Alumni Spotlight: Myat Thor Thiha
Our second alumni spotlight of Spring 2024 is Myat Thor Thiha, a graduate in the Department of Economics, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Read Myatʻs story here:
Background and Research Interests:
Myat was born and raised in Yangon, Burma. She graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in August 2022 and is currently working as an Economics instructor at Leeward Community College, teaching classes on the principles of economics, microeconomics, and macroeconomics.
Her research interests are in Burma, specifically on Economic Development, Gender Equality, and International Trade.
She presented a paper at the East-West Center 21st Annual International Graduate Student Conference entitled, “Does International Trade Affect the Gender Employment Gap in Myanmar.”
Abstract: Does trade liberalization in Myanmar affect gender equality efforts in employment? This study examined whether the sectors that engage primarily in international trade and foreign direct investment promote female labor force participation and reduce the gender pay gap.
As a student, Myat was a graduate research assistant for the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization (UHERO) in 2021. In this role, Myat collected data on low-cost multifamily developments in Hawaiʻi.
Myat is also a part of the planning team for the Myanmar New Year celebration, which is a fundraiser for the Internally Displaced People (IDP) in Myanmar. She will also be the Co-Emcee at the event that will be held on May 12th, Sunday at Kapiolani Park Bandstand. This fundraising event is organized by the Myanmar Association of Hawaiʻi, a non-profit organization in Hawaii, to help the refugees affected by the war in Burma.
Fun Fact:
Myat enjoys doing community service, such as helping out with painting Leeward’s Multilingual Mural at Puʻuloa ( https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2023/11/30/leeward-multicultural-mural/ ) and coaching high school students on the topic of labor economics for the state-level Academic World Quest competition.