Hi, I'm Dean Spears.

Bio

I'm an Economic Demographer, Development Economist, and Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Texas at Austin. I'm also an affiliate of IZA, an affiliate of the Population Research Center at UT-Austin, founding execute director of r.i.c.e., and director of the Population Wellbeing Intiative. My research areas include: 1) the health, growth, and survival of children, especially in India, 2) the environment, air pollution, and climate change, and 3) population dimensions of social well-being. With Diane Coffey, I am the author of the award-winning book Where India Goes: Abandoned Toilets, Stunted Development, and the Costs of Caste.

Latest Books

Latest Research Papers

Quantifying India’s Climate Vulnerability

This paper asks about the climate damages that Indian policymakers can expect. What is the likely magnitude of climate damages, and how sensitive are they to the level of warming?

Latest News & Commentary

Cooking with gas, not wood | The Hindu

Cooking with gas, not wood | The Hindu

Using cleaner fuels such as LPG is essential to reduce rural air pollution and improve health. What can policymakers do to achieve exclusive use of clean fuels in rural India?

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