Ekaterina Vashkinskaya
Ekaterina is a Policy Fellow at the Growth Lab Research Collaboration at LSE, where she’s working on advanced applied research and supporting the Government of South Africa in its formulation of policies to accelerate economic growth and inclusion. She joined Harvard’s Growth Lab as an Economic Analysis and Data Management Fellow in 2021 and worked on analyzing Kazakhstan’s and UAE’s macro outlook and identifying structural economic problems to inform public policy in the countries.
She graduated with a Master’s degree in Quantitative Economics and Econometrics from The University of Chicago and holds a summa cum laude Bachelors’ degree in Economics from the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE) in Moscow. At UChicago, her work focused on the public policy implications of the research on the intersection of macroeconomics and development. For her MA thesis, she studied whether policymakers in the developing world can exacerbate the undesired economic consequences of private debt booms with their monetary and fiscal interventions.
Before joining the Growth Lab, she was involved in different research projects spanning from macroeconomics to education. Ekaterina served as a Research Intern at several international laboratories at HSE, where she was carrying out economic research in the fields of Institutional Economics and Monetary Economics. She also worked as a Research Assistant at Sciences Po, where her work focused on Political Economy applications for development. Throughout her employment, she got experience evaluating and writing about international and local development and economic policies aimed at academic productivity, innovation activity, and economic stability.
Her research interests include macroeconomic and development policies aimed at growth’s promotion, together with firm dynamics and economic growth in the EMDEs.
Nidhi Rao
Nidhi Rao joined the Growth Lab as a Research Assistant in 2021. She graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University in 2020 with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations (with a concentration in development economics) and Spanish. She received highest honors on her senior thesis where she analyzed intergenerational shifts in occupational satisfaction and career priorities for Mexican-American migrants living in the US. This research stemmed from her interest in migration and diasporas, given her transient upbringing moving from Shanghai, Baltimore, New Delhi and Mumbai.
Prior to joining the Growth Lab, she interned in various development organizations spanning India, Spain, and Washington DC, from non-profits to the World Bank Group, focusing on work related to migration, education, and public-private partnerships. Most recently, Nidhi worked in a management consulting role at Simon-Kucher & Partners, where she analyzed healthcare related data to consult for clients in the life sciences industry on market access.
She speaks English, Hindi, Kannada, and Spanish fluently and enjoys playing the piano, ukulele and flute in her free time.
Bob Bridges
Bob Bridges is the Finance and Operations Associate for Growth Lab, managing the many travel logistics and unusual financial obstacles the fellows and staff members of the Growth Lab encounter. Bob has worked at Harvard for over 20 years.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from Northeastern University and enjoys camping, hiking, skiing, and bad movies.
Tim Freeman
Tim joined the Center for International Development’s Growth Lab as a Research Fellow in 2021.
Before joining the Growth Lab, Tim worked at Palladium Group, where he provided technical assistance on export promotion initiatives through private sector competitiveness and investment attraction. Previously, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the rural highlands of Peru, leading a USAID-funded ecotourism project in coordination with local government and national environmental agencies.
He received his A.B. in Economics with a minor in Finance from Washington University in St. Louis, and holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID, 2021) from the Harvard Kennedy School.
His research interests include structural transformation, innovation policy, and the intersection of culture with development.
Meghana Mungikar
Meghana joined Harvard’s Growth Lab as a Research Fellow in 2021.
Meghana’s background is in economic development and impact evaluations. Prior to joining the Growth Lab, she worked as a Senior Associate at IDinsight’s New Delhi office. At IDinsight, she worked on evaluations across several sectors including agriculture, sanitation, and education with partners in the national government, local governments, and other non-profit organizations. While in grad school, she worked with the Research Institute for Compassionate Economics on public health in India. She also co-authored a graduate policy report on a solar-agriculture integration policy being implemented in Rajasthan, India.
Meghana holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics with Honours from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University and a Master’s degree in Public Affairs with a focus on international development from Princeton University.
Her research interests include growth diagnostics, political economy of energy and environmental policy, and inclusive economic development.
Sarah Bui
Sarah Bui joined the Growth Lab as a Research Assistant in 2021. She graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Economics and Policy and Environmental Science. Throughout her undergraduate, she conducted multiple research projects in different fields from microbiology to geographic information systems, before solidifying her interest in economics. For her senior thesis, she studied the impacts of multi-million dollars bridges constructions on air pollution in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.
Natasha Nathan
Prior to joining the Growth Lab, Tasha worked as a Program Coordinator with EF Education First, organizing international internships, volunteer service learning and language study homestays for students taking a gap year. Tasha’s focus ranged from streamlining processes in a growing department to delivering an exceptional experience for both her students and team members. In her prior role as Senior Tour Consultant for Education First, Tasha also coordinated logistics with international teams and advised travelers partaking in cultural tours, including managing the Emergency Support Team for multiple departments and providing training for staff at conferences in Lille, France and Lisbon, Portugal on emergency response procedures and best practices.
Tasha holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Suffolk University and enjoys practicing and instructing yoga and barre, taking spin classes, reading, cooking, traveling, and being outdoors in her free time.
Miguel Braun
Miguel Braun is a senior adviser at the CSIS Americas Program. Previously, he was vice-Minister of Finance and Secretary of Commerce of Argentina (2015-2019). He played a key role in several international negotiations, including with the IMF, Argentina´s work towards OECD accession, the EU-Mercosur trade deal and Argentina´s negotiation with the US over steel and aluminum tariffs. He led the revamping of competition policy in Argentina, which entailed the setup of the new competition authority, the drafting of the new competition law approved in 2018, and significant mergers and antitrust cases in sectors such as telecoms, electronic payments and consumer products. He was also responsible for modernizing Argentina´s international trade regulations, cutting red tape and simplifying bureaucracy through the setup of the single window for foreign trade.
He co-founded and directed CIPPEC, a policy think-tank based in Buenos Aires, and holds a PhD in Economics from Harvard University and a BA from Universidad de San Andrés. He has done consulting work across Latin America, taught at Universidad Torcuato di Tella, Universidad de San Andrés and Universidad de Buenos Aires, and published research on macroeconomics and fiscal policy.
Can Soylu
Can joined the Center for International Development’s Growth Lab as a Research Fellow in 2020. He has been affiliated as an associate since August 2022.
Before joining the Growth Lab, Can worked at the Harvard Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, where he researched energy geopolitics and markets. Previously, he has also interned and completed research projects at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, the Permanent Mission of Turkey to the UN, Barings LLC, and the Reserve Bank of India.
He received his A.B. in Social Studies, with a focus field entitled “Politics and Economics of the Post-Ottoman region” from Harvard University, and holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID, 2020) from the Harvard Kennedy School.
His research interests include growth diagnostics, macroeconomics, international finance, and trade.
Andre Ribeiro
Andre Ribeiro is a Research Fellow at the Center for International Development’s Growth Lab.