Dr. Sandra Matz

Biography

Sandra Matz is an Associate Professor at Columbia Business School within the Data Science Institute. Her research adopts a Big Data approach to the study of human behavior across a variety of business-related domains. By merging methodologies from psychology and computer science, including machine learning, experimental designs, online surveys, and field studies, she explores the relationships between individuals' psychological characteristics and the digital footprints they leave in the digital environment, such as Facebook Likes and credit card transactions. Matz's work specifically investigates how these digital footprints inform socio-psychological characteristics and their real-life consequences. Additionally, she examines how insights derived from these digital footprints can assist individuals and businesses in decision-making. Sandra is frequently engaged with the business community, serving as a keynote speaker and collaborating with established institutions such as Microsoft, Trivago, and the European Commission. Her contributions to the field have earned her recognition as one of DataIQ’s 100 influential people in data-driven marketing in both 2015 and 2016, as well as being acknowledged as one of the 30 top thinkers under 30 by Pacific Standard Magazine. Her research has been published in top-tier journals such as Psychological Science and American Psychologist, and has attracted extensive media attention from outlets like the Independent, BBC, CNBC, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and the World Economic Forum.

Research Interests

Experience