Long was born in Wenzhou and grew up in Shanghai, China. He received his B.S. in Optics from Fudan University, and is now pursing his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at Columbia University. He is interested in applying x-ray and neutron PDF techniques to solve the structure problems in magnetic systems, novel 2D materials, and nanoparticles. Besides research, he likes going on road trips, playing pool, and watching movies.