“Superficially, computational social science takes methods from computer science and applies them to social issues. But at a deeper level, computational social science can also mean advancing our understanding of the world by solving practical problems,” says Duncan Watts, Wharton Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions (OID), Stevens University Professor, and 23rd Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor.

Wharton Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions (OID) Duncan Watts is charting new territory in the social sciences.

As the Stevens University Professor and the 23rd Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor, Watts holds appointments in the Annenberg School for Communication, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the Wharton School. He is also the founder and director of the Computational Social Science (CSS) Lab.

“Superficially, computational social science takes methods from computer science and applies them to social issues. But at a deeper level, computational social science can also mean advancing our understanding of the world by solving practical problems,” says Watts. “I started this lab to embody what computational social science can be.”

Together with Managing Director Jeanne Ruane, Watts and his team of 23 students and researchers are exploring how people behave, how media works, how society functions, and how the human mind operates.

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By Helen Walsh for Inspiring Impact

Posted: April 3, 2026

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