Little Rock, Arkansas: Indian-origin professor Nitin Agarwal has been awarded the 2026 Faculty Excellence Award in Research and Creative Works by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, recognizing his significant contributions to artificial intelligence, social computing, and cognitive security.
Agarwal, who serves as the Jerry L. Maulden-Entergy Endowed Chair and Donaghey Distinguished Professor of Information Science, was selected from among college-level honorees for the university’s highest faculty recognition.
Speaking on the occasion, Agarwal emphasized the importance of understanding digital ecosystems, stating that analyzing how online information influences society remains one of the defining challenges of the modern era. He credited his students and collaborators for their role in advancing impactful research.
Since joining the university in 2009, Agarwal has established the Collaboratorium for Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies (COSMOS), an interdisciplinary research center focused on studying evolving digital and cyber behaviors. The center was designated a statewide research facility by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education in 2020.
Over the past five years, Agarwal has secured more than $60 million in federal research funding, including grants from organizations such as the National Science Foundation, DARPA, and the U.S. Department of Defense. Nearly half of this funding has directly supported research initiatives at the university.
His research focuses on understanding how information spreads across digital networks and how coordinated influence campaigns shape public perception. Notably, his work has led to the development of tools capable of identifying adversarial campaigns and online scams, which are utilized by global organizations including NATO, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the World Health Organization.
Agarwal’s expertise spans multiple domains, including behavioral modeling, cognitive threat analysis, social cyber forensics, machine learning, and data mining. His research has addressed critical issues such as propaganda networks, election-related misinformation, and COVID-19-related scams.
Throughout his career, Agarwal has collaborated with more than 200 researchers across 130 global organizations and has authored 12 books along with over 400 research publications, earning several best paper awards.
He currently serves on the Arkansas AI Task Force, appointed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and contributes to the National Tech Innovation Hub led by the U.S. Department of State.
University Provost Ann Bain praised the institution’s faculty for their continued dedication to research, teaching, and service, highlighting their impact on both academia and society.
The Faculty Excellence Awards represent the highest honor conferred by the university, with each recipient receiving a $5,000 prize funded through private contributions.
Agarwal previously received the same university-wide recognition in 2015 and 2021. Additionally, his COVID-19 Scam Tracker gained recognition from the World Health Organization during the pandemic.
He holds a doctorate in computer science from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Technology in Information Technology from Indian Institute of Information Technology Allahabad.
