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

Ex-post average utilitarianism can be worse for all affected

According to Ex-Post Average Utilitarianism, prospect 𝑋 is at least as good as prospect 𝑌 if and only if the expected average well-being is at least as great in 𝑋 as in 𝑌. We show that Ex-Post Average Utilitarianism can oppose the interests of all affected people.

Latest News & Commentary

Latest Videos & Podcasts

Dean Spears on why babies are born small in Uttar Pradesh, and how to save their lives

In this episode of the 80,000 hours podcast, host Luisa Rodriguez speaks to Dean Spears — associate professor of economics at the University of Texas at Austin and founding director of r.i.c.e. — about his experience implementing a surprisingly low-tech but highly cost-effective kangaroo mother care programme in Uttar Pradesh, India to save the lives of vulnerable newborn infants.

What is India's Calorie Paradox?

Josephine Duh & Dean Spears of the r.i.c.e institute present their research on the relationship between increasing average wealth and decreasing average calorie consumption in India.