I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Economics at Boston University. My research fields are Economic History, Labor Economics and Economics of Gender. You can reach me at ywl242@bu.edu. My CV is here.

I will join the University of Southern Denmark as an Assistant Professor in Economic History in Fall 2024.

Working Papers

The Effect of a Woman-Friendly Occupation on Employment: U.S. Postmasters Before WWII [Draft] [Slides]

• IPUMS Excellence in Research Award, 2023

• Rosenstein-Rodan Prize for Best Graduate Student Paper, Boston University, 2023

Returns to Education for Women in the Mid-Twentieth Century: Evidence from Compulsory Schooling Laws [Draft]

Work in Progress

Germ Theory at Home: The Role of Private Action in Reducing Child Mortality during the Epidemiological Transition (with James Feigenbaum and Lauren Hoehn-Velasco) [Abstract]

Sibling Mortality on Surviving Children’s Long-Term Labor Market Outcomes

Rebuilding the State: Confederate Post Offices After the Civil War

Gender Differences in Managerial Performance: Evidence from The Post Office

Teaching Experience

Instructor for Labor Economics, Boston University, Spring 2022, Spring 2023

• Gitner Prize for Excellence in Teaching Undergraduates, 2023

I designed the course myself and with help from #EconTwitter. A sample syllabus is available here. 87% of the students rated my teaching as “Excellent”, “Very Good” or “Good” (N=54). Some selected qualitative comments below:

“Professor Li’s passion for labor economics is truly on display every day in class. Her expertise in the field is abundantly clear.”

“Professor Li is an awesome instructor…She is knowledgeable about the content she is teaching and willing to offer help. LOVE her class so much.”

“(She) Will explain concepts and answer any questions. Prompt with returning emails. Had fun assignments to complete. Gave me the ability to read and understand econ papers outside of class.”

Teaching Fellow for Introduction to Microeconomics, Boston University, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2022

Teaching Fellow for Empirical Economic Analysis, Boston University, Fall 2020, Spring 2024

Teaching Assistant for Intermediate Micro Analysis, Boston University, Fall 2023

Teaching Assistant for Economic Institutions in Historical Perspective, Boston University, Fall 2021