Eric Araújo
Eric Araújo
Olá! I am an Associate Professor in the Computer Science Department at Calvin University.
My research uses computational methods to understand human behavior and social dynamics — particularly the spread of opinions, sentiments, and behaviors through complex systems. I work with multiagent modeling and simulation across domains including political polarization, public health, urban security, and religious communities.
At Calvin, I teach courses in computer science, data science, and agent-based modeling. I enjoy mentoring students in research that takes both technical rigor and ethical reflection seriously.
Academic Formation
Ph.D. in Computer Science (2018) — Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Dissertation: Computational modeling of social contagion processes
M.S. in Computer Science (2009) — Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil
B.S. in Computer Science (2007) — Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil
Research & Scholarship
My work bridges computer science and the social sciences, applying agent-based modeling and complex network analysis to questions of social dynamics. Active domains include political opinion formation, crime network topology, epidemiological behavior spread, and computational modeling of religious communities.
Core methodologies: agent-based modeling and simulation, complex network analysis, social dynamics modeling, cognitive behavioral frameworks, and machine learning applications.
PhD thesis: Contagious: Modeling the spread of behaviours, perceptions and emotions in social networks
Recent News
July 1, 2026 — NetLogo Conference 2026 — Cognitive Modeling of Church Polarization
Students Katelin Jandris, Ryan Klein, and Ovgu Tufan will present Cognitive Modeling of Church Polarization at the NetLogo Conference 2026 in Chicago, July 2026.
June 1, 2026 — Revista Brasileira de Segurança Pública — Temporal Characterization of Street Robberies
Published: Caracterização Temporal de Roubos de Rua Contrastando Contextos Pré-Pandêmico e Pandêmico. Revista Brasileira de Segurança Pública, v. 20, n. 2, p. 54–81. With Renato Figueiredo Frade, João Paulo Roquim Romanelli, and Carlos Henrique da Silveira (UNIFEI).
May 1, 2026 — Calvin Research Fellowship
Awarded a Calvin Research Fellowship (2026/2027) supporting research on computational modeling of Christian communities.
May 1, 2026 — Nagel Institute Fellowship
Awarded a Nagel Institute Fellowship for the Study of World Christianity at Calvin University, supporting research on computational modeling of world Christian communities.
May 1, 2026 — McGregor Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Awarded a McGregor Undergraduate Research Fellowship at Calvin University, supporting collaborative faculty-student research.
February 27, 2026 — Baylor Symposium on Faith & Culture 2026
Presented A Framework for Modeling Christian Communities with Agent-Based Models at the Baylor Symposium on Faith & Culture 2026 — Technology and the Human Person in the Age of AI. Waco, TX.
“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’” — Abraham Kuyper