Zai Liang

Zai Liang is a Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology at the University at Albany, State University of New York. He holds a joint affiliation with the Department of East Asian Studies. His academic credentials include a PhD in Sociology from the University of Chicago (1992), an MA in Sociology from the same institution (1988), and a BA in Mathematics from Jilin University, China (1983).

Research Focus: Professor Liang specializes in migration studies, demography, and China-focused interdisciplinary research. His work examines social dynamics through four major projects:

• China International Migration Project (surveying Fujian Province migrants)
• Wolong Nature Reserve landscape analysis (human-policy-panda habitat interactions)
• Population-Environment relationships (fuelwood consumption dynamics)
• Market Transition effects on Chinese migration patterns

His research bridges quantitative analysis with sociological theory, particularly in urban contexts and ethnic relations. No awards or student advising details are documented in the available text.