Daniel Yoder Zipp

Daniel Yoder Zipp is a Research Fellow in the Department of Sociology at the University of Maryland. He holds a PhD in Sociology from UCLA and previously served as a visiting assistant professor at Oberlin College, specializing in Globalization and Asian/Asian American studies.

His research examines two primary domains: 1) Environmental policy implementation dynamics among Chinese bureaucrats in Shanxi/Henan provinces, analyzing how mid-level officials navigate competing interests in coal industry regulation; 2) Chinese American urban placemaking through neighborhood formation and transformation in Los Angeles and Cleveland. Methodologically, he employs ethnographic approaches including historical ethnography, in-depth interviews, and archival analysis.

Publications reflect these dual interests, spanning labor mobilization patterns in China and diasporic urban communities. Recent work (2025) includes critical engagement with Asian American spatial politics through book reviews examining race, place, and empire.