I am a PhD candidate in Sociology at the University of Chicago. My research interest centers on how human behaviors are shaped by social and physical contexts and how causally relevant contexts should be defined. My recent work has explored activity space exposures, income segregation around the clock, and spatio-temporal patterns of crime. My ongoing projects examine 1. the spatial decision-making process and its social context in activity space, 2. how mobility patterns factor into individuals' rural/urban living experiences, and 3. how social scientists can leverage computer vision AI to decipher local social ecology from street view images.
How do individuals navigate through different spaces, and how are their movement patterns and "choices" shaped by the social contexts in which they are embedded? My dissertation examines human mobility and patterns of activity space - the collection of locations to which individuals are exposed on a regular basis. Using a range of unique mobility data, including GPS location tracking from probability samples, transportation surveys, and big mobility data of mobile phones and connected vehicles (or "found" big location data), I explore how micro level characteristics (e.g., race/ethnicity, socio-demographics, perceptions) and meso level social context (e.g., residential segregation and clusters of segregation, rurality/urbanicity) structure mobility patterns and routine spatial choices. Drawing on the literature on neighborhood choice and decision science, I am interested in understanding whether, through carefully designed nudges, behavioral adaptations among residents of both segregated and non-segregated neighborhoods can be an effective strategy for social integration. My work integrates perspectives from urban sociology, geography, decision science, criminology, and more.
My research has recently appeared in Social Forces, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Annual Review of Sociology, Journal of Quantitative Criminology (2), Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Cities (2), Crime and Delinquency, and PLOS ONE.
Research
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Teaching
I have extensive experience as a teaching assistant in geospatial analysis, social statistics, and policy analysis. In this role, I deliver lectures, lead discussion sessions, and work closely with students on data projects.
- International Development Policy Lab × 3
- Intro to Spatial Data Science × 2
- Intro to GIS and Spatial Analysis
- Statistical Methods of Research
- Police Reform Policy Lab
I have also written a graduate level guide on How to Analyze GPS/Location Data↗ (published by Sage Research Methods) that teaches students how to access, process, analyze and design studies using location data.
Feedback from students
“Liang is the best TA I have ever met at UChicago. He is highly responsible, supportive, and enlightening. He carried everyone in this course through the difficulty of designing research and coding.”
“Liang was incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, and responsive. I really appreciate that he made himself available for impromptu office hours and always emailed back good feedback on our data visualizations.”
“Liang was extremely helpful and constructive in providing guidance for our project throughout the course.”
“Liang was the TA for Policy Lab and he was very supportive when the team had issues with data. His presentation on data visualization using GIS, Tableau, Python and R was very helpful for all students.”
“Liang was great. He was really responsive and helpful when we needed extra support, and he provided great feedback and guidance throughout the quarter.”
Impact
Vulnerability Mapping in Data Scarce Context
- Constructed and mapped vulnerability index using remote sensing and crowd- sourced big data for underdeveloped countries to inform targeting strategies and policy interventions at the World Bank Group.
Social Worker
- Worked as a social worker at the Nanjing Children's Welfare Institute and a community nursing home (providing end-of-life care).