Research 

A major part of my research is Digital Humanities and Computational Methodology. Computational methodology, broadly defined, has long been well entrenched within economics and enthusiastically adopted across various social science disciplines since the 1990s. Recently, this methodological framework has garnered traction within the historical and broader humanities disciplines, unveiling great potentials beyond the stringent quantitative analyses often associated with social sciences. I hold a strong conviction that the essence of computational methodology in our field lies in discerning patterns and relationships on a large data scale, which traditional historical methodologies may find overwhelming. I employ Python alongside other programming languages to manipulate textual data. My expertise encompasses the collection of large-scale online textual data, including web-scraping and API utilization; the manipulation and analysis of data, employing tools such as pandas, SQL, statistical techniques, cloud computing (via Google Cloud), GIS, and machine learning; as well as data visualization, primarily utilizing Python’s matplotlib and geopandas.  

My doctoral dissertation embodies a synergistic approach, combining computational techniques with conventional historical close reading to scrutinize the Suppressing Counter-revolutionaries Campaign (1950-53) (SCC) in Henan province, China. By constructing a database from case files I have collected and employing GIS and network analysis, I aim to gain both empirical and theoretical insight into political violence in modern China. My dissertation argues that the hallmark of the modern state is its exclusive authority within a clearly defined space. This authority is manifested most fundamentally as the monopoly of (legitimate) means of violence, the loss of which is tantamount to “state failure.” Many African countries are thereby termed “permanent weak states.” Modern China renders a case for comparison. The danger of state fragmentation had been haunting China since the late Qing. The 1950s, however, marked a turning point with the new communist state gradually extending deep reach into society. Half a century later when the world witnessed the stunning economic success of China, the strong state has been attributed as one major predictor. However, the origins of the strong state are less explored. This study contends that the 1950s initiated the fundamental transformation of state-society relations in China, paving the way for creating an effective state capable of providing order and regulating society. The SCC was the centerpiece of the transformation. 

My dissertation research has been generously funded by the Esherick-Ye Family Foundation, the Department of History at UT, LBJ School at UT, and the Center for East Asia Studies at UT.