Bio

I was born in mid-fall, shortly after a major flood in southern China. As a result, my parents gave me a name that is a small pun. Publicly, most people read it in a Confucian key—beneficence that reaches far. Privately, it means staying away from marshes and floods—my parents simply wanted me to be safe.

For the first 14 years of my life, I never left my small hometown in the middle of nowhere. Both of my parents are locals, and so were our earliest traceable ancestors—going back a thousand years (my friend Josh Jackson visited our family temple and can vouch for that!).

Had life gone as expected, I might have stayed, grown old, and died in my hometown, where I already had a happy little life—and you probably would not be seeing this website. My mother’s dream for me was to graduate from high school, and she promised a big party if I did. But I’ve always had an annoyingly curious and adventurous streak, which has consistently nudged me off the expected path (sorry, Mom!).

At 14, I left home for school. I then spent four years in Changsha, seven in Beijing, and three in Chicago before moving to Boston for my PhD. I am always excited for the next stop!

With my mom — I was eager to find the zoo.

That same adventurousness also made me a generalist. I am drawn to big questions at the intersection of psychology, cultural evolution, and the social sciences, and I often borrow ideas from linguistics, philosophy, anthropology, and biology.

When I am not doing research, I will likely be outside. I love wandering through neighborhoods, learning about new cultures, and spending time with friends.