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CONGRONG OUYANG

Hometown: Wuhan, China

Program: PhD, Consumer Sciences

Degrees: BS, Business Administration-Accounting - Ohio State; MS, Consumer Sciences - Ohio State


The tremendous support from faculty and all kinds of fantastic opportunities are beyond my expectations.


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Why did you choose EHE to study consumer sciences?

I have always been interested in behavioral sciences. The education I got from business school and working experiences prior to graduate school tailored my interests to topics relate to both finances and consumer behaviors. When I started looking for competitive programs that offers that expertise, I met my advisor, Professor Sherman Hanna. He introduced the consumer sciences program as well as his expertise on behavior finance, financial planning and consumer economics. I was extremely interested after that meeting and fortunate enough to get accepted.

What kind of research have you been able to pursue at Ohio State?

I am doing mostly quantitative research. I have researched topics like low-income households’ financial behaviors, college saving behaviors among parents and financial obligations of homeowners and renters.

What makes you passionate about this subject?

The tremendous support from my advisor, Professor Sherman Hanna, has kept me interested and eager to learn in my research areas. He helped me with master thesis, dissertation developments, class enrollments, teaching skills, journal publications and so much more! Step by step, I have learned so much through my journey and have become more and more enthusiastic of this field.

How would you describe this program to others?

The consumer sciences doctoral program accepts very limited number of students each year so that each faculty member can provide the most and best attention to their students. That being said, a sense of closeness is created in the program. Advisors are considered as friends by the students and they really care about the success of their students. For the same reason, students also know each other well, which creates plenty opportunities for them to collaborate with each other when conducting research.

What can students do to get the most out of their studies at Ohio State?

Work hard and be open-minded. You never know how far you can go unless you keep trying. Stretch yourself, push the limit, and embrace the challenges. This is a magical place where you can accomplish beyond your imagination if you work hard enough.

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What about the Consumer Sciences program has surprised you?

The tremendous support from faculty and all kinds of fantastic opportunities that are beyond my expectations. PhD students are always welcomed to talk to any faculty here regarding research questions, and they would always provide sincere, insightful and inspiring ideas that can widen your horizon to the next level. Additionally, our program offers many events like weekly seminars, annual conferences, workshops and so on, which provides lots of opportunities for us to meet and learn from fantastic researchers from all over the nation.

What do you like to do for fun and relax outside of school?

There are movie theatres around campus that can easily fit your preferences; artsy places like Worthington museum in Columbus area provide all kinds of exhibitions that you can enjoy; and trails like Olentangy Trail and High Banks give me great options for morning runs, especially in the spring.

What advice would you give someone thinking about a graduate degree from EHE?

You won’t regret. Make sure to explore your interests, seize every opportunity and make your own legend here!