I'm a PhD candidate in the department of economics at Brandeis University. I took a of twists and curves to get there. Last year I lived in Bologna, Italy while studying at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins. Before that, I was working as a writer and editor at Robb Report magazine in Malibu where I wrote about chocolate and fancy furniture. And before that, I was an undergrad at UCLA where I majored in math, minored in music history, wrote a polemic column for my school newspaper, and tried to change the world in the ways only student activists can.
My research interests involve international trade and finance, but my sub-interests range from gender relations and expressions, to politics and international relations, to humor. I use this blog to keep track of the newspaper articles, magazine pieces, and blog posts that I read everyday that make me think or make me smile.