Padraig Carmody lectures in development geography at Trinity College Dublin, from which he holds both a BA in geography and history and an MSc in geography. He completed his PhD in geography at the University of Minnesota in 1998. Subsequently he taught at the University of Vermont, Dublin City University and St Patrick's College, Drumcondra. He also worked as a policy and research analyst for the Combat Poverty Agency in 2002/3. His research centres on the political economy of globalization in Africa.