Research

Working Papers

• Air Quality Impact of China’s Grain for Green Program, with Qingyang Wu and Dr. Wei Zhang

This project utilizes multi-source remote sensing data from 2001 to 2021 to evaluate the air quality impacts of China’s largest ecological program, which is also one of the world’s largest Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) initiatives. The findings have the potential to provide empirical evidence of the GFG program’s broad societal benefits, highlighting significant air quality improvements that extend beyond the direct economic gains for participating households. 

• The Impact of Climate Change on Perennial Crop Production in California: Yield Response and Adaptation, with Dr. Wei Zhang

The project leveraged extensive historical data since the 1950s to assess the potential implications of climate change on almond, walnut, grape, and citrus crop production in California, considering adaptation. Additionally, we used our estimated models to predict the impacts of climate change on these crops up to the year 2050.

• Nature Reserves and Households in Rural China: Migration, Off-farm Work, and Income, with Dr. Wei Zhang

This project estimated the impacts on the rural community of the establishment of nature reserves in China. Propensity Score Matching was used to eliminate selection bias of nature reserves. Additionally, we assessed the heterogeneous impacts of different levels and types of nature reserves.

Research Assistant

• Land Use in Rural Counties on the Urban Fringe: the Case of Goochland and Powhatan Counties, Virginia Tech Data Science for the Public Good Program (Summer 2022)

This project provides visualization of land use change over time in the Goochland and Powhatan Counties and estimates factors affecting land parcellation. I worked with a team of graduate and undergraduate students on data analysis and visualization. Our work resulted in a webpage that can be accessed here.

• Overview of Cancer Survivorship and Screenings (Fall 2019)

I assisted in compiling research questions, datasets, methodologies, and conclusions from previous studies focused on cancer survivorship and screenings.