Vellore Arthi

Vellore Arthi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of California, Irvine. She holds affiliations with the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) as a Faculty Research Fellow, the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) as a Faculty Affiliate, and the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) as a Research Affiliate. She currently serves as Co-Editor of Economic History of Developing Regions.

Her research interests focus on applied microeconomics, particularly at the intersection of economic history, labor markets, health, and development. Key areas include human capital formation and early-life development, maternal and child health, migration dynamics, health-environment interactions, and economic demography. She employs historical and modern data to explore how socioeconomic conditions shape long-term outcomes, emphasizing methodologies that address recall bias and policy efficacy.

Her work has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, Russell Sage Foundation, Social Security Administration, and British Academy. Beyond academia, she has contributed to policy-oriented research, including analyses for the Bank of Tanzania and Deloitte. Her ongoing research projects investigate financial behavior during historical crises, economic mobility in the US, and the impact of local economic activity on political outcomes.

• Scientific Awards:
  • 2023 Allan Nevins Prize Competition, Economic History Association

In advising and grants, Arthi has secured significant funding for projects analyzing historical and modern socioeconomic challenges. Her collaborative efforts with institutions like NBER and CEPR reflect her commitment to interdisciplinary research. She also engages in policy outreach, bridging historical insights with contemporary solutions.

She is part of research teams focusing on economic history, development, and demography, contributing to foundational studies in these fields. Her work often utilizes novel datasets to uncover patterns in health, labor, and policy responses to crises.