I am an Assistant Professor of Political Economy and Sustainability at The University of Texas at Dallas.
My research focuses on the causes and consequences of land-use change, deforestation, and conflict.
Before joining UTD, I was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Göttingen, a Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellow, and a visiting scholar at the University of Texas at Austin.
My work examines the role of local political incentives in deforestation for agricultural production in Brazil and Indonesia. I combine remotely sensed high-resolution data with market and political shocks to create large panels for causal identification. The research shows how local governments are a significant driver of land conversion and often collude with agricultural stakeholders. Therefore, central governments and non-governmental organizations must consider local political incentives when designing effective conservation instruments.