About

I am an Assistant Professor of Political Science at New York University Abu Dhabi. Previously I was a Postdoctoral Associate at NYU Abu Dhabi and a Predoctoral Fellow at Perry World House at the University of Pennsylvania. I received my PhD in Political Science at the University of Rochester in 2019.

I study the political economy of conflict in the developing world. My work largely focuses on the behavior of non-state actors and civilians during conflict, examining why groups fight over territory and how refugees decide to flee. I leverage novel micro-level data, often collected during fieldwork, and employ causal inference methods in order to explore the microfoundations of conflict. Motivated by the importance of identity in mitigating or escalating conflict, my work also examines the consequences of interethnic contact and the formation of national identity.

CV

Here's my Current CV.

Contact Information

benjamin.laughlin@nyu.edu