Benjamin Soltoff

Benjamin Soltoff is an associate teaching professor in information science. He teaches courses on data science, machine learning, research design, and data communication, and enjoys working with individuals from all backgrounds interested in applying computational methods to extract knowledge and inferences from a wide range of domains.

As a graduate student, Benjamin’s research focused on state judicial politics and utilized machine learning and text analysis to analyze agenda-setting behavior on state courts of last resort, including judicial selection/retention, institutional structure, and case selection under discretionary jurisdiction. After completing his Ph.D., he moved to the University of Chicago, where he co-developed the masters in computational social science. During his time at the University of Chicago he taught courses in social scientific research design, computational modeling, data science, math/statistics, and data visualization, as well as serving as associate director of the master's program.

Benjamin earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from The Pennsylvania State University with concentrations in American government, political methodology, and law and courts, and a BA in political science from James Madison University.