Meet Selimhan Dagtas, a Graduate Research student at COSMOS.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Selimhan Dagtas. I was born in Ohio, but my parents are Turkish. After I graduated from Little Rock Central High School, I moved to Turkey to study Aerospace Engineering. Now, I have come back to Arkansas to study Information Science at UA Little Rock. At COSMOS, I will be working with gathering large data sets from various social media platforms, so we can analyze if there is a bias in certain recommendation algorithms and in what way this bias is directed.
What was your inspiration for joining COSMOS?
The COSMOS Team has done amazing work in the past regarding identifying the potential dangers of improper social media use, such as misinformation and mass propaganda. In the past few years I have noticed misinformation spreading and certain views being censored. As social media becomes a more prominent force in our daily lives, it becomes increasingly important to address such problems in order to ensure a secure digital environment.
Are there any research areas you are looking to explore?
Many people spend a significant portion of their time on social media, and the content they consume has a large impact on their opinions and views. This could be taken advantage of to shift the public’s view. I would like to explore if it would be possible to engineer a virtual social space that ensures an unbiased algorithm and gives everyone a voice without unnecessary censorship.
What makes you feel the most appreciated and understood?
I feel appreciated and understood when I share a challenging experience with someone. For example, in the final year of my aerospace engineering degree, we, a team of 3, had to complete a design of a wind turbine to a certain specification. We spent sleepless nights pouring our heart and soul into this project and finally achieved the required specs. At the end of that experience we all understood and appreciated each other.
What is something you like to do outside of school/work?
I like working on personal projects that solve simple problems. For example, I needed a specific workout tracking app for my calisthenics workout schedule. Since none of the apps published suited my needs, I developed the app with the features I wanted.
What would you tell your younger self?
You can achieve more than you think you can. So aim high.
What is a big world problem that you would like to change?
The world is slowly moving toward automation with the help of machines and robots. I would like to accelerate that process as much as possible. I dream of a world where people don’t have to labor away with meaningless and repetitive tasks that can be taken care of with automation systems, and where people can focus on more meaningful endeavors.