Fellows
Jenkins Fellow
Yanning Zhang
Yanning Zhang is a Ph.D. candidate in Economics at North Carolina State University. Her research interests are in microeconomic theory, specifically in market design and matching theory. Currently, Yanning is working on affirmative action policies in school choice: after observing the shortcomings of the current student assignment system, she proposes possible solutions to the problems that policy makers are facing. Her research methods include game theory and mechanism design. Yanning holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Sun Yat-sen University and a Master’s of Science in Policy and Planning Sciences from the University of Tsukuba.
Agricultural Policy Fellows
Jaimie Choi
Jaimie’s primary fields are environment and agricultural economics. For the past two years, Jaimie has been a part a team aimed to identify research gaps surrounding the adoption of emerging crops bioengineered with enhanced carbon sequestration capabilities. In addition, Jaimie has investigated drought-responsive groundwater institutional designs and their impacts on permit market behavior. Furthermore, as a research intern at Resources for the Future, she analyzed how much people value flood protection brought by improved building codes. She is keenly interested in natural resource conservation, adaptation to climate change, and the welfare effects of environmental policy-induced bargaining power. Her research interests sprouted from her time as a Provo Sustainability & Natural Resources Committee member, where she became exposed to many environmental concerns and mitigation solutions. She hopes to generate both data-driven research and theoretical papers akin to that of Martin L. Weitzman, one of her biggest inspirations.
Avery Dobbins
Avery’s research interests include agricultural economics with special interests in honeybee markets and veterinary economics utilizing econometric methods. His research has included work in the areas of goods counterfeiting and transshipment, weather effects on consumer power consumption, and student dropout and return rates contingent on socioeconomics factors. Avery holds a B.S. degree in Economics, a B.A. degree in Political Science, and a minor in Mathematics from Appalachian State University.
Jack Robinson
Jack’s research interests include agricultural and resource economics with special interests in policy shocks and trade frictions within agricultural and resource markets. Previously, Jack’s research has included cost analysis of wildfire suppression with the United States Forest Service as well as tax revenue forecasting with the Mississippi Department of Revenue. Jack holds a B.A. in Economics from Sewanee: The University of the South.