Olivia J Chu

My research focuses on the dynamics of behavior, in both human and animal populations, and in particular, the effects that different forms of heterogeneity have on these dynamics. I explore questions relating to: cooperation within and between groups; personality types and their role in social integration; the dynamics of power; the rule of law; puzzling altruistic behavior in animal communities; plant community dynamics; and how we can take advantage of small-scale, interpersonal interactions to avoid large-scale polarization in an increasingly divided world. I use a combination of mathematical modeling, computational simulations, and data collection to answer these questions, and aim to gain insight into how we might be able to make our world (or at least our own social networks) more cooperative, kind, and fair. I also serve as a mentor for a wide range of undergraduate research projects across math, computer science, and QSS. During my time at Dartmouth, I've advised two senior honors theses, an independent study, a reading course, a UGAR leave term grant project, and two Neukom Scholars grant recipients.