Neil Malhotra

Neil Malhotra is an American political economist currently serving as the Edith M. Cornell Professor of Political Economy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He also holds a courtesy appointment in the Department of Political Science at Stanford University and is the Louise and Claude N. Rosenberg, Jr. Director of the Center for Social Innovation.12

Education and Academic Career

Malhotra earned his BA in economics from Yale University in 2002, followed by an MA (2005) and a PhD (2008) in political science from Stanford University. He began his academic career at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, moved to the University of Pennsylvania's political science department in 2010, and returned to Stanford in 2011.12

Research Focus

His research interests include American politics, voter behavior, survey methodology, and disaster response. Notably, Malhotra has examined how voters respond to government actions during disasters, publishing influential studies such as "Myopic Voters and Natural Disaster Policy" which has informed policy discussions with agencies like FEMA.13

Malhotra has authored over 90 academic articles in prestigious journals including the American Political Science Review and Science. His work often explores themes like political polarization and the impact of social media on public opinion.34

Awards and Recognition

He has received several accolades throughout his career, including being named a Carnegie Fellow in 2024 for his research on political polarization. Additionally, he was recognized by Poets & Quants as one of the top 40 professors under 40 years old in 2015.14

Personal Life

Malhotra is married to Jane K. Willenbring, and they have one child born in 2012.1