I am a postdoctoral associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS) within the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS). I graduated in September 2022 under the advising of Prof. Asu Ozdaglar from MIT LIDS/EECS and Prof. Daron Acemoglu from MIT Economics. I am excited to be joining the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in July 2023 as an Assistant Professor in their Operations and Management Science group!
My research interests are broad, but generally focus on settings where multiple agents interact strategically (often over a network). In particular, I am interested in how agents incorporate information in various environments, such as in the presence of information overload or when there is misleading content (“misinformation”). Recently, I have focused specifically on social media, both in terms of user behavior and platform algorithms designed to maximize financial objectives (e.g., user engagement or digital advertising revenue). My Google Scholar profile is located here and my CV is available for download:
While my research areas are quite broad, my more recent research concentrates on answering the following questions, both through the lens of theoretical models and through empirical field studies:
(1) What drives social media users (e.g., on Facebook or Twitter) to share content such as misinformation or catchy click-bait?
(2) What are the incentives of online platforms and how does that shape their algorithms (e.g., through personal recommendations or targeted digital ads)?
(3) How do recent technological advances affect communication, incentives for content creation, and information provision on online platforms?
(4) Which types of regulatory policies are effective in aligning incentives with societal objectives, such as reducing the spread of misinformation and improving user welfare?
(5) How can social media platforms design their operations in a way to reduce toxic online content and foster more responsible discourse?
Personal Information. I was born in Seattle, WA and spent the first few years of my childhood in Seattle before my family moved to La Spezia, Italy (about equidistant from Genoa and Florence in Northern Italy). In 2001, my family moved to San Diego, CA, and in 2008 we moved to West Linn, OR, where I went to high school.
Besides research and other activities at MIT, I have a broad array of interests and hobbies. I am currently preparing for the October 2022 Chicago Marathon, and run with the Portland Running Company running club semi-weekly. In the summer and fall, I am an avid golfer and a student member of the Oregon Golf Association (OGA). In the winter and early spring, I enjoy skiing at Mt. Hood and Mt. Bachelor while in Oregon and at Killington and Wildcat while in New England. I’m a close follower of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Football League (NFL), with my favorite teams being the Seattle Mariners and the Seattle Seahawks, respectively (as tough as that may be).