Working Papers
"Chronic Gun Violence Exposure and Education Outcomes: Evidence from New York City Public High School System" (Job Market Paper)
Abstract: This paper examines the impact of chronic exposure to gun violence on the academic and behavioral outcomes of New York City public high school students. Leveraging the exogenous variation in school assignments generated by the city's centralized admission system, I find that attending a school with one standard deviation higher chronic gun violence exposure reduces average GPA by 0.07 standard deviations, lowers the likelihood of graduating from high school by 6.5 percentage points (8.4 percent), and decreases the probability of taking the SAT by 5 percentage points (6.7 percent). While the estimated effects of gun violence exposure do not differ statistically by race or ethnicity, there are large disparities in levels of gun violence exposure. On average, schools attended by Black students experience around four times more shootings, and schools attended by Hispanic students experience around three times more shootings than those attended by White students. Equalizing chronic gun violence exposure around schools across races would close the Black-White and Hispanic-White test score gaps by 5.6 percent and 5.2 percent, and shrink the corresponding gaps in high school graduation rates by 20.8 percent and 23.2 percent.
"The Spillover Effects of Neighborhood Sexual Assaults on Female Students' Academic Performance" (Draft Available Upon Request)
Abstract: This paper investigates the spillover effects of community severe sexual violence (SSV) on the academic performance of female students in New York City public high schools. Leveraging the quasi-random timing of SSV incidents relative to high-stakes exams, I find that indirect exposure to SSV leads to a 0.04 standard deviation decrease in math scores. These effects are observed for incidents occurring both in students' residential neighborhoods and near their schools, with no significant impact on English scores. The negative impact on math scores is similar for female students across racial and ethnic groups. Examining the timing of the effects, I find that the impact is strongest for incidents occurring within one week prior to the exam, suggesting a stress-based mechanism, and rapidly dissipates thereafter.
Work in Progress
"The Impact of The #MeToo Movement on Startup Companies: Women Leadership and Access to Venture Capital"
Abstract: This paper examines the impact of the #MeToo movement on the labor market conditions women face and investments made to women-led companies. Using comprehensive data on over 250,000 startup employees and detailed investment records from 2010-2020, I implement a difference-in-differences strategy leveraging the timing of the movement. Following #MeToo, female employees are 0.6 percentage points more likely to be hired into C-suite positions, with effects concentrated in male-led firms. Using employee review data and local gender wage gaps, I find these effects are strongest in firms with poor pre-existing gender diversity records and in regions with smaller gender wage gaps. Furthermore, I find women-led startups experience a 5.19 percentage point increase in the probability of receiving venture capital funding post-#Metoo relative to male-led firms, particularly through increased support from female investors.
"Political Ties and the Distribution of Public Amenities: Evidence from China's Primary Land Market"
Abstract: This paper studies the role political connections play in the provision of public amenities. Using over two million land transactions from China's primary land market during the period 2004 - 2019 and a spatially matched sample, I find that connected firms are nearly two percentage points (30 percent) more likely to receive a kindergarten, elementary, or middle school in the immediate vicinity of their purchase. I find suggestive evidence of firms receiving more doctors' offices and hospitals. I then leverage the timing of an anti-corruption crackdown in China; I find the benefits of political connections disappear following the crackdown.