Dan Wei
Dr. Dan Wei, CREATE Research Fellow and Research Associate Professor of Public Policy, has left USC and taken a position as Economist at the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC). Professor Wei began her valuable service at USC in 2007, first as a post-doctoral fellow and then a post-doctoral scholar in the Price School of Public Policy, was appointed as Research Assistant Professor in 2010, and then promoted to Research Associate Professor in 2018. She has been very active in CREATE research since 2010.
Dr. Wei has developed an outstanding reputation for her research on natural disasters and homeland security, and on energy and climate change. She is the author or co-author of more than three dozen peer-reviewed journal articles in these fields. Her doctoral dissertation focused on interregional trading of energy conservation targets in China. Together with CREATE Director Emeritus and Senior Research Fellow, Adam Rose, this research transitioned into analyses of equity implications of emissions trading associated with the California Global Warming Solutions Act, and how a global emissions trading system could result in more than a 70% cost reduction in achieving the 2015 Paris Agreement emission reduction pledges.
Professor Wei, in collaboration with Professor Rose, completed 10 studies evaluating the regional macroeconomic impacts of state and regional climate action plans for such sponsors as the Florida Governor’s Office, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and Southern California Association of Governments among others, link. Her most recent study in this field is an evaluation of the regional macroeconomic impacts of the LA 100 initiative, the City of Los Angeles’s plan to transition to carbon-free electricity by 2035, soon to be published in Climate Policy.
At CREATE, Professor Wei completed several important studies, including the economic impacts of and resilience to the disruption of several US ports. She also co-authored numerous papers on the regional economic impacts of various natural disasters, including earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and most recently co-authored several papers on the national economic impacts of COVID-19. Her most recent contribution is co-authorships of studies emanating from the US Geological Survey HayWired scenario of a major earthquake in the East Bay region of Northern California and its impact on the regional economy through the destruction of major portions of electricity and telecommunications networks.
Dr. Wei was a key member of research teams analyzing several DHS-related issues, including estimating the value of wait times at land border crossings, the macroeconomic impacts of the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement, design of a deductible/credit system for FEMA’s post-disaster Public Assistance Program, and the economic spillover effect of implementing security countermeasures at public assembly sites like sports complexes and convention centers.
Dr. Wei’s research was funded by numerous sponsors, including NSF, various DHS offices and components, national energy labs, NGOs, and various state and local governments. She is the recipient of the CREATE Transition Project of the Year Award. Regional Economic Models, Inc. George Treyz Excellence in Economic Analysis Award and the International Input-Output Association Sir Richard Stone Prize for the Best Article in is journal Economic Systems Research.
Professor Rose has noted: “Dr. Wei has made outstanding contributions to the literature in her fields. She has deftly applied her skills in econometrics, economic impact analysis, and mathematical programming. We have benefitted greatly from her knowledge of many important databases and her ability to refine data we needed in our research. Moreover, she has been a wonderful colleague and team player. We will genuinely miss her presence and will find it very hard to replace her on a full-time basis. However, we are very happy that Dr. Wei will remain affiliated with USC on a limited time basis as a CREATE External Research Fellow.”
Dr. Wei has noted of her work at CREATE: “I am truly grateful for the research experience I have had at CREATE and the opportunity to contribute to dozens of significant studies. The collaborative environment fostered at CREATE and the Price School has been instrumental in my professional growth, which allowed me to expand my horizons and enhance my expertise in my research fields. As I move onto my new endeavors beyond CREATE and USC, I look forward to future collaborations with CREATE colleagues in my new role as an External Research Fellow.”
Posted September 26, 2023