The Behavioral Insights and Parenting Lab  at the Harris School of Public Policy seeks a postdoctoral researcher interested in how children acquire human capital and how that shapes children’s social and economic outcomes. We seek a candidate with a strong background in econometrics, statistics, and data analytics relevant to designing and implementing experiments, surveys, and/or developing new measures of children's skills.

The University of Chicago seeks a Postdoctoral Researcher at the rank of Research Associate in basic or applied research on early childhood development from any relevant discipline whose work centers on developmental and/or contextual experiences that promote learning, broadly defined, in early childhood. For example, the work could focus on family interactions and home experiences; early childhood care and education programs, settings, and curricula; and teaching strategies and everyday classroom experiences. 

Maxine Xu is currently a data scientist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, where she leads data analysis, visualization, and statistical modeling initiatives to help the Community Development and Engagement team understand issues affecting low-income communities. She is deeply passionate about using data to address critical societal challenges and exploring the complexities of machine learning and artificial intelligence.

BIP Lab: What drew you to work at the BIP Lab?

My passion for education policy motivated me to apply for the RA position at the BIP Lab. At the time, they were seeking research assistants for the About TIME study, which resonated with my interest in using technology to improve human capital development.

BIP Lab: What is one of your favorite memories of the BIP Lab?

My favorite memories from the BIP Lab all stem from my recruitment shifts, especially the early morning ones. I loved traveling with other RAs across the Greater Chicago area and engaging with families at schools to share the important work being done at the lab.

BIP Lab: What are you doing now?

I am currently a data scientist in the Community Development and Engagement division at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. In this role, I lead data analysis, build dashboards, and design statistical models for the housing and labor markets teams. 

BIP Lab: How did you become interested in your field?

I was drawn to data science because of its immense potential to shape the future. In my data science classes, I found it fascinating to explore predictive modeling and learn about how raw data could be transformed into meaningful foresight. 

BIP Lab: What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?

Graduating from Harris' MSCAPP program is the professional achievement I’m most proud of. Even though I entered the program with no background in computer science, I was able to learn so much over two years and apply those new skills to support the About TIME and Learning Curiosity projects at the BIP Lab. 

BIP Lab: What advice would you give to other students who aspire to follow a similar career path?

My advice would be to advocate for yourself and your abilities. As I mentioned earlier, when I started at the BIP Lab, my role was more focused on recruitment than working with data. I took the initiative to share my skills with Andrés, and I’m grateful he thought of me when the lab needed someone for data analysis tasks.

BIP Lab: What do you enjoy doing in your free time? 

I enjoy reading, running, trying new foods, and spending time with my cat, Sesame.