Sadia Mansoor

I am an Assistant Professor of Business and Economics at Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. I earned my Ph.D. in Economics from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. 

My research interests focus on urban and regional studies and development economics, with particular emphasis on evaluating the effects of public policies on socioeconomic outcomes and community development. 

My doctoral dissertation explores the impact of technological shocks on demographic transitions, production preferences, and political dynamics among Indigenous nations in North America. This study examines the reintroduction of the horse in the 17th and 18th centuries; a natural experiment that profoundly influenced the productivity, well-being, and resilience of Indigenous societies. Drawing on historical maps and archival data, it analyzes how this technological shock reshaped Indigenous economies and societies. To address potential endogeneity in horse diffusion and adoption, this study constructs an instrumental variable, the Horse Mobility Index, which combines the Human Mobility Index with water bodies to estimate the least-cost path for horse diffusion across the region. Findings indicate that nations with less arable land adopted horses earlier, leading to short-term population growth, which we interpret as a productivity effect. However, we find no substantial long-term differences between early and late adopters in income levels or average heights, suggesting minimal impacts on long-term well-being. Our results also show that early adopters relied more heavily on hunting, potentially accelerating resource depletion. Interestingly, these early adopters tended to cede land to colonial powers later than those who adopted horses later, highlighting variations in their interactions with colonial forces.

Feel free to contact me with questions via email at sadiamansoor01610@gmail.com , smansoor@berkshirecc.edu, or connect with me on Twitter at @SadiaMan01610.