Dr. Todd Sandler
- Chair Emeritus of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
- Vibhooti Shukla Professor of Economics and Political Economy (Former)
The professorship was established by Satchit Srinivasan in memory of his wife, a political economy professor who taught at UT Dallas from 1987 to 1992. The endowment is intended to advance the research of an outstanding scholar in the fields of economics and/or political economy.
“The study of global collective action can provide profound insights into policymaking that can better the world in so many ways.”
Dr. Todd Sandler researches international political economy, defense, environmental issues, international health concerns, terrorism and public economics.
He has been a faculty member of the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences at UT Dallas since August 2006.
Sandler’s research has appeared in leading journals in economics and political science, including the American Political Science Review, the American Economic Review and American Journal of Political Science. He has also authored or co-authored 22 books.
In 2009, Sandler placed fifth in a new, worldwide ranking system of public economists that accounts for the quality of journals in which the economists publish and the number of times other authors cite their work. The standings were published in the Journal of Public Economic Theory.
He received his PhD from the State University of New York at Binghamton in 1971. Sandler has been studying international terrorism since 1983, using economic and rational choice methods to study the issue instead of the more typical descriptive approach. He has access to a database containing comprehensive information on most international terrorism incidents since 1968.
Sandler also serves on numerous editorial boards, including American Political Science Review, International Studies Quarterly, Bulletin of Economic Research, Defence and Peace Economics, Journal of Conflict Resolution, and Global Policy.
He has advised the United Nations Development Program, the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among others.
He was the co-recipient of the National Academy of Sciences Award for Behavioral Research Relevant to the Prevention of Nuclear War, given to recognize the most significant study on conflict prevention.
“Excellent teaching is a supreme challenge whose payback for future generations is priceless,” he said.