Dean Yang

Dean Yang

Dean Yang is a Professor in the Department of Economics and the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.

Research Projects

  • The Long Shadow of Early Education: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in the Philippines. A policy-induced decline in early education quality in Philippine schools caused students to complete approximately 0.3 fewer years of schooling, showing lasting negative effects on long-run educational attainment. DevLab members: Thomas Lloyd (co-author); Yu Shi (RA).

  • The Price of Faith: Economic Costs and Religious Group Membership in Sub-Saharan Africa. When the Seventh-Day Adventist church’s religious prohibitions become economically costly in suitable growing regions, membership growth declines and the church adapts by emphasizing educational and health services over doctrinal observance. DevLab members: Triana Yentzen (co-author); Robert Beckemeyer (RA), Nicholas Martens (RA).

  • Ancient Epics in the Television Age: Religious Identity and the Rise of Hindu Nationalism in India. Exposure to the televised Ramayan in 1987 led to persistently strengthened Hindu religious identity, increased communal violence in the short term, and greater long-run electoral support for the BJP. DevLab members: Paul Brimble (co-author); Arushi Sharma (RA).

  • War Mobilization and Economic Development: World War II and Structural Transformation in India. Districts with higher WWII procurement spending saw lasting structural transformation away from agriculture toward industry and services, with higher consumption, urbanization, and in-migration more than 60 years later. DevLab members: Aneesha Parvathaneni (co-author); Rohan Bhargava (RA), Zara Jacob (RA), Jinghao Liu (RA), Brady Nichols (RA), Ann Yang (RA).

  • Global Jobs Africa. This project tests whether targeted training, mentoring, and data-driven guidance can reduce barriers facing workers in Sub-Saharan Africa — particularly women — who seek to participate in the global remote job market. DevLab members: Heesung Kim (co-author), Nathan Sunday (co-author); Matthew Burger (RA), Hadin Sayed (RA), Yvette Zhang (RA).

  • Returns to Information in Hiring. This project evaluates different approaches to screening job applicants for health promoter positions in Mozambique, measuring how hiring methods affect worker effectiveness in delivering HIV/AIDS-related public health services. DevLab members: Yara Gomes (pre-doctoral scholar), Ryan McWay (pre-doctoral scholar), Rita Neves (pre-doctoral scholar); Nyah Phillips (RA), Olivia Woodring (RA).

  • The Effects of the Green Revolution on Long-Run Development: Evidence from India. In India, improvements in agricultural productivity due to the Green Revolution increase deforestation, but industrialization helps preserve forests. DevLab members: Joaquin Endara (co-author), Sameer Nair-Desai (co-author); Evan Evans (RA), Raelynn Li (RA), Laura Wang (RA).

  • The Long-Run Impact of Encomiendas in New Spain. Areas of Mexico historically exposed to encomiendas exhibit higher nighttime light intensity and larger populations today. DevLab members: Joaquin Endara (co-author), Juanita Jaramillo (co-author); Sophia Guo (RA).