Trust and Misinformation on Twitter

Join us at 5:45 for networking and pizza in room 327 of Bloch Executive Hall on the UMKC campus. The talk from Dr. Bryan Boots will begin at 6:00. Contact the host for a Zoom link if you would like to attend remotely.

This talk will cover the work of one of Brian Boots' dissertation chapters: "The Relationship Between Trust and the Spread of Misinformation on Twitter". The work uses network science methods to uncover the structure of online misinformation networks, and uses existing trust estimation methods together with network science methods to understand relationships between trust and how misinformation related to COVID conspiracy theories spreads.

Bryan Boots serves as Associate Teaching Professor with the Bloch School of Management, and Managing Director for Venture Creation Programs with the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, both housed at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC). In his time at UMKC, Bryan has coached and mentored hundreds of rising entrepreneurs in the Kansas City region and beyond. He teaches classes on product development, technology entrepreneurship, and technology management, among others. Bryan also leads the Regnier Institute's portfolio of venture creation programs which includes the Entrepreneurship Scholars (E-Scholars) program, competitions (including the Regnier Venture Creation Challenge, which in 2022 awarded more than $90,000 in prizes), mentorship programs, and technology commercialization.

Bryan has started his own ventures, has worked as an employee or consultant with startups, and worked in product development with Garmin. His most recent venture, Growth Map Consulting Group, helps organizations identify and implement opportunities for innovating in their industries.

Bryan holds a PhD in Systems Engineering from Colorado State University, with a research focus on applied network science and complex adaptive systems. Boots also holds an MBA from UMKC, and MS in electrical and digital communications engineering from University of Arkansas.