Alina Ionica Lungeanu

Alina Lungeanu is an Assistant Professor in Communication Studies, with a joint appointment in Management and Organizational Development Group (D’Amore-McKim), and an appointment as a Core Member of the Network Science Institute (NetSI). She works in the area of networks and teams.

Alina holds a Ph.D. in Technology and Social Behavior from Northwestern University, a joint Ph.D. in Computer Science and Communication. Prior to Northeastern, Alina was a Research Assistant Professor in the School of Communication at Northwestern University.

In her work, Alina combines insights from social science and network science to examine how team networks configure to advance the frontier of science. Her first stream of research is conducted in partnership with NASA and explores the social and cognitive networks that enable small teams to live and work together effectively while on a simulated space mission. Her second stream of research investigates the social dynamics of collaboration in cross-boundary science teams and their effects on team innovation.

Alina’s work is interdisciplinary and collaborative, with co-authors from sociology, psychology, public health, and computer science. Her work is funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration and has been published in leading social science journals such as Network Science, The Leadership Quarterly, American Behavioral Scientist, Human Factors, and Communication Methods and Measures.