Newsletter

January 2024

Curious by Nature: Dr. Agarwal Speaks on AI and Mis/Disinformation Campaigns on NewsWise Podcast

COSMOS director Prof. Nitin Agarwal was hosted this last November by NewsWise on the podcast “Curious by Nature.” In the interview, Prof. Agarwal described the work COSMOS is doing to mitigate misinformation, disinformation, and other kinds of cognitive threats. Prof. Agarwal discussed the scope and impact of COSMOS, emphasizing its mission to address such issues. “We are attacking the problems that confront us today in terms of misinformation, disinformation, and cognitive threats from a multidisciplinary and a multi-regional, multicultural perspective,” he said.

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From Graduation to Beyond: Success Stories

COSMOS is happy to announce the graduation of five Cosmographers in Fall 2024! We interviewed the graduates about their journeys and what the future holds for them. This edition of the newsletter shares the story of one of the graduated students, Manohar Koya, who graduated with a master’s in computer science and worked as a graduate research assistant at the COSMOS Research Center. Subsequent editions will share other student stories.

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Cosmographers make a Big Splash at the 2024 Complex Networks International Conference

The International Conference on Complex Networks & their Applications (CNA) seeks to unite researchers from various disciplines who study complex networks. It welcomes two types of submissions: theoretical insights derived from real-world challenges and practical case studies showcasing applied methodologies. The conference’s goal is to foster collaboration and exchange between researchers focusing on theory and those engaged in practical applications.

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Research Spotlight: Polarized Discourse and Community Dynamics in Social Media

In this month’s research spotlight, we highlight recent research from COSMOS that focuses on network analysis and community dynamics during polarized discourse. These studies used social media analysis to examine online interaction patterns. Each studied how social networks form and evolve during specific periods of heightened or polarized public discourse, such as elections and pandemic. However, they differed in the specific platforms studied (Instagram vs. Twitter/X). These studies were published and presented recently at the 14th International Conference on Social Media Technologies, Communication, and Informatics (SOTICS 2024), which took place from September 29 to October 3, 2024, in Venice, Italy.

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Cosmographer Corner: Dr. Esther Mead, Professor of Computer Science & Director of Graduate Programs at Southern Arkansas University

COSMOS, in this edition of Cosmographer Corner, highlights the work of former University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate and Cosmographer Dr. Esther Mead. Prof. Agarwal said, “I am extremely proud of Esther and her incredible career trajectory. I recall meeting the faculty search committee chair from the Computer Science department at Southern Arkansas University (SAU) at one of the meetings in Arkansas. They asked if I have a student who is about to graduate and would be interested in the position. I said – hire, Esther! And the rest is history. Just as glad I am that SAU hired Esther, I can see they feel the same.”

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