Omar Lizardo

Omar Lizardo is the LeRoy Neiman Term Chair Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he conducts empirical and theoretical research at the intersection of multiple sociological fields. He holds office in Haines Hall and maintains an active research program that spans cultural sociology, historical sociology, social movement studies, cognitive sociology, and network science.

His research interests focus on the relationship between social position and cultural taste across multiple levels of analysis and time scales, with particular emphasis on patterns of cultural change and cultural stratification. He also contributes to the interdisciplinary field of Network Science, examining social tie formation, the dynamics of social networks, and the influence of personal attributes on network structure. His work bridges sociology with physics, computer science, and complex systems theory.

Lizardo's recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on the intersections of culture, cognition, and networks, with articles appearing in top sociology journals including American Sociological Review, Sociological Theory, and Social Forces. His research often employs innovative methodological approaches to analyze cultural patterns and social networks.

• American Sociological Association Section on Theory Theory Prize for Outstanding Article (Honorable Mention), 2017
• American Sociological Association Section on Emotions Recent Contribution Award (Honorable Mention), 2015
• American Sociological Association Section on Comparative and Historical Sociology Charles Tilly Best Article Award, 2014
• Best Paper Award at The Fifth ACM Hotplanet Workshop, 2013
• American Sociological Association Section on Theory Lewis Coser Award for Theoretical Agenda Setting, 2013
• American Sociological Association Section on Culture Clifford Geertz Prize for Best Article, 2008

Lizardo has successfully secured significant grant funding from multiple sources including the National Science Foundation, Army Research Laboratory, and National Institutes of Health, with projects focused on network science, social dynamics, and health behaviors. He has advised graduate students like Isaac Jilbert and collaborates extensively with scholars across disciplines. Beyond his research, he serves in important editorial roles, having been former co-editor of American Sociological Review and currently co-editing Sociological Theory, while also serving on the Board of Reviewing Editors for the journal Science.