About Me

My first name, Yanghao (pronounced "Young How" in English), means "vast oceans" in Chinese. It was given by my parents with sincere wishes that I would grow up to be a broad-minded man.

My interest in Economics moved me to cross the Pacific Ocean. After obtaining my bachelor's degree in 2011 at Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, I came to the United States for graduate school. First I received my Master's degree in 2013 at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and then my Ph.D. degree in 2018 at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

I start my first job at Ford Motor Company as an Economist in a data analytics team and then join Whole Foods Market as a Data Scientist. When not glued to the desk in the office, I try hard not to be the worst badminton player and spend vacations visiting my friends in different places (check my footprint updated in 2022 below).

My extended family is rooted in the village of Guankeng, located at a valley in the northeastern mountain area of Wuyuan (Google Maps ), famous for its beautiful view of countryside. Guankeng was first built in 783 dating back to the late Tang Dynasty and was named to honor the residence of a general. My paternal grandfather spent all his life at Guankeng. Now my aunt's family is still living there. Every year, my extended family would have a warm and wonderful reunion in Guankeng to celebrate the Spring Festival. The following pictures display the lovely view of Guankeng in winter as well as ladies in my extended family making green rice buns for the annual reunion dinner.