Vedavati Patwardhan

Research Scientist
Center on Gender Equity and Health, UC San Diego
Vedavati Patwardhan is a Ph.D. graduate in Public Policy and Management, with concentrations in Demography and Economics. Vedavati’s research focuses on program evaluation, gender and health in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. In her dissertation research, Vedavati examines the relationship between female-centric policy interventions such as conditional cash transfers and child nutrition. Her dissertation work also examines female decision-making over household income, specifically the role of climate shocks, income source, and family structure in Malawi. Vedavati has a Master of Arts in Global & International Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Fergusson College, University of Pune, India. She holds a Graduate Certificate in Demographic Methods from the Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology at the University of Washington. In 2019, she received a Certificate from the Institute for Qualitative and Multi-Method Research at Syracuse University (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs). Previously, Vedavati spent four years as a Team Leader and Production Editor at Springer Nature India.
M.A. in Global Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2011
B.A. in Economics, Fergusson College, University of Pune, 2007
Women's Empowerment
Food Security & Nutrition
Program Evaluation
Development Economics

Dissertation Grant, Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy, 2021

Marc Lindenberg Center Global Action Prize, Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, 2021

Diversity Alliance Fellowship, Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, 2019–2021

Best Poster Award, UW Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology Lightning Talk Series, 2020

Equity & Inclusion Fellowship, Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management, 2018

Central Small Department Regents Fellowship, UC Santa Barbara, 2008–2009

Orfalea Family Foundation Fellowship, Department of Global Studies, UC Santa Barbara, 2008–2010

Anderson, C. L., Reynolds, T. W., Biscaye, P., Patwardhan, V., & Schmidt, C. (2020). Economic Benefits of Empowering Women in Agriculture: Assumptions and Evidence. The Journal of Development Studies, 1-16.

Committee Co-Chairs

C. Leigh Anderson

leigh anderson Headshot
Marc Lindenberg Professor for Humanitarian Action, International Development, and Global Citizenship
PAR 240F
(206) 543-0365

Mary Kay Gugerty

Mary Kay Gugerty
Associate Dean for Teaching & Learning;
Nancy Bell Evans Professor in Nonprofit Management
PAR 340-H
(206) 221-4599

Committee Members

Rachel Heath

rachel heath
Associate Professor, UW Department of Economics

Caroline Weber

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Distinguished Scholar
Essays on Women’s Control over Income, Maternal Cash Transfers, and Rainfall Shocks: Evidence from India and Malawi

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