General Information

I am currently a candidate in a joint PhD program with the departments of Political Science and Philosophy at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. I also earned a certificate in complex systems from the Center for the Study of Complex Systems. If the center offered a PhD then I would get that instead of the joint degree, but they don't. I expect to graduate with my PhD in May 2010.

Before coming to UM I completed a Master of Science degree in Mathematics at Northeastern University in Boston. Previous to that I participated in several courses at Boston University, mostly in Game Theory and Mathematics, where I was accepted as a PhD student in economics, but I have nothing to show for that time except the knowledge gained and plenty to complain about. I hold two bachelor degrees, both received from the University of Florida in 1999. A Bachelor of Science in Economics from the College of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. I have also studied Japanese language for two months at Eurocentres intensive language program in Kanazawa, Japan.

My primary research fields are the highly interdiscplinary fields of Complex Systems and supporting subjects in Mathematics, Computer Science, and Philosophy. My dissertation focuses on the evolution of morality and social institutions (culture), but the broader picture includes research in methodology for computational models of human behavior, new mathematical/statistical measures, and developing a theoretical foundation for the study of complexity science. You can find out more about my research from ComplexityBlog, and...

...here are some of the things that excite me:

Papers

I've separated my papers into two sections: one for technical papers in methodology, mathematics, or anything else with equations and one for everything else (which for me is usually philosophy papers). I present them with their abstracts and any other pertinent information. Most of these were written for classes -occasionally worked afterwards but typically not. Others are larger projects, pedagogical works, or polished notes. Works in progress, short papers, and sketches of ideas are all published on my research blog.

Computer Models

Since my main research thrust is complex systems methodology, I have developed a high level of capability in building computer simulations, especially agent-based models of complex adatpive systems. These include system dynamics models, game theoretic models, network models, free-roaming agent models and various hybrids of these types. In this section I will descibe and and present some of the models that I've worked on in the context of modeling (i.e. the technique itself rather than what it's a model of).

Presentation Materials

If you are looking for the slides to my ICPSR summer program in complex systems agent-based modeling workshop slides, then they are here. Slides from some of my other academic presentations are available here for your review and reuse...or for nostalgia purposes.