C.-Y. Cynthia Lin Lawell's Students

I find working with students on research projects to be one of the most rewarding parts of my job, and I work hard to be a good advisor and mentor. With each of my students, I strive hard to advise, mentor, guide, and teach them so that they are challenged to do research to the best of their ability, and so that the research they conduct with me results in as high quality a publication as possible.

Students interested in working with me should have a strong quantitative background and be interested in questions related to at least one of the fields, subject areas, or methodologies listed on my research page. Interested students should contact Cynthia Lin Lawell. Please include a resume/CV, transcripts, and a statement of research interests.


I am currently working with the following talented, conscientious, and motivated students and post docs, who enjoy tackling challenges and using economics to understand and make a positive difference in the world.

Current post docs

Olena Sambucci
Postdoctoral scholar, Agricultural and Resource Economics
Ph.D., Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2015
email: olenasambucci at gmail dot com


Current students

Ernst Bertone Oehninger
Ph.D. candidate, Ecology
email: ebertone at ucdavis dot edu

Yuan Chen
Ph.D. candidate, Transportation Technology and Policy
email: yuachen at ucdavis dot edu

Khaled Kheiravar
Ph.D. candidate, Economics
email: khkheiravar at ucdavis dot edu
web page: Khaled Kheiravar's web page

Yuanzhe (Roger) Li
Ph.D. candidate, Civil and Environmental Engineering
email: rgli at ucdavis dot edu

David Lim
B.S. candidate, Environmental Science and Management
email: dahlim at ucdavis dot edu

Ruben Irvin Rojas Valdes
Ph.D. candidate, Agricultural and Resource Economics
email: irvin at primal dot ucdavis dot edu

Louis Sears
Ph.D. candidate, Agricultural and Resource Economics
email: sears at primal dot ucdavis dot edu

Shuyang Si
Ph.D. candidate, Agricultural and Resource Economics
M.S., Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2015
email: ssi at primal dot ucdavis dot edu

Xiurou Wu
Ph.D. candidate, Agricultural and Resource Economics
email: xrwu at ucdavis dot edu

Mingzhi Xu
Ph.D. candidate, Economics
email: mzhxu at ucdavis dot edu

Saleh Zakerinia
M.S. candidate, Agricultural and Resource Economics
Ph.D. candidate, Transportation Technology and Policy
email: mzakerinia at ucdavis dot edu



Former graduate students

Michael K. Adjemian
Ph.D., Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2009
Economist, USDA Economic Research Service

Justin Beaudoin
Ph.D., Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2015
Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Colgate University, 2015-2016
Assistant Professor, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, University of Washington at Tacoma
web page: Professor Justin Beaudoin's web page

Christine L. Carroll
Ph.D., Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2015
Postdoctoral scholar, Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2015-2016
Assistant Professor, College of Agriculture, California State University at Chico
web page: Professor Christine Carroll's web page

Michael Castelhano
Ph.D., Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2014
Market Monitoring Analyst, California ISO

Jonathan A. Cook
Ph.D., Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2013
Senior Consultant, Nexant, 2013-2016
Economist, Office of Energy Policy and Innovation, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
web page: Dr. Jon Cook's web page

Joeri de Wit
Ph.D., Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2013
Energy Economist, World Bank

Barbara Farinelli
M.S., Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2008
Energy consultant, World Bank

Abbas Ghandi
Ph.D., Transportation Technology and Policy, 2013
Postdoctoral scholar, Institute of Transportation Studies, 2013-2015
Postdoctoral Researcher, Center for Next Generation Photovoltaics, University of Texas at Austin, 2015-2016
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Energy Initiative, Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, MIT
web page: Dr. Abbas Ghandi's web page

David R. Heres del Valle
Ph.D., Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2009
Postdoctoral scholar, Institute of Transportation Studies, 2012
Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Center for Research and Teaching in Economics (CIDE), Mexico
web page: Professor David Heres' web page

Sunny L. Jardine
Ph.D., Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2013
Assistant Professor, School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware, 2013-2016
Assistant Professor, School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, University of Washington
Honorable Mention, North American Association of Fisheries Economists Best Student Paper Competition, 2013

Gabriel E. Lade
Ph.D., Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2015
Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Iowa State University
1st Place Paper and Presentation, International Academic Conference for Graduate Students, Nanjing, 2014
Honorable Mention, UC-Davis Agricultural and Resource Economics Best Ph.D. Dissertation, 2015
web page: Professor Gabe Lade's web page

Wayne Leighty
M.S., Transportation Technology and Policy, 2008
Commercial Regulatory Analyst, Shell Oil Company
UC-Davis Institute of Transportation Studies Outstanding Master’s Thesis of the Year, 2008

Xiaochen Ma
Ph.D., Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2015
Assistant Professor, China Center for Health Development Studies, Peking University

Ana McPhail
Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, 2014
Socially Responsible Investment Planning Assistant, Communitas Financial

Geoffrey M. Morrison
M.S., Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2011
Ph.D., Transportation Technology and Policy, 2013
Adjunct Professor, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University, 2013
ORISE Fellow, Office of Fuel Cell Technologies, Department of Energy, 2014-2015
Associate, The Cadmus Group
UC-Davis Institute of Transportation Studies Outstanding Master’s Thesis of the Year, 2011
UC-Davis Institute of Transportation Studies Outstanding Ph.D. Dissertation of the Year, 2013
web page: Dr. Geoff Morrison's web page

Lisa Pfeiffer
Ph.D., Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2009
Economist, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Northwest Fisheries Science Center

Lea Prince
Ph.D., Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2014
Research Analyst, Health Policy Institute, School of Medicine, Stanford University

Karen E. Thome
Ph.D., Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2012
Postdoctoral scholar, Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2012-2014
Research Agricultural Economist, USDA Economic Research Service

Fujin Yi
Ph.D., Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2011
Postdoctoral scholar, Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2012
Associate Professor, College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Agricultural University
Honorable Mention, UC-Davis Agricultural and Resource Economics Best Ph.D. Dissertation, 2011

Jieyin (Jean) Zeng
M.S., Transportation Technology and Policy, 2014
Ph.D. candidate, Accounting, Berkeley Haas School of Business

Wei Zhang
Ph.D., Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2013
Postdoctoral scholar, University of California Agricultural Issues Center, 2013-2014
Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Connecticut College
web page: Professor Wei Zhang's web page


Former visiting scholars, visiting students, research assistants, and other students

Majid Aghaei
Visiting Ph.D. student, 2012-2013

Neda Akhondan
Graduate Student Researcher, Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2010

Alexander (Sandy) Allan
Graduate Student Researcher, Transportation Technology and Policy, 2009

Neha Bazaj
Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2010

Luis Becerra Valbuena
Graduate Student Researcher, Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2013-2015

Joel Bremson
Ph.D., Transportation Technology and Policy, 2012

Ellen Bruno
Graduate Student Researcher, Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2015-2016

Santiago Bucaram
Graduate Student Researcher, Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2009-2012

Paul Burow
Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2007

Isabel Call
Graduate Student Researcher, Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2013-2015

Yanyu (Channey) Chen
Graduate Student Researcher, Transportation Technology and Policy, 2011

Loni Coelho
Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2011
UC-Davis Outstanding Senior Award in Managerial Economics, 2012

David Corderi
Graduate Student Researcher, Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2007-2010

Huijing Deng
Graduate Student Researcher, Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2012

Adedamola Fashokun
Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2012-2013

Mounir Fellahi
Graduate Student Researcher, Transportation Technology and Policy, 2014-2015

David Fletes
Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2010-2011

Robert Gormley
Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2010

Nisal Herath
B.A., Economics, 2012
UC-Davis Outstanding Senior Award in Economics, 2012

Jacob Humber
Graduate Student Researcher, Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2013-2016

Xiaowen Jiang
Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2011-2012

Christopher Johnson
Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2009

Ida (Yunbai) Li
Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2010-2011

Qingchun Liu
Visiting Scholar, 2013

Mingjie (Gloria) Lyu
Visiting Ph.D. student, 2011-2013

Shan Lu
Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2012

Haoying Meng
Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2007-2008

Tsz Yan Ngai
Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2007-2008

Derek Nixon
Graduate Student Researcher, Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2013-2015

Rebecca Osakwe
M.S., Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2012

Valeria Oscherov
Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2007-2008

Mahdieh Rezagholizadeh
Visiting Ph.D. student, 2012-2013

Omid Rouhani
Graduate Student Researcher, Transportation Engineering, 2007-2008

David Stowitts
Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2010

Michelle Stutey
Graduate Student Researcher, Mathematics, 2007-2008

Yongling Sun
Graduate Student Researcher, Transportation Technology and Policy, 2009-2010

Asare Twum-Barima
Graduate Student Researcher, Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2012-2016

Lei Wang
Visiting Ph.D. student, 2013

Xin Wang
Visiting Ph.D. student, 2012-2013

Yue (Moonie) Wang
Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2010

Boon-Ling Yeo
Ph.D., Ecology, 2013

Jessica Yeo
B.A., Economics, 2014
Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2013-2015

Thomas Zalc
Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2011

Jiangshan Zhang
Visiting Ph.D. student, 2011-2012

Yizhen (Emmy) Zhang
Graduate Student Researcher, Transportation Technology and Policy, 2012-2014

Disheng Zheng
Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2011-2012

Yan Hong Zhu
Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2007-2008