Network Dynamics for Social Impact Lab is a research lab at the Department of Human and Organizational Development at Vanderbilt University. Directed by Dr. Rong Wang, the lab consists of a team of undergraduate and graduate researchers.

Our team researches multilevel collaborative efforts to tackle complex social issues. We also have a focus on the role nonprofits, social enterprises, and corporations play in understanding root causes and locating effective solutions through partnerships.

Current projects our lab members are working on:

Refugee serving coalitions in Nashville
CSR, corporate alliance and corporate reputation
Social enterprises and the role of bricolage and partnerships
Anti-racism and anti-AAPI hate campaigns

Lab Members

Jiaxun Du

Jiaxun Du is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Community Research and Action program at Vanderbilt University’s Department of Human and Organizational Department. His research interests surround the intersection of inequality and organization, particularly how inequality hinders nonprofit organizations’ ability to achieve their mission and how their practice may unintentionally reproduce inequality. Jiaxun received his B.A. in sociology at Beijing Normal University and M.A. in Philanthropic Studies at Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University.

Taylor Hill

Taylor Hill is a junior at Vanderbilt University majoring in Human and Organizational Development (HOD) with minors in Business and Environmental and Sustainability Studies. As an HOD honors student, she is conducting interviews and research for her thesis, which examines the role of social enterprises in driving systemic social change in Nashville. Her pilot study this semester is centered around the question, “What immediate roles do social enterprises in Nashville play in promoting systemic social change?” Taylor is deeply passionate about social justice, equity, community development, and the intersection of sustainability and social enterprise. She is committed to research that fosters meaningful social change, mainly through the lens of social entrepreneurship.

Stella Lee

Stella is a 3rd-year student studying HOD and Computer Science with a focus on Data Science, exploring how the Asian American diaspora shapes leadership, identity, and representation. The research seeks to understand the impact of cultural identity in navigating societal structures and technological change.

Prisha Punjwani

Prisha Punjwani is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Public Policy Studies and Human & Organizational Development. As a research assistant at NDSC, she is interested in exploring partnership patterns for refugee-serving non-profit organizations in Nashville, TN.

Yiwen Shan

Yiwen Shan is an undergraduate student majoring in Human and Organizational Development, with minors in Business and Medicine, Health, and Society at Vanderbilt University. With nearly a year of lab experience, Yiwen has developed a strong foundation in business and marketing. Her research interests focus on understanding organizational communication and behavior, particularly within collaborative environments. Currently, Yiwen is engaged in projects related to Nashville’s refugee and immigrant communities, exploring how these communities’ serving organizations cooperate and how coalitions facilitate collaboration. Additionally, she is independently researching crowdsourcing platforms to better understand virtual collaboration dynamics.

Yuan Uy

Yuan is a 3rd year undergraduate student studying Human and Organizational Development. As a research assistant, he has contributed to projects analyzing anti-Asian hate, using X (formerly known as Twitter) data and network analysis to explore interpersonal dynamics. He also worked on a refugee-serving coalition project, focusing on survey and interview analysis to define successful coalition strategies.

Andy Yandi Wu

Andy is a junior at Vanderbilt University double majoring in Human & Organizational Development (HOD) and Cognitive Studies with a minor in Medicine, Health, & Society (MHS). Having worked in the lab for almost a year as a research assistant and a lab manager, his research interests primarily lie in understanding the role that network dynamics amongst individuals and corporations play in social justice issues, including the anti-Asian hate social media campaign and the non-profit refugee coalitions. In addition, he is independently completing a study on technology companies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) supporting the journalism community to counter the risks imposed by AI-induced misinformation.