Internships

Ezra Osofsky ’21

Major

Economics

Project Title

Data-intensive Analysis of the Climate-Water Crisis in India

Presentation Link

View Ezra's Presentation

I used a detailed dataset of crimes in Karnataka, India, to determine the impact of both climate and crop prices on criminal activity. I worked with Professor Fishman, who studies issues at the intersection of the environment, agriculture, and economy of India. The theoretical basis for our research is that crop prices – which are affected by the weather – impact the incomes of both consumers and producers, and this in turn impacts incentives around criminal activity. This weather has both a direct (physiological) and an indirect impact on crime. This is particularly important in the context of global warming, as weather becomes both hotter and more volatile. My co-intern and I compiled, cleaned, analyzed, and summarized data, and then communicated our findings. The skill I developed the most through this project was how to succinctly and clearly distill ideas into simple visual and verbal formats. This increased my confidence in my research and data analysis skills and helped me narrow my interest with regard to working with data.