Chinemelu Okafor was an ESOC Research Specialist (2018 - 2019 ) in the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University, where she provided advanced statistical analysis and qualitative analysis, under the direction of Professor Shapiro and Tarek Ghani. She holds a master’s degree from The George Washington University in applied economics and a bachelor’s degree in economics and international studies from the University of Michigan. Before coming to Princeton, Chinemelu was a research assistant at the International Finance Corporation within the Thought Leadership Unit. Her prior professional experience includes positions at the World Bank, the United Nations and Thomson Reuters.

Chinemelu is part of the Princeton Emerging Scholars Program. In 2019, she founded the Research in Color Foundation, a non-profit organization that seeks to increase the number of Ph.D. students of color in economics-based disciplines through mentoring & financial support.