Emma Smith
Development Economist
Emma Smith (she/her) is a development economist with a focus on refugees, migration, and social norms. One main strand of Emma's research aims to understand how refugees make economic decisions and what interventions can meet the pressing needs of forcibly displaced people. Emma often works in collaboration with humanitarian organizations, and her research has looked at barriers to mental health care-seeking, effectiveness of shelter interventions, and access to remote work opportunities. In a second strand of research, Emma focuses on the effects of social norms broadly, with work on mental health stigma and gender norms. Emma holds a PhD in Public Policy from Harvard University and a bachelor's from Wellesley College.