Monica uses quantitative methodologies to understand the impact of online social networks on homogeneous internet content and resultant xenophobia in cyberspace.  She is currently vising the University of Kentucky Geography department. Please see her web page for more information.

My research focuses on the social and spatial effects of the internet. I am particularly interested in the increase of xenophobia in cyberspace created through the expanded influence of online social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter as well as online dating websites). More specifically, I am looking at the interchange between social and physical spaces to understand the simultaneous broadening social divide and bridging of Cartesian distance in cyberspace.  To do this, I use a variety of geospatial and statistical methods in ArcMap and MatLab software platforms.  Currently, I am using Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) to determine variability in spatial thresholds for commonalities and communicative pairs in a large social network.  The aim of this research is to better understand the development and expansion of our online communities and the homogeneity this imposes on the filtering and ranking of day-to-day internet searches. 

Geography 416A:  Computer Cartography

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