Robert M. Gonzalez
Associate Professor
Member Of:
- School of Economics
- Development Studies Program
Office Phone: 404-894-2000
Office Location: OCE 208
Related Links:
Email Address: robert.gonzalez@gatech.edu
Overview
My major fields of interest are development economics and public economics. Specifically, my research focuses on the role of information-communication technologies (ICTs) and the use of novel GIS data and methods to study conflict, crime, and public health.
My most recent work studies the role that access to cellphone technology can play on fragile settings: deterring election fraud in fragile security environments such as that of Afghanistan, containing the spread of disease during the 2014 West Africa Ebola epidemic, explaining patterns of insurgent violence in Afghanistan. As part of my research, I have done fieldwork in India, Liberia, and Brazil.
Prior to joining the faculty at Georgia Tech, I was an assistant professor in the department of economics at the University of South Carolina. I obtained my PhD in economics from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 2016.
Education:
- Ph.D. Economics, UNC-Chapel Hill
- M.A. Economics, UNC-Chapel Hill
- B.A. Economics, Florida International University
Interests
Teaching Interests:
My teaching interests lie in applied microeconomics, with a focus on econometrics, international development, and policy-relevant empirical methods. I have taught undergraduate and graduate courses in econometric analysis, development economics, economics of terrorism, as well as directed undergraduate research.
Research Interests:
My research lies at the intersection of development economics, public economics, and the economics of crime and conflict. I study how information, monitoring, and institutions shape behavior in settings affected by violence and weak state capacity. Much of my work examines the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in influencing crime, corruption, electoral integrity, financial decision-making, and epidemic response. Methodologically, I rely on novel administrative, experimental, and spatial data to answer policy-relevant questions in both developing and developed contexts.
Research Fields:
- Applied Microeconomics
- Development Economics
- Public Economics
Issues:
- Conflicts
- Urban Economic Development
Courses
- ECON-3161: Econometric Analysis
- ECON-4411: Economic Development
- ECON-4699: Undergraduate Research
- ECON-6360: Development Economics
- ECON-7132: Development Economics II
- ECON-8803: Special Topics
Publications
Recent Publications
Journal Articles
- Monitoring Corruption: Can Top-down Monitoring Crowd Out Grassroots Participation?
In: Economic Development and Cultural Change [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2025
- When Does Crime Respond to Punishment?: Evidence from Drug-Free School Zones
In: Journal of Urban Economics [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2025
- Is the Phone Mightier than the Virus? Cell Phone Access and Epidemic Containment Efforts
In: Journal of Development Economics [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2024
- Violence and Financial Decisions: Evidence from Mobile Money in Afghanistan
In: Review of Economics and Statistics [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2024
- Can Community Crime Monitoring Reduce Student Absenteeism?
In: Education Finance and Policy [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2023
All Publications
Journal Articles
- Monitoring Corruption: Can Top-down Monitoring Crowd Out Grassroots Participation?
In: Economic Development and Cultural Change [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2025
- When Does Crime Respond to Punishment?: Evidence from Drug-Free School Zones
In: Journal of Urban Economics [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2025
- Is the Phone Mightier than the Virus? Cell Phone Access and Epidemic Containment Efforts
In: Journal of Development Economics [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2024
- Violence and Financial Decisions: Evidence from Mobile Money in Afghanistan
In: Review of Economics and Statistics [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2024
- Can Community Crime Monitoring Reduce Student Absenteeism?
In: Education Finance and Policy [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2023
- Are socio-demographic and economic characteristics good predictors of misinformation during an epidemic?
In: PLOS Global Public Health [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2022
- Cell Phone Access and Election Fraud: Evidence from a Spatial Regression Discontinuity Design in Afghanistan
In: American Economic Journal: Applied Economics [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2021
- Community Monitoring and Crime: Evidence from Chicago's Safe Passage Program
In: Journal of Public Economics [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2020
- Loss in the Time of Cholera: Long-run Impact of a Disease Epidemic on the Urban Landscape
In: American Economic Review [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2020
- Infant Mortality Rate as a Measure of a Country's Health: A Robust Method to Improve Reliability and Comparability
In: Demography [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2017
Updated: Jan 31st, 2026 at 11:04 AM