Education
Doctorate Degree
PhD in Economics
University of Washington, 2016
Master's Degree
MS in Economics
University of Washington, 2013
Bachelor's Degree
BS in Economics and Mathematics
University of Iowa, 2010
Teaching Interests
Research Interests
Featured grants
- Charles, Joni S J, Zhai, Muxin. Impact of Air Quality on Individual Financial Cognition: Evidence from California Wildfire, Texas State University, $8000. (Submitted: October 2022, Funded: May 2022 - May 2023). Grant.
- Zhai, Muxin. Shaping Retirement Savings: The Effects of Automatic Savings Mechanisms in 401(k) Plans, Texas State University, $8000. (Submitted: 2024, Funded: 2025 - 2026). Grant.
- Zhai, Muxin, Feng, Li. Financial Literacy Among Minority College Students, McCoy College of Business, McCoy College of Business, $3100. (Funded: 2024 - 2025). Grant.
- Zhai, Muxin (Principal), Charles, Joni S J (Co-Principal). Impact of Air Quality on Individual Financial Cognition – Evidence from California Wildfire, McCoy College of Business, McCoy Research Grant, $5000. (Submitted: March 2023). Grant.
- Zhai, Muxin (Principal), Feng, Li (Co-Principal). Retaining the Future Doctors in a Post-Pandemic World Using Nudge Experiment, Research Enhancement Program (REP), Texas State University, $16000. (Funded: January 11, 2021 - Present). Grant.
Featured scholarly/creative works
- Lynch, J., Wang, Y., & Zhai, M. (2023). Too Many Employees Cash Out Their 401(k)s When Leaving a Job. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2023/03/too-many-employees-cash-out-their-401ks-when-leaving-a-job
- Wang, Y., Zhai, M., & Lynch, J. J. (2022). Cashing Out Retirement Savings at Job Separation. Marketing Science. https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.2022.1404
- Ye, X., Zhai, M., Feng, L., Xie, A., Wang, W., & Wu, H. (2022). Still want to be a doctor? Medical student dropout in the era of COVID-19. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2021.12.034
- Ye, X., Zhai, M., & Feng, L. (2025). Free Teacher Education in Rural China: Incentives and Challenges. China Economic Review, 93, 102486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chieco.2025.102486
- Wan, M., Feng, L., Meng, X., Zhai, M., & Konopaske, R. (2022). Working college students’ time pressure and work-school conflict: Do boundary permeability and dispositional mindfulness matter? Psychological Reports, 125(6), 3100-3125 (ABDC: N/A, CABS: 1). https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941211029621.
Featured awards
- Award / Honor Recipient: Translational Health Research (THR) award, Translational Health Research Center. 2023 - March 2024
- Award / Honor Recipient: Department of Finance and Economics Award for Excellence in Research, Department of Finance and Economics. 2022
- Award / Honor Recipient: The 2020 Special Distribution of the Teaching Award of Honor, Texas State Alumni Association. 2020
- Award / Honor Recipient: Langton Award for Teaching, University of Washington. 2013 - 2014
Featured service activities
- Reviewer / Referee
Energy Economics
- Reviewer / Referee
Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization
- Reviewer / Referee
Environmental Economics and Policy Studies
- Reviewer / Referee
Journal of Environmental Economics and Management
- Participant
McCoy College Cat Camp
- Organizer
Department Research Seminar Series