Syracuse University School of Information Studies (iSchool) Professor Kevin Crowston will present “SoCS: Socially intelligent computing to support citizen science,” a program sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Crowston’s presentation is part of the Brown Bag Lecture Series and will take place at noon on Friday, Nov. 12, in the Katzer Room, 347 Hinds Hall.
Crowston’s project will investigate the capabilities and potential of social computational systems (SoCS) in the context of citizen science, that is, research projects involving “partnerships between volunteers and scientists that answer real-world questions.” The projects to be studied include a core of scientists and project leaders coordinating work of a large number of distributed volunteer contributors in a variety of scientific disciplines.
Whether it be volunteers playing a role in massive, distributed sensing networks exploring the migration of birds, or applying unique human perceptual skills to searching the skies, human motivation and performance are fundamental to SoCS system performance. To understand and address the unique challenges of undertaking science through SoCS, Crowston’s proposal presents a three-phase study of SoCS supporting scientific research, grounded in group theory and rooted empirically in case studies and action research.
Crowston earned an A.B. in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University in 1984 and a Ph.D. in Information Technologies from MIT in 1991. His research examines new ways of organizing made possible by the use of information technology. In addition to the program outlined in the upcoming Brown Bag, He is currently a principal investigator on two other NSF-sponsored programs, including “VOSS: Theory and Design of Virtual Organizations for Citizen Science” and “Collaborative Research: CRI: CRD: Data and analysis archive for research on Free and Open Source Software and its Development.”
Website: http://ischool.syr.edu/newsroom/?recid=1017
Corri Zoli ’91, G’93, G’04 was recently named a research associate of the Lender Center for Social Justice. She applies social science, law and public policy perspectives to problems of warfare, governance in modern human conflicts and the role of…
Robert Rubinstein, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and professor of international relations in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, is the recipient of the 2025 Wasserstrom Prize for Graduate Teaching. The prize is awarded annually to a faculty member…
National Ice Cream Day is coming up on Sunday, July 20, and what better way to celebrate than with a brain freeze and a sugar rush? Armed with spoons and an unshakable sense of duty, members of the Syracuse University…
Dear Members of the Orange Community: It is with profound sadness that I write to remember two members of our Syracuse University community, whose lives were cut short last Thursday when they were struck by a vehicle at the intersection…
Haowei Wang, assistant professor of sociology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, has been named the Yang Ni and Xiaoqing Li Scholar in U.S.-China/Asia Relations for the 2025-26 academic year. Wang’s one-year appointment began on July 1….
If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.
