Danila Serra joined the Bush School’s Department of International Affairs in the fall of 2019 as an associate professor, in a joint appointment with the Texas A&M University Department of Economics. She was previously on the faculties of Southern Methodist University and Florida State University. She received her doctorate in economics from the University of Oxford, her master of science in economics from the London School of Economics and her bachelor’s degree from Bocconi University in Milan.

Prof. Serra’s research focuses on development economics, with a particular focus on Africa. She is the inaugural recipient of the Vernon L. Smith Ascending Scholar Prize, presented by the International Foundation for Research in Experimental Economics. She is particularly noted for her work on corruption.