My name is Eric Hayes. I am a second-year PhD student in Statistics at UCR. Prior to coming to UCR for my PhD I did my BA in Economics at UCLA and my MS in Statistics at SDSU. I worked for several years at the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) as an Associate Economist, where I was responsible for researching and forecasting the state of the Southern California economy. In particular I worked on projects related to education and economic opportunity, including key roles on a major collaboration with Southern California community colleges called the Center for a Competitive Workforce. I also led LAEDC’s Annual Economic Forecast and produced the Los Angeles County Economic Update for SCAG’s Annual Southern California Economic Summit, where I also presented as a speaker.

My academic research interests are in statistical network analysis and statistics in the social sciences. I am particularly interested in applications to labor networks, urban planning, and demography.  My hope is that my work will enable local communities and decision makers to have access to the information and analysis they need to make smart choices with regards to policy and community-development, and joining CSI aligns with that mission.