Economics MS and Ph.D. Candidates
MS and Ph.D. students at the College of Business conduct research across economics, finance, marketing, and management, addressing both theoretical and applied questions in their fields.
Ke Lyu
Ke (Kerr) Lyu is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Economics at the University of Nevada, Reno and will be on the job market for the 2025–2026 academic year. Her research interests lie at the intersection of Entrepreneurship, Labor Economics, and Health Economics, with a focus on how public policies shape entrepreneurial outcomes. Prior to joining the University, Ke earned an MSc in Economics from the University of Edinburgh in the UK. She has taught a variety of courses as an instructor and is passionate about fostering an active, dynamic, and inclusive learning environment where students can connect theory with real-world challenges. More about her research and teaching can be found on Ke's website.
Urjaswi Mukherjee
Urjaswi Mukherjee is a 5th year Graduate student in the Economics department at the University of Nevada, Reno. Their research field is Health Economics. Before coming to the University, Urjaswi completed their M.S. in Economics and B.S. in Economics from the University of Calcutta.
Thomas Bridges-Lyman
Qizhou (Robin) Luo
Qizhou (Robin) Luo is a PhD candidate and instructor in Economics. He holds an MSc in Economics, Finance, and Management from the University of Bristol and a BBA in Economics from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. His research focuses on development economics and behavioral economics. His work has been published in reputable journals, including the Australian Economic Review, Asian Development Review, Tourism and Hospitality, and Chinese Studies. Further detaails are available on Robin Luo's website.
Debopriti Bhattacharya
Debopriti Bhattacharya is a Ph.D. student in Economics at the University of Nevada, Reno. Before joining UNR, she completed her undergraduate degree in Economics in India, followed by two master’s programs. In her first master’s in Economics, she wrote a dissertation on the economics of education in India, and in her second master’s in Development Studies with a specialization in Economics, she focused on occupational and educational mobility in India. She also worked as a research assistant on several projects before beginning her doctoral studies. Her current research focuses on health and labor economics.
Kevin Norton
Kevin Norton received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Sonoma State University. His research interests are in applied microeconomics/microeconometrics with an emphasis on public economics and the economics of casinos/gambling.
Daniyal Butt
Kaiana Miller
Sriparna Bhattacharjee
Sriparna Bhattacharjee is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Economics at the University of Nevada, Reno. She holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Calcutta, India. Before joining the University, she worked as an academic associate at the Indian Institute of Management. Her research focuses on financial markets with an emphasis on behavioral finance and experimental economics, particularly understanding how individual decision-making and behavioral biases influence market behavior and policy-relevant outcomes. Her recent projects examine the long-run dynamics of equity capital gains across developed countries. At the University, she teaches Principles of Statistics II, supporting undergraduate students in developing strong foundations in statistical analysis and data-driven decision-making.
Mengfei Zhang
Mengfei Zhang is a third-year Ph.D. student in Economics at the University of Nevada, Reno. She holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Durham University and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Macau. Her research focuses on behavioral economics, particularly investor and consumer behavior, and she is currently working on a paper about China’s Targeted Poverty Alleviation (TPA) program.
Merinda Zywicz
Merinda is interested in a range of economic topics related to inequality and social wellbeing. She holds a BA in International Development from UC Berkeley, where she concentrated on rural development in Latin America. She is passionate about using rigorous research to inform policy and promote a more inclusive and prosperous world. Her current areas of focus are public economics and meta-analysis.
Minh Nguyen
Aastha Pudasainee
Aastha Pudasainee is a Ph.D. student in Economics at the University of Nevada, Reno. Originally from Kathmandu, Nepal, she brings to her Ph.D. studies a particularly strong and diverse academic background, distinguished by dual Master’s degrees from two U.S. universities — an M.S. in Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics from Michigan State University one of the nation’s top-ranked programs in the field, and an M.S. in Agricultural and Applied Economics from Virginia Tech. This dual academic training provides her with a uniquely broad, rigorous, and interdisciplinary foundation across multiple institutional and methodological perspectives — a distinctive strength that enhances both her research and applied work. She holds a highly competitive Graduate Research Assistantship with the University Center for Economic Development and the Nevada Tech Hub initiative, where she contributes to high-impact projects in applied economic research focused on workforce development, clean energy, and regional economic transformation.
Adetomiwa Adesokan
Before joining the University of Nevada, Reno as a Ph.D. student in Economics, Adetomiwa Adesokan earned an MSc in Economics from the University of Ibadan and a BSc in Economics from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. Professionally, he has served as a full-time lecturer at Dominican University and a graduate assistant at the University of Ibadan, where he taught Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Econometrics, and International Economics. He has also worked in various academic support roles, including as an e-tutor and examination officer. His research interests include Environmental Economics, Macroeconomics, Cybersecurity, and Artificial Intelligence, with recent publications exploring cybersecurity risks, financial sector resilience, and climate-economy dynamics. More about his work can be found on his personal website.
Greyson Hulet
Mohammadamin Atharirad
Mohammadamin Atharirad is a Ph.D. student in Economics at the University of Nevada, Reno. He earned his Bachelor's in Economics and his Master's in Energy Economics from the University of Mazandaran, Iran. His research interests include energy economics, natural resource economics, and environmental economics.
Weinan Liu
Weinan Liu earned a BS in Statistics and Economics from Iowa State University in May 2022 and an MA in Economics from the University of Kansas in May 2024. His research interests include applied microeconomics, with a focus on labor and health, econometrics, and urban and regional research.
Kamrul Hassan
Kehinde Agbeni
Kehinde Agbeni is a Ph.D. student in Economics at the University of Nevada, Reno. He previously served as a Research and Teaching Assistant at Lagos State University and taught at Zamfara College of Arts and Sciences, as well as several Nigerian high schools. He holds a B.Sc. in Economics Education and a Diploma in Business Accounting from CIMA, UK. His research focuses on development, health, and environmental economics, particularly the economic and health impacts of environmental pollution. He has published over seven peer-reviewed papers and is committed to using research to inform policy and promote sustainable growth. More information can be found on his website.
- Samuel Gomberg
- James E. Knight
- Abby Parks
- Gloria Amuasi
- Brian Lamas
- Brandon Flores
- Austin Grush
- J.D. Mayer
- Xiang (Annie) Shi