Scott Duxbury

Scott Duxbury is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Sociology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He serves as an Associate Editor of Sociological Methodology. His research focuses on computational social science, criminology, social networks, and the sociology of punishment. He has received NSF support and prestigious awards from multiple academic sections, including the American Sociological Association and American Society of Criminology. His educational background includes a PhD from Ohio State University (2020). Duxbury’s work integrates advanced statistical methods and network analysis to address issues in crime policy, media technology, and racial disparities in punishment systems. He leads research teams developing tools like netmediate and ergMargins, contributing to methodological advancements in social sciences.

Education:

• PhD in Sociology, Ohio State University (2020)

Research Interests:

• Computational Social Science: Leveraging big data and digital tools to study criminal networks and policy dynamics.
• Criminology: Examining structural causes of incarceration, drug markets, and sentencing laws.
• Social Networks: Analyzing micro-macro linkages, network polarization, and resilience in criminal and policy networks.
• Sociology of Punishment: Investigating historical legacies of slavery on modern penal systems and public opinion impacts.
• Media & Technology: Exploring digital surveillance, cybersecurity in criminal markets, and technology’s role in shaping punitive policies.
• Quantitative Methods: Developing statistical models for longitudinal network analysis and addressing scaling biases in ERGMs.
• Race and Racism: Researching racial threat narratives, disparities in incarceration, and empathy dynamics across racial lines.
• Public Opinion: Linking societal attitudes to crime policy outcomes and representation in legislative decisions.

Notable Awards:

• Ruth Shonle Cavan Young Scholar Award (American Society of Criminology)
• Inaugural Junior Scholar Award (ASC Public Opinion and Policy Division)
• Junior Scholar Award (ASA Drugs and Society Section)

Advising & Grants: As Director of Graduate Studies, Duxbury oversees PhD and Master’s training programs, ensuring methodological rigor and interdisciplinary engagement. His NSF-funded research explores crime policy networks and criminal market structures. Grants also support collaborations on tools like netmediate for micro-macro analysis and ergMargins for ERGM process analysis.

Research Teams & Labs: Active in open-source projects, Duxbury contributes to packages such as netmediate and ergMargins, advancing computational sociology and network analysis methodologies. His GitHub repositories reflect collaborative efforts in statistical modeling and crime policy frameworks.