Ho Chi Cheng

About:

I earned both my B.A. and M.A. degrees in Economics from Virginia Tech, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a GPA of 3.81. My research lies at the intersection of consumer behavior, econometrics, and operations research, examining how social media, brand storytelling, and psychological cues shape economic and marketing decisions. Currently, I am a Research Assistant in the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, where I apply Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) to optimize healthcare scheduling decisions for dementia care. I am proficient in Python, R, Stata, SPSS, SQL, and Excel, with hands-on experience in econometric modeling, behavioral data analysis, and simulation. Beyond research, I have served as a Teaching Assistant for undergraduate economics courses and co-founded the Economics Club to enhance student engagement and promote public understanding of economics.

Research Topics:

• The Economics of Social Media

• The Economics of the Fashion Industry

• The Impact of Brands on Consumer Behavior

• The Impact of Online Social Networks on Economic Behavior

• Gender and Leadership in Social Media Marketing (TikTok & Fashion Brands)

• Social Media Influencers and the Price–Quality Belief in Luxury Consumption