Jian Qi (Jay) Tan is a Visiting Lecturer and current PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh. He earned a joint Bachelor of Arts (with honours) from the University of North Carolina and the National University of Singapore, followed by Masters degrees in economics from both the University of Pittsburgh and the National University of Singapore.
Jay's research focuses on labor economics, with a particular interest in institutions and innovation. His dissertation will explore the impact of resource shocks on university performance, the effect of labor union protection on non-pecuniary labor market outcomes, and the determinants of success in open-source projects.
In the classroom, Jay has taught courses in health economics and served as a teaching assistant for graduate-level empirical methods, as well as undergraduate-level data analysis and game theory. His teaching philosophy centers on creating a learning environment that encourages students to articulate arguments from first principles, connect field courses with theoretical knowledge, and actively engage in the learning process.
Before pursuing his PhD, Jay worked as a manager in the public service of Singapore, where he was a government scholar. His role involved evaluating the success of national productivity improvement programs, providing him with practical experience in econometric analysis.
Jay has co-authored several publications, including “The Impact of Right-to-Work Laws on Working Conditions” in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management and other articles in Social Policy and Society, Journal of Poverty, and International Journal of Social Welfare.
Outside of academia, Jay enjoys going to the gym, playing the electric guitar, hiking, and working on home improvement projects.