Matt Simonson

Matt is a sixth-year doctoral student studying conflict, crises, and networks under Dr. David Lazer. His dissertation draws upon 10 months of fieldwork in Bosnia, where he investigated how individuals relied on their personal networks for protection, aid, and rescue during the 1992–5 genocide and civil war though surveys and interviews with survivors. His work is characterized by a synthesis of political science, network analysis, history, sociology, and statistics. Other projects include pioneering new approaches in causal inference, exploring the impact of road networks on conflict in Africa, and examining the spread of COVID-19 in household networks. A proud native of Washington, DC, Matt majored in mathematics and international studies at Williams College, taught high school for 7 years, and worked at Seeds of Peace International Camp, bringing together teenagers from conflict regions. A volunteer high school cross country coach, Matt was the winner of the 2019 Unusual Marathon in Sarajevo.