Quantitative social scientist, data scientist, sociologist, and writer
About
Doing social research is my way of giving back to the world
I am a sociologist and graduate student in Data Science at Texas
Tech University. I use quantitative research, survey data, and
quantitative methods to analyze how people's beliefs and actions
shape their well-being.
My MA thesis examined religion and subjective well-being using the
World Values Survey. Now I am expanding my toolkit in Python, R,
SQL, statistical modeling, data management, and machine learning
while continuing to explore social questions through data.
Teaching and communicating research are also central to my work. I
have taught and mentored students in various settings and
developed large-scale digital learning content in sociology. I
have communicated my research at multiple academic conferences and
through poster presentations. I was a winner of the 2025 Texas
Tech 3-Minute Thesis Competition.
Education
Master of Science in Data Science
I am expanding my social research toolkit through data science, gaining both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in programming, databases, statistical modeling, machine learning, and computational methods. This training strengthens my ability to work systematically with complex data and apply computational methods to real-world analytical problems.
Master of Arts in Sociology
My MA in Sociology marked a transition from studying sociological ideas to conducting hands-on empirical research. Using large-scale survey data, my master’s thesis examined the relationship between religious beliefs and practices and subjective well-being, strengthening my experience in research design, quantitative analysis, statistical methods, and survey research.
Master of Social Sciences in Sociology
My graduate study at the University of Dhaka deepened my training in sociological theory, research methodology, health and illness, social gerontology, population, and development paradigms. It also strengthened my interest in quantitative research and the social conditions that shape people’s well-being.
Bachelor of Social Sciences in Sociology
My academic journey in Sociology began at the University of Dhaka, where I developed a broad foundation in social theory, research methods, health, population, religion, culture, and social change. These years shaped my interest in understanding how social conditions, institutions, and human behavior influence people’s lives.
My research examines how religion, culture, disability, and social conditions shape well-being.
Islam, Tahmid Ul. Religion and Subjective Well-Being: Comparing the Influence of Religious Beliefs and Practices. Manuscript in preparation.
Akter, Kazi Mahmuda, Tanjum Tushi, Sabrina Jahan Mily, Rashenda Aziz Mohona, Samin Anis, Adittya Kishor Chakraborty, Elmee Tabassum, Tahmid Ul Islam, Ozifatun Jannat Akhi, Israt Sultana Nishe, Badrun Nahar Laxy, Sanjida Sultana Zerin, Abdiqani Jama Roble, Md. Imran Hossain, Sharmin Ahmed, and Salauddin Al Azad. 2020. “RT-PCR Mediated Identification of SARS-CoV-2 Patients from Particular Regions of Bangladesh and the Multi-factorial Analysis Considering Their Pre and Post Infection Health Conditions.” (opens in a new tab) Biotechnology Journal International 24(6):43–56.
I believe the impact of social research can be multiplied when it is communicated beyond academia
Technical Skills
Technologies I use for research, data analysis, and development
I primarily use R for data manipulation, cleaning, and analysis using the tidyverse. I particularly enjoy ggplot2 and its grammar of graphics framework, along with R’s vast package ecosystem.
I appreciate Python for its simplicity and readable syntax. While I started in R, I am currently focused on pandas and seaborn because of Python’s widespread industry adoption.
I used Stata extensively for my Sociology MA thesis to clean, recode, and analyze data.
Although I started with MySQL, I am currently focused on PostgreSQL because of its widespread use and open-source nature.
I am capable of designing relational database schemas using entity-relationship diagrams.
I use Tableau to build interactive dashboards and am currently further developing this skill through graduate coursework.
I am currently learning Power BI and building proficiency in creating reports and interactive dashboards.
I use Excel for smaller datasets, general-purpose data entry, quick inspection, and straightforward analysis rather than advanced statistical modeling.
Git is one of my favorite tools. I value the control it provides over version history, experimentation, and reproducible development workflows.
I appreciate GitHub for its power in sharing knowledge, code, and tools. This website is hosted using GitHub Pages.
I appreciate the extensibility of open-source systems. While my primary laptop is a Mac, I frequently work with Linux through command-line environments and servers.
Driven by a preference for keyboard-centric workflows, I use Bash regularly for file manipulation and command-line tasks.
VS Code is my primary development environment. I value its extensibility and its simple, intuitive interface.
Learning Vim was one of my best productivity decisions. I use Vim-style keybindings wherever possible as part of my keyboard-driven workflow.
I was initially drawn to LaTeX by the Computer Modern typeface and the simplicity of working in plain text. I now use it for creating structured academic and professional documents.
I am actively exploring AI coding agents as part of my development workflow. This website was developed with the assistance of Codex and GitHub Copilot.
Academic writing is one of the most valuable skills I developed in graduate school. Writing is a tool I use for thinking, developing arguments and theories, and identifying gaps in my logic.
I have a strong foundation in statistical concepts. After using multiple linear regression in my MA thesis, I am continuing to deepen my knowledge of regression, statistical modeling, and machine learning.
I primarily use quantitative methods in social research while appreciating how quantitative and qualitative approaches can complement each other.
Through my MA thesis, I developed a strong appreciation for the usefulness of survey data in understanding social reality.
I gained hands-on experience with research design through developing and completing my MA thesis and other graduate research projects.
Literature review is a core skill developed through my graduate coursework and research. I focus on interpreting and synthesizing academic literature to understand existing knowledge and identify research gaps.
I interpret statistical results in substantive context, with an emphasis on translating numerical findings into meaningful insights.
Teaching is an important part of my professional experience. See the Teaching & Research section below for examples of my teaching, mentoring, and educational work.
Experience
Roles that shaped how I teach, communicate, and work with evidence
I supported undergraduate sociology and criminology courses through teaching, grading, course management, and student mentoring. I also taught undergraduate students the core topics of Sociology of Religion and worked one-on-one with students on their academic work.
I helped students prepare for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), teaching reading, writing, listening, and speaking. I provided individualized feedback, particularly on writing and speaking, to help students improve their English proficiency. This experience strengthened my ability to explain ideas clearly and adapt my teaching to the needs of individual learners.
I conducted archival research and collected and categorized qualitative material from newspaper archives. This was an early lesson in systematic evidence collection and the careful work behind building a research dataset.
I worked across instruction, quality assurance, and assessment development for a large digital learning platform. The experience taught me how to turn complex material into clear, structured learning experiences for a broad audience.
Impact in Numbers
Recognitions that encouraged me to keep growing
Contact
Interested in research, collaboration, or data-related
opportunities?
I would be happy to hear from you.
tahmid.ul.islam71@outlook.com Personal correspondence
tahmisla@ttu.edu Texas Tech colleagues and contacts
Or send a message
Master of Science in Data Science
Master of Social Sciences in Sociology
