Assistant Professor of Sociology, McGill University
2018–
Postdoctoral Scholar, Stanford University, Departments of Computer Science, Education, and Linguistics
2017–2018
Education
PhD Sociology, University of Chicago
2017
MPP, Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago
2007
BA in Mathematics, Reed College
2003
Research Interests
Social networks, status, culture, computational methods, mathematical models, statistical methods
Publications
McMahan, Peter and Daniel A. McFarland (2021). “Creative Destruction: The Structural Consequences of Scientific Curation” American Sociological Review 86(2).
Boluda, Inès Moreno, Elizabeth Patitsas, and Peter McMahan. (2021) “What Do Computer Scientists Know About Conflict Minerals?” LIMITS Workshop on Computing within Limits.
McMahan, Peter, Adam Slez, and John Levi Martin (2019). “Local Network Regressions” Socius 5.
McMahan, Peter and James Evans (2018). “Ambiguity and Engagement” American Journal of Sociology 124(2): 860—912.
McMahan, Peter (2016). “Like Family: Network Coevolution and the Emergence of Altruism” Journal of Mathematical Sociology 40(2): 112:122.
Small, Mario Luis, Vontrese Deeds Pamphile, and Peter McMahan (2015). “How Stable Is the Core Discussion Network?” Social Networks 40 (January): 90–102.
Padgett, John F, Peter McMahan, and Xing Zhong. 2012. “Economic Production as Chemistry II.” In The Emergence of Organizations and Markets, edited by John F Padgett and Woody Powell. Princeton University Press.
McMahan, Peter (2008). “Cohesive Blocks Algorithm”, ‘igraph’ package for R statistical environment.
Teaching
Networks and Social Structures, McGill University
2020–
Sociology of Science, McGill University
2019–
Quantitative Methods 2, McGill University
2019–
Sociological Perspectives, McGill University
2018–
Computing for Social Sciences, University of Chicago
2011–2015
Academic Appointments and Honors
Benjamin Bloom Fellowship, University of Chicago, Division of Social Sciences
2016–2017
Associate Editor, American Journal of Sociology
2013–2014
Manuscript Board, American Journal of Sociology
2012–2013
Academic Fellowship, University of Chicago, Division of Social Sciences
2009–2014
Academic Fellowship, University of Chicago, Harris School of Public Policy Studies
2005–2007
Workshops and Conferences
McGill Centre on Popuulation Dynamics: Social statistics & Population Dynamics Seminar series
Creative destruction: the structure and consequences of scientific curation