Wanting JiangGraduate Student

I am a fourth-year PhD student in the Consumer Science department at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. My research broadly examines how social and policy contexts shape household economic behaviors and well-being, with a particular focus on spatial context.

My dissertation focuses on financial engagement in the U.S. context, examining how households access and use financial services. Within this, I explore immigrant populations, where pre- and post-migration experiences may be associated with different financial engagement outcomes. I also explore how policy shocks — such as sudden changes to social welfare programs — create unintended consequences, with spatial context shaping how different communities respond. To connect these themes, I use behavioral models to better predict the impacts of policy changes and to capture heterogeneity in household financial engagement.

Teaching Experience

• Lecturer, CBFE Summer Skills Camp, Summer 2024–2025
• Lecturer, CNSR SCI 627 Advanced Consumer Finance (Online), Fall 2022
• Teaching assistant, CNSR SCI 627 Advanced Consumer Finance, 2023–2024
• Teaching assistant, CNSR SCI 675 Family Financial Counseling, Spring 2023

Awards and Recognition

• Summer Time Academic Research (STAR) Award, 2023–2024
• CDE Graduate Trainee Conference Travel Funding, 2023–2024
• School of Human Ecology Conference Travel Funding, 2024
• CBFE Conference Travel Funding, 2023–2024