Tom Chang

Tom Chang is an Associate Professor of Finance and Business Economics at the Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California. He also holds research fellowships at the Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics and the Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research, demonstrating his interdisciplinary approach to economic research.

Dr. Chang earned his BS in Physics (1998) and PhD in Economics (2009), both from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His academic journey reflects a unique blend of scientific training and economic analysis that informs his research methodology.

His research spans multiple interdisciplinary domains with particular emphasis on behavioral economics. Dr. Chang investigates how environmental factors like temperature and air pollution affect workplace productivity and cognitive performance, with his thermostat study revealing significant gender differences in temperature preferences. His health economics research examines vaccination behavior, financial incentives in medical contexts, and racial disparities in healthcare outcomes. Another significant strand explores market behaviors, including asset pricing anomalies, the economics of medical marijuana dispensaries, and collectibles markets.

Dr. Chang's publication record demonstrates a consistent pattern of high-impact research that bridges economics, environmental science, and public health. His work often employs natural experiments and randomized controlled trials with large sample sizes, and many studies have received significant media attention across major international outlets.

His scholarly contributions have been recognized with prestigious awards:

• Hillcrest Behavioral Finance Award (2015)
• California Corporate Finance Conference Best Paper Award (2015)

Dr. Chang actively contributes to academic training through courses including Causal Inference Research Methods and Strategic Planning for Growth. His research has been supported by grants enabling large-scale randomized trials across diverse settings including Chinese call centers, agricultural facilities, and California healthcare systems.

As a research fellow at both the Schaeffer Center and Dornsife Center, Dr. Chang collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to address complex questions at the intersection of economics, health policy, and environmental science, positioning him at the forefront of applied economic research with real-world policy implications.