Alok Bhargava (b. 13 July 1954, Alwar, India) is an Indian-American econometrician. He studied mathematics at Delhi University and economics and econometrics at the London School of Economics. He is currently a full professor of economics at the University of Houston.[1]
Bhargava received his Ph.D. in econometrics from the London School of Economics under the supervision of John Denis Sargan in 1982. His thesis (The Theory of the Durbin–Watson Statistic with special reference to the Specification of Models in Levels as against in Differences) led to many tests for unit roots that were used in co-integration analyses. Bhargava also worked on econometric methods for longitudinal ("panel") data.[2]
Since 1991, Bhargava has been publishing on important aspects of nutrition, food policy, population health, child development, demography, epidemiology, AIDS, and finance in developing and developed countries.[3] His academic publications demonstrate the usefulness of rigorous econometric and statistical methods in addressing issues of under-nutrition and poor child health in developing countries, as well as obesity in developed countries.
Bhargava is an associate editor of the multi-disciplinary journal Economics and Human Biology.[4] He has held teaching positions at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University and has published over 50 articles in academic journals,[5] several of which have been very highly cited.[6] A collection of his works has been reprinted in a separate volume.[2]His ability to move between various disciplines has been described as "polymath powers".[7]