CV

General Information

Full Name Dhruv Mittal
Label Computational Social Scientist
Location Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

Education

  • 2021 – Ongoing
    PhD in Computational Science
    Universiteit van Amsterdam, Netherlands
    • Supervised by Dr. Vitor Vasconcelos and Prof. Peter Sloot.
    • Research focuses on complex systems, behavioral economics, and collective decision-making.
  • 2015 – 2020
    BS-MS Integrated in Physics
    IISER Mohali, India
    • Completed Master's thesis on Studying Thin Films using Magnetocapacitance.
    • CPI: 8.9/10

Projects

  • 2021 – 2025
    Tipping the Social Balance: Computational Perspectives on the Dynamics of Collective Behavior, Norms and Policy Interventions
    • Computational approaches to understand collective behavior for effective stewardship.
  • 2024 – 2025
    Mask-wearing Behavior During COVID-19
    • Visiting Researcher at Princeton University.
    • Studied global mask-wearing patterns using behavioral modeling.
  • 2024 – 2025
    The Cost of Large-Scale Transitions: Introducing Effective Targeted Incentives
    • Grant received under ENLENS RPA from UvA.
    • Studied trade-offs essential for optimal interventions.
  • 2021 – 2022
    CMIP6 Heatwave Analysis
    • Assessed heat stress and heatwave projections for the 21st century based on CMIP6 data.
    • Collaboration with MPI Chemistry and IIT Ropar.

Publications

  • Anticonformists catalyze societal transitions and facilitate the expression of evolving preferences. PNAS Nexus, 2024.
  • Targeted incentives for social tipping in heterogeneous networked populations. arXiv (under review at PNAS), 2025.
  • Policy, risk perceptions, and social norms shape collective mask-wearing behaviors worldwide. 2025. Draft under preparation.
  • Neutral theory of social behavior in complex networks. 2025. Draft under preparation.

Honors and Awards

Teaching and Supervision

  • 2025
    Daily Supervisor – MSc Thesis
    Universiteit van Amsterdam
    • Modelling adoption of rooftop solar panels in the Netherlands.
  • 2024
    Daily Supervisor – MSc Thesis
    Universiteit van Amsterdam
    • Heuristic strategies for cost-optimized institutional incentives in heterogeneous networked populations.
  • 2022
    Daily Supervisor – MSc Thesis
    Universiteit van Amsterdam
    • A Digital Twin of Amsterdam's Social Network.
  • 2022
    Teaching Assistant – Complexity: Can It Be Simplified?
    Universiteit van Amsterdam
  • 2024 – 2025
    Teaching Assistant – Complex Systems Simulations
    Universiteit van Amsterdam

Qualifying Exams

Skills

  • Agent-Based Modeling
  • System Dynamics
  • Markov Chain Analysis
  • High-Performance Computing
  • Statistical Analysis

Interests

  • Socio-ecological systems
    • Collective Behavior
    • Policy Interventions
    • Network Science
    • Behavioral Economics
    • Feedbacks

References

  • Available upon request