From July 17 to 20, 2024, PhD candidate Alina Flores attended the 10th International Conference on Computational Social Science (IC2S2), held at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.
Alina presented her work titled “Modified Human Mobility Models for Strategic Business Location Optimization,” which she initiated during her time as a visiting student at the MIT Media Lab. The project was developed in collaboration with co-authors Mohsen Bahrami (MIT), Hend Alrasheed (MIT), Carla Silveira Netto (PUCPR), Vinicius Andrade Brei (UFRGS/MIT), and Alex ‘Sandy’ Pentland (MIT).
The conference provided her with valuable feedback on her research, opportunities to reconnect with researchers and co-authors from MIT, and a chance to participate in tutorials, expand her network, and stay updated on the latest trends in the field.
Some of the key topics widely discussed at the event included using LLMs in research, applying mobility data for practical studies, utilizing Meta’s data for analyzing the 2020 elections, the social media data repository (SOMAR), and social network analyses. There was also an interesting panel featuring representatives from Nature, showcasing their portfolios for academic publications.
The conference offered valuable learning and networking opportunities for both Alina and the GPMC. We look forward to participating in next year’s edition!
