Elizabeth Bruch

Elizabeth Bruch is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and the Center for the Study of Complex Systems at the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. Her research bridges sociology, cognitive science, and statistics, focusing on how human behavior interacts with social environments.

• PhD in Sociology and MS in Statistics from University of California, Los Angeles
• Postdoctoral scholar in Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy program

Her work develops "cognitively plausible" statistical models to analyze neighborhood and mate choice, applying behavioral ecology principles to romantic market dynamics. She investigates vertical "leagues" and horizontal "submarkets" in online dating, as well as spatial-temporal patterns in partner search.

Bruch integrates decision theory, marketing insights, and rich online activity data to unravel large-scale social patterns from individual behaviors. She explores both theoretical frameworks and empirical applications, emphasizing the interplay between micro-level decisions and macro-level outcomes.