About Me

Hi! I am a dual-title Ph.D. candidate in Sociology and Gerontology at Purdue University. I am affiliated with the Center on Aging and the Life Course, The Methodology Center at Purdue, and the Joe and Maggie Kernan Experimental Social Science Lab. I am advised by Dr. Trenton Mize and Dr. Shawn Bauldry.

My research and education span sociology, gerontology, statistics, and geography, with a strong interdisciplinary foundation in the social and behavioral sciences. I specialize in advanced quantitative methods, computational techniques, experimental design, and spatial analysis. Substantively, drawing on theories of health lifestyles, the stigmatization process, and stereotyping, I investigate how health behaviors are socially constructed and how stigma and stereotypes develop around diverse health lifestyles across the life course. I also examine how built environments—such as neighborhood amenities and green spaces—shape older adults’ well-being and cognitive functioning. Methodologically, I employ a wide range of approaches, including machine learning, categorical data analysis, longitudinal modeling, latent variable analysis, experiments, and mixed methods. I also develop statistical tools to enhance the measurement and interpretation of nominal variables.

Feel free to reach out at han644@purdue.edu. I welcome opportunities for collaboration, discussion, and connection.