Dr. Ricca is a physicist by training, a former secondary mathematics and science teacher, a teacher educator for more than twenty years, and most recently, an Associate Professor of Statistics. Throughout all of those professional activities, he has always been a data scientist interested in nonlinear systems and enjoys working with messy and complex data sets.

Dr. Ricca's main research interest involves the application of complex systems thinking – using notions more inspired by biological, developmental, and emergentist ideas than by mechanistic and predictive ideas - to social science contexts. He is especially interested in developing and refining methods by which complex systems may be studied. Additionally, he is interested in STEM teaching and learning.

Click here to view Dr. Ricca's CV.