I am an Assistant Professor at the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington. Previously, I was a postdoctoral scholar at the Institute for Social Research and Data Innovation at the University of Minnesota.
I received my Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning, with a minor in Demography, from Cornell University. I received my M.S. in Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and my B.S. in Computer Science from Peking University.
My CV.
Broadly speaking, my research focuses on the effects of the built environment—land use, infrastructure, architecture, facilities, design, etc.—on people's social and economic outcomes, and the political processes behind the making of the built environment. My regions of interest include the U.S., China, and West Africa.
One of my research interests is environmental policy and planning, which I began exploring during my undergraduate thesis on the intelligent transportation system. In this field, I consider land use, infrastructure, and civilian facilities as policy tools for governance and administration, and I study the formation and effects of the policies. Specific topics include sustainable transportation, waste management, water facilities, and post-disaster planning.
Another field of interest is community development for marginalized groups, defined by ethnicity, immigration status, and social class. I study how marginalized people participate in the processes of shaping the built environment, and how their interactions with governments and mainstream societies may change their disadvantaged status. Specific topics include segregation and housing, urban politics, social networks, travel behaviors, and post-disaster recovery.
The above two fields have significant overlaps under the theme of the built environment. I utilize a wide variety of methodologies, including econometrics, machine learning, ethnography, and mixed methods. As an interdisciplinary scholar, I conduct research on both the quantitative economic and political analysis of planning policies, and the narrative-based investigation of architecture and design. In particular, many of my current and ongoing projects focus on the history of planning and public policy.
I received my Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning, with a minor in Demography, from Cornell University. I received my M.S. in Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and my B.S. in Computer Science from Peking University.
My CV.
Broadly speaking, my research focuses on the effects of the built environment—land use, infrastructure, architecture, facilities, design, etc.—on people's social and economic outcomes, and the political processes behind the making of the built environment. My regions of interest include the U.S., China, and West Africa.
One of my research interests is environmental policy and planning, which I began exploring during my undergraduate thesis on the intelligent transportation system. In this field, I consider land use, infrastructure, and civilian facilities as policy tools for governance and administration, and I study the formation and effects of the policies. Specific topics include sustainable transportation, waste management, water facilities, and post-disaster planning.
Another field of interest is community development for marginalized groups, defined by ethnicity, immigration status, and social class. I study how marginalized people participate in the processes of shaping the built environment, and how their interactions with governments and mainstream societies may change their disadvantaged status. Specific topics include segregation and housing, urban politics, social networks, travel behaviors, and post-disaster recovery.
The above two fields have significant overlaps under the theme of the built environment. I utilize a wide variety of methodologies, including econometrics, machine learning, ethnography, and mixed methods. As an interdisciplinary scholar, I conduct research on both the quantitative economic and political analysis of planning policies, and the narrative-based investigation of architecture and design. In particular, many of my current and ongoing projects focus on the history of planning and public policy.
