My research focuses on how individuals coordinate and interact within fluid social landscapes. My work features empirical analyses of large behavioral data sets, with an eye toward longitudinal and network-based processes. I also use agent-based models and social simulation to develop insights on social behavior.
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​Homophily, Networks, and Polarization

Homophily, the tendency for similar individuals to associate with one another, is a seemingly ubiquitous feature of many societies.
Large online traces of social networks can improve our estimates of the levels of segregation and integration between different groups in society. Conversely, respondent-driven sampling (RDS), a network-sampling technique that is used by sociologists and public health workers, leverages the phenomenon of homophily to gather information about hidden and hard-to-reach populations. My work involves studying patterns of interaction between different online groups, advancing RDS methodology, and examining how homophily and influence generate larger patterns of polarization.


​Networks and Trajectories in Dynamic Labor Markets

Careers that typically unfold across or outside of organizations can shed insight on how individuals will make their way through an increasingly decentralized labor market.

Using data sets from the worlds of sports and entertainment, my research currently examines how trajectories of professional success unfold over time, and the role that social networks and evolving professional environments play in this process.
Top panel shows the largest connected component of the NHL Fighting network from 2005-2012 - each node represents a player and is colored by player scoring rate, and edges are omitted for clarity.  Bottom panel shows relationship between player scoring rates, the total number of games players, and fighting network centrality.  (More data visualizations available here.)
Coordination, Cooperation, and Governance

How do groups and communities of individual actors govern themselves and coordinate activity? Using simulations and agent-based models, I examine how the formation of expectations, contests for status, and social inequality can either help or hinder social coordination. I have also empirically examine the motives of peer-sanctioning and peer-rewarding - important tools of social cohesion - through the context of online review systems.