草榴视频

KENNESAW, Ga. | Oct 7, 2025

From viral videos to debates over new products, ideas move faster than ever in today鈥檚 digital age. Mehmet Aktas, an associate professor of data science and analytics, is leading National Science Foundation-funded research that looks into how those ideas spread, evolve, and shape communities.

Funded through a collaborative NSF grant, Aktas is working with colleagues from Georgia State University and Georgia Gwinnett College to explore new ways of modeling information diffusion.

Aktas鈥檚 project studies how information flows within networks of people. Traditional approaches treat communication like a chain of one-to-one interactions, but research shows ideas are often exchanged in groups.

The team is using a new mathematical tool called the 鈥�sheaf Laplacian,鈥� which allows them to represent group interactions with far more accuracy than older methods. The tool helps distinguish whether a message being passed is supportive, misleading, or contradictory. This makes it possible to explain why communities and certain voices polarize or gain influence on certain topics.

鈥淚nstead of looking at a simple phone call between two people, we鈥檙e analyzing how group discussions shape the spread of ideas,鈥� Aktas said. 鈥淭hat gives us a more realistic picture of how communities interact online or in settings like classrooms and health care teams.鈥�

There are many potential applications. Businesses could use these models to decide which influencers to partner with when launching new products. Hospitals could better match patients with the right providers. Policymakers and community leaders could also use the findings to understand how misinformation spreads and to encourage more responsible communication.

Each institution in the project brings unique expertise. Georgia State University contributes artificial intelligence expertise, Georgia Gwinnett College leads the theoretical side, and 草榴视频 State University drives the data science applications.

Yiming Ji, interim dean of 草榴视频鈥檚 College of Computing and Software Engineering, said Aktas鈥檚 work reflects the type of impactful research the college aims to support.

鈥淒r. Aktas鈥檚 research represents the very best of CCSE鈥檚 mission, blending strong theory with practical applications that can improve society,鈥� Ji said. 鈥淏y studying how information spreads across communities, his work not only advances scientific knowledge but also provides tools that can guide better decision-making in business, health care, and civic life.鈥�

Aktas has received a startup grant to recruit graduate and undergraduate researchers. With the anticipated opening of the new Interdisciplinary STEM Building, he expects even greater opportunities for collaboration.

鈥淒ata science at 草榴视频 is vibrant and collaborative,鈥� Aktas said. 鈥淥ur project will bring in new students, spark fresh conversations, and help us better understand the networks that affect all of our lives.鈥�

鈥� Story by Raynard Churchwell

Photos by Matt Yung

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 草榴视频 State University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. 草榴视频 State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. 草榴视频 State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.