I am an interdisciplinary scholar and research, and I am motivated by how urban planning tools can be a force for community-initiated changes and build inclusive neighborhoods. My research, teaching, and community engagement focuses on immigrants, race/ethnicity, Asian Americans, and residential segregation. My work clarifies when and where immigrant neighborhoods affect socioeconomic mobility and how community institutions disrupt racial inequities in times of change. My research also examines equity, diversity, and inclusion issues related to institutional and organizational practices. 

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I have partnered and worked with community organizations for more than 18 years to inform my community engagement. I earned a PhD in Urban Planning from UCLA and a Master's of Urban Planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Previously, I was an Assistant Professor at the University of Oklahoma, and I have taught courses at the University of California, Los Angeles in Urban Planning and Asian American Studies.