Find Academic Supervisors

• Virtual Water Trade
• Water Resources Management
• Supply Chain Sustainability
• +5 more

Megan Konar is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses on water resources, virtual water trade, and the intersection of food systems with climate change and sustainability. She has contributed to interdisciplinary studies on groundwater depletion, supply chain resilience, and the socio-hydrological dimensions of water scarcity. Her work bridges engineering, environmental science, and policy analysis. Notable research areas include analyzing virtual water flows in global trade networks, evaluating the impacts of climate shocks on agricultural systems (e.g., in Zambia and China), and assessing resilience in US agri-food transportation infrastructure. She leads projects on food-energy-water nexus dynamics and has developed datasets mapping food flows and irrigation patterns across the United States and China. Key Awards: AGU Fellow (2024) James B. Macelwane Medal (2024) NSF CAREER Award (2019) Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize (2022) Her collaborative research extends to global partnerships, addressing water governance challenges and sustainable development goals. Recent work highlights the dual pressures of groundwater depletion and contamination in China, resilience strategies in perishable food networks, and equity considerations in wasted food models.

Marina BockView profile

Lecturer

• Numerical Modelling
• Laboratory Experiments
• Metallic Structures
• +3 more

Dr. Marina Bock is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Lecturer in Civil Engineering at Aston University's College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. She specializes in structural engineering with expertise in metallic structures, additive manufacturing, and numerical modeling. Currently accepting PhD students, her work bridges academic research and industry applications in sustainable construction. Her educational background includes: PG Cert in Building and Design and Construction Technology, University of Wolverhampton (2017-2018) PhD in Local Buckling and Web Crippling Response of Stainless Steels, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (2010-2015) MSc in Patch Loading of Hybrid Plate Girders, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (2004-2010) Dr. Bock's research integrates laboratory experiments and numerical modeling to advance metallic structural systems, with pioneering work in additive manufacturing for construction. Her investigations span stainless steel design code development, corrosion prevention in reinforced concrete using hydrogels, and cold-formed steel behavior. Recent projects focus on sustainable infrastructure solutions through novel composite materials. Analysis of her 2022-2025 publications reveals dominant themes in additive manufactured aluminum structures, cold-formed steel design methodologies, and sustainable paving materials for urban heat island mitigation. Her work consistently addresses practical engineering challenges through experimental validation and code-compliant design solutions. Scientific recognition includes: IStructE Academic Research Award Commendation (2021) for research on aluminum SHS/RHS under biaxial bending Dr. Bock has secured significant research funding including a Royal Society Research Grant (£20k, 2023) for additive manufactured Al7075 aluminum and Innovate UK funding (£437k) for UV-reflective resin-based paving. Previous internal projects (£20k) focused on structural aluminum applications. She supervises PhD research in additive manufacturing and corrosion prevention while maintaining industry collaborations. Her experimental work utilizes advanced university laboratories for structural testing, with collaborations spanning European research consortia and industrial partners. Current projects involve multi-institutional teams developing reusable structural systems and solar-energy-harvesting building envelopes.

Yulia GelView profile

Professor

• Uncertainty Quantification
• Artificial Intelligence
• Topological Data Analysis
• +6 more

Yulia Gel is a Professor in the Department of Statistics at Virginia Tech and serves as a Part-Time Program Director-Expert at the National Science Foundation (NSF). She holds a MSc (summa cum laude) and PhD in Mathematics from Saint Petersburg State University (Russia) and completed a postdoc in Statistics at the University of Washington. Her research focuses on uncertainty quantification in AI, statistical foundations of data science, spatio-temporal processes, and applications in climate science, healthcare, and blockchain analytics. She has received prestigious awards including the NSF Director’s Award (2023), ASA Distinguished Achievement Medal (2018), and TIES Abdel El-Shaarawi Award (2014). Gel has led grants on wildfire prediction, climate informatics, and blockchain data science. She serves on editorial boards of Statistica Sinica, Electronic Journal of Statistics, and Technometrics, and organizes workshops on AI for climate sustainability and fragile Earth systems. Her research group develops topological and geometric methods for graph neural networks, with applications to digital twins, environmental justice, and public health. Education: MSc (1997), PhD (2000) in Mathematics from Saint Petersburg State University; Postdoc in Statistics at University of Washington (2001–2003). Past roles include Professor at University of Texas at Dallas (2015–2024) and Associate Professor at University of Waterloo (2004–2014). Selected visiting positions include NASA Jet Propulsion Lab (2016–2017) and Isaac Newton Institute (2016–2017). She has pioneered statistical software packages like snowboot and funtimes for network inference and time-series analysis. Awards highlight her contributions to environmetrics and statistical methodologies. Current projects include NSF-funded research on AI-driven wildfire prediction and blockchain analytics for climate resilience. Her lab’s recent work emphasizes topological methods (e.g., zigzag persistence) for graph-based forecasting and adversarial robustness.

• Epigenetics
• MicroRNA Regulation
• Plant Stress Tolerance
• +5 more

Dr. Ramanjulu Sunkar is a Regents Professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at Oklahoma State University. He leads research on epigenetic and small RNA mechanisms in plant stress responses, focusing on gene regulation under drought, heat, and abiotic stresses. His work integrates genomic tools like ChIP, RNA sequencing, and CRISPR/Cas9 to study stress tolerance in crops. Education: B.Sc. (Sri Venkateswara University), M.Sc. and Ph.D. (Sri Krishnadevaraya University, India), followed by postdoctoral research at the Weizmann Institute (Israel), University of Bonn (Germany), and UC Riverside (USA). He joined Oklahoma State University in 2006, becoming Professor in 2016 and Regents Professor in 2024. Research Interests: Epigenetic modifications (DNA methylation, histone changes), microRNA-guided gene regulation, plant stress memory, and translational control mechanisms. His lab uses model systems like Arabidopsis, rice, and sorghum to study adaptive responses to environmental challenges. Grants: Over 15 grants, including USDA-funded projects on microRNA roles in photosynthesis, epigenetic control of drought tolerance, and systems genetics in rice. NSF-EPSCoR support for bioenergy research. Teaching: Courses include 'Plant Biochemistry,' 'Epigenetics,' and graduate supervision through research credits. Developed new courses on plant stress biology and molecular techniques. Labs/Teams: Leads a research group focused on epigenomics and RNA regulation in plants. Collaborates internationally on projects like the Arabidopsis transcriptome and stress memory mechanisms.

Gregory LawrenceView profile

Professor

• Environmental Fluid Mechanics
• Hydraulics
• Hydrodynamic Stability and Mixing
• +2 more

Gregory Lawrence is a Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Faculty of Applied Science. Since 1987, he has held a Tier I Canada Research Chair in Environmental Fluid Mechanics and focuses on the fluid dynamics of inland and coastal waters, particularly their impact on water quality, chemistry, and biology. His work addresses waste discharge minimization, lake restoration, and water system rehabilitation. He also instructs in UBC’s Master of Engineering Leadership in Integrated Water Management program. Research Interests : Environmental Fluid Mechanics, Hydraulics, Hydrodynamic Stability and Mixing, Physical Limnology, and Water Quality Management. His studies bridge fluid dynamics with environmental stewardship, emphasizing hydrodynamic processes in lakes, reservoirs, and mine pit lakes. Selected Publications highlight his expertise in stratified flows, Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities, baroclinic responses, and artificial circulation techniques. These works span journals like Limnology and Oceanography , Physical Review Fluids , and Environmental Fluid Mechanics . Scientific Awards : 2018-2020: 2nd Year Student Appreciation Award (UBC Civil Engineering Club) 2016: Visiting Research Fellow (University of Western Australia) 2013: Elected Fellow (Canadian Society for Civil Engineering) 2012: Elected Fellow (Canadian Academy of Engineering) 2011: Camille Dagenais Award (Canadian Society for Civil Engineering) 2010: Premier’s Award – Partnership Category (British Columbia) 2001: Tier I Canada Research Chair in Environmental Fluid Mechanics 2001: Journal of Environmental Engineering Editor’s Award (ASCE) Teaching : Courses include CIVL 215 Fluid Mechanics I , CIVL 541 Environmental Fluid Mechanics , and CIVL 598L Contemporary Topics in Physical Limnology . He has been recognized for teaching excellence multiple times, including the 2018-2020 Student Appreciation Award.

Roger HerbertView profile

Senior Lecturer

• Hydrology
• Hydrogeology
• Biogeochemistry
• +9 more

Roger Herbert is a Senior Lecturer in Hydrology and Associate Professor in Biogeochemistry at the Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, where he also serves as Director of the Civil Engineering program in Environmental and Water Engineering. His research is centered on biogeochemical processes in water-saturated systems, particularly focusing on denitrification in bioreactors, groundwater remediation, and contaminant transport in double porosity media. His research interests include: Denitrification in woodchip and biochar bioreactors Groundwater and mine drainage treatment Reactive transport modeling in porous media Arsenic speciation and uptake in plants Silica nanoparticle interactions in soil-plant-water systems Microbial controls on nitrogen cycling and greenhouse gas emissions His recent publications (2023–2025) demonstrate a strong focus on innovative bioremediation technologies for wastewater and mine drainage, particularly using biochar and woodchip systems. These works emphasize modeling, microbial ecology, and field-scale applications, showing a consistent trend toward sustainable and scalable solutions for water quality challenges in cold climates and industrial settings. Roger Herbert leads the EIT RawMaterials project NITREM, which aims to upscale bioreactor technology for the mining and quarrying industry. He has supervised or collaborated on numerous studies related to mine waste treatment and environmental impact mitigation. He is actively involved in collaborative research projects and has published extensively in high-impact journals such as Water Research , Journal of Environmental Quality , and Environmental Science & Technology . His work bridges experimental studies, field applications, and numerical modeling, contributing significantly to environmental engineering and hydrogeology.

• Building Physics
• Numerical Modeling
• Heat and Mass Transfer
• +6 more

Angela Sasic Kalagasidis is a Professor and Department Head at Chalmers University of Technology , leading the Building Physics research group. She serves as a board member of the Moisture Center at Lund University of Technology , contributing to interdisciplinary research in building science. Building Physics Heat and Mass Transfer Energy Efficiency Moisture Safety Indoor VOC Emissions Climate Change Adaptation Her recent publications focus on aerogel-based materials for insulation, urban heat island mitigation , and thermal energy storage systems . Key methodologies include CFD simulations , field testing , and life cycle assessment frameworks . Research trends show emphasis on: Advanced computational tools for hygrothermal analysis Integration of phase change materials in building systems Climate resilience in building envelopes Optimization of ventilation and moisture control

Chaopeng ShenView profile

Professor

• Hydrology
• Deep Learning
• Physics-Informed Machine Learning
• +9 more

Chaopeng Shen is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Pennsylvania State University. His research bridges hydrology with state-of-the-art deep learning and differentiable modeling techniques, focusing on advancing our understanding of hydrologic cycles and their interactions with ecosystems, energy, and carbon cycles. He leads the Multi-scale Hydrology, Processes and Intelligence group (MHPI) and has developed the Process-based Adaptive Watershed Simulator (PAWS) for large-scale hydrologic modeling. Shen's work emphasizes physics-informed machine learning , where deep learning components are integrated with process-based equations through differentiable modeling. This approach enables training neural networks using big data while respecting physical laws, leading to improved generalizability and robustness. His group has demonstrated advantages of differentiable models in rainfall-runoff prediction, routing, ecosystem modeling, and water quality studies. Notably, his team's deepLDB project addresses landslide prediction using AI and big datasets. Recent publications highlight his contributions to global water modeling (grid-LSTM, differentiable Muskingum-Cunge routing), extreme flood forecasting (probabilistic diffusion models), and hydrologic uncertainty quantification . Shen actively engages in interdisciplinary collaborations through the PRISM Cooperative Institute, which aims to integrate multi-domain data for systemic risk assessment. His group has advised students including Dapeng Feng, Wen-Ping Tsai, Kuai Fang, Xinye Ji, and Tasnuva Mahjabin. Shen's research is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DoE), USGS, Google.org, and the Gates Foundation. He serves as Editor for the Journal of Geophysical Research - Machine Learning & Computation and Chief Editor for Frontiers in Water: Water & AI. His open-source software tools like PAWS and deepLDB are available through dedicated project websites.

Cynthia CruickshankView profile

Professor

• Building Energy Systems
• High Performance Buildings
• Solar-Assisted Heat Pumps
• +5 more

Cynthia Cruickshank is a Full Professor in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Carleton University and currently serves as Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion within the Faculty of Engineering and Design. She holds degrees including a B.Sc. and Ph.D. from Queen's University. Her research focuses on advanced building energy systems, high-performance buildings, and sustainable construction materials. Key areas include solar-assisted heat pumps, thermal energy storage (both sensible and latent), and solar absorption cooling. She leads the Centre for Advanced Building Envelope Research (CABER), dedicated to innovative building envelope technologies. Her recent work examines telework impacts on home energy use, smart thermostat data analysis, and the integration of bio-based phase change materials in construction. Over 150 peer-reviewed articles highlight her contributions to energy efficiency, renewable energy systems, and building retrofit strategies. Prof. Cruickshank's research teams collaborate on projects such as solar-driven adsorption systems, vacuum insulation panel retrofits, and policy implications of remote work. Her labs emphasize experimental validation of novel materials and systems through guarded hot box testing, hygrothermal modeling, and in-situ evaluations.

Carol Verheecke-VaessenView profile

Senior Lecturer

• Applied Molecular Mycology
• Mycotoxin Research
• Food Safety
• +7 more

Dr Carol Verheecke-Vaessen is a Senior Lecturer in Applied Molecular Mycology at Cranfield University, affiliated with the Centre for Soil, Agrifood and Biosciences and the Applied Mycology Group under the Environment and Agrifood theme. She leads the Food Safety module in the MSc Food Systems & Management program and is the Director of the Mycotoxin Training Hub, developing industry-focused training and research initiatives globally. Education: PhD in Mycotoxin Research, Federal University of Toulouse, France (2014) Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, Cranfield University (2021) Her research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of mycotoxin production in fungi under environmental stress, particularly climate change. She develops holistic solutions from farm to fork for managing mycotoxin risks, including biocontrol agents, decision support systems, and food waste valorization. Her work spans agrifood chain contamination assessment using advanced molecular and analytical techniques. The recent publications reflect a strong trend in climate change impact on mycotoxin dynamics, real-time detection methods (e.g., CO2 monitoring, spectroscopy), biocontrol strategies in coffee and cereals, and innovative pretreatment techniques for mycotoxin analysis. Her studies often involve interdisciplinary collaborations across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Scientific Awards: Best Innovative PhD Award, Federal University of Toulouse (2015) Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) She actively supervises PhD and MSc students and has secured funding from Research England, Innovate UK, and BBSRC. She is co-leading the development of the Magan Centre of Applied Mycology and contributes to the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chain (ACES). Her research projects include Oats for the Future, NutriNuts, and Gender-equal mycotoxin training, emphasizing sustainable and equitable food systems. Laboratories and Research Teams: Applied Mycology Group, Cranfield University Mycotoxin Training Hub (Director) Magan Centre of Applied Mycology (Co-Lead) Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chain (ACES) – Active Member

Lorenzo CremaschiView profile

Associate Professor

• Energy Efficiency and Sustainability
• Scalable Energy Systems
• Heat and Mass Transfer Processes
• +6 more

Lorenzo Cremaschi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Auburn University, where he leads the High Performance Scalable Building Energy Systems and Technologies (HPS-BEST) Laboratory. His research focuses on enhancing energy efficiency in buildings and transportation systems through advanced thermal-fluid technologies. Education Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland M.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia B.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Research Focus Dr. Cremaschi's research encompasses energy efficiency, scalable energy systems, and advanced heat/mass transfer processes. His laboratory investigates refrigeration systems, low-GWP refrigerants, frost/defrost phenomena, and novel dehumidification technologies. Current projects examine electrospray-enhanced heat exchangers, two-phase flow dynamics, and spray evaporation in HVAC systems. Research Output Recent publications demonstrate strong focus on thermal-fluid phenomena in energy systems, including experimental and numerical studies of two-phase flow, refrigerant performance, frost formation dynamics, and novel dehumidification technologies. Emerging themes include electrospray applications, low-GWP refrigerants, and system optimization for sustainable HVAC. Funding and Recognition Recipient of $150,000+ grant from ASHRAE for climate lab research Laboratory Leadership The HPS-BEST Laboratory under Dr. Cremaschi's direction collaborates with national laboratories and industry partners to develop scalable energy solutions. The lab specializes in experimental analysis of heat transfer fluids, phase-change processes, and system performance optimization for refrigeration and HVAC applications.

• Ice Mechanics
• Fracture Mechanics
• Arctic Marine Technology
• +4 more

Jukka Tuhkuri is a Professor at Aalto University's Department of Energy and Mechanical Engineering, specializing in ice mechanics and arctic marine technology . He serves as Editor-in-Chief of Cold Regions Science and Technology and became an Honorary Professor at University College London (Department of Earth Sciences) in 2023. His work spans numerical simulations using the Discrete Element Method (DEM) and experimental research in the Aalto Ice and Wave Tank, with fieldwork in both Arctic and Antarctic regions. Research Focus : Understanding ice fracture mechanics, sea ice ridge formation, and ice-structure interaction processes. He investigates how global warming alters ice conditions and affects loads on ships/marine structures, addressing risks from increased Arctic shipping activity. Scientific Awards 2023 POAC Founders Lifetime Achievement Award Teacher of the Year 2003 Espoo Ambassador 2012 1996 Best Dissertation Stipend from Helsinki University of Technology Collaborative Impact : His research directly informs offshore wind engineering and Arctic risk management frameworks through publications like Challenges with sea ice action on structures for Offshore wind (2023) and A comprehensive approach to scenario-based risk management for Arctic waters (2022).

• Control Systems
• Electric Vehicles
• Hybrid Electric Vehicles
• +4 more

Nikolce Murgovski is an Assistant Professor at Chalmers University of Technology, specializing in Mechatronics . He focuses on electric and hybrid vehicle energy management , autonomous driving systems , and optimization algorithms for powertrain design. His work bridges control theory , battery technology , and transport electrification . Current projects include CHARGE (2023–2026) for charging and trip planning , and EcoPilot (2022–2026) for energy-efficient autopilot development. Collaborates with institutions like Volvo Cars , Swedish Electromobility Centre , and VINNOVA on autonomous vehicle control and thermal energy systems . His recent publications emphasize convex optimization , eco-driving strategies , and collision avoidance in complex environments. He has contributed to tools like CONES for electromobility studies and has led research on hybrid powertrains and predictive energy management .

• Remote Sensing
• Atmospheric Physics
• Meteorology
• +4 more

Alessandro Battaglia is an Associate Professor at the Department of Environmental, Land and Infrastructure Engineering (DIATI) at the Polytechnic University of Turin. He specializes in microwave remote sensing of clouds and precipitation, with expertise in Doppler radar, cloud and snow microphysics, and microwave radiometer technology. His research spans atmospheric physics, meteorology, and climate science with applications in Earth observation from space. Dr. Battaglia's research interests focus on remote sensing of atmospheric phenomena, particularly using advanced radar technologies. His work encompasses cloud microphysics, precipitation measurement, and wind observation from space. He is particularly known for his contributions to the development of spaceborne Doppler radar systems for measuring in-cloud winds, which represents a significant advancement in atmospheric observation capabilities. His research bridges engineering, physics, and meteorology to improve our understanding of Earth's atmospheric processes and climate systems. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on the WIVERN (Wind Velocity Radar Nephoscope) mission, with research spanning cloud microphysics, snowfall measurement, wind field reconstruction, and innovative radar signal processing techniques. These works highlight the interdisciplinary nature of his research, connecting atmospheric science, engineering, and computational methods to advance space-based Earth observation capabilities. NASA Group Achievement Award (2015) Fellow of the National Center for Earth Observation, UK (2014-present) Dr. Battaglia actively mentors several PhD students including Marco Coppola, Francesco Manconi, Riccardo Rabino, Susmitha Sasikumar, Aida Galfione, and Paolo Martire across Civil and Environmental Engineering and Aerospace Engineering programs. He serves as Principal Investigator for multiple research projects funded by ESA (3 projects), UK-NERC (1 project), UK-NCEO (1 project), and the US Department of Energy (1 project). His current research focuses on the WIVERN mission, EarthCARE mission, and NASA's INCUS mission, with particular emphasis on developing algorithms for spaceborne Doppler radar systems. He leads research teams working on cutting-edge remote sensing technologies for atmospheric observation, with particular focus on developing the next generation of spaceborne instruments capable of measuring in-cloud winds—a capability that has been missing from Earth observation systems until now.

• Food Engineering
• Thermal Engineering
• Biophysics
• +3 more

Thijs Defraeye is a Senior Scientist at Empa (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) and Adjunct Professor at Dalhousie University. He holds a PhD in Building Physics from KU Leuven (2011) and a Master's in Civil Engineering (2006). His work focuses on optimizing food supply chains through multiphysics simulations and digital twins, addressing challenges in refrigerated transport, postharvest quality preservation, and energy-efficient food processing. He leads the SimBioSys group, developing solutions for perishable goods logistics and electrohydrodynamic technologies. Research interests include: Biophysics of food systems Digital twin applications in agriculture Electrohydrodynamic drying Thermal management in cold chains Sustainable food technologies Recent work emphasizes reducing food loss through physics-based modeling of refrigerated containers, ventilated packaging optimization, and scalable evaporative cooling systems. His studies bridge engineering principles with biological processes, aiming to enhance global food security and environmental sustainability.