Tex W
- Research Program Mentor
PhD candidate at Clark Atlanta University
Expertise
International economics and global markets, public policy and policy analysis, political economy of development, trade policy and industrial strategy, technology policy and digital equity, energy systems and infrastructure economics, financial markets and market behavior, cryptocurrency and digital asset markets, data driven policy research, podcast and video explainers for economics and policy
Bio
Tex Wambui is a public policy and economics researcher whose work focuses on how policy, institutions, and markets shape opportunity across communities. His academic interests sit at the intersection of environmental economics, international trade, higher education, and social equity, with a particular focus on how research can inform better public decisions. He is especially drawn to questions about who benefits from economic growth, who is left out, and how data can be used to design more inclusive and sustainable systems. As a mentor, Tex helps students turn broad interests into focused research questions, build clear arguments, and connect academic ideas to real world challenges. Outside of research, Tex enjoys hiking, swimming, golfing, and spending time outdoors as a way to stay curious, balanced, and reflective. He also loves traveling and learning about communities through food, history, culture, and everyday conversations. These experiences shape the way he mentors students: with patience, curiosity, and a deep respect for each student’s voice. Tex’s goal is to create a thoughtful and encouraging learning space where students feel confident asking ambitious questions, developing their ideas, and seeing themselves as capable researchers.Project ideas
Dynamic structures of culture, people, and language in Africa.
This project explores how culture, language, and history shape social and political life in East Africa, with a focus on Kenya and Tanzania. Students will examine how pre colonial traditions, trade networks, colonial boundaries, and post independence governance have influenced cultural identity, community cohesion, and relationships with land and nature. Rather than treating culture as static, the project centers culture as something living shaped by power, policy, and environmental change. Students will investigate how historical events such as the Berlin Conference altered social structures and governance systems, and how these shifts continue to affect economic development, conservation practices, and community autonomy today. Particular attention will be paid to tensions between modern state systems and Indigenous or rural communities, including issues related to land use, deforestation, tourism, and cultural preservation. Through guided research, students will learn how to gather and evaluate sources, synthesize historical and contemporary perspectives, and ask ethical questions about representation, development, and progress.
Electrification, Education, and Inequality in Kenya
This project examines why access to electricity remains uneven in Kenya and how those gaps shape education, technology access, and economic opportunity. Students will explore rural–urban disparities in electrification, focusing on how infrastructure limitations, affordability, and policy decisions affect schools, households, and communities. Rather than treating electricity as a purely technical issue, the project frames energy access as a social and developmental question tied to equity and public policy. Students will analyze real world data, policy reports, and case studies related to Kenya’s energy sector, including the role of renewable energy, government electrification strategies, and international partnerships. The project emphasizes critical evaluation of evidence, helping students understand how statistics, policy goals, and lived experience intersect. Through guided research, students will learn how to define a policy problem, assess competing solutions, and communicate findings clearly to non-technical audiences.
Global Supply Chains, Trade Policy, and the Economics of Technology
This project explores how global supply chains and international trade policies shape access to technology, energy, and essential goods. Students will examine how countries interact through trade agreements, tariffs, and industrial policy, and how these decisions influence innovation, economic growth, and inequality across regions. Using real world examples such as semiconductors, critical minerals, or clean energy technologies, students will analyze how economics, policy, and engineering constraints intersect at a global scale. Students will work with economic data, trade reports, and policy documents to understand concepts such as comparative advantage, supply chain resilience, and market concentration. The project emphasizes analytical thinking and quantitative reasoning, helping students learn how economic models and data are used to inform policy decisions in science and technology driven sectors.
Understanding Markets Through Crypto: Research, Risk, and Public Explanation
This project uses cryptocurrency and digital asset markets as a case study for understanding how financial markets function. Students will examine how crypto markets are structured, how prices are formed, and how information, speculation, regulation, and technology influence market behavior. The focus is not on trading or explaining how to get rich, but on analyzing crypto as an economic system shaped by incentives, policy choices, and human behavior. Students will research topics such as market volatility, investor psychology, regulation, and the differences between traditional financial markets and decentralized systems. Alongside research, students will learn how to translate complex economic and technical ideas into clear explanations for a general audience. A key component of the project is communication. Students will develop short podcast episodes or video explainers that break down their research in an accessible, responsible way, learning how to combine evidence, storytelling, and clarity.
AI, Climate, and Health Equity: How Technology Can Help Communities Prepare for Global Challenges
This project explores how artificial intelligence can be used to address major global challenges at the intersection of climate change, public health, and economic inequality. Students will examine how climate related risks such as extreme heat, air pollution, flooding, food insecurity, and disease outbreaks affect communities differently, especially in low income, rural, or under resourced regions. Rather than treating AI as only a technical tool, this project asks how technology can be designed and governed in ways that are ethical, equitable, and useful for real public policy decisions. Students may investigate how AI is being used to predict health risks, map vulnerable populations, improve disaster response, strengthen healthcare delivery, or support climate adaptation planning. The project will also examine the risks of AI, including biased data, unequal access to digital tools, privacy concerns, and the possibility that technology driven solutions may overlook local knowledge or community needs. Through guided research, students will learn how to evaluate policy reports, academic studies, case studies, and data sources from global institutions, governments, and public health organizations. Students will develop a clear research question, compare different policy approaches, and assess whether AI can meaningfully improve health and sustainability outcomes. By the end of the project, students will be able to explain how economics, technology, healthcare policy, and global affairs intersect in one of the most urgent policy questions of the future.
Wetlands, Youth Advocacy, and Environmental Economics in East Africa
This project examines how wetlands support communities, economies, and climate resilience, with a focus on East Africa. Students will explore the economic and environmental value of wetlands, including flood protection, water access, biodiversity, tourism, agriculture, and public health. Rather than treating conservation as only an environmental issue, the project frames wetlands as public assets shaped by policy decisions, community action, and competing development pressures. Students may investigate case studies such as Manguo Wetland in Kenya, examining how urban growth, land use, pollution, deforestation, and weak enforcement affect fragile ecosystems. The project will also consider the role of youth advocacy, local organizations, and public institutions in protecting natural resources. Students will learn how to ask practical policy questions, such as whether conservation programs create economic benefits, how governments can balance development and ecological protection, and how community voices can influence environmental decision making. Through guided research, students will work with policy reports, environmental data, case studies, and academic sources to evaluate the relationship between sustainability and economic development. By the end of the project, students will be able to explain how environmental economics can help communities protect natural resources while also supporting livelihoods, equity, and long term resilience.
