About

Founded in 2006 within the University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics, the LINKS Center for Social Network Analysis was conceived and led by Professor Daniel J. Brass to bring rigorous network science to the study and optimization of organizations. From the outset, the Center established a distinctive model that blends research, training, consulting, and community-building—publishing cutting-edge scholarship, delivering hands-on instruction in social network methods, advising organizations on real-world network challenges, and convening scholars at events such as the ION Conference. Over time, LINKS has grown into a global hub for organizational network research, anchored in Gatton’s Department of Management and strengthened by renowned faculty collaborators, including University Research Professor Stephen P. Borgatti. Today, the Center continues to advance the field by equipping researchers and practitioners with the concepts, tools, and evidence needed to map relationships, diagnose constraints, and design healthier, more effective networks.

The LINKS Center for Social Network Analysis advances the science and practice of networks to improve how people, teams, and organizations connect and perform. We discover and disseminate cutting-edge knowledge, train scholars and practitioners in state-of-the-art methods, and partner with organizations to diagnose and design healthier, more equitable networks. Through rigorous research, hands-on education, and ethical application, we turn relationships into insight and insight into impact.