Yao Wang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics at The Ohio State University. Her research lies at the intersection of development economics and urban economics, with a focus on place-based policies, migration, and urbanization. She employs a combination of quantitative spatial models and reduced-form empirical strategies to examine the structural and policy-driven challenges countries face during the development process. Dr. Wang received her Ph.D. in Economics from Syracuse University in 2022 and her B.A. from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in China.