Danial Vahabli
Sociology PhD Student, B.Sc in Physics
I am a sociology PhD student at Stony Brook University, NY and the graduate fellow of Institute for Advanced Computational Science. In my research I use both computational methods and qualitative methods to study the intersection of culture, globalization, and resistance.
In my dissertation project I am focusing on transnational dimensions of domestic protests with insights from political sociology, migration studies, and media studies. I have previously shown how biases in global civil society effect the extent and the tone of the coverage of protests in Iran (link).
I am also interested in protest art and its role on everyday acts of resistance. I am especially interested in Iranian protest rap and the ways in which rappers articulate grievances (link).
Prior to joining Stony Brook University, I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Middle East Technical University in Turkey, complemented by a minor in sociology. During my undergraduate studies, my academic focus centered on simulating collective behavior using CUDA-accelerated agent-based simulation models.
Research Projects
Awards and Scholarships
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Winner of Conflict, Social Action, and Change Division's Graduate Student Paper Award by Society for the Study of Social Problems, 2025 for paper titled "Mentioning the Unmentionable: Perception of Opportunities, Agency, Emotions, and Identity in Iranian Resistance Rap prior and during the Women, Life, Freedom Uprisings"
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Hanan Selvin Award for outstanding quantitative and/or methodological paper from Stony Brook University’s Sociology department for paper titled "From the Global South to the World Stage: A Study of Global Frame Resonance Using a Comparative Case of Women, Life, Freedom and Bloody November in Iran"
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Beneficiary of the graduate fellowship of the Institute of Advanced Computational Sciences.
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Beneficiary of TUTÜBÄ°TAK (Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) Scholarship for my Work With Prof. Serim Ilday.