Vivian Ikoro is graduate research assistant with the Department of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Arlington were she is also pursuing a master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis area in public budgeting and financial management. Originally from Imo State, Nigeria, before she moved to the United States, Ikoro actively volunteered in a nonprofit organization advocating for local economic development and welfare rights, while maintaining a full-time job as a marketing associate with WEMA Bank in Abuja, Nigeria. Her research interest is tailored towards exploring the fiscal policies and financial system of both developed and underdeveloped economies and thier spillover effects on economic development. She hopes to work for organizations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.