Jenny Aker

Jenny Aker is the Sisler Professor of Development Economics at Cornell University since July 2024. Aker has held multiple academic positions at The Fletcher School at Tufts University since July 2009, including Research Professor and Director of the Fletcher Leadership Program for Financial Inclusion. Aker co-chairs the Digital Finance and Identification Initiative in Africa at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) and serves as a Research Fellow at Wageningen University & Research. Previous roles include co-chairing Digital Trust at FERDI and serving as a Senior Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute. Aker has also worked in various capacities at Catholic Relief Services and as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Hassan II Casablanca. Aker holds a PhD in Agricultural and Development Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master's degree from The Fletcher School, and a Bachelor's degree from Duke University.