Sam Han received her Ph.D. from the Columbia School of Social Work in February 2022. Her dissertation focused on pro-work policy changes of settlement support programs and the economic adjustment of North Korean defectors in South Korea. Building on a policy review and analyzing two survey datasets, Dr. Han examined the effects of the pro-work reforms on the North Korean defectors’ economic adjustment and the influence of human capital on the North Korean defectors’ welfare receipt in South Korea.
Xiaoning Huang received his Ph.D. from the Columbia School of Social Work in October 2021. His dissertation focused on international migration theories, educational and economic inequalities, and welfare participation disparities between natives and immigrants in the United States. Dr. Huang has since joined Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine as a postdoctoral research associate, where he continues his research on immigrant health and racial/ethnic health disparities.
Ruijie Bi received her Master of Science in Nonprofit Management from the Columbia School of Professional Studies, with a focus on strategy studies for policy advocacy, analysis, and practice. Ruijie has a special interest in learning and researching the strategic model for policy and the institutional construction of social development and welfare for the marginalized and underrepresented community. Going forward, Ruijie plans to further pursue her interests in policy and research with real-world impact and implications.
Tingyi Cao received her MSW degree from the Columbia School of Social Work, with a specialization in Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice. Building on her internship experiences at the Columbia Population Research Center and Center for Family Life, a non-profit organization in Brooklyn, Tingyi plans to devote her career to providing mental health services and promoting the well-being for underserved communities in the future.
Hanna Wang received her MSW degree from the Columbia School of Social Work, with a concentration in Leadership, Management, and Entrepreneurship for Social Justice. Before coming to Columbia, Hanna earned her bachelor’s degree in International Politics from Peking University, China. Armed with knowledge and skills gained from her Columbia studies, after graduation, Hanna will return to China to pursue a career in the agricultural industry and advocate for rural construction.
Baixue Yangchen received her MA degree in Sociology from the Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. With a concentration in labor study and migrant research and drawing on field work in Flushing, her MA thesis is titled Platforms and the Changing Nature of Work: Through the Eyes of Low-skilled Chinese Immigrants Doing Food Delivery Platform Work. In the long run, Baixue aims to become a researcher whose work can help improve the well-being of immigrants and reduce inequality in the labor market.
