Hsin-Ta Tsai
Joint Ph.D. Student between Georgia Tech & Georgia State University
Overview
- MA Policy Studies, University of Chicago (Honors)
- MSc Comparative and International Education, University of Oxford
- BA Economics and Education Studies, Berea College (Magna Cum Laude)
Distinctions:
- PA Theory Fellow, Public Administration Theory Network (2024)
- Non-resident Fellow, the NSF of Taiwan [or NSTC] (2024)
- Pre-doctoral Education Research Fellow at NYU, Institute of Education Sciences of the US Dept. of Ed. (2022-2023)
- Institute of Politics Stipend Award, University of Chicago (2021)
Interests
- Applied Econometrics
- Education Policy
- Labor Economics
- Program Evaluation, Public Management and Administration
Publications
Journal Articles
- Effect of International Roommates on College Outcomes: Evidence from Students of Disadvantaged Backgrounds
In: Educational Policy [Peer Reviewed]
Date: January 2025
College policies may support intentional cross-cultural interactions among peers. This study examines the impact of having an international roommate on the college outcomes of domestic U.S. students. Using institutional data on more than 6,600 U.S. students from a selective liberal arts college that serves low-income individuals, our analysis demonstrates the positive effects of being paired with an international roommate on U.S. students’ first-year GPA, subsequent GPAs, and second-year retention. However, our findings show no significant effects on graduation rates or retention rates beyond the second year. These findings point to the potential benefits of deliberate organizational and institutional policies to facilitate interactions among individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures.