UF alumnus to talk about social media, student engagement

February 10, 2011

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida Division of Student Affairs is sponsoring a presentation by Rey Junco titled “Meeting them where they are: Social media and student engagement” at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 17 in the Graham Gallery, second floor of Graham Hall. The free presentation is open to public.

An alumnus of UF, Junco is a social media scholar who investigates the impact of emerging technologies on college students. One of his primary research interests is the effect of social media on student psychosocial development, engagement and success. His research has focused on informing best practices in technology use with students in the areas of advising, student affairs and teaching.

Through research findings, Junco has shown that technology, especially social media such as Facebook and Twitter, can be used in ways that improve educational and psychosocial outcomes. He has recently published papers on the academic effects of multitasking, the digital divide in cell phone ownership and use, the use of social media to promote civil discourse on campuses and how Twitter can be used for academic purposes to increase student engagement and improve grades.

Best known for his innovative research on how students use technology, Junco conducted the first large, multi-institution survey of student technology use, which he wrote about in his book co-authored with UF Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Jeanna Mastrodicasa, “Connecting to the Net.Generation: What Higher Education Professionals Need to Know about Today’s Students.”

Rey further explored students’ Internet usage in his second book, “Using Emerging Technologies to Enhance Student Engagement,” in which he conducted a comprehensive analysis of social media’s role in student engagement, technology’s potential to improve retention, and blogs’ potential to improve students’ writing and marketing skills.

Junco earned his doctorate in education in counselor education and his master’s in clinical psychology from The Pennsylvania State University. He earned his bachelor of science in psychology from UF. He is an associate professor in the department of academic development and counseling and the director of disability services at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania where he teaches first-year seminar courses for undergraduates and graduate courses on social media in higher education.