Professional Experience:
I am an applied economist with over 20 years of combined experience in academia, international development, and public policy. I am passionate about applied policy research and international development. My research interests lie in using Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) models to gain insights into the potential interactions of complex policy issues such as environmental policy, trade, and taxation. My previous research explored whether linking environmental policy cooperation to trade concessions can offset regulatory costs. It considered different approaches to cooperation and the potential role that market structure can play in determining the net costs of trade-linked environmental policy.
I have seven years of experience teaching core and applied courses in economics, as well as interdisciplinary courses in environmental economics and international development studies. Teaching international development studies at the University of Winnipeg’s Menno Simons College was a rewarding experience. My courses explained international development from the perspective of the Global South, with an emphasis on both theoretical and practical aspects of international development.
My experience bridges rigorous academic knowledge with practical policy applications. As an international development consultant, I have worked collaboratively with GIZ, UNU-Wider, and IFPRI on key development issues including tax policy, infrastructure financing, and emigration. Between 2018 and 2019, I was a visiting researcher at the Southern African Institute for Policy and Research. I participated in budgetary dialogues and was the lead consultant on a GIZ-funded study to evaluate the implications of Zambia's then-proposed tax regime change from a value-added tax system to a generalized tax. My work was a key component of the policy dialogue that involved academic, private, non-profit, and public actors. At the same time, I worked as a visiting professor in the University of Zambia’s Department of Economics, where I taught interdisciplinary public sector economics to mid-career public servants from Southern Africa. Later, I joined UNU-Wider's collaborative program developing inclusive development strategies for Southern Africa, a collaborative initiative between UNU-Wider and the South African Treasury. I investigated strategies for financing critical infrastructure by comparing the long-term effects of financing critical infrastructure through investment-for-resources schemes versus direct government expenditure. As part of the same initiative, I later explored the long-term effects of South Africa's skilled labor out-migration.
In addition, I have had the opportunity to apply my work on trade policy in a practical setting. As a public policy analyst, I have used CGE models to evaluate the effectiveness of trade agreements. I am a member of the Global Trade Policy Analysis (GTAP) Network. Additionally, I own a consultancy firm focused on helping small to medium-sized businesses access information about investing in mineral-rich African countries. Overall, my academic and professional background exemplifies my passion and commitment to international development. I am skilled in quantitative analysis and computational modeling including the development of Social Accountng Matrices (SAMs) and the use of GEMPACK. I conduct applied research, evaluate policies, write reports and deliver data driven, actionable insights to support informed decision-making.