When he’s not hosting his own podcast or hanging out by the Evanston lakefill, Professor Noshir Contractor is working on research that is truly out of this world. In partnership with NASA, he is working on applying social networking insights to how astronauts can better collaborate on long, isolated journeys in space. While this partnership is sure to have a significant impact on future missions, Professor Contractor believes the true impact is being able to bring his work down to Earth, helping organizations build successful, effective and long-lasting teams. Learn more about Professor Contractor and his research. #KelloggLeader https://kell.gg/5az

Congratulations Diego!

Congratulations to Noshir Contractor who was named the President of the International Communication Association at this past ICA Conference!

Gates paper awards for Organizational and individual innovation decisions in an interorganizational system: Social influence and decision-making authority. Journal of Communication, 70(4), 497-521. https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqaa018

1) 2022 Randall Harrison Outstanding Article Award, Information Systems Division, International Communication Association

2) 2021 Article of the Year Award, Honorable Mention, Organizational Communication Division, National Communication Association

3) 2021 Bill Eadie Distinguished Scholarly Article Award, Applied Communication Division, National Communication Association

Sophia Fu’s dissertation awards (with N. Contractor as the dissertation committee member):

1) 2020 Gabriel G. Rudney Memorial Award for Outstanding Dissertation Research, Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action

2) 2020 Outstanding Dissertation Research, Association for Chinese Communication Studies

3) 2019 Gerald R. Miller Dissertation Award, National Communication Association

4) 2019 W. Charles Redding Dissertation Award, Organizational Communication Division, International Communication Association

Check out this article by Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management featuring SONIC’s Director Noshir Contractor and how his research is helping teams, both in space and on Earth, collaborate more effectively.
https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/news/blog/2022/04/08/noshir-contractor-nasa-research.aspx 

Noshir Contractor was invited to present at the Road to Leadership Symposium at Northwestern University on March 24th. The talk focused on how each of us has a network, whether it is a personal one made up of family, friends, and fellow alumni, or a professional one comprised of colleagues. The symposium explained those connections and the different roles people play as well as provide skills to support successful collaboration. Participants completed a Personal Network Survey and received a customized report mapping the health of their personal networks in accomplishing various tasks. 

Noshir Contractor recently completed teaching a Social Network Analysis class at the University of Science and Technology of China. The class was co-taught by SONIC alumnus Mengxiao Zhu, who is now a distinguished scholar at University of Science and Technology of China. The class was TA’ed by Jasmine Wu and Ruoxiao Su. The course explored the use of social network analysis to understand the growing connectivity and complexity in the world around us on different scales – ranging from small groups to the World Wide Web. Check out this Zoom image from a session!

We are sad to announce that our Lab Manager Arshya Srinivas will be leaving us, but are excited to announce that she is taking on a position as a Senior Supply Chain Analyst at Walgreens! Good luck in all your future endeavors Arshya—SONIC will miss you!

On March 4th, Noshir Contractor was involved in a Data Science & Engineering Panel Discussion for undergraduate students. The goal of this panel was to highlight some of the data-oriented projects that McCormick faculty engage in, and to bring light to opportunities available for students with an interest in data science. If you are interested in learning more about data science opportunities at SONIC, please visit the Join Us tab of our website!