My research applies a combination of well established econometric methods that are widely used in international trade, environmental economics, and applied microeconomics. These tools allow me to identify causal effects, address endogeneity, and estimate trade responses with precision.
I first applied the generalized method of moments in my published paper titled “Foreign direct investment and domestic innovation: Roles of absorptive capacity, quality of regulations and property rights.” This study, which was an extension of my MSc Economics thesis, required a method that could address endogeneity and allow me to test theory driven moment conditions. GMM provided the flexibility and robustness I needed to examine how institutional quality and absorptive capacity influence the innovation impact of foreign direct investment. Working with GMM strengthened my foundation in econometric identification and motivated me to explore more advanced empirical approaches during my doctoral work.
I rely on two way fixed effects models in my job market paper titled “Weather Extremes and Agricultural Trade: Evidence from Corn and Soybean Production in the US Midwest.” This project examines how extreme weather affects agricultural production and export performance across 12 Midwestern states from 2000 to 2022. The two way fixed effects structure allows me to control for time invariant state characteristics and year specific macro trends, which helps isolate the causal influence of heating degree days, precipitation extremes, and other climate variables. The same framework also supports long term projections using CMIP6 climate scenarios, which highlight the increasing uncertainty facing regional and global grain markets.
During my PhD, I expanded my empirical toolkit by working with structural gravity models estimated through the Poisson pseudo maximum likelihood estimator. I used this framework in the second essay of my dissertation, which analyzes how climate disasters influence rice and wheat trade across South Asia and South East Asia. PPML allows me to handle heteroskedasticity and zero trade flows while incorporating multiple layers of fixed effects that capture multilateral resistance terms. This method has become central to my research on climate shocks and international trade because it aligns closely with both theory and contemporary empirical standards.