Chunbei Wang

Chunbei Wang is an Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Texas at Dallas (2008) and specializes in labor economics with expertise in immigration, self-employment dynamics, entrepreneurship, discrimination, and public policy effects. His research focuses on actionable insights into labor market mechanisms and policy effectiveness, published in top journals like Journal of Public Economics and Small Business Economics.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Economics, University of Texas at Dallas (2004–2008)
• M.S. in Applied Economics, University of Texas at Dallas (2002–2003)
• B.A. in International Finance, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China (1997–2001)

Key Awards:

• 2023 ASHE Presentation Award for work on Hispanic entrepreneurship
• 2020 Merrick Foundation Teaching Award
• 2018 Kuznets Prize for research on marriage age laws

Research Interests: Dr. Wang’s work examines immigration policy impacts on entrepreneurship, intermarriage patterns under legal uncertainty, and discrimination effects in the post-pandemic era. His recent studies include analyses of DACA’s policy threats and Asian business resilience during the coronavirus crisis.

Leadership: In addition to his academic role, Wang serves as Graduate Program Director at Virginia Tech, overseeing doctoral student development. He has held prior faculty positions at the University of Oklahoma and Birmingham-Southern College.