معرفی
Dominic DiFranzo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Lehigh University. His work bridges human-computer interaction, social psychology, and social media design to create interventions that promote prosocial behaviors online. He leads several innovative research projects including the Truman Platform, Social Media TestDrive, and Deception Awareness and Resilience Training (DART).
Dr. DiFranzo earned his PhD in Computer Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as a member of the Tetherless World Constellation. Following his doctoral studies, he completed a postdoctoral position in the Social Media Lab at Cornell University. His educational background has provided him with strong foundations in both computer science and social science methodologies.
Dr. DiFranzo's research focuses on translating established social science theories into practical design interventions for social media platforms. His primary areas of interest include cyberbullying intervention strategies, misinformation detection and correction, AI-mediated communication, and developing educational tools for digital literacy. He specializes in creating ecologically valid social media simulations that give researchers control over both technical interfaces and social situations. His innovative Truman Platform allows researchers to create custom social media environments where every user interaction can be controlled and curated. His Social Media TestDrive platform has been used by over 800,000 middle school students across the US to safely practice social media skills.
His recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate a strong focus on understanding and improving social interactions in digital spaces. His work spans multiple dimensions of online behavior including cyberbullying intervention strategies, misinformation processing, AI-mediated communication effects, and social norm influences on user behavior. A recurring theme across his recent work is the development of methodological innovations that balance ecological validity with experimental control, particularly through his Truman Platform and related simulation tools. His research has significant implications for social media design, digital literacy education, and platform policy.
Dr. DiFranzo actively mentors students through his various research projects and has secured funding to support his innovative work in social media simulation and intervention design. His Truman Platform has been made openly available on GitHub, demonstrating his commitment to open science and collaborative research. His Social Media TestDrive platform has reached a substantial audience of over 800,000 middle school students across the United States, showing the real-world impact of his educational interventions.
Dr. DiFranzo leads the Truman Research Lab at Lehigh University, which develops and implements social media simulation platforms for experimental research. His team includes undergraduate and graduate students working on various aspects of social media design, AI-mediated communication, and educational technology. The lab's work spans multiple interdisciplinary collaborations across computer science, psychology, education, and gerontology, particularly evident in projects like DART which focuses on deception awareness for older adults.
