Zeyu Li (Peter)

Zeyu (Peter) Li

Economist and Data Scientist

I am a Research Data Scientist at Google and a PhD Economist. I specialize in working with diverse datasets, applying techniques including causal inference, statistical modeling, experimentation, and machine learning to generate data-driven insights.

My academic research focuses on applied microeconomics, particularly in labor and housing markets, urban development, and education policy. I am proficient in Python, SQL, R, and Stata for data extraction, analysis, and visualization.

Research

Too Much of a Good Thing? How Narrow Targeting and Policy Interactions Influence Responses to California’s EITC
Tax Policy and the Economy, 39(1)
Working Paper (NBER) Replication Package
Media Coverage:  The New York TimesThe New York Times
Building Up and Boosting Productivity: Evidence from the Daylight Spacing Regulation in China
Working Paper (SSRN)
Global Roommates, Local Outcomes: How Foreign Peers Influence Domestic Students in Higher Education
The Effect of Housing Prices on Private School Enrollment

Vitae


Education

UC Irvine LogoPh.D. in Economics, University of California, Irvine, 2025
UW Madison LogoM.S. in Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2019
CUFE LogoB.A. in Economics, Central University of Finance and Economics, 2017

Experience

Google Logo
Google
Data Scientist, Research, 2025 - Present
UC Irvine Logo
UC Irvine
Graduate Student Researcher, 2021 - 2025
Graduate Teaching Assistant, 2019 - 2023
CDRF Logo
China Development Research Foundation
Research Associate Intern, 2019

Honors & Awards

Art DeVaney Prize for Best Graduate Poster Presentation (UC Irvine, 2023)
DTEI Fellowship for Teaching Excellency (UC Irvine,  2020)
Best Master's Research Papers (UW-Madison, 2019)
Graduate Research Scholarship, (UW-Madison, 2018)
Scholarship for Academic Research and Innovation (CUFE, 2014 & 2015)
Scholarship for Comprehensive Development (CUFE, 2015)