He received his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in 1997. His research interests include American politics, congress, quantitative research methods, and representation of minorities and women in the U.S. Congress. Tien was awarded a Fulbright Scholar Award in 1999-2000 to teach American politics at People’s University in Beijing, China. His publications have appeared in journals such as American Politics Quarterly, Public Choice, Public Opinion Quarterly, and Women and Politics.