Melissa Thomas

Melissa Thomas "is an Associate Professor of International Development. She is an expert in issues of governance, corruption, rule of law and aid effectiveness. Dr. Thomas has worked with the World Bank, USAID, DFID, the U.S. Department of Defense, and counterpart governments, providing policy and technical advice, conducting negotiations, monitoring the implementation of conditions, designing and managing technical assistance projects, and conducting qualitative and quantitative studies.  She has worked on the ground in Benin, Mali, Chad, Cameroon, Senegal, Uganda, Madagascar, Peru and Georgia.  Dr. Thomas' recent articles focused on the operation of theSenegalese legislature,("Liaison Legislature" with Oumar Sissokho) and World Bank conditionality, (“Can the World Bank Enforce Its Own Conditions?"). Her current research focus is the operation of neopatrimonial states and U.S. foreign policy towards those states. Thomas holds a B.A. in computer and information science from the University of California, Santa Cruz; a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley; and a Ph.D. in political Economy and government from Harvard University.“

Faculty member of the SAIS International Development Program.


 * Director, Global Integrity