Travis Baseler
Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Rochester; Affiliate, BREAD
Travis Baseler is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Rochester, and an Affiliated Professor at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). His primary research interests are in development and labor economics. His work focuses mainly on migration, refugees, and social networks in low-income settings. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 2019.
Recent work by Travis Baseler
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Natural disasters destroy more than homes – they scatter communities too
Evidence from Uganda suggests that natural disasters can reduce income and life satisfaction for years, especially when households are displaced without their social networks.
Published 02.06.26
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What causes people to migrate to cities?
A large-scale randomised evaluation found that offering rural Kenyans information about earnings in the capital city increased migration and income.
Published 27.11.25
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How to value the time of the self-employed
Valuing the time of the self-employed is crucial for evaluating interventions and conducting cost-benefit analysis. Yet research often misprices this value at zero or equal to market wages. New evidence from Kenya suggests a practical fix: value unpa...
Published 14.10.25
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Can financial redistribution shape attitudes toward refugees?
Policy changes that raise aggregate welfare, but whose benefits are unevenly distributed, are often politically unfeasible. Politicians may recognise the overall gains from refugee integration, for example, but block visas or permits due to local peo...
Published 17.04.24