I am a PhD student in the Department of Government at Harvard University. I study comparative politics with a focus on peacebuilding, political participation, and labor informality in Latin America.

Prior to graduate school, I worked at the Urban Institute, where I conducted research on crime prevention and victim services in the United States and Mexico. I received my BA in political science from Boston College, where I was a Gabelli Presidential Scholar.

I can be reached at jfording@g.harvard.edu.