Cheng Wang

Cheng Wang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at Wayne State University, affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on Social Network Analysis, Computational Social Science, and Education Technology, with a particular interest in adolescent behavior, health dynamics, and educational strategies. He holds a B.A. in Economic Sociology from Nanjing University (1998), an M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Notre Dame (2009 and 2012).

His work bridges computational methods with sociological inquiry, examining topics such as the friendship paradox in communication networks, K-12 computer science education trends, and the interplay between social networks and health behaviors like sleep patterns and substance use. Recent studies include predictive modeling of social network interventions and longitudinal analyses of wearable device data for college student health monitoring.

Wang teaches courses such as SOC3200 (Methods of Social Research) and SOC2211 (Numbers in Society), emphasizing quantitative research methodologies. His publications span venues like Applied Network Science, Social Science & Medicine, and Computers in the Schools, showcasing interdisciplinary collaborations in network science and education policy.