Faculty and Staff
Photo of Dr. Leila Dagher

Dr. Leila Dagher

Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Policy Action

leiladagher@lau.edu.lb
Ext. 3136
Shannon Hall 3136
LAU Beirut

View CV

Dr. Leila Dagher is the founding director of the Center for Policy Action and associate professor of economics and policy at the Lebanese American University. She has also been an adjunct lecturer at George Washington University since 2016. She currently serves as an editor for Energy Policy, as well as on the editorial board of four other journals.

Dr. Dagher is a regular participant in academic and policy debates. She has previously served in various capacities, such as economic advisor to several public officials, director of the Institute of Financial Economics, and chairperson of the Department of Economics at the American University of Beirut (AUB).

Her research focuses on economic and policy issues related to the areas of energy, environment and financial crises, among others. She has published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and was ranked among the top 2 percent of scientists worldwide for 2024 (Stanford/Elsevier list). Her work has appeared in leading academic journals and in more widely accessible forums.

Dr. Dagher received her Bachelor of Engineering from the American University of Beirut and her PhD in mineral economics from the Colorado School of Mines. Before joining LAU, she taught for 15 years at AUB and held several visiting appointments, including at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Teaching Interests

Research Interests

Selected Publications

Dagar, V., Dagher, L., Rao, A., Doytch, N. & Kagzi, M. (2024). Economic Policy Uncertainty: Global Energy Security with Diversification. Economic Analysis and Policy, 82, 248-263. (2022 IF: 7.019).

Dagher, L.,* Rao, A., Vishal, D. & Shobande, O.  (2024). Uncertainty and Risk in Cryptocurrency Markets: Evidence of Time-Frequency Connectedness. Applied Finance Letters, 13, 48-62.

Chahal, J., Dagar, V., Dagher, L., Rao, A., & Udemba, E. N. (2023). The crisis effect in TPB as a moderator for post-pandemic entrepreneurial intentions among higher education students: PLS-SEM and ANN approach. The International Journal of Management Education, 21(3), 100878. (2022 IF: 5.2).

Dagher, L., Jamali, I., & Abi Younes, O. (2023). Extreme energy poverty: The aftermath of Lebanon’s economic collapse. Energy Policy, 183, 113783. (2020 IF: 6.142).

Udemba, E. N., Dagar, V., Peng, X., & Dagher, L. (2023). Attaining environmental sustainability amidst the interacting forces of natural resource rent and foreign direct investment: Is Norway any different?. OPEC Energy Review, 48(1), 19-35. (2022 IF: 2.2).

Rao, A., Dagar, V., Sohag, K., Dagher, L., Tanin, T., 2023. Good for the planet, good for the wallet: The ESG impact on financial performance in India. Finance Research Letters  56, 1-7. (2021 IF: 9.846).

Dagher, L.,* and Hasanov, F., 2023. Oil market shocks and financial instability in Asian countries. International Review of Economics and Finance 84, 182-195. (2021 IF: 3.399).

Urom, C., Guesmi, K., Abid, I., and Dagher, L.,* 2023. Dynamic integration and transmission channels among interest rates and oil price shocks. The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance 87, 296-317. (2020 IF: 2.619).

Belaid, F., Dagher, L.,* and Filis, G., 2021. Revisiting the resource curse in the MENA region. Resources Policy 73, 1-14. (2020 IF: 5.634).

Dagher, L.,* and Nehme, R., 2021. Can Lebanon’s Economy Be Saved? A Plan for Revival. Middle East Policy 28(1), 123-134. (2020 IF: 0.475).

Ishrakieh, L.M., Dagher, L.* and El Hariri, S., 2020. A financial stress index for a highly dollarized developing country: The case of Lebanon. Central Bank Review, 20, 2, 43-52 (2020 JCI: 0.41).

Dagher, L.,* Fattouh, B., and Jamali, I., 2020. Oil price dynamics and energy transitions in the Middle East and North Africa: Economic implications and structural reforms. Energy Policy 139, 1-3 (2020 IF: 6.142).

Ishrakieh, L.M., Dagher, L.,* and El Hariri, S., 2019. Not the usual suspects: Critical indicators in a dollarized country’s Financial Stress Index. Finance Research Letters 32, 1-6 (2020 IF: 5.596).

Dagher, L.,* Bird, L., Heeter, J. 2017. Residential Green Power Demand in the United States. Renewable Energy 114, 1062-1068 (2020 IF: 8.001).

Dagher, L.,* Harajli, H. 2015. Willingness to pay for green power in an unreliable electricity sector: Part 1. The case of the Lebanese residential sector. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 50, 1634-1642 (2020 IF: 14.982).

Cuddington, J., Dagher, L. 2014. Estimating Short and Long-Run Demand Elasticities: A Primer with Energy-Sector Applications. Energy Journal 36, 185-209 (2020 IF: 2.414).

Dagher, L.,* El Hariri, S., 2013. The impact of global oil price shocks on the Lebanese stock market. Energy 63, 366-374 (2020 IF: 7.147).

Dagher, L.,* Yacoubian, T., 2012. The causal relationship between energy consumption and economic growth in Lebanon. Energy Policy 50, 795-801 (2020 IF: 6.142).

Dagher, L.,* 2012. Natural Gas demand at the utility level: An application of dynamic elasticities. Energy Economics 34, 961-969 (2020 IF: 7.042).

Dagher, L.,* Ruble, I., 2011. Modeling Lebanon’s electricity sector: Alternative scenarios and their implications. Energy 36, 4315-4326 (2020 IF: 7.147).

Ruble, I., Dagher, L., 2010. Challenges to International Climate Policy – Lessons Learned and Alternatives. International Journal of Climate Change: Impacts and Responses 2 (1), 87-101.

Dagher, L.,* Ruble, I., 2010. Challenges for CO2 Mitigation in the Lebanese Electric Power Sector. Energy Policy 38, 912-918 (2020 IF: 6.142).

Policy Publications

Dagher L,.* & Nassar, F. N. (2023). “Lessons Learned from the Beirut Port Explosion,” Manara Magazine, Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum (MENAF), November 24, 2023.

Dagher L,.* & Altug, S. (2023). “The end game to Lebanon’s woes: IMF reform and political willingness,” Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, November 10, 2023.