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Ke (Kerr) Lyu

Ph.D. Candidate in Economics University of Nevada, Reno (UNR)
1664 N. Virginia Street, The John Tulloch Business Building, Reno, NV 89557

Self Introduction

I am a sixth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Economics at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), currently on the job market for the 2025–2026 academic year.

My research fields are Labor Economics, Economics of Entrepreneurship, Public Economics, and Health Economics. Broadly, my research examines how public policies and individual factors shape entrepreneurial activity, particularly among “fragile” or early-stage ventures such as solo self-employment, nonemployer firms, and unincorporated businesses. Two key questions drive my research:

❓What drives self-employment? Is it primarily dominated and driven by opportunity or by necessity in both high- and middle-income countries?

❓To what extent can policies designed to promote self-employment effectively enhance social welfare?

I have taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate-level courses as an instructor and am passionate about fostering an active, dynamic, and inclusive learning environment where students can connect theory with real-world challenges.

News Feed

10/27/2025 - Our paper, "Taxes, Incentives and Entrepreneurship:
Evidence from the Universe of U.S. Startups", will be presented at the Workshop on Entrepreneurial Finance and Innovation (WEFI).
10/24/2025 - Our paper, "Taxes, Incentives and Entrepreneurship:
Evidence from the Universe of U.S. Startups", will be presented at the NBER Economic Analysis of Business Taxation Workshop.
10/18/2025 - Our paper, "The Effects of Government Policies on Entrepreneurship: Evidence from Panel Data on the Universe of U.S. Startups", has been accepted for presentation at the 20th Economics Graduate Student Conference at Washington University in St. Louis.
07/11/2025–07/17/2025 - Participated in the 2025 NBER Innovation Research Boot Camp.
06/04/2025–06/07/2025 - Presented our paper, "How Do Minimum Wages Affect Nonemployer Business Establishments in the United States?", at the 45th Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference (BCERC).