====== Xin Cynthia Tong ======

Cynthia is now an assistant professor at the University of Virginia

Email: xtong@virginia.edu
===== Research Interests =====
  * Bayesian methods: apply Bayesian methods to growth curve modeling, item response theory, and dynamic system analysis. 
  * Structural growth curve modeling: growth curve model diagnostics and robust analysis. 
  * Robust structural equation modeling: structural equation modeling with nonnormal and missing data. 
  * Longitudinal development of cognitive ability

===== Awards =====
  * 2013, 2012, 2011: Departmental travel award from the Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame. 
  * 2013, 2011: Student Travel Award from the Society of Multivariate Experimental Psychology to attend its annual meeting. 
  * 2013, 2011: Conference Presentation Grant from Graduate Student Union of the University of Notre Dame. 
  * 2012: Student Travel Award from the Society of Multivariate Experimental Psychology to chair the pre-conference of its annual meeting at Vancouver, BC, Canada. 
  * 2012 Graduate Student Professional Development Award, University of Notre Dame. 


===== Publications =====

  * **Tong, X.**, Zhang, Z., & Yuan, K.-H. (in press). Evaluation of Test Statistics for Robust Structural Equation Modeling with Nonnormal Missing Data. //Structural Equation Modeling//. 
  * Yuan, K.-H., **Tong, X.**, & Zhang, Z. (in press). Bias and efficiency for SEM with missing data and auxiliary variables: Two-Stage Robust Method versus Two-Stage ML. //Structural Equation Modeling//. 
  * Zhang, Z., Lai, K., Lu, Z., & **Tong, X.** (2013). Bayesian inference and application of robust growth curve models using student’s t distribution. //Structural equation modeling, 20//(1), 47-78. 
  * **Tong, X.**, & Zhang, Z. (2012). Diagnostics of robust growth curve modeling using student’s t distribution. //Multivariate Behavioral Research, 47//(4), 493-518. 
  * **Tong, X.**, Zhang, Z., & Yuan, K.-H. (2011). Evaluation of test statistics for robust structural equation modeling with non-normal missing data. //Multivariate Behavioral Research, 46//, 1016. (Abstract) 
  * Liu, W., **Tong, X.**, & Lin, Y. (2011). An approximation procedure for stock prices with fractal functions. //Journal of Mathematics in Practice and Theory, 41//(2), 15-24. 
  * Lin, Y., & **Tong, X.** (2008). Fractal fitting research on stock prices. //Congress on Image and Signal Processing, 4//, 49-53. 

===== Software =====

  * Tong, X., & Zhang, Z. (2013). gcmdiag: An R package for outlying observation diagnostics in growth curve modeling. 
  * Zhang, Z. and Tong, X. (2011). Online software of distribution diagnostics for robust growth curve models. Available at http://nd.psychstat.org/research/mbr2012.
  * Zhang, Z., Tong, X., & Lu, Z. (2010). Online software for Bayesian estimation of robust growth curve models using Student's t distribution. Available at http://webstats.psychstat.org/semrgcm. 

===== Invited Presentations =====
  * Tong, X. (2013, June). Robust structural equation modeling with nonnormal/missing data. An invited talk given to the Department of Mathematics, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China. 
  * Yuan, K.-H., Tong, X., & Zhang, Z. (2012, July). Bias and efficiency for SEM with missing data and auxiliary variables: Robust method versus normal distribution based ML. An invited talk given at the 2nd Institute of Mathematical Statistics Asia Pacific Rim Meeting (Invited Paper Session). Tsukuba, Japan.
 
===== Conference Presentations =====

  * Tong, X., & Zhang, Z. (2013, October). Nonparametric Bayesian modeling with applications in growth curve analysis. Poster presentation at the 11th Graduate Student Pre-conference of Annual Society of Multivariate Experimental Psychology Meeting, Tampa, FL. 
  * Tong, X., & Zhang, Z. (2013, July). Outlying Observation Diagnostics in Growth Curve Modeling. Paper presented at the 78th Annual Conference of Psychometric Society, Arnhem, the Netherlands. 
  * Tong, X., Zhang, Z., & Yuan, K.-H. (2012, May). Evaluation of test statistics for robust structural equation modeling. Paper presented at the 24th Annual Convention of Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL. 
  * Zhang, Z., Lai, K., Lu, Z., & Tong, X. (2012, May). Bayesian Robust Growth Curve Modeling Based on Student's t Distribution. Paper presented at the 24th Annual Convention of Association for Psychological Science, Chicago IL. 
  * Tong, X., Zhang, Z., & Yuan, K.-H. (2011, October). Evaluation of test statistics for robust SEM with non-normal missing data. Paper presented at the 9th Graduate Student Pre-conference of Annual Society of Multivariate Experimental Psychology Meeting, Norman, OK. 
  * Tong, X., & Zhang, Z. (2011, August). Bayesian inference for robust growth curve modeling using t distribution. Paper presented at the 119th Convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC. 
  * Cheung, R. Y. M., Tong, X., & Shrestha, G. (2011, June). The role of social support in the relationship between family violence and suicidal tendency: a test of competing hypotheses. Paper presented at the Society of Prevention Research 2011 Annual Meeting, Washington, DC.