How can big data and artificial intelligence help researchers understand society and address its most pressing challenges?
Join Dr. Noshir Contractor, Jane S. & William J. White Professor of Behavioral Sciences in the Departments of Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences, Communication Studies, and Management and Organizations at Northwestern University, for a seminar exploring new possibilities in computational social science.
Seminar: Leveraging Computational Social Science to Address Grand Societal Challenges
Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2026
Time: 1–2:30 p.m.
Location: Pittsburgh Building, Room 5216
Abstract: With increased access to big data on social phenomena, machine learning, and generative AI, social scientists can better understand traditional research questions and explore new ones about our increasingly algorithmically infused society. However, these exciting opportunities must be accompanied by careful reflection on how big data can inspire new theories and methods. Drawing on examples from his research, Contractor will show how these developments give social scientists and social network scholars an unprecedented opportunity to monitor, anticipate, and design interventions to address grand societal challenges.
