Yu Cai
Post-Doc Researcher
Yu Cai is a postdoctoral researcher at the Water Systems Management Lab at UC Merced, beginning in August 2024. Before this, she earned her Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics and Management from Northwest A&F University in China. Her research interests include agricultural resource economics, water resource management, non-market valuation, and the impacts of climate change and adaptation strategies. Previously, Yu was a visiting assistant researcher at the Yale School of the Environment, where she focused on the economic effects of climate change on livestock production and how herders adapt to changing conditions. Currently, she is involved in two primary research projects: the Collaboratory for Equity in Water Allocations (COEQWAL) and the Agricultural Water Use and Economic Impacts to Food Systems Water Resources Mission Area. In these roles, she contributes to the economic analysis of water supply for agriculture and the impacts on regional economies.