“I never thought I’d be a sociologist,” Liu said, laughing. “Only a business person.”

Members within MSU’s sociology department are excited by Liu’s contributions in her first few weeks at MSU, said Steven Gold, an associate chairman in the Department of Sociology.

After she received a master’s degree in economics while studying in China, Liu came to the University of Texas at Austin as a sociology doctoral student.

One of Liu’s interests included population study — a field often listed under an American university’s sociology department.

Liu enjoyed thinking about the society while taking classes in the department.

An interest in population study helped Liu in her career, but she didn’t completely abandon her economic studies and earned a master’s in statistics as she completed her doctoral sociology degree.

Although degrees in statistics and economics wouldn’t seem to relate to an interest in sociology, Liu said her studies helped her in her new field.

“My background in economics and statistics is definitely helpful for me understanding and applying quantitative research methods in my own research in sociology,” she said.

Liu met Debra Umberson, a sociology professor at the University of Texas at Austin, while in a graduate seminar taught by Umberson.

“I knew from the beginning that she was going to be an outstanding scholar,” Umberson said.