Utpal Vasavada

Utpal Vasavada is the Director, Market and Trade Economics Division.

Utpal joined the Economic Research Service (ERS) in 1993 and has served in numerous capacities: as a visiting scholar; an economist; a section leader; a Branch Chief; a Deputy Director for Management, Data, and Staff Analysis; and a Deputy Director for Outlook and Staff Analysis. Utpal's research covered such topics as determinants of capital investment in agriculture, cost and profitability implications of restricting chemical use, invasive species management, economics of foreign direct investment, and sustainability. While at ERS, Utpal served as Associate Editor of the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, on the Advisory Board of the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP), as the U.S. delegate to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Joint Work Program on Agriculture and the Environment, and on the Bureau of the OECD’s Committee for Agriculture (COAG). In addition to his work at ERS, Utpal also has served as an Economist at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce, and on detail to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB-OIRA). Before joining ERS, Utpal served on the faculty at the University of Georgia and Laval University. Utpal also taught Econometrics courses at Johns Hopkins University and Graduate School USA.

Utpal received a Ph.D. and an M.S. degree from the University of Maryland, College Park. Utpal also received M.A. and B.A. degrees from Pune University, India.