May 29, 2012 - College Park, MD - Yan Sun is completing her Ph.D. in economics at George Washington University. Her dissertation research is focused on welfare, labor and education. She joined International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in 2002 after she received her Masters in Economics from Georgetown University. She is currently a Research Analyst at IFPRI where she conducts research on public investment in rural services, farmers’ participation in off-farming activities, and gender analysis.

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Optimal Solutions Group, LLC

Founded in 2000, Optimal Solutions Group, LLC is a nonpartisan public policy research and technical assistance firm that stands out through its quantitative expertise and innovative approaches to provide rigorous, data-driven research and technical assistance to government agencies, corporations, nonprofit organizations, and philanthropic foundations. Located at the University of Maryland’s M Square Research Park in College Park, Optimal is a leader in driving real-time public policy research. Optimal has 60+ employees including multidisciplinary researchers with backgrounds in business, communication, economics, education, health policy, psychology, public policy, sociology, statistics, and urban planning. Optimal has four research centers: Health, Education, Housing, and Workforce Development and Social Policy.

International Food Policy Research Institute

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks sustainable solutions for ending hunger and poverty. IFPRI is one of 15 centers supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), an alliance of 64 governments, private foundations, and international and regional organizations.

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