Welcome to my site! My name is Zixi Chen (陈梓曦). I am an Assistant Professor of Practice in Computational Social Science at New York University Shanghai, with an affiliation at the Center for Applied Social and Economic Research (CASER).
I obtained my PhD in Measurement and Quantitative Methods from Michigan State University. Prior to joining NYU Shanghai, I completed postdoctoral research at the University of Minnesota and served as a visiting scholar at Infinite Campus, a leading EdTech company in the United States.
My research examines how digital technologies and artificial intelligence shape social relationships, institutional practices, and unequal opportunities. Education is a central setting for this work, alongside studies of work, organizations, and social networks.
I combine computational social science with quantitative research methods, including text analysis, social network analysis, and statistical modeling. My published work examines teachers’ use of social media, interaction in digital learning environments, and methods for studying social processes with digital data.
Building on this work, my current projects examine how institutions guide AI use, how people interact with AI in digital spaces, and how cultural perspectives are represented in educational and AI-generated content. These projects extend my interest in social networks and institutional practices to understanding how AI reshapes human agency, social relationships, and unequal opportunities.
