries in East Africa. Before that, he worked as a Research Associate at Innovations for Poverty Action in Kenya managing a climate change program. He holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Nairobi.

    Contact: awainaina@uchicago.edu

    Cole Weaver

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab

    Cole Weaver is a Research Professional at DIL. He recently completed an MA in Economics at the University of Chicago, where he took a course on the practicalities of Randomized Controlled Trials. The course, instructed by Rachel Glennerster, ignited a curiosity in Development Economics that ultimately led him to apply to DIL. As of now, his research interests primarily lie in the economics of education, education more broadly, and inequality. Before his MA degree, Cole previously worked at Harvard’s Department of Health Care Policy as a full time Research Assistant under several Health Economists.

    Contact: coleweaver@uchicago.edu

    Witold Wieçek

    Consulting Director, Development Innovation Lab

    Contact: witold.wiecek@gmail.com

    Wendy Wong

    Postdoctoral Scholar and Lead Researcher, Development Innovation Lab

    Wendy Wong is a Postdoctoral Scholar and Lead Researcher at DIL. She oversees a portfolio of research projects focused on education technology and building state capacity in India. She is an applied microeconomist interested in studying the role of public institutions in addressing poverty and inequality. Her research focuses on the causes and consequences of inefficiencies in the allocation of public services; and how institutions can be designed to minimize these inefficiencies. Wendy recently completed her PhD in Public Policy at the University of Chicago.

    Contact: wendywong@uchicago.edu

    Adrian Youssef

    Administrative Coordinator, Finance, Development Innovation Lab

    Adrian Youssef is an Administrative Coordinator for the DIL’s Finance team. He is an Economics graduate from California State University – Long Beach and has most recently worked as an Accounting Coordinator at Levy Restaurants. He currently supports the team at DIL by handling and maintaining the organization’s financial data and updating their financial records.

    Contact: ayoussef@uchicago.edu

    Shengning Zhang

    Research Professional, Development Innovation Lab

    Shengning Zhang is a Pre-doctoral Research Professional at DIL. She is currently working to support agriculture and education projects. Before joining DIL, she completed a masters degree at the Harris School of Public Policy, the University of Chicago. Prior, Shengning was a research assistant at UC Berkeley’s Center for Effective Global Action, supporting Kenya Life Panel Survey and related analysis.

    Contact: shengningz@uchicago.edu

  • Scholars /

    Colin Aitken

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Rachel Bolte

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Julia Higgins

    Research Assistant
  • Scholars /

    Yiyuan He

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Ed Jee

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Yuxin Ji

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Anthony Khaiat

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Zachary Kuloszewski

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Yuhang Li

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Satvika Mahajan

    Research Assistant
  • Scholars /

    Dustin Marshall

    Research Assistant
  • Scholars /

    Diego Mendoza-Martinez

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Andreas Petrou-Zeniou

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Jimena Salinas Valdespino

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Konstantin Shmarko

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Natalie Spaulding

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Parth Vaitha

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Jose Velarde Morales

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Mexico Vergara Bahena

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Emma Zhang

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Shengning Zhang

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Xiaoyang Zhang

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab
  • Scholars /

    Zhi Zhang

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab
  • Colin Aitken

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab

    Academic Program: PhD, Mathematics

    Contact: caitken@uchicago.edu

    Rachel Bolte

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab

    Academic Program: College, 2026

    Contact: rachelbolte@uchicago.edu

    Julia Higgins

    Research Assistant

    Julia Higgins is currently getting her Masters in Public Policy at the Harris School, and will be graduating in 2024.

    Yiyuan He

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab

    Academic Program: College, 2023

    Contact: yiyuanh@uchicago.edu

    Ed Jee

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab

    Academic Program: PhD, Economics

    Contact: edjee@uchicago.edu

    Yuxin Ji

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab

    Academic Program: Master of Science in Computational Analysis and Public Policy (MSCAPP), 2024

    Contact: yxji@uchicago.edu

    Anthony Khaiat

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab

    Academic Program: College, 2023

    Contact: akhaiat@uchicago.edu

    Zachary Kuloszewski

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab

    Academic Program: PhD, Economics

    Contact: kuloszewski@uchicago.edu

    Yuhang Li

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab

    Academic Program: College, 2024

    Contact: yuhangli@uchicago.edu

    Satvika Mahajan

    Research Assistant

    Satvika Mahajan will receive a Masters of Public Policy (MPP) in 2024.

    Contact: satvika@uchicago.edu

    Dustin Marshall

    Research Assistant

    Contact: dustinmarshall@uchicago.edu

    Diego Mendoza-Martinez

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab

    Academic Program: Master of Science in Computational Analysis and Public Policy (MSCAPP), 2024

    Contact: diegomendozamz@uchicago.edu

    Andreas Petrou-Zeniou

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab

    Academic Program: College, 2024

    Contact: apetrouzeniou@uchicago.edu

    Jimena Salinas Valdespino

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab

    Academic Program: Master of Science in Computational Analysis and Public Policy (MSCAPP), 2024

    Contact: jimenas@uchicago.edu

    Konstantin Shmarko

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab

    Academic Program: College, 2024

    Contact: kkshmarko@uchicago.edu

    Natalie Spaulding

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab

    Academic Program: Master of Public Policy (MPP), 2025 & Master of Business Administration (MBA), 2025

    Contact: nspauldi@uchicago.edu

    Parth Vaitha

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab

    Academic Program: College, 2024

    Contact: parthvaitha@uchicago.edu

    Jose Velarde Morales

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab

    Academic Program: PhD, Operations Management

    Contact: jvelarde@chicagobooth.edu

    Mexico Vergara Bahena

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab

    Academic Program: Master of Arts in Public Policy (MA), 2023

    Contact: mexico@uchicago.edu

    Emma Zhang

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab

    Academic Program: PhD, Economics

    Contact: emma.zhang@chicagobooth.edu

    Shengning Zhang

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab

    Academic Program: Master of Arts in Public Policy with Certificate in Research Methods (MACRM), 2023

    Contact: shengningz@uchicago.edu

    Xiaoyang Zhang

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab

    Academic Program: Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS), 2023

    Contact: xiaoyangzhang@uchicago.edu

    Zhi Zhang

    Research Assistant, Development Innovation Lab

    Academic Program: College, 2023 & Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS), 2023

    Contact: zhangzhi@uchicago.edu