I am an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Singapore Management University. I completed my PhD in Political Science (with a focus on Political Economy) at Duke University. I received a MSc Economics degree from the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics (Pompeu Fabra) and a BS Economics degree from the University of the Philippines-Diliman. 

 

My substantive research interest centers on  Historical Political Economy and the Political Economy of Development. Examples of my research include the impacts of political dynasties on economic policy, the long-run effects of missionary state-building, and how facilitation workshops improve local bureaucratic performance with respect to businesses. I also have a regional interest in Southeast Asia, especially the Philippines.  My work is published or forthcoming in outlets such as The Journal of Politics, Comparative Political Studies, The Journal of Public Economics, and the Journal of East Asian Studies.

 

I teach an upper-level undergraduate class on the Political Economy of Development and a required undergraduate class for social science students called Southeast Asia: Past and Present. 

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