FROM TRANSFER STUDENT TO TRAILBLAZER: ZHANG BEGINS RESEARCH CAREER IN AG ECON

Senior, Jiaming Zhang, (Agricultural Economics: Data Analytics; Beijing, China) says he has “always been driven by curiosity and the excitement of discovery.” Within food economics and development economics, Jiaming says that his focus lies in the “application of machine learning models in empirical economic research.” Thus, he inevitably found himself completing economic research with a team led by Dr. Holly Wang. Being on this team enables Jiaming to “enhance the data analysis with [his] machine learning expertise.” Jiaming has exercised this expertise well enough to receive recognition.

Participating in the Research Symposium, Jiaming showed the research his team conducted. Jiaming stated that he “demonstrated the predictive capabilities of [their] machine learning models.” He found this to be an extremely rewarding event as it resulted in him being the recipient of a $500 grant! Beyond the symposium and grant, research has left a significant impact on Jiaming’s life.

Conducting economic research has reinforced Jiaming’s career path. He states that economic research “has provided a clear pathway for my career, where I aim to specialize in leveraging data analytics for empirical economic research and industry optimization.” As he moves forward in life, Jiaming notes that he will cherish the memories of conducting economic research. From broadening his perspectives via interdisciplinary collaboration to watching one of his team’s articles advance to a second review stage, Jiaming will continuously remain captivated by “the intersection of learning and innovation.”