Learning about barriers to information diffusion in rural Kenya

Our research project, generously funded by IC2, studied potential barriers in agricultural information seeking or sharing among smallholder maize farmers in rural Kenya. For purposes of this research project,we focused on two types of information: external information about soil chemistry in the area, and information collected from farmers who are considered knowledgeable about farming practices.First, to understand whether farmers value this type of agricultural information (and hence would want to obtain it), we ran baseline surveys in which we elicited their valuations for these different types of information. This exercise sheds light on the demand (valuation) for agricultural information and farmers' perception of its "usefulness" in monetary terms.LBJ School of Public Affair

Role Models and Beliefs about Ability

Female role models can play an important role in attracting girls into STEM. However, since fewer women make it into these fields, girls might perceive that only exceptionally talented women can succeed. Exceptional role models might be less effective in helping girls realize their potential and the potential attainability of these career options. We plan to explore these issues by exposing students to information about STEM role models of the same and different gender and varying information about these role models' previous academic performance. The potential existence of these effects might have important implications for the types of role models we put forth.This study will explore what role model attributes makes them more effective

Evaluating agricultural information creation and dissemination in Western Kenya

Stata do files and ready-for-analysis data used in the analysis published in the Final Report to 3ie on the project, "Evaluating agricultural information creation and dissemination in Western Kenya" (project code TW4.1011). This project was funded as part of the Agricultural Innovation Thematic Window

Resiliency in the Age of COVID-19: A Policy Toolkit

Twenty-nine LBJ School authors have come together to craft interdisciplinary and resilience-based policy solutions in one toolkit called Resiliency in the Age of COVID-19. In 18 articles that span public management, climate change, economic development, national security and more, LBJ School policy authors provide a forward-thinking lens on what went wrong and what leadership, public policies and initiatives it will take to fix the system flaws exposed by the pandemic. Published during the LBJ School’s 50th anniversary year, the toolkit also provides a snapshot of the school’s depth and breadth of policy and research engagement at this moment in time.Public Affair