SYLFF Fellowship

Francesco is a first-year PhD student in Economics at the University of Michigan. His research interests include economic history, development economics, and international trade. Prior to joining the University of Michigan, he worked as a predoctoral research assistant for Professors Marco Tabellini, Michela Carlana,and Paola Sapienza, contributing to a wide range of projects in political economy and economic history. Originally from Northern Italy, he holds a BSc and MSc in Economic and Social Sciences from Bocconi University.

Dili's research interests include networks, labor and migration, and industrial organization, primarily within the field of development. Prior to the University of Michigan, she was a Research Associate at MIT Sloan, where she worked on various projects including land markets, networks, and universal pension systems in developing economies. She holds Bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics and Economics from the University of Missouri, and an MA in International and Development Economics from Yale University.

Amerti Gudissa is originally from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She lived in New York City for the past 6 years, where she received her undergraduate degree in Economics and Sustainable Development from Columbia University and worked as an Analyst at Cornerstone Research. She is excited to start my graduate studies in Economics at the University of Michigan with a particular interest in Development Economics and Education.

Paul Brimble is a doctoral student at the University of Michigan with a focus on development economics. Previously, he was a research assistant in development economics at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, working at the Mind and Behaviour Research Group (MBRG), Centre for the Study of African Economies (CSAE) and Digital Pathways at Oxford between 2019 and 2022. Prior to this, he was economic advisor on the ODI Fellowship Scheme at the Rwandan Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning where he worked at the Macroeconomic Policy Unit in the Office of the Government Chief Economist between 2017 and 2019. He completed an MPhil in Economics at the University of Oxford in 2017 and a BA in Economics at the University of Cambridge in 2015. 

Gabriela Lecaro Calle is a PhD student in economics at the University of Michigan. Her interests span fields like development economics, labor economics and various topics in applied microeconomics. She previously worked as a Research Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and as Research Associate at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA). Gabriela holds a BA in Economics from the University of Manchester, and an MSc in International Public Policy from University College London.

Valeria Ulloa is a first-year PhD student in Economics at the University of Michigan whose research interests are in macroeconomics, economic growth, and firm dynamics. She is interested in understanding productivity in developing countries, with an emphasis on firm dynamics and the use of microdata. Prior to joining Michigan, Valeria was a research assistant at the Central Bank of Chile. She holds a Master’s degree and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Chile..

Marcia Ruiz Pulgar is a Ph.D. student in economics at the University of Michigan. Her current research interests lie in the intersection of Development Economics, Public Economics and Political Economy. Prior to starting at Michigan, Marcia worked as a predoctoral research professional at the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics at the University of Chicago on topics related to empirical public finance and labor economics. She also worked as a consultant at the InterAmerican Development Bank, and as a research associate at Innovations for Poverty Action. Marcia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru.