Dr. Carlos Monroy Dr. Carlos Monroy Associate Professor; Fellow of the Core

713/525-3865


My research interests include: Data and Text Mining, Machine Learning, Data Science, Big Data Analytics, Algorithmic Fairness, Digital Humanities, and Computer Science Pedagogy. Presently Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of St. Thomas. Previously served as Research Scientist with the Department of Computer Science at Rice University. As data scientist, I am interested in sensemaking by levering data curation, the power of computing, and human curiosity for knowledge. We worked on an open-source, high-performance distributed store and compute platform for big data: PlinyCompute. My data science research is anchored in a socio-technical perspective; that is, one that considers the interconnections between people, computing technology, and data. As Data Scientist for STEMscopes™, I focused on learning analytics and the big data generated by nearly half a million students and over 50,000 teachers using an on-line science curriculum. As a member of the Texas A&M University’s Center for the Study of Digital Libraries, I worked on numerous interdisciplinary research projects such as: nautical archaeology, analytics on Picasso’s artistic creation, Cervantes’ writings and John Donne’s poetry. I received a Ph.D. degree from Texas A&M University in Computer Science. My undergraduate thesis received an Outstanding Computer Science Thesis National Award. In 2014, I was selected to participate in the Heidelberg Laureate Forum, a gathering of 200 young mathematicians and computer scientists with Turing, Abel and Field laureates. That same year, our early work on learning analytics received an Outstanding Publication Award by the American Educational Research Association. I am a member of the International Network of Guatemalan Scientists, the Association for Computing Machinery, the Association for Linguistic and Literary Computing and the IEEE Computer Society. I also serve as reviewer for conferences and journals related to data mining, learning analytics, linguistic computing, and digital humanities. In addition, I have published in various peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings and book chapters, and have presented in the United States, Europe and Latin America.

Areas of Expertise
Computer Science, Machine Learning, Data Science

Degrees

  • Doctor of Philosophy - Computer Science - Texas A&M University (2010)
  • Master of Computer Science - Computer Science - Texas A&M University (2002)

Publications

  • "A Descriptive Analysis of Instructional Coaches’ Data Use in Science"
    In School Effectiveness and School Improvement
    (2047) Vol. 28 Page 217-241
  • "PlinyCompute: A Platform for High-Performance, Distributed, Data-Intensive Computing"
    Proceedings of the International Conference on Management of Data (SIGMOD '18)
    ACM Press (2018) Page 1189-1204
  • "Teachers’ Sensemaking and Data Use Implementation in Science Classrooms"
    In Education and Urban Society
    SAGE Journals (2017) Vol. 53 Page 1082-1112
  • "Science Teachers’ Data Use Practices: A Descriptive Analysis"
    In Education Policy Analysis Archives
    (2016) Vol. 24
  • "Working with Middle School Science Teachers to Design and Implement an Interactive Data Dashboard"
    American Educational Research Association Annual Conference
    (2016)

Language Skills

  • Italian
  • Spanish
FEATURE-COLUMNS-FacultyExcellence
Faculty Excellence

Excellence in teaching is at the heart of our mission at the University of St. Thomas.

Each year, the University of St. Thomas honors outstanding faculty who exemplify extraordinary dedication and excellence in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service with the Saint Thomas Aquinas Excellence in Teaching Award, the Saint Edith Stein Excellence in Research Award, the Joseph M. McFadden Excellence in Service Award, and the Teach Online Awards to Spur Transformation (TOAST).

We proudly recognize and celebrate our faculty’s achievements!

learn more about the Faculty Excellence