Hello! I’m an applied microeconomist studying decision-making in both private and public sector settings, and how it shapes organizational performance, service delivery, and development outcomes.
In my research, I explore challenges of entrepreneurship, management, public sector accountability, and health and education delivery in low-capacity contexts using experimental and non-experimental methods. I have led and contributed to several studies employing field experiments, natural experiments, and causal inference with large administrative datasets, in multiple contexts across South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. My research is designed to be relevant for both development organizations and data-driven companies aiming to improve the effectiveness and scalability of their programs, platforms, or interventions.
I am currently a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department Economics at Occidental College, where I teach Managerial Economics, Development Economics and Intermediate Microeconomics. My teaching connects economic reasoning and empirical evidence to practical questions facing firms, entrepreneurs, public institutions, and development organizations.
I hold a Ph.D. in Business and Public Policy from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a BSc (Honors) in Economics from the Lahore University of Management Sciences.
You can contact me at: mz_mehmood [at] berkeley [dot] edu