Lea Wessel-Aas

Lea Wessel-Aas is a Norwegian master’s student in the International and Development Economics program at Yale University. She holds a B.Sc. in International Politics and Government from Bocconi University and studied as an exchange student at Princeton University. Her academic interests focus on how governments, firms, and individuals make decisions under uncertainty and risk, particularly in the context of natural resources and the environment. She is especially interested to behavioral, institutional, environmental, and experimental economics, with an emphasis on econometrics and decision theory.

With a background in political science and economics and professional experience in finance, consulting, and diplomacy, she brings an interdisciplinary lens to the interactions between state, market, and individual behavior. Having lived in five countries, she is particularly drawn to how culture, institutions, and climate influence economic decisions, trade patterns and global development. Outside of her studies, she enjoys being in nature and staying active through running, skiing, tennis, and hiking.