Throughout my teaching activities, I have found the interaction with students to be highly rewarding and stimulating. As I engage in teaching and advising, I aim to convey my own passion for learning and quest for new knowledge. In addition, I aim to motivate students to develop strong practical skills, that will serve them throughout their careers. I believe that learning and research share several common themes. Both are driven by the passion for knowledge discovery, a desire to explore new frontiers, and to master new skills to become an expert. Specifically, my approach to teaching and learning can be related to STEM themes: develop a sound theoretical foundation; promote critical thinking; bridge theory and practice; develop life long learning and communication skills.
All my classes have a common theme, centered around the principles of either Geography and/or Computational Social Science (CSS), and my focus on GIScience, in the sense that we explore social science problems through computational methods. In each class, I provide the theory and background into the topic under investigation along with requiring students to synthesize such information and develop computational models or carry out data analysis.
Below you will find a selection of courses which I have taught or am currently teaching at the University at Buffalo or at George Mason University.
In addition to the courses below, I am also available for directed research and reading courses in areas related to my research. In the past these have ranged from using social media to understand international relations, exploring urban growth through the use of cellular automata models, the evolution of land-markets from an agent-based modeling perspective, to that of exploring megacities through the lens of CSS. If you are interested in carrying out a directed research and reading course with me feel free to pass by my office or email to set up a zoom call after having a look at my research and recent publications and we can sketch out a course of action. Furthermore, in addition to directed readings I am often involved with the Masters thesis and research projects, or doctoral dissertations. For more information about current and past topics please see my students page.
All my classes have a common theme, centered around the principles of either Geography and/or Computational Social Science (CSS), and my focus on GIScience, in the sense that we explore social science problems through computational methods. In each class, I provide the theory and background into the topic under investigation along with requiring students to synthesize such information and develop computational models or carry out data analysis.
Below you will find a selection of courses which I have taught or am currently teaching at the University at Buffalo or at George Mason University.
In addition to the courses below, I am also available for directed research and reading courses in areas related to my research. In the past these have ranged from using social media to understand international relations, exploring urban growth through the use of cellular automata models, the evolution of land-markets from an agent-based modeling perspective, to that of exploring megacities through the lens of CSS. If you are interested in carrying out a directed research and reading course with me feel free to pass by my office or email to set up a zoom call after having a look at my research and recent publications and we can sketch out a course of action. Furthermore, in addition to directed readings I am often involved with the Masters thesis and research projects, or doctoral dissertations. For more information about current and past topics please see my students page.
Courses Offered at the University at Buffalo
Cities and Complexity
Spatial Simulation
Description: This graduate course will introduce students in the geographical and environmental sciences to the use of spatial simulation methods (e.g., cellular automata, agent-based modeling) to explore complex geographical phenomena from the bottom up. For example, how the micro-movement of pedestrians lead to the emergence of crowds or how individuals buying and selling houses lead to property markets forming. We will cover geographical applications in areas such as agriculture, biodiversity, interactions between human populations and nonhuman species and cities. Emphasis will be placed on the notion that geographical systems are constantly changing at various spatiotemporal scales and how through spatial simulation we can gain an understanding of the processes that lead to patterns that we can observe through data. The course will combine taught classes, literature reviews and discussions with hands-on spatial simulation modeling. The format of the class will consist of both lecture and discussion, with substantial emphasis on student participation.Maps: Earth from Above
Web-based GIS
Courses Offered at George Mason University
Agent-based Modeling of Urban Systems
Description:
This course will introduce graduate students in the spatial and
computational social sciences to the use of agent-based techniques to
model various aspects of urban systems. Emphasis will be placed on the
notion that urban systems are constantly changing through time and
across geographical scales where activities and features change from the
split second decision involving local movements such as people walking,
the development of land over months and years, to the migration of
peoples over decades. We will cover applications ranging across the
spectrum of urban systems, from pedestrian modeling, traffic simulation,
and residential dynamics to that to urban growth models of cities and
regions.
The course will combine taught classes, literature
reviews with hands-on modeling. When code is available we will compile
and run models as we review articles based on those models. Students
will be expected to read assigned course literature and other relevant
material they seem as appropriate to understand the subject matter
covered in class in greater detail. In addition students will complete a
class project where they develop their own agent-based model in their
area of interest based on some aspect of urban systems discussed in the
class.
Sample Syllabus
Sample Syllabus
Spatial Agent-based Models of Human-Environment Interactions
Description: This course will introduce graduate students in the spatial, environmental, and computational social sciences to the use of agent-based techniques as a means of modeling human-environmental interactions. Emphasis will be placed on spatial processes, the use of spatial identifiers to link socioeconomic and biophysical models, and where possible, links to geographic information and associated technologies. We will cover applications in areas such as agriculture, forestry, biodiversity, habitat degradation, interactions between human populations and nonhuman species, urban models, and civil violence.
The course will combine literature review with some
hands-on modeling. When demo versions are available, we will compile and
run models as we review articles based on those models. In addition,
students will complete a class project where they develop their own
models in their areas of interest.
Click on the links to see a selection of course projects from Spring 2015 , Spring 2016, Spring 2018, Spring 2019 and Spring 2020 classes.
Click on the links to see a selection of course projects from Spring 2015 , Spring 2016, Spring 2018, Spring 2019 and Spring 2020 classes.
Land-use Modeling Techniques and Applications
Description:
The course surveys literature on spatially disaggregated empirical
models of Land-Use Change (LUC). The course will begin with a discussion
of factors that are hypothesized to drive land-use change across
multiple spatial, institutional, and human scales and a discussion of
issues related to Land-Use and Land-Cover Change (LUCC) modeling. The
majority of the course will be spent reviewing techniques for land-use
modeling, including statistical and regression models, cellular
automata, mathematical programming and other optimization methods,
agent-based models, and integrated models. We will conclude with a
discussion of the strengths, weaknesses, and potential complementarities
of the models discussed. The role of geographic information systems
(GIS) as a tool for data management, analysis and visualization in
land-use modeling will be discussed throughout the course.
Geographical Information Systems and Agent-based Modeling
Description:
Designed to introduce students in computational social sciences and the
social sciences in general to the principles and concepts of
geographical information systems (GIS) and science and how spatial data
can be used in the creation of spatially explicit agent-based models.
Emphasis is placed on spatial processes, and linking agents to spatially
explicit environments. Applications covered include: land use and land
use change, urban growth, urban change, segregation, conflict, and
humanitarian relief.Key areas of discussion will be on:
- The principles and concepts of GIS;
- Sourcing data for the creation of geospatial agent-based models;
- Creating geospatial agent-based models utilizing either raster or vector data structures;
- Visualization of geospatial agent-based models;
- Model communication;
- Analyzing model results;
- Verification and validation of geospatial agent-based models.
Introduction to Computational Social Science
Description:
This course is a graduate-level survey of computational approaches to
social science research, with emphasis on methods, tools, software
frameworks, and complexity theory as these apply to the investigation of
social phenomena. For our purposes, "the social sciences" include
anthropology, communication, economics and finance, geography, history,
linguistics, political science, sociology, and social psychology,
informed by developments in psychology, cognitive science, neuroscience,
and related branches of behavioral science.
Computational social science (CSS) is at the
interdisciplinary frontier in the social sciences. As an introduction to
the subject, the course has the following objectives:
- To understand the motivation for the use of computational models in social science theory and research, including some historical aspects (Why conduct computational research in the social sciences?).
- To learn about the variety of CSS research programs across the social science disciplines, through a survey of social simulation models (What has CSS accomplished thus far?).
- To understand the distinct contribution that CSS can make by providing specific insights about society, social phenomena at multiple scales, and the nature of social complexity (What is the relation between computational social science.
- To provide foundations for more advanced work in subsequent courses or projects for those students who already have or will develop a long-term interest in computational social science.
Click on the links to see a selection of course projects from Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018 and Fall 2019 classes.
Sample Syllabus
This course was also adapted for undergraduate teaching (CDS 201).
CDS 201 Sample Syllabus
Sample Syllabus
This course was also adapted for undergraduate teaching (CDS 201).
CDS 201 Sample Syllabus
Building Virtual Worlds
Description:
This course is a graduate level survey of building virtual worlds for
social science research, with emphasis on tools, software frameworks,
and applications. building virtual worlds has the following objectives: - To understand the motivation for the use of virtual worlds in social science theory and research, including some historical aspects (Why use virtual worlds in the social sciences?).
- To learn about the variety of research programs utilizing virtual worlds across the social science disciplines, through a survey of virtual world literature (What has been accomplished thus far?).
- To understand the distinct contribution that virtual worlds can make to the social sciences (What is their research potential?);
- To provide foundations for more advanced work in virtual worlds.
Click here to see some outputs from one of the class projects.
Urban Analytics
- to understand the motivation for the use of data to study cities, including some historical aspects;
- to learn about the variety of Urban Analytics research programs across the several disciplines (urban planning, regional science, public policy, geography, computational social science etc.), through a survey of the literature and case studies.
- to understand the distinct contribution that Urban Analytics can make by providing specific insights about cities at multiple scales.
- to provide the foundations for more advanced work in the area of Urban Analytics.
Sample Syllabus
Introduction to NetLogo (1 credit hour)
Description:
This one credit hour offering will focus on NetLogo programming for
beginners with applications to the social sciences. It consists of 1
hour/week meetings. It is intended to provide a working knowledge of
NetLogo coding techniques for model construction, output visualization,
data analysis, and computational experimentation. It will cover
material not dealt with in other computational social science (CSS)
courses. Advanced students are welcome to take this class in order to
gain a working knowledge of NetLogo. Introduction to MASON (1 credit hour)
Sample Syllabus
Research Colloquium in CSS (1 credit hour)
Description: This one
credit hour offering provides students with the opportunity to listen to
presentations in specific research areas in computational social
science by Center for Social Complexity associated faculty and
professional visitors.
Specialized Short Courses
GeoSocial Analysis
Description: GeoSocial analysis is a new interdisciplinary frontier in the geographical and social sciences. As an introduction to the subject, this 1 week short course has the following objectives:
- to understand the motivation for the use of GeoSocial Analysis in for gaining a greater understanding of the human environment, including some historical aspects (Why conduct GeoSocial Analysis research in the social sciences?);
- to learn about the variety of GeoSocial research applications across the spectrum of human geography, through a survey of the filed (What has been accomplished thus far?);
- to understand the distinct contribution that GeoSocial Analysis can make by providing specific insights about society, social phenomena at multiple scales, and the nature of social complexity.
- to provide foundations for more advanced work in GeoSocial Analysis
Co-Taught with Arie Croitoru and Anthony Stefanidis.
GIS and ABM for Exploring Human-Environment Interactions
Description: These 5 lectures will introduce researchers to the use of agent-based techniques to model various aspects of Human-Environment Interactions. Emphasis will be placed on the notion that our ''world is constantly changing through time and across geographical scales where activities and features change from the split second decision involving local movements such as people walking, the development of land over months and years, to the migration of peoples over decades.
We will cover applications ranging across the spectrum of urban systems, from pedestrian modeling, traffic simulation, and residential dynamics to that to urban growth models of cities and regions.
As an introduction to the subject, the course
has the following objectives:
- to understand the motivation for the use of agent-based models to study Human-Environment interactions;
- to learn about the variety of research areas across the social science disciplines that integrate ABM and GIS;
- to understand the distinct contribution that ABM can make to understanding Human-Environment interactions;
- to provide foundations for more advanced research upon the exploration of ABM and GIS for the study of Human-Environment interactions.
GIS and Agent-based Modeling
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