Joseph A. Konstan is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Distinguished University Teaching Professor at the University of Minnesota's Department of Computer Science and Engineering. He serves as Associate Dean for Research in the College of Science and Engineering and is a Fellow of ACM, AAAS, and IEEE. His work focuses on Recommender Systems , Social Computing , and Human-Computer Interaction issues including personalization, online community ethics, and health technology. Education: Ph.D., Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley (1993) M.S., Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley (1990) A.B., Computer Science, Harvard College (1987) His research explores collaborative filtering (GroupLens project), organizational communication systems (bulk email optimization), and ethical frameworks for online community research. Current projects include a live news reader community infrastructure funded by NSF Award #CNS-2016397 and mobile health applications for diabetes management in collaboration with UMN School of Nursing. Recent publications analyze user interaction patterns in recommender systems, algorithmic trade-offs , and privacy mechanisms . Articles examine content diversity, novelty preferences, and multi-stakeholder personalization challenges. Scientific Recognition: Distinguished ACM SIGCHI Lifetime Service Award (2013) IEEE Fellow (2013), AAAS Fellow (2011), ACM Fellow (2008) Multiple test of time awards from SIGIR, WWW, and AAAI conferences As advisor, Konstan has mentored over 40 graduate students including current Ph.D. candidates Ruoyan Kong and Ruixuan Sun , with alumni now at institutions like University of Illinois, IBM Research, Amazon, and Google. He leads the GroupLens Research Group , which recently received the ACM Software Systems Award for its 30-year contributions to recommender systems.
Ruzica Piskac is a Professor of Computer Science at Yale University, where she leads the Rigorous Software Engineering (ROSE) group. She has made significant contributions to the fields of software verification, security, automated reasoning, and code synthesis, focusing on improving software reliability and trustworthiness through formal techniques. Dr. Piskac received her PhD from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in 2011, where her dissertation won the Patrick Denantes Prize. Prior to joining Yale, she led an independent research group at the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems in Germany (2012-2013). Her research spans several key areas: symbolic execution for Haskell (G2), privacy-preserving formal methods (PPFM), functional reactive synthesis, verification of configuration files, and analysis of software updates. Her work consistently bridges theoretical formal methods with practical applications in real-world systems. Dr. Piskac's recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward applying formal verification techniques to emerging challenges including large language models, quantum computing security, legal accountability of automated systems, and cyber-physical systems. Her research increasingly intersects with AI, cryptography, and legal domains while maintaining strong foundations in formal methods. Her scientific achievements have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards: Multiple Amazon Research Awards Yale University's Ackerman Award for Teaching and Mentoring Facebook Communications and Networking Award Microsoft Research Award for the Software Engineering Innovation Foundation (SEIF) Patrick Denantes Prize for her PhD dissertation Dr. Piskac has graduated five PhD students, four of whom have gone on to become assistant professors of computer science. She has served as Program Chair of the 37th International Conference on Computer Aided Verification and is on the Steering Committee of the Formal Methods in Computer-Aided Design conference. She leads the Rigorous Software Engineering (ROSE) group at Yale, which focuses on several key projects including: Symbolic Execution Engine for Haskell (G2) Privacy Preserving Formal Methods (PPFM) Functional Reactive Synthesis Verifications for Configuration Files Analysis of Software Updates and Configuration Files
Rosalynn Vasquez is an Assistant Professor of Public Relations at Suffolk University, specializing in research at the intersection of diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), ethics, sustainability, and leadership. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in public relations and has received grants from the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication. Ph.D. in Media & Communication, Texas Tech University Master of Business Administration, University of Dallas Bachelor of Science in Journalism, Texas A&M University Her research explores DEI in the PR industry and higher education, focusing on sustainability, ethical communication, pedagogical innovation, and leadership development. She has contributed to journals like Journal of Public Relations Research and Science Communication . Recent publications emphasize artificial intelligence’s ethical implications in DEI content, BIPOC leadership gaps in PR, climate change communication strategies, and misinformation combat in underrepresented communities. Her work aligns with organizational listening and corporate accountability frameworks. Scientific Awards & Grants 2025 Ethics in PR Pedagogy Award (Arthur W. Page Center) 2025 AEJMC DEI Research Paper Award 2024–2022 Arthur W. Page Legacy Scholar grants Dr. Vasquez actively contributes to professional organizations including PRSA, HPRA, and CPRE. She serves on editorial boards and advisory committees, advocating for DEI in PR education and practice.
Dr. Mustafa Demir serves as an Associate Research Scientist at Arizona State University's Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery and Faculty Associate in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. His interdisciplinary work integrates cognitive science and engineering to optimize human-AI collaborative systems across healthcare, transportation, and defense domains through human-centered design principles. Education: Ph.D. in Simulation, Modeling, and Applied Cognitive Science, Arizona State University (2017) Dr. Demir's research centers on human-machine teaming dynamics, employing advanced statistical and nonlinear dynamical systems modeling. His expertise includes quantum cognitive approaches to decision-making, team cognition analysis, and machine learning applications for real-time physiological monitoring. Current projects focus on AI-powered stress management tools, curiosity-driven STEM education systems, and human-autonomy coordination in driving and command environments using eye-tracking and biometric sensing. Analysis of his 2023-2025 publications reveals methodological innovation in dynamical systems analysis (DSA Toolbox) and quantum probability modeling applied to trust calibration in autonomous vehicles, educational technology, and digital health interventions. His work consistently bridges theoretical modeling with real-world implementation in complex sociotechnical systems. Dr. Demir mentors students in cognitive engineering and applied data science while leading multi-institutional research initiatives funded by NSF, AFRL, and DARPA. His grant portfolio supports experimental work across simulated and operational environments including remotely piloted aircraft systems and urban search-and-rescue scenarios. He contributes to the Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery and HLA-Inception research group, developing computational models of team interaction and adaptive AI systems for healthcare and education applications.
Taha Mansouri is a Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Salford's School of Science, Engineering & Environment. He leads the High Performance Computing facilities within the school and chairs the Salford AI Club, an inclusive community focused on AI applications in Higher Education. Mansouri holds dual PhDs - one in Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning from the University of Salford and another in Information Technology Management from Allameh Tabataba'i University in Iran. His research interests span multiple critical areas in modern AI development, with particular emphasis on ethical considerations in AI systems. Mansouri actively investigates fairness, explainability, and transparency in AI algorithms, with specific focus on computer vision systems and large language models. His work addresses bias in facial emotion detection across age, gender, ethnicity, and cultural backgrounds, highlighting important concerns about equity in automated systems. Mansouri's recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward practical applications of AI for social good, including detecting mold in social housing, ethical compliance in legal AI systems, and developing AI-resilient assessment tools for education. His research bridges theoretical AI development with real-world implementation challenges across healthcare, education, and industrial applications. Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy Mansouri actively supervises multiple PhD students working on diverse AI applications and leads significant research projects including the £500,000 Innovate UK Smart Grant-funded Expert Legal Intelligence (ELI) project. He serves on prestigious review panels including the EPSRC Peer Review College, the EDI Hub+ Flexible Fund Peer Review College, and the British Council's International Science Partnerships Fund Review College. His grant portfolio includes projects on ethical ASR models (£30,000 collaboration), WATCH-AI benchmarking tools, and inclusive AI emotion recognition systems. As leader of the High Performance Computing facilities, Mansouri supports interdisciplinary research across the university. He also chairs the Salford AI Club, fostering collaboration among individuals from diverse backgrounds interested in AI applications, particularly in Higher Education.
Dr. Siobahn Day Grady is an Assistant Professor of Information Science/Systems at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and serves as the Founding Director of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Research (IAIER), which she established in 2025. She also holds leadership roles as Co-Director of The Center fOr Data Equity (CODE), Program Director of the Information Science Program, and Faculty Fellow in the Office of Faculty and Professional Development. Dr. Grady reports to the Provost with oversight of a $1M+ annual budget and $3M+ grant portfolio, managing a staff of 5 plus advisory boards. Ph.D. in Computer Science, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University (2018) M.S. in Computer Science, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University (2018) M.S. in Information Science, North Carolina Central University (2009) B.S. in Computer Science, Winston-Salem State University (2005) Dr. Grady's research focuses on the ethical implementation of artificial intelligence, with particular emphasis on fairness, bias mitigation, and equity in AI systems. Her work bridges technical AI development with social justice considerations, especially in healthcare applications and educational contexts. She has pioneered initiatives to increase AI literacy at HBCUs and developed frameworks for operationalizing fairness in AI governance. Her research interests include natural language processing, machine learning applications for social good, digital literacy programs for marginalized communities, and strategies to increase diversity in STEM fields through her STEM-It-Yourself program. Analysis of Dr. Grady's recent publications reveals a strong trajectory toward practical applications of AI ethics in real-world settings, particularly in healthcare and education. Her work demonstrates a consistent focus on creating frameworks that translate theoretical AI ethics principles into actionable guidelines for practitioners. There's a clear progression from technical AI research toward more interdisciplinary work that bridges computer science with social sciences, nursing, and education. Her publications increasingly address the needs of underrepresented communities and focus on practical implementation strategies rather than purely theoretical contributions. Winston-Salem State University 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award Durham Section of the National Council of Negro Women 2024 Distinguished Educator Sigma Iota Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® 2022 Soaring to Greater Heights in Science Technology Engineering Arts Mathematics Honoree The Links, Inc., Raleigh (NC) Chapter 2022 Emerald Award Honoree Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) Culture, Learning, and Technology (CLT) Division 2023 Outstanding Publication Award Dr. Grady has secured significant grant funding totaling over $3 million, including a $1 million Google.org investment, $100K+ from Cisco, $15K from FICO, and funding from NTIA and NIH. She serves as Principal Investigator for the Digital Equity Leadership Program (DELP) and the Genomic Research and Data Science Center for Computation and Cloud Computing (GRADS-4C). Her mentoring extends to numerous students through programs like STEM-It-Yourself, which focuses on cultivating STEM identity among adolescent girls. Dr. Grady has established three endowed scholarships supporting economically disadvantaged students at multiple HBCUs, demonstrating her commitment to educational access. As Founding Director of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Research (IAIER), Dr. Grady leads North Carolina Central University's strategic vision for AI education, research, and policy. The institute includes the AI Emerging Scholars and Leaders Programs, which engage students, faculty, and staff in cross-disciplinary AI innovation. She has developed NCCU's first AI minor (pending approval) and serves as co-facilitator for the UNC AI Faculty Learning Community. Dr. Grady also holds leadership positions on the Governor's AI Council and multiple advisory boards, positioning NCCU as a national leader in responsible AI development and implementation.
Jennifer D. Oliva is Professor of Law and Val Nolan Faculty Fellow at Indiana University Maurer School of Law, where she teaches and conducts research at the intersection of law, health policy, and technology. She also serves as a Research Scholar at Georgetown Law's O'Neill Institute for National & Global Health Law and a Senior Scholar with the UCSF/UC Law Consortium on Law, Science & Health Policy. Education: BS, United States Military Academy (West Point) MBA, University of Oxford JD, Georgetown University Law Center Professor Oliva's research focuses on critical issues in health law and policy, particularly where law intersects with public health crises, technology, and civil rights. Her work examines how legal frameworks shape healthcare access, privacy rights, and equity in medical treatment, with special attention to vulnerable populations including pregnant women, people with disabilities, and those affected by the opioid crisis. She has pioneered scholarship on prescription drug monitoring programs, algorithmic bias in healthcare, and the criminalization of drug use and pregnancy. Her extensive publication record demonstrates consistent engagement with emerging legal challenges in health policy, particularly the tension between public health approaches and punitive drug policies. Oliva's work shows a clear trajectory toward examining how technology and data systems impact healthcare equity, with recent articles addressing algorithmic bias, surveillance, and the intersection of civil rights law with healthcare delivery systems. Selected Awards: 2024 Indiana University Maurer School of Law Trustees Teaching Award 2024 Indiana University Maurer School of Law BLSA Outstanding Interactive Professor Award 2021 Health Law Community Service Award from the AALS Section on Law, Medicine, and Health Care 2019 Truman Scholarship Foundation Ike Skelton Award for commitment to public service 2021 Professor of the Year at Seton Hall University School of Law Professor Oliva has been actively involved in shaping health policy through her service as Chair of the AALS Section on Law, Medicine, and Health Care (2023) and currently as Chair-Elect of the AALS Section on Biolaw. She serves on the Johns Hopkins University/UCSF Opioid Industry Documents Archive National Advisory Committee and the National Pain Advocacy Center's Science & Policy Advisory Council, where she provides expert guidance on opioid litigation and pain management policy. Her scholarship has been instrumental in advocating for evidence-based approaches to drug policy and healthcare regulation. As an elected member of the American Law Institute, Professor Oliva contributes to the development of legal principles that shape American jurisprudence. Her military service background informs her unique perspective on veterans' issues and public service, having been selected for both Rhodes and Truman Scholarships during her time as a cadet at West Point.
Mengdi Huai is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Iowa State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Virginia under Prof. Aidong Zhang. Her research focuses on trustworthy AI, including explainable machine learning, adversarial robustness, privacy preservation, and fairness. She holds grants such as an NSF award for security in machine unlearning and has been recognized with the AAAI New Faculty Highlights (2024), Rising Star awards in EECS and Data Science (2021), and the John A. Stankovic Research Award (2021). Her educational background includes a Ph.D. from UVA (2021) and earlier degrees from institutions like the University of Science and Technology of China. She teaches courses like Machine Learning (COM S 573) and Advanced Topics in Computational Intelligence (COM S 672). Dr. Huai’s research spans security/privacy in machine unlearning, adversarial attacks on diffusion models, and attention mechanisms in vision transformers. Her work has been published in top venues like ICML, AAAI, KDD, and NeurIPS. She serves on program committees for AAAI, IJCAI, CVPR, and others, and reviews for journals like IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and TKDE. Her lab focuses on advancing AI systems that are robust, interpretable, and privacy-aware. Recent grants include NSF support for machine unlearning security. She advises numerous students in these areas and collaborates internationally on projects like predictive diffusion models for healthcare and federated learning robustness.
Matthias Stürmer serves as a Professor at Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) within the School of Management and Head of the Institute for Public Sector Transformation (IPST). He concurrently holds a lecturer position at the University of Bern. His professional identity centers on Swiss digital governance initiatives, with active leadership roles in @Parldigi, @DigitalImpactCH, @CH_Open, and @OpendataCH advocating for open source, open data, and transparent public sector innovation. His research program bridges legal technology and digital governance, specializing in multilingual (German/French/Italian) processing of Swiss jurisprudence. Core focus areas include developing AI systems for judicial summarization and criticality prediction, advancing digital sovereignty frameworks, and analyzing sustainable public procurement practices. He investigates the tension between open justice principles and privacy preservation in court documentation, while pioneering methods for anonymizing legal texts against re-identification threats from large language models. Stürmer's publication trajectory reveals a strategic shift toward legal AI applications since 2020, with 12 of his 15 most recent works addressing multilingual legal processing challenges. His scholarship consistently targets Swiss institutional contexts, creating specialized datasets like Multilegalpile and Lextreme while examining practical implementation barriers for open source adoption in public administration. As director of IPST at BFH, he leads institutional efforts to transform public sector services through open standards and collaborative governance models. His team develops practical frameworks for digital sovereignty implementation and sustainable ICT procurement, directly influencing Swiss federal policies on open data and public sector technology adoption.
Dr. Andria Procopiou is a Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity at the University of Central Lancashire Cyprus, serving as Course Leader for the MSc Computing program and Deputy Course Leader for the MSc Cybersecurity. She holds a PhD in Computer Science (City, University of London, 2022), an MSc in Human-Computer Interaction (University College London, 2014), and a BSc in Computer Science (University of Surrey, 2013). Her research spans AI applications in sports analytics, cybersecurity for smart cities/IoT, hate speech detection, and metaverse safety. She has led modules in User Experience Design, Penetration Testing, and Cybersecurity. Research interests include AI-driven solutions for sports injury prediction, real-time DDoS detection in IoT networks, and ethical challenges in the metaverse. Her work emphasizes explainable AI (XAI) for transparency in decision-making systems. She has published extensively in journals like Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing and conferences such as IEEE CYBER and the International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction. Education: PhD Computer Science (City University London), MSc HCI (UCL), BSc Computer Science (University of Surrey) Key Roles: Course Leader (MSc Computing), Deputy Course Leader (MSc Cybersecurity) Administrative Contributions: Module leadership in AI, Cybersecurity, and Digital Forensics Her recent publications address critical issues like privacy concerns in smart campuses, gender-based hate speech in virtual spaces, and injury patterns in professional football using data analytics. She collaborates with industry on IoT security solutions and metaverse governance frameworks.
Dr. Jian Liu is an Assistant Research Professor at the Kummer Institute Center for Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Missouri S&T and another Ph.D. in Management Science and Engineering from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, energy systems optimization, and operations research with applications in sustainable energy, queueing theory, and supply chain management. He has held visiting positions at prestigious institutions including Penn State University and Tsinghua University. Research Interests: Artificial Intelligence (Explainable AI, Reinforcement Learning) Energy Economics (Electricity Markets, Renewable Integration) Behavioral Operations (Queueing Systems, Fairness in Service) Complex System Optimization (Supply Chains, Manufacturing) Publications reflect expertise in AI applications for edge computing, energy storage optimization, and behavioral queueing models. Recent work addresses fairness in service systems, dynamic pricing strategies, and multi-period energy dispatch optimization. His research spans interdisciplinary areas including smart grids, sustainable materials, and industrial process optimization. Liu has advised multiple collaborative projects at the intersection of AI and energy systems. His work has been published in top journals like Applied Energy and IEEE Transactions on Power Systems .
Rashida Richardson is an Assistant Professor of Law and Political Science at Northeastern University’s College of Social Sciences and Humanities (CSSH). She specializes in the intersections of race, emerging technologies, and law, focusing on the social and civil rights implications of data-driven systems like AI. Her work addresses government surveillance, algorithmic discrimination, and regulatory strategies to ensure equitable technology use. Education: B.A. with Honors in College of Social Studies (interdisciplinary major: Economics, Government, History, Social Theory) from Wesleyan University (2008) J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law (2011) Research Interests: Dr. Richardson examines how data-driven technologies perpetuate racial and social inequities through projects like Suspect Development Systems and Racial Segregation and the Data-Driven Society . She advocates for policies that ensure accountability in algorithmic systems and equitable data practices. Key Awards: Reidenberg-Kerr Award (2021) Schmidt Futures International Strategy Forum Fellow (2021) Wired Magazine’s 32 Innovators (2020) Grants & Fellowships: German Marshall Fund Senior Fellowship (2020–present) Open Society Foundation Research Grant (2020–2021) Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and Annie E. Casey Foundation grants (2020–2021) Teaching: Teaches POLS 3323: Race, Inequality, and the Law, integrating her research on technology and civil rights into undergraduate education.
Marc Alier Forment is an Associate Professor at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), affiliated with the Department of Services and Information Systems Engineering within the Faculty of Informatics of Barcelona (FIB). He is also associated with the Institut de Ciències de l'Educació and serves as Coordinator of the Doctoral Program in Engineering, Science, and Technology Education. His research is conducted through the UPC EduSTEAM - STEAM University Learning Research Group. His research interests span Educational Technology , Artificial Intelligence in Education , Learning Management Systems , Open Source in Education , Ethics in Computing , Sustainability in Education , Mobile Learning , Learning Analytics , and Privacy in EdTech . He emphasizes ethical, secure, and sustainable applications of technology in higher education, particularly in engineering contexts. The recent scholarly output highlights a strong focus on the integration of AI in education (especially through the LAMB framework), ethical implications of generative AI, privacy in learning analytics using edge and fog computing, and innovative pedagogical methods in computer science education. His work increasingly bridges technical computing with humanistic concerns such as ethics, privacy, and social responsibility. Best Paper Award TEEM'22 Premis de Programari lliure 2005 de l'AGAUR VI Premi Davyd Luque a la innovació en les TIC Best interoperability innovation: Moodle simple learning tools for interoperability consumer – Spain Marc Alier Forment has led and participated in numerous educational innovation and R&D+i projects, particularly focused on Moodle/LMS integration, mobile learning, open-source educational tools, and the development of ethical and privacy-preserving technologies. He has mentored and collaborated extensively with colleagues on curriculum development, particularly in embedding sustainability and ethics into computing education. His work is central to UPC’s digital education strategy, especially through the Atenea platform. He leads and contributes to the UPC EduSTEAM research group and has been instrumental in developing STEAM-based lecturer training programs. His projects often involve interdisciplinary collaboration across computing, education, and social sciences, aiming to create holistic, responsible technological solutions for learning.
Rong Liu is an Associate Professor at the School of Business, Stevens Institute of Technology, specializing in Information Systems and FinTech. His research focuses on Blockchain, Deep Learning, Text Mining, and Business Process Management. Prior to Stevens, he was a Research Staff Member at IBM T.J. Watson Research Center (2006–2017). Liu holds a PhD in Information Systems from Penn State University (2006). Research Interests Liu’s work integrates AI and business analytics to address challenges in finance, healthcare, and operations. Key areas include blockchain applications in supply chains, ethical AI in hiring, misinformation detection, and predictive modeling for fraud and litigation. His methodologies combine deep learning with theory-driven approaches, emphasizing interpretability and real-world impact. Recent Trends in Publications His recent work explores large language model (LLM) applications in healthcare (e.g., drug shortage prediction), financial decision-making systems, and ethical compliance in job advertisements. He also investigates blockchain’s role in supply chain transparency and open-source development’s impact on ICOs. Awards & Recognition Liu has received awards including the Bright Idea Award (New Jersey Business Faculty, 2020) and multiple best paper awards at ICIS, WITS, and INFOCOM conferences. His work on supply chain event management (2007) was recognized with a Best Paper Award at the Business Process Management Conference. Service & Teaching He serves on academic committees at Stevens and reviews for top journals like MIS Quarterly and Production and Operations Management. Courses taught include Web Mining, Deep Learning for Business Analytics, and Large Language Models in Finance.
Kamanashis Biswas is a Senior Lecturer at the Peter Faber Business School within the Faculty of Law and Business. His research focuses on blockchain technology, cybersecurity, IoT systems, federated learning, and healthcare applications. He has published extensively on topics such as blockchain interoperability, secure communication in wireless networks, and AI-driven healthcare solutions. Recent work includes studies on blockchain integration in UAV networks and explainable artificial intelligence. Key research areas include cross-blockchain protocols, energy-efficient wireless sensor networks, and blockchain-based frameworks for healthcare and finance. His contributions span both theoretical advancements and practical implementations, such as vaccine tracking systems and secure data-sharing mechanisms for wearable devices. Publications highlight interdisciplinary applications of blockchain in domains like smart cities, IoT platforms, and cybersecurity. Collaborations often involve addressing challenges in decentralized systems, privacy preservation, and system interoperability.
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