Our Team

Jackelyn Hwang
Director

I am an Assistant Professor in Sociology at Stanford University and the Director of the Changing Cities Research Lab. My research interests span urban sociology, race and ethnicity, immigration, and inequality. Specifically, I examine how contemporary urban changes shape and are shaped by racial and ethnic inequality and residential segregation in the United States. My current projects draw on innovative data and methods to examine the causes and consequences of gentrification and to develop new approaches for measuring and addressing urban change. I currently hold affiliations with the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity, the Urban Studies Program, and the Center for Poverty and Inequality at Stanford, and I am a Visiting Scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. My work has appeared in the American Sociological Review, Demography, Social Forces, and other academic journals and has been supported by the American Sociological Association, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the Joint Center for Housing Studies, and the National Science Foundation, among others. I received my B.A.S. in Sociology and Mathematics from Stanford University and my Ph.D. in Sociology and Social Policy from Harvard University. After completing my Ph.D., I was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Office of Population Research at Princeton University.

Lab Staff

Mira Joseph

**Predoctoral Social Science Research Analyst**
I am a Research Analyst and Lab Coordinator at CCRL. I study policy solutions to residential instability and displacement in the Bay Area. Before CCRL, I worked at the Stanford Center for Racial Justice, leading an initiative on alternative first-response programs. I am interested in the insights that a research perspective can provide when designing, implementing, and evaluating pioneering policy programs. I hold a B.A. from the University of Chicago with a specialization in computational methods. I love to play chess, write science fiction, and spend time with my dog.

PhD Students

Hesu Yoon

I am a PhD student in Sociology. I use mixed-methods to study the relationship between gentrification, racial stratification, and consumption. I am also interested in social psychological mechanisms that explain urban processes like gentrification and segregation. I hold a B.A. in History and Political Science from Yonsei University and a M.A. in Sociology from Seoul National University, South Korea.

Iris Zhang

I am a PhD student in sociology from Hong Kong via Philadelphia, my first American home, and New York City. Prior to Stanford, I studied sociology at the University of Pennsylvania and worked as a research associate at the Brennan Center for Justice. I am interested in housing markets, racial geography, and inequality.

Nima Dahir

I am a PhD student in sociology, from Columbus, Ohio. I graduated from Ohio State University with bachelors’ degrees in mathematics and economics in 2016. At Stanford, I study housing, immigration, and neighborhood change. I'm passionate about music, poetry, and nature. In my free time, I listen to a large rotation of podcasts, hike, and watch movies.

Renee Louis

I am a PhD student in Sociology researching social inequality, housing insecurity, neighborhood change, and race. I am also a masters student in Management Science and Engineering at Stanford, concentrating in computational social science. I graduated with my bachelors in Sociology from Princeton University where I also minored in Statistics and Machine Learning. I love reading, knitting, and eating spicy foods.

Sarah-Eve Dill

I am a PhD student in Sociology studying inequality, social networks, and economic and community development. My current research aims to understand the network patterns in Americans' everyday social exposures and the role of neighborhood investments in shaping such networks. I hold a B.A. in Development Studies and East Asian studies from Brown University, and prior to starting my PhD, I worked as a research project manager with the Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institution's studying the effects of community health interventions on early human capital formation in rural China.

Tianyuan Huang

I am a PhD student in civil engineering. My research focuses on exploring how to create an atlas of urban change mapping attributes like social-demographics and infrastructure status, so it can help make cities more resilient and sustainable. Previously, I studied urban planning and computer science at South China University of Tech. When I'm not in front of the computer, I enjoy playing tennis, swimming and hiking.

Tyler McDaniel

I am a PhD student in Sociology. I study segregation in various forms, such as school segregation, activity space segregation (i.e. where people travel throughout their daily lives), and epistemic segregation (i.e. academic citations). I hold bachelor's degrees in mathematics and sociology from the University of Utah. Recently, I've spent my free time painting friends' pets.

Undergraduate & Graduate Researchers

Adriana Torres Ceja

I am an incoming senior studying Public Policy and CSRE, while completing my Coterm in Public Policy with a concentration in Urban Policy and Development. I am from a small agricultural town in the Eastern Coachella Valley in Southern California. My research interests include alternative modes of affordable housing development, urban planning, and racial equity. In my free time, I enjoy exploring, cooking (sometimes), listening to music, and calling my mom back home!

Grace Pena

I am a rising junior studying Data Science and Social Systems with a concentration in Urban Systems. Researching the trends of urban development in relation to the settlement of ethnic and racial groups is a passion of mine that intersects with my interest in finding efficient and equitable solutions to curb the growth of gentrification in urban centers around the world. In my free time, I love leisurely bike rides, sunbathing with friends, and listening to music.

Jayne Abraham

I am a rising junior studying Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity and English. I was born in Canada and grew up in Iowa. I am interested in exploring intersectionality and the ways in which educational and legal systems account for those with intersecting identities. I am interested in furthering my exploration of race and ethnicity by pursuing graduate school and potentially a career in academia. In my free time, I enjoy reading, writing, listening to music, and watching movies.

Shounak Ray

I am a sophomore at Stanford studying Computer Science. Developing AI/ML frameworks to solve unique problems and optimize traditional workflows in non-traditional ways excites me. I love the parallel between brains and technology, and am committed to exploring how tech can be used to promote equitable environments, inclusive policies, and level the playing field. Otherwise, I love pretty flowers, cool rocks, hiking, cooking, and playing piano and table-tennis!

Lab Alumni

Vasudha Kumar

**Predoctoral Research Analyst**

Anooshree Sengupta

**Research Assistant**

Vineet Gupta

**Research Project Coordinator**

Evani Radiya-Dixit

**Research Assistant**

Matt Alvarez-Nissen

**Research Assistant**

Our Partners