About me

I joined the Department of Earth, Environment and Planning, East Carolina University as an assistant professor in 2025 fall. My research fields include environmental economics, environmental justice, and spatial analysis. I’m especially interested in the spatial analysis of environmental justice and energy justice using various models including the Input-output model, spatial econometric model, etc. I hold a Ph.D. in geographical sciences from the University of Maryland, where my research focuses on the spatial variations in the relationships between pollution and racial disparity/socioeconomic indicators.

Employment

August, 2025 ~ present: Assistant Professor, the Department of Earth, Environment and Planning, East Carolina University

July, 2023 ~ July 2025: Postdoctoral Associate, the Center for Global Sustainability, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland

Education

University of Maryland, College Park, USA, August 2023 PhD in Geographical Sciences – Human Geography

Peking University, Beijing, China, July, 2019 MSc Environmental Sciences

Hunan University, Hunan, China, July, 2016 BA Economics

Contact info

Email: hug25@ecu.edu

🎓 I am currently accepting new Ph.D. and Master’s students!

I am actively recruiting Ph.D. and Master’s students for interdisciplinary research in environmental geography, GIScience, spatial modeling, and sustainability science. Interested students are encouraged to contact me by email with their research interests and academic background.