New Faculty Arriving Soon!

We are pleased to welcome two new faculty members joining our department in Fall 2025: Dr. Yongren Shi and Dr. Yoonyoung Choi.

Dr. Yongren Shi is a computational sociologist whose research spans social networks, organizations, social psychology, and culture. He employs large-scale digital trace data and computational methods such as network analysis, machine learning, and agent-based modeling. His work has been published in leading sociology journals and featured in major media outlets. Dr. Shi earned his PhD in Sociology from Cornell University and previously held a postdoctoral position at the Yale Institute for Network Science.

Dr. Yoonyoung (Young) Choi specializes in population dynamics and health disparities across the life course. Her research examines how social determinants—particularly immigration status, family formation, and gender—shape mortality patterns and health outcomes. Using advanced quantitative methods and demographic analysis, she explores health inequalities among vulnerable populations. Dr. Choi earned her PhD in Sociology from The Ohio State University, where she was affiliated with the Institute for Population Research.

We are excited to have Dr. Shi and Dr. Choi join our department and look forward to the contributions they will make through their research, teaching, and collaboration.