Data Science & Professional Experience
Data Scientist
UT Austin — May 2017 to Current
Building dashboard-style website with dynamic visualizations, summary data, and record lookup, with a SQL backend database.
Built dataset with millions of nonprofit IRS returns (100GB+).
Wrote Python code to flatten unstructured xmls into structured csv/SQL data. Wrote R analytics code.
Wrote optimized Linux/Bash code to improve the accuracy of messy csv data processing and reduce run
s from weeks to hours.
Data / Stats Research & Consulting
UT Austin — January 2011 to May 2017
Hired for data/programming skills by 4 Professors during 13 semesters as a Research Assistant.
Built 6 datasets with 100s of GB of data from many data types (structured, unstructured, spatial, network, demographic, temporal sources, etc.)
Fitted and interpreted complex models (network analysis, multi-level/mixed-effects regressions, and survival analysis, etc.).
Wrote R and Stata functions to perform custom calculations (e.g. a genetic algorithm to estimate network core-periphery position of nodes).
Developed a new method for diagnosing and imputing missing data in time-series, network data, using multi-level and Bayesian prediction.
Designed/programmed replicable data visualizations (2D, time-series, network, and maps).
Dissertation Research
UT Austin — January 2012 to May 2017
Built unique dataset by (1) geocoding map data, (2) reducing data of over 150gb, (3) government data in Arabic and French.
Predicted protest and violence during the Tunisian Revolution of 2010-11, with temporal and spatial effects, using time series and survival models.
Wrote up and presented methods/results for non-technical audiences, leading to 4 published, peer-reviewed journal articles.
Collaborated with experts in various fields.
Frequently consulted on data in department.
Stats & Methods Teaching
UT Austin — January 2012 to May 2017
Personally selected by Professors in several departments for expertise to assistant teach stats, programming, and methods for 6 semesters
(4 for Ph.D. students, and 2 for undergrads).
Designed stats programming labs for Stata, still in use by Sociology Department.
Policy & Program Work
United Nations Development Programme — May 2005 to July 2010
Policy & program advisor to high-level UN o cials working on political/economic development in Arab countries. Based in Beirut and New York.
Strategic planning & program management.
Publications
Publications and Preprints
Reith, Nicholas E., Pamela Paxton, and Melanie M. Hughes. 2016. “Cross-National, Longitudinal Data Sets: Issues and Strategies for Implementation.” International Journal of Sociology 46 (1). doi:10.1080/00207659.2016.1130416.
Hughes, Melanie M., Pamela Paxton, Sharon Quinsaat, and Nicholas E. Reith. 2016. “Does the Global North Still Dominate Women’s International Organizing? A Network Analysis from 1978 to 2008.” Mobilization (Forthcoming).
Paxton, Pamela, Melanie M. Hughes, and Nicholas E. Reith. 2015. “Extending the INGO Network Country Score, 1950-2008.” Sociological Science 2: 287–307. doi:10.15195/v2.a14.
Paxton, Pamela, Nicholas E. Reith, and Jennifer L. Glanville. 2014. “Volunteering and the Dimensions of Religiosity: A Cross-National Analysis.” Review of Religious Research 56 (4). doi:10.1007/s13644-014-0169-y.
Reith, Nicholas E. “Tribes, Revolution and INGOs: Toward Better Social Science Measurement”. DISSERTATION. Completed. Forthcoming after May 2017.
Reith, Nicholas E. 2016. “The Local Process of Revolution: Tribes, Dissent, and Repression in Tunisia’s Arab Spring.” Under Review.
Gawande, Kishore, and Nicholas E. Reith. 2016. “Land, Protests and Suppression in China: A Spatial and Temporal Analysis.” Under Review.
Reith, Nicholas E., Pamela Paxton, Melanie M. Hughes, and Wade M. Cole. 2016. “Entering the World Polity: A Research Note on Measurement and Statistical Modeling.” In Progress.
Reith, Nicholas E. 2016. “The Strength of Strong Ties: Tribal Solidarities and the Tunisian Revolution.” In Progress.