PhD student, Political Science, Agricultural and Applied Economics
Faculty advisors: Rikhil Bhavnani and Laura Schechter
Priyadarshi is a PhD student from Mumbai, India, in the departments of Political Science and Agricultural and Applied Economics. His interest combines political economy and development economics, specifically in South Asia. He plans to write his dissertation on the role of colonial interventions in explaining contemporary political outcomes and attitudes of lower sociopolitical castes. His work will contribute to growing literature on the long-term effects of historical institutions on outcomes for marginalized groups in the modern day.
Priyadarshi said the University Fellowship he received has been pivotal in his academic career. “It allowed me to pursue a joint PhD in Political Science and Agricultural and Applied Economics,” he said. “This will allow me to make the best of interdisciplinary knowledge.”
Since receiving the fellowship, Priyadarshi has also received support from the UW–Madison Department of Political Science and a Fieldwork Support Grant from the IDFC Institute in Mumbai. Priyadarshi also works as a research associate for Rikhail Bhavnani, associate professor of political science, examining the role of local institutions on economic development.