DED Current Students

Sandra Amoh is a doctoral student in the Economic Development (DED) program. She has professional experience in applied development research and program implementation across Sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to entering the DED program, Ms. Amoh worked in the banking sector and later transitioned into research-focused roles, where she supported impact evaluations, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and mixed-methods assessments, including qualitative research, survey design, and field coordination. Her professional work spans sectors such as health, nutrition, agriculture, education, gender, water, energy, and the environment.

Francis Anagah is a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the DED program. He brings experience from the Nigeria Immigration Service and has worked as a Graduate Assistant at Texas Tech University. His professional background includes roles in sales, marketing, and credit analysis.

Shallan is an experienced economics and mathematics teacher. Besides that, he has also worked with the National Board for Small Scale Industries, Ghana as a consultant on micro enterprises development. He also doubles as a data analyst and has a certification in Tableau Desktop Specialist.

Bright Dogbe is a Teaching Assistant in Economics, Applied Statistics, and International Business at NMSU. His professional experience includes serving as a Relationship Officer at iRisk Management in Accra and as a Training Manager at Old Mutual Ghana, where he developed expertise in relationship management and training.

Steven has published applied economic research studies in the areas of border, housing, international, regional, and sports economics. He was accepted into the DED program in the Fall of 2022. Steven currently works as an Economist at the UTEP Border Region Modeling Project.

Md Safiullah Kayesh brings over three years of banking sector experience and more than twelve years of teaching experience in public and private universities. He is a recipient of the MEXT Scholarship from the Government of Japan, which supported his graduate studies at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo.

Simon has experience spanning more than 10 years in the field of economic development, working with National Government Constituencies Development Funds and as a private consultant in rural economic development in Kenya. Currently, for his research, Simon is working with Savanna Lab, in Plant and Environmental Science (PES) department and looking at welfare impacts of Index Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI) in East Africa (Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia). He looks forward to working with economic development agencies all over the world.

Nii Narku Nortey is an economic development practitioner with over ten years of experience. He has worked with the Development Finance Authority in Summit County, Ohio, the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University in Indiana, and Bayport Savings and Loans in Ghana. His professional focus includes business retention, affordable housing, redevelopment, and small business financing.

Iqbal has extensive experience in banking and finance, having served as First Assistant Vice President at SBAC Bank PLC and Senior Executive Officer at Jamuna Bank PLC in Bangladesh. He currently works as a Research Assistant at the Center for Border Economic Development (C-BED) at NMSU. His mid-term goal is to secure a Research Economist position within a policy institution or think tank, and his long-term goal is to lead research initiatives as a Chief Economist or Chief Economic Advisor.

Fahria has strong experience in financial data analysis, economic analysis, investment evaluation, and applied quantitative methods. Her interdisciplinary background in finance and economics allows her to bridge theoretical economic modeling with real-world financial and policy applications. She has professional experience as an Intern at the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), where she worked closely with professionals through financial analysis, economic assessment, and data-driven decision-making.

Akop Sogoyaan has professional experience as a Senior Specialist in the Credit Department at RS Bank. His academic background combines international economics with business data analysis, providing a foundation for applied economic research.

Brian Turaki is a returning NMSU student who joined the DED program in Fall 2022. With over 4 years of experience in the energy industry, Mr. Turaki has been involved in regulatory research, rate strategy, and the support of regulatory filings pertaining to the electricity sector. Prior to his involvement in the energy industry, Mr. Turaki worked as a Budget Analyst for the City of Las Cruces.