I am a PhD Candidate in Sociology at Yale University. I am on the 2025-2026 job market.

As a sociologist and social demographer, I broadly examine how state and family institutions shape social stratification in a globalized world. Much of this work lies at the intersection of immigration, family demography, the labor market, and inequality. I primarily use quantitative methods.

My dissertation examines how U.S. immigration policies shape the experiences of high-skilled immigrants. Focusing on temporary visas as the primary pathway to employment-based permanent residency, the project draws on large-scale administrative records, nationally representative survey data, and an original longitudinal study of elite immigrant youth. I develop the concept of the "paradox of deservingness"—the mismatch between immigrants’ presumed merit and their exclusion from stable employment and legal membership. I argue that immigration restrictions and employer behaviors jointly produce precarity for even the “deserving,” producing unique forms of labor market stratification and racial inequality.

My broader research examines family inequalities and social stratification in global contexts. I have studied fertility and childcare disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, union formation in China, and the influence of family background on educational outcomes in both the U.S. and China.

My articles are published or forthcoming in journals such as Sociology, Demographic Research, Population Research and Policy Review, Journal of Family Issues, and Chinese Journal of Sociology. I received my B.A. in Sociology and Economics from Grinnell College.

You can view my CV here.