Ford Program Core Team
Patrizio Piraino
DIRECTOR
Director of the Ford Program and professor of education, labor, and development in the Keough School of Global Affairs, Piraino's research focuses on the intersection of education and development, including human capital and labor market policies in developing regions, and the broader determinants of socio-economic disadvantage. More
Maurice Sikenyi
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Assistant Director of the Ford Program, Sikenyi hails from Kenya and is an educational and international development scholar, practitioner, researcher, and leader. His research focuses on the intersections of education, armed conflict, and development in developing countries. More
Fr. Robert Dowd, CSC
FOUNDING DIRECTOR
18th President of the University of Notre Dame, Father Dowd is a professor of political science. Dowd’s research has focused on African politics, identity politics, and religion and politics. His research has also explored the effects of religious beliefs and institutions on the integration of migrants/refugees in Europe and the effects of faith-based schools on citizenship and civic engagement in Africa. He is the author of the book Christianity, Islam, and Liberal Democracy: Lessons from Sub-Saharan Africa. More
Jaimie Bleck
FACULTY ADVISOR
Bleck is an associate professor of political science and the senior research advisor for the Ford Program. A concurrent faculty member in the Keough School of Global Affairs, Bleck’s research interests include electoral politics, citizenship, governance, and political behavior in Africa with a focus on Mali. More
Natasha Jha
POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Postdoctoral research associate with the Ford Program, Jha's research focuses on human capital formation, gender and the role of institutions. She is also interested in examining the environmental impact of agricultural policies. More
Prakriti Shakya
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Shakya is a research associate at the Ford Program in Human Development Studies and Solidarity. Her research interests include early childhood development, family dynamics, environment, food insecurity, and poverty alleviation, and she has completed fieldwork in Uganda and Nepal.