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 data science. My work has three primary threads:

  1. Place, Policy, and Human Capital: How do childhood neighborhood environments shape human capital, and what place-based policies can most effectively build it?
  2. Spatial Causal Inference: How do spatial interdependence, spillover effects, and boundary definitions challenge the validity of causal inference in policy research?
  3. AI for Public Policy: How can AI be applied to identify who needs public services, where they are, and why they aren’t being reached?

I use a wide range of methods, including econometrics, quasi-experiment, machine 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 quantitative analysis, I also conduct fieldwork in under-resourced settings (including rural Kenya) to engage directly with the communities. I apply these approaches to questions spanning human capital, social capital, income mobility, public health, and disability.

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

  • Health, Social, and Disability Policy
  • Urban Policy / Community Development
  • Social Capital / Human Capital
  • GIS / Spatial Data Science
  • Geo AI / Machine Learning
  • Causal Inference

Contact Me

pyungkim@ucsb.edu
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