About Me Research Education Teaching & Experience

Hi! I’m Annika, a current first year Economics Ph.D. student at Utrecht University.

You can download my CV here.

About Me

 
    My doctoral work centers on early childhood education: access, program design, and impacts in contexts where resources or opportunities are uneven. I look at how early conditions shape later outcomes in school and the labor market, with an emphasis on what works, for whom, and why. I also have an interest in migration and refugee integration.    

    I became interested in these topics through volunteering and interning during high school and my bachelors in the US. I began working with NGOs and community programs at age 15, doing on-the-ground work with children, families, and marginalized groups such as refugees and homeless individuals. Now I combine that practical experience with research, studying the issues I encountered first-hand and seeking solutions that are developed in collaboration with those in need. I’m interested in the intersection of practice and research, and finding ways to apply real-world experiences.      

    Outside of work and research, I love being outdoors. You will find me camping, hiking, kayaking, trekking, uphill skiing, or on a horse.
Annika Brown Backpacking in Alaska Horseback riding in Kyrgyzstan

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Research

Ongoing Work

  • Free Preschool and Negative Learning Outcomes? New peers and learning disruption in Bulgaria, Utrecht University

  • Does childcare improve educational outcomes? Evidence from the Netherlands, Utrecht University

  • Constructed Outcomes: Measurement models as identification assumptions, Utrecht University

  • Are Sanctions Discriminatory? (in collaboration with Prof. Purba Mukerji, Connecticut College)

Assessing whether economic or legal sanctions disproportionately negatively impact low- and middle-income countries.

Data Collection

  • Land Use Decisions in Connecticut (in collaboration with Kiersten Posey)

Conducted data collection on over 500 land use decision makers (i.e. zoning board members) to understand patterns and representation in Connecticut. Final report published here: The Room at the Table Report.

  • Ukrainian and Afghan Refugees in Denmark, Sweden, and Iceland’s Labor Markets, Connecticut College, Honors Thesis

Conducted a small-scale RCT to examine labor market outcomes and integration policies for refugees across Nordic countries.

  • Empathy in Toddlers: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Prosocial Actions, Aarhus University (DK) & Connecticut College (USA), Independent Study

Observed and analyzed prosocial behaviors in toddlers across different cultural contexts, with a focus on socioeconomic status of the children.

  • Financial Inclusion of the Underprivileged: Mobile Money (as a RA with Prof. Purba Mukerji, Connecticut College)

Assisted in data collection on mobile money usage and its effects on financial inclusion for low-income communities.

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Education

  • Ph.D in Economics, Utrecht University, expected 2029
  • Research Master (M.Sc.) in Multidisciplinary Economics, Utrecht University, 2025  
  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Quantitative Economics & Econometrics, and Human Development, Connecticut College (with Certificate in Community Action and Public Policy), 2023

Teaching & Community Engagement

Teaching

University

  • 2024-2025 – Tutorial Instructor, Macroeconomics, Utrecht University, Netherlands  
  • 2024 – Tutorial Instructor, Microeconomics, Welfare & Institutions, Utrecht University, Netherlands  
  • 2024 – Tutorial Instructor, Intermediate Microeconomics, Games and Behaviour, Utrecht University, Netherlands  
  • 2023 – Teaching Assistant, Financial Literacy for Life, Connecticut College, USA

Schools & Community

  • 2021 – Head Teacher, Mathematics (Primary school), Unreasonable Kids College, USA  
  • 2019–2023 – Teaching Assistant, Toddler Program (Pre-primary school), Connecticut College Preschool, USA  
  • 2019–2020 – Teaching Assistant, English as a Second Language (Secondary school), New London, USA  
  • 2019 – Teacher, English as a Second Language (Adult learning), Paper Airplanes: Education for Refugees, International  
  • 2019 – Teaching Assistant, Mathematics (Primary school), Schuylerville Central Schools, USA  
  • 2016–2018 – Teaching Assistant, STEM (Primary school), Camp Invention, USA

Community Engagement

Migration and Refugees

  • 2023 – Participant, United States Dept. of Education: Refugees & Migration Seminar, Amman, Jordan  
  • 2022 – Intern, Icelandic Human Rights Centre, Reykjavik, Iceland  
  • 2022 – Volunteer, Danish Refugee Council, Copenhagen, Denmark  

Homelessness and Youth Development

  • 2023–2024 – Intern, Centers for Housing Opportunity, Eastern Connecticut, USA  
  • 2021 – Intern, Southeastern Connecticut Community Land Trust, New London, CT, USA  
  • 2021 – Intern, Elks Club Food Pantry, New London, CT, USA  
  • 2020 – Intern, New London Homeless Hospitality Center, New London, CT, USA
  • 2017–2019 – Mentor, Project LIFT, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA

Community Leadership Roles

  • 2023–2025 – Student Assistant, Center for Global Challenges, Utrecht, Netherlands
  • 2021–2023 – Fellow, Holleran Center for Community Action, Connecticut College, USA

Academic Leadership Roles

  • 2022–2023 – Chair, Economics Student Advisory Board, Connecticut College, USA
  • 2021–2023 – Chair, Human Development Student Advisory Board, Connecticut College, USA
  • 2022–2023 – Office Assistant, Human Development Department, Connecticut College, USA
  • 2021 – Fellow, PPIA Public Service Weekend, Carnegie Mellon University, PA, USA  

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