Hongdi Zhao is a Ph.D. Student in Applied Economics and Management at Dyson School. Her research interest is the intersection of development economics and machine learning. Hongdi holds an MPA in international development from Cornell University and a B.S in Statistics from China. She worked as a research fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, a research associate at Yale Economic Growth Center, and a research analyst at IFPRI before coming back to Cornell to pursue her Ph.D. study. She had worked and lived in Tanzania, Kenya, and conducted research in India before. During her spare time, Hongdi enjoys hiking, practicing piano, and watching movies. She is a huge fan of traveling and has traveled to countries including the Philippines, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Peru, Colombia, Switzerland, and Ethiopia. She is excited to be a part of the Flora Rose house community and serve as a Graduate Resident Fellow.