NICHOLAS T. SMITH
1333 Belmont Street, N.W. - Washington, D.C. 20009 - (805) 535-8794
nick@bcdcmicrocredit.org - www.bcdcmicrocredit.org
EDUCATION
University of California, Santa Barbara 2008
 B.A. in Business Economics and in Global Studies
 Training in accounting, international finance and trade, and resource economics.
University of California, Los Angeles 2011
 M.A. in African Studies, concentration in Development
 Thesis: Tailoring the Grameen Bank Model to the Local Context: A Case Study of the
Buseesa Community Development Centre.
American University, expected Spring 2015
 Ph.D. in International Relations, concentration in Development
 Dissertation: Why Variance Matters: A mixed-methods approach to microcredit impact
evaluation. Location: Kibaale District, Uganda. Dissertation utilizes a randomized
controlled trial (RCT) to examine the impact of microcredit on a rural population. Study
includes 625 participants in 11 villages.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Buseesa Community Development Centre (BCDC), Mar. 2009 - Present; Buseesa,
Kibaale, Uganda
 Founded and manage Ugandan microfinance program. 99% repayment on over $110,000
dispersed. 485 borrowers (65 % female). Loans go to agriculture, animal husbandry,
small shops, and other trades.
 Institutionalized the project by increasing staff, construction of building, motorcycles for
staff to conduct oversight, filed for 501C3 status, and expanded presence into 15 villages.
 Began program to transition people into the formal banking sector. Acquired deal with
Post Bank (PB) to get savings accounts for all BCDC borrowers and guaranteed access to
PB loans for select BCDC borrowers.
 Side projects: Organized two nursing health outreach and education projects with nurses
from UCLA (one forthcoming with UCDavis), funded construction of public latrines,
natural fertilizer tree program (70,000 trees), supply water to public high school, and
secured contract with Engineers without Borders for biogas and health infrastructure
mission (started June 2013).


UCLA, Teaching Assistant- International Development Studies, Sept. 2009 – Mar. 2011
Held four T.A. positions, in which I led three discussion sections each week.
Moba Community Development Centre, June 2010 – Dec. 2010, Moba, DRCongo
 Started a microcredit project that works with repatriated refugees in rural Eastern DRC.
 The project works with 130 individuals and began operations in December 2010.
American University, Research and Teaching Assistant, Aug. 2011 – Present
 Conducted quantitative and qualitative research for Deborah Brautigam on China-Africa
relations, development, and international trade (Aug. 2011-April 2012).
 Research and Teaching Assistant to Jim Mittelman on global political economy with a
focus on Uganda and Finland (Aug. 2012-Present).
The World Bank (WB), Consultant, May-June 2012
Smith 1
NICHOLAS T. SMITH
1333 Belmont Street, N.W. - Washington, D.C. 20009 - (805) 535-8794
nick@bcdcmicrocredit.org - www.bcdcmicrocredit.org




Consultant on Nicaragua: FIRST Consumer Protection Project.
Participated in the dissemination of diagnostic review for consumer protection issues in
Nicaragua’s financial sector, including preparing presentation.
Conducted a focus group with members of Nicaraguan civil society to better understand
issues concerning financial consumer protection.
Co-wrote action plan and back to office report.
INTERNSHIPS
Obama Presidential Campaign, Southern California, Fall 2008
 Shadowed Field Manager, managed phone banks, and data management.
American Chamber of Commerce in Morocco, Casablanca, Summer 2008
 Conducted Business and Economics research on Morocco and the United States.
 Edited, wrote and designed for the Chamber’s publications and website.
LANGUAGES
Spanish: Conversationally Fluent
 Translator and group leader for housing project in Mexico, WB in Nicaragua.
French: Conversationally Fluent
 Lived in southern France, studied in Monaco, and worked in Morocco.
Arabic: Intermediate
OTHER SKILLS

STATA: Able to do econometric analysis of large data sets, including difference-indifference, regression analysis, propensity score matching, etc.
PUBLICATIONS, REPORTS, & LECTURES

Smith, Nicholas T. “Africa’s Freedom Railway: How a Chinese Development Project
Changed Lives and Livelihoods in Tanzania,” Jamie Monson, African Studies Quarterly
11, no. 2 & 3 (2010): 174-176

Brautigam, Deborah, Tang Xiaoyang, and Smith, Nicholas. Desk Studies on Chinese
Agricultural Engagement in Four Countries: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali and Nigeria.
Report Prepared for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, September 2012.

Accredited Research Assistant on:
o Brautigam, Deborah and Xiaoyang, Tang. Economic Statecraft in China’s New
Overseas Special Economic Zones: Soft Power, Business, or Resource Security? The
International Food Policy Research Institute: Development Strategy and Governance
Division. IFPRI Discussion Paper 01168, March 2012.
o Also appeared in Chatham House’s International Affairs in July 2012
o Brautigam, Deborah. “Chinese Engagement in African Agriculture.” [Unpublished
Book Chapter]. Eds. Warner, J., Sojamo, S., and Keulertz, M. Publisher: Routledge,
March 3, 2012.
o Brautigam, Deborah. An Overview of Chinese Agricultural Rural Engagement in
Ethiopia. International Food Policy Research Institute: Development Strategy and
Governance Division. IFPRI Discussion Paper 01185, May 2012.
Smith 2
NICHOLAS T. SMITH
1333 Belmont Street, N.W. - Washington, D.C. 20009 - (805) 535-8794
nick@bcdcmicrocredit.org - www.bcdcmicrocredit.org
o Brautigam, Deborah & Sigrid-Marianella Stensrud Ekman. Briefing: Rumors and
Realities of Chinese Agricultural Engagement in Mozambique. African Affairs, 111,
no. 444 (2012): 483-492.
o Mittelman, James. Global Bricolage: emerging market powers and polycentric
governance. Third World Quarterly 34, no. 1 (2013): 23-37.
o Mittelman, James. Global Transformation of Universities: Racing for the Top. Public
Lecture. Makerere Institute of Social Research: Kampala, Uganda, May 22 2013.
CONFERENCES
 International Studies Association- Northeast, Baltimore Nov. 3rd
o Original Paper Presented: “The Commercialization of Microcredit.”
o This paper examines the increasing dominance of microfinance institutions entities
that have more in common with commercial banking and/or predatory practices than
they do with the Grameen Bank.
AWARDS & FUNDRAISING
 Buseesa Community Development Centre (BCDC), Feb 2009- Present
o Raised over $100,000 to start, maintain, and expand the BCDC.
 American University Vice Provost Doctoral Research Award, Spring 2013
o $5,000 grant to initiate dissertation research in Uganda in May and June 2013
 School of International Service (SIS) Summer Fellowship, Summer 2013
o $5,500 grant from American University’s School of International Service to facilitate
doctoral dissertation research and writing
 American University, School of International Graduate Research Grant, Summer 2012
o $1,000 grant to conduct exploratory work on doctoral dissertation
 Moba Community Development Centre (MCDC), Fall 2010
o Raised $5,000 to help begin the pilot program of the MCDC
 University of California, Los Angeles, African Studies Fellowship 2009-2011
o Awarded $21,000 in fellowships over two years to pursue M.A. in African Studies
and to study Arabic
Smith 3