The Atlas Lab at the UF College of Journalism and Communications is a state-of-the-art facility for students, faculty and staff to develop an expertise in analyzing digital media dynamics, behavior and conversations.
About the Lab
The Atlas Lab at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications is a recognition that digital media has become a primary channel for our civic and commercial dialogue, and a powerful communications platform in advertising, news and public relations.
Fueled by sophisticated, AI-driven digital media analysis tools, the lab provides students with invaluable, real-world experience in data analytics, researchers with a treasure trove of data to develop new insights for industry, and best-in-class tools to help our immersion venues provide additional value to customers and the community.
- Students, faculty and staff will be able to:
- Analyze social media, print and digital global news, eCommerce reviews, customer feedback landscapes, financial-market data, and first-party data integrations across platforms
- Identify emerging social, political and cultural trends
- Monitor and analyze media coverage on an unlimited number of topics
- Track the health and perception of brands
- Identify the influencers who are driving message dissemination
- Test product and message concepts and approaches
About the Director
Lab Director Nathan Carpenter, Ph.D., is responsible for leading the lab’s operations, insights/analysis, and engagement with key stakeholders. He facilitates research, instruction and immersion opportunities, external partnerships around social media listening and engagement, and grant funding. Carpenter also provides thought leadership around social media listening data collection and strategy to academic and professional communities.
Prior to his role as Atlas Lab director, Carpenter was director of Convergent Media for the School of Communication at Illinois State University, where he created and directed the University’s Social Media Analytics Command Center.
Tools and Technology
Access to top-of-the-line software and technology allows our students, scholars and professionals to create some of the industry’s most impactful insights.
The lab is powered by consumer and market intelligence tool NetBase Quid. The platform uses real-time consumer insights and data points along with advanced artificial intelligence to process billions of indexed resources across all forms of structured and unstructured data. Atlas Lab has worked with several major brands including Amazon Alexa, Bliss Skincare, Carnival Cruise Lines, Dole Pineapples, Microsoft, The Walt Disney Company and several other businesses locally to Gainesville and beyond.
There are 48 monitors in the room that can display data as one large single image or in multiple images across different screens. The lab will be an ideal space for broadcasting big news events that have heavy social media components, such as election nights or hurricane coverage.
Atlas Lab Announces Spring 2025 Workshop Series
March 12, 2025
Social media listening with Nathan Carpenter
August 27, 2024
Roxane Coche and Nathan Carpenter Review Effectiveness of New Paris 2024 Olympic Social and Digital Media Guidelines
August 27, 2024
Tonight in the Atlas Lab – ‘Digging Deeper’ workshop presented by TEGNA
February 21, 2024
