Meera Mahadevan

Meera Mahadevan, economics assistant professor, studies environmental and energy economics within developing countries, particularly in a political economy context. Her work examines questions like how politicians in power use state provided resources – electricity, water – for their own political agendas, and what that means for the rest of the population. In terms of policy impacts as a result of who’s in power, her research has shown that having more women in leadership positions improves environmental outcomes. She’s also interested in infrastructure and technology and how advances – like rooftop solar - can provide basic services to rural populations who lack basic access.

Her work, available in multiple working papers and a soon-to-be published article in the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, has been funded by the National Bureau of Economic Research, Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), World Bank, and Energy for Growth Hub.

Mahadevan earned her Ph.D. at the University of Michigan and spent one year each as a postdoctoral fellow at UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine, respectively, before becoming a faculty member within the Department of Economics at UCI this fall. She’s excited to collaborate with faculty whose research interests span broad fields, and she’s also looking forward to serving as a mentor for students from diverse backgrounds and topical areas.

 

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