I study how institutions (rules, norms, culture and beliefs) shape the Anthropocene system and how actors can reorient institutions to meet sustainable development goals. I am particularly interested the role of technology and innovation, as well as the consequences of inequality and maldistributions of power for sustainable development outcomes. My empirical research focuses on agriculture and food systems, specifically why the poorest farmers often fail to benefit from agricultural technologies and how to enable adoption of technologies that improve inclusive well-being. I have conducted fieldwork in South Asia, North Africa and the United States. I am fluent in German and have advanced spoken language skills in Arabic, Spanish and Hindi.
Dissertation
Harley, Alicia G. 2018. Why does technology fail to benefit the poorest farmers? A sociotechnical approach to the study of innovation and poverty. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
You can read a brief summary of my dissertation here.
Publications
Clark, William C and Alicia G. Harley. 2020. Sustainability Science: Towards a Synthesis. Annual Review of Environment and Resources. Volume 45. Accepted Pre-Print Available HERE.
Anadon, Laura Diaz, Gabriel Chan, Alicia G. Harley, Kira Matus, Suerie Moon, Sharmila L. Murthy, and William C. Clark. 2016. Making Technological Innovation Work for Sustainable Development. PNAS 113 (35): 9682-9690.
Under Review
Harley, Alicia G. 2019. Why Does Technology Fail to Benefit the Poorest Farmers? The Case of the System of Rice Intensification. Under Review.
Working Papers
Clark, William C. and Alicia G. Harley. Clark, William C., and Alicia G. Harley. 2019. Sustainability Science: Towards a Synthesis. Sustainability Science Program Working Paper 2019-01. Sustainability Science Program, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
Binz, Christian, Alicia G. Harley and William Clark. Transition pathways toward Sustainable Development – An Analytical Framework and a Case Study. Paper prepared for presentation at the Sustainability and Development Conference at the University of Michigan, November 2018.
Harley, Alicia G. and Hannah Wexner. The struggle for sustainable development in America’s Mineral Rich Mountains. Paper prepared for presentation at Transformation of Coupled Social-Ecological and Socio-technical Systems (SETS) workshop hosted by EAWAG, Switzerland May 2019.
Mukherji, A., D. Roy Chowdhury, A. G. Harley, A. Hussain and V. Khadgi, 2018. Solar powered irrigation pumps in South Asia: Are policies adequately informed by science? Paper prepared for presentation at the INOGOV Workshop at the Graduate Institute, Geneva Switzerland, May 2016.
Anadon, Laura Diaz, Kira Matus, Suerie Moon, Gabriel Chan, Alicia G. Harley, Sharmila Murthy, Vanessa Timmer, Ahmed Abdel Latif, Kathleen Araujo, Kayje Booker, Hyundo Choi, Kristian Dubrawski, Lonia Friedlander, Christina Ingersoll, Erin Kempster, Laura Pereira, Jennie Stephens, Lee Vinsel, and William C. Clark. 2014. Innovation and Access to Technologies for Sustainable Development: Diagnosing Weaknesses and Identifying Interventions in the Transnational Arena. Sustainability Science Program Working Paper 2014-01. Sustainability Science Program and Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
Workshop Reports
You can learn more about these workshops here.
Harley, Alicia G, N Michele Holbrook and William C. Clark. 2015. Innovation for Vulnerable Farmers: Drought and Water Scarcity Adaptation Technologies. Report of a Workshop conducted at the Sustainability Science Program, Harvard University, September 11–12, 2014. Sustainability Science Program Working Paper 2015-01. Sustainability Science Program, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
Harley, Alicia G, Sharmila Murthy, Laura Diaz Anadon, Gabriel Chan, Kira Matus, Suerie Moon, Vanessa Timmer, and William C. Clark. 2014. Innovation and Access to Technologies for Sustainable Development: A Global Systems Perspective. Report of a Workshop conducted at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, April 24, 2014. Sustainability Science Program Working Paper 2014-02. Sustainability Science Program and Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
Murthy, Sharmila, Laura Pereira, Alicia G. Harley, Daniel Shemie, Eunjee Lee, Patricia Guardabassi, Chao Zhang, and Scott Moore. 2013. The Role of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Helping Decision-Makers Meet Food, Energy and Water (FEW) Needs. Sustainability Science Program Working Paper No. 2013-02, November. Sustainability Science Program, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
