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Gianluca Zanella

Assistant Professor

Gianluca Zanella

Assistant Professor

Academic Appointment(s)

Administration
Department of Computer & Cyber Sciences

School of Computer and Cyber Sciences
Department of Computer & Cyber Sciences

Administration
Department of The Graduate School

  • GZANELLA@augusta.edu
  • GH 130

Education

  • Ph.D., Information Technology University of Texas at San Ant, 2020

  • MS, Computer/Information Technolog University of Texas at San Ant, 2015

  • BS, Physics, General Universita Degli Studi Di Parm, 1989

Certifications

  • Certified Assistant Project Manager PMI, 2014

Awards & Honors

  • University of Texas Innovation Award University of Texas at San Antonio, 2022

Courses Taught Most Recent Academic Year

  • CSCI 8940

    Dissertation Research
  • AIST 4720

    Enterprise System Architecture
  • CSCI 8510

    Independent Study: Scientific App of ML Architect
  • AIST 4820

    Information Technology Project
  • CSCI 4990

    Undergrad Research

Teaching Interests

My teaching interest include both technical and management topics. Courses such as database design, python scripting, data science, and cloud systems are related to my industry/research experience as database and software developer. Topics such as enterprise systems and capstone projects are related to my experience as a data and software architect.

Scholarship

Selected Recent Publications

  • Reading the Digital Pulse: Context-Aware AI for Sensing Engagement Drivers in Health Forums, 2025
    Conference Proceeding
  • Sleepless Generation(s): How the Attention Economy Steals Our Sleep, 2025
    Conference Proceeding
  • Reimagining the Sharing Economy through Blockchain: The Case of Helium's Decentralized Wireless Network, 2025
    Conference Proceeding
  • The effect of institutional asymmetry on informal entrepreneurship, 2024
    Journal Article, Academic Journal
  • The Role of Arts Incubators in Addressing Digital Divide Inequities, 2024
    Book, Chapter in Scholarly Book-New

Research Interests

My scholarship centers on advancing understanding of how individuals and organizations make decisions in technology-mediated environments, with a particular emphasis on cybersecurity, digital platforms, and data-driven decision support. Across my work, I integrate behavioral theories with computational methods to examine how people interpret risk, allocate attention, and adapt to evolving information environments. This agenda reflects a commitment to producing theoretically grounded and practically relevant insights that can inform both academic discourse and real-world technology design.
My research program is organized around three interconnected streams:
• Technology-enabled decision making: Investigating how cognitive, social, and contextual factors shape user behavior in digital systems, including cybersecurity compliance, risk perception, and trust formation.
• Human–AI interaction and decision support: Developing and evaluating models that leverage machine learning and natural language processing to support user judgment, reduce cognitive load, and improve decision quality.
• Digital platforms and socio-technical systems: Examining how platform design, information structures, and governance mechanisms influence participation, performance, and collective outcomes [6,19].

College Service

  • Faculty Senate Research Committee 2026 - Present

    Role: Committee Member
  • BS in Biomedical Systems Engineering Design 2023 - Present

    Role: Committee Member
  • Virtual Internship and Varied Innovative Demonstrations/Student Mentor 2023 - 2025

    Role: Committee Member
  • Faculty Affairs Committee 2024 - 2024

    Role: Committee Member
  • Faculty Search Committees 2024 - 2024

    Role: Committee Member