Pyung Kim

(Name pronunciation: P-young Kim)

I am a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Center for Spatial Studies and Data Science, University of California, Santa Barbara. My research lies at the intersection of geography, public policy, and causal inference. My work has three primary threads:

  1. Neighborhood Effects: How do neighborhood environments shape long-term educational, economic, and health outcomes — and do these effects differ by disability status?
  2. Place-based Policy: How should place-based policies be designed to foster social capital across communities?
  3. Spatial Causal Inference: How can identification strategies leverage geographic boundaries and spatially defined instrumental variables to strengthen causal inference — and why do policy effects vary across place?

I use a wide range of methods, including econometrics, quasi-experiment, GIS, and Geo AI. 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, disability, Social Security, and social capital.

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; #JSIT24-04) and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR, #90DPBU0006), as well as Korean government agencies, including the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), 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

  • Neighborhood Effects
  • Health, Social, & Disability Policy
  • Policy Evaluation / Causal Inference
  • GIS / Spatial Data Science
  • Geo AI / Deep Learning

Contact Me

pyungkim@ucsb.edu
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