Matthew K. Ribar

I am a Ph.D. candidate in the department of political science at Stanford University. I study the political economy of land, development, and violence with a regional focus on West Africa. In my dissertation project, I examine why some households in the developing world choose to formalize their landholdings, while other households do not. I am currently collaborating with Mercy Corps on a randomized control trial in Niger which studies strategies to reduce youth vulnerability to violent extremism.

I am the recipient of a National Science Foundation Graduate Student Fellowship. My work has also been supported by the United States Agency for International Development, the Structural Transformation and Economic Growth Initiative, the Stanford King Center on Global Development, the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, and a SurveyCTO data collection grant.

Before coming to Stanford, I worked as a program associate at Mathematica Policy Research; I supported impact evaluations of Millennium Challenge Corporation programs in Senegal, Benin, Liberia, and Cabo Verde. I have also worked for the Teaching, Research, and International Policy (TRIP) project and for the Pacific Small Arms Action Group. I hold an MA in political science from Stanford University and a BA in International Relations jointly from the College of William & Mary and the University of St. Andrews.

I am on the 2024-2025 academic job market.