YingHua joined Rice University's Economics Department in 2016 and was promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure in 2022. He served as an assistant professor at the Toulouse School of Economics from 2010 to 2016, where he continued to be an associate member after moving to Rice. He also held affiliated researcher status at Institut des Politiques Publiques and undertook visiting positions at the Paris School of Economics, Columbia University, and Stanford University. His research, from theoretical models to empirical studies, focused on improving the efficiency and fairness of matching mechanisms used in various applications such as school assignments and college admissions.
YingHua's work addressed the challenge of eliciting true preferences in market participants without direct observation, using methods from microeconomic theory, laboratory experiments, and structural estimation. His research highlighted that assumptions of full information and rationality often did not hold in practical settings, necessitating the development of new methodologies. Through his studies in both Beijing and Paris, he showed that traditional models assuming truth-telling may not accurately reflect real-world behavior, advocating instead for approaches that accommodated the strategic behavior and limited information of participants.
Central to YingHua's contributions was his exploration of preference estimation under various market mechanisms, such as the deferred acceptance or Boston algorithms. His findings underscored the importance of designing mechanisms that were resistant to manipulation and promoted desirable outcomes like equity and efficiency. Through his influential papers, he significantly influenced the field of school choice economics, challenging conventional assumptions and proposing innovative solutions based on empirical evidence and rigorous theoretical analysis.
YingHua earned his Ph.D. in economics from Columbia, a master’s from Peking University, and a bachelor’s from the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.
YingHua is remembered as a wonderful colleague, an inspiring scholar, and a person whom it was truly an honor to call a friend. He was a noble, compassionate human being with profound affection and unwavering commitment to his family and causes. He was described as a wonderful person to talk to, and many sought his guidance on both professional and personal matters. Despite battling cancer, YingHua continued to teach and advise doctoral students on their dissertations and undergraduate students on their senior theses, served on committees, and organized conferences, all with a positive spirit. He shaped the lives of numerous students, and his contributions and mentorship have left an enduring legacy of excellence in academia.
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