Introduction to Whitney Zhang
Whitney Zhang ’21 believes in the importance of valuing workers regardless of where they fit into an organizational chart. Zhang is a PhD student in MIT’s Department of Economics studying labor economics. She explores how the technological and managerial decisions companies make affect workers across the pay spectrum.
Background and Interests
Zhang has been interested in economics, economic impacts, and related social issues for a long time. She majored in mathematical economics as an undergraduate and wanted to apply her math skills to see how policies and their effects could be improved. Zhang is interested in how to improve conditions for workers and believes it’s essential to build relationships with policymakers, focusing on an evidence-driven approach to policy while always remembering to center those the policies may affect.
The Intersection of Tech and Labor Policy
Zhang began investigating employee productivity, artificial intelligence, and related economic and labor market phenomena early in her time as a doctoral student, collaborating frequently with fellow PhD students in the department. A collaboration with economics doctoral student Shakked Noy yielded the 2023 study investigating ChatGPT as a tool to improve productivity. Their research found it substantially increased workers’ productivity on writing tasks, most so for workers who initially performed the worst on the tasks.
Research Projects
In other ongoing research — “Determinants of Irregular Worker Schedules” — Zhang is using data from a payroll provider to examine scheduling unpredictability, investigating why companies employ unpredictable schedules and how these schedules affect low-wage employees’ quality of life. The scheduling project, conducted with MIT economics PhD student Nathan Lazarus, is motivated, in part, by existing sociological evidence that low-wage workers’ unpredictable schedules are associated with worse sleep and well-being.
Putting People at the Center
Zhang has observed the different kinds of people economics and higher education could bring together. She followed a dual enrollment track in high school, completing college-level courses with students from across a variety of demographic identities. Zhang later enrolled at MIT, where she participated in the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). She also completed an internship at the World Bank, worked as a summer analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and worked as an assistant for a diverse faculty cohort including MIT economists David Autor, Jon Gruber, and Nina Roussille.
Mentorship and Collaborations
Autor is her primary advisor on her doctoral research, a mentor she cites as a significant influence. Doctoral study has revealed interesting pathways of investigation for Zhang, as have her relationships with her student peers and other faculty. She has, for example, leveraged faculty connections to gain access to hourly wage data in support of her scheduling and employee impacts work.
Conclusion
Whitney Zhang’s work highlights the importance of considering the human impact of technological and managerial decisions in the workplace. Through her research, she aims to provide evidence-driven insights that can inform policy and improve the lives of workers. By putting people at the center of her work, Zhang demonstrates the value of interdisciplinary collaboration and the potential for economics to drive positive change.
FAQs
- Q: What is Whitney Zhang’s area of study?
- A: Whitney Zhang is a PhD student in MIT’s Department of Economics, studying labor economics.
- Q: What is the focus of her research?
- A: Zhang explores how technological and managerial decisions affect workers across the pay spectrum, with a particular interest in improving conditions for workers.
- Q: What projects is Zhang currently working on?
- A: Zhang is working on projects including the investigation of ChatGPT’s impact on worker productivity and the determinants of irregular worker schedules.
- Q: What motivates Zhang’s research?
- A: Zhang is motivated by the desire to improve policies and their effects on workers, focusing on an evidence-driven approach while centering those affected by the policies.
- Q: How does Zhang’s background influence her work?
- A: Zhang’s background in mathematical economics and her experiences in diverse educational and professional settings have shaped her interests and approach to labor economics.
