Melanie Hsieh

Studying Physics, Political Philosophy, and WWII at UT Austin (Graduating in May 2025). Don Lavoie Fellow at the Mercatus Center, George Mason University.

Current intellectual curiousity (last update Oct 2024):

• Oral history of China experts in America
• Decentralized research institutions (drafting)
• Montesquieu’s analysis of despotism and commercial republic
• William Faulkner – The Sound and the Fury
• Wong Kar-wai movies

I’m currently drafting a research paper for RAND on China’s High Performance Computers (HPC) infrastructure. Previously, I interned at DoS, researching China’s S&T talent pipeline and participated in Track II dialogue in D.C. on enhancing US-China bilateral relationship.

I skipped the last year of high school in Hong Kong to study Physics in the US. In the summer of 2024, I cycled 4,500 miles from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska over 70 days to raise funds and awareness for cancer research and support services.

I enjoy reading, writing, hiking, and long walks.

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