Simone D. McCourtie /World Bank

On September 19th, CEGA hosted Mobile Money: Technology to Transform Transactions, a conference attended by nearly 100 mobile network operators, banks, researchers, and development professionals. Participants identified key challenges in reaching the 4 billion people currently without financial services. Nextbillion.net reported on the event.

H. Mshinda, R. Rajani (CEGA)

The East Africa Social Science Translation Collaborative (EASST) held its second annual impact evaluation conference on October 5th in partnership with the NGO Twaweza. The event was opened by Dr. Hassan Mshinda, Director General of COSTECH. Speakers included Jeanine Condo (National University of Rwanda), Stuti Khemani (World Bank), Constantine Manda (Twaweza), Dan Posner (UCLA), Munshi Sulaiman (BRAC) and other members of the EASST network.

CEGA welcomes 5 new visiting scholars this fall (from left to right): Reajul Chowdhury of BRAC International in South Sudan, Debalina Chakravarty of Jadavpur University in India, Marziana Mahfuz Nandita of BRAC in Bangladesh, Annet Adong of the Economic Policy Research Center in Uganda, and Samuel Oti of the African Population Health and Research Center in Kenya. All five scholars will spend the semester in Berkeley auditing courses, presenting their research at seminars, and designing impact evaluations in partnership with CEGA researchers.

In a new working paper, CEGA affiliate David Levine and colleagues identify and surmount roadblocks that impede adoption of efficient cookstoves in Uganda. In spite of the health advantages, fuel savings, and durability of efficient cookstoves, adoption rates remain challenged likely due to present bias, lack of information of the benefits of switching to more efficient models, and liquidity restraints. In two experiments conducted in urban Kampala and a rural Mbarara, uptake increased when users were offered a free trial, time payments, and the option to return the stove.

David Lobell Wins MacArthur "Genius Grant"
In September, CEGA affiliate David Lobell (Stanford University) was awarded a MacArthur Foundation "Genius Grant". His work in agricultural ecology is highlighted online and in a new video.

Paul Niehaus Featured in Multiple News Outlets
GiveDirectly, co-founded by CEGA affiliate Paul Neihaus, has been featured in This American Life, The Economist, the New York Times, and Forbes.

Stef Bertozzi Named Dean, Berkeley School of Public Heath
CEGA affiliate Stef Bertozzi was recently named the Dean of the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley. While serving as Dean, Bertozzi will continue to maintain his current role as a senior Fellow at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which he has held since 2009. 

CEGA's faculty network has expanded to include seven new affiliates with expertise in political science, public health, and public policy. Join us in welcoming Randall Akee (UCLA), Stefano Bertozzi (Berkeley), Jennifer Bussell (Berkeley), Thad Dunning (Berkeley), Miriam Golden (UCLA), James D. Long (UW), and Dan Posner (UCLA).

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