Farzana Sarker

Farzana Sarker

  • Ag Economics & Rural Sociology GRA
  • Agricultural Economics & Rural Sociology
(406) 920-9919
fas0024@auburn.edu
Haley Center
LinkedIn
Download CV
Farzana is a PhD student in Applied Economics at Auburn University, where she began her doctoral studies in January 2026under the supervision of Dr. Joel Cuffey . She currently works with the Hunger Solutions Institute (HSI), where she focuses on analyzing large-scale transaction data to evaluate nutrition incentive programs. Her research interests include food security, labor, and development economics, and her work integrates econometric analysis and policy evaluation to generate actionable insights for public programs.

Education

  • Ph.D in Applied EconomicsAuburn UniversityPresent

  • MS in Applied EconomicsMontana State University2025

  • Bachelor of Science (BS) in EconomicsUnited International University (UIU), Dhaka, Bangladesh2019

Professional Experience

  • 4+ years of research experience, including sourcing relevant datasets, conducting data analysis, and compiling reports to identify bottlenecks and success stories, with a focus on exploratory research, longitudinal analysis, log frame analysis, hypothesis testing, and mixed methods approaches.
  • 2+ years of experience in program monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL), including program planning, implementation, and evaluation; skilled in providing actionable feedback to teams, designing and managing MEL frameworks and tools, conducting baseline and end-line surveys, ensuring quality monitoring, and handling contract and asset management.
  • 3+ years of experience as a Teaching Assistant at Montana State University and in Bangladesh, which has developed strong skills in communication, mentorship, and educational assessment.
  • 3+ years of experience with advanced technical skills in RStudio, Stata, SPSS, and data management tools,Microsoft Office, Kobo Toolbox, USAID Teams.

Research

Graduate Research Assistant, Hunger Solutions Institute, Auburn University
Farzana contributes to research on SNAP-based nutrition incentive programs, including the Healthy Fluid Milk Initiative (HFMI), with the goal of understanding how such programs improve access to nutritious food for low-income households. Her work focuses on analyzing large-scale administrative transaction data to evaluate program effectiveness, ensure accurate implementation, and generate evidence that informs food policy and strengthens social safety net programs.