Pavitra Govindan

Pavitra Govindan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Utah since July 2018. She holds a PhD in Economics from Brown University (2018), an MA in Economics from Delhi School of Economics (2012), and a B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from IIT Delhi (2008). Her research bridges experimental economics, behavioral economics, and development economics, focusing on how formal rules interact with social norms to shape human behavior.

• Research Focus: Formal rule effectiveness on social norm change, caste-based discrimination in India, and gender norms' impact on occupational segregation
• Grants: Multiple external grants including ULEEF Seed Grant (2021-2022) and studies on gender gaps in self-promotion (2023-2025)

Her experimental work reveals that formal rules' impact depends on existing social norms, with applications to legal reform and policy design. She also contributes to methodology debates in scientific literature, particularly regarding data analysis standards and peer review processes.

Recent publications analyze:

• How moderate vs radical rules affect caste discrimination
• Motivated numeracy in pandemic policy debates
• Critical flaws in surface material data analysis
• Informal norms' influence on formal rule compliance
• Antitrust policy and merger efficiency claims

Scientific recognitions include:

• VPR Faculty Fellow Award (2024)
• VPR NSF Cohort Fellowship Program (2024)

Teaching activities cover advanced economics topics including microeconomic theory, econometrics, and behavioral economics at both undergraduate and PhD levels.