Dr. Matt Hoover, Gallup Senior Data Scientist
Matthew Hoover, Ph.D., is a senior data scientist on the data science, strategy and analytics team and based out of Gallup’s Washington. D.C. office. Dr. Hoover has been with Gallup for over two years, providing technical direction across Gallup’s data science work with both government and enterprise clients. His primary areas of focus are developing technical strategy on complex analytics projects and providing mentorship to the team’s data scientists and data engineers.
Dr. Hoover has served or serves as PI or Co-PI on a number of Gallup’s government contracts, including as PI for Gallup’s contract with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, where he leads work to develop a tool to forecast emerging threats in the weapons of mass destruction field. His expertise is in econometric modeling, forecasting and prediction using machine learning, text analytics, network analysis, and process automation. He brings deep expertise in the fields of national defense, intelligence, healthcare and education with publications in each.
Prior to his work with Gallup, Dr. Hoover worked as a data scientist at an early-stage healthcare start-up after a fifteen-year career in international development where he consulted with major non-governmental organizations and government agencies on research design and analysis. His specialty was designing and conducting randomized control trials in conflict and post-conflict nations around the world. He is a returned Peace Corps volunteer, having served in Kazakhstan. Dr. Hoover received his Ph.D. from the Pardee RAND Graduate School in public policy with a focus on social network analysis and statistical methods. He also holds a Master of International Affairs and a Master of Public Health, both from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in accounting with honors from Michigan State University.