Joice Chen
Sociology, Information Science and Robert S. Harrison College Scholar
Beijing, China
What was your favorite class and why?
Networks, Crowds, and Markets, which I took with Professors David Easley and Yian Yin. It is a truly inspiring and interdisciplinary course intersecting the fields of economics, information science and the social sciences. The course shaped a lot of my later intellectual interests, and also introduced me to a relational lens for understanding and thinking about the world.
What is your main extracurricular activity and why is it important to you?
I have been a member, instructor and co-president of Amber Dance Troupe, a student-led Chinese cultural dance troupe that practices traditional and folk dances. Having practiced dance for many years, it has remained personally meaningful to me, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have found a community that shares this passion. Being able to bond through our cultural heritage, and to together reproduce classic choreographies for a broad, diverse audience at our annual showcases were especially meaningful. The hours spent at the dance rooms in Willard Straight Hall every week is a source of great joy and lasting memories.
What have you accomplished as a Cornell student that you are most proud of?
I was selected as a Robert S. Harrison College Scholar in my sophomore year at Cornell. The College Scholar Program centers on independent, interdisciplinary research, allowing students to design their own curriculum around a focused direction of inquiry. Through this program, I was able to pursue intellectual questions beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries, which ultimately developed into my current thesis investigating the evolution of the structure of mass opinion. The program also created opportunities to connect with faculty across diverse areas of study and, importantly, brought together a cohort of students who are all unique but share a similar intellectual drive. Engaging with their distinct perspectives has been very inspiring, and it was especially meaningful to see us grow as scholars.
Who or what influenced your Cornell education the most?
Professor Michael Macy has played an influential role in my time at Cornell. I was first exposed to computational social science in a first-year social psychology course he co-taught with Professor Stephen Ceci. I was immediately drawn to the idea that social phenomenon can be studied through first-principles approaches, and the course sparked many of the questions that continue to fascinate me today. I am very fortunate to later have learned from Professor Macy beyond the classroom, including developing my first research project under his guidance. His mentorship and insight have greatly shaped my academic path and prepared me to pursue a career in computational social science.
Every year, our faculty nominate graduating Arts & Sciences students to be featured as part of our Extraordinary Journeys series. Read more about the Class of 2026.
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