Series

Drummer has a PhD: Inquiry with CU English professor Lamos

Anonymous — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 17:16:48 +0000

Drummer has a PhD: Inquiry with CU English professor Lamos Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/22/2017 - 11:16

Steve Lamos, who teaches English, writing and rhetoric at CU Boulder, is also the drummer for '90s rock band American Football, ranked among the “Top 10 All Time” emo bands by Rolling Stone. The group recently reunited and released a second album.

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Zombies: A success story of one CU Theatre alum

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Mar 2017 15:58:16 +0000

Zombies: A success story of one CU Theatre alum Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 03/17/2017 - 09:58

After about 10 years of living in Los Angeles trying to make a career as an actor, Ross Marquand was cast in the highest-rated TV series in cable history, "The Walking Dead," changing his life forever.

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Larger disasters 'inevitable,' says new Natural Hazards Center director

Anonymous — Wed, 15 Mar 2017 16:50:54 +0000

Larger disasters 'inevitable,' says new Natural Hazards Center director Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/15/2017 - 10:50

Lisa Marshall

In the days following 9/11, frightened college students across the country gathered around TVs to get a sense of what was happening in New York City.

Lori Peek, who was just starting her third year of graduate school at CU Boulder, also watched the catastrophe unfold from afar. But soon after the twin towers fell, she packed her bags and flew into the chaos.

Lori Peek, the new director of the Natural Hazards Center.

"I’d never been to New York or even ridden a subway before," recalls Peek, a research assistant at the Natural Hazards Center at the time. "But I understood it was vital that I get into the field quickly to collect valuable information that would otherwise be lost."

Fast forward 16 years and Peek, who in January returned to Boulder to direct the center, has amassed a unique body of research on how disasters – from terrorist attacks to tornadoes – impact the lives of the vulnerable and marginalized in the days and years to follow.

Her two-year study of the impact 9/11 had on Muslim Americans led to an acclaimed book, Behind the Backlash: Muslim Americans after 9/11. Her work in the Gulf Coast after Katrina and the BP oil spill and Joplin, Missouri – home to the deadliest tornado in 70 years – led to community interventions that help teens better prepare for and recover from disasters. And her 2015 book Children of Katrina, a 7-year project completed with fellow sociologist Alice Fothergill, has been lauded as a groundbreaking exploration of children's long-term recovery.

Peek has no doubt that larger, more destructive disasters are yet to come, due to growing populations in geographically vulnerable areas, unsustainable development and climate change. After spending a decade as a faculty member at Colorado State University and having traveled around the world studying the aftermath of disaster, she returned to the Natural Hazards Center – the nation's clearinghouse for disaster research – to apply the lessons learned.

"We’re in a race, trying to figure out how to work with communities to make them more resilient and be sure that, when disaster strikes, those that are already struggling aren’t left behind," says Peek, also a professor in the sociology department. "To be at this center at this particular time in our nation's history represents an incredible opportunity to work with others to have an impact."

From Kansas to Ground Zero

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Growing up in a small eastern Kansas town, population 571, Peek had "barely even been on a plane" when 9/11 hit.

But as a young sociologist with a close Muslim friend, Peek was deeply troubled by reports of anti-Islamic and anti-Arab hate crimes following the attacks. She applied for a $3,000 Quick Response Grant, which the center awards to researchers wanting to travel to disaster sites immediately to gather "perishable data." She touched down in lower Manhattan on Sept. 29 and spent the next two years gathering FBI hate crime data, media and civil rights reports of discrimination claims, and interviewing 140 Muslim Americans about their experiences.

"There is this whole narrative that disasters are altruistic events that bring people together. But what happens to people who may want to be a part of that community but find themselves on the outside looking in? I wanted to find out," recalls Peek.

Just weeks after she finished her dissertation on the subject, as she began a new teaching position at CSU, Hurricane Katrina hit. Yet again she found herself on a plane, headed into a region where 1 million people had been evacuated within a matter of days. Her hope: to learn what factors led some children to fare well long-term, while others didn't.

Ultimately, she and Fothergill, also a CU alumna, would observe and interview hundreds of children. They then zeroed in and followed 25 for seven years, going to church, school, playgrounds and grocery stores with them, tracing their paths to recovery as they and their families moved.

"We became deeply embedded in their lives," says Peek.

Peek followed 25 displaced children for 7 years for her book, Children of Katrina.

Dennis Mileti, a former director of the center who served as Peek's mentor from 1999 to 2005 says her work has lent a new perspective to disaster research.

"Disaster is not just about broken walls and houses and pipes but also about secondary social impacts which are relatively understudied. Lori really opened up that vein of research," he said. Peek says her travels taught her several things: The less a child is displaced (from their home, school, or peer group) post-disaster, the better they tend to do. And while new businesses and homes are important, reclaiming parks and playgrounds is also key.

"Oftentimes, youth-focused places are last on the list."

She’s also learned a lot about human nature.

"Yes, the work can be exciting and intimidating at times. But it is not the drama that makes me want to do this kind of research, it is what disasters reveal about our social order," she says. "The altruism and generosity I have seen is what will always stick with me."

Having traveled the world studying the social impact catastrophes have on marginalized populations, CU Boulder alumna Lori Peek returned to her alma mater in January to become director of the Natural Hazards Center, the nation's clearinghouse for disaster research. She says vulnerable populations should be top of mind in disaster planning.

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Grit: A story of forward momentum

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 17:25:40 +0000

Grit: A story of forward momentum Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/08/2017 - 10:25

For Megan Mangum, the goal was college; and the route was hazy, as it often is for first-generation students. Now on track to graduate from CU Boulder, she tells her story with a disarming mix of candor, humor and optimism.

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Guided talk gets at the heart of inclusion and conflict on campus

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 22:15:57 +0000

Guided talk gets at the heart of inclusion and conflict on campus Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 02/21/2017 - 15:15

Is there a way to create and support a more inclusive campus climate?

Adam Lauver, a doctoral student in the College of Media, Communication and Information (CMCI) and full-time research assistant in the Department of Communication, is convinced there is, and the way is through intergroup dialogues.

“Facilitating dialogues is a rich experience,” he said. “People sharing a commitment to this particular way of relating to one another is vital to the campus.”

Learn more about the CU Dialogues Program

The CU Dialogues Program facilitates dialogues that engage diverse members of the university community in honest conversation with one another across differences of all kinds.

The CU Dialogues Program

Spring 2017 Diversity and Inclusion Summit

The Intergroup Relations (IGR) Working Group is among those engaged in collaborative efforts, using dialogues as an opportunity to learn about diversity, equality and social responsibility. The IGR group develops inclusive practices on campus that include offering dialogues as part of the bi-annual Diversity and Inclusivity Summits.

The IGR group was formed in 2014 by CU Dialogues Program Co-Directors Ellen Aiken and Karen Ramirez, Assistant Vice Chancellor Alphonse Keasley, and Assistant Professor of Communication Leah Sprain. The goal of the IGR group is to create and support a more inclusive campus climate by integrating intergroup dialogue into the undergraduate experience.

IGR dialogues are facilitated conversations structured to explore topics of social group identity, conflict, community and social justice. Participants strive to create new degrees of communicating, relating and engagement. At the heart of intergroup dialogue is a chance to hear diverse voices with distinct perspectives from across campus. They serve to enrich CU Boulder as a community.

“One of the great things about the IGR group,” Lauver said, “is that it’s a grassroots, emergent campus organization committed to action and opportunities for involvement.”

Lauver joined the IGR group after observing the group’s work during the spring 2016 Diversity and Inclusion Summit. During the fall 2016 summit, he helped plan and run dialogues about inclusion and diversity. He also helped develop a guide to train volunteer facilitators.

His research interests are rhetoric and communication as they relate to social movements, social justice issues and the public sphere. He is also interested in prison education and activism, and he volunteers as a workshop facilitator at the Colorado Department of Corrections. For three years, he has taught classes in Shakespeare and creative writing to male inmates in the Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center, the intake facility for the state of Colorado. After receiving his PhD, Lauver plans to continue to volunteer in prisons and potentially teach communication in a university setting as well.

As a research assistant in the Department of Communication, Lauver has worked on projects studying engagement across difference with the CU Dialogues Program and developed tools for democratic public engagement with BoulderTalks. His research interests and his participation with these two organizations made IGR a perfect fit for Lauver.

“My interests are how people can communicate effectively and compassionately across disagreements and differences,” Lauver said. “The way we communicate informs everything, so working with the IGR group fits nicely with those interests.”

To learn more about IGR, attending the Spring 2017 Diversity and Inclusion Summit on Feb. 23 is a good place to start. A number of intergroup facilitated dialogues are included in the schedule.

Is there a way to create and support a more inclusive campus climate? Adam Lauver, a doctoral student in the College of Media, Communication and Information (CMCI) and full-time research assistant in the Department of Communication, is convinced there is, and the way is through intergroup dialogues.

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Q&A: A librarian shares her love affair with history’s printed page

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 17:48:39 +0000

Q&A: A librarian shares her love affair with history’s printed page Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 11/16/2016 - 10:48

Kate Tallman, CU Boulder acting head of Norlin Library's Government Information Library and an assistant professor in the University Libraries, holds a holds a serial set volume from the late 1800s, which will be housed at the Preservation and Access Service Center for Colorado Academic Libraries (PASCAL), a climate-controlled storage facility located at the CU Anschutz Medical Center. Documents from the preservation steward collection, such as the one she is holding, can be requested and used in Norlin’s special collections reading room. (Photo by Glenn Asakawa/University of Colorado Boulder)

Assistant Professor Kate Tallman has been named the acting head of Norlin’s Government Information Library and Colorado’s regional depository coordinator.

Norlin Library recently became the nation’s first official preservation steward library through the U.S. Government Publishing Office, pledging to preserve the U.S. Congressional Serial Set (House and Senate documents and reports), the Congressional Record (the proceedings and debates of the U.S. Congress, published daily when Congress is in session) and the U.S. Congressional hearings from the early 1800s on.

While Norlin Library has been part of a federal depository program since 1879, housing historic public documents, the new agreement grants permanency, as well as special treatment for and storage of particular documents already existing in the collection and yet to be received.

To view the collection, which is stored at a facility on CU’s Anschutz Medical Campus, the public may access digital copies of the documents at Norlin Library on the Boulder campus, or request delivery of the physical documents, which would then be available for 30 days in Norlin Library’s Special Collections and Archives Reading Room.

What does it mean to you that CU Boulder has become a steward of history?

I might get a little emotional. This was the most authentic and collaborative effort I have been involved with in my career. People throughout the university library worked together to make sure we preserved history. It’s been truly remarkable. I thank my predecessor Peggy Jobe, (a retired associate professor and the former head of government information at Norlin), who set the groundwork.

You say that preservation of government information is important to a democracy. Why?

One of the most fundamental human rights is freedom of speech and expression. This is afforded to us in the United States through our Constitution and, in many respects, can only be realized when we have access to the proceedings, debates and publications of our elected officials.

What are some of the greatest historical moments stored in the collection?

It’s every historical moment. The Sand Creek Massacre. The Challenger disaster. The 9/11 Commission. The congressional record contains every proceeding and debate from Congress. The Benghazi hearings and the lead water crisis in Flint, Michigan, are two current examples.

Anything that happened in U.S. history that has bubbled up to the congressional level is in this collection.

Which documents in the collection are especially fascinating or surprising to you?

Every time I go to an older serial set I find something interesting. A letter or proclamation from a president. A first-hand account of a military exercise. Or a witness to a historical event. I opened a volume the other day to look for an illustration and noticed some observations of Native Americans. The observations were much more objective than I thought they would be. There were no judgements made on Native American customs, just the facts about building structures, tools and agricultural practices.

One example of a serial set volume is Volume 1277 from 1865 with testimony from military captains who were called before a military commission to report on their activities during the Sand Creek Massacre. Other examples, and some of our favorites, are from Western surveys commissioned by Congress in the late 1800’s. Congress sent scientists, scholars and artists to the Western states to survey the geology, geography, environment, flora and fauna. The volumes are filled with amazing first-hand accounts of local populations and gorgeous drawings and paintings of landscapes and plants and animals.

Hand drawn hummingbirds from Serial Set vol 832, Report on the United States and Mexican boundary survey: made under the direction of the secretary of the Interior. In the late 1800s Congress sent scientists, scholars and artists to the Western states to survey the geology, geography, environment, flora and fauna. (Photo by Glenn Asakawa/University of Colorado Boulder)

In the digital age, why is it important to preserve paper copies?

There’s nothing like holding a serial set from 1810 and looking at the illustrations. Paper is durable and long-lasting. It’s been used for hundreds of years. Sometimes it’s much easier to get the information you need from paper copies because many of these government databases are more difficult to navigate than just having a book in your hand.

Do students interact with the documents?

The documents actually get used a lot more than you would expect. My colleague, Leanne Walther, a government information specialist at Norlin, incorporates these primary documents into instructional sessions to give students a chance to experience history in a different way. The students are always impressed. They often come back and ask to see those volumes again.

Did you always want to be a librarian?

I come from a family of librarians, and I resisted it at first. They felt fulfilled. I wanted to try something else. I went to music school and played percussion. I got my bachelor’s degree in anthropology and my master’s in Southeast Asian studies. Yet, I always volunteered or worked as a student employee in libraries. Then one day it just happened. I realized it was my calling.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

It’s the everyday interactions that make me happy. I meet with students from every campus department. I get to know their projects. I help them discover their “aha” moments. They might not know something is available, and after I point them in the right direction, they are amazed that these documents exist.

Assistant Professor Kate Tallman offers a personal glimpse into her life as a government information librarian at Norlin Library. Norlin recently became the nation’s first official preservation steward library through the U.S. Government Publishing Office, an important step in preserving a democracy, she says.

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Behind the scenes: A student perspective of the Dalai Lama visit

Anonymous — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 13:43:00 +0000

Behind the scenes: A student perspective of the Dalai Lama visit Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 06/22/2016 - 07:43

As a newly elected Tri-Exec of the University of Colorado Student Government, Colton Lyons had the opportunity to not only work behind the scenes of the Dalai Lama visit, but also to introduce and meet him during his campus visit on Thursday, June 23.

Q and A with Colton Lyons:

Talk about your experience working as a student leader behind the scenes of the Dalai Lama visit to campus.

Working behind the scenes has given me insight to the event that I would not have otherwise known about. There are so many people on campus who have been working tirelessly to ensure the success of this event. It truly is incredible to see the power of collaboration between different groups across campus when they all have a common goal.

What was it like to meet and introduce the Dalai Lama?

It was an incredibly humbling experience meeting the Dalai Lama. I was extremely moved by his message of peace and nonviolence. He was very soft spoken but very funny, he was cracking jokes the entire day and his presence lifted everyone's spirits. It was a once in a lifetime experience to introduce His Holiness to the people attending his talk. I was a little nervous at first but being around the Dalai Lama and his care-free spirit made giving my introduction a little easier.

Why do you think it is important to bring guests like the Dalai Lama to our campus?

It is important to bring cultural diversity and multiple perspectives to campus. Diversity of thought and culture is very beneficial to the learning environment of our university, so bringing in speakers such as His Holiness helps us foster this environment.

What was most exciting about working on this event, and why?

It was great helping the Cultural Events Board bring this event to fruition. CU Student Government in conjunction with the Cultural Events Board have been working on bringing His Holiness the Dalai Lama to campus for quite some time now and it is exciting to see all the hard work of my predecessors finally pay off.

How did you get interested in student government?

I got interested in student government when I realized how big of a role student government plays on campus. Between all the cost centers such as the Environmental Center, the Rec Center, the University Memorial Center, and many others, the amount of positive change CU Student Government can have on campus is powerful. I personally want to make our campus a better place so when future Buffs, including my little brother and sister, come to campus they have even more opportunities to be successful in the endeavors they choose to embark on.

After the Dalai Lama visit, what are your plans for the rest of the summer?

Following His Holiness’ visit I plan on working with other members of CU Student Government to author legislation addressing sexual misconduct on our campus. Additionally I want to help re-brand student government in order to get more students involved. We know we have our work cut out for us, but we are excited for the challenges and the opportunity to represent the voice of students.

As a newly elected Tri-Exec of the University of Colorado Student Government, Colton Lyons had the opportunity to not only work behind the scenes of the Dalai Lama visit, but also to introduce and meet him during his campus visit on Thursday, June 23.

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Werewolves, Comic Con and the writer’s life

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 12:21:00 +0000

Werewolves, Comic Con and the writer’s life Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 06/17/2016 - 06:21

Published author and English Professor Stephen Graham Jones relies on his students to bring in new ideas and new ways of seeing things. Students—immersed in his courses on werewolves, comic books, slasher novels, screenwriting and haunted houses—rely on Jones to paint a picture of the writer’s life.

“Students come to class and they have this intimate knowledge of a world that I don’t really have access to anymore,” said Jones. “But I get glimmers of it through them. The students keep me plugged into the actual happening world.”

Teaching and writing go hand-in-hand for Jones. He keeps his students informed about the hassles and successes he has with editors, while teaching varied techniques in prose. This process, he said, also provides an added layer of accountability in his own work.

“I’ll be teaching a technique and, a few days later, while working on my own writing, I’ll be tempted to take the easy way out, to do what I tell my students not to do,” said Jones. “But I know they’re watching over my shoulder. I have to hold myself to the standards I require of them.”

Jones, who came to CU-Boulder from West Texas in 2008, has over 20 books in print. His most recent novel, Mongrels, reached the top of the Denver Post’s best sellers list in late May and received attention from the Los Angeles Times, Westword and SciFiNow, among others. The coming-of-age story depicts a young protagonist and a struggling family, constantly on the move because of their werewolf nature.

“I’m known for horror, but this isn’t horror,” said Jones. “It’s a family story. It’s really Lilo & Stich with werewolves.”

Jones is most comfortable writing between the ages of 12 and 17, he says. Working in a college environment where most of his students are between 18 and 22, Jones hears a lot of stories about the teenage years. This, he says, helps him identify the hinge points of adolescence, which contribute to his narrative structure.

“What I’m seeing is the person that resulted,” said Jones. “But when they tell stories, they’re telling back to the triggers that catapulted them here.”

As his students are working on their own prose, Jones encourages them 1) to read way outside their comfort zones, and 2) don’t get caught up on the same project for more than a couple months. With his own craft, Jones tries to write a story a week; his preferred space is his study at home where he has a stand-up desk and playlists on easy access.

“At any moment, I can walk away from the keyboard and go watch an “X Files” with my kids, or go play ping pong with them, or run the dogs,” he said. “That’s really important with writing. You have to be able to take breaks as you need them. At home, I can walk away, recharge and come back a half hour later ready to go.”

A commitment to writing is the most important, if not essential, ingredient in Jones’ literary success. Though he prefers to write at home, he spends a lot of time reading and writing in airports, between book tours and speaking engagements. For Jones, writing takes priority over everything but family, friends and health.

“Real writers write,” said Jones. “The most important thing, even more important than talent, is discipline. I’ve learned to work where I can and to not let travel interfere with my output.”

This weekend, Jones will participate in three panels at Denver Comic Con: The Art of the Complex Villain, Fantasy vs. Sci Fi: Drawing the line in Fiction and Monsters, Not Just for Horror Anymore. He will also sign books and visit with fans in Author’s Alley both Friday and Saturday.

“I love dress up cons,” he said. “It allows people to be who they really think they are, whether they dress up or not. It forms a sense of kinship or community. Con gives us a chance to plug into that for a weekend at a time.”

Later this summer, Jones’ agent will submit ideas for two follow-up werewolf novels, with hopes of turning Mongrels into a trilogy. He also has an anthropological thriller in the works, which has as its setting a visiting lecture in CU-Boulder’s own Hale 270. And, come August, Jones will lead another group of aspiring young writers through genre literature and the development of their own prose.

“It’s really neat when you can show a student a path that they had not known was even there at all,” he said. “If I don’t give 100 percent teaching, I don’t give 100 percent writing.”

To see a list of other CU-Boulder affiliates presenting at Denver Comic Con, visit the College of Media, Communication and Information website.

Published author and English Professor Stephen Graham Jones relies on his students to bring in new ideas and new ways of seeing things. Students—immersed in his courses on werewolves, comic books, slasher novels, screenwriting and haunted houses—rely on Jones to paint a picture of the writer’s life.

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Music alum Wei Wu to perform in multiple operas this year

Anonymous — Thu, 16 Jun 2016 11:18:00 +0000

Music alum Wei Wu to perform in multiple operas this year Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 06/16/2016 - 05:18

In the ultra-competitive world of professional opera, getting your name in the program of even one large production every couple of years could be considered a coup.

The next year for Wei Wu is shaping up to be a major victory.

From Washington to Pittsburgh to the Met to Santa Fe, the 2013 graduate of the College of Music is starring in several big-name operas at some of the grandest companies in the country.

But he’s not stopping there.

“I feel extremely grateful that this is happening at the beginning of my career,” said Wu. “These amazing and prestigious opera houses offer me a great opportunity to move forward."

Wu earned a master’s of music in voice performance and a professional certificate in opera and solo voice performance at CU-Boulder.

“I often tell myself that hard work is the key, and from now on mistakes are not allowed on stage," he said.

Wu, who hails from Beijing, has been making a name for himself as a bass since leaving Boulder. Right after graduation, he was accepted into the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program at Washington National Opera.

Geared toward helping young artists get experience before entering the professional world, the program is considered one of the best of its kind. Wu got his chance to audition thanks to serendipity.

“During the last year of my master’s, I was invited to perform in The Tales of Hoffmann at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing," he said. "The production was directed by Francesca Zambello, who is also artistic director at Washington National Opera."

“After the opera was over, she invited me back to audition,” said Wu.

The two-year intensive workshop includes coaching, concerts and collaboration with other artists, opera companies and associations. It’s also highly selective—of about 1,000 applicants every year, only five or six are chosen.

Wu earned a third year with the program after its director, Michael Heaston, invited him to stay on for continued development. As the veteran, he says he’s continued to improve, and he’s even had a chance to perform more important roles in Washington National Opera productions.

“I’m very lucky to be a part of this program, which is one of the best in the opera field,” Wu said. “I’ve had to work hard every day to be prepared for unpredictable opportunities. It’s opened a lot of doors for me.”

Also opening doors, he says, has been his decision to sign with a talent agency, Fletcher Artist Management in New York. Since getting an agent, Wu has landed parts at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera in England (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) and Pittsburgh Opera (The Rake’s Progress), with another gig in Pittsburgh and roles at the Met and Santa Fe Opera forthcoming.

“This is a very competitive career. There are tons of talented young opera singers out there. When you’re just starting out like I am, any offers from regional companies would have been wonderful. I definitely wasn’t expecting to hear from Santa Fe and Pittsburgh and the Met. I feel very lucky,” Wu said.

Next summer, Wu makes his debut in Santa Fe as Kôbun Chino Otogawa, spiritual advisor to Steve Jobs, in a new opera about the Apple founder written by CU-Boulder alumnus Mark Campbell.

As he prepares for this and other big roles, Wu says the biggest determining factor in whether you have success in opera isn’t what you’re born with—it’s the work you put in.

“I think about 20 percent of it is the talent you’re given," he said. "The rest is working hard and being a good person.”

Photo courtesy of Wei Wu.

Wei Wu (Mus'13) is having a banner year, debuting at Pittsburgh Opera and preparing for roles at the Met and Santa Fe Opera.

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Facebook to food webs: Clauset explores the nuances of network science

Anonymous — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 14:57:00 +0000

Facebook to food webs: Clauset explores the nuances of network science Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 06/03/2016 - 08:57

Aaron Clauset, assistant professor of computer science and faculty member of the BioFrontiers Institute, recently accepted the 2016 Erdős-Rényi Prize in Network Science. The international prize is awarded annually to a researcher under 40 who has made fundamental contributions to the advancement of network science.

Network science is an interdisciplinary field dedicated to understanding the structure and function of networks in all domains, from social networks to biological networks to technological networks.

We asked Clauset five questions about how he uses network science in his research:

How did you become interested in network science?

I began studying networks during my doctoral work at the University of New Mexico. Although interest in networks stretches back to at least the early part of the 20th century in sociology, network science as a modern interdisciplinary field was born only recently, as a result of the computer revolution. These technologies now allow scientists to record and study immense volumes of data on interactions in nearly every scientific field, from the way people interact with each other, either online or offline, to how genes regulate each other or how food webs are structured, to how the structure of a network shapes how information flows across it. A long-running theme in my research, which started during my doctoral work, is the development of advanced algorithms that can identify subtle organizational patterns in networks and use these patterns to make predictions.

What do you hope to do with your discoveries in network science?

Increasingly, networks are a powerful tool for making discoveries about the structure and function of complex systems in scientific domains, for example, in the social or biological sciences. Part of my research focuses on using network techniques to answer specific scientific questions. But I also hope to identify the basic organizing principles of networks that span different scientific domains. Insights from studying networks in one domain, such as human social networks, can often help us to better understand some aspects of networks in other domains, such as molecular interaction networks, or to develop more powerful tools for analyzing them.

Studying network science is allowing you to look at a broad range of subjects: faculty hiring, sports scoring, social networks like Facebook, and malaria virulence genetics. What have you discovered by researching the networks of so many things?

It’s definitely true that my research on networks has taken me across a pretty wide variety of topics. But they are all interesting! What I’ve found is that there are surprising and evocative commonalities across many different systems, if one looks carefully. It’s exciting to discover these, and to think about how their appearance across different systems may point to more simple processes that underlay the observable complexity in the world.

What are the ingredients of a good network scientist?

It’s difficult to be a good network scientist today without being a good statistician and a good computer scientist. Network data is inherently more messy and difficult to understand than traditional types of data. So, making progress, either in developing new algorithms for analyzing the data or in applying network techniques to test scientific hypotheses, requires some technical skill. But, I also think it helps to have a good imagination and a healthy sense of skepticism. Networks are highly non-intuitive objects. Imagination can help you identify new ideas about how they behave, and skepticism will keep you keep from falling in love with your theories.

Do you tend to apply network science to other areas of your life? And how has it enriched your life?

Networks have shaped how I think about many things. For instance, I think about the spread of information differently now. Personal privacy is basically a network effect, and that places pretty strong limits on what any individual can do to maintain it. Knowing this has probably led me to be a bit more circumspect about posting information online. But more broadly, networks are everywhere in life, and I think taking a “network perspective” can help shed new light and new understanding on a many things, both mundane and not.

Follow @AaronClauset on Twitter. Read more about Clauset on the BioFrontiers Institute website.

By Emilia Costales, Communications Manager, BioFrontiers Institute.

Aaron Clauset, assistant professor of computer science and faculty member of the BioFrontiers Institute, recently accepted the 2016 Erdős-Rényi Prize in Network Science. The international prize is awarded annually to a researcher under 40 who has made fundamental contributions to the advancement of network science. We asked Clauset five questions about how he uses network science in his research.

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