Elaine Yao

CV · Google Scholar · Email: eyao (at) wustl.edu

I am an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Washington University in St. Louis. My research lies broadly in formal theory and comparative politics. I earned my Ph.D. from Princeton University in 2025.

Teaching and advising

Portrait of Elaine Yao

Research

Tactical Choice in Repeated Protests

Working paper. Latest draft (08/2026) Presentations: SITE '26; LSE PSPE, Warwick Econ, Perry World House (scheduled)

Authoritarian Responsiveness and Political Attitudes During COVID-19: Evidence from Weibo and a Survey Experiment

With Lai Wei and Han Zhang. Chinese Sociological Review, 2021.

Published article