Ever heard the claim that the number of people who drowned in pools is closely correlated with the number of films Nicolas Cage appeared in? While that statistic is amusing, it’s a reminder that correlation doesn’t necessarily imply causation. My research focuses on identifying and testing causal relationships rather than relying on correlations alone. Most of my work lies at the intersection of government, economics, and accounting. More recently, I’ve incorporated large language models (LLMs) into my research, using them to analyze text and images in order to generate novel datasets that are otherwise difficult—or impossible—to collect. I teach Advanced Empirical Methods in the PhD program, where we explore the vital distinction between correlation and causation. Students learn how to pinpoint settings and natural experiments that allow researchers to credibly make causal claims, and they master a range of quasi-experimental methodologies to rigorously test causal relationships.
Bureaucratic discretion and contracting outcomes, with David Godsell (2021). Accounting, Organizations and Society, 88.Local visibility shocks to war profiteers: New tests of the political cost hypothesis, with David Godsell (2020). Journal of Accounting and Economics, 70(1), pp. 1-31.
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hh3gizxrdxa0di0r7btv0/IMG_5930.MOV?rlkey=m45pz80c7mhwgorwffnupr53r&e=1&dl=0