Wei Zhang

Students of Professor Wei Zhang of the Department of Sociology describe her as an “inspiring professor with a wealth of knowledge.” “She radiates genuine positivity and optimism that undeniably motives us to cultivate our curiosity for learning and empowers us to aspire to attain our potential.” She has “undoubtedly been the most influential person in my graduate career.” Professor Zhang views teaching as an adaptive process in response to constantly changing environments such as a pandemic or technological innovations, as well as students’ needs and interests. Her colleagues in the department hold her in very high esteem, one stating that she is a pillar of the department. Undergraduate students in her class make tremendous transformations from dreading statistics and formulas to finding she makes social statistics interesting and attainable. Graduate student develop into co-presenters and co-authors with Professor Zhang. In the words of one deeply grateful student, “This is the first time in a long time that I remembered how much fun I have learning and why I keep going to school.”