Faculty Features
Discover the latest research from Faculty Affiliates and Visiting Professors of the King Center.
Site news
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Stanford researchers co-launch first global database on refugee policies
The first global dataset on asylum and refugee policies offers unprecedented insights into dynamics around forced displacement.
January 23, 2025
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A blueprint for India’s potential for growth through improved management practices
Supported by King Center funding, Stanford Professor Nicholas Bloom and Megha Patnaik, PhD ’17, are pioneering a survey on management practices in India’s manufacturing sector.
June 25, 2024
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King Center initiative: Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change in the Global South
Climate adaptation efforts being carried out across the Global South will be collated to help shape future climate protection.
March 07, 2024
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King Center initiative: Climate Change and Political Mobilization in the Global South
New research will equip policymakers and scholars with data on how climate change is shaping politics in the Global South.
March 07, 2024
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A long-term focus on growing cities in Africa
Multi-year datasets from the King Center’s African Urbanization and Development Research Initiative continue to inform research and policy insights in Ethiopia and Côte d’Ivoire.
July 17, 2023
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Surprising insights from a global study on perceptions of gender norms
King Center Faculty Affiliate Alessandra Voena finds a rift between what people believe and what they think others believe about certain policies meant to empower women.
May 22, 2023
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Tackling the problem of pharmaceutical adherence
King Center Faculty Affiliate and Stanford Graduate School of Business Professor Claudia Allende Santa Cruz is studying health behaviors in Chile.
February 13, 2023
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Highlighting the experience of migrant domestic workers in the Arab Gulf region
Professor Lisa Blaydes examines the treatment of migrant domestic workers in Arab Gulf states as part of the King Center’s initiative on gender-based violence.
January 23, 2023
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Faculty Voices - Katherine Casey, Associate Professor of Political Economy
"I came to this realization that nothing was going to work in economic development if the government wasn’t functioning."
December 02, 2022
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Stanford research ushers in a ‘new frontier’ in tackling global poverty
In the first real-world test of a tool pioneered at Stanford to better evaluate anti-poverty policies, a new study shows the economic benefits of expanding electricity access.
November 16, 2022
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Faculty Voices - Hayagreeva Rao, The Atholl McBean Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resources
"To me, discovering curiosity and generosity — that’s at the heart of scholarship."
November 09, 2022
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Investigation into the ‘dirty list’ of slave labor in Brazil focus of prize-winning thesis
Members of the Stanford Human Trafficking Data Lab work to uncover ways in which politically connected predators of human trafficking often avoid punishment.
June 09, 2022
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Q&A with Augustin Tapsoba, assistant professor at the Toulouse School of Economics
Tapsoba, a King Center Visiting Professor, talks about factors that affect household living standards in sub-Saharan Africa.
May 18, 2022
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Belinda Archibong on the historical roots of inequality in sub-Saharan Africa
Historical disparities can affect access to public services today, research by King Center Visiting Professor Belinda Archibong shows.
March 18, 2022
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Stanford pediatric arbovirologist Desiree LaBeaud’s quest to eradicate mosquito-borne diseases led to an unlikely culprit: plastic trash
In 2021, Faculty Affiliate Desiree LaBeaud and her colleagues launched the nonprofit organization HERI-Kenya to reduce the spread of mosquito-borne diseases in Kenya.
February 11, 2022
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Putting machine learning to work for development
A team of researchers have created a machine-learning tool to encourage the development of new ways to measure progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
November 08, 2021
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Harnessing digital technologies to advance global precision health and development
A panel of experts discussed technology's vast potential to promote public health and its many challenges
July 16, 2021
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Investigating the dual nature of disability
Alfredo J. Artiles has long studied what he calls “the dual nature of disability."
March 24, 2021
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Satellites enhance sustainable development inquiries
A new paper in Science by King Center researchers documents progress in using satellite imagery and machine learning techniques to study development trends.
March 18, 2021
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Melding artificial intelligence and algorithms with health care and policy to combat human trafficking
The Stanford Human Trafficking Data Lab conducts critical research using promising innovations in modern data science.
February 24, 2021
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New study shows pandemic’s toll on jobs, businesses, and food security in developing countries
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic caused a sharp decline in living standards and rising food insecurity in developing countries across the globe.
February 05, 2021
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Stanford researchers and others reveal pervasive health threats of unregulated battery recycling
A remediation and public education effort at an abandoned battery recycling facility in Bangladesh eliminated most lead soil contamination.
January 14, 2021
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Quest for security and empowerment
The King Center’s David Lobell and Soledad Artiz Prillaman focus their research on food security and political representation in India.
July 22, 2020
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Center affiliates help launch Stanford Human Trafficking Data Lab
A new multidisciplinary initiative convenes researchers across Stanford's campus and in Brazil to secure localized, high-quality data to fight human trafficking.
July 08, 2020
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Harnessing satellite imagery and AI to help fight poverty in Africa
Stanford researchers involved with the Data for Development initiative harness satellite imagery and AI to help fight poverty in Africa.
May 22, 2020
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William Tarpeh on recycling human waste for profit and global health
As a scientist bent on addressing the global sanitation crisis, Faculty Affiliate William Tarpeh is not fazed by urine or excrement.
May 06, 2020
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Soledad Artiz Prillaman on helping women discover community—and their political voice
Faculty Affiliate Soledad Artiz Prillaman focuses her research on women’s participation in local politics.
March 05, 2020
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Saad Gulzar on the role of local elections in overcoming poverty in the developing world
Political scientist and Faculty Affiliate Saad Gulzar dives into his background and research in Pakistan.
February 03, 2020
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Pete Klenow on India's surmountable development challenges
Stanford economist and Faculty Affiliate Pete Klenow uses microdata from firms to understand the underlying mechanisms behind economic growth in economies.
January 16, 2020
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How Seema Jayachandran generates new insights utilizing randomized controlled trials
Seema Jayachandran, the Noosheen Hashemi Visiting Professor at the King Center, discusses how she utilizes randomized controlled trials to identify the root causes of poverty.
December 17, 2019
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Stanford researchers find lead in turmeric
Some spice processors in Bangladesh use an industrial lead chromate pigment to imbue turmeric with a bright yellow color prized for curries and other traditional dishes.
September 24, 2019
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Stanford economist consults with Chinese government on CO2 emissions reduction
Faculty Affiliate Lawrence Goulder is collaborating with researchers in China, who aim to implement a new emissions trading system meant to drastically reduce carbon dioxide.
August 13, 2019
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Jennifer Pan on authoritarian government censorship, propaganda, and Big Data
Faculty Affiliate Jennifer Pan speaks about her career and new, data-driven methods for tracking social media to identify nascent political movements happening offline.
July 19, 2019
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U.S. policy to restrict abortion funding results in more abortions
Director Grant Miller and his fellow researchers find that a policy enacted by American presidents opposing abortion results in less funding for family planning and birth control.
June 27, 2019
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Robot Inc.: Study shines new light on China’s manufacturing makeover
Rising labor costs, an aging population and government policies are reshaping Chinese manufacturing. Hongbin Li is on a singular mission to understand how that’s happening.
May 29, 2019
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Socialization training is a key factor in retaining first-time women workers
Faculty Affiliate Aruna Ranganathan finds that the retention of first time women workers in textile factories in India is higher if the women receive training.
May 22, 2019
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Solomon Hsiang on the economic impacts of global climate change
Solomon Hsiang, the Noosheen Hashemi Visiting Scholar at the King Center, combines data with mathematical models to understand the economic effects of climate change.
January 22, 2019
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Study shows high cost and low benefit to border wall for US workers
Faculty Affiliate Melanie Morten found that the policies that led to a partial wall between the U.S. and Mexico had a negative economic effect.
November 15, 2018
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Q&A with political scientist and faculty affiliate Saad Gulzar
Saad Gulzar, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Faculty Affiliate, shares more about his background and research agenda.
November 02, 2018
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Improving access to safe sanitation for the world’s urban poor, one container-based toilet at a time
A team led by Faculty Affiliate Jenna Davis created a container-based toilet that is being adopted in various countries where the urban poor lack access to safe sanitation.
May 01, 2018
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A groundbreaking survey examines the challenges facing the Chinese manufacturing sector and its workers
The large-scale China Employer-Employee Survey (CEES) gathers high quality, in-depth data on firms and workers in China
April 11, 2018
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Students in a new Stanford course use machine learning technology to provide new insights on key development challenges
The new Stanford course Data for Sustainable Development introduces students to new methods of using machine learning and satellite technology.
February 28, 2018
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Management intervention has lasting impact on firm performance
After nearly a decade, Stanford economist Nicholas Bloom returns to find that a previous management intervention has had long-term impact on performance in trial textile firms.
February 12, 2018
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Scaling up an evidence-based HIV curriculum
Pascaline Dupas’ lesson plan for teaching Kenyan teenagers about HIV infection risks in cross-generational relationships has been scaled up in hundreds of schools.
September 15, 2017
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Alleviating poverty in Africa and Indonesia through sustainable palm oil production
Helping guide transformation of the global palm oil sector by developing strategies to sustain industry growth.
September 05, 2017
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Partnering with the government of Tamil Nadu to tackle anemia
Grant Miller and colleagues want to end wide-spread anemia in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu by working with the government to introduce a new kind of fortified rice.
September 05, 2017
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Marshall Burke on calculating the costs of climate change
In a world where the mercury is rising, Marshall Burke examines how warming temperatures will affect global output.
September 01, 2017
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Stanford scientists combine satellite data and machine learning to map poverty
Accurate and reliable information on the location of impoverished areas is surprisingly lacking for much of the world.
August 20, 2017
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Hongbin Li on linking air pollution with life expectancy in China
Pollution is often accepted as an unavoidable cost of China's industrial and economic boom. But Li is proving that trade-off is shaving years from people’s lives.
August 18, 2017
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Stanford researchers find millions of children in high-mortality African hotspots
Stanford researchers have determined that more than 15 million children are living in high-mortality areas across 28 sub-Saharan African countries.
August 16, 2017
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Do management practices matter for trade?
In light of burgeoning international trade, Faculty Affiliate Nick Bloom provides the first evidence on the importance of management practices for firm’s export performance.
August 08, 2017
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Judith Goldstein on the future of global trade in a populist era
Judith Goldstein finds that, contrary to what has long been believed, the idea that multilateral deals are negotiated to the benefit of all member countries is false.
August 01, 2017
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Stephen Haber on the value of integrating politics into economics
Stephen Haber looks at finance, innovation, and climate and geography to explain why only some countries become rich and democratic.
May 17, 2017
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Katherine Casey on information as a political game-changer for developing economies
This information vacuum is a reason why low-income countries with democratic elections struggle.
April 24, 2017
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Nick Bloom on measuring global uncertainty and good management
Bloom provides insights into intractable mysteries in international economics as they relate to management practices and their impact on business innovation and productivity.
March 30, 2017
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New ban on U.S. aid to family planning groups could have unintended consequences
Research led by SCID Director Grant Miller found that abortion rates rose in sub-Saharan Africa when U.S. funding was restricted.
January 24, 2017