harvard economics dissertations

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Dissertations

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This page lists resources for dissertations (general and RLL-related) along with information on electronic dissertations. In general, Harvard's Interlibrary Loan service cannot obtain dissertations; in many cases you'll need to acquire directly from the institution where the work was submitted. 

To find doctoral dissertations from North American universities and some European institutions, search:

Dissertations and Theses Full Text

This is the largest database with 2.7 million citations for Masters and PhD dissertations. Full text for most dissertations from 1997 on (at this writing, 1.2 million full text dissertations available for download in PDF format). Hosted by ProQuest. Use Harvard's Get It Interlibrary Loan link to request print dissertations.

  Harvard dissertations and theses

As above, most of these from 1997 are available via ProQuest.

Havard dissertations and theses since 2012 are also available in our online repository, DASH , and in HOLLIS. If a dissertation from 2012 forward is not available in full text, the author has placed an embargo on it (up to 5 years) and the library won't be able to obtain it, but you may be able to ask the author.

Use Harvard's Interlibrary Loan to obtain any theses and dissertations found by searching

Center for Research Libraries Catalog: Dissertations

Request item through Get It (ILL link)

To find print sources, search HOLLIS Classic: Subject beginning with... e.g. Dissertations, Academic--France--Bibliography.

dissonline.de Search for German and Swiss electronic dissertations and "Habilitationen." For dissertations that have not been digitized, search the catalog of the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek .

Gegnir (IS) Click on "Námsritgerðir" (Icelandic interface) or "Thesis search" (English interface) to limit to dissertations.

HELKA (FI) Select the Advanced Search and "Väitöskirja/Dissertation or Thesis" from the search box.

Det Kongelige Bibliotek/The Danish Royal Library (DK) Search on "thesis," "dissertation," or "afhandling" (the latter if you want dissertations in Danish) together with your search terms.

Libris (SE) Select "Dissertations" under "Type of publication" box to limit your search to dissertations.

Nasjonalbiblioteket (NO) Select "Post graduate theses" in the search box to limit your search to dissertations.

National Academic Research and Collaborations Information System (NARCIS): Promise of Science   (NL) The "Promise of Science" provides access to over 21,000 full-text doctoral e-theses from all Dutch universities. It is a subset of NARCIS and DAREnet. Dates of coverage vary, but dissertations are mostly from recent years.

Österreichische Dissertationsdatenbank (AU) This database references over 55,000 dissertations and theses held at Austrian Universities; select dissertations are available online.

Ongoing research and development in the e-sphere:

Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD) , an inter national organization dedicated to promoting the adoption, creation, use, dissemination, and preservation of electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs).

The Guide for Electronic Theses and Dissertations A wiki maintained by the NDLTD ETD Revision Team. Addresses issues for submission and administration of e-dissertations, whether born-digital or digital versions of print documents.

The European Working Group of the NDLTD is the DART-Europe E-theses Portal (DEEP). Intended to be the single European portal for dissertations, DART-Europe is a collaboration of research libraries and library consortia, endorsed by LIBER (Ligue des Bibliothèques Européennes de Recherche).

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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

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-Hichs

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

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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

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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

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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

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Ingrid gould Ellen

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Tae Yun Kim

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Dara e. Menashi

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Richard g. Newell, Jr.

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Vicki Norberg-Bohm

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Michael a. Santoro

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Home » News » Announcing Our 2024-25 An Wang and Hou Family Fellows

Announcing Our 2024-25 An Wang and Hou Family Fellows

The Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024-25  An Wang Postdoctoral Fellowships and Hou Family Fellowships in Taiwan Studies . Our incoming An Wang Fellows are Shengqiao Lin and David Qihang Wu . Our new Hou Family Fellows are Sarah Plovnick and Hardy Stewart .

The awards were made after a highly competitive application round for each fellowship program. Our faculty selection committees were impressed by the awardees’ research proposals, creativity, and their potential contributions to interdisciplinary China studies as well as to the discourse on relations between mainland China and Taiwan.

Our 2024-25 An Wang Fellows

Shengqiao Lin ’s research focuses on the political economy of development, state-business relations, and industrial policies, with a regional focus on China. During the course of his fellowship, Lin plans to continue his work on the evolution of government-business relations in China during the Xi Jinping era, analyzing the increased prevalence of government-business partnership in business and in governance. Lin will receive his Ph.D. in Political Science this spring from the University of Texas at Austin.  

David Qihang Wu ’s work looks at labor-market friction faced by firms in developing countries and the cultural impact of large Chinese firms on workers in sub-Saharan Africa. Can foreign business practices—such as Chinese emphasis on discipline and team-building—effectively align workers’ intrinsic work preference with the employers’ goals, or would they worsen existing cultural gaps? To answer this question, Wu, in collaboration with Ethiopian Management Institute, plans to explore the impact of Chinese management style on the workforce at 100 small manufacturing firms in Ethiopia’s capital city, Addis Ababa. Wu will receive his Ph.D. in Economics this spring from the University of California, Berkeley. 

In addition to pursuing their own research, as An Wang Fellows, Lin and Wu will work on collaborative research projects related to China and the global political economy under the guidance of  Meg Rithmire , F. Warren McFarlan Associate Professor of Business, Government, and International Economy at the Harvard Business School, and David Yang , Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for History and Economics at Harvard. 

This year’s An Wang Fellows’ collaboration project — designed by Profs. Rithmire and Yang — spans the disciplines of political science, history, sociology, and economics, exploring subjects such as the politics of China’s outward investment and its interaction with domestic politics in host countries; the politics of finance in China and Chinese finance abroad; China’s interaction with international organizations; the impact of the rise of China’s entrepreneurship on the global venture investment landscape; and Chinese firms’ response to geopolitical risks and opportunities. 

Our 2024-25 Hou Family Fellows

Recipients of the Hou Family Fellowships, made possible by the generous support of the Hou Family, will contribute to the Fairbank Center’s growing expertise in Taiwan studies.

Hou Family Postdoctoral Fellow Sarah Plovnick uses ethnographic methods to study the role of communications media in contentious political environments. Her dissertation focuses on how various forms of sound and audio technologies affect communication between Mainland China and Taiwan. Her work at the Fairbank Center will aim to produce writing on A.I. disinformation through “deepfakes” in Taiwan and Taiwan’s online gaming culture as a space for skirting censorship. Plovnick will receive her Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology this spring from the University of California, Berkeley.

Hou Family Predoctoral Fellow Hardy Stewart works on Taiwanese literature and poetry. Stewart’s dissertation addresses how classical Chinese poetry crossed the Strait and changed Taiwan. While in residence at Harvard, Stewart will continue work on his dissertation, which focuses on colonial-era Taiwanese poet Hong Qisheng (1867-1929). Stewart is a Ph.D. Candidate in Chinese Language at the University of California, Berkeley.

Plovnick and Stewart will be mentored by Fairbank Center-affiliated faculty, including: Steven M. Goldstein , Director of the Taiwan Studies Workshop at the Fairbank Center; Ya-Wen Lei , Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology, Harvard University; Wai-yee Li , 1879 Professor of Chinese Literature, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at Harvard; and David Der-wei Wang , Edward C. Henderson Professor of Chinese Literature, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at Harvard.

We warmly welcome our new Fellows to the Fairbank Center community and look forward to hosting them in the coming academic year!

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Moorhead C. Kennedy Jr., 93, Dies; Hostage Who Chided Foreign Policy

A Foreign Service officer, he was one of 52 hostages seized in Iran and held for 444 days. He later challenged the U.S. government to reshape its diplomacy with the Islamic world.

By Michael S. Rosenwald

Moorhead C. Kennedy Jr., wearing a dark suit and a green polka-dot tie, was working at his desk in the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on the morning of Nov. 4, 1979, when a Marine burst into the hallway outside his office.

It was a tense period in Iran: A revolution to overthrow the shah was escalating. Mr. Kennedy, a career Foreign Service officer, was filling in for the economics counselor, the embassy’s third-ranking diplomat, who was away on family leave.

“I was very interested in seeing a revolution in progress,” Mr. Kennedy later recalled . “It was a very fruitful time until, all of a sudden, I heard a shout from the Marines, ‘They’re coming over the wall!’ And then a whole new experience began.”

Supporters of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini took Mr. Kennedy and 51 others hostage. They were held for 444 days and subjected to psychological and physical abuse, including mock executions. The global crisis upended Jimmy Carter’s presidency and helped foment in the West an enduring distrust of the Islamic world.

Following the release of the hostages just after Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as president in January 1981, Mr. Kennedy emerged as one of the most recognizable characters of the episode — in part because his wife, Louisa Livingston Kennedy , had been a spokeswoman for families of the hostages, but more so because he had quit the Foreign Service and become a fierce critic of U.S. foreign policy.

Mr. Kennedy died on May 3 in Bar Harbor, Maine. He was 93. The cause of his death, at an assisted living facility, was complications of dementia, his son Mark said.

In speeches, interviews and his 1986 book, “The Ayatollah in the Cathedral: Reflections of a Hostage,” Mr. Kennedy contended that the American foreign policy establishment had taken an imperial, our-way-or-the-highway posture in the Middle East, and especially in countries governed by Islamic law, which he had studied in college and law school.

“When it comes to foreign affairs, the last thing in the world an American is willing to do is to think or to try to think what it would be like to be a Soviet, to be an Arab, to be an Iranian, to be an Indian,” Mr. Kennedy said on Harold Hudson Channer’s public-access TV show in 1986. “And the result is that we think of the world as a projection of ourselves, and we think that others must be thinking along the lines we’re thinking. And when they don’t, we’re troubled by it.”

Mr. Kennedy thought the Iranian hostage episode was an omen for future terrorist attacks.

“The elements in the Arab world and in Iran are reacting against us through another kind of war — a low-intensity war called terrorism,” he told Mr. Channer. “And I think it is a way of trying to make us understand, or at least be aware, that they have a different point of view.”

Mr. Kennedy’s thoughts on U.S. foreign policy were partly shaped by discussions with his captors. Made up mostly of university students, they denounced the shah’s desire to Westernize Iranian society. The shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was forced into exile in early 1979. A month before the attack on the embassy, the Carter administration allowed him to enter the United States for medical treatment.

“Those Americans who applauded the Westernizing efforts of the shah had little notion of how his programs had disrupted lives at all levels of society,” Mr. Kennedy wrote in his book. “Many Iranians, disoriented, forced to think in new and strange ways, to perform unfamiliar tasks in accordance with unfamiliar norms, humiliated by their inadequacies as they tried to behave as Westerners, and disinclined to become proximate Westerners, second-class at best, sought above all for a renewed sense of their own identity.”

They found it in fundamentalist religion, Mr. Kennedy contended, adding: “The taking of American hostages marked the expulsion of the agent of their disorientation. The violence of that expulsion was a measure of the depth and effectiveness of Western penetration.”

Moorhead Cowell Kennedy Jr., who was known as Mike, was born on Nov. 5, 1930, in Manhattan. His father was a banker and later the president of Goodwill Industries of New York. His mother, Anna (Scott) Kennedy, taught children’s theater.

Mr. Kennedy’s interest in politics and the Middle East began at the Groton School, a boarding school in Massachusetts. He then went to Princeton, where he majored in Asian studies and graduated in 1952.

He learned Arabic at a language school in the mountains of Lebanon. At Harvard Law School, his thesis on Islamic law was later condensed and published in Collier’s Encyclopedia. He graduated from Harvard in 1959 and joined the Foreign Service the next year.

Mr. Kennedy was posted in Yemen, Greece, Lebanon and Chile before his temporary assignment in Tehran. After his release, he rode with Mayor Edward I. Koch in a ticker-tape parade through Lower Manhattan. He retired from the Foreign Service shortly after and founded the Cathedral Peace Institute at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan.

The institute later became the Council for International Understanding, which used role-playing to teach diplomacy to high school students.

Mr. Kennedy married Louisa Livingston in 1955. She died in 2007. His companion, Ellen Kappes, died in 2022. He lived for many years on Mount Desert Island in Maine.

In addition to his son Mark, he is survived by three other sons, Philip, Andrew and Duncan Kennedy; a sister, Maisie Adamson; and 10 grandchildren.

Writing in “The Ayatollah in the Cathedral,” Mr. Kennedy marveled at how naïve he had been about the attack that the Marine had announced in the hallway.

That afternoon, he was supposed to have had lunch with an Iranian banker.

“How could I make lunch?” he wrote. “With the telephones tied up, how could I get word to him?”

Shortly after, he was blindfolded and tied to a chair.