معرفی
Associate Professor Weiwei Zhang is affiliated with the School of Psychology, Sociology and Rural Studies at South Dakota State University (SDSU). He holds a Ph.D. from Brown University, an M.A. from Bowling Green State University, and a B.A. from Suzhou University, China. His academic roles include teaching undergraduate courses like Research Methods and graduate seminars such as Advanced Statistics and Spatial Data Analysis. He chairs the Department Methods Prelim Committee and serves on the Information Technology Advisory Committee. His research focuses on quantitative methods, demography, migration, and population health, with a particular emphasis on spatial analysis and rural studies.
- Education:
- Ph.D. in Sociology, Brown University
- M.A. in Sociology, Bowling Green State University
- B.A. in Sociology, Suzhou University, China
Dr. Zhang’s research interests span quantitative and spatial methodologies, migration patterns, and health disparities. He has contributed to studies on opioid vulnerability in rural areas, GIS mapping of historical urbanization, and the socioeconomic impacts of pandemics on marginalized communities. His work often integrates demographic data with policy analysis, addressing issues like racial inequality and rural development.
He has secured grants for projects such as ‘Makiyutab Wokiksuye Ocanku (Memorial Road Map)’ and ‘Socio-Environmental Systems of Rural Health,’ demonstrating expertise in collaborative research. His awards include the Outstanding Researcher distinction from SDSU (2020). Dr. Zhang also advises on community vulnerability assessments for the CDC and contributes to state-level health initiatives.
- Key Grants:
- Wokini Challenge Grant for Indigenous land research
- NSF-funded analysis of socio-economic impacts via machine learning
- SPARC Funding for rural health studies
His involvement in mapping historical landscapes and land narratives underscores his commitment to interdisciplinary work, bridging sociology, geography, and public health. Ongoing projects explore ‘Deaths of Despair’ in rural areas and the gender wage gap among Native Americans.
