Summer Travel Grant 2017 Recipient

Imelda

Student Affiliate

I am a PhD candidate in Economics who works on cleaner energy access in developing countries. I presented my job market paper at the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Annual Meeting in Chicago, July 30-August 1, 2017. More than 1,000 people attended this conference, as it is one of the largest annual meetings for economists who work in the field of agriculture and applied economics.

I presented my sole-author paper: Fuel Switching and Infant Health: Evidence from LPG Subsidy in Indonesia,” which is also one of my dissertation chapters. I am glad that I did receive a lot of good feedback on my working paper which will improve my paper significantly. Attending the conference itself was also a good learning experience for me in delivering an effective presentation and communicating my elevator pitch to other fellow participants. Moreover, I received the chance to be connected to some other economists who I would not have met had I not come to this conference. Attending presentations by many top economists gives me more courage, ideas and inspiration to explore my future research in development policy issues.

I am truly grateful for the East-West Center Conference Scholarship and East-West Center Association Alumni Travel Grant in supporting of my continued professional development and growing academic career as a development economist.