Education:

Ph.D. Economics, Louisiana State University, 2018

M.S. Economics, Louisiana State University, 2016

M.S. Finance, Central University of Finance and Economics, China, 2013

B.S. Information & Computing Science, Suzhou Univ of Sci & Tech, China, 2010 

Academic Positions:

Assistant Professor of Economics, Department of Economics, University of Memphis, August 2022 - present 

Director of the Methodist Le Bonheur Center for Healthcare Economics, University of Memphis, August 2022 - present 

Assistant Professor of Finance and Applied Economics, Wright School of Business, Dalton State College, August 2020 - May 2022 

Postdoc Research Associate, Private Enterprise Research Center, Texas A&M University, August 2018 - August 2020 

Editorial Board, Journal of International Commerce, Economics and Policy, 2019 - 2022 

Publications:

“The Effect of Public Health Insurance on Criminal Recidivism,” (with Erkmen G. Aslim, Murat C. Mungan, and Carlos I. Navarro), Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 2022, vol. 41, 45-91. 

“Labor Demand Shocks and Earnings and Employment Differentials: Evidence from the U.S. Shale Oil & Gas Boom,” (with Gregory B. Upton), Energy Economics, 2021, vol. 102, 105462. 

“Am I the Big Fish? The Effect of Ordinal Rank on Student Academic Performance in Middle School,” Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2020, vol. 176, pp. 18-41. 

“Can Superstition Create a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy? School Outcomes of Dragon Children of China,” (with Naci Mocan), Journal of Human Capital, 2020, vol. 14, 485-534 (Lead article). 

“Income Comparison and Subjective Well-Being: Evidence from Self-Perceived Relative Income Data from China,” Eastern Economic Journal, 2019, vol. 40, 428-462. 

“The Impact of Self-Perceived Relative Income on Life Satisfaction: Evidence from British Panel Data,” Southern Economic Journal, 2019, vol. 86, pp. 726-745. 

“The Impact of High School Curriculum on Confidence, Academic Success, and Mental and Physical Well-Being of University Students,” (with Naci Mocan), Journal of Labor Research, 2019, vol. 40, pp. 428-462. 

“Income Inequality and Financial Reform in Asia: The Role of Human Capital,” (with Jie Li), Applied Economics, 2014, vol. 46, pp. 2920-2935 

Research Interests:

Health economics, Economics of Education, Labor Economics, and Economics of Culture

Teaching Interests:

Microeconomics, Health Economics, Economics of Education

Working Papers:

“A Welfare Analysis of Medicaid and Crime,” (with Erkmen G. Aslim and Murat C. Mungan)