Robert Thorstad

Robert Thorstad is an accomplished data scientist specializing in social impact and behavioral research. At Meta, Robert focuses on data science in the civic space, enhancing social initiatives. Prior to this, Robert served as a lead data scientist at The Wall Street Journal, where significant improvements in article recommendation systems and testing processes were achieved. As an Insight Data Science Fellow, Robert developed a web application to automate sports trading card grading, contributing to a billion-dollar market. Robert's academic background includes a PhD in Cognitive Psychology from Emory University, where extensive research led to multiple peer-reviewed publications and culminated in the Emory Research Catalyst Award. Additionally, Robert provided statistical and programming support as a fellow at Emory University Libraries.