Welcome!

I’m a Ph.D. Candidate in Sociology and M.S. student in Statistics & Data Science at UCLA. My research examines how inequality unfolds across the life course through three interconnected agendas:

Life course inequality & disruption

I conceptualize life disruptions as turning points that redirect lives onto divergent trajectories. My dissertation develops trajectory stratification, showing how the timing, sequence, and duration of post-disruption pathways shape long-term mobility.

Intra-group stratification & gender and racial inequality

Another key part of my research investigates how gender and racial inequality operate within and between groups. I examine how outcomes in work and family are shaped by the interplay of cultural forces and structural forces.

Methods: causal inference & machine learning

I advance statistical and computational approaches for studying life course inequality— including causal mediation forests, deep learning for life-course sequences, and a deductive–inductive view of causal ML for sociological explanation.

📄 Project Highlights

  • Trajectory stratification after divorce (ASR under review)
  • College, occupation, and racial/skin-tone disparities in COVID-19 job loss (Demography, R&R)
  • Deep learning–based g-computation for life course sociology

Publications include the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion , Journal of Marriage and Family , and Social Science Research. I currently have six additional papers under review, four with revise-and-resubmit invitations, including one at Demography .

My research has been recognized with several awards and fellowships, including the Kwanjeong Scholarship, UCLA dissertation fellowships, and an Honorable Mention for the American Sociological Association (ASA) Student Paper Award.

I’m on the 2025–26 academic job market, seeking tenure-track and postdoctoral opportunities in sociology, demography, and computational social science. Please see my Research, Teaching, and CV.

📢 Recent updates
  • September 18, 2025 – Invited to give a talk titled “Trajectory-Based Causal Inference: Integrating Sequence Analysis, Clustering, and G-Computation” at the Webinar Series of the Sequence Analysis Association.
  • September 8, 2025 – Selected as a participant for the Rising Stars in Data Science Workshop, Stanford University (November 11–12, 2025).
  • August 8–12, 2025 – Organized two sessions on family and work, and gave an oral presentation on trajectory stratification at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association (ASA), Chicago.

🗂️ Archive (click to view)
  • August 4–7, 2025 – Helped organize the RC28 Conference at UCLA.
  • July 3–4, 2025 – Gave an invited lecture, Machine Learning for Causal Inference: A Two-Part Introduction to G-Computation, for Yonsei University’s Department of Sociology.
  • June–August 2025 – Visiting the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research to work on machine learning approaches to life course analysis.
  • May 17, 2025 – Presented ongoing work on deep learning and g-computation at the ASA Mid-Year Methodology Conference (University of Pennsylvania).
  • May 6, 2025 – Received an Honorable Mention for the 2025 ASA Religion Section Student Paper Award.