SCMP: What both US and China get wrong on economic policy and trade negotiations

Categories Project, Publication

I co-authored an opinions piece with Yukon Huang in the South China Morning Post discussing what both the US and China are getting wrong on economic policy and trade negotiations: Most observers welcomed the recent virtual meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, even as some politically sensitive issues remain unresolved. On the trade war, not much has changed under Biden. Biden’s Buy America initiatives, his commitment to “invest in middle class competitiveness”, and an updated trade strategy highlighting unfair trade…Continue Reading “SCMP: What both US and China get wrong on economic policy and trade negotiations” →

Energy Efficiency of Last-Mile Package Delivery

Categories Dataset, Project, Publication

Worked with interdisciplinary team to assess drone energy productivity for last-mile package delivery, as part of project funded by U.S. Department of Energy. I collected data, coordinated research across the team, and wrote/edited experimental protocols. Co-author on Nature Scientific Data paper: “In-flight positional and energy use data set of a DJI Matrice 100 quadcopter for small package delivery“

The Belt and Road Initiative as a Path for Chinese Tech Company Expansion

Categories Project, Publication

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is a rising global economic and technological power. Many scholars argue that the PRC increasingly projects its influence abroad through vehicles such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). While the direct economic, political, and cultural impacts of the BRI have been explored extensively -and even demonstrated causally by some authors -prior work has not focused on the impacts of BRI investment on the expansion strategies of Chinese technology companies. In this study, we seek to determine whether Chinese…Continue Reading “The Belt and Road Initiative as a Path for Chinese Tech Company Expansion” →

Estimating the Number of Chinese STEM Students in the United States

Categories Project, Publication

In recent years, concern has grown about the risks of Chinese nationals studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects at U.S. universities. This data brief estimates the number of Chinese students in the United States in detail, according to their fields of study and degree level. Among its findings: Chinese nationals comprise 16 percent of all graduate STEM students and 2 percent of undergraduate STEM students, lower proportions than were previously suggested in U.S. government reports. Read the CSET issue brief here.

Republican’s Struggle to Control State Legislatures on the Eve of Redistricting: An Inside Look with Michael Steele

Categories Project, Publication

Interviewed former RNC chairperson Michael Steele and wrote article for the Carnegie Mellon University Journal for Politics and Strategy. A week after the United States inaugurated its first African-American president, the Republican National Committee (RNC) elected Michael Steele as its first African-American chairperson. Inheriting a party whose message had been “wholesale rejected by the public,” Michael Steele transformed a near cataclysmic loss into remarkable gains for the Republican Party within just two years, flipping 11 state legislatures and winning 760 state legislative seats, 8 governorships,…Continue Reading “Republican’s Struggle to Control State Legislatures on the Eve of Redistricting: An Inside Look with Michael Steele” →

The Youth Thousand Talents Plan and China’s Military

Categories Dataset, Project, Publication

CSET research sheds light on the backgrounds and career paths of nearly 3,600 awardees in China’s Youth Thousand Talents Plan. While concerns over China’s recruitment of science and technology experts for military-supporting roles are legitimate, this brief finds that the vast majority of YTTP awardees receive civilian-oriented job offers. Read the CSET issue brief here.

Trends in U.S. Intention-to-Stay Rates of International Ph.D. Graduates Across Nationality and STEM Fields

Categories Project, Publication

Policymakers continue to debate the ability of the United States to attract and retain top international talent. This Issue Brief assesses how many international Ph.D. graduates across various STEM fields and nationalities intend to stay in the United States after completing their degrees. Read the CSET issue brief here. Read related Washington Post (Monkey Cage) article.

Testing the range and accuracy of Ultra Wideband (UWB) devices for UAV localization applications.

Categories Project, Publication

Presented Fall 2017 Air Lab research at Carnegie Mellon University’s “Meeting of the Minds” on May 9, 2018. A key problem in the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigation is simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). Ultra Wideband (UWB) localization systems present a partial solution, because they are highly effective in featureless dynamic environments. This study sought to understand the accuracy, range, and localization capabilities of two UWB products: the commercial Posyx system and a custom-built Arduino Pro Mini connected to a DecaWave1000 UWB transmitter…Continue Reading “Testing the range and accuracy of Ultra Wideband (UWB) devices for UAV localization applications.” →