The Building Inclusive Growth (BIG) Lab at the Pulte Institute at the University of Notre Dame is proud to recognize the accomplishments of its faculty members. The following promotions and awards highlight the Lab’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research and innovation across fields ranging from child and maternal health to agricultural development economics. These milestones reflect the strength of their scholarship, teaching, and service, as well as their significant contributions to their fields and the University of Notre Dame.
Heitor Pellegrina has been promoted to Associate Professor with tenure. His research specializes in agricultural markets and the natural environment through the lens of trade and development in Central and South America. He has also examined the impact of agricultural intensification globally across developing countries. His work has been published in the Journal of Political Economy, Journal of Development Economics, and the Journal of International Economics.
Santosh Kumar Gautam has been promoted to Professor and was also recognized with the Pulte Institute 2026 Excellence in Research Award. His research focuses on global health and development in low- and middle-income countries, exploring the causal links among maternal and child health, human capital formation, and poverty. The Pulte award reflects his demonstrated commitment to representation in his research through the inclusion of early career researchers, scholars based in the Global South, and policy experts.
Taryn Dinkelman has been awarded the 2026 Award for Outstanding Graduate Teaching and Advising as selected by graduate students. These students noted her commitment to their success, thoughtful and clear feedback and teaching, and her ability to engage students through complex and rigorous research. She teaches classes in development economics. Her research centers on barriers to full labor market participation and examining indirect and direct constraints on human capital.