He received his PhD in Economics from Texas A&M University in 2009. His research interests include studying macroeconomic fluctuations, as well as potential drivers of economic and societal development such as firm-level innovation and development aid. His articles have been published in journals such as Review of International Economics, Economic Inquiry, and Review of Economic Dynamics. He is work includes a recent article in the European Economic Review examining the impact of aid on democracy, coauthored with Christopher Kilby.