Andrew Lynch serves as Professor and Associate Dean for Program Development in the Department of Modern Languages & Literatures within the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Miami. His academic leadership extends beyond teaching responsibilities to include significant administrative contributions to program development across the institution. Lynch's research interests center on sociolinguistics with particular focus on Spanish language dynamics in Miami, heritage language socialization, bilingualism, and language ideology. His work examines how language functions within specific social contexts, especially in workplace environments where Spanish heritage speakers navigate linguistic demands. He investigates the complex interplay between language, identity, and social structures in postmodern urban settings, with special attention to the Cuban diaspora experience in South Florida. His publication record reveals consistent scholarly engagement with heritage language education, Spanish language variation, and the sociolinguistic landscape of global cities. Lynch's research demonstrates how language practices in Miami reflect broader patterns of linguistic adaptation and resistance within diasporic communities. His work often addresses the tension between linguistic heritage and social integration, examining how language ideologies shape educational practices and community identity. Lynch's scholarly contributions span multiple formats, including single-authored books, co-authored publications, handbook chapters, and journal articles in both English and Spanish. His work frequently appears in high-impact sociolinguistics and language education journals, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach that bridges theoretical linguistics with practical educational implications.
Junfu Zhang is a Professor of Economics and Department Chair at Clark University. His research focuses on applied microeconomics, particularly urban and regional economics, with an emphasis on urbanization in China, entrepreneurship, regional development, and racial housing segregation. He holds a B.A. from Renmin University of China (1993), and M.A. and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University (1999, 2001). Prior to joining Clark in 2006, he was a research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California and a Brookings Institution fellow (2000–2001). He has been an IZA Research Fellow since 2007 and served as President of the Chinese Economists Society (2019–2020). Education: B.A., International Economics, Renmin University of China, 1993 M.A., Economics, Clark University, 1997 M.A., Economics, Johns Hopkins University, 1999 Ph.D., Economics, Johns Hopkins University, 2001 Research Interests: Dr. Zhang's research explores urbanization dynamics in China, including land use policies, housing tenure systems, and economic segregation. His work also addresses entrepreneurship, high-tech industrial clusters, and the economic impacts of urbanization. Recent studies include analyses of land regulation, Super Bowl economic effects, and gender competition in labor markets. Recent Research Trends: His articles reflect a focus on China's socio-economic challenges, such as urban land policies, housing wealth effects, and regional development disparities. Collaborative projects with institutions like IZA and CES highlight interdisciplinary engagement. Awards and Affiliations: IZA Research Fellow (2007–present) Former President, Chinese Economists Society (2019–2020) Advising and Grants: No specific grant or student advising details are listed, though his research often involves collaborative teams. His work is supported by institutional affiliations and academic networks. Labs and Teams: No dedicated labs are mentioned, but his research engages interdisciplinary teams focusing on urban economics and regional policy.
Dr. Kyla Walters is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at Sonoma State University. Her research focuses on gender, labor, and education policy, particularly exploring issues of inequality in retail work, sexual harassment in industries, and resistance to charter school expansion. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Current research includes an interview-based study on beauty appraisals during pregnancy and childbirth, conducted with Sonoma State sociology students. Her work has been published in journals like Sociology of Race and Ethnicity and Hospitality & Society , as well as in the book Walking Mannequins (University of California Press, 2022). She has also contributed to policy analyses on teacher union resistance to educational reforms.
Dr. Elaine T. Jurkowski serves as Professor in Social Work at Southern Illinois University's College of Health and Human Sciences, holding multiple leadership roles including Graduate Program Director (2021-present) and Program Director for Gerontology Programs (2020-present). She maintains cross-appointments as Adjunct Professor in the School of Medicine's Family Practice Residency Program and Professor in the Department of Health Education, demonstrating her interdisciplinary impact. B.S.W. (Industrial Social Work), University of Manitoba, Canada M.S.W. (Policy and Administration), University of Manitoba, Canada Ph.D., Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago M.B.A., Southern Illinois University Carbondale (2022) Dr. Jurkowski's research program centers on health disparities, access to mental health services, aging, and disability issues, with particular focus on rural populations. Her work bridges public health, social work, and gerontology through innovative approaches to program evaluation, technology-enhanced teaching, and culture change in long-term care settings. She has developed expertise in international health planning and inter-professional collaboration across diverse cultural contexts. Her publication portfolio shows consistent thematic development across decades, with recent work focusing on medical tourism during the pandemic, rural-urban health disparities, and technology applications in gerontology education. These publications reflect her commitment to addressing healthcare access challenges for vulnerable populations through both scholarly inquiry and practical interventions. Great Cities Research Fellow in Health Provost Faculty Fellow (2018) Provost Assessment Fellow (2016) Student Hotspotting certification (2018-present) A.P.M. Assessment Academy certification (2016, 2017) Dr. Jurkowski has successfully secured over $1 million in research funding from agencies including Health Resources and Services Administration, The Hartford Foundation, and Administration on Aging. Her grant portfolio demonstrates sustained commitment to improving services for older adults and people with disabilities, particularly in rural settings. She has served as Graduate Program Director twice (2003-2014, 2021-present), mentoring numerous social work students through their academic and professional development. Her professional activities extend beyond campus through international consulting in West Africa, Hong Kong, India, China, Russia, and Egypt, and community engagement via the "Dare to Care" radio show and board service with Caring Counseling Ministries, Supporting People in Need, and UNA/USA Southern Illinois Chapter.
Adèle Garnier is an Associate Professor at the Department of Geography, Université Laval's Faculty of Forestry, Geography and Geomatics. She serves as Director of undergraduate geography programs and the certificate in sustainable tourism. Her research focuses on political geography, migration dynamics, and humanitarian governance, particularly examining refugee labor market participation, temporary migration policies, and technological impacts on immigration systems. Education : PhD in Political Science (Macquarie University/Universität Leipzig, 2012), MA in Political Science (Universität Leipzig, 2006), Diploma in Political Science (Paris, 2002) Her research integrates political geography , migration studies , and geographies of inequality , analyzing power structures in migration governance. Recent work explores Canada's digitalization of immigration, multiscalar impacts of refugee policies, and settler-colonial migration frameworks. Current research trends focus on technological governance of migration , refugee resettlement , and marketization of humanitarian services , with interdisciplinary approaches bridging political science and geography. Research Units : Graduate School of International Studies (ESEI), Immigration Research Team (ERIQA), Cultures-Arts-Societies Center (CELAT) Collaborations : Study Group on Ethnic Relations (Flers), Center for Refugee Studies (York University), Peace Research Institute Oslo She supervises graduate students in geography and co-leads multiple funded projects, including Liberating Migrant Labour (2023-2030) and digital migration governance research (2023-2028).
Dr. Juan Manuel Berbel Pineda is a full Professor at the Department of Business Organization and Marketing at Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Spain. His academic work focuses on tourism economics, sustainable tourism practices, and international business strategies, particularly within the hotel industry and textile sector. Key research areas: Tourism Economics, Sustainable Tourism, International Business Strategy Affiliated with IMEGS (Innovation and Marketing for a Sustainable Global Environment) research group Doctoral Programs: Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Family Business His research explores tourism competitiveness and internationalization patterns through empirical studies on hotel chains in Latin America, fair trade impacts in emerging economies, and post-COVID-19 rural tourism development. Analysis of 15 recent publications reveals strong emphasis on structural equation modeling, cross-cultural comparisons, and market segmentation strategies. Current academic activity includes international collaborations with institutions like Massey University, Varna University of Management, and University of Mauritius. His 2020 work on Ecuadorian chia seed exports demonstrates methodology for EU market selection using 7-dimensional indicators, while his sustainable tourism studies provide frameworks for pandemic-era tourism revival through non-overcrowding strategies.
Lisa Gilman is a Professor of Folklore and English at George Mason University, and the outgoing Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of American Folklore . Her research focuses on refugee arts initiatives, intangible cultural heritage, and the intersections of performance, gender, and politics in global contexts. She has conducted extensive fieldwork in Malawi, Turkey, France, and the U.S., emphasizing marginalized communities. Her academic journey includes a PhD in Folklore from Indiana University, followed by roles at the University of Oregon and Mzuzu University (Malawi). Key awards include the Fulbright Teaching/Research Award and Rippey Innovative Teaching Award. She produced the documentary Grounds for Resistance , exploring anti-war activism among U.S. veterans. Her current project, the Dzaleka Art Project , collaborates with refugees in Malawi to document cultural creativity and advocate for visibility. This work has been featured in the Wilson Center and Smithsonian publications. Gilman teaches courses on public humanities, ethnographic fieldwork, and digital storytelling, integrating community engagement with academic rigor. Her publications span topics from African expressive culture to UNESCO policy impacts, with notable books including My Music, My War and co-edited volumes like Africa Every Day . Grants include funding from the Woodrow Wilson Center and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Apostolos Fasianos is a Lecturer in Economics at Brunel University London, specializing in macroeconomic implications of household financial behavior. Prior roles include economist positions at the Hellenic Ministry of Finance (2017-2020) and Central Bank of Ireland (2016-2017) , with collaborative research spanning the Bank of England and Reserve Bank of New Zealand . PhD in Economics, University of Limerick MSc in Economic Development, University of Glasgow MPhil in Economics, University of Athens Research focuses on household finance , housing economics , monetary policy , and economic inequalities . Recent work explores AI-enabled technological shocks on UK labor markets via Bayesian VAR modeling and textual patent analysis. Publications span topics like wealth inequality , housing market asymmetries , and financialization trends . Selected publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches, merging macroeconomic theory with empirical analysis of crises (e.g., Covid-19 ), housing markets, and historical financial trends. Key methodologies include textual analysis , VAR modeling , and spatial econometrics . Active in policy analysis, Fasianos represented Greece in international forums such as the EPC - Ageing Working Group and OECD Working Party 1 . Current projects include a 2023-2024 BRIEF AWARDS grant on AI’s macroeconomic impacts.
Jerold S. Kayden is the Frank Backus Williams Professor of Urban Planning and Design at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. He holds affiliations with Urban Planning and directs the Master in Real Estate Program. His expertise spans land use law, public space design, climate resilience, and urban disasters. Kayden advises governments, NGOs, and developers globally, with notable work in China, Russia, and Ukraine. He is a legal scholar with Supreme Court amicus brief experience, a Guggenheim Fellow, and recipient of the Harvard GSD 'Teacher of the Year' award. Education: Bachelor's, Law, and City & Regional Planning degrees from Harvard University Research Interests: Kayden focuses on urban legal frameworks, disaster resilience, and public-private space dynamics. His work bridges law, policy, and design, addressing climate adaptation and equitable urban development. Notable books include Privately Owned Public Space: The New York City Experience and Urban Disaster Resilience . Recent Articles: His 2022 Today’s Global contribution explores cross-cultural urban governance, while 2021's America examines legal history and urban resilience. Post-pandemic urban resilience analyses and legal analyses of Midtown Manhattan’s development highlight his recent work. Awards: Guggenheim Fellowship NEA Fellowships ACSP, ABA, ASLA, and EDRA awards Harvard GSD Teaching Excellence Advising & Grants: Principal Investigator for the Harvard-Netherlands Climate Adaptation Project (2009–2011). Advises the National Trust for Historic Preservation and leads the non-profit Advocates for Privately Owned Public Space . Collaborates with World Bank, UNDP, and the Dutch Government on land use policies. Labs/Teams: Leads urban resilience initiatives at Harvard GSD, coordinating interdisciplinary teams on climate adaptation and legal frameworks.
Joanne Lee is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Italian Studies at the University of Warwick. She holds a PhD from the University of Bristol and has taught at Cardiff University and Bristol University prior to joining Warwick in 2008. Her administrative roles include Head of Italian Studies until September 2024 and Co-head of the School of Modern Languages and Cultures (SMLC) starting January 2025. BA in Italian and Language Studies (Cardiff University, 1999) MA in Literature in European Cultures (Cardiff University, 2003) PhD (University of Bristol, 2008) Her research spans travel writing , Italian emigration/immigration , post-war women writers , and Italy's colonial memory . Recent work examines decolonizing urban spaces through Igiaba Scego's works and sustainable travel in Paolo Rumiz's pedestrian journeys. She explores ethical dimensions of travel writing, including sustainability and cosmopolitan ethics, with a focus on globalization's impact on migration narratives. Selected publications include analyses of Laura Pariani's migration novels, Soviet-Italian Cold War travel discourses, and postcolonial memory in Italian literature. She has collaborated on interdisciplinary projects addressing slow travel , virtual tourism , and post-pandemic tourism patterns. Awards include Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy and Fellowship of the Warwick International Higher Education Academy.
Sergio Moreno Gil is a Professor in the Department of Economics and Business Management at Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Spain. He is affiliated with the GIR TIDES research group (Economy, Environment, Sustainability and Tourism) and the Institute of Tourism and Sustainable Economic Development. His academic work focuses on tourism economics, marketing, and sustainability within the Social and Legal Sciences branch. Dr. Moreno Gil's research interests span across multiple dimensions of contemporary tourism. His primary focus areas include sustainable tourism development, destination marketing, sharing economy platforms in tourism, and consumer behavior analysis. He has made significant contributions to understanding tourism in the Canary Islands, particularly through his work with the Canary Islands Tourism Observatory. His research integrates traditional tourism studies with emerging fields like neurotourism and biometric analysis of tourist experiences. His publication record shows a clear trend toward addressing contemporary challenges in tourism. Recent works focus on sustainability in mass tourism destinations, the impact of sharing economy platforms, gastronomic tourism marketing, and collaborative tourism networks. His research demonstrates a strong methodological diversity, employing bibliometric analysis, social network analysis, and empirical studies of tourist behavior. Dr. Moreno Gil has been actively involved in the Canary Islands Tourism Observatory, contributing to annual reports on tourism sustainability in the region. His collaborative work spans across the Ibero-American region, with numerous co-authorships reflecting international research networks in tourism studies.
Elizabeth Bernstein is a Professor of Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies and Professor of Sociology at Barnard College, Columbia University, where she has been a faculty member since September 2002. Her work bridges sociological theory with feminist analysis, focusing on the intersections of gender, sexuality, and political economy. Bernstein directs significant research initiatives including the Gender Justice and Neoliberal Transformations Working Group, a transnational collaboration among thirteen scholars examining gender justice in contemporary global contexts. She is currently developing a new book project titled "Imagining Immunity: Precarious Bodies and the Governance of Gendered Dis-ease," which explores immunological metaphors in understanding bodily risk and suffering. B.A., University of California, Berkeley M.A., University of California, Berkeley Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley Professor Bernstein's research focuses on the political economy of the body, gender, and sexuality, with particular attention to sexual commerce, sex trafficking, and neoliberal governance. Her work employs ethnographic methods to examine how intimate relations become sites of economic exchange and political regulation. She investigates how concepts of authenticity, freedom, and rights are mobilized in debates about sexual commerce and trafficking. Bernstein's scholarship critically engages with feminist theory, carceral politics, and transnational governance frameworks, challenging conventional approaches to sex work and trafficking that often reinforce punitive systems rather than advancing gender justice. Analysis of Bernstein's scholarly output reveals a consistent trajectory examining the intersections of gender, sexuality, and political economy within neoliberal frameworks. Her work demonstrates increasing attention to transnational governance mechanisms and their impact on intimate relations and bodily autonomy. A notable trend is her critical examination of how anti-trafficking campaigns often employ carceral logic that undermines feminist goals of gender justice. Her scholarship consistently challenges binary frameworks that position sex work solely as exploitation or liberation, instead analyzing the complex economic, political, and social dynamics that shape sexual commerce globally. Bernstein's research has received significant recognition through prestigious awards including: Distinguished Book Award, American Sociological Association, Sociology of Sexualities Section (2020) for "Brokered Subjects" Honorable Mention, Society for the Study of Social Problems Global Division Book Award (2019) Norbert Elias Prize, Norbert Elias Foundation (2009) Distinguished Book Award, American Sociological Association, Sex and Gender Section (2009) Her work has also been supported by major funding organizations including the Institute for Advanced Study, National Science Foundation, Social Science Research Council, AAUW, and Mellon Foundation. As a principal investigator along with Janet Jakobsen for the Gender Justice and Neoliberal Transformations Working Group, Bernstein leads a significant collaborative research initiative sponsored by the Barnard Center for Research on Women. Her grant portfolio demonstrates sustained support from major research institutions, reflecting the significance of her work in gender studies and sociology. While specific student advisees aren't listed in the available materials, her role as a full professor at Barnard College indicates extensive mentorship of undergraduate and likely graduate students in Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies and Sociology. Bernstein co-leads the Gender Justice and Neoliberal Transformations Working Group, a collaboration among thirteen scholars working transnationally on questions of gender justice. This initiative represents a significant research collective examining how neoliberal policies reshape gender relations globally. Her work with the Barnard Center for Research on Women provides institutional support for this transnational feminist research network, facilitating scholarly exchange and collaborative publication projects that advance critical perspectives on gender, sexuality, and political economy.
Clare Harris serves as Professor of Visual Anthropology and Head of the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography at the University of Oxford, concurrently holding curatorship of Asian Collections at the Pitt Rivers Museum and a Fellowship at Magdalen College. Her academic leadership spans institutional administration, museum curation, and doctoral supervision within Oxford's anthropological ecosystem. Her educational foundation includes a BA from the University of Cambridge and MA/doctorate from SOAS, University of London. Early career roles comprised Lecturer in Anthropology of Art at the University of East Anglia (1994-1998) before her Oxford appointment. Harris pioneers research at the intersection of visual anthropology, Tibetan studies, and museum decolonization. Her work critically examines Himalayan visual culture, colonial/post-colonial photography, and museum representation politics, evolving toward digital repatriation and community-centered curation. She integrates anthropological fieldwork (conducted in Tibetan diaspora communities since the 1990s) with art historical analysis and archival research. Her 13 recent publications (2004-2022) reveal a progressive trajectory from Tibetan art history toward urgent museum decolonization debates, with consistent focus on photographic practices and cross-cultural representation. Key thematic developments include the shift from historical analysis to active digital repatriation projects and increased engagement with contemporary artists. Harris's accolades include: Fellowship of the British Academy (2019) E. Gene Smith Prize for The Museum on the Roof of the World (2014) Visual Anthropology Prize for In the Image of Tibet (2000) She currently supervises five DPhil students while examining over 25 completed doctorates globally. Research funding spans British Academy personal grants, Leverhulme Trust support, and major collaborative projects including AHRC, Wenner-Gren Foundation, and EU grants—most notably the current AHRC-funded Decolonising the Museum: Digital Repatriation of the Gaidinliu Collection . At the Pitt Rivers Museum, Harris leads high-impact curatorial initiatives including the Abramović collaboration ( Gates and Portals ), Nyema Droma's Performing Tibetan Identities , and community projects like My Tibet Museum , establishing innovative frameworks for museum-public engagement.
Steven K. Feiner is a Professor of Computer Science at Columbia Engineering, where he directs the Computer Graphics and User Interfaces Lab. His career spans over 25 years of pioneering research in human-computer interaction, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR). Educational Background: PhD from Brown University (1987) Feiner's research focuses on advancing AR/VR systems, mobile and wearable computing, and information visualization. His lab has developed groundbreaking applications in tourism, journalism, medicine, and everyday computing, including the first mobile AR system using a see-through head-worn display and GPS in 1996. He has received numerous honors, including: ACM SIGCHI 2018 Lifetime Research Award IEEE ISMAR 2017 Career Impact Award IEEE VGTC 2014 Virtual Reality Career Award Shared IEEE ISMAR Impact Paper Awards (2022, 2019) ACM UIST 2010 Lasting Impact Award Feiner's work continues to shape modern AR/VR technologies and their practical implementations across diverse domains. He leads the Computer Graphics and User Interfaces Lab, which emphasizes experimental systems research and interdisciplinary collaboration.
International University of SarajevoBosnia & Herzegovina
Adi Ćorović is an Assistant Professor at the International University of Sarajevo , specializing in architectural heritage and conservation. He has served as an expert for the Commission to Preserve National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2007. His work includes coordinating the Preventive Conservation of the National Museum of BH (2019-2022) and overseeing the executive project for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sarajevo (2022-2023). Notably, he was awarded the Knight Honorship by Italy's President Sergio Mattarella in 2018 for his restoration work on the Red Cross Building. Academic Role: Assistant Professor, International University of Sarajevo Key Projects: Museum of Contemporary Art (Renzo Piano layout), National Museum of BH Conservation Awards: Knight Honorship (2018) Research focuses on architectural heritage, Ottoman hammams, modernization trends in Bosnian architecture, and preventive conservation strategies. His publications span topics from 19th-century Sarajevo Bazaar facilities to intercultural dialogue through heritage restoration. Scientific awards include Knight Honorship by President of Italy (2018)
