- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Partnering in $660,000 Department of Defense Grant

John Hill — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 13:00:40 +0000

of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and Dr. Samer Al-Khateeb of Creighton University have received a $660,407 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)/Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) to research violent mob behavior to strengthen domestic and national security apparatus. Agarwal, Maulden-Entergy Chair and Distinguished Professor of Information Science at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, and Al-khateeb, assistant professor of computer science and informatics at Creighton University, will work on the three-year grant titled, “Building a Computational Model of Mobs Leveraging Social Science Theories.”Al-khateeb and Agarwal have a long history of collaboration as Al-Khateeb completed his Ph.D. under Agarwal’s supervision at , where Agarwal is the director. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s part of the grant will be $249,955. It is part of $14.6 million in the Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR) the DoD awarded to . DEPSCoR is a capacity-building program that is designed to strengthen the basic research infrastructure at institutions of higher education in under-utilized states/territories. Each team will pursue science and engineering research in areas relevant to DoD initiatives supporting the National Defense Strategy. “The Department’s research mission relies on an ecosystem of creative and insightful researchers in every state of the nation,” said Dr. Bindu Nair, director of the DoD’s Basic Research Office. “DEPSCoR enhances our science and engineering research capacity both now and in the long term, and increases the number of researchers pursuing research in DoD-relevant areas. It is crucial that we build a research infrastructure that strategically uses the research capabilities found across the country.” Agarwal and Al-Khateeb will use the findings from this research to build capabilities that could assist the DoD in gaining situational awareness and prepare for strategic intervention with mobs that could take a violent turn during military exercises, humanitarian crises, and disaster relief operations or around military bases. The researchers will also create a socio-computational model that can simulate mobs to answer questions about a mob’s outcome and mobbers’ behavior as well as an online tool that implements the model. This effort will enhance to monitor social media and extract actionable insights and intelligence. “This research demonstrates the need for interdisciplinary studies by synergistically blending computational and information sciences with social sciences to solve real-world challenges we face today,” Agarwal said. “This is a very special award as it gives me an opportunity to continue to work with one of my former doctoral students.”

Alassad Graduates from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

John Hill — Fri, 20 May 2022 13:29:37 +0000

Mustafa Alassad has graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a Ph.D. in systems engineering. The hardworking international student also serves as vice president of operations and strategic growth at , which provides a point-of-sale system for gas stations and truck stops across the country. His background includes operational research and the protection of infrastructure networks from malicious attacks. After earning his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering in Iraq, Alassad joined ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2014. He earned his master’s degree in systems engineering in 2017 and continued his education in the doctoral program. He was introduced to the (COSMOS) in 2018, where he has studied the spread of misinformation across social media. In his dissertation, “Advances in Contextualizing Focal Structure Sets in Social Network Analysis,” Alassad developed a model to identify social structures in social networks. The model can be used to understand how users interact on social media websites, what they are sharing, and what they are talking about. In particular, Alassad hopes the model can be used to identify users that are coordinating the spread of misinformation campaigns through social media. Alassad was blessed enough to work with other Cosmographers to publish 16 publications (two are forthcoming) to show the importance of this research. “There is no systematic way to stop misinformation on social networks unless you delete accounts randomly or stop the service or platforms from that area,” he said. “With our model, we can find those well-connected users that work together and can complicate the spread of social media on social networks. We call them coordinating groups that work with each other to establish misinformation campaigns and can increase the spread of misinformation. We hope this research can be applied in the real world by tech companies to use to identify people who spread fake news and conspiracy theories through social media.” Alassad wanted to thank his parents and his wife, Dr. Awaad Al Sarkhi, who earned a Ph.D. in computer and information science in 2020, as well as the dean’s office in the Donaghey College of Science, Engineering, Technology, and Math – especially Dana Ball, senior research assistant, Dean Lawrence Whitman, and Associate Dean Jeff Connelly. He also thanked his advisor, Dr. Nitin Agarwal, Maulden-Entergy Endowed Chair and Distinguished Professor of Information Science, and his fellow researchers at COSMOS. “It was an honor to be one of his Cosmographers in this program,” he said. “Dr. Agarwal leads this lab in different research groups and projects. This research lab develops big data analytical tools to understand the interactions between online users and other behavior such as information diffusion, online radical and extremist groups, conspiracy theories dissemination, misinformation, fake news, and other interesting projects. Working on these kinds of modern topics at the national level in one of the best research labs has been a great experience for me.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Grad Investigates Spread of Misinformation Through Social Media

John Hill — Thu, 19 May 2022 13:10:39 +0000

During her time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Maryam Maleki has been involved in high-profile research investigating the spread of misinformation across social media. She leaves ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with a Ph.D. in systems engineering and a plan to enter the world of academia. Maleki has already received multiple job offers to teach at universities across the country. Maleki joined the (COSMOS) under Dr. Nitin Agarwal, Maulden-Entergy Endowed Chair and Distinguished Professor of Information Science, and combined her background in systems engineering with social media research to study how misinformation spreads online following models that also predict the spread of infectious diseases. “My research is focused on spreading misinformation on social media, especially Twitter,” she said. “I used my background in systems engineering to develop mathematical models and statistical analyses to evaluate the spread of misinformation on Twitter.” Maleki also evaluates the influence of bots on the spread of fake news and misinformation and evaluates how her model can predict the spread of misinformation that is posted by humans versus bots. Last year, she appeared on to discuss how misinformation spreads and effective ways to thwart it. Maleki credits the COSMOS team for making her feel right at home with the international team of researchers at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “I really want to thank all Cosmographers for supporting me and helping me,” she said. “I really hope that in my next career as an assistant professor that I can collaborate and help my students. When I leave here, I would like to continue my collaboration and publication with the researchers at COSMOS. This group is one of the best that I ever worked with, and I was lucky to get the opportunity to work with them.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Awarded $165K Grant to Support Research Efforts to Monitor Cyber Warfare Tactics on Social Media

John Hill — Wed, 18 May 2022 13:18:05 +0000

Dr. Nitin Agarwal, Jerry L. Maulden-Entergy endowed chair and distinguished professor of information science at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, has received a grant for $165,540 that will support research efforts to monitor cyber warfare tactics through social media. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is one of 81 institutions across 35 states who received a total of through the Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP), a Department of Defense (DoD) initiative that supports purchases of major research equipment to augment current and develop new capabilities. “DURIP awards provide essential research infrastructure to enable the pursuit of new knowledge and help maintain cutting-edge capabilities of our universities,” said Dr. Bindu Nair, Director, Basic Research Office, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. “The awards will sustain the scientific excellence of our universities, train the next generation of STEM workforce, and facilitate scientific advances that will drive unparalleled military capabilities for our country.” This effort enables universities to perform state-of-the-art research that boosts the United States’ technological edge, while ensuring that our future science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce remains second to none. The highly competitive award program is administered through a merit competition jointly by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Army Research Office, and Office of Naval Research. Agarwal, founding director of the (COSMOS) at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, received the grant from the Department of Defense and the Office of Naval Research. The grant will provide equipment for a high-density, computational environment that will help scale up research efforts and support the , a monitoring tool for video-based social media platforms. The grant will provide COSMOS with a series of upgrades to the research center’s computational servers that will enable faster computation, more storage, and near real-time analysis of multimedia data from social media platforms. By supporting a data analytics bridge between various tools, the equipment will enable further discovery and analysis, data and knowledge exchange among stakeholders. COSMOS researchers specialize in analyzing deviant activities on social media, including the identification of influential actors, their strategies, and tactics. Some of this research includes disinformation campaigns in the Indo-Pacific region, COVID-19 discourse, and highly sophisticated organizational tactics by adversarial actors who use social media to conduct disinformation campaigns, provoke hysteria, radicalize, and coordinate nefarious acts. Studies examining adversarial information campaigns often focus on primarily text-based posts on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. The rapid growth in popularity of video-based platforms and the rampant mis/disinformation campaigns on them pose computational and scalability challenges for the researchers that the grant will address. “Due to inadequate computational resources, much of the research is conducted at a small scale, say, a few thousand videos,” Agarwal said. “However, one of the most popular video-based social media platforms, YouTube, receives more than 300 hours of videos in under one minute. Existing research methodologies need to be enhanced to meet the new information environment.” The problem is compounded by the rapid expansion of the social media landscape. Emerging non-mainstream and multimedia-rich platforms, such as TikTok, Parler, and Clubhouse, have become preferred choices for adversarial actors or groups to propagate hate speech and disinformation content that garners quick but substantial attention. This disinformation-riddled content often spills over to mainstream platforms.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Grad Named Assistant IT Director at University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

John Hill — Tue, 17 May 2022 13:11:06 +0000

May has been a milestone month for Karen Watts DiCicco. The Bryant resident recently graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little with a Ph.D. in computer and information science and was promoted as the assistant director of information technology at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. Watts DiCicco is finishing up an educational journey that started 13 years ago. When she first joined ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2009, she was a single mother of two sons with special needs and found it difficult to go to school full time, work, and raise her kids. She made the difficult decision to leave school in 2010. Afterwards, she earned her cosmetology license and opened Artistik Salon, which catered to children and adults with special needs. It became a popular destination, and people often traveled from all over the state to visit the salon. Determined to finish her education, she returned to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2016, earning her bachelor’s degree in 2018 and master’s degree in 2019. The same year the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture hired her as the division’s first digital and IT innovation manager, where she explored new and emerging technologies and how they can be implemented with Division of Agriculture applications. Now she will be taking on a new role this summer. “I will be staying with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture in the IT department as the assistant director of information technology,” she said. “I will continue to bring recognition and funding to the organization. I feel my experience and knowledge will help lead us into the future.”

Photos of Karen Watts DiCicco by Benjamin Krain.

During her five years at the (COSMOS), she specialized in developing strategies to fight disinformation campaigns online using blockchain technology. Her dissertation, which she is planning to publish, followed the effects of toxicity in digital communities. “My dissertation looks at two different social media platforms, Parler versus Twitter, to see which platform is more toxic,” she said. “In my datasets, I found that Twitter was more toxic than Parler. We also look at the effects of toxicity with COVID-19 related information. We wanted to study if toxicity can break apart tight-knit digital communities.” This spring, Watts DiCicco received the Outstanding Doctoral Graduate Award and the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award in Information Science from the Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Her advice for new students is to get involved in student organizations and take advantage of any opportunity you can find. “Take any opportunity that is given to you,” Watts DiCicco said. “Reach out if you want to join COSMOS. Try hackathons because I learned a lot at those. Get involved with student organizations. Talk to student ambassadors if you need help. Make the best of your education and reach out to your professors and the chair of your department. They are very knowledgeable.”

COSMOS Researchers Win Best Paper Award for Research into Australian Blogosphere

John Hill — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 12:56:37 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock researchers at the Collaboratorium for Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies (COSMOS) received the Best Paper Award for the paper, “Developing Situational Awareness from Blogosphere: An Australian Case Study,” from the 11th International Conference on held in Barcelona, Spain. The study’s authors include Mainuddin Shaik, a doctoral student from Andhra Pradesh, India, Dr. Muhammad Nihal Hussain, data scientist at Equifax, Dr. Zachary Stine, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Central Arkansas, and Dr. Nitin Agarwal, Jerry L. Maulden-Entergy endowed chair, distinguished professor of information science, and the founding director of . “Social media’s increasing proliferation provides great opportunities for gaining situational awareness to assist with strategic policy making, particularly in defense, security, diplomacy, and foreign policy. Our study of the Australian blogosphere identifies influential topics and discourse movers,” Dr. Agarwal said. “Being awarded the best paper is very rewarding. I am extremely proud of our students that can demonstrably conduct such a high quality of internationally competitive research.” The study of the Australian blogosphere identifies influential topics and discourse movers. The researchers analyzed more than 20,000 blog posts and more than 10,000 comments from July 2019 to December 2020. The researchers analyzed Australian blog posts that dealt with diplomacy, defense, trade tension surrounding Australia and China, and election-related discourse in Australia. “Our results showed that Australian bloggers were dominant and discussed the topics of interest compared to Russian and U.S. bloggers,” Shaik said. “The Australian blogosphere simultaneously discussed climate change along with defense-related topics, and they prefer to give attention to long-term topics over short-term topics.” The results can help policy makers reach informed decisions, visualize trending topics over time, and discover influential topics, as well as help political scientists and sociologists mine key concerns from influential discourse. “Analyzing topics of interest from online discourse can be challenging,” Shaik said. “Our results show that COVID-19 discourse absorbs much of the attention of bloggers during the time period considered, even though no COVID-related keywords were incorporated in the data collection. Our findings suggest that a topic can be influential even when it is not trending and vice-versa.” The research was supported by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Office of Naval Research, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, National Science Foundation, Australian DSTO, Entergy, and Arkansas Research Alliance. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding organizations. The researchers gratefully acknowledge the support.

COSMOS Researchers Win Best Paper Award for Research into Dynamics of COVID-19 Misinformation Themes

John Hill — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 14:58:40 +0000

Researchers at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Collaboratorium for Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies () won the Best Paper Award for their paper studying the dynamics of COVID-19 misinformation themes using topic streams. The researchers received the award from the Seventh International Conference on held in Nice, France. The researchers used computational techniques to help reveal the dynamics of COVID-19 misinformation themes that assist in forecasting and proactive policy making. The paper’s authors include Thomas Marcoux, a doctoral student from Orléans, France, Dr. Esther Mead, who graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2020 with a Ph.D. in computer and information science and is currently working as a postdoctoral fellow at COSMOS, and Dr. Nitin Agarwal, Jerry L. Maulden-Entergy endowed chair, distinguished professor of information science, and the founding director of COSMOS. “The paper proposes a methodology to visualize the evolution of misinformation narratives over time,” Marcoux said. “While it relies on public data and is not intrusive, my hope is that we can progressively reduce the need for such tools. I hope the study can shed some light on the misinformation phenomenon, and help readers get a better grasp of the complexity of online narratives.” The research is intended to help sociologists, journalists, and politicians understand the movements of online trends involving misinformation to help report information, make decisions, and set policies. “It is an honor to have been able to work alongside such great researchers on this very important work that illustrates the fact that misinformation stories can be identified on social media and tracked and visualized over time,” Mead said. “This capability can be immediately used by social media administrators, governmental organizations, other researchers, and any other collaborative effort towards stemming the misinformation problem.” The research was supported by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Office of Naval Research, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, National Science Foundation, Australian DSTO, Entergy, and Arkansas Research Alliance. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding organizations. The researchers gratefully acknowledge the support.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Expert Nitin Agarwal Featured as Leader in IT Arkansas Magazine

John Hill — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 13:47:31 +0000

Dr. Nitin Agarwal, Maulden-Entergy Chair and Distinguished Professor of Information Science at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, has been featured in the latest edition of IT Arkansas magazine for his expertise in analyzing social media, misinformation campaigns, and emerging cyber threats. In the article, “How Anti-Social is Social Media,” Dr. Agarwal describes why military and government agencies are so interested in what’s happening online. The article can be found on pages 14-15 on . In his second role as director of the Collaboratorium for Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies (COSMOS) at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Dr. Agarwal and his team of student researchers study online deviant behaviors that include cyber flash mobs, weaponization of information, radical and extremist groups, propaganda dissemination, misinformation, and fake news. “There have always been cases in which social media was abused or exploited, whether to sow discord, create chaos, or undermine trust in democratic and scientific institutions of a society,” Dr. Agarwal said. “These deviant behaviors affect the democratic societies of the world, which are known for their openness to viewpoints. Countries like Russia or China are known to selectively quash narratives through strict content moderation policies. However, such policies infringe upon freedom of speech. Therefore, adversarial actors, whether state sponsored or non-state sponsored, extremist groups or terrorists, find it easier to target democracies around the world.” Dr. Agarwal and COSMOS have partnered with many agencies, including the Department of Defense, NATO, National Science Foundation, DARPA, Department of Homeland Security, who are interested in identifying how social media can be used to combat emerging cyber threats. You can read Dr. Agarwal’s full interview on when social media becomes . Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the researchers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding organizations. The researchers gratefully acknowledge the support of the agencies funding the studies.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Celebrates International Day of Women and Girls in Science

John Hill — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 21:59:25 +0000

In celebration of , ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is highlighting some of the women in science at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, their amazing research, and their journeys to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

Dr. René A. Shroat-Lewis, Associate Professor of Earth Science

Tell us about yourself? I’m from San Diego, California, but spent my childhood in West Palm Beach, Florida. I did not start college until I was 35 years old, having served in the United States Navy as a weapons specialist and a variety of other jobs including elementary school secretary, deckhand on a fishing boat, and as a housing officer for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. I earned my associate degree from Cape Fear Community College, my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and my Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee. I started my career as a marine biology student, but took a geology class and was immediately hooked (thank you, Dr. Garwood). My specialty is invertebrate paleontology with a focus in echinoderm paleoecology and geoscience education. One of the highlights of my work at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is that every two years I get to take students to San Salvador Island in the Bahamas to share my love for both the geology and the marine environment. I am incredibly lucky! I have two adult sons, William and Richard, who support my love for science every day. In my spare time, I enjoy gardening, watching chick-flicks, riding roller coasters, and spoiling my 14-year-old dog, Honor Pookie. What is your role as a woman in science at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock? I am an associate professor in the Department of Earth Sciences. I’ve been at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock since 2012. I teach a wide variety of topics from undergraduate introductory courses to upper level and graduate courses, such as Physical Geology, Paleobiology, Oceanography, Natural Disasters, and Geology and Ecology of the Bahamas. I also teach Science & Society I and II for the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program. I currently have two graduate students involved in research – one is studying landslide activity near Round Mountain in northern Arkansas, and the other is studying how to make introductory labs more relevant to the everyday lives of our students.

Dr. René A. Shroat-Lewis

What inspired you to pursue a degree in the sciences? I knew by the age of five that I wanted to be a scientist. My grandfather, who really inspired my love for all things marine, used to take me fishing on the weekends. When the fish weren’t biting, we would take a stroll through the tidepools, and he would share everything he knew about the critters with me. I also used to get both of my grandparents outside in the middle of the night to watch meteor showers and look at the stars. My grandmother found more bugs, worms, shells, and rocks in my pockets on laundry day than should ever be allowed. My favorite classes in school were always the science classes. I used to beg the teachers to let me do extra experiments and labs. As a parent, my favorite part of the year was when my sons had to do either invention days or science fairs. It was only natural that when I decided to go to college at the age of 35 that I would pursue a science career. Marine biology was my first love, but my work in geology allows me to use modern extant organisms to better understand how ancient extinct organisms fit into their ecosystems. Why do you think diversity is important, especially in the science fields?

Dr. René A. Shroat-Lewis during a research trip to the Bahamas.

We are a product of our upbringing, each with different experiences and perceptions that impacts our decision-making skills. It is this diversity that creates a well-rounded group of critical thinkers. I am especially interested in engaging more women of color in geosciences as their voices are underrepresented in this discipline. Currently, women represent about 28% of all geoscientists, and women of color represent less than 5%. We must increase these numbers if we want to remain at the forefront of discovery and innovation critical to understanding Earth and its interactions with human societies. To that end, I serve as the South Central Delegate for the Association for Women Geoscientists. Our mission is to enhance the quality and level of women in the geosciences and to introduce girls and young women to geoscience careers. What advice would you give to girls and women who want to pursue a career in the sciences? Don’t be afraid to ask to meet with other women in the sciences. We want to engage you in our research! We get so excited when someone wants to know more about what we do. There are so many different types of careers available to scientists including those in academia, industry, environmental remediation, medicine, museums, NASA, and other government positions. A degree in the sciences means you will be in demand for your critical thinking skills and knowledge.

Ronia Kattoum, Advanced Instructor of Chemistry and Ph.D. Student

Tell us about yourself. My family moved to the Chicago area from Palestine when I was a child. After overcoming the language barrier, I began to prosper in all subject areas, but I was particularly drawn to the sciences because they were the most challenging. I was accepted in a selective STEM Program in high school which set the stage for my undergraduate college career at Loyola University Chicago, where I earned a B.S in Chemistry: Biochemistry.

Ronia Kattoum

Having been married at a younger age, I took a break from my studies to take care of my growing family after we relocated to Little Rock, Arkansas. Shortly after settling down in Arkansas, I set out on my journey into graduate school and earned two master’s degrees in chemistry and higher education, which helped me land a job as an instructor of chemistry at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. After eight years of teaching full-time, I am currently on the path to earn my Ph.D. in Applied Science: Chemistry. Although I miss Chicago and visit often, I enjoy exploring the many beautiful national parks in Arkansas with my four children. I also enjoy baking, cooking, painting, and playing sports with my kids. What is your role as a woman in science at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock? I am currently a full-time advanced instructor of chemistry and on track to earn my Ph.D. in Applied Science: Chemistry. I teach General, Fundamentals, and Organic Chemistry and their respective labs. As the Freshman Program Coordinator in my department, I mentor and train graduate teaching assistants in evidence-based pedagogical practices to strengthen their teaching and prepare them for a career in academia. I have also helped launch the Learning Assistant Program in the Chemistry Department to help train more advanced undergraduate learning assistants to assist in facilitating group work alongside the instructor or in their own workshop sessions. The focus of my research is exploring the effect of evidence-based teaching practices and teaching reform on students’ sense of belonging and performance in high attrition courses from a lens of a diversity, equity, and inclusion standpoint. What inspired you to pursue a career in the sciences? As far as I can remember, I have always been curious and drawn to solving difficult problems. If I saw a puzzle, I wouldn’t rest until I figured out how to put it together. No matter how much I learned, I was always excited to learn more and explore further. I found everything fascinating in school, but I gravitated toward studying the sciences because I loved challenges and competitions. My high school chemistry teacher really inspired me to study chemistry in college. The further I studied the subject, the more fascinated I became by it. It helped explain so many things that I observed in my everyday world. I still discover something new every day! Why do you think diversity is important, especially in science fields? If you were to have asked me 15 years ago if I saw myself as a scientist, I would have seen it as highly unlikely. As a first-generation college student and woman of Middle Eastern descent, I didn’t see myself fitting in that role because I didn’t see many scientists that looked like me. I thought it was reserved for those who were much more capable and creative than I was. But my professors saw something in me that I hadn’t seen in myself and encouraged me to find my calling. I realized how important those role models were in helping me shape my path and realizing my full potential. Now, I have the privilege of being that figure that will inspire others to pursue their dreams. By encouraging students from all backgrounds to pursue science, we bring fresh voices and unique ideas that will help us solve problems, catapulting discovery and innovation to the next level. We also lay down the groundwork for inspiring the next generation of scientists. What advice would you give to girls and women who want to pursue a career in the sciences? First, realize your own potential and capabilities and don’t underestimate what you can accomplish. There is no cookie-cutter version of what you should be. It is your unique traits that will set you apart from the rest and help you reach milestones that previously seemed unattainable to women. What you may have perceived as a barriers will end up being your biggest strength. Second, don’t be afraid to reach out to your teachers/mentors and build connections with them. They are your biggest champions and will help you reach those milestones that you have your heart and mind set on. Lastly, be proactive and seek equity and justice for all human beings. Just because something has been done a certain way for a long time doesn’t mean that it is necessarily the right way. We have made so many strides as women, but it is up to you to carry that torch and take it to the next level so future generations of women in science do not face the same barriers you have experienced.

Dr. Stefanie Leacock, Instructor and Coordinator of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Biology

Tell us about yourself. I grew up in South Carolina and studied biology at Florida State University before attending Yale University for a Ph.D. in Genetics. I did post-doctoral research at UT-Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, then transitioned into teaching at University of Texas-Austin for five years.

Dr. Stefanie Leacock

I moved to Little Rock in 2016 with my spouse and our three kids, the youngest was just two months old at the time! I was a consultant for biology higher education publishing for a couple of years before returning to teach and learn with undergraduate students at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2018. What is your role as a woman in science at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock? I am a biology instructor and coordinator of undergraduate studies for our department. I teach a lot of our biology majors in introductory courses and then get to teach them again in upper division courses. Seeing their growth as students uplifts me! I love being a member of a community of faculty here who are interested in improving teaching and learning. I have been a PALM Fellow (Promoting Active Learning and Mentoring), which is a national network devoted to learning as well as participated in developing a LibreText (open access textbook) for my genetics class to help students by reducing cost of courses and well as targeting the book to my teaching. What inspired you to pursue a career in the sciences? I was interested in biology starting in high school, but the idea of medical school wasn’t appealing to me. I started doing undergraduate research as a junior at FSU, and my research mentor there encouraged me to pursue a Ph.D. I didn’t even know where to apply – so she had to help me come up with a list of choices! Graduate school was difficult for me at first, but I credit my program at Yale with providing amazing support and guidance so that I could succeed. Why do you think diversity is important, especially in science fields? I love being an instructor here. Our diverse students have great experiences and ideas to bring to my understanding of biology and how to teach it. I recognize that one aspect of diversity is the privilege I had to focus on my schooling as an undergraduate. Broadening science has to include broadening when we can become scientists, allowing reaching, teaching, and learning for more than just full-time/first-time undergraduate students. What advice would you give to girls and women who want to pursue a career in the sciences? 1. Don’t believe the myths about scientists. Scientists don’t have to be lonely or introverted. We love collaboration and community! Sure there are times we have to concentrate, but that is true of many professions. 2. Mentors, mentors, mentors. I had amazing mentors as 1 – undergraduate, 2 – graduate work, 3 – postdoctoral fellow, and even now as a faculty member I have other faculty that are terrific at listening, helping, and giving advice. Two of my three research advisors were women, but the third was not and he was an excellent role model for the importance of work/life/family balance, so don’t assume that all good mentors have to be female either. 3. Don’t lose the sense of awe and wonder! Discovery feels amazing!

Mayor Inna Gurung, Graduate Student, Software Developer, and Research Assistant at COSMOS

Tell us about yourself? I am Mayor Inna Gurung from Nepal, a graduate student in the Department of Information Science at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. I completed my undergraduate degree in computing in 2020 from Leeds Beckett University, and I have been working as a software developer for about three years now and planning to do my Ph.D. in information science after my graduation. Besides work and studies, I am a travel enthusiast. I love exploring new places and cultures. What is your role as a woman in science at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock? I am working as a graduate research assistant in COSMOS as a part of YoutubeTracker. It is a tool that can track, monitor, and identify influential YouTube groups and content. What inspired you to pursue a career in the sciences?

Mayor Inna Gurung

Well, I don’t have a very specific reason. In part, it was a mere curiosity as a kid to understand how devices were working and how they made certain applications. But as I grew up, I understood there is way more to it. As a family with a business background, my parents were always hesitant for me to pursue a career in computer science. Eventually, I was able to convince them and started my undergraduate in computing. Being able to inspire many women in my community where computer science is still a big dream for women is what motivates me to do better every day. Why do you think diversity is important, especially in science fields? One of the hardest challenges that I had to face while working as a developer back in my home country is that I was the only woman developer. Sure, they were helpful but I always felt like I would have been more comfortable if I had the opportunity to discuss my confusions and ideas with diverse colleagues. I believe a diverse work and research environment brings new approaches and ideas to every problem. A monochromatic approach never brings out the best in anything. What advice would you give to girls and women who want to pursue a career in the sciences? Please do not get discouraged by the lack of women leadership. We need you and your ideas. Try making your first application, or a coding challenge, join a hackathon, explore your interests, and always remember your dreams are valid. In your path, you are never denied, you are only redirected.

Jne Banner, Nursing Major

Tell us about yourself? Born in Wilmington, Delaware, I was raised by a single mother which created some challenges. However, I learned to be kind, selfless, and my dreams were never far reaching. My family and I relocated to Little Rock in 2002 to be closer to my family. At the time, I was also preparing for motherhood. My only child is now a 19-year-old freshman attending Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. When we moved to Arkansas, I gained a love for animals, hiking, fitness, and traveling. I also have a circle of friends I love to hang out with. What is your role as a woman in science at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock?

Jne Banner

Women are innovators. Representing ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as a woman in science is an honor. My goal is to inspire others, young and seasoned, to consider opportunities science has to offer. I strive to be more than a role model that others look to from afar. Being one who will walk beside other women sharing my own experiences but also learning from others through their journeys as well is what I hope to achieve. Although nursing is my passion, STEM stretches far beyond nursing. So many opportunities are open and await other women to walk into. What inspired you to pursue a career in the sciences? A nurse’s care is pivotal in the healthcare industry. Nurses are typically the first healthcare professional you come into contact with. Also, the person you communicate with most often. Unfortunately, my experience when being cared for after having a newborn that passed away was subpar. Processing the grief of losing a child and being treated in that manner is what motivated me to become a nurse. Relying on others to care for you requires vulnerability on some level. When caring for patients, my own experience is not lost to me. I do my best to ensure patients are comfortable and receive the highest quality of care. Continuing to educate and develop my skills beyond my current role as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to a Registered Nurse (RN) and beyond will afford me more opportunities to provide high-quality care and to teach others to do the same.

Jne Banner

Why do you think diversity is important, especially in STEM fields? The ongoing narrative today is that women of color are not receiving the same level of healthcare as our counterparts. Being in a position to share lived experiences in healthcare and other STEM fields requires open eyes to address inequalities. Our vision cannot be tunnel based on our own culture. We have to push the needles to think outside of the box, educate ourselves and learn from others from different walks of life. What advice would you give to young girls who want to pursue a career in STEM? Women are needed and wanted in STEM programs. If you have a passion, there is a place for you. The opportunities are endless and yours for the taking.

Lucca Garcia, Nursing and Spanish Major

Tell us about yourself. I am a fourth year undergraduate Donaghey Scholar double majoring in Nursing and Spanish. I was born and raised in Arkansas, however, my family is from Chicago, Illinois. After I graduate with my bachelor’s degree and work to gain experience at the bedside as a nurse, I would like to commence travel nursing.

Lucca Garcia

Having studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain, I would like to incorporate international health into my future plans in some form. I intend to continue my education with a master’s in business and/or by becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner. Some of my hobbies include yoga, hiking, and journaling. What inspired you to pursue a career in the sciences? My parents inspire me; they both have careers in science. My father has his bachelor’s degree in computer science and his master’s degree in computer science with an emphasis in network design and development. My mother has her bachelor’s in nursing, her master’s in nursing informatics, and over 26 years of experience as a nurse. Growing up, I saw how hard they worked to provide for our family, and it demonstrated to me that if you work hard enough for something it will pay off. Nothing worth having comes easy, but the work that you put into obtaining a goal makes you feel even more appreciative when you earn it. I think that feeling of accomplishment and sense of added value motivates me every day. Why do you think diversity is important, especially in science fields? I think diversity is important because it creates an atmosphere of inclusivity. An environment where anyone can feel welcome is important because it encourages change and fosters growth. Diversity, specifically in STEM, inspires creativity, critical thinking, and innovation. Lastly, it demonstrates that STEM can be for anyone that dedicates the time and effort to it. What advice would you give to girls and women who want to pursue a career in the sciences? Take one class at a time, and see adversity as a challenge to do better and work harder. Do not tell yourself that you cannot do something before you even try. If you have a goal you would like to achieve, do your research, find someone who is in the position you want to be in, and ask them questions about how they got there. Chances are they had the same negative thoughts or were in a similar position as you are when they were first starting out. If you want to read about more ��Vlog��ý Little Rock women in the sciences, please visit our feature on International Day of Women and Girls in Science from 2021.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Receives DoD Grant to Research Covert Online Information Campaigns

John Hill — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 16:48:32 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Collaboratorium for Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies () has received a multi-year grant from a Department of Defense (DoD) initiative to study covert online information campaigns in the Indo-Pacific region. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is partnering on the five-year project, “Multi-Level Models of Covert Online Information Campaigns,” with Carnegie Mellon University, University of Regina, and The Atlantic Council. Total funding for the project, which is headed by Dr. Kathleen Carley of Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), is about $5 million. , Jerry L. Maulden-Entergy endowed chair, distinguished professor of information science, and the founding director of COSMOS, will serve as principal investigator for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, which will receive $456,657 to study online information campaigns during elections, protests, and other major events in the Indo-Pacific region. Influence campaigns are becoming more sophisticated as they are often well orchestrated, spread across multiple social media platforms, and conducted by humans, bots, and cyborg-like actors in a flash-mob style coordination manner. Agarwal defines influence campaigns as information designed and shared to sway public opinion or manipulate people’s beliefs and behaviors. “Advanced tactics and maneuvers are used to amplify the messages,” Agarwal said. “For instance, narratives are framed in blogs and YouTube videos, which are then shared on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and other such platforms. Links to blog posts and YouTube videos are massively amplified using bots, which drive traffic to respective blog posts or YouTube videos. Traffic amplification further leads to the content being recommended more, which creates a feeding frenzy. Such a tactic is known as algorithmic manipulation.” In this project, COSMOS is studying similar tactics deployed in online covert influence campaigns concentrated on the Indo-Pacific region. COSMOS will use its programs, VTracker and BTracker, to collect information from YouTube and blogs. The data will be used to track a video or a blog post’s dissemination across multiple media platforms and their influence. Some of the narratives that COSMOS researchers are tracking online include:

Efforts to increase Chinese social, economic, political, and cultural hegemony in the Indo-Pacific region
Efforts to undermine U.S. leadership in the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific region
U.S. military efforts in the Indo-Pacific region is meant to create a war with China and Russia
Countries in Southeast Asia must rise with China to find alternatives against America’s primacy in Asia.
The Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, are secretly U.S. proxies or Saudi-backed ISIS militants

COSMOS researchers will use a collective action theory-based model, social network theories, and social influence theory to lay the groundwork for detecting coordination and measuring the power of the online influence campaigns. “This will help in identifying key actors, key groups, coordination strategies, and tactics indicating coordinated content engagement boosting, such as ‘spiked’ views, likes, commenter mobs, etc.,” Agarwal said. “Aside from the social network theory-based analysis, we will study the content captured from YouTube, blogs, Reddit, and other social media platforms to assess inflammatory speech and text that evoke certain emotions using tonality/toxicity assessment.” Coordination behaviors and tactics detected from these social media platforms will be mapped to a framework developed by Dr. Carley at CMU. This will help in characterization of such tactics in covert online influence campaigns and enable further experimentation with countermeasures. “Such a comparison would help develop a characterization of information maneuvers and media platforms, which maneuvers are more prevalent on a particular social media platform, or which platforms are more suited for a particular information maneuver,” Agarwal said. The grant is managed by the Office of Naval Research and awarded under the DoD’s Minerva Research Initiative. Minerva that focuses on topics of particular relevance to U.S. national security. Through its network of faculty investigators, Minerva also strengthens the department’s connections with the social science community and helps DOD better understand and prepare for future challenges, including National Defense Strategy priorities such as great power competition. The Minerva Research Initiative is jointly administered by the Basic Research Office and the Strategy and Force Development Office in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy in partnership with the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Office of Naval Research. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s COSMOS is also partnering with Arizona State University and Nanyang Technological University on another DoD Minerva Research Initiative grant, “Fusing Narrative and Social Cyber Forensics to Understand Covert Influence.” COSMOS is conducting social network and cyber forensic analysis to examine online activity and the dissemination of ideas and elements of these narratives. Since 2009, COSMOS has received more than $15 million in funding from the DoD to conduct research. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Office of Naval Research.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

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