Research

Draft available here

Abstract: Using university administrative data matched with census student surveys, this paper studies the effects of class rank on job preferences, labor market prospects, and early career outcomes. I find that being top of the class affects career prospects and increases academic orientation, pushing graduates to pursue further education and to postpone labor market entry. Higher-ranked students are willing to accept more precarious employment contracts in exchange for jobs that align better with their studies, suggesting a role for intrinsic motivation. Effects are stronger for males and peer groups with higher average ability, indicating that peer competition influences rank effects.

(joint with Giacomo Gallegati, Luca Favero and Enrique Carreras)

Abstract: Connections predict career success across many occupations, including academia, where conference participation builds professional networks. This paper experimentally tests whether academic affiliation influences conference acceptance. Using a matched-pair field experiment during the review phase of an early-career economics workshop, we randomly assign papers with and without author affiliations to reviewers. We find a strong bias favoring prestigious institutions, reducing diversity by lowering the representation of women and first-generation graduates. This bias is primarily driven by in-group favoritism from reviewers at similarly ranked institutions. Our findings highlight how affiliation bias reinforces inequalities and limits academic diversity. 

Awarded the Paul David Best Junior Paper Award (2025) at the Annual Workshop on the Organisation, Economics and Policy of Scientific Research.

News! I'll be presenting this paper at the Conference on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Economics, Finance, and Central Banking in Paris in November.

Draft available upon request.

Abstract: Given the widespread use of educational credentials as proxies for ability, examining which agents might value and use this information, and how, is a question of significant policy relevance. This paper studies the effects of graduating Cum Laude on early labor market outcomes for Master’s graduates. Combining university records with a graduate survey and administrative employment spells data, I leverage the Cum Laude eligibility rules to implement a regression discontinuity analysis. I find no evidence of a short-term distinction premium in earnings or job search duration. However, the distinction shifts graduates toward more analytical and research-oriented occupations, mainly within universities, and away from high-paying sectors such as Finance and Insurance. These effects are driven by men and are not explained by differential employer responses, suggesting that academic distinctions may operate partly through self-signaling and shaping prospects in addition to traditional productivity signaling channels.

Presented: Workshop IdEP in Sustainable Economics (Università della Svizzera Italiana), Leuven Economics of Education Research (LEER - KU LEUVEN), 38th Annual Conference of the European Society for Population Economics (ESPE), 6th World Labor Conference (SOLE-EALE-AASLE), 40th Conference of the Italian Association of Labour Economics (AIEL)