Pyung Kim

(Name pronunciation: P-young Kim)

I am a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Center for Spatial Studies and Data Science, Department of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara, beginning in January 2026. My research lies at the intersection of geography, public policy, and data science. My work has three primary threads:

  1. Neighborhood Effects: How do neighborhood environments shape individual health and socioeconomic outcomes?
  2. Spatial Policy Analysis: Where are the areas of greatest need for policy intervention, and why do policy effects vary across place?
  3. Data Science for Public Policy: How can we improve the effectiveness of policy implementation and the credibility of policy evaluation using data-driven methods?

I use a wide range of methods, including econometrics, quasi-experiment, AI (machine learning & deep learning), and GIS. My analyses draw on longitudinal administrative records (more than 10 million individuals) and real-time health records collected using portable devices. Beyond desk-based analysis, I also conduct fieldwork in under-resourced settings (including rural Kenya) to engage directly with the communities. I apply these approaches to questions at the intersection of public health, social security, and climate change.

As a PI and data scientist, I have contributed to grant-funded projects supported by U.S. federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), as well as Korean government agencies, including the National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

I am the recipient of the GIS Pioneer Scholarship (2025), JSIT Research Competition Award of Social Security Administration (2024), Keith Lankford Taylor Fellowship (2023), Brian J.L. Berry Scholarship (2021-2025), Brain Korea 21 PLUS Scholarship (2018-2020), President’s Award for Outstanding Graduate (2018), and National Excellence Scholarship of Korea (2015-2018).

Research Interests

  • Health and Social Policy
  • Environmental Policy
  • Causal Inference
  • GIS and Spatial Data Science
  • AI and Machine Learning
  • Computational Social Science

Contact Me

pyungkim@ucsb.edu
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