Sara Taghvatalab

Sara Taghvatalab serves as a Lecturer in the Economics Department at Bentley University. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Virginia Tech (2015), an M.A. in Economics from Virginia Tech (2011), an M.Sc. in Economics from Allameh Tabatabai University (2008), and a B.Sc. in Economics from the University of Tehran (2005).

Her research focuses on critical areas including Economics of Gender, Development Economics, Applied Econometrics, and Middle East Economics. Dr. Taghvatalab's work particularly emphasizes women's empowerment, rural development, and socioeconomic issues in Iran, examining how infrastructure development like electrification impacts gender equality, education, fertility, and time allocation among married women.

Her recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on the intersection of development economics and gender studies, with particular emphasis on Iranian society. Her research employs rigorous econometric methods to analyze how policy interventions in rural infrastructure affect socioeconomic outcomes for women.

Her notable awards include:

• Graduate Student Instructor of the Year 2014-2015, Department of Economics, Virginia Tech
• Graduate Student Instructor of the Year 2013-2014, Department of Economics, Virginia Tech

Dr. Taghvatalab teaches Principles of Microeconomics, Intermediate Microeconomics, and Business Statistics at Bentley University. Her scholarly contributions align with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to gender equality and quality education.