HAOTIAN ZHENG

... is a PhD candidate in social work at the Brown School of Washington University in St. Louis. He researches social policies aimed at improving Financial and Social Well-being through Financial Capability and Asset-building, focusing on low-income populations.

ABOUT

Give it a shot to pronounce my first name: haʊ tjen

Hello! I'm an applied social science researcher and a PhD student in social work at the Brown School of Washington University in St. Louis. I study interventions and policies ranging from Children's Savings Account and Child Development Account to guaranteed income and Child Tax Credit. My work employs various quantitative methods, both experimental and observational, to understand whether and how policies are effective in improving financial and social well-being.

My research has appeared or is forthcoming in the Journal of Consumer Affairs, Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Journal of Social Policy, The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, and Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research. I have been part of multi-year research grants funded by the Ford Foundation, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, MasterCard Foundation, and other major funders in the field.

ACTIVITIES

[PINNED] I am on the job market for this upcoming cycle (2024-2025).

[2024-07] COVID-19 job loss and early retirement withdrawal study is accepted to and published online by the JCA; Featured by The Source.

[2024-06] Black Reparations study is published and discussed by The RSF JSS; Featured by NPR.

[2024-06] Child Tax Credit expansion study is accepted to the JSSWR.

[2024-01] Presented historical harm and wealth ownership at 2024 SSWR.

RESEARCH

Employment Characteristics and SECURE 2.0 Uptake (with S. Roll and M. Despard)
Guaranteed Income and High Cost Financial Services Use (with S. Roll, L. Hamilton & L. Brugger)
Historical Racial Harm and Wealth Accumulation (with J. Huang and M. Sherraden)
Historical Racial Harm and Well-being (with J. Huang and M. Sherraden)
Income Volatility and Well-being (with S. Conroy, S. Roll and M. Despard)

I present here research projects that I am currently working on. Completed projects, manuscripts under consideration, and presentations can be found in my CV.