Reid C
- Research Program Mentor
MPA candidate at Columbia University
Expertise
Finance, Economics, Business Management, Accounting, Global Politics, Investigative Reporting, Writing
Bio
Hi! I'm Reid, I'm a master's student at Columbia University studying international finance and economics. My research focuses on corruption and financial crime as a threat to global security - how do dictators, terrorists, and other bad actors hide and move money, and what can be done to stop them and make the world a safer place? I've led research projects in the US, Netherlands, Scotland, and Lebanon and have spent more than 6 years helping peers and students pursue research that matters. Prior to starting at Columbia, I recruited for Amazon, Google, Meta, and other world-renowned technology leaders and start-ups in the Bay Area and NYC. I'm currently a reporter with Bloomberg focusing on global business and finance stories and previously worked for CNN and NBC News. I'm also a huge pool player and am learning Italian!Project ideas
Whose Democracy Is It, Anyway?
As a student and a reporter with Bloomberg News. I've spent the past four years studying elections around the world - how people vote, why they vote, and how much those votes matter. One of the most active debates in political science is whether all votes count equally when it comes to shaping public policy. Research has shown that the opinions of the rich and well-to-do are generally reflected in new laws, while those of regular citizens have almost no correlation. For this project, we'll collect data about major legislation passed over the past thirty years as well as detailed public opinion polling about the issues in question. We'll then run statistical analysis to determine which groups have the highest likelihood of getting their desired policies passed. Our final product will be a detailed dataset showing how represented each group within society is that can be turned into a publication-ready paper!
Charting a Greener Future for Tourist Havens
I'm an expert in economic development and international finance and have spent years studying the intersection of environmental conservation and economic advancement. With biodiversity increasingly under threat from the very tourists they attract, how can policymakers balance environmental conservation and tourism promotion in key areas? For this project, we'll collect public data like hotel occupancy rates as well as environmental indicators like water quality and biodiversity from major tourist destinations. We'll map this data using geographic information systems (GIS) software to identify areas where tourism and threats to biodiversity overlap. Using this information, we'll create a research paper identifying the effects of tourism on local biodiversity and lay out alternate development strategies to promote sustainable economic and environmental growth.