Rikhil R. Bhavnani

Rikhil R. Bhavnani is Professor and the Glenn B. and Cleone Orr Hawkins Chair in the Department of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He currently serves as President of the Midwest Political Science Association and maintains multiple faculty affiliations across campus.

His research focuses on the political economy of development and migration, and on inequalities in political representation, mainly in South Asia. Professor Bhavnani examines how internal migration patterns interact with political systems, particularly investigating nativist backlash against domestic migrants in developing countries. His work reveals strong correlations between internal migration surges and the rise of nativist politics, including anti-migrant riots and pro-native public policies.

Professor Bhavnani's research has been published in leading journals including the American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, and Journal of Politics. His work has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the International Growth Centre, demonstrating the significance and impact of his research agenda.

• 2022-2023 Honorable Mention, MPSA 2023 Kenneth J. Meier Award
• 2019-2020 Vilas Associates Award, Social Studies Division
• 2012-2013 Royal Economic Society Prize

Professor Bhavnani has served as the Department's Associate Chair and Director of Graduate Studies at UW-Madison. He is affiliated with the La Follette School of Public Affairs, the Data Science Institute, the Elections Research Center, and the Center for South Asia—where he previously served as Director. Before joining UW-Madison, he was a visiting fellow at Princeton University's Center for the Study of Democratic Politics and worked at the Center for Global Development and International Monetary Fund.