Samuel S. Bird
Assistant Professor of Economics
Associations
Economics
About
Sam Bird is a development economist with research in sub-Saharan Africa on agricultural development and political economy.
In his research, he conducts field experiments, collects primary data, and analyzes primary and secondary data in collaboration with partners in Kenya, Uganda, and the US.
In his teaching, he enjoys helping students develop their economic research skills and introducing students to new economic topics, including development economics and data analysis.
Sam earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis in Agricultural & Resource Economics.
Expertise
Current Courses
Fall Semester 2026
Economics of Less-Developed Countries
This course goes beyond descriptive statistics about developing countries to analyzing and explaining these outcomes using development economics. Particular attention is paid to the role of information and institutions in shaping markets and economic decision-making in developing country contexts. T…
Senior Thesis Seminar
Building on experience from previous economics courses, students in this course produce new independent research. Prerequisite(s): two 300-level economics courses.