Garance Genicot

Academic Employment    

• Professor, Department of Economics, Georgetown University, 2018–present

• Associate Professor, Georgetown University, 2007–2018

• Assistant Professor, Georgetown University, 2003–2007

• Assistant Professor, University of California, Irvine, 1999–2003

Visiting Appointment

• Visiting Faculty, Toulouse School of Economics, Summer 2025

• Visiting Faculty, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, Summers 2018, 2019, 2021–2023, 2026

• Visiting Faculty, World Bank, Development Research Group, Spring 2011, Spring 2019

• Visiting Assistant Professor, MIT, Spring 2007

• Visiting Assistant Professor, London School of Economics, Fall 2004

• Visiting Assistant Professor, University College London, Spring 2003

• Visiting Assistant Professor, Princeton University, 2001–2002

• Visiting Assistant Professor, New York University, Summers 2000, 2002

Publications

Peer reviewed journal articles 

• Diffusion and Targeting Centrality, with Yann Bramoullé, Journal of Economic Theory 222, 2024  (latex notation)

• Measuring Upward Mobility, with Debraj Ray,  American Economic Review  113 (11), 1–47, 2023  Slides

• Tolerance and Compromise in Social Networks , Journal of Political Economy 130 (1), 2022 Slides

• Women's Land Rights and Village Institutions in Tanzania with Maria Hernandez de Benito, World Development 153, 2022. 

• Electoral Systems and Inequalities in Government Interventions, with Laurent Bouton and Micael Castanheira, Journal of the European Economic Association 19(6), 2021. Slides

• Aspirations and Economics Behavior, with Debraj Ray, Annual Reviews of Economics 12, 715-746, 2020.

• Asymmetry of Information within Family Networks, with Joachim de Weerdt and Alice Mesnard, Journal of Human Resources 54(1), pp 225-254, 2019. 

• Aspirations and Inequality, with Debraj Ray, Econometrica 85, (2), 489-519, 2017. See also the online appendix 

• Two-sided Altruism and Signaling, Economics Letter 145, 92-97, 2016.

• Suicides and Property Rights in India, with Siwan Anderson, Journal of Development Economics 114, pp. 64-78, 2015. See also our column in Ideas for India. 

• Group Formation and Risk Pooling in a Field Experiment, with Abigail Barr, Orazio Attanasio, Juan Camilo Cardenas and Costas Meghir, AEJ: Applied Economics, 4(2), 134-167 April 2012.

• What Do Networks Do? The Role of Networks on Migration and 'Coyote' Use, with Sarah Dolfin, Review of Development Economics 14(2), pp 343-359, May 2010.

• Informal Risk Sharing in an Infinite-horizon Experiment, with Gary Charness, Economic Journal 119 April 2009, 796-825.

• Risk Pooling, Commitment and Information: An Experimental Test, with Abigail Barr, Journal of the European Economic Association 6(6): 1151-1185, December 2008.

• Informal Insurance in Social Networks, with Francis Bloch and Debraj Ray, Journal of Economic Theory143(1), 36-58, November 2008.

• Reciprocity in Groups and the Limits to Social Capital, with Francis Bloch and Debraj Ray, American Economic Review Papers and Proceedings, May 2007.

• Contracts and Externalities: How Things Fall Apart, with Debraj Ray, Journal of Economic Theory 131(1), pp 71-100, November 2006.

• Bargaining Power and Enforcement in Credit Markets, with Debraj Ray, Journal of Development Economics 79(2), pp 398-412, April 2006.

• Malnutrition and Child Labor, Scandinavian Journal of Economics 107 (1), pp 83-102, March 2005.

• Endogenous Group Formation in Risk-Sharing Arrangements, with Debraj Ray, Review of Economic Studies 70 (1), January 2003. For a conjecture related to the paper, click here. For robustness checks of Example 2, click here.

• Demand Elasticities for Health Service Providers in Tanzania, with D. Sahn and S. Younger, Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics 65(2), pp 241-260, May 2003.

• Investing in Conflict Management, with S. Skaperdas (+ Figures), Journal of Conflict Resolution 46 (1), February 2002.

• Bonded Labor and Serfdom: A Paradox of Voluntary Choice, Journal of Development Economics 67 (1), 101-127, February 2002.

• Equivalence Scales and Family Allowances, with F. Foidart and P. Pestieau, Cahiers Economiques de Bruxelles 155, 3eme trimestre 1997.

Handbooks & Invited Chapters

• Identities in Conflict with Debraj Ray,  Handbook on the Economics of Conflict, forthcoming.

• Upward Mobility in Developing Countries with Carolina Concha-Arriagada and Debraj Ray,  Handbook of Labor, Human Resources and Population Economics forthcoming.

• The Impact of Migration on Child Labor: Theory and Evidence from Brazil, with Anna Maria Mayda and Mariapia Mendola, in Markets, Governance and Institutions in the Process of Economic Development Oxford University Press, 2018.

• Child Bonded Labor entry for The World of Child Labor, Hugh Hindman ed., ME Sharpe, 2009.

• Informal Insurance, Enforcement Constraints, and Group Formation, with Debraj Ray, in Group Formation in Economics: Networks, Clubs, and Coalitions, edited by Gabrielle Demange and Myrna Wooders, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2005.

• Minimum Wage Laws and Unemployment Benefits when Labor Supply is a Household Decision, with K. Basu and J.E. Stiglitz,in Markets and Government, Oxford University Press 2002.

Grant & Honors

• 2025 — Doctor Honoris Causa, Aix-Marseille University.

• 2026–2027 — ReCIPE-CEPR “ Allocation Decisions and Social Integration in Refugee-Host Contexts”

• 2025–2026 — Weiss Travel Grant “ Inequality and Scapegoating”

• 2023–2024 — National Science Foundation, SES-2242288, “Strategic Redistricting and Government Interventions.”

• 2019–2021 — National Science Foundation, SES-1851758, “Aspirations, Inequality and Social Conflict.”

• 2017 — EDI Grant, “Aspirations in Economics, a Review.”

• 2017 — EDI Grant, “Land Rights and Village Councils in Tanzania.”

• 2017 — IGC Grant, “The Impact of Incentives and Monitoring on the Performance of Public Extension Staff.”

• 2016 — Development Impact Evaluation (DIME) Grant (i2i Fund), World Bank.

• 2012 — Russell Sage Foundation Grant, “Measuring Upward Mobility.”

• 2004, 2006, 2012 — International Collaborative Research Grants, Georgetown University.

• 2008, 2009, 2015 — Competitive Grant-in-Aid, Georgetown University.

• 2004 — Junior Faculty Research Fellowship, Georgetown University.

• 2002–2003 — John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Research and Writing Grant.

• 1994–1995, 1998–1999 — Sage Graduate Fellowship, Cornell University.

• 1996— Royal Academia Award for Economic Policy (undergraduate thesis), Université de Liège.

• 1995 — ALDLG Prize (undergraduate thesis).

Keynotes & Invited Lectures

• 2026 — Lecture  Francois-Albert-Angers, Congrès annuel de la SCSE, Québec City 

• 2025 — Keynote Speaker, ECINEQ Conference, Washington, DC

• 2025 — Keynote Speaker, SEEDEC Conference, Bonn

• 2025 — Workshop in Honor of Garance Genicot’s Doctor Honoris Causa, Aix-Marseille School of Economics

• 2024 — Keynote Speaker, ECARES Christmas Conference

• 2024 — Keynote Speaker, International Conference on Development Economics (ICDE), Aix-en-Provence

• 2024 — Keynote Speaker, NICEP (Nottingham Interdisciplinary Centre for Economic and Political Research)

• 2022 — Keynote Speaker, Madrid Political Economy (MAPE) Conference

Editorial Position & Leadership 

• Associate Editor, American Economic Review, 2025–

• Co-Editor, Quantitative Economics, 2021–2025

• Associate Editor, Journal of Development Economics, 2010–2015

• Associate Editor, B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, 2006–2011

• President, Theoretical Research in Development Economics (ThReD), 2022–2026

Research Affiliation & Memberships 

• Research Associate, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

• Development Economics Program, since 2013

• Fellow, Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

• Development Economics and Political Economy Programme, since 2021

• Fellow, Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development (BREAD), since 2015

• Fellow, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

• Member, DC Political Economy Center

• Member, Georgetown University Initiative on Innovation, Development and Evaluation

• Member, Economic Development and Institutions (EDI) Research Network,  Thematic Group on Family, Gender and Conflict, 2016–2021

• Member, American Economic Association

• Member, Econometric Society

Conference, Seminar & Network Organization 

• Organizer, VDEV Webinar in Development Economics, 2022-present.

• Organizer, Gui2de Weekly Seminar in Development Economics, 2013-present.

• Program Committee Member, NBER-Bread Meeting, Fall 2025.

• Organizer, Family Economics Session at the AEA Meetings, 2024.

• Organizer, Gerrymandering Session at the AEA Meetings, 2023.

• Organizing Committee Member, Poverty Conference at Georgetown University, October 2023.

• Organizer, ThReD Invited Session, IEA World Congress, Indonesia, 2021.

• Program Committee Member, ThReD Conference, 2021, 2022, 2026.

• Program Committee Member, Econometric Society World Congress, 2020.

• Program Committee Member, BREAD Conference, University of Maryland, May 2019.

• Program Committee Member, ThReD Conference, University of Notre Dame, May 2019.

• Organizing Committee Member, BREAD Conference, Georgetown University, April 2016.

• Organizing Committee Member, HDCA Conference “Capabilities on the Move: Mobility and Aspirations,” Georgetown University, September 2015.

• Organizing Committee Member, World Bank ABCDE Conference “The Role of Theory in Development Economics,” 2014.

• Organizer, “Formal and Informal Institutions to Cope with Risk and Credit in Developing Countries,” University of California at Irvine, February 2001.

External Evaluation & Committees 

• Member, External Evaluation Committee, Econimcs Department at the University of Delaware, Spring 2026.  

• Member, External Evaluation Committee, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, June 2019 and November 2022.  

• External Member, World Bank Research Management Committee, 2013–2018.  

• Member of the Jury, Infosys Prize in Social Sciences, 2016.  

Teaching

Doctoral / Graduate Courses

• Development Economics (PhD) — Georgetown University (multiple offerings: 2003–2025)

• Microeconomics Workshop — Georgetown University (2005–2006)

• Development Economics (Graduate) — University of California, Irvine (2003)

• Contract Theory (Graduate) — University of California, Irvine (2000–2001)
  
  

Professional and Master’s Programs

• Foundations of Development Policy — MIT (2007)

• Economic Analysis of Development (Advanced) — MPA, Woodrow Wilson School (2002)

• Economic Analysis of Development (Basic) — MPA, Woodrow Wilson School (2002)

• Development Economics (MSFS) — Georgetown University (2004–2006)
  
  

Undergraduate Courses

• Development Economics — Georgetown University (multiple offerings: 2003–2025)

• Intermediate Microeconomics — Georgetown University (multiple offerings: 2011–2022)

• Program Evaluation — Georgetown University (2012–2018)

• Analytical Tools for Political Economy — Georgetown University (2016)

• Tutorial in Development Economics — Georgetown University (2008)

• Economics of Development — Princeton University (2001)

• Decision under Risk & Uncertainty — University of California, Irvine (2003)

• Development Economics (Undergraduate) — University of California, Irvine (2000–2003)

• Honors Intermediate Microeconomics — University of California, Irvine  (1999–2000)

• Intermediate Microeconomics — University of California, Irvine (2000)

Summer and Winter Schools / Short Courses

• Summer School on Mobility and Inequality — Aix-Marseille School of Economics

• Summer School in Development Economics — Prato, Italy

• Winter School IT18 — Canazei, Italy

• Summer Class on Identity, Aspirations and Conflict — Aix-Marseille School of Economics

PhD dissertation advising (chair)

• 2025: Camila Gomes; Angelo Diaz; Arturo Romero Yanez  

• 2024: Bhavia Srivastava  

• 2023: Carolina Concha-Arriagada  

• 2022: Deniz Sanin  

• 2021: Maria Hernandez de Benito; Nishta Kochhar  

• 2020: Milan Thomas; Madhulika Khanna  

• 2019: Dario Sansone; Allison Stashko  

• 2017: Caitlin Brown; Renjie Ge  

• 2016: Yayun Pan  

• 2015: Michael Barker; Nisha Rai  

• 2013: James O'Brien  

• 2012: Danielle Monnier; Yuki Ikeda  

• 2011: Juan Carlos Parra  

• 2010: Liz Schroeder; Kamila Sommer; Helena Aten  

• 2009: Pramod Singh Khadka  

• 2007: Zaki Zahran  

• 2003: Samarth Vaidya (UC Irvine)

Education

• Doctor of Philosophy in Economics, Cornell University,  June 1999

• Master in Economics, Cornell University,  June 1997

• Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Université de Liege, Belgium, 1995

Referee Activity

Referee for major economics journals including: American Economic Review; American Economic Journal: Applied Economics; American Economic Journal: Economic Policy; Econometrica; Quarterly Journal of Economics; Journal of Political Economy; Review of Economic Studies; Review of Economics and Statistics; Journal of the European Economic Association; Journal of Development Economics; Journal of Economic Theory; Economic Journal; International Economic Review; Journal of Public Economics; Journal of Population Economics; Labor Economics; RAND Journal of Economics; World Development; World Bank Economic Review; and numerous other journals.

Referee for funding agencies and publishers including: National Science Foundation; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council; Earhart Foundation; Blackwell Publishing.

Excellence in Refereeing Award, *American Economic Review*, 2013–2016.

Seminars & Conference Presentations

Invited seminars and conference presentations at leading universities, research institutes, and policy institutions worldwide, including Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton, Chicago, Yale, Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, Toulouse School of Economics, Bocconi University, NBER, the World Bank, and numerous international conferences.

A complete list is available in the downloadable CV.

Media Selected media appearances and public engagement.

• Voxdev Podcast Interview on Upward Mobility, August 2024

• Les Rencontres Economiques- Aix en Provence 5-6 juillet 2024 "Pauvreté, transformer le coût de l’inaction"

• Interviews RTBF radio and TV, and France Info.

• Prof. Garance Genicot of Georgetown University on aspirations, inequality, networks and elections, Scientific Sense podcast