She recently earned her Ph.D. from Texas A&M University; she holds a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Southern California. Dr. Bryant’s research focuses on the political economy of development. In her dissertation and other research, she examines how the organizational characteristics of foreign aid agencies impact development outcomes, such as economic growth rates and health policies. She argues that agencies that are neutrally motivated, specialized, and autonomous should be more effective compared to other agencies, and uses an original dataset to test her argument. Dr. Bryant’s other research interests include international security and the role non-state actors in civil war, human rights, and international law. (westmont.edu)