This thesis consists of two projects I worked on simultaneously throughout my PhD. Although neither project builds on the other, both investigate social systems as networks, and draw on a common set of statistical tools and methods.In the first project, I analyse the academic employment and doctoral education of tenure- track faculty at all PhD-granting US universities over the decade 2011-2020, quantifying stark inequalities in faculty production, prestige, retention, and gender. This study represents the first comprehensive analysis of the structure and dynamics of the US professoriate, elucidating the effectiveness of efforts to diversify the professoriate along gender lines, as well as the processes that shape scholarship more broadly.In the second project, I present a novel framework for studying competition in dating or marriage markets and apply it to data on messaging patterns observed within an online dating site. These analyses provide insight into the nature of competition in this market--for example, who is most competitive, who competes with whom, and who faces the stiffest competition--and how this competition arises out of preferences and opportunities. In doing so, I develop a deeper understanding of how population- and individual-level factors interact and impact the romantic market. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]