Obituary

Shankar Subramanian, assistant professor of economics at Cornell, died Oct. 31 in Ithaca. He was 47.

Born in Ranchi, India, Subramanian joined the Cornell economics faculty in 1993. He received a bachelor of electrical engineering degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, India, in 1977; earned his master's in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of California-Berkeley in 1980; and received his Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from Berkeley in 1988.

Prior to coming to coming to Cornell, Subramanian was an assistant professor at the Indira Ghandi Institute of Development Research in Bombay, and he was an assistant visiting professor at UC-San Diego, until 1991, and at Berkeley, until July 1993. His concern for the welfare of others -- especially the poor -- led Subramanian from a potentially lucrative career in engineering and computer sciences into the field of economics and international development.

At Cornell, his research focused on the theory of rural organization, consumption behavior, poverty measurement and food and nutrition policy. Sadly, within a year of his arrival in Ithaca, Subramanian was diagnosed with brain cancer. He continued to be extremely productive, working across a wide range of fields, from share tenancy to environmental pollution. His papers were published in top journals such as the Journal of Political Economy and in the Oxford University and Cambridge University presses.

Said Angus Deaton, eminent econometrician at Princeton and a colleague of Subramanian: "In a profession where intelligence is often judged by abrasiveness, Shankar was the counter-example -- a man whose academic ability was always at the service of his gentleness and kindness."

Berkeley economics professor Jeff Perloff, one of Subramanian's former teachers, said: "Shankar was one of the most likeable and interesting graduate students I have ever met ... and he impressed all of us as being by far the brightest graduate student in his class. His loss is a loss to society, as he had much more he could have contributed to the world's knowledge."

Kaushik Basu, the C. Marks Professor of Economics at Cornell, said Subramanian will be remembered not only for his remarkable intellect but also for his compassion and spirit.

"Shankar battled his illness with determination through the years, despite the debilitating effects of surgery and strong medication," Basu said. "His ability to find hope through adversity was a source of inspiration to many of his friends."

Subramanian is survived by his wife Neelam Sethi, who teaches at Cornell, and by his daughter, Divya. A memorial service will be held Monday, Nov. 11, at 4 p.m. at the A.D. White House, on campus.