Jasser Jasser
Summary
I am a Data Scientist and Lecturer with a PhD in Computer Science, committed to unraveling the complexities of information diffusion and online behavior. By leveraging advanced analytics on large-scale social network datasets, I uncover the motivations behind how content spreads and shapes digital communities. As a faculty member at Rollins College, I provide students with hands-on experience in data analytics fundamentals, machine learning, and social network analysis—equipping them to thrive in our data-driven world.
Education
University of Central Florida, FL
PhD in Computer Science
Sep ’17 – May ‘23
Lawrence Technological University, MI
Master’s degree in Management of Information Systems
Apr ’11 – Dec ‘13
New York Institute of Technology, NY
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science
Sep ’05 – May ‘08
Experience
Rollins College
Data Analytics Director/Lecturer
Courses taught and currently teaching:
- Fundamental of Data Science and Analytics
- Advanced Data Visualization and Communication
- Machine Learning
- Social Network Analysis
- Information Systems
- Game Theory
Florida Polytechnic University
Adjunct Professor
Courses taught:
- Python for Data Analytics
- Cloud Infrastructure and Services
- Computer Information Technology and Applications
- Introduction to Networks and Connected World
- Data Analytics for Smart City & Transportation
Aug ’23 – Current
University of Central Florida, Orlando FL
Graduate Research Assistant
Sep ’17 – Jul ‘23
- Data Scientist and advisor in the MIPs program: Analysis of narratives and social influence, collaborating with labs from prestigious universities (MIT, NCSU, etc.).
- Data Scientist in the Degrees program: Data analysis and statistics of students’ progress using SAS, R, and Python to enhance graduation rates in the Engineering department.
- Master of Data Analytics capstone project mentor: Provided guidance on project progress and ensured alignment with expectations.
- Data Scientist in the SocialSim program: Investigated mis/disinformation and controversy in textual data from social networks using advanced NLP and deep learning techniques. Published a press release on controversial posts.
- Dissertation: “Identification and Modeling Social Media Influence Pathways: Characterization of Flooding-The-Zone Disinformation Campaign on the Skripal Case Using Transfer Entropy.” Proposed node ranking algorithms and introduced a novel algorithm to rank the most influential nodes and edges within the social network.
Oakland University, Rochester, MI
Graduate Research Assistant
Sep ’14 – May ‘17
- Researched human-computer interaction for online learning platforms.
- Taught Visual Basic and Excel.
Intel Co., Jerusalem, Israel
Lead Validation Engineer
Jun ’12 – May ‘14
- Validated Intel Small Business Advantage and Intel Setup and Configuration Software.
- Programmed automation software to carry out validation steps.
Publications
- Jasser, J. (2024), R From Scratch: An Intro To Data Analytics, Kendall Hunt
- Jasser, J., Garibay, I., Scheinert, S., & Mantzaris, A. V. (2022). Controversial information spreads faster and further than non-controversial information in Reddit. Journal of Computational Social Science, 5(1), 111–122.
- Jasser, J. (2019). Dynamics of misinformation cascades. Companion Proceedings of The 2019 World Wide Web Conference, 33–36.
- Jasser, J., Eilen, D., & Garibay, I. (2022). Flooding the Zone: a censorship and disinformation strategy that needs attention. ICWSM Workshops.
- Jasser, J., Ming, H., & Zohdy, M. A. (2017). Situation-awareness in action: an intelligent online learning platform (IOLP). International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, 319–330. Springer, Cham.
- Mutlu, E. C., Oghaz, T., Jasser, J., et al. (2020). A stance data set on polarized conversations on Twitter about the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19. Data in Brief, 33, 106401.
- Oghaz, T. A., Mutlu, E. Ç., Jasser, J., Yousefi, N., & Garibay, I. (2020). Probabilistic model of narratives over topical trends in social media: A discrete time model. Proceedings of the 31st ACM Conference on Hypertext and Social Media, 281–290.
- Champon, X., Jayalath, C., Rand, W., Jasser, J., & Garibay, I. (2024). Comparing Social Media Communities using Functional Data Analysis.
Languages
- Arabic – Mother tongue
- English – Full professional working proficiency
Skills
- Programming Languages: Python, Julia, R, C#
- Deep Learning: PyTorch
- NLP Libraries: SpaCy, NLTK
- SQL, SAS
- Microsoft Office, Google Workspace
- Amazon AWS
- Quantitative Analysis
- Big Data