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Constantine Manda is an Assistant Professor of Political Science and Director of Undergraduate Studies & Honors Program in the Department of Political Science at the University of California, Irvine. His research sits at the intersection of political economy, development, and impact evaluation, with a particular focus on state capacity, elite behavior, and public policy in Africa. His work has been published or is forthcoming in leading journals including Comparative Political Studies, Health Education & Behavior, the Journal of Politics, and the Quarterly Journal of Economics. His research has been supported by major funders such as the Network of Impact Evaluators in Africa, the Partnership for Economic Policy, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Yale University’s MacMillan Center, UC Berkeley’s Center for Effective Global Action, and the Wellspring Philanthropic Fund. In 2022, he was named among the “30 Most Influential Young Economists” in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Dr. Manda is the co-founder and inaugural Director of the Impact Evaluation (IE) Lab at the Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF) in Tanzania, where he leads a nearly USD 2 million portfolio spanning research, capacity building, and policy engagement across sectors including nutrition, education, and public health. Prior to this, he served as Senior Research Analyst at Twaweza, contributing to large-scale randomized controlled trials aimed at improving education outcomes. He has consulted for organizations such as the World Bank, FSDT, and REPOA, and has contributed policy commentary to The Washington Post’s Monkey Cage.
He holds a Ph.D., M.Phil., and M.A. in Political Science from Yale University, a Master of Public Policy from the University of Chicago, and a B.A. in Economics from Xavier University. He has taught courses in impact evaluation, political economy, and development economics across institutions in Africa and the United States, and remains actively engaged in mentorship and capacity-building initiatives.
Social Media: @msisiri on X and https://www.linkedin.com/in/constantine-manda-858a984/ on LinkedIn