Mario L. Small is a sociologist whose research looks at the fundamental questions of who we connect with, why, and how we use those connections. Small investigates urban poverty and personal networks, and in so doing analyzes the relationship between qualitative and quantitative research methods. He is currently Quetelet Professor of Social Science at Columbia University. He is the former Dean of the Social Sciences at the University of Chicago and former Grafstein Family Professor of Sociology at Harvard University.
Small’s books include Villa Victoria: The Transformation of Social Capital in a Boston Barrio (2004) and Unanticipated Gains: Origins of Network Inequality in Everyday Life (2009), both of which received the C. Wright Mills Award for Best Book, among other honors. He has also received the Robert Park Best Book Award, the James Coleman Best Book Award, a PROSE Award Honorable Mention in Sociology and Anthropology, and a Choice Outstanding Academic Title designation, among other distinctions.
Small has served as Associate Editor of the American Journal of Sociology, Advisory Editor of Social Problems and Sociological Quarterly, Editorial Committee Member of the Annual Review of Sociology, and Editorial Board Member of Social Psychology Quarterly and Sociological Forum. He is currently Deputy Editor of Sociological Science and Editorial Board Member of Social Science Quarterly. He has served as Council Member of the American Sociological Association, and chaired the ASA’s report on the 2010 National Research Council Assessment of Doctoral Programs. He is an Elected Member of the Sociological Research Association.
Small received his B.A. in 1996 from Carleton College, and his Ph.D. in 2001 from Harvard University.
