About
Professor Almquist specializes in developing and applying innovative methodologies to address complex social challenges. His research spans statistics and survey methodology, housing and homelessness, demography and population health, and environmental governance, united by a commitment to advancing both social science methods and real-world policy impact.
Research topics
- Sociology
- Geography
- Medicine
- Virology
- Biology
- Environmental health
- Demography
- Ecology
- Economics
- Econometrics
- Psychology
Selected publications
Harvard Dataverse · 2026-03-09
datasetOpen access1st authorCorrespondingUnderstanding the values held by negotiating parties is central to the design and success of international climate change agreements. However, empirical understandings of these values---and the manners by which they structure negotiating countries' value networks and interactions over time---are severely limited. In addressing this shortcoming, this paper uses keyword-assisted topic models to extract value networks for the 13 most recent Conferences of the Parties (COPs) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It then uses network analysis tools to unpack these networks in relation to influential values, countries, and time. In doing so, it demonstrates that countries' core climate change values (i) can be accurately recovered from COP High-level Segment (HLS) speeches and (ii) can, in turn, be used to understand the structure of negotiation networks at the UNFCCC. Analysis of the corresponding value networks for COPs 16-28 indicates that initially central values of ``Fairness'' and ``Power'' have increasingly given way to values associated with the ``Environment'' and ``Achievement.'' Thus, countries at the UNFCCC have increasingly eschewed values associated with common but differentiated responsibilities in favor of a consensus over the urgency of collectively combating climate change. These and related insights illustrate our approach's potential for recovering and understanding value networks within climate change negotiations---a critical first step for any successful climate change agreement.
Social Networks · 2026-03-06
articleOpen access1st authorCorrespondingPersonal networks among people experiencing homelessness are vital but often overlooked. Drawing on a unique three-year data set (2022–2024) from over 3000 unhoused individuals in King County, Washington, this study analyzes the structure and change of four different personal networks: acquaintances, close friends, kinship (household), and peer referrals. Using this respondent-driven sample data set, we find that the mean size of the acquaintance networks ranged from 22 to 27 people, while the mean number of close friendships declined from 4.9 to 4.19. This drop, despite population growth, suggests a decrease in network density and potentially an increase in social isolation or a shift in composition (e.g., more people experiencing homelessness for the first time). However, we do see growth in the kinship networks, which grew slightly, indicating a greater prevalence of family co-homelessness or reliance on kin. These shifts highlight the need for policies that foster social connection and community stability. • Largest network study of people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. • Close friendships decrease over 2023–2024, indicating declining density in the close friendship network. • The size of kinship networks is increasing. • Overall, networks of people experiencing homelessness appear to be becoming more anomic — possibly due to an influx of newly homeless individuals or increased displacement events.
arXiv (Cornell University) · 2026-04-16
articleOpen accessSenior authorHome eviction poses a significant threat to housing stability, a critical determinant of health. This study examines the relationship between eviction and health and substance use within the unhoused population of King County, Washington. Using a sample of 1,106 individuals experiencing homelessness, we employed a quasi-experimental design to compare the health outcomes of those who have experienced eviction with those who have not. Our findings reveal eviction is associated with an 8.3% point increase (SE = 0.039) in the likelihood of reporting poor general health and an 9.5% increase (SE = 0.032) in substance use disorder. No significant effect was found for mental health outcomes. While these results highlight the severe health risks linked to eviction, further research with more precise estimates is necessary to better understand long-term effects. These findings contribute to the growing evidence of how home eviction undermines the well-being of vulnerable populations.
arXiv (Cornell University) · 2026-04-16
preprintOpen accessSenior authorHome eviction poses a significant threat to housing stability, a critical determinant of health. This study examines the relationship between eviction and health and substance use within the unhoused population of King County, Washington. Using a sample of 1,106 individuals experiencing homelessness, we employed a quasi-experimental design to compare the health outcomes of those who have experienced eviction with those who have not. Our findings reveal eviction is associated with an 8.3% point increase (SE = 0.039) in the likelihood of reporting poor general health and an 9.5% increase (SE = 0.032) in substance use disorder. No significant effect was found for mental health outcomes. While these results highlight the severe health risks linked to eviction, further research with more precise estimates is necessary to better understand long-term effects. These findings contribute to the growing evidence of how home eviction undermines the well-being of vulnerable populations.
In search of common ground: Exploring value networks at the UNFCCC climate change talks
Network Science · 2026-01-01
articleOpen access1st authorCorrespondingUnderstanding the values held by negotiating parties is central to the design and success of international climate change agreements. However, empirical understandings of these values - and the manners by which they structure negotiating countries' value networks and interactions over time - are severely limited. In addressing this shortcoming, this paper uses keyword-assisted topic models to extract value networks for the 13 most recent Conferences of the Parties (COPs) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It then uses network analysis tools to unpack these networks in relation to influential values, countries, and time. In doing so, it demonstrates that countries' core climate change values (i) can be accurately recovered from COP High-level Segment (HLS) speeches and (ii) can, in turn, be used to understand the structure of negotiation networks at the UNFCCC. Analysis of the corresponding value networks for COPs 16-28 indicates that initially central values of "Fairness" and "Power" have increasingly given way to values associated with the "Environment" and "Achievement." Thus, countries at the UNFCCC have increasingly eschewed values associated with common but differentiated responsibilities in favor of a consensus over the urgency of collectively combating climate change. These and related insights illustrate our approach's potential for recovering and understanding value networks within climate change negotiations - a critical first step for any successful climate change agreement.
Respondent-Driven Sampling (RDS) Application
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026-04-02
otherOpen accessSenior authorAn open-source web application for conducting Respondent-Driven Sampling (RDS) surveys of unsheltered populations. Built for the King County Regional Homelessness Authority's Point-in-Time count; designed for reuse by other cities and localities.
2026-03-25
book-chapter1st authorCorrespondingInternational efforts to negotiate a global solution to climate change have seen an ever-growing number of governmental, business, and nonprofit organization participants. Such efforts have primarily transpired at the Conferences of the Parties (COPs) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its precursor – now encompassing over 30 years of formal meetings. Despite this extensive history, we know surprisingly little about the evolving diversity of the UNFCCC COPs’ participating organizations. In treating the extent and diversity of organizations’ UNFCCC COP attendance patterns as two key climate change (cooperation) outcomes, this study evaluates the effects of cross-organization influence networks over time. It does so with the aid of individual attendee-level data for the UNFCCC and its precursor, 1991–2024. These data include over 25,000 unique attending organizations with annual information on organization name and type, affiliated individuals, and those individuals’ details. These features enable new understandings of organizational attendance – as well as the identification of cross-organizational ties at the meeting level. We link organizations based upon attendees’ affiliations. We then demonstrate that COP attendees’ gender and organizational diversity have been increasing over the course of global climate negotiations. Next, we statistically evaluate how cross-organization influences networks and affects both processes. This identifies the role of influence networks in helping to reinforce and propagate gender and organizational diversity among attendees within climate change negotiations over time. In these manners, this study provides a nuanced understanding of organizational participation and diversity across the UNFCCC and its precursor forum.
Social Networks · 2026-03-06 · 1 citations
preprintOpen access1st authorCorrespondingPersonal networks among people experiencing homelessness are vital but often overlooked. Drawing on a unique three-year data set (2022–2024) from over 3000 unhoused individuals in King County, Washington, this study analyzes the structure and change of four different personal networks: acquaintances, close friends, kinship (household), and peer referrals. Using this respondent-driven sample data set, we find that the mean size of the acquaintance networks ranged from 22 to 27 people, while the mean number of close friendships declined from 4.9 to 4.19. This drop, despite population growth, suggests a decrease in network density and potentially an increase in social isolation or a shift in composition (e.g., more people experiencing homelessness for the first time). However, we do see growth in the kinship networks, which grew slightly, indicating a greater prevalence of family co-homelessness or reliance on kin. These shifts highlight the need for policies that foster social connection and community stability. • Largest network study of people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. • Close friendships decrease over 2023–2024, indicating declining density in the close friendship network. • The size of kinship networks is increasing. • Overall, networks of people experiencing homelessness appear to be becoming more anomic — possibly due to an influx of newly homeless individuals or increased displacement events.
Respondent-Driven Sampling (RDS) Application
Open MIND · 2026-04-02
otherOpen accessSenior authorAn open-source web application for conducting Respondent-Driven Sampling (RDS) surveys of unsheltered populations. Built for the King County Regional Homelessness Authority's Point-in-Time count; designed for reuse by other cities and localities.
2025-04-29
preprintOpen accessSenior authorIn the United States, no jurisdiction guarantees the basic conditions necessary for health, such as stable housing, even as homelessness continues to intensify. King County, Washington, the twelfth largest U.S. county, hosts the fourth largest homeless population, many of whom reside in Seattle. Discouraging encampments and providing shelter beds has proven ineffective. We investigate how street survivors make encampment choices based on the proximity of amenities compared to those in emergency shelters and rental units. We analyze rich spatial, administrative, and outreach worker data from Seattle’s Evergreen Treatment Services (REACH) on individuals living in tents and on the street from 2016 to 2022. We discuss the implications of providing effective support for people living unhoused and provide, to our knowledge, the most comprehensive and recent study of neighborhood access and proximity to amenities among the unsheltered population in Seattle, WA. We find that, in most neighborhoods, encampment locations are more closely aligned with the access patterns of people renting housing across a range of amenities. Additionally, certain amenities, especially food-related ones, excluding food banks, were located closer to encampments than to shelters, suggesting that they may offer opportunities for personal agency in meeting basic needs, making food choices, and accessing WiFi. We conclude that housing options that feel like homes rather than institutions are crucial in supporting the unhoused. Our findings suggest that emergency shelters should be more integrated into neighborhoods and better reflect the trends of tent encampments and rentals.
Recent grants
Frequent coauthors
- 33 shared
Carter T. Butts
University of California, Irvine
- 12 shared
Emma S. Spiro
- 9 shared
Benjamin E. Bagozzi
University of Delaware
- 7 shared
John R. Hipp
University of California, Irvine
- 7 shared
Abhirup Mallik
- 5 shared
Li Zeng
Nanchang University
- 5 shared
Loring J. Thomas
University of California, Irvine
- 5 shared
Fan Yin
Labs
The Social, Spatial, and Dynamic Analysis LabPI
works on a range of problems related to social networks, organizations, technology, and space
Education
Ph.D., Sociology
University of California, Irvine
M.A., Sociology
University of California, Irvine
M.A., Demography
University of California, Irvine
M.S., Statistics
Northwestern University
B.S., Mathematics
University of Oregon
Awards & honors
- Leo Goodman Award
- Outstanding Dissertation Award
- NSF’s CAREER Award
- ARO’s Young Investigator Program Award
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