Huan Gao was a 2019-2020 CSCC postdoctoral fellow. She is currently a postdoctoral teaching fellow at Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University. She received her Ph.D. in Government from Harvard University. Her research agenda centers on spatial politics and civil society, with a regional focus on China. More specifically, she is interested in how physical space shapes political behavior and state power, paying particular attention to the contrast between democracies and authoritarian regimes. Her current research employs qualitative methods including archival research, interviews, and participant observation; planned future projects will employ a wider range of innovative analytical tools including GIS and experimental methods to corroborate findings and expand hercurrent research.