CV
Experience Complex Systems Summer School
Santa Fe Institute
2026 (upcoming)
Research Fellow
MIT Senseable City Lab
2023 - 2026
Summer Intern
Complexity Science Hub
2024
GIS and Mapping Specialist
Data Services, NYU Division of Libraries
2022 - 2023
EducationNew York University
MS in Applied Urban Science and Informatics
2022
Tianjin University
BEng in Urban Planning
2020
ExhibitionMetropolitan Cuneiform
Data Through Design (DxD) 2026, echo{logies}, BRIC, NYC
Street Scores
Interactive Installation & Performance, MIT Open Space
2025
Eyes on the Street
19th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia 2025
Re-Leaf
19th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia 2025
Word as Image
Shanghai Library
2023
Talks Visual Empathy in the Age of Data
Data | Art Symposium, Harvard University
2025
Visualizing Seshat: Unveiling Patterns in Human History with Seshat Databank
Complexity Science Hub
2024
The Electric Commute: Envisioning 100% Electrified Mobility in NYC
NYC Open Data Week
2023
Services
NYC Open Data Ambassador Trainee
Jingrong Zhang | 张镜荣
Jingrong Zhang is a researcher and creative practitioner working across urbanism, data, design, and art. At MIT, she uses AI, computer vision, and visualization to study social behavior in public space, urban equity, and the relationship between cities and nature. Her work spans research and installation — from geospatial modeling to exhibitions at the Venice Biennale — exploring how data can function as both evidence and cultural expression. She holds a Master’s degree in Applied Urban Science and Informatics from New York University. Her work has been supported by the Council for the Arts at MIT and recognized by the World Economic Forum, Dezeen, Esri, and NYC Open Data.
< Home >
Email: jingrong.zhang@nyu.edu
[Mens et Manus]
Photo: Metropolis at MIT
Mens et Manus My work lives at the intersection of data, computation, and human experience — but a visualization is never just a screen. Making at MIT has pushed me to extend digital ideas into physical form: cutting light through stained glass, pulling flame through glass tubing, threading conductive paths into fabric. Each tool I've learned is a new grammar for the same question:
how can data and structure become something you can see, touch, and feel?
Explore at https://make.mit.edu/
Stained Glass
An introduction to the copper-foil method: designing a pattern, scoring and breaking glass, wrapping each piece in copper foil, then soldering the joints and applying patina. The process demands precision at every step — a hairline miscut in glass cannot be undone. The result is a small panel that plays differently with every shift of light.
Tools: glass cutter, copper foil, soldering iron, patina solution
Photo credits: Taras Nagornyy
Glass Flamework
Hands-on glassworking with oxy-propane torches at Metropolis Hotwork. Using heat and gravity to manipulate glass rods — pulling, wrapping, and shaping molten material in real time. The session focused on forming a glass marble, learning to read the material's viscosity and color as guides to temperature.
Tools: oxy-propane torch, graphite paddle, mandrel
Sewing and Embroidery
Fabric as a medium for pattern and code. Using Ink/Stitch, embroidery designs are drawn as vector paths and translated into machine stitch sequences — bridging graphic design and textile craft. The sewing machine introduced garment construction and material assembly; the embroidery machine added precision patterning at small scale.
Tools: sewing machine, digital embroidery machine
Software: Inkscape, Ink/Stitch
3D Printing — FDM and SLA
Two complementary approaches to additive manufacturing. FDM (fused deposition modeling) builds objects layer by layer from thermoplastic filament — good for structural parts and rapid iteration. SLA (stereolithography) uses photosensitive resin cured by light, producing finer surface detail and supporting more complex geometries. Both workflows include design-to-print preparation and post-processing.
Tools: Prusa (FDM), Formlabs Form printer (SLA)
Software: PrusaSlicer, PreForm
Vinyl Cutter
A sharp blade guided by vector paths cuts or scores sheet vinyl into precise shapes. The session covered designing a posterized image, setting cut parameters, weeding the negative space, and transferring the final sticker. The output — a cityscape decal applied to a laptop back — demonstrated how a 2D digital design translates directly into a physical, adhesive object.
Tools: vinyl cutter, weeding tools, transfer tape
Software: Inkscape, Silhouette Studio
Laser Cutter
A high-powered laser cuts and engraves materials — wood, acrylic, fabric — with precision unachievable by hand. Vector lines become cuts; rasterized areas become engraved surfaces. The Epilog Fusion M2 at Metropolis handles both operations in a single pass, controlled through print-driver software.
Tools: Epilog Fusion M2
Software: LightBurn, Illustrator
Circuit Mill and Electronics Bench
CNC milling applied to printed circuit board fabrication. Using the Othermill desktop milling machine, copper-clad board is precisely carved to create conductive traces — a subtractive route to electronics prototyping. The session culminated in assembling and testing a working LED blinking circuit, combining board design, milling, component soldering, and debugging.
Tools: Othermill CNC, soldering iron, multimeter
Software: Bantam Tools, KiCad