Kiana Yektansani, Ph.D., is the Director of Online Learning and an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Economics at Rice University. Her research bridges applied and theoretical economics, with work on environmental policy design, product differentiation, and the use of machine learning to understand economic attitudes and behaviors. She has published on topics including environmental beliefs, remittances and growth, government policies, and immigration modeling using AI.

Before joining Rice, she was a Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of the MA in Applied Economics Program at the University of Illinois Chicago. She has taught a wide range of graduate and undergraduate courses, including econometrics, applied microeconomics, behavioral economics, environmental economics, mathematical methods, and principles of micro- and macroeconomics. She's committed to building inclusive and engaging learning experiences, whether in person, online, or somewhere in between.