Tim O'Brien
Tim O'Brien has managed Growth Lab applied research projects on five continents since joining the team in 2015.
He has led diagnostic work, capacity building, and execution of the Growth Lab’s overall research collaborations in South Africa, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Jordan, Albania, Western Australia, and Wyoming. Tim has also led the Growth Lab’s student engagement efforts, including the growth of its summer internship program, and works to build rich collaborations across Harvard Kennedy School research programs to target place-based challenges and practical research needs.
Before joining the Growth Lab, Tim completed the MPA/ID program at the HKS. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Malawi and holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Northwestern University.
| Current Research/Projects | Areas of Expertise |
| Pathways to Prosperity in Wyoming | Growth Diagnostics |
| Growth Through Inclusion in South Africa | Economic Complexity |
| Advancing Economic Diversification in Ethiopia | Place-Based Industrial Policy |
| Institutional Strengthening/Economic Diversification in Albania | Agriculture Policy |
| Macroeconomic Stability & Long-Term Growth in Jordan | Climate Change Adaptation |
| Realizing Economic Growth in Western Australia |
Featured Publications
- Hausmann, R., O'Brien, T., Fortunato, A., Lochmann, A., Shah, K., Venturi, L., Enciso-Valdivia, S., Vashkinskaya, E., Ahuja, K., Klinger, B., Sturzenegger, F., and Tokman, M., 2023. Growth Through Inclusion in South Africa, Center for International Development at Harvard University Faculty Working Paper Series No. 434.
- Bùi, T., Freeman, T., Hausmann, R., Kaddah, F., Lamby, L., O’Brien, T., and Protzer, E. 2023. Housing in Wyoming: Constraints and Solutions, Center for International Development at Harvard University Faculty Working Paper Series No. 435.
- Bùi, T., Freeman, T., Kaddah, F., Lamby, L., Li, Y., O’Brien, T., Protzer, E., Rueda-Sanz, A., Villasmil, R., and Hausmann, R. 2023. A Growth Perspective on Wyoming, Center for International Development at Harvard University Faculty Working Paper Series No. 432.
- Hausmann, R., O’Brien, T., Cheston, T., Worku Hassen, I., Soylu, C., Shah, K., Taniparti, N., Prasad, P., and Neumeyer, P. 2023. Development in a Complex World: The Case of Ethiopia, Center for International Development at Harvard University Faculty Working Paper Series No. 423.
- O’Brien, T., Bùi, T., Frasheri, E., Garcia, F., Protzer, E., Villasmil, R., and Hausmann, R. 2022. What Will It Take for Jordan to Grow?, Center for International Development at Harvard University Faculty Working Paper Series No. 411.
Op-Eds
- Growth through inclusion: the key to unlocking SA’s economic potential Business Day (2023).
- We recently ran a PDIA course on climate change adaptation. Why? Building State Capability Blog (2018).
- PDIA and Climate Change Adaptation. Building State Capability Blog (2018).
- Solar Radiation Management Can Only Work if it Works for the Poor. Angle Journal (2015).
Contact Information
79 JFK Street
Cambridge, MA 02138