Jon Marino (’14) is a mathematics major with a concentration in statistics. Jon’s research project allowed him to create a computer model of the social networking site Twitter to understand and analyze how people interact online.
“I used data collected from real Twitter users to model a small portion of the site and simulated how people in the network may interact with each other. We want to answer the following questions: how many people saw your message and how long did it take for them to see it. Whether you’re marketing a product or a politician trying to gain supporters, it’s advantageous to have your message seen by the greatest amount of people in the shortest amount of time, and our model helps see how that can happen in social media.”
As for the Summer Scholars program, Jon says that he enjoyed being a part of it because
“it was a productive way to spend my summer researching a topic I am passionate about while gaining valuable research experience.”
Jon Marino (’14) and Dr. Karin Saoub
Jon’s faculty mentor for this research project was Dr. Karin Saoub. His advice to students interested in research is
“to find out which faculty member is passionate about the same things you are, because that gives you a valuable resource and a mentor who is just as excited as you to collaborate with.”
This year Jon will be applying to graduate programs in pure mathematics and continuing planning for the math club at RC.
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Mark your calendars for our next on-campus presentation opportunities:
Showcase on Thursday, November 21, 2013 from 6-8pm in Fintel Library focused on service-learning, internships, and study abroad. Apply to present by November 8.
Showcase on Friday, November 22, 2013 from 6-8pm in Fintel Library focused on research and artistic/creative work. Apply to present by November 8.
For updated information on student-faculty research:
- Website: roanoke.edu/research
- Twitter: @RCResearch
- Facebook: facebook.com/RCResearch
- Email: research@roanoke.edu