Tong received her doctorate in geography and master's in civil engineering from The Ohio State University. Tong’s research has mainly focused on the use of spatial analytics including spatial optimization, geographic information system (GIS), spatial statistics and big data to support urban and regional studies concerning locational decisions, transportation, food access, and public health. Her recent projects include modeling spatial data uncertainty, collaborative geodesign for alternative fuel locations, modeling vector-borne disease spread at various spatial scales, analyzing issues with urban food access and urban agriculture, and examining rainwater as potential resource for water independence in desert cities.