Praharsh M. Patel

I am a researcher studying water management and agriculture sustainability challenges by applying economics and policy analysis tools. I completed my Ph.D. in Energy, Environmental, and Food Economics at Pennsylvania State University (PennState) where I was awarded "Alumni Association Dissertation Award" by the graduate school for my research on water conservation policies and their impacts. I analyze quasi-experiments, observational data, and field insights to evaluate water resource conservation through incentives, institutions, and community-based approaches. Academically, my research intersects with environment, behavior, and development fields of Economics. At PennState, I am a part of Institute of Energy and Environment and Environmental Policy Goddard Chair Group.

I will be joining Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar as an Assistant Professor from October 1, 2025 where I will continue my research on Water Policy research and further developing the Water-Energy-Food-Carbon Nexus approach for integrated resource management.

Prior to Ph.D., I was a Pre-Doctoral Fellow at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). I hold a Bachelor's degree in Physical Sciences from St. Stephen's College and a Master's in Mathematics from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, both of which I attended with full scholarship support from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

Additionally, I was a member of the Water Council, a university-wide inter/trans-disciplinary water research consortium (2022-'23). I am currently serving as a member of Graduate Student Engagement Committee (GSEC) of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (AERE) and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee of Department of Agriculture Economics, Sociology, and Education, PennState (2024-'25).