Dr. Linda Zhao

Biography

Linda Zhao is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Chicago. She obtained her B.A. in Economics from Princeton University in 2013, her M.A. in Statistics from Harvard University in 2017, and her Ph.D. in Sociology from Harvard University in 2020. Her research primarily focuses on social contexts and how factors such as diversity, inequality, and population influence intergroup dynamics and social networks. Zhao investigates the behaviors and decisions linked with social networks and how these networks can generate inequality. Her current projects explore various aspects of intergroup dynamics, immigrant integration, policing, and public health, utilizing a range of data from adolescent friendships to officer networks in police departments. Prior to her appointment, she was a Frank H.T. Rhodes Postdoctoral Fellow at the Cornell Population Center. Zhao has published several impactful articles in prestigious journals, contributing significantly to the fields of Sociology and Computational Social Science.

Research Interests

Experience