Recommendations and Advising

It is my privilege to support students in their professional and intellectual development.

Letters of recommendation

I am delighted to write letters of recommendation for current and former students seeking funding, PhD admission, or a job. To manage requests effectively, there are a few things I need:

• the deadline, description of the opportunity or program, application instructions, and your application materials (e.g. statement of purpose, CV, writing sample),
• instructions for submitting the letter,
• a 1-3 paragraph summary of i) your best sense of what qualities make for a compelling candidate and ii) specific, concrete examples from our work together that demonstrate those qualities, and
• 4 weeks of notice.

I expect you to waive the right to see the letter. That allows me to be candid and specific, improving the credibility of your letter and preserving my credibility when recommending future students.

Finally, please consider whether I am the best match for the opportunity. Different opportunities will prioritize different skills, e.g. PhD programs are looking for research ability first and foremost. My background is in economics and quantitative methods. Any recommendation I write will be honest and drawn from my experience working with you. So I can write a strong letter for someone with whom I’ve worked closely for at least a year, whose work I know well, and who is pursuing a research opportunity in a quantitative discipline. It is harder for me to effectively advocate for someone I don’t know as well or is seeking an opportunity where I have limited ability to assess the relevant skills.

PhD Advising

I find it deeply rewarding to work with PhD students to develop their research. To make sure my current student have what they need, I am not accepting additional students at this time. Please check back in Fall 2026 if interested.

Style and expectations

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Job market

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