Olga Sorkine-Hornung is a Professor of Computer Science at ETH Zurich and head of the Institute of Visual Computing. She leads the Interactive Geometry Lab, focusing on theoretical and practical advancements in digital content creation, geometry processing, and shape modeling. Current position: ETH Zurich, Department of Computer Science Previous roles: Courant Institute (NYU), Technical University of Berlin Education: BSc and PhD from Tel Aviv University, postdoc at TU Berlin Her research spans shape representation, digital fabrication, computer animation, and fundamental geometry processing. Key contributions include Laplacian surface editing, as-rigid-as-possible deformation, and generalized winding numbers. She works on applications in VR, AR, and autonomous systems. Awards include Test of Time Awards (2024), ACM Fellow (2020), ERC Consolidator Grant (2020), and EUROGRAPHICS Young Researcher Award (2008). She has supervised numerous students and co-developed software libraries like libigl and Instant Meshes . Co-chair roles for SIGGRAPH, Eurographics, and Pacific Graphics Editorial board member for ACM Transactions on Graphics and other journals Keynote speaker at VMV, CVPR, and SIAM conferences Her work bridges mathematical rigor with practical implementation, advancing computer graphics and geometry processing through intuitive algorithms that maintain surface detail while enabling efficient computation.
Wendy Ju is an Associate Professor of Information Science at Cornell Tech, with appointments in the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. Previously, she served as executive director of interaction design research at Stanford University's Center for Design Research and as an associate professor of interaction design at the California College of the Arts. Her work bridges human-computer interaction, design, and robotics with a focus on how interactive devices can communicate with people without interrupting them. PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University Master's degree in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT Professor Ju's research centers on implicit interactions, human-robot collaboration, and automotive interfaces. She investigates how people interact with automated systems in natural contexts, develops methods for early-stage prototyping of autonomous technologies, and examines the social implications of robotics in urban environments. Her work spans from theoretical frameworks to practical applications, with particular emphasis on designing systems that integrate seamlessly into human activities without demanding constant attention. Her recent publications reveal a strong trajectory toward understanding human-robot interaction in public urban spaces, with increasing focus on robot navigation in city streets, the social implications of autonomous vehicles, and the integration of generative AI in design processes. Her work consistently bridges theoretical HCI frameworks with practical applications in transportation, urban design, and everyday robotics. Inducted into the ACM SIGCHI Academy (2025) Multiple Honorable Mention Awards at ACM CHI and DIS conferences Best Paper Award at Multimodal Technologies and Interaction (2023) Best Student Paper Award at IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium (2017) Best Demonstration Award at HRI (2017) Professor Ju actively mentors numerous PhD and master's students, many of whom have become leading researchers in HCI and robotics. Her research has been supported by significant grants from NSF and industry partners, enabling extensive field studies of human-robot interaction in real-world settings. She has pioneered methodologies for studying autonomous vehicle interactions through both simulated and naturalistic driving environments. Her work with the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute supports interdisciplinary research at the intersection of computing, design, and urban technology. She has established research partnerships with transportation authorities, automotive companies, and urban planning organizations to study how emerging technologies can enhance urban mobility while respecting human needs and social contexts.
Adriana Tapus is a Full Professor at ENSTA Paris, affiliated with Institut Polytechnique de Paris, leading the Autonomous Systems and Robotics Laboratory (SAR) within the Computer Science and Systems Engineering Unit (U2IS). She holds an HDR (Habilitation) and a PhD from EPFL, Switzerland, with postdoctoral experience at USC. Her research focuses on socially assistive robotics, human-robot interaction (HRI), and personalized therapy for individuals with physical/cognitive impairments. She directs the IP Paris Doctoral School and coordinates national/international projects like the EU-funded ENRICHME and SWEET. Education: PhD in Mobile Robotics, EPFL (2005) Habilitation (HDR), ENSTA Paris (2011) M.S. Computer Science, University Joseph Fourier Engineer, Politehnica University of Bucharest Research Interests: Tapus pioneers socially assistive robotics, integrating machine learning, human modeling, and multimodal communication (verbal/non-verbal/para-verbal). Her work addresses adaptive therapies for vulnerable populations using robotics, physiological data interpretation, and context-aware interaction. Key themes include: Human-robot cooperation and trust Emotion recognition and expression Personalized rehabilitation systems AI ethics and human-centered design Publications: Over 150 articles, with recent work exploring humor in HRI, teleoperation trust models, and cross-cultural intelligent vehicles. Notable 2025 contributions include studies on robot laughter efficacy and multimodal facial expression frameworks. Awards: 2025: 4 IROS papers accepted 2016: 25 Women in Robotics recognition 2010: Romanian Academy Award Multiple conference best paper awards (RO-MAN, ICRA, etc.) Advising & Grants: Supervised over 20 PhD students and led projects like EU Horizon 2020 ENRICHME. Current students focus on teleoperation dynamics, robot humor, and haptic interfaces. Active in editorial roles (IJSR, THRI) and conference organization (HRI General Chair 2019). Labs/Teams: Founder of RoboticsByDesign lab and co-initiator of the Hi! Paris interdisciplinary AI center. The SAR lab develops systems for healthcare, education, and human-robot collaboration.
Professor Winston Hsu is a distinguished faculty member in the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at National Taiwan University, where he has served as a full professor since 2015. He is the co-director of the Communications and Multimedia Laboratory (CMLab) and founder of the MiRA (Multimedia indexing, Retrieval, and Analysis) research group. Additionally, he serves as the Founding Director for NVIDIA AI Lab at NTU, the first such lab in Asia. Professor Hsu received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University in 2007 under the supervision of Professor Shih-Fu Chang. Prior to his academic career, he was a founding engineer and research manager at CyberLink Corp., now a public image/video software company. National Taiwan University (2007-Present): Professor (2015-Present), Assistant/Associate Professor (2007-2015) MobileDrive (2021-2024): CTO and Vice President (Joint Venture between Foxconn and Stellantis) IBM TJ Watson Research Center (2016-2017): Visiting Scientist Microsoft Research Redmond (2014): Visiting Researcher Columbia University (2007): Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering Professor Hsu's research focuses on machine learning, computer vision, large-scale image and video search and recognition, and embedded AI. His work spans from fundamental research in visual recognition to practical applications in automotive systems, medical imaging, and e-commerce. He has pioneered work in disguised face recognition, low-resolution face hallucination, 3D model search, and virtual try-on systems. His current research emphasizes Embodied AI, integrating perception, action, and learning technologies for applications in automotive and robotics domains. His research group has produced numerous influential publications, particularly in top computer vision and multimedia conferences like CVPR, where they won first place in the Disguised Face Recognition competition in 2018. Their work spans diverse application areas including security, medical diagnostics, automotive systems, and e-commerce solutions, demonstrating strong translation from academic research to real-world impact. IBM Research Pat Goldberg Memorial Best Paper Award (2018) First Place, IARPA Disguised Faces in the Wild Competition (CVPR 2018) Best Brave New Idea Paper Award, ACM Multimedia 2017 NVIDIA AI LAB Award (First in Asia, 2016) First Place, MSR-Bing Image Retrieval Challenge (2013) World's Top 2% Scientists (2023) Professor Hsu actively mentors students and researchers, with his group consistently recruiting PhD students, postdocs, and research assistants. He has successfully bridged academia and industry through multiple collaborations, including his role as CTO at MobileDrive (a joint venture between Foxconn and Stellantis) from 2021-2024. His research has been supported by significant industry partnerships with Microsoft, IBM, and NVIDIA, as well as government grants from Taiwan's Ministry of Science and Technology. His laboratory, the Communications and Multimedia Laboratory (CMLab), maintains strong industry connections and focuses on cutting-edge research in visual AI. The lab has produced numerous award-winning projects and maintains active collaborations with global technology companies, particularly in the automotive and consumer electronics sectors.
University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignUnited States
Elahe Soltanaghai is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and a Faculty Affiliate in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is also a 2022 NCSA Fellow and received her PhD in Computer Science from the University of Virginia (2019), MS in Computer Engineering from Sharif University of Technology (2014), and dual BS degrees in Computer and Information Technology Engineering from Amirkabir University of Technology (2011, 2013). PhD: University of Virginia, Computer Science, 2019 MS: Sharif University of Technology, Computer Engineering, 2014 BS (Computer Engineering): Amirkabir University of Technology, 2011 BS (Information Technology Engineering): Amirkabir University of Technology, 2013 Her research spans wireless sensing and communication, focusing on Millimeter-wave Radar Sensing (for automotive, mixed reality, structural monitoring), Machine Learning for Wireless Systems (adaptive sensing/communication), Forest IoT (through-canopy biomass and soil sensing), Metaverse Technologies (gaze-based VR/AR), and Low-Power Backscatter Communication (WiFi/power-line tags). She directs the Wireless, Sensing & Embedded Networked Systems (iSENS) Lab and co-directs the Illinois Center for IoT. Her work bridges wireless networking with cyber-physical sensing , emphasizing environmental monitoring (e.g., wildfire fuel detection via radar tags) and human-computer interaction (e.g., gaze-tracking in VR). Recent articles include innovations in passive radar profiling , through-canopy biomass characterization , and integrated communication-sensing protocols . Scientific Awards: Google Research Scholar Award (2022) N2Women Rising Star (2021) ACM SIGMOBILE Dissertation Award (2020) EECS Rising Stars (2019) NCSA Faculty Fellowship (2023) Best Demo Runner-up, IPSN (2023) Teaching Excellence Award (2023) Grants: NASA FireTech Program Grant (2025) NSF Grant for Radar-based Perception (2024) Insper-Illinois Grant for VR Research (2024) Keysight Research Gifts (2022, 2023) T-Mobile Research Gift (2022)
Prof. Dr. Andreas Butz is a Full Professor and Chair for Human-Computer Interaction at the Department for Informatics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich). He leads the Media Informatics Group, focusing on innovative interaction techniques and interfaces in immersive environments like VR/AR, automotive systems, and smart spaces. His research emphasizes perceptual user interfaces, social robotics, and designing systems that balance invisibility with transparency. Key research areas include: Virtual/Augmented Reality interfaces for productivity and social interaction AI-driven decision support in safety-critical domains (aviation, healthcare) Haptic and wearable interaction technologies Automotive UI design for driver assistance systems Principles of explainable AI and human-AI collaboration His work bridges theory and practice through projects like: VR-based movement training systems AI trust calibration mechanisms Multi-modal interaction frameworks for automotive environments Systems for analyzing long-term music listening behavior Recent articles explore topics ranging from AI support in pilot decision-making to haptic wearables and creative writing interfaces. His team collaborates with industry partners on electric vehicle information systems and in-car interaction challenges.
Prof Lee Kwan Min is a Professor and the inaugural Korea Foundation Professor in Contemporary Korean Society and New Media at Nanyang Technological University’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI), where he directs the UX Lab. He holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University and has held leadership roles, including founding director of Interaction Science Research Center at Sungkyunkwan University and Vice President at Samsung Electronics, overseeing UX strategy and innovation. His research focuses on user experience (UX), human-machine interaction (HCI/HRI/HAI), digital culture, and Korean society’s technological evolution. He has secured over $12M in research grants and holds patents in display interfaces and gesture control. Notable awards include ICA Fellowship and USC Mellon Teaching Award. Education: Ph.D. (Stanford University), M.A./B.A. (implied from career timeline). Previous affiliations include Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) and the University of Southern California (USC), where he was tenured at 40. His work bridges academia and industry, advising startups in fintech, smart mobility, and UX design. Research Interests: UX design and evaluation Social/psychological impacts of ICT Human-robot/vehicle interaction Smart cities and disruptive technologies Korean digital society studies Recent work trends emphasize conversational interfaces in vehicles, metaverse analysis, and Fintech agents. His articles explore topics like autonomous vehicle trust, cross-cultural gaming psychology, and VR advertising. Awards include ICA Fellow status and multiple top-paper recognitions. Grants and Patents: Over $12M funding from NSF, Samsung, and Korean/US governments. Patents span smart displays, gesture control, and multimedia systems. Advises global firms on UX strategies and innovation. Labs/Teams: Director of UX Lab at NTU, leading interdisciplinary research. Collaborates with MIT Cognet and editorial boards of top journals like Journal of Communication and Human Communication Research .
Dominik Schörkhuber is a PreDoc Researcher at the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) in the Computer Vision department. With a background in Informatics (BSc, Dipl.-Ing.), he focuses on computer vision applications for autonomous driving, robotics, and human-machine interaction. His work spans driver action recognition, pedestrian prediction, and adaptive lighting systems. Current projects: Empathic Vehicle (2024–2026), SyntheticCabin (2021–2025), SmartProtect (2020–2025) Research themes: Video transformers, synthetic data transfer learning, multi-task learning, and sensor-lighting integration Specializes in 3D sensing, nighttime driving analysis, and mobile video creation tools
Jay Henderson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland, leading the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Lab. His research focuses on quantitative HCI, measuring human performance with emerging technologies such as mixed reality and generative AI. He holds a PhD from the University of Waterloo and has held roles including Postdoctoral Fellow at Carleton University and Senior Research Scientist at Huawei Technologies Canada. Education: PhD in Computer Science, University of Waterloo (2021) BSc Hons in Computer Science (minors in Mathematics and Psychology), Mount Allison University (2016) Research Interests: Henderson’s work bridges computer science with psychology and mathematics, emphasizing objective measurement of user interactions. Key areas include mixed reality productivity, generative AI interfaces, gesture-based input, and multimodal feedback systems. His quantitative approach ensures practical insights for technology design. Key Grants & Awards: NSERC Discovery Grant ($155,000 over 5 years) NSERC Discovery Launch Supplement ($12,500) David R. Cheriton Graduate Scholarship ($20,000 over 2 years) Teaching & Supervision: Teaches courses like COMP 4303 (AI for Games) and supervises multiple graduate and undergraduate researchers. Notable supervisees include Daniel Jo (MSc) and Arunav Saha (BSc Honours). Service Contributions: Served on ACM committees including Graphics Interface and CHI Late Breaking Work. Acted as Virtual Chair for ACM ASSETS 2024 and contributed to ACM’s name change policy as a transgender advocate.
Dr. phil. Stefan Ladwig is a researcher at the Institute for Automotive Engineering (Institut für Kraftfahrzeuge) at RWTH Aachen University, specializing in traffic psychology, user acceptance, and human-machine interaction for automated driving systems. His work addresses psychological and ergonomic aspects of emerging mobility technologies, including seating ergonomics, trust-building mechanisms, and communication strategies for autonomous delivery robots. Research Focus: Automated driving, interior design psychology, driver/passenger behavior, and safety requirements. Projects: Lead roles in UrbANT (autonomous delivery robot) and SteeringBow (dynamic driving experience). Collaborations: Affiliated with Aldenhoven Testing Center, Future Mobility Partnership e.V., and innocam.NRW. Ladwig’s recent publications examine rotated seating positions, visual dominance in speed adaptation, and trust-relevant driving scenarios, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach to optimizing human-vehicle interactions. His work spans ergonomics, energy management, and behavioral interventions to enhance safety and usability in next-generation mobility solutions.
Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyUnited States
Faez Ahmed is an Associate Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he serves as the Doherty Chair in Ocean Utilization. He leads the Design Computation and Digital Engineering (DeCoDE) Lab, focusing on integrating machine learning and optimization with engineering design to enhance human-AI collaboration and accelerate design processes. Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland College Park (2019) B.Tech.-M.Tech., Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (2012) His research interests include generative design methodologies, AI-driven optimization techniques, and the development of algorithms that facilitate collaboration between human designers and artificial intelligence systems. This interdisciplinary work spans applications in automotive design , ship hull synthesis , and wind turbine optimization , with a strong emphasis on creating open-source tools and datasets for the engineering community. Recent publications demonstrate his lab's leadership in fields such as 3D CAD generation , multimodal design datasets , and constraint-aware generative models . These works often address challenges in design space exploration , performance prediction , and data-driven design frameworks . Scientific Awards NSF CAREER Award (2025) ASME Young Investigator Award (2024) Google Research Scholar Award (2024) 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award (2022) University of Maryland Alumni Research Award (2022) Faez Ahmed's lab has trained numerous Ph.D. candidates and postdoctoral researchers, fostering a collaborative research environment that bridges mechanical engineering , artificial intelligence , and computational methods . The DeCoDE Lab actively engages with industry partners and academic institutions, contributing to large-scale datasets and benchmarks that power the next generation of engineering design research.
Magnus Liebherr is a Professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen , focusing on Technology Acceptance , Artificial Intelligence , and Sustainable Transportation . His work bridges Business Administration with Human-Computer Interaction , exploring how users adapt to emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles and AI systems. Key research areas include: Acceptance of AI applications in mobility Business model development for climate-neutral transportation Cognitive and psychological factors in technology interaction Digital media effects on adolescent well-being Trust calibration in automated systems His recent publications examine Large Language Model dependency , gamified language learning , and mental workload metrics for autonomous vehicles. While no formal awards are listed, his interdisciplinary work spans psychology , engineering , and business strategy .
Ryo Suzuki is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Calgary's Faculty of Science. His research focuses on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and robotics, particularly in tangible user interfaces, swarm robotics, and shape-changing interfaces. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Colorado Boulder (2020) and has conducted research internships at Stanford University, UC Berkeley, the University of Tokyo, and Adobe Research. His educational background includes advanced coursework in robotics and HCI, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary innovation. He teaches courses such as Human-Computer Interaction II, Human-Robot Interaction, and Special Topics in Mixed Reality Application Design. Research interests include designing novel interfaces for AR/VR/MR systems, haptic feedback mechanisms, and collaborative robotics. His work often bridges physical and digital spaces, such as through projects like LiftTiles (shape-changing building blocks) and RoomShift (room-scale haptic environments). Key awards include the UIST 2020 Honorable Mention Paper Award, DIS 2019 Best Paper Award, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in Japan Innovation Award. His research has been featured in IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, TechXplore, and Wired. He actively explores future work in symbiotic AI systems, AI-in-the-loop AR applications, and scalable shape-changing robotics. His lab emphasizes hands-on prototyping and user-centered design principles.
Prof. Torsten Wolfgang Kuhlen serves as a Universitätsprofessor at RWTH Aachen University, leading the Teaching and Research Area for Virtual Reality and Immersive Visualization within the Department of Computer Science. He is affiliated with Chair of Computer Science 12 (High Performance Computing), the Visual Computing Institute, and remains an integral part of the RWTH IT Center where his research group operates one of the world's largest Virtual Reality laboratories including the 30 sqm aixCAVE visualization chamber. The group maintains strong connections with Computational Science & Engineering Division, National High Performance Computing Center for Computational Engineering Science (NHR4CES), and VR in Science and Industry Network NRW e.V. Prof. Kuhlen's research spans virtual reality, immersive visualization, and multimodal 3D user interfaces with applications across simulation science, production technology, neuroscience, and medicine. His work combines basic research on advanced methods and algorithms with interdisciplinary collaborations involving RWTH Aachen institutes, Forschungszentrum Jülich, and industry partners. Recent publications demonstrate strong focus on audiovisual perception, immersive analytics, collaborative virtual environments, and practical VR applications in education and manufacturing. His research group has produced significant work on listening effort in virtual environments, immersive authoring techniques, and VR applications for scientific visualization. Notable projects include VRScenarioBuilder for automated vehicle testing and applications in monitoring additive manufacturing processes. The group actively participates in major conferences including IEEE VIS and EuroVis, with several award-winning contributions. Prof. Kuhlen has advised PhD students including Martin Bellgardt who recently completed his doctoral degree on "Increasing Immersion in Machine Learning Pipelines for Mechanical Engineering". The research group maintains state-of-the-art VR infrastructure including the aixCAVE facility which is open to all RWTH research groups.
T.C. Nicholas Graham is a Professor of Computer Science at Queen's University's School of Computing, specializing in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and gaming technology. With a Dr.-Ing. from TU Berlin (1995), M.Sc. (1988) and B.Sc. (1985) from Queen's University and the University of Toronto respectively, he has held academic roles at York University and industry positions at Namzak Labs since 2000. Research Focus : Next-generation digital games, exergames combining physical activity with entertainment, and educational games using augmented reality. His EQUIS Lab explores heart rate power-ups, nudging mechanisms, and AI-assisted accessibility solutions for motor-impaired users. Teaching : Courses in Game Architecture (CISC 326) and Advanced Game Development (CISC 877), emphasizing game engine fundamentals, physics, networking, and AI algorithms. Labs & Collaborations : Director of the EQUIS Lab , co-founder of the Software Technology Laboratory , and former Chair of IFIP Working Group 2.7 on User Interface Engineering. Notable Projects : Liberi exergame for children with cerebral palsy, GAIM Exergaming Toolkit, and Partial Automation techniques for accessible gaming. His lab actively involves PhD, MSc, and undergraduate students in both technical and applied research.
