Research Assistants
Hanae Bouazza
Hanae is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is a research assistant for Professor Robert Pollin and Professor Michael Ash. She is updating the graduate econometrics class material, as well as assisting Professor Pollin on a project that aims to explain the current increasing inflation and explore developments in the relationship between inflation and growth.
Manya Budhiraja
Manya is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. At PERI, she assists Professor Lenore Palladino on projects related to shareholder primacy, asset managers, and climate change. Her research interests are in the fields of macro- development, labor, and finance.
Stella Bynum
Stella is a Ph.D. student in the Economics Department of University of Massachusetts Amherst. She works with Professor Jayati Ghosh. Her research interests are primarily in feminist economics, the political economy of gender and sexuality, and labor economics.
Ray Caraher
Ray Caraher is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is a research assistant for Professor Robert Pollin. He has worked on a number of projects with PERI related to labor unions and similar issues. He is interested in macroeconomics, finance, and international political economy.
Bridget Diana
Bridget Diana is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. At PERI, she is working with Professor Michael Ash on projects related to the political economy of health, education, and the environment. Bridget is interested in the fields of industrial organization and the political economy of health and the environment.
Emily Diaz-Loar
Emily Diaz-Loar is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. At PERI, she works with Robert Pollin, Gregor Semieniuk, and Jeannette Wicks-Lim on projects related to the implementation of a Green New Deal in the U.S. Her research interests are in the fields of political economy of the environment and ecological economics.
Bilen Gurara
Bilen is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She works with Professor Léonce Ndikumana. Her interests include the political economy of development and health.
Chirag Lala
Chirag Lala is a Ph.D. student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He works with Professor Robert Pollin, Gregor Semieniuk, and Jeannette Wicks-Lim to prepare "Green Growth Programs" for U.S. states. These reports detail policy frameworks for states to dramatically cut GHG emissions through investment in renewable power generation and energy efficiency measures while also providing a "just transition" support to workers in fossil fuel industries. Chirag's research interests are in finance, economic history, and political economy with particular emphasis on building state capacity for long-term public investment programs.
Anamary Maqueira Linares
Anamary is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. At PERI, she works with Professor Katherine Moos on theoretical issues related to feminism and the state, in particular with regards to global south countries and non-capitalist economies. Anamary is currently working on a project that uses a social reproduction theory lens to understand social reproduction processes in Cuba and develop an analytical model. Her research interests are in the fields of feminist economics, political economy, labor economics, and distributional issues in global south contexts.
Aaron Medlin
Aaron Medlin is a Ph.D. student in the Economics Department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His research focuses on international central bank cooperation and inter-central bank borrowing through the mechanism of currency swap lines. At PERI, he works with Professor and PERI Co-Director Gerald Epstein on projects related to the political economy of central banking and the effects of central bank policy on income and wealth inequality.
Brody Miller
Brody Miller is a Ph.D. student in the Economics Department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Presently, he is working with Professor Vamsi Vakulabharanam on theoretical and empirical issues related to the entanglement of class and caste in South Asia. He is interested in intersectional political economy and the political economy of care.
Shih-Yen Pan
Shih-Yen Pan is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He works with Professor Lawrence King on projects related to the political economy of health. He is interested in the political economy of health and the history of public health.
Anamika Sen
Anamika Sen is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is currently a research assistant for Professor Gerald Epstein, working on projects related to finance and macroeconomics. Her dissertation research uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze how policies affect the allocation of resources.
Thomas Walter
Thomas Walter is a Ph.D. student in the Economics Department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is a research assistant for James Boyce, working on projects relating to climate policy. His research areas include urban political economy, automobiles, and housing.
