Dr. Shuyang Wang is the 2020 recipient of the Gerald A. Carlson Award for Outstanding Dissertation. Now working in China, she answered a few questions about her experiences at NC State.

I chose NC State for my graduation education because the selection of fields in the economics graduate program coincides with my research interests.

Tell us about your dissertation.

My dissertation focuses on the principal-agent problem in agricultural contracts.

The first essay analyzes why the principal adjusted the contract parameters during the period covered by the contract data.  The second essay proposes a nonparametric approach to identify the unobserved heterogeneity in cardinal tournament by exploiting the recent advancement in measurement error models. The third essay compares the profitability of a two-part piece-rate cardinal tournament and an alternative cardinal tournament where bonuses and penalties exactly cancel out.

I am very thankful to my co-advisors, Dr. Tom Vukina and Dr. Zheng Li for their insightful guidance, diligent advising and kind support. They are always supportive, responsive and willing to help whenever I come across difficulties in my research. Without their help, I would not have been able to make it.

What are you working on now?

I went into the industry after graduation. I took the job offer from Bank of China.

I am also currently I am working on revising my dissertation.

What is your advice for current graduate students?

Enjoy every moment of your PhD life. It might not be easy but it will be worth it.