Ying Shi is an applied microeconomist with a focus on the economics of education and labor economics. Her research broadly investigates the causes and consequences of human capital disparities. Current work examines the formation of teacher racial biases and the impact of selective education on diverse student groups. Another strand of Ying’s research is in the political economy of education. Recent work examines the effect of local institutions (with a focus on school board composition), interest groups, and district leadership on educational outcomes.

Ying earned a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Duke University in 2017. She was a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University from 2017-2019.

Ying Shi joined IZA as a Research Affiliate in February 2019.