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Vincent KaufmannView profile

Associate Professor

• Mobility Studies
• Urban Sociology
• Transport Planning
• +6 more

Vincent Kaufmann is an Associate Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) , leading the Urban Sociology Laboratory (LaSUR) . Since 2010, he serves as Scientific Director of the Mobile Lives Forum in Paris. His career spans teaching at institutions like Lancaster University , Ecole des Ponts ParisTech , and Tongji University , with research focusing on mobility sociology , urban dynamics , and public policy evaluation . Master's in Sociology from University of Geneva PhD at EPFL on transport modal practices His work explores mobility-capital interactions , motility , and rhythmanalysis in contemporary societies. Key themes include urban lifestyle transformations , cross-border regions , and mobility-sustainability nexus , with recent emphasis on new proximities and slow cities . Teaching roles span EPFL departments like Teaching (EDAR) , Architecture and Urban Sciences (SGC) , and Human and Social Sciences (CDH) . He has directed numerous PhD and master's theses on urban mobility topics.

Rebecca ClementsView profile

Research Fellow

• Urban Planning
• Transportation Policy
• Sustainable Urban Development
• +3 more

Dr. Rebecca Clements is a Research Fellow at RMIT University's School of GUSS, focusing on sustainable and equitable urban development. Her current projects include the 'Deep Timetable' ARC project (Noongar-led railway history in WA) and examining parking approaches in Australian cities' apartment boom. Previously, she held a Henry Halloran Research Trust Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Sydney's Infrastructure Governance Incubator and conducted micromobility research with the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies. Her PhD from the University of Melbourne explored Japanese parking policies during automobility. Research interests include overcoming urban car dominance, parking policy, transport justice (e.g., children’s mobility), and decolonial infrastructure governance. Key awards include the Henry Halloran Fellowship. Her work bridges policy analysis, equity, and decolonial methodologies to reimagine urban futures.

Kajri JainView profile

Professor

• Indian Visual Culture and Contemporary Art
• Modern and Contemporary India
• Image Theory
• +7 more

Kajri Jain is a Professor of Indian Visual Culture and Contemporary Art at the University of Toronto . She holds undergraduate appointments in the Department of Visual Studies (UTM) and graduate appointments in the Department of Art (St. George) , with cross-appointments at the Institute for Cinema Studies and the Centre for South Asian Studies . Education: PhD, Art History and Theory, University of Sydney MA, Art History and Theory, University of Sydney PEP, Visual Communication, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad Research Interests: Jain’s work explores how images derive meaning not just from their visual content but from their production, circulation, and material use. Her research spans modern and contemporary Indian visual culture , including bazaar icons, monumental statues, theme parks, and representations of nature in religious and popular contexts. She employs ethnographic methods to examine the intersections of religion, politics, commerce, and aesthetics in postcolonial India. Her teaching and writing critically interrogate the legacies of European Romanticism and secular modernism in art history and visual studies. Publications & Themes: Jain has authored two major monographs— Gods in the Time of Democracy (2021) and Gods in the Bazaar (2007)—and numerous essays on topics such as mass reproduction, political iconography, urban nature, and postcolonial aesthetics. Her articles consistently engage with image theory, postcolonial critique, and the sensory politics of caste and religion in visual culture. Scientific Awards: No specific awards listed in the provided text. Advising & Affiliations: While no specific students are named, Jain teaches a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses and is affiliated with multiple research centers at the University of Toronto. Her work bridges departments and disciplines, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue in South Asian visual studies. Labs & Teams: Jain is associated with the Graduate Department of Art History and the Centre for South Asian Studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto.

Jack Martínez AriasView profile

Assistant Professor

• Indigenous Studies
• Andean Studies
• Latin American Literature
• +7 more

Jack Martínez Arias is an Assistant Professor of Hispanic Studies at Hamilton College , specializing in Indigenous and Andean Studies . His work critically examines the intersections of extractive industries , cultural production , and environmental impacts in Peruvian and Bolivian contexts. Education: Ph.D. from Northwestern University, B.A. from Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. His research explores how literature , film , and cultural narratives reflect and resist extractivism , colonialism , and environmental degradation . He also investigates transculturación in Andean traditions and the role of science fiction as a tool for cultural resistance . Martínez Arias’ publications focus on Andean modernity , mining fictions , and ecocritical responses to extractive practices. His recent journal contributions span Latin American literature , film studies , and popular culture , emphasizing historical memory and social justice . Additional roles include serving on the Latin American Studies Committee and advising the Spanish Club . He is a member of the Latin American Studies Association and has taught courses on Hispanic cinema , Indigenous migration , and Spanish immersion .

Kaveri MedappaView profile

Research Fellow

• Labour Anthropology
• Critical Mobility Studies
• Feminist Political Economy
• +4 more

Kaveri Medappa is a Postdoctoral Researcher in Human Geography at the University of Oxford's Department for Continuing Education and a Junior Research Fellow at Kellogg College. She contributes to a multi-institutional ESRC-funded project, 'Trucking Lives: Making Space for People in Truck Driving Work', focusing on UK HGV drivers' work-life conditions. Formerly associated with the University of Sussex, where she earned her PhD in International Development (2022), and St. Joseph’s College, Bengaluru. Doctoral research on app-based workers in Bengaluru under Prof Geert De Neve and Dr Rebecca Prentice Teaching experience in Anthropology and Social Work across UK and India Previous role as Research Associate in 'Speculative Urbanism' project Her expertise spans labour anthropology , critical mobility studies , and feminist political economy , examining intersections of digital technologies, financialisation, and social movements. Recent publications highlight gig economy dynamics, platform worker rights, and speculative finance impacts. Key trends in her research include: Digital labor platform governance (2020–2023) Comparative truck driving work (2024) Financialisation and social reproduction (2022–2025) Urban displacement and affective landscapes (2020) Scientific recognition includes: DSA 'Highly Commended' PhD Thesis Prize (2023) Adam Weiler Doctoral Research with Impact Award (2022) Chancellor’s International Research Scholarship (2018–2021) Her work connects academic research with public scholarship through policy briefs, media contributions, and podcast appearances.

• Law and Technology
• Legal Theory
• Cultural Studies
• +3 more

Professor Kieran Tranter is Chair of Law, Technology, and Future at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Law. He leads the Law, Technology and Humans journal and directs the Human Technology Law Centre. His research explores law’s intersection with technology, focusing on cultural narratives and future-oriented legal frameworks. Prior roles include Associate Professor at Griffith University and HDR Convenor. Key areas include law and technology in the Global South, First Nations justice, and automation’s societal impact. Education PhD (Griffith University) Research Interests Tranter’s work bridges law with cultural studies, science fiction, and socio-technical systems. He examines how technology shapes legal frameworks and vice versa, with a focus on: Automated vehicles and regulatory challenges Transport justice for Indigenous communities Legal semiotics in media and popular culture Awards Research Supervision Award (Griffith University, 2017) Group Teaching Citation (Griffith University, 2011) Academic Excellence Award (Griffith University, 2010) Advising & Grants Tranter supervises PhD candidates on topics like lethal autonomous weapons systems, AI governance, and First Nations transport equity. He advocates for decolonizing road safety policies and has advised on regulatory frameworks for automated vehicles. Labs/Teams Co-leads the Technologies of Justice stream at QUT’s Centre for Justice and coordinates the Datafication and Automation research stream.

Jonn AxsenView profile

Professor

• Sustainable Transportation
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions Mitigation
• Electric Vehicles
• +4 more

Jonn Axsen is a Professor in the School of Resource & Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University (SFU), where he directs the Sustainable Transportation Research Team (START). With an academic career focused on mitigating transportation emissions, he bridges individual decision-making, social systems, technology, and public policy to advance sustainable mobility solutions. BBA, Business Administration (First Class Honours), Simon Fraser University MRM, Resource Management, Simon Fraser University PhD, Transportation Technology and Policy, University of California, Davis His research identifies solutions for decarbonizing road transportation, examining electric vehicles, alternative mobility systems, and policy frameworks. He emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to understand consumer behavior, organizational transitions, and policy effectiveness in achieving zero-emissions vehicle adoption. Recent publications focus on policy mixes for ZEV adoption, automobility reduction, and consumer perceptions of emerging mobility technologies. Key trends include analyzing subsidy effectiveness, automaker responses to regulation, and cross-cultural differences in mobility preferences. His work appears in top venues like Nature Climate Change and Transportation Research Part D . Royal Society of Canada Fellow (2021) International Transport Forum Award (2012) Securing $2M+ in grants from SSHRC, Translink, Tesla, and PICS, Axsen collaborates with organizations including the UN, Transport Canada, and environmental NGOs. He serves as Senior Associate Editor for Energy Research & Social Science and sits on the US National Academies’ Transportation Research Board. The START team at SFU conducts applied research on sustainable transportation, integrating stakeholder insights with academic rigor. Axsen's lab focuses on bridging technical and social dimensions of mobility transitions through mixed-method studies.

Darren ScottView profile

Professor

• Transportation Geography
• Geographic Information Science (GIScience)
• Sustainable Transportation
• +13 more

Dr. Darren Scott is a Professor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society at McMaster University, specializing in Geographic Information Science (GIScience) and teaching courses such as GIS Programming and Data Processing Using Python. He previously served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Louisville’s Department of Geography and Geosciences (1999–2002) and held a Visiting Research Professor position at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Zurich) in 2008. His academic background includes a BA (Honors and Co-op) in Geography from Saint Mary’s University (1991), an MA from the University of Western Ontario (1994), and a PhD from McMaster University (2000). Dr. Scott’s research focuses on transportation systems, aging populations, GIScience innovations, and sustainable infrastructure. He has pioneered work in route choice modeling, transportation demand analysis, and the impact of demographic changes on mobility. In 2008, he established TransLAB, a research lab within his school, which explores advanced transportation topics using GPS and geospatial tools. His projects have been funded by major agencies like NSF, SSHRC, and NSERC, addressing issues ranging from electric vehicle adoption to flood resilience in emergency services. His teaching emphasizes Python programming and advanced GIS applications, reflecting his expertise in geospatial technologies. He has contributed to policy debates on urban sustainability, particularly regarding Canada’s Greenbelt legislation and telework trends during the pandemic. Despite no explicitly mentioned scientific awards, his extensive grant history and scholarly output highlight his impactful contributions to the field. Dr. Scott’s advising and grant activities center on interdisciplinary studies, including the McMaster Monitoring My Mobility Study (MacM3), which tracks mobility patterns of older adults. His work bridges transportation engineering, urban planning, and public health, often leveraging big data and GIS tools to analyze real-world scenarios in cities like Hamilton and Calgary.

Richard SparksView profile

Professor

• Criminology
• Penal Policy
• Democratic Politics
• +3 more

Richard Sparks is a Professor of Criminology at the University of Edinburgh's School of Law and a member of the Global Justice Academy. He holds degrees from the University of Cambridge (BA, MPhil, PhD). His research focuses on penal policies and democratic politics, the sociology of punishment, public responses to crime, and criminological knowledge's role in policy. He co-directed the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (2006–2016) and was Head of the School of Law (2014–2017). Editorial roles: Editor-in-chief of Punishment & Society (2000–2004) and member of multiple journal boards. Notable works include Public Criminology? (2010), Prisons and the Problem of Order (1996), and Crime and Social Change in Middle England (2000). Awarded an honorary doctorate by KU Leuven (2019) for contributions to criminology and democratic politics. Active in international collaborations, including the Law and Society Association's Punishment and Society research network. Research Interests: Penal policies & democracy, prison sociology, public policy impacts, criminology's societal role. Current projects include studies on security in English towns and global penal dynamics. Recent articles explore 'seeing disorder' in urban contexts, automobility's role in crime perception, and policing's spatial impact. His work emphasizes democratic engagement in criminal justice reform.

Bakheit Mohammed NurView profile

Research Fellow

• Anthropology of Islam
• Islamic Epistemology
• Education and Knowledge
• +3 more

Dr. Bakheit Mohammed Nur is a Research Fellow at the University of Bayreuth's Bayreuth Academy, where he focuses on the Islamization of knowledge in African Islamic universities. Previously, he served as a postdoctoral fellow (2019-2021) at the Chair of Anthropology and a lecturer (2018-2019) at the University of Khartoum. He holds a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Bayreuth and degrees from Khartoum University. His research explores Islamic epistemology, education policies, and the intersection of religion and technology. Key areas include Sudanese Islamist educational reforms and the role of faith-based universities in decolonizing knowledge. Publications highlight his work on automobility in Africa, mnemonic techniques in Islamic pedagogy, and the socio-political dynamics of Islamic institutions. His current project examines Sudan’s Islamic higher education networks and their global influence. Affiliations: Bayreuth Academy, University of Bayreuth Grants: Fritz Thyssen Foundation-funded project on Sudanese Islamist education Labs/Teams: Involved in interdisciplinary research on African studies and Islamic epistemology

• History of Medicine
• African American History
• Indigenous Epistemologies
• +7 more

Helen A. Gibson is a Visiting Assistant Professor at the John F. Kennedy Institute, Department of History, Freie Universität Berlin. She is actively engaged in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of history, spirituality, and material culture, with a focus on African American and Indigenous epistemologies. Gibson also serves as the editor for history, political science, and international relations at the European Journal of American Studies . Research Interests: Her work explores the significance of mattering beyond empiricism, particularly through practices of sacred reciprocity. She investigates how plants like dogwood function as both medicine and spiritual boundary markers within the tradition of grand midwifery, drawing on WPA interviews with formerly enslaved people. Her scholarship bridges historical analysis with decolonial theory, emphasizing relationality, kinship, and the transmission of ancestral knowledge. Publication Trends: Her recent work centers on the entanglement of material objects and spiritual meaning in African American cultural memory. By analyzing oral histories and plant-based practices, she contributes to emerging fields in critical race theory, medical humanities, and the history of science, emphasizing non-dualistic ontologies and Indigenous ways of knowing. Scientific Awards: No awards listed in the provided text. Advising and Grants: While no formal advisees or grant funding are mentioned in the text, her role as a visiting professor and journal editor suggests active participation in academic mentorship and scholarly networks. Her prior research fellowship at the University of Erfurt indicates competitive postdoctoral support. Labs and Research Teams: Helen Gibson is affiliated with the research colloquium and PhD projects at the Department of History, Freie Universität Berlin. She contributes to the 'CIH VII: Uncertain Boundaries' program, which explores ambiguity in international history, suggesting collaboration within an interdisciplinary research group focused on liminality and boundary-making in historical contexts.

Barbara SmithView profile

Associate Professor

• Agroecology
• Farmland Ecology
• Pollination Ecology
• +5 more

Dr. Barbara Smith is an Associate Professor at Coventry University's Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, and Associate Director of the Centre for Pollination Studies at Calcutta University. She chairs the Agricultural Ecology Special Interest Group of the British Ecological Society. Her research focuses on agroecology, farmland ecology, pollination, and ecosystem services, with a particular emphasis on mitigating the impacts of agricultural intensification. She has extensive experience in habitat restoration, stakeholder collaboration, and policy engagement, including work in India with farmers and policymakers. Key research areas include biodiversity management, restoration ecology, and the integration of local knowledge systems. She leads projects like the 'TRansition to sUs' initiative (2017–2021), exploring sustainable legume-based food systems. Her work spans Europe and India, emphasizing transdisciplinary approaches to sustainable agriculture. Dr. Smith has collaborated widely, publishing over 40 articles and contributing to policy dialogues on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Her recent publications address topics like automobility's environmental impact, polycultural cropping systems, and prescribed burning in heathland management. She actively participates in conferences and advisory roles, such as the UK-India Agricultural Ecology Initiative. Her vision is to advance agro-ecological evidence for equitable and productive food systems while preserving biodiversity.

Ulf MellströmView profile

Professor

• Gender Studies
• Science and Technology Studies (STS)
• Masculinity Studies
• +4 more

Ulf Mellström is a Professor in Gender Studies at Karlstad University, Sweden. He holds a PhD from Linköping University (1995) and has held academic positions at Linköping University (1995-2009), Luleå University of Technology (2005-2011), and Karlstad University since 2011. His research focuses on gender and technology studies, masculinity studies, globalization, and higher education. Key areas include the political economy of global knowledge production, gendered professions in STEM, and the intersection of technology, risk, and security. Education: PhD in Technology and Social Change (1995), Linköping University. Major research projects include investigations into globalized eduscapes, corporate universities in Dubai/India/Brazil, and gender mainstreaming in Swedish rescue services. He collaborates internationally, serving on boards such as MSB's Scientific Board and the Norwegian Research Council's gender studies program. Research interests span ethnographically grounded studies of gendered knowledge production, global comparative perspectives on STEM fields (e.g., Malaysia's female-dominated computer science), and the cultural embeddedness of technology use. He has supervised multiple PhD students and teaches courses in gender studies, ethnographic methodology, and STS. Publications include influential works like Masculinity, Power and Technology: A Malaysian Ethnography (2003), and articles in journals such as Science, Technology & Human Values and International Journal of Gender, Science, and Technology . His recent work explores posthumanist masculinity, autonomous vehicles, and transnational bachelorhood.

Alessandra BollerView profile

Researcher

• Irish Short Fiction
• Dystopian Literature
• Speculative Fiction
• +12 more

Dr. Alessandra Boller is a Researcher and Teaching Assistant in English Literary and Cultural Studies at the University of Siegen, Faculty I. She has held academic positions at Philipps-University Marburg and has taught at multiple German institutions including TU Braunschweig. Her work is deeply interdisciplinary, focusing on contemporary literary and cultural narratives. Her educational background includes a PhD (2016), MA (2011), and BA (2009), all in literary and cultural studies from the University of Siegen. She is actively engaged in the academic community through memberships in the International Association for the Study of Irish Literatures (IASIL), the Marburg Center for Canadian Studies, the European Network for Short Fiction Research (ENSFR), and EFACIS. Dr. Boller’s research centers on cultural narratives in Irish short fiction since the 1820s, feminist and postcolonial speculative fiction, posthumanism, and dystopian literature and film. She explores epistemological and agnotological dimensions in narratives, particularly in British, Canadian, and Asian-Canadian utopian and dystopian works. Her work bridges literary analysis with philosophical and ecological concerns, especially in the Anthropocene. Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam Trilogy , Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go , and Irish and Canadian speculative fiction. Themes of identity, ecological democracy, human exceptionalism, and narrative form recur across her scholarship. She frequently examines how literature interrogates knowledge, silence, and the boundaries of the human. Co-organized Anglistentag 2023 section on Irish Communities Co-organized international conference Journeys across B/orders in Canadian Studies (2022) Co-organized Echoing Ecologies (2019), Performing Canada (2017), and Teaching Canadian Ecologies (2016) Dr. Boller has edited several academic collections and published a monograph with WVT. While no formal advising of named students is listed, her extensive teaching and conference mentorship suggest active academic guidance. She has not received any listed scientific awards, but her editorial and organizational contributions are significant.

Weert CanzlerView profile

Researcher

• Mobility Research
• Traffic Research
• Energy Policies
• +2 more

Dr. Weert Canzler is a senior researcher and head of the Research Group "Digital Mobility and Social Differentiation" at the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB), where he has been affiliated since 1994. His career spans leadership roles including Deputy Chair of WZB's Academic Council (2000-2007), Senior Researcher in Science Policy (2009-2019), and current Speaker of the Leibniz Research Alliance "Energiewende" since 2013. His work critically examines mobility transitions through social science lenses, integrating energy policy, technological innovation, and societal transformation. Dr. Canzler's academic credentials include: Diploma in Political Science (minor in Economics and Law) from the Free University of Berlin (1985) Ph.D. in Sociology from the Technical University of Berlin (1995) Habilitation in Social Science Based Mobility Research from the Technical University of Dresden (2015) His research centers on the societal dimensions of mobility systems, with particular focus on the Energiewende 's impact on transportation. He investigates how digitalization reshapes travel behavior, the cultural entrenchment of automobility, and policy frameworks for equitable mobility transitions. His approach bridges sociology, urban planning, and technology assessment, emphasizing that sustainable mobility requires reimagining social practices alongside infrastructure. Current work analyzes autonomous vehicle fleets, parking policy reforms, and the psychological dimensions of driving freedom in congested cities. Analysis of Dr. Canzler's 2022-2025 publications reveals intensifying focus on post-pandemic mobility patterns and multi-crisis contexts (climate, energy, geopolitical). His scholarship increasingly addresses implementation barriers for autonomous shuttles, the political economy of parking reform, and narrative-building for mobility transitions. A distinctive thread examines winners/losers dynamics in public space reallocation, with growing attention to educational outreach for future mobility literacy. His interdisciplinary methodology combines qualitative analysis with policy evaluation. While specific grant awards aren't documented in available sources, Dr. Canzler's leadership of major research initiatives implies significant funding oversight. As head of a WZB research group and Leibniz Alliance speaker, he directs collaborative projects involving multiple institutions. His extensive co-authorship patterns suggest active mentorship of junior researchers, though formal student advising isn't explicitly referenced in his public profile. Dr. Canzler co-founded WZB's mobility research group in 1998 with Andreas Knie and currently leads the "Digital Mobility and Social Differentiation" team. Through the Leibniz Research Alliance, he coordinates nationwide energy transition research across 18 institutes. His teams maintain strong policy linkages with German federal ministries and international bodies, frequently translating research into practical guidance for urban planners and transport authorities.