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. Spatial Causal Inference: How can we use geographic perspectives to identify the causal effects of policy interventions?

As a PI and GIS Specialist, 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).

Research Interests

• Health, Social, and Environmental Policy
• Health and Economic Geography
• Disability, Aging, and Retirement
• Spatial Data Science, GIS, and Geo AI

Contact Me

pyungkim@ucsb.edu
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