Sean Kates

Kates is the Associate Director of Programs in Data Analytics at the University of Pennsylvania and a faculty research affiliate with NYU's Center for Social Media and Politics. He holds a PhD in Politics from New York University, and an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Prior to coming to Penn, Kates served as a postdoctoral research fellow at Princeton University and CSMaP.

His research focuses on political institutions, as well as the use of social media by masses and elites to communicate and influence political messages. He teaches courses that place data analytics in the broader context of social science research and public policy. Before returning to academia, Sean worked as a consultant to local, state, and federal governmental agencies on issues of emergency management, health, and homeland security.