Course team

Primrose is a Policy Manager at J-PAL Africa where she works with affiliates, policymakers and practitioners to apply evidence-based approaches to boost girls’ education enrolment and learning in West Africa.Prior to J-PAL, Primrose co-founded an education design firm in Ghana, working with local governments and schools to design and execute various educational programmes. Primrose holds a BSc in International Relations from St Andrews University and a Masters in Public Policy from the Blavatnik School at Oxford University.

padjepong@povertyactionlab.org

Madeline Brancel is a Policy Manager at J-PAL, where she manages the Education sector and works with governments, NGOs, and academics to build research partnerships and promote evidence-informed policymaking. Madeline holds an EdM in International Education Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a graduate certificate in Early Grade Reading in Developing Countries from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. She also graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude with a BA in Global Security Studies and a Committee Interdisciplinary Major in Portuguese from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee..

mbrancel@povertyactionlab.org 

Raquel is a Research Associate at J-PAL Africa, where she assists on youth unemployment projects based in Johannesburg. She holds a Master's degree in Applied Behavioral Economics from Tilburg University and a Honours degree in Economics from Stellenbosch University.

rcaldeira@povertyactionlab.org 

Aliya has been a research assistant at the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU) related to a project on costing higher education in South Africa. She completed an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree called Economic Policies for the Global Transition (EPOG+) where she spent time at the University of Turin, University of the Witwatersrand, Sorbonne University, University of Paris and the University of Technology of Compiegne, and London.

achikte@povertyactionlab.org 

Asanda is a Senior Research Associate at J-PAL Africa. Prior to this, she worked as an Intern and Research Analyst at J-PAL Africa. Asanda is currently completing her Masters in Applied Economics at the University of Cape Town. She also holds 8a BCom in Economics and Finance from the same institution. Asanda’s interests include labour market reform as a vehicle for alleviating poverty and advancing gender equality as well as the economic and social development of the African Continent. 

alobelo@povertyactionlab.org 

Thokozile Malaza is a Senior Policy Associate at J-PAL Africa. Prior to joining J-PAL in 2020, she worked as a Data Quality Analyst on various research projects for the Southern Africa Labour and Development Unit. Thokozile holds a Master’s in Economic Science from the University of Cape Town.

tmalaza@povertyactionlab.org

Edger Morekwa is a Policy Associate at J-PAL Africa. Prior to this, he was a Policy Intern at J-PAL Africa, working on the Digital Identification and Finance Initiative (DigiFI). He holds a Bachelor of Economics degree, with first-class honours, from the University of Nairobi in Kenya. Edger holds a Master’s degree in Economic Science from the University of Cape Town and is fluent in English, Swahili, and French.  

emorekwa@povertyactionlab.org 

Lauren is a Senior Policy Associate at J-PAL Africa where she works with affiliates, policymakers and practitioners to further the J-PAL agenda of using evidence to inform policy. Prior to joining J-PAL, Lauren worked at a Cape Town-based economic development and urban planning consultancy firm, where she was involved in research, project management and report writing. Lauren holds a Master's in Economic Development from the University of Cape Town.

lroode@povertyactionlab.org

Yanang is a Senior Education and Training Associate at J-PAL Africa. She also has experience working with Pratham ASER, India in the Assessment unit. She has received hands-on training in project monitoring and evaluation in the Philippines at Ataneo de Manila University in partnership with Catholic Relief Services. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Economics with a minor in Community Development from Daystar University, Nairobi, Kenya and a Masters in International Political Economy and Development from Fordham University, New York.

ysbossan@povertyactionlab.org

Tyler Spencer is a Senior Policy Associate at J-PAL Global, where he manages the Finance sector. In his role on the Policy and Communications team, he synthesizes financial inclusion research, fosters new partnerships, and helps external organizations integrate evidence-based interventions into programming. At the UCSD Program Design and Evaluation Lab, he designed randomized controlled trials of a mobile money pilot program in Nigeria. Tyler holds a Master of International Affairs from UC San Diego with a concentration in International Economics.

tspencer@povertyactionlab.org