Eric Van Young is a distinguished Professor of History at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), specializing in colonial and 19th-century Latin American history, particularly Mexico. He has held significant roles, including Chair of the Department of History (2000-2004) and Interim Dean of the Division of Arts and Humanities (2007-2008). His research focuses on rural history, peasant movements, cultural history, and biographical studies of key figures like Lucas Alaman. He earned his B.A. from the University of Chicago (1967), M.A. and Ph.D. from UC Berkeley (1968, 1978). Education: B.A. (University of Chicago), M.A. & Ph.D. (UC Berkeley) Roles: Professor of History, Department Chair, Interim Dean His research explores Mexico’s colonial and early national periods, emphasizing rural economic structures, popular rebellions, and the intersections of culture and politics. Current projects include a biography of Lucas Alaman and a synthetic history of Mexico (1750-1850). He has authored numerous books, including Writing Mexican History (2012) and The Other Rebellion (2001), alongside over 100 articles. His work bridges economic and cultural historiography, offering critical insights into regional dynamics and the construction of national identity. Van Young’s scholarly contributions include editorial roles for journals and book series, as well as extensive peer review for academic publishers. His interdisciplinary approach addresses themes like messianic movements, state formation, and the legacy of colonial institutions in modern Mexico.
Andrea Voyer is a Professor of Sociology at Stockholm University , focusing on social norms, boundaries, and their role in shaping social inequality , particularly in the context of immigrant integration , class disparities, and ethnic inequality. She employs both qualitative and computational methods , including large-scale text analysis and cultural theory, to explore these themes. Her research has received funding from Riksbankens Jubileumsfond , the Swedish Research Council , the National Science Foundation (USA) , and the Russell Sage Foundation . Voyer serves as a program coordinator for master's programs in sociology and applied social research, and leads the department's research groups in qualitative methods , computational sociology , and cultural sociology . She is also an editorial board member for Sociological Theory and American Journal of Cultural Sociology , and contributes to public discourse on immigration, segregation, and social norms. Her recent publications highlight the use of computational techniques to analyze immigrant incorporation through shifts in mainstream discourse, the cultural processes of inequality during the COVID-19 pandemic , and the evolving role of class distinction-making in etiquette literature. These works bridge cultural theory with empirical analysis, offering actionable insights for addressing social inequality.
Dr. Frances Smith is an Associate Professor in Film Studies at the University of Sussex's School of Media, Arts and Humanities. She holds a PhD in Film and Television Studies from the University of Warwick (2013), an MA in Management from Durham University (2008), and a Master of Modern Languages in French/Italian from Manchester University (2007). Her research focuses on teen cinema, female authorship, Hollywood and European cinema, and gender studies, with current work on Céline Sciamma's Girlhood. She authored Rethinking the Hollywood Teen Movie (2017) and co-edited Refocus: The Films of John Hughes (2021). Teaching includes convening Analysing Film, American Teen Cinema, and Working with Film modules. She has taught Gender and Representation, British Cinema, and Study Skills. Her awards include Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (2016). Active in PhD supervision focusing on teen cinema, female authorship, and gender in cinema. Publications span over 25 articles/chapters addressing topics like queer youth representation, transatlantic media comparisons, and directorial authorship in John Hughes and Amy Heckerling films. Research explores intersections of gender, space, and cultural identity in global popular cinema.
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)United Kingdom
Clare Hemmings is a Professor of Feminist Theory at the Department of Gender Studies, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where she has been since 1999. Her work bridges feminist theory, queer studies, and sexuality studies, with a focus on how these fields are institutionalized and narrated. She holds a PhD and has authored seminal works like Why Stories Matter (2011) and Considering Emma Goldman (2018), which explore feminist historiography and political ambivalence. Her research emphasizes interdisciplinary methods, including archival interventions and creative writing to challenge dominant narratives. Hemmings’ research interests include feminist epistemology, queer of color critique, and anarchist thought. She has been active in countering 'anti-gender' movements and is currently developing a project on 'Feminist Knowledge Struggles.' Her work is marked by attention to form, affect, and the intersection of nationalism, feminism, and sexuality. She supervises PhD students Senel Wanniarachchi and Rawda Elaskary and has received the FWSA Book Prize 2012 for Why Stories Matter . Hemmings’ articles span feminist theory, political mobilizations, and affect studies. Her recent work engages with family memory archives and decolonial methodologies. She is a prolific scholar, contributing to journals like Memory Studies , Feminist Studies , and Radical Philosophy . Her interdisciplinary approach integrates literary criticism, sociology, and activism, offering transformative frameworks for feminist praxis.
Prof. Dr. Olena Palko is a historian specializing in Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, and Ukraine. She holds the SNSF Professorship at the University of Basel's Department of History, focusing on East European History. Her research emphasizes Soviet minority policies, cultural politics, and national identity formation in interwar Ukraine. She is a leading scholar with notable works including Making Ukraine Soviet (2021), awarded the 2023 Alexander Nove Prize. Her current SNF-funded project, Red Tower of Babel , examines Soviet minority experiments in Ukraine. Education: PhD from University of East Anglia (2017); Kandydat nauk from National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (2013). Research Interests: Soviet nationality policy, minority history, Ukrainian twentieth-century history, transnational border dynamics. Her work bridges archival analysis with transnational perspectives, addressing contested borderlands between Poland and the USSR. Key publications include co-edited volumes like Making Ukraine (2022) and Ukraine's Many Faces (2023). She actively contributes to academic governance roles, including co-convening the BASEES Study Group for Minority History and serving on the Scientific Advisory Council of the Council of Europe's history observatory.
University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignUnited States
Salvatore Callesano is an Assistant Professor of Hispanic Linguistics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), affiliated with the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on sociolinguistics, particularly bilingual communities in the U.S., language perception, and digital media representations of bilingualism. He employs both quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate how language variation interacts with identity, media, and social structures. Dr. Callesano collaborates on Project 16 of the Asociación de Lingüística y Filología de América Latina, addressing linguistic aspects of Latin American diaspora communities. His work bridges traditional sociolinguistic inquiry with modern digital practices, analyzing how social media shapes perceptions of language use among Latinx populations. Recent research highlights include studies on code-switching in Miami's linguistic landscape, dialect perception, and the role of media in mediating language attitudes. His publications span peer-reviewed articles and book reviews, emphasizing empirical rigor and interdisciplinary connections between language, culture, and society.
Rachel Arnett is an Assistant Professor of Management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in diversity, identity, inclusion, intergroup relations, and intersectionality within the Organizational Behavior subgroup. She received her Ph.D. from Harvard University's interdisciplinary Organizational Behavior program and holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. Education: Ph.D., Harvard University (Organizational Behavior) B.A., University of Pennsylvania Her research explores pathways to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) through identity-based interactions, including: Identity expression and concealment in workplace relationships Intergroup dynamics and social change Allyship behaviors and bias confrontation Intersectional influences of gender, race, and social class on leadership Psychological safety in DEI advancement Recent publications analyze cultural-identity expression as inclusion mechanisms, bias confrontation strategies, and longitudinal impacts of identity management. Her work combines lab experiments, surveys, and qualitative methods in collaboration with DEI-focused organizations. Key awards include the 2023-2024 Claude Marion Faculty Scholar designation, 2022 Poets & Quants Best 40-Under-40 MBA Professors, and four consecutive Wharton Teaching Excellence Awards (2018-2021).
Emma Trentman is an Associate Professor of Arabic at the University of New Mexico (UNM) and Director of the Language Learning Center. Her research focuses on Applied Linguistics, particularly on language learning during study abroad programs, virtual exchange, and the impact of language ideologies on multilingual approaches. Research Interests: Multilingualism, Language Ideologies, Study Abroad Programs, Intercultural Communication, Arabic Language Education, and Curriculum Development. Key Publications: Co-editor of Language Learning in Study Abroad: The Multilingual Turn (2021), with works featured in The Modern Language Journal , Foreign Language Annals , and Critical Multilingualism Studies . Teaching: Offers Arabic language courses and the Languages Capstone class, integrating critical perspectives into language pedagogy. Editorial Work: Co-editor for Critical Multilingualism Studies Journal , advocating for plurilingual practices in education. Publications: Explores topics such as translanguaging, sociolinguistic competence, and decolonizing language learning frameworks across diverse contexts (Egypt, Tanzania, China). Advocacy: Engages in critical discussions on equity, identity, and sociocultural dimensions in language education.
Hans Beck serves as Professor of Greek History at the University of Münster (Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität) since 2018, with an additional appointment as Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Arts at McGill University. His academic career includes previous positions as Professor of Ancient History and Director of Classical Studies at McGill University (2005-2018), Heisenberg Fellow at Goethe-Universität Frankfurt (2004-2005), and Research Assistant at the University of Cologne (1997-2004). Beck earned his academic training through doctoral studies at the Universities of Erlangen, Canterbury, and Cambridge (1989-1996), followed by a fellowship at the Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington, DC (2001-2002). His educational background reflects a strong international foundation in classical studies. His research spans multiple interconnected fields within ancient history, with particular emphasis on the history and culture of ancient Greece, historical geography of Greece, environmental studies of the ancient Greek world, political culture of the Roman Republic, and ancient historiography. Beck's work consistently explores themes of localism, federalism, and political structures across ancient societies, with notable contributions to understanding Greek city-states, regional identities, and comparative political systems. His approach often bridges geographical, historical, and cultural perspectives to examine how ancient communities organized themselves politically and maintained regional identities within larger frameworks. Analyzing his recent publications reveals a sustained focus on local political structures within broader contexts, particularly examining how Greek city-states maintained autonomy while participating in federal leagues. His work increasingly incorporates comparative approaches, connecting Greek political structures with those of Rome and even ancient China, reflecting his editorial work on cross-cultural studies. Beck demonstrates particular expertise in analyzing how physical landscapes shaped political organization and how religious practices reinforced regional identities. Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2018) Anneliese Maier Research Award from Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (2014) Heisenberg Fellowship from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (2004) Doctoral scholarship from German Academic Exchange Service (1995) Doctoral scholarship from Hanns Seidel Foundation (1994) Beck has supervised numerous doctoral students including Jordan Christopher (2022), Chandra Giroux (2021), Wentian Fu (2020), Rebecca Robinson (2017), Alex McAuley (2015), and François Gauthier (2015), covering diverse topics from ancient Qin and Macedon to cult practices in ancient empires. His academic leadership extends to directing research projects B3-49 'Belonging in/to Lakonia' and B3-40 'Localism and Religion in Ancient Greece' within the Excellence Cluster focusing on 'Religious Diversity and Legal-Political Unity.' As head of the project 'Belonging in/to Lakonia' and 'Localism and Religion in Ancient Greece,' Beck leads interdisciplinary research teams examining archaeological and historical evidence from the Sanctuary of Apollo at Amyklai and its surroundings. His work integrates textual analysis with material culture studies, creating comprehensive approaches to understanding ancient regional identities and religious practices. Beck's leadership in these projects demonstrates his commitment to bridging traditional disciplinary boundaries in classical studies.
Catherine Lai is a Reader (~Associate Professor) in the Department of Linguistics and English Language at the University of Edinburgh, with strong affiliations to the Centre for Speech Technology Research (CSTR) and the Institute for Language, Cognition and Computation (ILCC) in the School of Informatics. She is based in the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences and is actively involved in research, teaching, and academic service. Department: Department of Linguistics and English Language School: School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences Research Institutes: Centre for Speech Technology Research, Institute for Language, Cognition and Computation Email: C.Lai@ed.ac.uk Her research centers on the role of prosody—non-lexical aspects of speech—in spoken communication. She investigates how prosody contributes to discourse structure, information structure, and affect in dialogue, using interdisciplinary methods from linguistics and machine learning. Her work bridges theoretical linguistics and practical speech technology, aiming to improve spoken language understanding and synthesis systems. She is particularly interested in how prosody shapes listener expectations and how affect and topic are expressed and perceived in conversation. Her recent publications reflect a strong focus on self-supervised learning in speech models, emotion recognition, ASR error correction using large language models, cognitive state classification, and ethical considerations in language technology. She explores topics such as the uncanny valley in synthetic speech, gender expression through voice, and community-centered development of language technologies. Prize from Scopus Profile Catherine Lai has supervised several PhD students, including Leimin Tian and Yuanchao Li, and has been involved in significant research projects, such as a Toyota-funded initiative on spoken dialogue for robot companions. She has secured multiple grants and leads a research agenda that integrates theoretical inquiry with real-world applications in assistive technologies and social science. Her academic service includes organizing major conferences like Interspeech and UK and Ireland Speech. She is a key member of research teams at CSTR and ILCC, collaborating across disciplines to advance the understanding of spoken communication and the development of robust, ethical speech technologies.
Associate Professor Kiat Boon, Daniel SENG is a leading academic at the National University of Singapore (NUS), specializing in technology law and infocommunications law. He currently serves as Director of the LLM (Intellectual Property & Technology Law) program and IT Coordinator. Previously, he held roles as Director of Research at the Singapore Academy of Law (2001–2003), partner and head of technology practice at Rajah & Tann, and non-residential fellow at Stanford Law School’s Center for Legal Informatics (CodeX). His education includes a JSD and JSM from Stanford University, BCL (Oxford, Rupert Cross Prize recipient, 1994), and LLB (NUS with first-class honors). His research employs machine learning, NLP, and big data to analyze digital law challenges, particularly in copyright takedown notices and AI governance. Research interests span information technology law, empirical legal studies, quantitative research, and AI’s intersection with legal reasoning. He contributes to global legal reform via advisory roles at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), focusing on copyright exceptions, music licensing, and intermediary liability. Key awards include the 1994 Rupert Cross Prize. His work bridges law and technology through publications on digital evidence, metaverse legal frameworks, and AI’s impact on private law. He is actively involved in shaping Singapore’s legal infrastructure through government committees and academic initiatives.
Nasir Memon is a Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the New York University Tandon School of Engineering and concurrently serves as the Dean of Engineering at NYU Shanghai. He has been a faculty member at NYU Tandon since September 1998. Memon is a co-founder of NYU's Center for Cyber Security (CCS) and NYU Abu Dhabi, and the founder of key initiatives such as the OSIRIS Lab, CyberSecurity Awareness Week (CSAW), the NYU Tandon Bridge program, and the Cyber Fellows program. His work focuses on advancing cybersecurity education and addressing systemic biases in AI-driven systems. Education: Ph.D., Computer Science, University of Nebraska Master of Science, Mathematics, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani Bachelor of Engineering, Chemical Engineering, BITS, Pilani Research Interests: Media Forensics and Authentication Biometric Security and Privacy Data Compression and Privacy-Preserving Techniques Network Security and Incident Response AI Ethics and Fairness in Machine Learning Cybersecurity Education and Workforce Development Awards and Honors: IEEE Fellow (2010) SPIE Fellow (2014) Jacobs Excellence in Education Award (2002) NSF CAREER Award (1997) Advising and Grants: Advises Ph.D. students like Anubhav Jain and Govind Mittal, and mentors Master’s students such as Rishit Dholakia. Recipient of NSF grants and funding from NYU Abu Dhabi and Indiana University Bloomington for projects like computational tools for fact-checking and AI-driven bias mitigation. Labs and Teams: Directs the OSIRIS Lab, a leading research group in cybersecurity and AI. Leads initiatives at the NYU Center for Cybersecurity (CCS) and collaborates with NYU Abu Dhabi’s Center for Cyber Security.
Genesea M. Carter serves as the Associate Director of Composition and Associate Professor in the English and University Composition Program at Colorado State University. She holds a PhD from the University of New Mexico. Her research focuses on administrative systems in higher education, including curriculum design, teacher training, and workload equity, and their impact on instructors’ well-being. She also investigates how students from diverse backgrounds navigate academia, with a focus on working-class pedagogy and identity development. Her recent co-edited collection Systems Shift: Creating and Navigating Change in Rhetoric and Composition Administration (2023) addresses institutional transformation. Earlier work includes Class in the Composition Classroom: Pedagogy and the Working Class (2017), exploring socioeconomic diversity in education. Her articles span topics like digital literacy, interdisciplinary pedagogy, and critical theory in composition studies. Dr. Carter’s scholarship emphasizes equity, intersectionality, and dismantling neoliberal structures in academia. She has contributed to journals such as Composition Studies , Journal of Teaching Writing , and Open Words , and her work bridges practical administration with theoretical frameworks in rhetoric and composition.
Svetlana Evdokimova is a Professor of Slavic Studies and Comparative Literature at Brown University, where she has been a faculty member since 1991. She previously taught at Yale University and holds a PhD in Slavic Languages and Literatures from Yale University and an MA in French Language and Literature from St. Petersburg University. She is a leading scholar in Russian literature of the 19th and 20th centuries, with a focus on Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and especially Chekhov. Her research explores the intersections between literature, philosophy, history, and aesthetics. She has published extensively on Russian Romanticism, the Russian intelligentsia, and the cultural significance of St. Petersburg. Her major works include Pushkin's Historical Imagination (1999) and Staging Existence: Chekhov's Tetralogy (2023), with a forthcoming monograph A Genius of Culture: The Chekhov Phenomenon . The recent publications reflect a deep engagement with Chekhov’s aesthetics, corporeality, and cultural philosophy, as well as Dostoevsky’s dialogues with Nietzsche and postmodern thought. Her work frequently examines the ethical dimensions of literature and the interplay between fiction and historical consciousness. Choice Outstanding Academic Title (2004) for Alexander Pushkin's Little Tragedies: The Poetics of Brevity NEH Research Fellowship (1995–1996) IREX Research Fellowship (1995) The Bogliasco Foundation Residency Fellowship (2018) Paul C. Gignilliat Fellowship, Yale University (1988–1989) Council on Russian and East European Studies Summer Fellowship, Yale University (1985) She has advised numerous graduate students and has secured competitive research grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, IREX, and Brown University. She is actively involved in scholarly communities, including the Modern Language Association, AATSEEL, and author-specific societies such as the North American Chekhov Society and the North American Dostoevsky Society. She teaches courses on Russian Romanticism, major novelists, theater, and cultural history.
José Eduardo Villalobos Graillet is an Assistant Professor of Spanish at Idaho State University , specializing in Modern Peninsular Literature and Culture with a focus on visual culture (film and television) . He previously held a position as Spanish Instructor at Wilfrid Laurier University in the Department of Languages and Literatures. Research Areas : Spanish Film Studies, Spanish Medieval Literature, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language, Visual Culture, and Critical Pedagogy. His scholarly work examines film and television adaptations of 'La Celestina' , analyzing censorship dynamics across Francoist Spain, the Democratic Transition, and contemporary Spain. He also contributes to Spanish pedagogy , developing technological tools like Lang-8 for written expression and culturally immersive teaching units on topics such as winter festivals and Caribbean music. His publications span both critical academic analysis and methodological innovations for language instruction. Key Themes in Publications : Adaptation fidelity, political censorship, intercultural pedagogy, and the role of digital platforms in language learning.
