TSERING SHERPA
tsherp@uw.edu | 720-651-2913 | github.com/tseringlsherpa | orcid.org/0009-0000-5484-803X | linkedin.com/in/tsering-sherpa-a7393a1ba
EDUCATION
University of Washington, Seattle, WA Ph.D. in Economics (STEM Designated) | Expected 2028 - Dissertation Committee: Rachel Heath (Chair), Alan Griffith, Isabelle Cohen, Andre Punt (Fisheries) - Fields: Development Economics, Applied Microeconomics, Economics of Education - James K. & Viola M. Hall Fellowship - Graduate Certificate in Ethics (in progress; Advisor: Sarah Goering)
University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO B.A. in Economics and Mathematics | May 2023 - Magna Cum Laude in Economics - Honors Thesis: What is the Effect of Wildfires on House Prices at the County Level?
London School of Economics, London, UK Summer Study Abroad | July 2022 - Management Analytics in the Age of Big Data (Grade: A+)
RESEARCH
Dissertation: The SHERPA Project
Chapter 1: Computer Labs and Student Outcomes in Rural Nepal (in progress) - Exploits staggered rollout of NGO-provided computer labs across 51 schools in Solukhumbu District, Nepal, to estimate the effect of educational technology on student exam scores using difference-in-differences - Implementing Callaway-Sant’Anna and Sun-Abraham estimators; wild cluster bootstrap inference with 23 treated schools - Conducted primary fieldwork in Solukhumbu, Nepal (March 2026): visited 4 schools, led focus group discussions with students and teachers, compiled photographic documentation of lab use and student work
Chapter 2: AI-Based Teacher Training RCT (design stage) - Designing a 60-school RCT to test whether AI-based teacher professional development improves student learning in computer-lab schools - Pre-analysis plan in development; stratified randomization on cluster, enrollment, lab vintage, and baseline scores - Minimum detectable effect of 0.20-0.29 SD; powered for policy-relevant magnitudes per Evans & Yuan (2022) benchmarks - Applying for NSF DDRIG, Weiss Fund, and J-PAL/IPA funding (Summer 2026) - IRB approved (STUDY00024333)
Chapter 3: Cultural Moderators of Technology Effects (working paper stage) - Culture, Clans, and Computer Labs: Sherpa Social Structure and the Adoption of Educational Technology in Solukhumbu (April 2026 working draft) - Integrates ethnographic evidence on Sherpa clan structure (ru system), monastic education traditions, gendered labor allocation, and the Khadeu-Khamendeu social hierarchy with development economics frameworks (Banerjee & Duflo, Kremer, Oster, Heath) - Argues cultural institutions are active determinants of heterogeneous treatment effects, not merely contextual background
Other Research
Delphy AgAdvisory & Peterson Solutions | Subcontractor | 2025-2026 - Co-authored Rooted in American Commerce: The U.S. Economic Footprint of Chilean Fresh Fruit Imports for Frutas de Chile - Quantified U.S. economic contribution of Chilean fresh fruit imports across seven supply-chain segments and two port corridors using BEA RIMS II Type II multipliers - Built data pipeline for USDA trade data, FOB-to-CIF conversion, commodity mapping, and regional impact modeling
Well-Being Measurement Initiative | RA for Dr. Miles Kimball, CU Boulder | May-December 2022 - Analyzed survey data on subjective well-being measurement for a research initiative studying how respondents interpret happiness questions - Evaluated and coded individual survey responses for research usability
Undergraduate Honors Thesis | CU Boulder | 2022-2023 - What is the Effect of Wildfires on House Prices at the County Level? - Used Zillow housing data and wildfire incidence records; estimated county-level effects with fixed-effects regressions in Stata
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Instructor of Record, University of Washington
| Course | Quarter |
|---|---|
| ENGL 299: Intermediate Writing in the Natural Sciences (Program for Writing Across Campus; linked to NUTR 200) | Spring 2026 |
- Sole instructor for a 5-credit writing course satisfying UW’s “W” requirement; designed syllabus, assignments, and assessment scheme
- Curriculum spans personal narrative, analytical essay, policy memo, and presentation genres, framed around nutrition and global development topics
- Hold one-on-one student conferences and lead in-class workshops on argument structure, evidence use, and revision
Teaching Assistant, University of Washington
| Course | Quarter(s) |
|---|---|
| QSCI 381: Introduction to Probability and Statistics (Center for Quantitative Science; Instructor: Andre Punt) | Fall 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025, Fall 2025 |
| ECON 201: Principles of Macroeconomics | Spring 2024, Winter 2026 |
| ECON 200: Principles of Microeconomics | Winter 2024 |
| ECON 422: Applied Econometrics (grader) | Fall 2025 |
- Led lab sections in R for probability and statistics; facilitated office hours; graded assignments and exams
- Taught across in-person, hybrid, and asynchronous formats
RTW Grader, Department of Economics, University of Washington | September 2023-Present - Evaluated incoming PhD student writing samples for departmental admissions decisions
Learning Assistant, Department of Mathematics, CU Boulder | August 2021-May 2022 - Calculus II and III; facilitated weekly group problem-solving sessions for classes of 3-6 students
Mathematics Tutor, CU Boulder Mathematics Academic Resource Center | June 2022-August 2023
GRADUATE COURSEWORK
Microeconomics: Advanced Microeconomic Theory I & II (ECON 500/501) Macroeconomics: Advanced Macroeconomic Theory I & II (ECON 502/503) Econometrics: Econometric Theory I & II (ECON 581/583), Applied Micro-Econometrics (ECON 587) Field Courses: Development Economics (ECON 590), Topics in Applied Micro (ECON 591/593), Contract Theory, Time Series for Macro and Finance Machine Learning: CSE 546 (Machine Learning) Ethics: CSE 581 (Computing Ethics), ETH 511 Other: ENGL 592 (Graduate Writing)
WORKING PAPERS & REPORTS
- Sherpa, T. (2026). “Culture, Clans, and Computer Labs: Sherpa Social Structure and the Adoption of Educational Technology in Solukhumbu.” Working draft.
- Sherpa, T. (2026). “AI-Based Teacher Training in Nepal’s Computer-Lab Schools: Literature, Gaps, and a Design for 60 Schools.” Working draft.
- Sherpa, T. (2026). “Religion, Monasteries, and Human Capital: Nunn’s Missionary Framework Applied to Sherpa Buddhism.” Working draft.
FIELDWORK
Solukhumbu District, Nepal | March 2026 - Visited 4 schools across the Khumbu cluster to observe computer lab use, interview teachers, and conduct focus group discussions with students - Documented lab infrastructure, student work output, and teacher training practices - Collected qualitative evidence on the binding constraint of teacher human capital vs. hardware provision
GRANTS & FELLOWSHIPS
- James K. & Viola M. Hall Fellowship, University of Washington (2023-present)
SERVICE & LEADERSHIP
Co-President, UW Economics Graduate Student Committee | September 2023-Present - Organized department events, conducted student surveys, and represented PhD cohort in quarterly forums with department leadership
UW Women in Economics | September 2023-Present - Organized events, mentorship programs, and panel discussions with faculty and industry professionals
PhD Mentor, UW Economics | October 2023-Present - Mentored first-year PhD students; led quarterly check-in meetings with faculty
Voting Member, CU Boulder Finance Board | September 2020-August 2022 - Voted on allocation of student fee budgets; served on the finance committee; drafted legislation on tiered funding for student organizations
Colorado Reading Partners, Volunteer | January-May 2023 - Tutored K-3 students at Title I schools who were 6+ months below expected reading level
SKILLS
Programming: Stata, R, Python (NumPy, Pandas), MATLAB Other Technical: LaTeX, Git/GitHub, Microsoft Excel Languages: English (native), Nepali (basic), Sherpa (basic)
REFERENCES
| Rachel Heath (Chair) | Alan Griffith |
| Associate Professor, Economics | Assistant Professor, Economics |
| University of Washington | University of Washington |
| Isabelle Cohen | Andre Punt |
| Assistant Professor, Economics | Professor, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences |
| University of Washington | University of Washington |