Report by Ashley B. Simpson, MSc. Teaching and Research Associate

After spending the holidays at home in December, I took a quick trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to attend the Southern Political Science Association (SPSA) conference. Zack and I presented our research on mobile money and corruption.

Following our panel, I had the chance to connect with Lucas Borba, a researcher at Vanderbilt. Lucas and his co-authors are conducting innovative research using experiments to study the preferences of informal and formal firms, as well as small business owners, regarding political candidates. We also exchanged experiences as expat PhD students at a great coffee shop in San Juan.

Another highlight of the conference was our discussion with Tara Grillos from Purdue University. Tara offered excellent suggestions to improve our project, and her research on participatory processes stood out as an example of a field experiment that is both theoretically significant and highly ethical.

On a personal note, I was able to spend a day in San Juan with my parents before the conference began. I always value any extra time I can spend with them before returning to Vienna, and I find that travel is always more enjoyable when shared with the people you love. The sunshine and beaches were especially welcome, knowing I’d be heading back to Vienna’s dark and cold winter. Here are a few photos from beautiful San Juan!

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