Congratulations to Mingzheng Yang for Passing Ph.D. Proposal Defense 🎉

We are delighted to share that Mingzheng Yang has successfully passed his Ph.D. proposal defense and is now officially a Ph.D. Candidate! 👏👏

Mingzheng’s dissertation, “Deciphering the Social-Environmental Effects on Biological Rhythm Disorders through Spatial Data Science,” tackles one of the most intriguing frontiers in geography: understanding the interaction between environment, society, and human health. By combining advanced geospatial methods with spatio-temporal modeling, his research investigates how social-environmental conditions influence circadian and sleep behaviors. This work not only deepens our knowledge of health geography but also innovatively bridges geography with experimental biology, creating exciting opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration and impact.

Special thanks to his committee members — Dr. Lei Zou (chair), Dr. Heng Cai, Dr. John Patrick Casellas Connors (Department of Geography), and Dr. Wanhe Li (Department of Biology) — whose insightful guidance and constructive feedback have been invaluable to Mingzheng’s journey. We also extend our gratitude to everyone who attended the defense and contributed their support and thoughtful discussions.

🚀✨Congratulations again on this important milestone, Mingzheng! We look forward to the groundbreaking contributions your research will bring to geography, public health, and beyond.