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Zhanyang Liu

Political Science • University of Wisconsin–Madison

Welcome!

I'm a forthcoming PhD student in Political Science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, with a background in both regional studies and data science.

Professional Experience

My professional background spans academia, field research, and applied data science, with a focus on contentious politics and ethnic politics in the Middle East. I conducted fieldwork and interviews in Haifa for my thesis on Arab protest behavior, examining how political actors and institutions navigate episodes of dissent. At the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, I contributed to research exploring state responses to societal challenges under conditions of political contestation. Additionally, I have held editorial and communications roles with international organizations, where I drew on data-driven methods to trace patterns of mobilization, identity-based cleavages, and institutional adaptation.

Skills & Languages

Languages:
English Hebrew Modern Standard Arabic Mandarin Chinese Levantine Arabic (Intermediate)
Programming & Tools:
Python R SQL LaTeX Transformers spaCy XGBoost Streamlit
Methods & Analysis:
Regression Modeling Time Series Analysis Topic Modeling Clustering Techniques Causal Inference

Awards & Recognition

I've been honored with several fellowships and research awards, including the Rackham International Research Award, MIRS Fellowship, and the Mahfoud Bennoune Memorial Thesis Award. These recognitions have supported my interdisciplinary training and sustained fieldwork, particularly in studying political behavior, state responses to dissent, and ethnic politics in the Middle East.