Zofia
Bednarowska-Michaiel, PhD
Postdoctoral Scholar
Department of Urban Studies and Planning
University of California, San Diego
Research Labs affiliations:
UCSD Homelessness Hub and
Center for Housing Policy and Design housed at the Design Lab
Spatial Equity, Regional Inequalities, Urban Planning and Sociology
Computational Social Sciences, Quantitative and Spatial Research
Research Profile
I am a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at UCSD, working across two interdisciplinary research hubs: the Homelessness Hub and Center for Housing Policy and Design housed at the Design Lab.
My research focuses on spatial equity, particularly in understanding what drives regional inequalities in mobility and active transportation, housing, access to amenities, and environmental justice, as well as the role racial and ethnic disparities play in these issues. My work sits at the intersection of regional science, urban planning, and sociology, with a strong emphasis on spatial statistical methods.
For my doctoral thesis, I collected data during research stays at the University at Buffalo, NY, and Lancaster University, UK, and applied spatial econometric methods to analyze and explain the phenomena of dead malls and retail deserts. I hold two master’s degrees: one in Political Science and another in Sociology with a specialization in Social Research and Data Analysis.
Before joining UCSD, I held a postdoctoral position as a Visiting Assistant Professor (Teaching Fellow in the UK) at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies at the University of Warwick, UK. There, I taught data science, programming, and urban science for graduate students, and completed a research grant on ethnic inequalities in cycling.
My background includes a unique blend of applied research, having completed over 100 projects in collaboration with local communities and through consulting in multinational projects, while working at a major tech company and a research agency.
Data Science Education
In a highly globalized market of data science degrees, Emma Uprichard and I discuss challenges of teaching students majoring in the field or as part of other majors. We compiled our joint experience of teaching interdisciplinary cohorts at the University of Warwick as well as our own separate teaching experiences from other European universities.
The landscape of data science and higher education is evolving rapidly. During writing this paper, Chat GPT was introduced for the first time and agreements were made among the UK, US, and China to collaborate on AI regulation and governance.
It’s time to rethink interdisciplinary data science to ensure we do not merely reproduce the socio-structural and methodological biases but help to transform it. Because – if we cannot communicate openly on teaching data science, how can we agree on shaping the future of data science and AI? Read the full paper here.
Ethnic Inequalities Research
A video abstract of my paper Ethnic inequalities in cycling to work in London
Research Portfolio
Current Research Projects at
UC San Diego
- Homelessness as a Regional Housing Problem, UC San Diego Homelessness Hub
- Environmental Justice at the San Diego – Tijuana trinational region, UC San Diego Design Lab
Completed Research Projects
Cycling ethnic inequity policies
A research project funded by the Institute of Advanced Study and Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies at the University of Warwick, UK.
Ethnic inequalities in cycling to work in London – spatial analysis
Read the research paper with detailed results.
Interdisciplinary Data Science Education (IDSE) is an effect of collaboration with Dr Emma Uprichard, where, pondering big data progression we investigated how to leverage diverse experiences and interdisciplinary teaching methods. We identify key challenges and stress the urgency for research and discourse on IDSE. Check the new paper here!
Spatial inequalities in consumption space and effect on livability
Spatial econometric model of CSP explains the mechanisms governing the CSP based on the case study. Classic retail theories only partially explain the CSP. This research moves it forward.
Dead malls and retail inequalities
– a case study of Buffalo, NY
To explain a seemingly purely economic problem of dying malls, I used mixed-methods approach and mobilities paradigm to learn about social exclusion in retail. There are two published research papers based on this project and a third one coming soon
Consumption Space Paradox
Consumption Space Paradox – overretailed areas and dead mall within close proximity. This concept was based on thorough and interdisciplinary empirical research and helped me identify new causes of spatial exclusion, peripheral locations, consumers behavior and mobilities justice.
Recent Publications
- Bednarowska-Michaiel, Z., Uprichard, E., (2025). Bringing Interdisciplinary Data Science Education Challenges into the Classroom. Journal of Statistics and Data Science Education, 33(3). https://doi.org/10.1080/26939169.2025.2507366
- Bednarowska-Michaiel, Z. (2023). Ethnic inequalities in cycling to work in London – mobilities injustice and regional approach. 10(1), 475–488. Regional Studies, Regional Science https://doi.org/10.1080/21681376.2023.2186802
- Bednarowska, Zofia, O’Brien, Jamie. (2019). Relating Movement to Information in Consumer Mobilities, Using Space Syntax. In C. Lassen, O. B. Jensen, I. S. Gotzsche Lange (Eds.), Material mobilities, pp. 59-76. London: Routledge. Link
- Bednarowska, Zofia. (2018). The Consumption Space Paradox: Over-Retailed Areas next to Dead Malls, Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica, 5(338), pp. 21-40. https://doi.org/10.18778/0208-6018.338.02
- Bednarowska, Zofia. Chrzanowski, Michał. (2017). Competences as a Core Factor Impacting Market Research Usage: State of Market Research Industry in Poland in: Batko, R., & Szopa, A. (Eds.). Strategic Imperatives and Core Competencies in the Era of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. Hershey: IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-1656-9.ch011
- Bednarowska, Zofia. (2015). A spatial regression model of retail chains development in Poland, Econometrics=Ekonometria, 3(49), pp.45-54. https://doi.org/10.15611/ekt.2015.3.04
- Bednarowska, Zofia. (2015). Desk research – exploiting the potential of secondary data in market and social research. Marketing i Rynek, 7, 18-26. https://core.ac.uk/reader/53136020
Bio
Zofia /zophia/ /ZAW-fyah/
Bednarowska-Michaiel, Ph.D. (she/her)
Research: Spatial Equity, Ethnic Inequalities, Regional Science, Computational Social Sciences, Urban Sociology
Methods: Statistical Modeling, Spatial Econometrics and Statistics, Survey Research, Social Data Science
Teaching: Data Science, Social Data Science, Research Methods, Statistical Data Analysis, Big Data, Urban Studies, Cities – an Interdisciplinary Perspective, Graduate Research Projects, Programming in R
Academic background
Prior to working at UC San Diego, I held a postdoctoral position at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies (CIM) and Q-Step Centre at the University of Warwick, UK as a Teaching Fellow (in the US it is equivalent to Visiting Assistant Professor).
Before that I worked in the Jagiellonian Centre for Evaluation and Analysis of Public Policies (CEAPP) and Centre for Mobilities Research (CeMoRe) at Lancaster University.
I have a PhD in Sociology in the area of Computational Social Sciences. My PhD was spanned across two sociology departments: the Lancaster University and the Jagiellonian University. I conducted fieldwork during my research stay at the University of Buffalo, NY. I have two master’s degrees: in Political Science and Sociology – Social Research and Data Analysis from the Jagiellonian University. I have also BA in Interfaculty Studies in Humanities.
I completed two summer schools in statistics – GEOSTAT Summer School at the University of Castilla-La Mancha and Essex Summer School in Social Science Data Analysis at the University of Essex. I studied a semester at the Universitat de Barcelona and completed my PhD research project at the The State University of New York at Buffalo.
I am a member of the European Regional Science Association (ERSA), The Regional Studies Association (RSA) and Global Mobilities Network.
Graduate Courses taught at Warwick, UK
SO9D6-20 Social Data Science (the Q-Step Centre module)
QS906 Big Data Research: Hype or Revolution? (the Q-Step Centre and CIM module)
IM939 Data Science Across Disciplines (CIM module)
IM927 Digital Cities: Interdisciplinary Perspectives (CIM module)
PO91Q Fundamentals in Quantitative Research Methods (the Q-Step Centre module)
IM906 Dissertation – supervision of MSc students
Research Grants
2022-2023 Ethnic inequalities in cycling – advocacy and policy in London, Institute of Advanced Study, University of Warwick (Postdoctoral, PI) Read more
2019-2021 Regional inequalities in access to public transportation and cycling, London (Postdoctoral, PI)
2016-2017 Consumer mobilites, Lancaster University (PhD, PI)
2016 Consumption space – a meta-analysis of spatial research studies, Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Poland, (PhD, PI)
2015 American “dead malls” – a case study of Buffalo, University at Buffalo, New York, USA (PhD, PI)
Profiles
Current affiliations:
Department of Urban Studies and Planning, University of California, San Diego, USA
Homelessness Hub and Design Lab
Previous postdoctoral affiliations as a Visiting Assistant Professor (Teaching Fellow):
Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies, University of Warwick, UK
Warwick Q-Step Centre, University of Warwick, UK
Previous affiliations as a PhD student:
Centre for Mobilities Research, Lancaster University, UK
Center for Evaluation and Analysis of Public Policies, Jagiellonian University, PL
Causes I care about
- Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
- A great source of knowledge – Alzheimer’s Society
- Email me for ready-to-use resources to support caring for people with dementia or Alzheimer’s at home.
- Equity, Human Rights & Minorities Support
- See wonderful work that The Bike Project does in London, UK, where I used to volunteer
- Are you a minority student or first gen? Email me, if you are considering
a degree in urban studies, data science and computational social science - At Warwick we had a ‘Say My Name’ project. Check it out here
- Local Community Development & Sustainable Travel
- Melanoma and other types of Skin Cancer
- A family company that produces UPF50+ sun wear
Research for Equity 