Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, Talip Kilic '04 graduated summa cum laude from Knox College with a degree in economics and international relations. He earned a Ph.D. in economics from American University in 2008. Kilic has since worked at The World Bank, he now serves as a senior program manager. His work focuses on poverty, agriculture, labor, and gender issues in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in the “Global South.” Under his leadership, the Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS) program has raised over 100 million USD in external funding, supporting 47 countries in the past year alone.