University of Colorado at BoulderCU HomeCU SearchCU A to ZCampus Map


PDF version

Academic Positions

  • Professor, University of Colorado, May 2010.
  • Stanford Calderwood Endowed Chair, University of Colorado, August 2014-May 2018.
  • Research Associate, Center for International Development, Harvard University, July 2007.
  • Research Fellow, Institute for the Study of Labor, Germany, September 2005.
  • Faculty Affiliate, Institute of Behavioral Studies, University of Colorado, August 2010.
  • Faculty Fellow, Association for Analytical Learning on Islam and Muslim Societies, July 2010.
  • Founding Steering Committee Member, Association for Analytical Learning on Islam and Muslim Societies, July 2010-May 2013.

Positions Held

  • Co-Editor, Journal of Demographic Economics, Cambridge University Press.
  • Editorial Board Member, European Journal of Political Economy, 2008 -2011.
  • Associate Editor, Mathematical Population Studies, October 2010-August 2012.
  • Research Fellow, Center for International Development, Harvard University, Spring 2007.
  • Associate Professor (with tenure), University of Colorado, August 2005- May 2010.
  • Assistant Professor, University of Colorado, August 2000-July 2005.
  • Economist, The Federal Reserve Board, August 1995-July 2000.

Education

  • Ph.D., Economics, May 1995, Brown University, Providence, RI.
  • A.M., Economics, December 1992, Brown University, Providence, RI
  • M.B.A., Finance and Economics, May 1991, Boston University, Boston, MA.
  • B.S., Business Administration, May 1985, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey

Research Interests

Economic Development, Political Economy, Economics of the Family, Cliometrics.


Selected Publications and Writings

    Book:

    War, Peace and Prosperity in the Name of God, (Chicago, IL: The university of Chicago Press), May 2015

    Research Articles:

    “Changing the Rules Midway: The Impact of Granting Alimony Rights to Existing and Newly-Formed Partnerships,” (with Pierre-Andre Chiappori, Jeanne Lafortune and Yoram Weiss), The Economic Journal, 127 (604), September 2017, 1874-1905.

    “Public Goods, Transferable Utility and Divorce Laws,” (with Pierre-Andre Chiappori and Yoram Weiss), Journal of Demographic Economics, 1:2, May 2015, (lead article).

    “Social Organizations, Risk-Sharing Institutions and Industrialization,” (with Avner Greif), American Economic Review (Papers & Proceedings), 103:3, May 2013, 534-38.

    “Lessons from the Ottoman Harem on Ethnicity, Religion and War," Economic Development and Cultural Change, 61:4. July 2013, 693-730 (lead article).

    “Agricultural Productivity and Conflict: Evidene from the Diffusion of Potatoes in the Old World,” (with Nathan Nunn and Nancy Qian). preliminary draft, October 2015.

    “Climate Change and Conflict: Evidence from 1400--1900 CE,” (with Nathan Nunn and Nancy Qian), in progress, October 2015.

    “Why Wait? A Century of Education, Marriage Timing and Gender Roles,” (with Jeanne Lafortune), preliminary draft, September 2015.

    “On the Socioeconomic Consequences of Religious Strife and Coexistence” in The Handbook of the Economics of Religion, Rachel MacCleary, ed. The Oxford University Press, 2010.

    “Investment in Schooling and the Marriage Market” (with Pierre-Andre Chiappori and Yoram Weiss), American Economic Review, 99:5, 1689-1713, December 2009 (lead article).

    “Luther and Suleyman”, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 123:4, 1465-94, November 2008.

    “Building the Family Nest: Pre-Marital Investments, Marriage Markets and Spousal Allocations” (with Randall P. Walsh), Review of Economic Studies, 74:2, 507-35, April 2007.

    “Endogenous Gender Power, Household Labor Supply, and the Quantity-Quality Tradeoff” (with Randall P. Walsh), Journal of Development Economics, 82:1, 138-55, January 2007.

    “Adaptive Skills, Technological Progress, and Growth” (with Ann L. Owen), European Economic Review, 50(3), 565-79, April 2006.

    “On the Efficacy of Reforms: Policy Tinkering, Institutional Change, and Entrepreneurship,” (with Dani Rodrik), in Institutions and Economic Growth, (T.Eicher and C.G. Penalosa, eds), MIT press, December 2005.

    “The Export Technology Content, Learning by Doing and Specialization in Foreign Trade” (with Galina An), Journal of International Economics, 64:2, December 2004.

    “Income Inequality and Macroeconomic Fluctuations’’ (with Ann L. Owen), Economic Journal, 114:495, 352-376, 2004.

    “Timing of Childbearing and Economic Growth,” Journal of Development Economics 61(1), 257-271, 2000.

    “Public Education and Intergenerational Economic Mobility,” International Economic Review 40(3), 697-710, 1999.

    “Entrepreneurs, Professionals, and Growth” (with Ann L. Owen), Journal of Economic Growth 4(2), 211-230, 1999.

    “Risk, Entrepreneurship and Human Capital Accumulation” (with Ann L. Owen), American Economic Review 88(2), 454-457, 1998.