University of Maryland  
Kenneth L. Leonard
Agricultural and Resource Economics
Photo 2200 Symons Hall
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20740

Office number 2116A

Telephone: 301 405 8589
e-mail: kleonard@arec.umd.edu
@leonard-arec

Go directly to: Working Papers, Published Papers, Data and Instruments

If you would like contact info, or information about classes that I teach please go to my main page


I am an applied development economist with expertise in Africa and a focus on human capital services in the rural economies of developing countries. My research deals primarily with the delivery of health care in Africa, particularly the role of institutions in mitigating the adverse consequences of asymmetric information. This has led me to research in peer effects and social networks as well as the role of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the provision of public services---particularly services characterized as credence goods, such as those supplied by teachers and doctors, for example.

My extensive experience in Africa has led me to research on gender, utilizing the variety of cultural norms found on the continent as a window onto the role of culture in determining behavior, especially differences in behavior across genders. It turns out Africa has a lot to tell us about gender: see these pieces in The Guardian and The Verge.

I usually collect my own data, choosing field sites and research teams, and designing my own surveys and experiments. I have lived and worked in several African countries, including Cameroun, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Uganda and Tanzania.

Working Papers:

The papers listed below are part of my active research agenda.

  • Improving Health Outcomes By Choosing Better Doctors: Evidence of Social Learning about Doctor Quality from Rural Tanzania (pdf version of the paper)

Links to Published or Accepted Manuscripts: