Welcome!
I am a PhD Candidate in the Department of Economics at Rice University. I obtained my Bachelor of Arts in Economics from New York University in 2021.
My research lies at the intersection of development, institutions, and economic history. I am interested in understanding how institutions, both past and present, shape the economic behaviours of individuals and influence economic development.
I have digitised and georeferenced a multitude of data on colonial Ceylon—including on plantations, agriculture, demographics, and the transport networks—which I have made publicly available [here].
Outside of academia, I have worked with policy think tanks such as the Advocata Institute and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. My policy research has focused on Sri Lanka’s tea, apparel, and gambling industries.
Beyond economics, I am passionate about tea, antiques, and spin class. I also love reading Jane Austen and about the past and present of Sri Lanka.
Email: ariyaratnes@gmail.com
Phone: (281) 217-8873
Office: 441 Kraft Hall
Interests
Experience
- Assistant Professor, Department of English, Lehman College (CUNY)
2016 – current
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- Assistant Professor, Department of English, Pace University
2011 – 2016
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- Instructor, Westchester Community College
2009 – 2011
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Education:
2008 – 2012 Ph.D., English, The Graduate Center
(CUNY)
2005 – 2007 MA, Comparative Literature, University of Buffalo
2001 – 2004 BA, English, City College (CUNY)
Publications:
Sudaraka Ariyaratne. Flannery O’Connor: Friends and Enemies. In submission to the International Conference on southern literature, ICSE '19. ACM/IEEE, ACM, May 2019. Technical Track.
Sudaraka Ariyaratne. South American Writers. IEEE, September 2018. Distinguished Paper Award.
Sudaraka Ariyaratne. Sherwood Anderson: Another look. AOSA, March 2018.
Grants:
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Awards:
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Presentations:
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Professional Affiliations:
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Research Fields
Development Economics, Institutions, Economic History, Gender and Family Economics, Applied Microeconomics
Working Papers
“The Cursed Cuppa: The Persistent Economic Effects of Sri Lanka's Colonial-Era Tea Plantations.” Job Market Paper
“Blessing in Disguise: The Persistent Economic Legacy of the Grain Tax of British Ceylon.” Submitted
“Mating Under Marriage: The Effect of Marriage Rights on the Assortativeness of Same-Sex Partnerships.”
Teaching Assistant, Rice University, 2021-2025
- Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (UG)
Fall 2025, Professor Kiana Yektansani - Applied Econometrics (UG)
Fall 2024 and Spring 2025, Dr. Tilsa Oré Mónago
Spring 2023, Professor YingHua He
Fall 2022, Professor Yunmi Kong - Microeconomics (UG)
Spring 2024, Professor James Brown - Principles of Economics (UG)
Fall 2021 and Spring 2022, Dr. James de Nicco
Academic Service
- Member, Writing Across the Curriculum Committee
- Curriculum Development - Assignment Design
Professional Organizations
Please see my CV for a complete list of professional affiliations and service commitments.
Editorial Work
Information about editorial positions and manuscript review work can be found in my CV.
Tabular Data
Policy Writing
“Not Too Late for a Winning Bet: The Need to Redraft the Gambling Bill.”
Op-Ed, 2025
Published in:
DailyFT,
DailyMirror,
The Morning,
Lanka Business Online,
Ceylon Today,
Lankadeepa
“Getting Gaming Regulation Right: Recommendations for Redrafting the Gambling
Regulatory Authority Bill.” Advocata Institute, 2025
Cited by:
EconomyNext,
DailyFT,
Daily Mirror,
The Island,
Ceylon Today,
The Morning,
The Morning (Editorial),
Colombo Telegraph,
Lanka News Web,
Sri Lanka Mirror,
Gambling Insider,
SiGMA,
Asian Gaming Brief,
G2G,
Focus Gaming News,
The Gamblest
“German Supply Chain Act: Impact on the Tea and Apparel Industries of Sri
Lanka.” Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, 2024
Cited by: EconomyNext
“The Low-Hanging Gamble: A Comprehensive Policy Framework for the Gaming Industry of Sri Lanka.” Advocata Institute, 2024
“Market Competitiveness of the Tea Industry of Sri Lanka.” Advocata
Institute, 2023
Cited by: EconomyNext, DailyFT (1), DailyFT (2), Sunday Times, Ceylon Today, The
Island, Daily News, LMD, Sunday Observer, Newswire, Echelon
Invited Policy Presentations
“Ceylon Tea: Pathways to Sustainability.” Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka, September 2025
“Ceylon Tea: Pathways to Sustainability.” Colombo Tea Traders’ Association Annual General Meeting, July 2025
“Getting Gaming Regulation Right: Recommendations for Redrafting the Gambling Regulatory Authority Bill.” Committee on Public Finance (CoPF), Parliament of Sri Lanka, July 2025
“Platform Companies: Revolutionizing Business Models.” Advocata Institute Ignite Growth Conference, January 2025
Media Interviews
SLVlog podcast on Sri Lanka’s Gambling Regulatory Authority Bill, August 2025
Asian Mirror podcast on Sri Lanka’s Gambling Regulatory Authority Bill, August 2025
Gold FM News interview on Sri Lanka’s Gambling Regulatory Authority Bill, August 2025
“Behind the Glitz and Glamour, Lack of Gaming Laws with Teeth Looms Large.” Sunday Times, August 2025
“Gambling Law: Spinning the Wheel to Introduce a Regulator Only in Name.” Sunday Times, July 2025
BBC News interview on Sri Lanka’s plantation worker wage hike, May 2024