Beverly J. Silver is a Professor in the Department of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University and Director of the Arrighi Center for Global Studies. She holds a PhD in Sociology from SUNY Binghamton. Her research focuses on historical capitalism, global inequality, labor movements, and social conflict, employing comparative and world-historical methodologies. She examines how these phenomena interact across time and space, particularly in the context of globalization and geopolitical shifts. Key research interests include the dynamics of labor unrest, the evolution of social protest, and the role of hegemonic power structures in shaping global economic and political systems. Her work emphasizes long-term historical frameworks to identify recurring patterns and novel developments in contemporary globalization processes. Her publications analyze global social protest trends, the limits of US hegemony, and the interplay between economic crises and social conflict. She has contributed significantly to understanding labor movements' trajectories, especially in the automobile industry and emerging economies like China. Recent work explores the acceleration of social history and the implications of crises in global capitalism. Award-winning scholar (no explicit awards listed), her research spans over three decades, with a focus on the sociology of global systems. She advises no listed students and her grants/awards remain unspecified. She leads the Arrighi Center, fostering interdisciplinary global studies research.
Rebecca Dyer is a **Professor of English** at **Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology**, where she has been affiliated since 2002. Her academic career includes teaching Technical and Professional Communications, film, and literature courses, with a focus on transnational, postcolonial, and British studies. She holds a PhD in English from the University of Texas at Austin (2002), an MA from the University of Tulsa (1995), and a BS in Journalism from Oklahoma State University (1989). Her research explores class, power, and anticolonial dynamics in literature and film. Notable projects include analyses of works by Graham Greene, Harold Pinter, Mahmoud Darwish, and filmmakers like Jean-Luc Godard. She conducted Fulbright-funded research in Lebanon (2007–08), producing scholarship on servant narratives and Lebanese cultural studies. Her work frequently intersects with migration, displacement, and transnational identities. Dr. Dyer’s awards include the **Fulbright Traditional Scholars Award** (Lebanon) and **Rose-Hulman’s Scholar of the Year Award** (2007). Her teaching and research span global literatures, with a particular emphasis on British and Arabic texts. She has also taught at France’s Université d’Orléans (2015–16) and contributed to cultural studies courses abroad. Her publications address themes like servant-worker depictions, postcolonial cinema, and memorialization of conflicts. Current research includes forthcoming analyses of Bong Joon Ho’s *Parasite* and Steven Zaillian’s *Ripley* series, exploring parasitic power dynamics.
Hazel Rose Markus is the Davis-Brack Professor in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University's Department of Psychology within the School of Humanities and Sciences. With a distinguished career spanning decades, she has made significant contributions to cultural psychology and the understanding of how social contexts shape self and behavior. Her work bridges academic research and practical application through her role as Faculty Director of Stanford SPARQ. Markus received her B.A. from California State University at San Diego and her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in Psychology. Her educational background laid the foundation for her groundbreaking work in cultural psychology. Her research focuses on the role of self in regulating behavior and how the social world shapes the self. She investigates people as culturally-shaped shapers of their cultures, examining how nation or region of origin, gender, social class, race, ethnicity, religion, and occupation shape thought, feeling, and action. Her work spans multiple domains including education, healthcare, workplace environments, and social policy. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on cultural frameworks, particularly examining independence-interdependence cultural models. Her research increasingly addresses social inequality, educational disparities, and systemic bias through empirical studies and intervention development. She has pioneered the Culture Cycle Framework for understanding and changing cultural patterns that perpetuate inequality. Member of the National Academy of Sciences Member of the British Academy Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences American Psychological Association's Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award Donald T. Campbell Award from SPSP APS William James Award for lifetime achievement Markus actively mentors doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars, with current advisees including Leslie Remache, Enna Chen, Ayo Dada, and Efrain Garcia Sanchez. She teaches courses including Graduate Seminar in Social Psychology Research, Intergroup Communication Facilitation, and Mind, Culture, and Society. As Faculty Director of Stanford SPARQ, she leads initiatives that partner with industry leaders to tackle disparities and inspire culture change in criminal justice, economic mobility, education, and health. Her laboratory work focuses on cultural psychology, examining how cultural contexts shape cognition, emotion, and behavior across diverse populations. Through SPARQ, she connects academic research with real-world applications to address societal challenges.
Rutgers, The State University of New JerseyUnited States
Zaire Dinzey-Flores is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at Rutgers University. Her work examines how urban spaces shape community life and inequality through interdisciplinary frameworks in sociology, urban planning, and public policy, often comparing Caribbean and U.S. contexts. Education: PhD, University of Michigan (2005) Her research focuses on housing design, racial and class segregation, and the role of the built environment in perpetuating inequality. She explores topics such as real estate practices in Brooklyn, transatlantic housing policy, and mobile data analysis of racial segregation. Her publications span urban sociology, criminology, and postcolonial studies, highlighting intersections of race, housing, and policy. Recent work includes a 2023 study on Latina/o/x criminologies and a 2021 photographic exploration of American inequality. Scientific Awards: 2014 Robert E. Park Award (American Sociological Association) 2014 Honorable Mention, Frank Bonilla Book Award (Puerto Rican Studies Association) She serves as Vice Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, actively mentoring students and collaborating on interdisciplinary projects related to urban inequality.
Christine L. Williams is Professor of Sociology and the Elsie and Stanley E. (Skinny) Adams, Sr. Centennial Professor in Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. She received her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley and served as the 111th President of the American Sociological Association in 2020. Her work focuses on gender, race, and class inequality in workplace settings across various industries. Williams' research examines how social inequalities become embedded in organizational structures and workplace cultures. Her scholarship spans multiple domains including gender atypical occupations, retail work, and the oil and gas industry. She has conducted extensive research using qualitative methods to understand workplace dynamics, particularly focusing on gender, sexuality, and power relations in professional settings. Her publications reveal trends in workplace inequality, particularly how diversity initiatives often fail to address systemic issues. Williams' work shows that while companies may implement diversity programs, economic downturns often lead to disproportionate layoffs of women and minorities, allowing industries to revert to their white male cores. Her research demonstrates how organizational gaslighting occurs when companies maintain rhetoric about diversity while implementing practices that undermine it. Jessie Bernard Award from American Sociological Association Rosabeth Moss Kanter Career Award from ASA section on Occupations, Organizations, and Work Distinguished Lecturer Award from Sociologists for Women in Society Feminist Mentor Award from Sociologists for Women in Society Williams has chaired the Department of Sociology at UT Austin from 2010-2014 and edited the journal Gender and Society from 2003-2006. She teaches courses in gender, sexualities, labor and labor movements, and qualitative research methods. Her research has been supported by various academic institutions and has influenced scholarship on workplace inequality across multiple disciplines.
Prof. Dr. ir. BJ (Jeroen) de Kloet is a Professor of Globalisation Studies and Director of the Amsterdam Centre for Globalisation Studies (ACGS) at the University of Amsterdam 's Faculty of Humanities, Department of Media Studies. He has held visiting positions at institutions including Hong Kong Baptist University and has been actively involved in international academic collaborations across Asia and Europe. Key Research Areas: Globalization, Chinese cinema, urban studies, postcolonial theory, cultural politics Awards: Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) in Social Sciences and Humanities (2023) Teaching: Engages in critical reflection on academic labor through seminars like 'How to survive the university?' His recent publications explore topics such as platformization, digital intimacies, and the politics of heritage-making. He has presented at major conferences in Venice, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taipei, focusing on the intersection of creativity, control, and urban transformation.
Dr. Catrin Lundström is an Assistant Professor of Ethnicity and Migration at the Department of Migration, Ethnicity and Society (REMESO) within the Department of Culture and Society (IKOS) at Linköping University's Faculty of Philosophy. Her research focuses on the intersection of migration, whiteness, and gender, examining how Swedish women experience transnational migration and return migration processes. Dr. Lundström received her PhD in Sociology from Uppsala University in 2007 and became an Associate Professor (Docent) in Sociology there in 2011. Her academic journey includes teaching and research positions at multiple Swedish institutions including Uppsala University, Stockholm University, Mälardalen University, Södertörn University, Umeå University, and Linköping University. She has also been a visiting researcher at the University of Arizona and the University of California. Dr. Lundström's research centers on whiteness as both a place-bound and transnational construction. She challenges conventional migration studies by focusing on privileged Swedish women migrants, developing the concept of 'white capital' to understand how whiteness functions as transferable cultural capital across national borders. Her work examines how racial privilege, gender, and class intersect in migration experiences, particularly among women who migrate for lifestyle, companionship, or professional reasons. Her recent publications demonstrate an expanding focus on the relationship between race, whiteness, and educational systems in Sweden, as well as critical examinations of contemporary political debates through the lens of critical race theory. Lundström's work increasingly addresses how colorblind discourse operates in Swedish society while simultaneously exploring the politics of national identity in a globalized world. Dr. Lundström has led significant research projects including: 'White Migrations: Gender, Whiteness and Privilege in Transnational Migration' (2014) 'Tre faser av hegemonisk vithet' (Three Phases of Hegemonic Whiteness) with Tobias Hübinette 'Att återintegrera svenskheten' (Reintegrating Swedishness) on returning Swedish migrant women, funded by the Swedish Research Council Her research has been supported by organizations including the Sweden-America Foundation and the Swedish Research Council. Dr. Lundström is actively involved in several academic networks: IMISCOE Standing Committee on Gender, Migration and Transnational Lives White Spaces Network at Leeds University Lifestyle Migration Hub, an international network of researchers studying lifestyle migration She regularly lectures within and outside academia, both in Sweden and internationally, and has received significant media attention for her research on school segregation, colorblind language, and gender equality in migration contexts.
Raymond Ku is the John Homer Kapp Professor of Law at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. He has served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Co-Director of the Center for Law, Technology and the Art. His work focuses on Constitutional Law, Cyberlaw, Privacy, and Copyright, with an emphasis on how technology and evolving societal norms intersect with individual liberties. Education Juris Doctor (J.D.), New York University (1995) Bachelor of Arts (A.B.), Brown University (1992) Professor Ku’s research explores the tensions between free speech and copyright, the implications of digital technology on privacy, and the constitutional boundaries of surveillance. His publications span topics like peer-to-peer file sharing, reproductive rights, and data privacy, reflecting a commitment to addressing contemporary legal challenges through interdisciplinary lenses. His scholarship appears in prestigious law reviews, including Berkeley, Chicago, and Vanderbilt. He authored the first casebook on cyberspace law. Awards include the 2009 Distinguished Teacher Award and being voted Professor of the Year by the 2009 graduating class. Raymond Ku clerked for Judge Timothy K. Lewis and practiced constitutional, intellectual property, and antitrust law before transitioning to academia. He has taught at multiple institutions, contributing to legal education and research related to technology and civil liberties.
Stephanie Creary is an Assistant Professor of Management at The Wharton School , University of Pennsylvania. She serves as the Faculty Director of the Relationships Across Differences (RADs) Roundtable , a collaborative initiative with Harvard Business School, INSEAD, and NYU Stern. Research Focus: Identity, diversity and inclusion, emotional dynamics, and leadership in diverse organizations. Teaching: Offers courses on leading across cultural and relational differences (MGMT2240, MGMT6240) and advanced organizational effectiveness (MGMT8920). Key Contributions: Conceptualizes DEI work through emotional ambivalence transformation and workplace allyship frameworks (LEAP). Her work appears in top journals like Academy of Management Review , Organization Science , and Harvard Business Review . Scientific Awards: Thinkers50 Radar Class of 2023 NACD Directorship 100 Award Dorothy Harlow/McGraw Hill Best Paper Award (2023) Phillips and Nadkarni Outstanding Paper Award (2022) Multiple Best Reviewer Awards Additional Roles: Visiting Faculty Fellow at Harvard Business School (2022-2024) Host of Knowledge at Wharton Leading Diversity at Work Podcast (4 years)
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)United Kingdom
Claire Mercer is a Professor of Human Geography at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), based in the Department of Geography and Environment. Her research focuses on urbanization in Africa, particularly in Tanzania, examining how middle-class identities are constructed through suburban housing and self-build practices. She explores themes of class reproduction, urban inequality, and the intersection of civil society with development policies. Mercer is a leading scholar in African urban studies, with expertise in diaspora networks, postcolonial geographies, and NGO dynamics. Her current research project, funded by the ESRC, investigates how self-build housing in Ghana and Tanzania drives urban and economic growth. She has authored multiple books and articles, including the upcoming monograph The suburban frontier: middle class construction in Dar es Salaam (University of California Press, 2024). Mercer serves on editorial boards for journals such as the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research and Antipode , contributing to critical debates in development geography. Her work spans interdisciplinary themes including African urbanism, spatial inequality, and the politics of belonging. Key regions of focus include Tanzania, Cameroon, and the UK. Mercer’s research bridges theoretical frameworks from human geography with empirical studies of African urbanization, emphasizing the material and aesthetic dimensions of class formation in peripheral urban areas.
Melanie Weber is an Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science at Harvard University's John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), leading the Geometric Machine Learning Group. Her research focuses on leveraging geometric structures in data for designing efficient machine learning and optimization algorithms with theoretical guarantees. She holds a PhD from Princeton University (2021) and has held fellowships at the Mathematical Institute of Oxford, Brasenose College, and the Simons Institute. Her work bridges geometry, optimization, and machine learning, with funding from NSF, Sloan Foundation, and Harvard initiatives. Education : PhD in Applied Mathematics, Princeton University (2021) BSc/MSc in Mathematics and Physics, University of Leipzig (2016) Research Interests : Dr. Weber's research integrates geometric principles into machine learning and optimization, focusing on non-Euclidean spaces, graph structures, and manifold-based methods. Key areas include optimization on Riemannian manifolds, curvature-based analysis (e.g., Ricci curvature), and developing algorithms resilient to data geometry challenges like over-smoothing in graph neural networks. Her work emphasizes theoretical foundations while addressing practical scalability in high-dimensional data. Awards & Recognition : 2024 Sloan Research Fellowship 2023 Leslie Fox Prize in Numerical Analysis 2023 NSF Grant for Geometric Optimization Grants & Funding : Supported by National Science Foundation (NSF), Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Aramont Foundation, Harvard Dean’s Fund, and Harvard Data Science Initiative. Labs & Collaborations : Leads the Geometric Machine Learning Group at SEAS, collaborating with institutions like MIT, Max Planck Institute, and industry labs (Facebook, Google, Microsoft). Active in organizing workshops on geometric methods and curvature analysis.
Professor Inderjeet Parmar is a distinguished academic at City St George's, University of London, where he serves as Associate Dean for Research (2023-2026). He is a leading scholar in international relations, political science, and US foreign policy studies with a particular focus on Anglo-American relations, elites, and the role of race and empire in shaping global power structures. Professor Parmar completed his undergraduate studies in Sociology at the London School of Economics and pursued Political Sociology at the University of London. He earned his doctorate from the University of Manchester in political science and international relations. Prior to joining City, University of London in 2012, he taught at the University of Manchester from 1991 to 2012, where he served as Head of the Department of Government from 2006 to 2009. His research interests center on the history, politics and sociology of Anglo-American foreign policy elites over the past century, with particular attention to organizations such as philanthropic foundations, think tanks, policy research institutes, and university foreign affairs institutes. Professor Parmar has authored three books, including Foundations of the American Century: Ford, Carnegie, and Rockefeller Foundations in the Rise of American Power (2012), which critically examines how major American foundations shaped US foreign policy and global power structures. He is currently working on Presidents and Prime Ministers at War: Race, Empire and Elitism in Anglo-American Wars from Korea to the Wars on Terror , a critical analysis of the post-1945 liberal international order. Professor Parmar's scholarly output demonstrates a consistent focus on the intersections of race, empire, and elite power structures in international relations. His recent publications examine the crisis of the US-led world order, Trump's impact on global politics, transnational elite knowledge networks, and the racial dimensions of international relations theory, reflecting his commitment to challenging conventional narratives about American power. He has held significant leadership roles including past president, chair, and vice chair of the British International Studies Association. His scholarly influence extends through prestigious visiting positions at LSE (2019-2022), Oxford's Rothermere American Institute (2019-20), and Princeton University (2013-2014), as well as earlier fellowships at Princeton and Oxford (1998, 1999, 2010). As an educator, Professor Parmar teaches undergraduate courses on US Foreign Policy, Theories of Global Politics, and Foreign Policy Analysis, as well as postgraduate courses on US Foreign Policy. He supervises doctoral students working on topics related to American elite networks, US-Latin American military relations, and the political incorporation of Black America. Professor Parmar is actively engaged with the public through frequent media appearances on Al Jazeera, CNN, BBC, RT, TRT, TalkRadio, and Sputnik. He is also a regular columnist for The Wire, where he provides critical analysis of contemporary political issues from his distinctive scholarly perspective.
Jari Puttonen is a Professor of Structural Engineering at Aalto University's Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering. His research focuses on structural analysis, fire safety, materials science, and nuclear infrastructure safety. He has held roles as Principal Investigator in projects related to nuclear waste repository concrete modeling and aging management of NPP infrastructure. He has advised over 20 academic visitors and served in doctoral thesis committees. Education: Doctoral degree (1987), Licentiate (1984), and Master's degree (1979) in Engineering and Technology from Helsinki University of Technology (now part of Aalto University). Research Interests: Steel and composite materials behavior under extreme conditions Fire resistance of structural systems Long-term performance of concrete in nuclear facilities Non-destructive testing of construction materials Seismic resilience of critical infrastructure Awards: Recipient of the Knight, First Class of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (2020), PUUPalkinto 2010, and Schweighofer Prize 2011 for innovative energy facade research. Grants & Projects: Led 13 research projects including PERCO2_2023 (nuclear waste repository modeling) and CONAGE2022 (NPP concrete aging). Active in EU-funded initiatives and industry collaborations. Labs & Teams: Core member of Aalto's Structural Engineering Research Group, collaborating with Chalmers University and Technical University of Munich on advanced materials testing.
Martha Stiegman is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University. Her research integrates Indigenous knowledge, food sovereignty, and arts-based methodologies to address issues of social, environmental, and disability justice. She is actively engaged in community-based research and public scholarship in Toronto and Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia). Her educational background includes a PhD from Concordia University’s Special Individualized Program and a BA in English Literature & Political Science from McGill University. This interdisciplinary foundation supports her work at the intersection of activism, research, and art. Stiegman’s research focuses on three interconnected domains: Indigenous/settler treaty relations, food sovereignty and justice movements, and participatory video and arts-based research. She emphasizes decolonizing methodologies and community-led knowledge production. Her work explores how arts-based approaches can deepen dialogues across communities and strengthen collective action for justice. Her recent publications and multimedia projects demonstrate a strong trend toward interdisciplinary, community-engaged scholarship that bridges Indigenous epistemologies, environmental justice, and disability justice. She frequently uses film, digital storytelling, and public art to mobilize knowledge and challenge colonial narratives. Co-creator of A Treaty Guide for Torontonians (2022) Lead on the Polishing the Chain project exploring Toronto’s treaty relationships Editor of the forthcoming Anti Colonial Food Systems (Routledge) Active collaborator with Indigenous scholars and artists including Dr. Sherry Pictou, Ange Loft, and Elder Kerry Prosper Stiegman has been involved in significant research grants such as the Atlantic Aboriginal Health Research Program. While specific advisees are not listed, her collaborative projects suggest active mentorship and supervision. She does not appear to lead a formal lab but works within research collectives and community partnerships.
Alina Sajed is an Associate Professor of International Relations in the Department of Political Science at McMaster University, where she joined in September 2013 after serving as Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong from 2010 to 2013. She earned her PhD in Political Science from McMaster University in 2008, following academic work at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Romania. Her educational background includes: Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English and French Language and Literature from Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iași Master of Arts from Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iași Master of Arts in Political Science from McMaster University PhD in Political Science from McMaster University (2008) Professor Sajed's research critically examines international relations through decolonial and postcolonial lenses, with particular focus on colonialism, decolonization, anticolonial theory, and Third Worldism as global political projects. Her work centers on North Africa and the Middle East, exploring political violence, political Islam, and the unrealized potential of Third Worldism beyond rigid nationalist boundaries. She investigates how Algerian intellectuals engaged in translocal solidarity with other decolonization projects worldwide. Dr. Sajed has received significant recognition for her scholarly contributions, including: ISA's 2024 Theory Award for special issue 'Anticolonial Connectivity and the Politics of Solidarity' President's Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision (2022) As an educator, she teaches courses including International Relations: North-South, Non-Western International Relations, and Politics of the Global South. She serves as Associate Editor at Contexto Internacional: Journal of Global Connections and has guest edited issues for South Atlantic Quarterly and Postcolonial Studies, demonstrating her leadership in advancing decolonial approaches to international relations scholarship.
