Rui Zhang is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University (MSU).

She is interested in using spatially explicit computational modeling approaches to simulate land cover change and coupled human and natural systems (CHANS). As a dual major student in MSU’s Environmental Science and Policy Program, Rui aims to apply system modeling to understand dynamics and complexity in CHANS, and provide insights to inform environmental planning and policymaking.

Her recent research is focusing on using Agent-based Modeling (ABM) combined with spatial analysis to explore the interactions between agricultural behaviors in Lake Erie Basin and the severity of harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie, and examine how environmental policy as an external factor affects the dynamics in the system.