Dept Head #economics at @virginia_tech. Networks, Experiments, Development. Co-Editor JEBO. Interested in THE ECONOMICS OF small THINGS. Opinions: My own!
Blacksburg, VA
Joined August 2020
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Sudipta Sarangi retweeted
Some stories remind you why education matters. Meghna Lakshman’s is one such story.
Her father is a car driver who spent many years working with BHEL in Bangalore and now drives in Mysuru.
Not highly educated himself, but deeply determined that his daughter should get the education he never had.
Meghna studied at the legacy St. Teresian College, Mysuru, and was a merit student in B.Com. She then cracked PGCET and earned a scholarship to pursue her MBA in Finance at Vidya Vardhaka College.
Alongside her studies, she helps her mother care for her 18-year-old brother, a special child.
When I first met Meghna, she had come seeking my help for a summer internship. A few months ago, after completing her MBA, she applied to RV University for an academic administration role. Her reason was simple: she wanted to remain in a university environment, pursue a PhD in Finance and, in her own words, “become a Professor like you.”
Today, I am genuinely excited to welcome Meghna to my team.
Her journey is a reminder that dreams don't depend on where we come from. They depend on courage, hard work and the determination to keep moving forward.
Meghna, work doubly hard. Build a better life for your family. Be there for your brother. Learn, teach and create an impact.
And one day, I hope to see you standing in a classroom as
Dr. Meghna Lakshman, inspiring another young student to dream bigger.
Dreams are powerful when they become a mission.
Go make yours happen.
@Docontheloose
@Fintech03
@ArunKrishnan_
Sudipta Sarangi retweeted
Congratulations @Dwari1008 and team for the inauguration of the Mysore campus of RV University.
The campus is HUGE and the speed with which the team accomplished setting it up is stunning. Yes, there is still work left to be done, but I would love to go back there in 6 months and see how it looks.
1200 kids have already joined RVU and I wish them all the best. I met some of the young faculty and they are so inspiring. I nearly envy the young students who will learn from them.
All the best Dwarika, Team and RVU.
Scientific influence is not the same as empirical correctness. Darwin lacked a theory of genetics. Newton's mechanics was superseded by relativity. Yet both transformed their disciplines because they changed the questions people asked. The same may be true of Acemoglu.
My take on the The Economist piece on Daron Acemoglu.
The Difference Between Being Convincing and Being Important: linkedin.com/feed/update/act…
The Economist says Acemoglu’s claims don’t all hold up. True. But being unconvincing≠unimportant. His influence: making empirical economics ask about institutions, power, state capacity. In science, changing questions matters more than having every answer. That’s how fields move
Sudipta Sarangi retweeted
#MeetTheJury
Prof. Ajit Mishra, Jury Member of the Infosys Prize 2026 in Economics.
Professor and Head of the Department of Economics at the University of Bath, Prof. Mishra has held academic and leadership roles at institutions in India and the UK, including the Delhi School of Economics, the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, the University of Dundee, and the Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi.
His research focuses on development economics, governance and corruption, political economy, poverty, inequality, and informality. He has also written and co-edited several widely recognized books on corruption, governance, and economic development.
Over the years, he has been a visiting faculty member at Cornell University, Boston University, Stellenbosch University, and Ashoka University, contributing to research, teaching, and academic collaboration.
We are delighted to welcome Prof. Mishra back to the Infosys Prize jury and look forward to another year of his contributions to the selection process.
Read more about Prof. Mishra's work: infosysprize.org/jury/2026/a…
@UniofBath @DelhiSchoolOfEC @dundeeuni @IEGResearch @Cornell @BU_Tweets @StellenboschUni @AshokaUniv
#economics #developmenteconomics #politicaleconomy #governance #corruption #publicpolicy #economicdevelopment #universityofbath #infosysprize #infosysprize2026
Sudipta Sarangi retweeted
#MeetTheJury
Dr. Roberta Gatti, Jury Member of the Infosys Prize 2026 in Economics.
For more than two decades, Dr. Gatti has worked at the intersection of economics and public policy. She currently serves as Chief Economist for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (MENAAP) region at the World Bank, where she leads analytical work that supports economic policy and development across the region.
Over the course of her career, she has worked on growth, firm productivity, labor markets, gender, and social inclusion. She also co-led the development of the World Bank's Human Capital Index, a widely used measure that highlights the importance of investing in people.
Dr. Gatti began her career at the World Bank as a Young Professional after completing her Ph.D. in Economics at Harvard University. She earned her bachelor's degree from Università Bocconi and has also taught economics at Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University.
We are pleased to welcome Dr. Gatti to the Infosys Prize jury and look forward to the perspective she brings to this year's deliberations.
Read more about Dr. Gatti: infosysprize.org/jury/2026/r…
@RobertaGattiECO @WorldBankMENA @Harvard @Unibocconi @Georgetown @JohnsHopkins
#economics #developmenteconomics #publicpolicy #worldbank #labormarkets #socialinclusion #humancapital #growth #infosysprize
🤖 Made with AI
Sudipta Sarangi retweeted
#MeetTheJury
Prof. Tavneet Suri, Jury Member of the Infosys Prize 2026 in Economics.
Growing up in Kenya, Prof. Suri developed a lifelong interest in how people make economic decisions and adapt to new technologies. That interest has taken her from Trinity College, Cambridge, and Yale University to the MIT Sloan School of Management, where she is the Louis E. Seley Professor of Applied Economics.
Much of her research focuses on technology adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in agriculture and digital finance. Her work on Kenya's mobile money platform, M-Pesa, has shown how digital payments can help families manage financial shocks, receive remittances more easily, and improve their economic well-being.
Alongside her work at MIT Sloan, she serves on the Executive Committee of J-PAL and is a Faculty Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research.
With years of research across economics, technology, and public policy, Prof. Suri brings a valuable perspective to the jury, and we are delighted to welcome her back.
Read more about Prof. Suri's work: infosysprize.org/jury/2026/t…
@SuriTavneet @MITSloan @TrinCollCam @Yale @JPAL
#economics #developmenteconomics #mitsloan #jpal #nber #mobilemoney #mpesa #financialinclusion #publicpolicy #infosysprize
🤖 Made with AI
Thank you @InfosysPrize for this honor and the creative poster. Another fantastic jury this year!. @VT_Econ
#MeetTheJury
Prof. Sudipta Sarangi, Jury Member of the Infosys Prize 2026 in Economics.
Prof. Sarangi is Head of the Department of Economics at Virginia Tech. Before joining the university, he served as a Distinguished Professor at Louisiana State University and as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation.
His work includes network theory, experimental and behavioral economics, and development economics. Over the years, he has also worked with organizations such as the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and serves on the editorial boards of several leading economics journals.
Beyond research, Prof. Sarangi is passionate about making economics accessible to everyone. His book, The Economics of Small Things, explains everyday ideas through the lens of economics, making complex concepts easy to relate to.
With his broad research interests, commitment to teaching, and ability to connect economics with real life, Prof. Sarangi adds a wealth of experience to the jury, and we are delighted to welcome him back.
Read more about Prof. Sarangi's work: infosysprize.org/jury/2025/s…
@Sudiptahere @virginia_tech @LSU @WorldBankGroup @FAO @UnivofDelhi @DelhiSchoolOfEC
#infosysprize #economics #behavioraleconomics #developmenteconomics #networktheory #virginiatech #research #academia #worldbank
Sudipta Sarangi retweeted
Calling all Richmond area Econ Hokies! Our first Alumni & Friends Social in RVA is on the books 🍺
📅 Wed, Aug 13 | 6–8 PM
📍 @Hardywood Craft Park Brewery
🎟️ $10 (apps + drink ticket)
Register → aimsbbis.vt.edu/econrva26
Sudipta Sarangi retweeted
We're putting together a special issue at @IREE_Journal on AI in teaching, assessment, and learning.
If you're doing interesting work in your econ courses, we want to see it. Especially applied, replicable stuff.
Submissions open Sept 1, 2026 👇
sciencedirect.com/special-is…
Less can be more…
Congratulations to Nandini Das and Sudipta Sarangi on this great work! @VT_Econ @VT_Science news.vt.edu/content/news_vt_…
Sudipta Sarangi retweeted
There's still time to join us in Arlington this week! We'd love to see you there and reconnect.
Attention DC-area Econ Hokies! Join us for our annual Alumni & Friends Happy Hour!
📅 Wed, May 20
📍 Quincy Hall, Arlington
🎟️ $10 (includes apps + drink ticket)
We've had a great year in Blacksburg and we'd love to tell you about it!
🔗 Register: aimsbbis.vt.edu/EconSocial26
Sudipta Sarangi retweeted
🚨 Are you about to submit an Economics paper?
I made a free tool that suggests journals/editors that may be a good fit.
Super easy to use. Just upload a PDF of your paper: chatgpt.com/g/g-69fbdb3e6a50…
#EconTwitter
1/
Typically, more information can’t hurt becuz it can be ignored. This breaks down if cognitive costs scale with information dimensionality: adding signals makes all learning rules more costly. Rational agents optimally shrink & stop learning. tinyurl.com/4tnjjrvh
@ben_golub
Sudipta Sarangi retweeted
Final reminder: Daron Acemoglu, a professor in the Department of Economics at MIT, will deliver the virtual 2026 Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Distinguished Public Lecture on April 8, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Registration in advance is required. ppe.liberalarts.vt.edu/2025/…
Looking forward
This is a friendly reminder that Nobel Prize Winner Daron Acemoglu (MIT) will deliver the 2026 PPE Distinguished Public Lecture on April 8, 2026, from 5-6:30pm. Please visit the following link for more information and to register for this virtual event: ppe.liberalarts.vt.edu/2025/…
Sudipta Sarangi retweeted
Congratulations to Nicole Ebreo on being named a recipient of Virginia Tech’s Outstanding New Advisor Award for 2026! 🎉
Students describe her as approachable, supportive, and impactful, and we couldn’t agree more.
Well deserved! 👏 #HokieEconomics #VirginiaTech
