Department ofSociology and Criminology

Department ofSociology and Criminology

Siyang Ni

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Siyang Ni
Graduate Student of Criminology and Social Data Analytics

Curriculum Vitae

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Education

Penn State, In Progress, Ph.D.: Social Data Analytics and Criminology.
Chinese University of Hong Kong, Nov 2021, Master of Philosophy: Sociology.
Rutgers University, May 2016, Bachelor of Arts: Planning and Public Policy, Summa Cum Laude

Websites

https://siyangni.github.io/homepage/

Professional Bio

I am a doctoral student specializing in criminology and data science, with a passion for leveraging advanced quantitative and computational methods to study human development, crime, and delinquency across the life course.

Research Highlights

  • Currently leading a funded research project titled “Revisiting Self-Control Theory: A Longitudinal Analysis Using the UK Millennium Cohort Study,” which was accepted for presentation at the Society of Research on Adolescence 2024 Annual Conference.
  • Collaborated with Dr. Cheung Nicole Wai-ting from 2017–2021 on a Hong Kong Research Grant Council-funded study (Ref. No. CUHK14602115) investigating adolescent delinquency in rural China.

Quantitative and Computational Expertise

I employ a wide array of cutting-edge quantitative and computational techniques in my research, including:

  • Structural equation modeling
  • Hierarchical linear modeling
  • Tree-based machine learning models
  • Bayesian statistics
  • Time series data modeling

I am fully proficient in R, Python, and SQL, and have received intensive training in C, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, enabling me to effectively handle data in various formats, including tabular, textual, and image data. Looking forward, I am excited to apply my unique blend of criminology expertise and data science skills to drive evidence-based insights and innovations in social science.

Awards and Achievements

  • Department Research Enhancement Awards for 2024 “Revisiting Self-Control Theory: A Longitudinal Analysis Using the UK Millennium Cohort Study”
  • Department Student Paper Competition Honorary Mention for 2024 “Revisiting Self-Control Theory: A Longitudinal Analysis Using the UK Millennium Cohort Study”
  • CUHK Graduate Student Research Poster Exhibition Accepted and Honorable Mention- M.Phil. Thesis 2021 “Social Strain and Left-behind Children’s Delinquency: An Empirical Test of General Strain Theory in Rural China under the Internal Migration Context”

Research Interests by Concentration

Human Development

Adolescent development, health and well-being over the life course

Criminology and Life Course

Juvenile delinquency over the life course, adolescent substance use,

Data Science

Structural equation modelling, Bayesian time series, applied machine learning on human development

Siyang Ni
siyangni@psu.edu