Background

I received my Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley in 2009. I am a development economist, with research primarily focusing on transitions to adulthood among youth in low income countries. I have been working with a research team evaluating field experiments and actively managing longitudinal data collection in East Africa since 2004. These projects aim to provide policy relevant evidence on health, training, and cash transfer programs.

In addition to these randomized control trials (RCTs), I have research that explores a wide range of research questions using quasi- and non-experimental methods, including studies of early marriage, migration, civil unrest, and fertility decisions among youth in Kenya. I am currently working with a group of researchers to launch a new longitudinal study that will evaluate programming targeting adolescent girls in four countries in East Africa and South Asia over the next nine years.

My research has been published in outlets such as The Quarterly Journal of Economics, The American Journal of Political Science, The Journal of the European Economic Association, The European Journal of Political Economy, Oxford Economic Papers, and Applied Economics Letters. I have coauthored columns in Vox and the London School of Economics and Political Science's American Politics and Policy Blog (USAPP). My work has been cited in The Economist, NPR, The Atlantic, The Boston Globe, Vox, The World Bank's Development Impact Blog, and A Blog Called Wonk.

Contact

University of Oklahoma
Department of Economics
308 Cate Center Drive
Norman, OK 73072

jhamory@ou.edu