With a list of extracurriculars including everything from pulling invasive plants in White Clay Creek to tutoring students in math to photographing for The Review, the independent student newspaper, Wang is doing exactly that. 

“I genuinely enjoy trying new things and meeting different people,” said Wang, who is the vice president of the Native Species Initiative at UD. “I tend to say yes to opportunities that will help me grow.” 

The aspiring data analyst has grown a lot since she first arrived at UD from Weifang City, in Shandong Province, China. She credits the UD English Language Institute (ELI) and its Accelerate-U Delaware (A-UD) program with a smooth transition into college life. The program helps newly enrolled international students build a strong academic, linguistic and cultural foundation during their first semester.

Along with smaller class sizes and a supportive environment, social events like a bus trip to New York City to see Wicked on Broadway helped Wang to thrive at UD.

“It was super fun, because we didn’t have many friends when we first came to the U.S.,” said Wang, who now has friends from all over the world.

Among all of her clubs, competitions and internships, Wang is most passionate about her role as a research assistant in the Center for Experimental and Applied Economics (CEAE), where she also serves as mentor-in-residence.

“What makes CEAE unique is that it’s an applied economics lab, so the work is very connected to real-world decision-making rather than just theory,” Wang said. 

Wang works closely with Aisha Emory, research manager for CEAE. 

“Since joining us in her sophomore year, Wanning has remained dedicated and committed through her senior year,” Emory said. “She consistently brought a positive spirit to every project and continually impressed those around her. No matter the task, Wanning approached it with excellence, professionalism, and care, making her contributions truly exceptional.”

The CEAE recognized Wang for her contributions during its Celebration of Excellence. She received the Summit Award, Spirit Award and Pathfinder Award.

Wang had the opportunity to design her own study while participating in UD’s Summer Scholars program. Under the mentorship of Ju-A Hwang, assistant professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, Wang conducted and analyzed a survey examining how people perceive sustainability in the banking industry and whether it influences their decisions.

“While almost everyone had a positive view of banks that invest in sustainability, very few people actually chose their bank based on those efforts,” Wang said of the 115 participants. “That gap between perception and decision-making was one of the biggest takeaways for me. It showed that even when people value sustainability, it doesn’t always translate into real-world choices.”

She presented her findings during UD’s Undergraduate Research and Service Scholar Celebratory Symposium.

While Wang found success managing her own research project, she thrives in a team environment. Last month, she competed in DataFest Philadelphia for the second time. The event is part of the national American Statistical Association DataFest. During the 48-hour case competition, student teams review “a rich, complex dataset from a large company and analyze it for insights.”

Bryan Crissinger, a senior instructor in the Department of Applied Economics and Statistics and one of Wang’s favorite professors, acted as a consultant.

“The weekend is very intense; her team spent some late nights last year and this year massaging the data, working on the analysis, and building their presentation,” Crissinger said. “Wanning brought solid technical skills, a serious but energetic and friendly team presence, and a year of experience with DataFest to this year’s team, the “UData Hens.” 

The UData Hens won “Best Data Visualization” for their project.

Wang was excited to return to New York City through UD’s Job Shadow Program. She spent the day with a senior data scientist at Paramount, a leading multinational media and entertainment conglomerate. 

“I had the chance to learn about advanced advertising, the innovative and strategic side of Paramount’s business where data and creativity work hand in hand,” Wang said. “It was eye-opening to see how teams use technology and collaboration to solve complex problems and create impact at scale.” 

Wang embodies the philosophy “work hard, play hard.” In addition to academics, she takes full advantage of UD social activities. One year, her birthday coincided with a laser tag event in Perkins Student Center.

“I got into line again and again,” Wang said. “I played the whole night right until they closed.”

As a photographer for The Review, Wang explores her creative side through projects like photographing fall colors around campus. She seeks solace in nature when she needs a respite from her heavy course load, which includes graduate-level courses and two capstone courses, Senior Research Project (STAT 468) and Business Analytics Capstone (MISY 445).

“We work on projects using real-world datasets and focus on solving open-ended problems, rather than just following textbook examples,” Wang said. “This helps me to develop not only my analytical skills, but also how to think through a problem, communicate results, and connect data to a real business or research questions.”

Next fall, Wang will take further advantage of all UD offers as she returns to the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources on a full scholarship to pursue an M.S. in Statistics.