"I was fortunate enough to have Hanchen as a professor for Microeconometrics – perhaps the single most essential course during my Master’s studies at Johns Hopkins. His mastery of the subject matter is indisputable, apparent in his ability to present often impenetrable concepts in a coherent and accessible manner. But perhaps his greatest asset as a teacher is his personable demeanor; his good-natured personality and openness allowed myself and my peers to form personal relationships with him, often sticking around after class, or visiting during office hours, to thoroughly explore the topics discussed in class in a more informal context. Hanchen’s commitment to his students, in this regard, shows that he understands that a truly effective teacher is not one who establishes an authoritarian rapport, but one who regards the student – and the student’s understanding of the subject matter – as the top priority."

Senior Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton

"His mastery of core economic concepts as well as application techniques, specifically in structural estimation modeling, is unparalleled. His notes are well organized, easy to sort and read. I am an engineer by training and had not been exposed to economics in undergraduate education, but Hanchen was able to explain concepts of graduate economics extremely thoroughly. He is patient with students, understands the nuances of the questions asked and responds to them with critical insights. He is one of the most affable and technically well-versed PhD student instructors I have had in my collegiate career. Additionally, I would like to comment on Hanchen’s ability to provide constructive feedback to learners both in written assignments, and STATA programming (which was personally important to me) and give relevant tasks that develop useful industry skills in an applied graduate program was tremendous. He is an indisputable asset to Johns Hopkins and his students will benefit from his academic prowess at any top tier university!"

Operation Officer

"I thoroughly enjoyed the microeconometrics course that Hanchen taught during my time at Johns Hopkins. His teaching style incorporated substantial interactions between students and himself. The course work was extremely applicable and incorporated critical thinking exercises that have helped me to this day. Specifically, the referee report assignments were constructed in a way that allowed students to learn about an area of research and simultaneously fine-tune econometric skills. The capstone project was also a valuable learning experience which allowed us to obtain feedback and constructive advise from Hanchen."

PhD Student, Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

"I have had many teachers over the course of my academic career and I can honestly say that almost none of them have been as effective as Hanchen. I learned more about econometrics in 4 months than I would have thought possible. His knowledge of the subject is encyclopedic and he offered detailed advice about a wealth of topics. Knowledge alone, however, does not necessarily make him a great teacher. Hanchen was able to clearly and concisely explain even the most complex topics. His notes were extraordinarily detailed and offered not only wonderfully clear explanations of the econometric method in question, but also provided history of developments in the area, reviews of seminal econometric papers, discussions of recent advancements in the field, and references for further research on our own. His assignments were among the most engaging I had in graduate school and taught us to not only understand the material but exposed us to how we could actually apply it in the field of economics. Beyond his knowledge of the subject and well-crafted assignments, the most admirable aspect of Hanchen’s teaching was his commitment to improving. He constantly sought to enhance his lectures, make materials easier to understand, and provide us with better resources. He asked for feedback from his students and, more importantly, listened to it. I found this to be a rare quality in my academic experience. Hanchen made himself completely available to students and would respond to any questions regardless of day or time. My time in Hanchen’s classroom helped convince me to pursue economic analysis as a career and I’m certain many others will share my experience in the future. "

Senior Project Manager

"As a former student of Hancen’s, I am happy to say that I can attest not only to his outstanding teaching and research abilities, but also to his bright, caring personality. Hanchen would be an asset to any research team or educational institution he may be a part of. Hanchen is a great instructor and I enjoyed his class whole-heartedly. He covers complex topics in an extremely engaging way, and creates an environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and engaging actively with course material. Additionally, Hanchen provides excellent resources for students- his lecture notes are very clear, concise, and I find myself continuing to refer back to them long after having completed the course. He is great at communicating complex topics in a simple, understandable way that still maintains the academic rigor and integrity of the idea. Hanchen’s deep understanding of economic and econometric area immediately apparent and contribute to his skills as a lecturer. In addition to being a fantastic teacher, Hanchen is also a pleasure to be around. Hanchen is incredibly kind and cares deeply about his students; he is always more than willing to provide individual attention and advice. Hanchen is one of the most supportive teachers I personally have ever had, and I have found him to be an invaluable resource for my own professional and educational development. I cannot recommend Hanchen highly enough. "

Economic Research Fellow at U.S. Small Business Administration

"Hanchen is enthusiastic about the topics presented in class, organized, and invested in his students’ success. His flexibility and understanding personality made class enjoyable. He excels at communicating complex ideas such as multinomial models, panel data models, propensity score matching, and regression discontinuity design. The weekly lessons were well-organized, and Hanchen was always prepared for class. Course materials were available and accurate in advance of class time. His exams and assignments were carefully planned and thoughtfully designed. The assignments and exams were challenging, but I felt comfortable asking for help or clarification when necessary. Hanchen is responsive to emails and in-class questions regarding course material and assignments. We also received thorough feedback on assignments with recommendations for improvements. I did not feel as though I was doing “busy-work” as can often be the case in other courses. Although the course was highly technical and covered advanced econometric techniques, Hanchen maintained student interest and attention. He created a positive learning environment by carefully explaining topics and clearly responding to students’ questions. While at Johns Hopkins, I have had the ability to learn from many highly-qualified professors, and Hanchen is one of the most qualified and pleasant instructors that I’ve had. "

Agricultural Economist at Economic Research Service at USDA

"I have known Hanchen for one year and have interacted with him a great deal in his capacity as my instructor in a master's level course in applied microeconometrics. Hanchen is a caring, engaging, hard-working teacher, and it has been a pleasure learning from him. Important aspects of Hanchen's interactions with students in his class include his interest in students' work and his availability to answer questions and provide guidance. During the course, Hanchen advised me on writing a rigorous research paper of publication quality. He offered creative suggestions and provided actionable feedback throughout the phases of the project, and his advice was instrumental in both advancing the quality of my research and deepening my comprehension of the course materials. I personally have benefited from taking a class with him. I have used the skills I learned in his course regularly in my job as an financial economist."

Senior Financial Economist at Fannie Mae