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Emilio Ferrara

Associate Professor of Computer Science; USC Viterbi School of Engineering; Associate Professor of Communication, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
I am Associate Professor of Communication (USC Annenberg) and Computer Science (USC Viterbi), Associate Director of Applied Data Science at the USC Department of Computer Science, Research Team Leader at the University of Southern California‘s Information Sciences Institute and Principal Investigator of the Machine Intelligence and Data Science (MINDS) group.

Ferrara's research interests include designing machine-learning systems to model and predict behaviors in techno-social systems, characterize information diffusion and information campaigns, and detect and prevent abuse in such environments.

He has held various research positions in institutions in Italy, Austria, and the U.K. (2009-2012). Before joining USC in 2015, he was with the School of Informatics and Computing of Indiana University (2012-2015).

Ferrara published over 170 articles on machine learning, network science, and social media, which appeared in top venues including the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Communications of the ACM, Physical Review Letters, etc.

His research on social network abuse has been featured in major news outlets and tech magazines. He was named IBM Watson Big Data VIP Influencer in 2015. He received the 2016 DARPA Young Faculty Award, the 2016 Complex System Society Junior Investigator Award, the 2018 DARPA Director's Fellowship, and the 2019 Viterbi Scientific Award.

On Twitter, bots spread conspiracy theories and QAnon talking points

Oct 29, 2020 09:58 am UTC| Technology

Americans who seek political insight and information on Twitter should know how much of what they are seeing is the result of automated propaganda campaigns. Nearly four years after my collaborators and I revealed how...

Economy

Russia Stocks End Flat as Energy Shares Support MOEX Index

Russian stocks finished mixed after the close of trading in Moscow on Saturday, with the MOEX Russia Index ending the session unchanged at 0.00%. Market sentiment remained cautious as gains in select energy and utility...

Trump Defends Economic Record in North Carolina as Midterm Election Pressure Mounts

U.S. President Donald Trump traveled to the battleground state of North Carolina on Friday to defend his economic policies and reassure voters that the U.S. economy remains on solid footing, as concerns grow ahead of a...

EU Approves €90 Billion Ukraine Aid as Frozen Russian Asset Plan Stalls

Ukraine welcomed a major European Union decision on Friday to provide 90 billion in financial support over the next two years, a move Kyiv says will significantly strengthen its economic resilience amid the ongoing war...

Kevin Hassett Says Inflation Is Below Target, Backs Trump’s Call for Rate Cuts

White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett said President Donald Trump is correct in claiming inflation is low, despite official data, public sentiment, and many economists suggesting otherwise. Speaking on Fox Business,...

U.S. Stocks End Week Higher as Tech Rally Offsets Consumer Weakness

U.S. stocks closed higher on Friday, recovering from a volatile start to the week as gains in technology and AI-related shares outweighed sharp declines in consumer stocks such as Nike. Major indexes finished in positive...

Politics

Bangladesh Mourns Slain Youth Leader as Funeral Draws Thousands Amid Political Unrest

Tens of thousands of Bangladeshis gathered in Dhaka on Saturday to attend the funeral of Sharif Osman Hadi, a slain youth leader and election candidate whose killing has intensified political unrest ahead of the countrys...

U.S. Intercepts Venezuelan Oil Tanker in International Waters Amid Escalating Blockade Tensions

The United States has intercepted an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela, intensifying tensions just days after President Donald Trump announced a total and complete blockade of sanctioned oil shipments...

Google and Apple Warn U.S. Visa Holders to Avoid International Travel Amid Lengthy Embassy Delays

Alphabets Google and Apple have advised certain employees working in the United States on temporary visas to avoid international travel, as visa stamping delays at U.S. embassies and consulates can now stretch up to 12...

U.S.–Russia Talks in Florida Raise Hopes but Reveal Deep Divides Over Ukraine War

U.S. negotiators met Russian officials in Florida over the weekend as the Trump administration intensified diplomatic efforts to help end Russias war in Ukraine, a conflict that began with Moscows full-scale invasion in...

Ukraine Signals Support for U.S.-Led Three-Sided Talks With Russia to Boost Peace Efforts

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Ukraine is prepared to support a U.S. proposal for three-sided talks involving the United States, Ukraine, and Russia, provided the initiative helps accelerate...

Science

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Cogent Biosciences Soars 120% on Breakthrough Phase 3 Results for Bezuclastinib in GIST Treatment

Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ: COGT) shares skyrocketed over 120% after the biotech company announced groundbreaking results from its Phase 3 PEAK trial evaluating bezuclastinib in combination with sunitinib for patients with...

Technology

U.S. Lawmakers Urge Pentagon to Blacklist More Chinese Tech Firms Over Military Ties

A group of nine Republican U.S. lawmakers has formally urged the Pentagon to expand its list of Chinese companies accused of supporting Chinas military, intensifying scrutiny of Beijing-linked technology firms amid rising...

Dina Powell McCormick Resigns From Meta Board After Eight Months, May Take Advisory Role

Dina Powell McCormick has resigned from Meta Platforms board of directors effective immediately, just eight months after joining the social media company, Meta confirmed on Friday. The unexpected departure comes at a time...

TikTok U.S. Deal Advances as ByteDance Signs Binding Joint Venture Agreement

TikTok has taken a major step toward securing its future in the United States after its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, announced it has signed binding agreements with three major investors to form a new joint venture...

Trump Administration Reviews Nvidia H200 Chip Sales to China, Marking Major Shift in U.S. AI Export Policy

The U.S. government under President Donald Trump has launched a formal review that could pave the way for the first-ever shipments of Nvidias H200 artificial intelligence chips to China, according to multiple sources...

Oracle Stock Surges After Hours on TikTok Deal Optimism and OpenAI Fundraising Buzz

Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) shares surged sharply in extended trading on Thursday, reflecting renewed investor optimism fueled by reports of a potential U.S. TikTok transaction and fresh fundraising discussions...