David Hachen

David Hachen is an Associate Professor at the University of Notre Dame, specializing in social network analysis and its intersections with labor markets, social stratification, and health behaviors. His research is supported by major grants from the NSF (NetSense project) and NIH (NetHealth project), focusing on longitudinal data collection involving smartphone communication, Fitbit devices, and survey methodologies. He has published extensively on network dynamics, reciprocity, tie formation, and the influence of peer networks on health behaviors. Dr. Hachen is the author of Sociology in Action, an innovative textbook using decision cases to engage students. His work integrates quantitative methods, social networks, and stratification studies to explore modern societal challenges.

His research employs multi-year cohort studies of college students, analyzing social networks alongside physical activity, sleep patterns, and communication behaviors. Key themes include the co-evolution of social networks with health outcomes and political orientations, the impact of urbanism on social structures, and the predictive power of network data for mental health. His NSF/NIH-funded projects have produced large-scale datasets, enabling analyses of network dynamics in real-world contexts.

Dr. Hachen’s contributions span academic publications, methodological innovations in social science research, and educational materials. His work bridges theoretical sociology with applied data science, emphasizing the practical implications of social networks on individual and collective well-being.