Mario Luis Small

Mario Luis Small is the Quetelet Professor of Social Science at Columbia University and an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences. His research spans social networks, urban inequality, and research methods, with particular focus on how people's networks are shaped by decisions and contexts.

Small's research interests include:

• Personal networks and egocentric analysis
• Urban poverty and neighborhood dynamics
• Alternative financial institutions and racial inequality
• Qualitative research methods and evaluation

His recent work examines network mobilization processes, racial segregation through mobility patterns, access to financial institutions among low-income populations, and methodological approaches to qualitative research. Small has made significant contributions to understanding how social networks operate in various contexts from daycare centers to violent neighborhoods.

His notable scientific achievement includes being elected to the National Academy of Sciences. He is also the editor of the influential volume Personal Networks: Classic Readings and New Directions in Egocentric Analysis (2021), which represents a comprehensive overview of egocentric network analysis.

Small currently serves as an ECONtribute Research Fellow and cluster member since 2023, focusing on the use of alternative financial services among low-income populations in the U.S. His work on DRIP (presumably a research initiative) examines urban inequality through large-scale administrative data from sources like Google Maps and SafeGraph.