Tamar Mitts, Ph.D.

Tamar Mitts is an assistant professor of international and public affairs and a member of the Data Science Institute and the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University. Her research addresses emerging challenges at the intersection of technology and conflict.

Mitts’ work focuses on several broad questions: What role does social media play during conflict and civil war? How do violent and nonviolent movements use the internet to advance their cause? In what ways can media be manipulated to shape public opinion? Her research draws on innovative data collection techniques and creative research designs that leverage the wealth of information available in digital media platforms. Her articles have been published in leading journals, including the American Political Science Review, International Organization, the Journal of Politics, Perspectives on Politics, and the Journal of Economic Perspectives, among other outlets. Her research has been cited in the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Fortune Magazine, Vox, War on the Rocks, and Foreign Policy.

Mitts is currently working on a new book, Moderating Extremism: The Challenge of Combating Online Harms, which explains why militant organizations flourish online despite global efforts to clamp down on harmful content on social media platforms.

Mitts holds an M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University and a B.A. in politics from New York University.