Meet Wenjia Cao who is a six-year doctoral candidate in the MSU Department of Economics.
Why did you choose MSU for your PhD?
I chose MSU for my PhD because of its strong reputation in labor economics, which aligns with my primary research interests. My letter writers, who supported my PhD applications, highly recommended MSU to me. Additionally, I reached out to upper-year PhD students in the Department of Economics at MSU and learned that the research environment is supportive, collaborative, and inclusive. Students have ample opportunities to work with and learn from faculty and peers, receive valuable feedback, and conduct high-quality research.
What are your research interests?
My fields of interest are labor, education, and technology. My current research focuses on how technological changes, especially artificial intelligence, and public policies affect skill demands, labor market outcomes, educational choices, and inequality.
What are you looking forward to this year academically?
I will be graduating this year and hope to pursue a career in academia to continue working on research related to how technological disruptions shape the labor market and the future of work. I would like to not only conduct high-quality research on the impacts of technology, helping to inform policies that benefit workers, but also teach students to apply economic theories and methods to solve real-world problems.