Mathematica today announced the appointment of Matthew Salganik to serve as a member of the organization’s board of directors. Salganik is a professor of sociology at Princeton University and is widely recognized for his expertise in computational social science. He joins 14 other board members committed to helping set the strategic direction of the company and ensuring that Mathematica continues to deliver on its mission of improving public well-being.
“Matt is a global leader in examining the many ways that data science and social science can work together to improve the lives of millions of people,” said Mathematica President and Chief Executive Officer, Paul Decker. “His unique perspective will help our board and our staff uncover new ways to objectively assess what the evidence says and how it can be applied to today’s toughest social challenges.”
Salganik is the author of Bit by Bit: Social Research in the Digital Age and will serve as a professor in residence at the New York Times during the 2018-2019 academic year. His research has been sponsored by organizations including the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Joint United Nations Program for HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Russell Sage Foundation, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, among others.
“Data can be a powerful tool for achieving positive social change,” said Salganik. “I look forward to working with Mathematica to help reimagine the ways that policymakers and program leaders gather and use data to move from big questions to deep insights.”
Salganik’s papers have been widely published in scholarly journals, earning him the Outstanding Article Award from the Mathematical Sociology Section of the American Sociological Association and the Outstanding Statistical Application Award from the American Statistical Association. A Fulbright fellow, he earned a Ph.D. in sociology from Columbia University and an M.A. in sociology from Cornell University.