Xiaoyu Liu

Xiaoyu (Jasper) Liu is a first-year PhD student and Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Sociology at the University of Kansas. His research interests lie in the intersection of spatial inequalities and sociology of education, particularly in investigating (1) how neighborhood disadvantages affect students’ educational outcomes, (2) how contextual effects influence students’ self-efficacy, and (3) how families navigate their communities differently, thus creating heterogeneity in neighborhood effects. He also aims to become an earnest teacher by starting his assistantship this year for the course, SOC 104: Elements of Sociology. Enjoying his life at Lawrence through books, coffee, plonk, and interactions with friends, Xiaoyu also feels proud of the experiences he gained in New York and Hunan.