Victor M. Yakovenko

Victor M. Yakovenko is a Professor of Physics at the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Fellow of the American Physical Society. His research spans econophysics, condensed matter theory, and theoretical physics, with a focus on income/wealth distribution, entropy in economics, and quantum materials. He holds a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from the Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics (1987) and joined UMD in 1993, becoming a Full Professor in 2004. Notable awards include the Packard Fellowship and Sloan Research Fellowship.

Research interests include applications of statistical physics to economic systems, dynamics of population growth, CO₂ emissions, and optical control of magnetism. He leads the Condensed Matter Theory group and is affiliated with the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI). Recent talks address econophysics, population trends, and interdisciplinary collaborations.

Publications span econophysics models, energy inequality analysis, and topological materials. Grants include an Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) project on income distribution. His work bridges physics and socioeconomic systems, with media coverage in New Scientist, Science, and public policy discussions.