Dr. Sarangi is the program director for economics at the National Science Foundation.
He joined Virginia Tech as a professor and currently serves as head of the Department of Economics in the College of Science.

Sarangi has worked in the academic world for most of his career, beginning as a research assistant while a graduate student. His fields of interest include applied game theory, experimental economics and development economics.
Much of his current research focuses on issues relating to social networks.

Before working for the National Science Foundation, Dr, Sarangi worked at Louisiana State University as a professor of economics where he was the Gulf Coast Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Inc. Distinguished Professor of Business Administration.
He has been a visiting researcher at several institutions. He has been a consultant to the World Bank and the Food and Agricultural Organization.

Dr. Sarangi has over fifty published papers and worked with researchers in computer science, mathematics and industrial engineering. He has received nearly a million dollars in funded research for topics that include building social networks, modeling hurricane evacuation behavior and how people make choices. 

In recognition for his contributions to the academic world, Sarangi won numerous awards and grants at Louisiana State University, including the Tiger Athletic Foundation Teaching Award, LSU Rainmaker Award, and the LSU Distinguished Faculty award.

Dr. Sarangi serves the economics community as a member of the American Economic Association, the Royal Economic Society, the Econometric Society and the Game Theory Society. 

He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Delhi, a master’s degree from the Delhi School of Economics, and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Virginia Tech.