During her last year at Renmin University of China, Manyi Wang volunteered at a Chinese national park to protect the living habitats of Siberian tigers, while also participating in a desert planting program. This experience in species protection and desertification control shaped her interest in environmental issues.
“I became aware of the push for decent employment opportunities in green jobs,” she explained, adding that this is how she developed a strong interest in the labor-environment interface to “promote the greening of enterprises, workplace practices and the labor market as a whole.”
As a 2016-2017 Bartlett fellow at EPIC, she is worked with Kim Wolske on a project that researched millennial travel behaviors. By studying the factors, trends and impacts of millennial travel behaviors, researchers can gain insight into future gasoline consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Before coming to the University of Chicago, Wang interned at the World Wildlife Fund, where she was tasked with reviewing the Ecological Footprint Report. The report measures the supply of and demand on nature to make consumers more aware of their impacts on the environment. Since then, her interest in quantifying the cost of climate change has greatly increased.
Additionally, Wang is interested in the behavioral dimensions of energy issues. For example, she wants to learn more about the influence of market mechanisms on energy consumption, as well as how consumers can be better involved in addressing environmental issues.
As a Bartlett fellow, Wang hoped to enhance her data analysis skills in order to promote changes in consumer behaviors. She also hoped to form a better understand of how to develop effective regulatory frameworks with cost-efficient tools, and how to guide successful energy policies that can be widely implemented.
“I hope my experience at EPIC can help me leverage my skills in translating research into effective environmental policies,” she said.
