Jenny Aker

Co-Chair, Digital Identification and Finance Initiative in Africa (DigiFI Africa)

J-PAL Affiliated Professor

Professor of Development Economics

Tufts University

Jenny Aker is a Professor of Development Economics at the Fletcher School and Department of Economics at Tufts University and is a Co-Chair of the Digital Identification and Finance Initiative in Africa (DigiFI Africa). Jenny works on economic development in Africa, with a primary focus on the impact of information and information technology on development outcomes, particularly in the areas of agriculture, agricultural markets, adult education, and financial inclusion. She also works with NGOs to understand the barriers to and impacts of the adoption of agricultural technologies, as well as design different mechanisms for providing social protection programs.

Jenny completed her PhD in agricultural economics at the University of California, Berkeley after working for Catholic Relief Services as Deputy Regional Director in West and Central Africa. She is also a Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Global Development, a member of the Advisory Board for CDA, Frontline SMS, and the Boston Network for International Development (BNID). She also serves as the Deputy Director of the Hitachi Center for Technology and International Affairs and is the Interim Director for the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy (CIERP).

In addition to her role as Co-Chair of J-PAL's Digital Identification and Finance Initiative in Africa (DigiFI Africa), Jenny serves as a mentor to J-PAL regional scholars.