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| Central Reading Room
Frank Melville, Jr. Memorial Library
Stony Brook University, Stony Brook NY 11794

| +1 (631) 632-1909

| ahmad.pratama@stonybrook.edu

Ahmad R. Pratama

Information Technology & Society

Artificial Intelligence | Computational Social Science | Cybersecurity | Data Literacies | Educational Technology | Mobile Platforms | Social Media

My Fulbright scholarship brought me to the United States in 2014. Five years later, I returned to my home country with my PhD and idealism. The next four years seemed perfect from the outside, a picture of success. But the truth is, things didn't go quite as I'd imagined. There's more to the story than meets the eye. Buried under a mountain of bureaucracy, administrative tasks, excessive workload that spilled over into someone else's responsibilities, along with a handful of gnawing moral dilemmas, all of which combined eventually took a toll on me until I was left with no choice but to leave. Thankfully, with a twist of fate, I got the chance to start over and call the United States my new home in 2024.

As an interdisciplinary researcher, I bring a unique global perspective and a proven track record in international collaboration. My expertise spans both traditional and computational research methods, allowing me to leverage cutting-edge technologies and contemporary approaches to bridge the gap between information technology, computer science, and social sciences, and to reach a wider audience.

Beyond academia, I enjoy swimming, watching movies, TV shows, anime, and AC Milan matches. I also play Civilization games in my spare time.

Experiences

Data Literacies Lead

Stony Brook University | 2024-Present

In my new role as a faculty librarian, I lead the development and instruction of the data literacies program at SBU Libraries, helping to ensure that our community understands how to critically use, meaningfully interpret, and effectively communicate with data.

Associate Professor - Information Technology  

Indonesia | 2022-2023

As a tenured faculty, I've instructed a diverse range of IT courses, not only for undergraduate and master's programs in Informatics, but also for Industrial Engineering and English Language Education majors. My research and community service endeavors have also garnered significant funding from both national and international agencies. I also briefly served as the Vice Dean for Resource Management before departing and resigning in 2023.

Assistant Professor - Information Technology  

Indonesia | 2019-2022

Fresh out of my PhD program, I embarked on my faculty career in the Department of Informatics. My primary responsibility was teaching and supervising students of both undergraduate and master's programs. I also played a lead role in developing and evaluating curriculum for these programs, ensuring its continued effectiveness and relevance to industry needs. I was also appointed as the Secretary of the Department around this time.

Instructor

STEP/CSTEP - SUNY RF | 2015-2019

Throughout the summers, I dedicated myself to teaching IT courses to underrepresented minorities and low-income secondary school students. This initiative aimed to prepare them for entry into STEM programs, as part of the Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) funded by the New York State Department of Education.

Teaching & Research Assistant

Stony Brook University | 2014-2019

I spent my early days as a PhD student by serving as a TA for undergraduate and graduate courses in the Department of Technology and Society. Later, I transitioned to an RA role, working on three distinct research projects funded by the State University of New York (SUNY) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Lecturer  

Indonesia | 2011-2014

My academic career began as a lecturer in the undergraduate program in Informatics. I was responsible for instructing courses and actively mentoring students through their theses and final projects, guiding many to successful completion.

Education

PhD in Technology, Policy, and Innovation

Stony Brook University | 2014-2019

Drawing on my mostly technical background in IT, I pursued a highly interdisciplinary PhD focused on the social science aspects of mobile learning. My dissertation investigated mobile device ownership and mobile learning adoption among secondary school students. Employing a diverse range of quantitative techniques on my survey data, I discovered a fascinating shift in user preferences. For adolescents, the "fun factor" emerged as a more significant driver of mobile learning adoption compared to traditional considerations of usefulness and ease of use.

Inter-University Doctoral Consortium

New York University | 2017

Through the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium, I broadened my research skillset by taking courses in Learning Science and Cognitive Science. This interdisciplinary approach allowed me to understand the human factors that shape educational technology adoption and its impact on learning outcomes.

Inter-University Doctoral Consortium

Teachers College Columbia University | 2016

Seeking a broader perspective and to solidify my research foundation, I proactively enrolled in an Educational Technology Research Methods course offered through the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium.

Master of Information Technology

Monash University, Australia | 2009-2011

With dual concentrations in Computer Networks and Computer Security, my Master's thesis focused on developing a full-stack web application for a grid computing monitoring system.

Bachelor of Engineering

Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia | 2003-2008

Majoring in Electrical Engineering with a concentration in Computer and Information Systems, I leveraged my skills in both disciplines for my undergraduate thesis. The project involved developing a mail server to be integrated into a web hosting control panel, utilizing open-source solutions.

Achievements

Overcoming Digital Divide in Europe and Southeast Asia  

2023

As part of an international consortium, I led a local team at one of the member universities. Together, we secured a significant €1.35 million grant from the European Union under Horizon Europe: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). This funding facilitated a staff exchange program between nine universities in Europe and Southeast Asia for four years. I also briefly served on the management board before departing in 2023.

Erasmus+ Inter-institutional Staff and Student Mobility  

2023

Through my key role within the local team at the partner university in Indonesia, I played a part in securing an Erasmus+ exchange program funded by the European Union. This program facilitated valuable learning mobility for students and staff between Indonesia and Norway.

Summer Institutes in Computational Social Science  

2022

Leveraging a grant from the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), I played a key role in co-organizing and hosting SICSS-Jogja 2022. This event, along with its sister-site SICSS-Singapore 2022, marked a historic first for the entire Southeast Asia region.

Productive Innovative Research Grant  

2022

The COVID-19 pandemic's forced transition to remote learning presented a multifaceted challenge. Elementary students faced hurdles in grasping math concepts at home, while teachers navigated remote instruction and parents juggled work with supporting their children's education. The lack of access to personal computers in many households further exacerbated this issue. To address these challenges, I led a research team that secured a national grant to develop a mobile math learning solution specifically designed for elementary students at home.

Institutional Funding Research Initiative  

2021

The rapid surge of e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic heightened concerns around security, privacy, and user confidentiality. To address this critical issue, my international colleagues and I successfully secured a research grant to investigate the current landscape in these areas.

Competitive Faculty Research Grant  

2020

The university's recent implementation of a Single Sign-On (SSO) system aimed to streamline access, but initial user adoption didn't necessarily translate to heightened security awareness. To bridge this gap, I led a research team that secured a grant to evaluate the situation and uncover the underlying factors. Our findings provided valuable insights for designing effective security awareness interventions.

Fulbright Foreign Student Program

2014-2019

My PhD studies in the United States was supported by a Fulbright scholarship, administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE) and the American Indonesian Exchange Foundation (AMINEF).

Projects

Digital Literacy and Cybersecurity Awareness  

In today's digital landscape, internet users face a growing need for security awareness and digital literacy. To understand how they navigate online threats like data breaches, misinformation & disinformation, hate speech, phishing scams, and other social engineering attacks, my colleagues and I are conducting a comprehensive investigation.

Educational Technology Policy  

By combining publicly available web data with surveys, my colleagues and I are conducting a comprehensive evaluation of current educational technology practices, including the acceptance and resistence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) in schools and universities.

Social Media and Identity  

Leveraging big data, machine learning, and deep learning, my team and I are delving into how social media use shapes real-life social identity.

Gig Economy, Financial Technology, and Digital Wallet  

My research team and I are examining participation in the gig economy and the factors influencing the adoption of digital wallets and other financial technologies.

Selected Publications

Pratama, A. R.*, Vadila, N., & Firmansyah, F. M. (2023, March). Exposing generational and gender gap in phishing awareness among young adults: A survey experiment. In AIP Conference Proceedings (Vol. 2508, No. 1, p. 020008). AIP Publishing LLC.

Pratama, A. R.*, Alshaikh, M., & Alharbi, T. (2023, February). Increasing cybersecurity awareness through situated e-learning: a survey experiment. In the Global Trends in E-Learning 2023. Available at SSRN 4320165

Pratama, A. R.*, & Firmansyah, F. M. (2022) COVID-19 mass media coverage in English and public reactions: a West-East comparison via Facebook posts. PeerJ Computer Science, 8, e1111.

Alammary, A., Alshaikh, M., & Pratama, A. R. (2022) Awareness of security and privacy settings in video conferencing apps among faculty during the COVID-19 pandemic. PeerJ Computer Science, 8, e1021.

Pratama, A. R.*, Firmansyah, F. M., & Rahma, F. (2022). ecurity awareness of single sign-on accounts in the academic community: the roles of demographics, privacy concerns, and Big-Five personality. PeerJ Computer Science, 8, e918.

Pratama, A. R. (2022). Sentiment analysis of Facebook posts through special reactions: the case of learning from home in Indonesia Amid COVID-19. Jurnal Ilmiah Teknik Elektro Komputer Dan Informatika, 8(1), 83-92.

Pratama, A. R.*, & Scarlatos, L. L. (2022) The Role of Device Ownership and Infrastructure in Promoting E-Learning and M-Learning in Indonesia. International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning, 12(4) e1111.

Pratama, A. R.*, & Firmansyah, F. M. (2021) Disengaged, Positive, or Negative: Parents’ Attitudes Toward Learning From Home Amid COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Child and Family Studies, (30)(7), 1803-1812.

Firmansyah, F. M., & Pratama, A. R. (2021, April) Anonymity in COVID-19 Online Donations: A Cross-Cultural Analysis on Fundraising Platforms. In Future of Information and Communication Conference (FICC) 2021, Vancouver, Canada. Springer.

Pratama, A. R. (2020). Fun first, useful later: Mobile learning acceptance among secondary school students in Indonesia. Education and Information Technologies 26(2), 1737-1753.

Pratama, A. R. (2020). Fun first, useful later: Mobile learning acceptance among secondary school students in Indonesia. Education and Information Technologies 26(2), 1737-1753.

Pratama, A. R. (2018, March). Investigating Daily Mobile Device Use Among University Students in Indonesia. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. (Vol. 325, p. 012004). IOP Publishing.

Pratama, A. R. (2017, May). Exploring Personal Computing Devices Ownership Among University Students in Indonesia. In the International Conference on Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries (pp. 835-841). Springer, Cham.