Professor Girod specializes in the influence of external actors on political and economic development. She is currently working on a book project on whether foreign aid helps post-conflict development. She has publications on the role of aid in improving governance across developing countries and on whether remittances affect access to public utilities. Professor Girod is a faculty affiliate of Georgetown's African Studies Program and a member of the Executive Committee of Georgetown's Center for Latin American Studies. Professor Girod received her Ph.D. in Political Science from Stanford University. She also held a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford's Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law.