Find Academic Supervisors

Alan YuilleView profile

Professor

• Computer Vision
• Computational Cognitive Science
• Machine Learning
• +7 more

Alan Yuille is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Cognitive Science and Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University, directing the Computational Cognition, Vision, and Learning (CCVL) research group. He is affiliated with the Center for Brains, Minds and Machines and the NSF Expeditions-in-Computing project Visual Cortex on Silicon. BA in mathematics (University of Cambridge, 1976) PhD in theoretical physics (University of Cambridge, 1981) Former academic roles: MIT/Harvard AI Lab (1982-1996), UCLA Statistics (2002-2016) His research spans computational models of vision/cognition, medical image analysis, and AI systems. Current work focuses on probabilistic models for object/image understanding, compositional hierarchical algorithms, and machine learning applications to fMRI/medical imaging. CCVL group develops mathematical frameworks for computer vision systems with applications to healthcare and visual perception. Recent publications (2025) show strong emphasis on medical imaging innovations (tumor segmentation, CT reconstruction), generative AI (diffusion models, 3D scene understanding), and multimodal reasoning systems. Key projects include PanTS dataset creation and Spatial457 benchmark development. Bloomberg Distinguished Professor (2016-present) Former students include Long Zhu (UCLA/Stanford postdoc), Ariana Anderson (UCLA postdoc), and Songfeng Zheng (Missouri State faculty). Current advisees at JHU include Roozbeh Mottagh (Computer Science) and Xiaobai Liu (Statistics). Collaborators span institutions like MIT, UCLA, and Caltech.

Xavier Rubio-CampilloView profile

Researcher

• Digital Humanities
• Game Studies
• Educational Technology
• +3 more

Dr. Xavier Rubio-Campillo serves as a Ramón y Cajal Researcher in Digital Humanities and Applied Didactics at the Universitat de Barcelona. He earned a Computer Science Engineering degree from Universitat Pompeu Fabra (2003) and a PhD in Social Sciences Didactics and Heritage from Universitat de Barcelona (2009). 2009-2016: Led Digital Humanities research group at Barcelona Supercomputing Centre 2016-2020: Taught Computational Archaeology at University of Edinburgh 2020-present: Ramón y Cajal Researcher at Universitat de Barcelona His transdisciplinary work bridges Computer Science and Humanities through: Board game economic simulations analysis Digital heritage preservation Game-based learning methodologies Computational modeling of cultural systems Historical epistemology in gaming Critical examination of colonial narratives in modern games Recent publications examine how board games like Monopoly and Catan: Reflect capitalist dynamics vs. market-based systems Teach negotiation and strategic planning Transform educational approaches through play Model real-world economic challenges Evolve game design principles over time Balance chance vs. skill mechanisms As director of the DIDPATRI research group, he explores: Digital didactics innovation Heritage interpretation through technology Interactive learning environments Game theory applications in education Critical analysis of cultural products Technology-enhanced teaching methods

Jody ShipkaView profile

Associate Professor

• Rhetoric and Composition
• Multimodal Discourse
• Digital Rhetorics
• +4 more

Jody Shipka is an Associate Professor of English at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), where she teaches in the Communication and Technology Track. Her research and teaching span multimodal discourse, digital rhetorics, play theory, materiality, and food studies, challenging conventional associations of composition with solely written texts. Her educational background includes: Ph.D. in English with a Specialization in Writing Studies, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign M.A. in English, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign B.A. in English, Loyola University, Chicago (Summa Cum Laude) Dr. Shipka’s scholarship emphasizes material practices and embodied cognition , arguing that composition encompasses aural, visual, and tangible forms beyond digital media. She examines how everyday objects—such as pinball machines, scrapbooks, and home movies—function as rhetorical artifacts that reshape understandings of archives, authorship, and human-nonhuman relationships. Her work integrates activity theory and remediation frameworks to explore how people repurpose marginalized materials for meaning-making. Recent publications reveal a trajectory toward temporal rhetoric and social justice , with increasing focus on multilingual writers, memory studies, and the agency of nonhuman actors. Her articles consistently bridge theory and practice, offering pedagogical models for multimodal assessment that prioritize material-discursive processes over technological determinism. While no formal awards are listed, her book Toward a Composition Made Whole (2011) received acclaim from scholars like Danielle Nicole DeVoss and Clay Spinuzzi for revolutionizing writing pedagogy, with College Composition and Communication noting its potential to transform writing classrooms into “some of the most exciting spaces on campus.” Dr. Shipka actively contributes to academic discourse as Special Topics Editor for Composition Forum and through editorial roles with Writing Research, Pedagogy, and Policy ; Studies in Writing and Rhetoric ; and Computers and Composition Digital Press . Her current book project, To Honor, Rival and Revise: On the Process of Composing Other People’s Lives , investigates how flea-market ephemera can reimagine archival practices and ethical relationships with historical materials.

• Game Studies
• Computer Science Education
• Video Game Ethics
• +6 more

Pawel Grabarczyk serves as Associate Professor at IT University of Copenhagen, leading the Play, Culture, and AI research group within the Games Research Group. He maintains dual affiliations with the Center for Computing Education Research and the Center for Digital Play, reflecting his interdisciplinary work spanning game studies and computing education. His research interests form a unique intersection of game studies, critical theory, and computing education. Grabarczyk applies frameworks like Actor-Network Theory (ANT) and Science & Technology Studies (STS) to analyze video game design, particularly focusing on loot boxes and gambling-like mechanics. His work on gender diversity in computing education has demonstrated that programs emphasizing people rather than technical aspects appeal more to women, with significant implications for recruitment and curriculum design. Analysis of his 41 publications reveals consistent thematic threads across his career. Early work focused on game design and critical theory, while more recent publications address sustainability in gaming through the Nordic Alliance for Sustainability in Gaming projects. His computing education research shows increasing attention to onboarding strategies for students lacking programming confidence, with practical implications for reducing dropout rates. Grabarczyk has secured substantial research funding through multiple projects, including the European Commission-funded MSG (Making Sense of Games) project (2016-2022) and the Nordic Alliance for Sustainability in Gaming series (2021-2024). His work has generated significant media attention in Denmark, with coverage on topics ranging from addressing fake news through games to improving gender balance in the IT industry. As Head of the Play, Culture, and AI research group, he directs a team examining how artificial intelligence intersects with play and cultural practices. His research bridges academic inquiry with practical applications, evidenced by collaborations with game developers and educators seeking to implement his findings on inclusive computing education and ethical game design.

• Optimization
• Statistics
• Operations Research
• +7 more

Yifan Hu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Statistics at Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ). His research focuses on optimal decision-making under uncertainty, with expertise spanning optimization, statistics, and operations research. He works on problems arising from reinforcement learning, large language models, causal inference, and operations management. Dr. Hu received his PhD in Operations Research from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2022, advised by Prof. Xin Chen and Prof. Niao He. Prior to his PhD, he earned a Bachelor of Mathematics from Nankai University. He also completed postdoctoral work with Prof. Daniel Kuhn from EPFL and Prof. Andreas Krause from ETH Zurich. Dr. Hu's research centers on developing optimization methods to solve complex problems with provable guarantees. His work addresses challenges such as nonconvexity, noisy observations due to distribution shifts, interactions between multiple decision makers, and limited data samples. He has developed approaches for structured nonconvex optimization problems that can be solved efficiently to global optimality, despite their apparent computational intractability. His research spans several key areas including global optimality in structured nonconvex optimization, large-scale causal inference, contextual bilevel optimization, and robust reinforcement learning with large language models. Dr. Hu has published numerous papers in top-tier venues including NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, AISTATS, and journals like SIAM Journal on Optimization and Operations Research. His recent work shows a strong trend toward integrating optimization theory with practical applications in machine learning, causal inference, and decision-making systems. He has made significant contributions to understanding the landscape of nonconvex optimization problems, developing efficient algorithms for causal discovery, and creating robust frameworks for reinforcement learning and language model alignment. Dr. Hu serves as an area chair for ICLR and as a reviewer for numerous statistics, optimization, and operations research journals (e.g., JASA, JMLR, OR, MS, MSOM, MP, SIAM OPT, Math OR) as well as machine learning conference proceedings (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, AISTATS, COLT). He is actively seeking motivated PhD students and research interns with backgrounds in mathematics, statistics, operations research, or computer science. Outside of academia, Dr. Hu enjoys skiing, swimming, hiking, and playing tennis.

• Pedagogy and Curriculum
• Online Learning
• Virtual Reality
• +4 more

Dr. Mark Childs is a Research Fellow at the Durham Centre for Academic Development within Durham University's Faculty of Science . His work explores the intersection of digital technologies and educational practices. Current second supervisor for PhD student A Guo (2022-present) Research Interests: Dr. Childs investigates virtual learning environments , focusing on learner experience , online collaboration , and presence in virtual worlds . His studies examine how virtual reality and 360-degree video can transform drama education, and he has developed frameworks for integrating gamification into pedagogical design. Scientific Awards: Recognized as Visiting Fellow at Edge Hill University . Key Article Trends: His recent research (2024-2020) explores immersive educational technologies , including VR and 360-degree video applications in drama pedagogy. He has developed playful learning frameworks (e.g., Pedagodzilla) and examined avatar-based identity in virtual worlds. His work also addresses digital literacy , collaborative design , and gamification across STEM and humanities disciplines. Email: mark.childs@durham.ac.uk

• Interlinguistics
• Esperanto
• Constructed Languages
• +5 more

Prof. Federico Gobbo holds the special chair of Interlinguistics and Esperanto at the University of Amsterdam's Faculty of Humanities, established through a partnership with the Universala Esperanto-Asocio. Based at the Amsterdam Center for Language and Communication (ACLC), he operates at the intersection of theoretical linguistics, language policy, and educational innovation, with a focus on constructed languages as tools for understanding linguistic diversity and social dynamics. His research centers on interlinguistics, where he examines Esperanto as a model for planned languages and their societal integration. Gobbo pioneered Adpositional Argumentation (AdArg), a framework for mapping natural argumentative discourse that bridges linguistics and computational analysis. He investigates language invention in Montessori primary education to develop metalinguistic awareness, while his work on linguistic justice explores equity in multilingual policy. His scholarship consistently connects theoretical rigor with practical applications in education and social cohesion. Analysis of his recent publications reveals three dominant trajectories: foundational work on Adpositional Argumentation advancing computational discourse analysis; empirical studies of language invention in educational settings demonstrating pedagogical innovation; and critical examinations of Esperanto's role in peace education and linguistic justice. These strands converge in his exploration of how constructed languages model solutions to real-world communication challenges, with increasing emphasis on the sociopolitical dimensions of language planning. No scientific awards were documented in the provided source materials. The available information contains no details regarding academic advising responsibilities or research grant funding, though his special chair position suggests institutional support from both the University of Amsterdam and the Universala Esperanto-Asocio. While specific laboratories are not mentioned, his affiliation with the Amsterdam Center for Language and Communication indicates participation in broader collaborative research within the Faculty of Humanities' linguistic research ecosystem.

• Cognitive Psychology
• Causal Inference
• Category Learning
• +2 more

Dr. Mark Johansen is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Psychology, Cardiff University , where he has been employed since 2004. He holds a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Science from Indiana University (2002) and a B.Sc. in Biology with Computing and Psychology from Andrews University (1994). His research focuses on category learning , causal reasoning , and the use of virtual environments to study cognitive processes. Collaborates with Marc Buehner (Cardiff) on causal learning timelines Works with Magda Osman (Queen Mary University of London) on coincidence perception His empirical work compares classification learning and feature inference to refine mathematical models of cognition. Publications span developmental psychology , AI evaluation , and virtual reality experiments , emphasizing probabilistic modeling and human-computer interaction . Teaching includes Decision Making (PS3312) and Research Design & Statistics (PS1018).

Tamirat AbegazView profile

Associate Professor

• Cybersecurity
• Digital forensics
• Threat hunting
• +7 more

Tamirat Abegaz, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the Mike Cottrell College of Business, University of North Georgia. His expertise spans cybersecurity, human-computer interaction, and affective computing. He serves as the curriculum lead for cybersecurity education and has been a lead instructor for the GenCyber summer program since 2016. Education Ph.D. in Human-Centered Computing, Clemson University, 2014 M.S. in Computer Science, North Carolina A&T University, 2010 M.S. in Computer Science, Addis Ababa University, 2005 Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Science, HilCoE College, 2002 Research Interests Dr. Abegaz's research focuses on digital forensics, threat hunting, and cybersecurity education . His work explores non-traditional user interaction methods, including multi-modal interfaces and emotional design elements. His doctoral research centered on emotional designs to improve web search experiences for older adults, examining the tradeoffs between safety, usability, and security. He also investigates biometric systems and genetic & evolutionary computation applications in computing. Publication Trends Dr. Abegaz's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on cybersecurity education and practical security applications . His work spans from theoretical research on human-computer interaction to applied cybersecurity solutions. A significant portion of his research addresses educational approaches to cybersecurity, including gamification techniques for malware training and the application of Scrum framework in cybersecurity education. His publications also cover diverse areas from database security to emotional responses in user interfaces. Scientific Awards and Certifications Best Paper Award, International Academy of Business Disciplines annual conference (2018) Nominated for Best Paper Award, Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice (2016) GIAC Certified Forensics Analyst (GCFA) GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH) Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) Security+ Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) Certified Scrum Master (SCM) Professional Activities Dr. Abegaz has developed and taught numerous courses in computer science and cybersecurity, including Software Development Security, Advanced Computer Forensics, and Cyber Capstone. Prior to joining UNG, he served in software development roles for the African Union, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, and National Bank of Ethiopia. He is an active reviewer of conference papers and journal articles in his field. Professional Engagement As the curriculum lead for cybersecurity education, Dr. Abegaz plays a key role in shaping UNG's cybersecurity programs. He has been instrumental in the GenCyber summer program since 2016, which is supported by NSA-NSF funding. His industry experience combined with academic expertise makes him a valuable resource for students pursuing careers in cybersecurity and software development.

Chi JinView profile

Assistant Professor

• Machine Learning
• Reinforcement Learning
• Nonconvex Optimization
• +3 more

Chi Jin is an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Princeton University's School of Engineering and Applied Science. His research focuses on theoretical foundations of machine learning with emphasis on reinforcement learning, nonconvex optimization, and algorithmic game theory. Educational background: Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley (2019) B.Sc. in Physics, Peking University (2012) His research addresses fundamental challenges in nonconvex optimization and minimax problems, developing provably efficient algorithms for complex learning scenarios. Key contributions include establishing theoretical guarantees for escaping saddle points, efficient Q-learning convergence, and principled approaches to out-of-distribution generalization. Recent work increasingly integrates formal methods with large language models for theorem proving and multi-agent economic simulation. Notable scientific awards: Best Paper at ICML 2018 workshop 'Exploration in RL' Sloan Research Fellowship SEAS Junior Faculty Award As an advisor, he mentors graduate students across departments including ORFE, COS, and PLI. His research group develops theoretically grounded algorithms with practical applications in secure communications, automated theorem proving, and multi-agent systems. Current projects explore the intersection of formal verification with generative AI, and principled approaches to multi-agent reinforcement learning in complex environments.

• Cultural consumption
• Social inequalities
• Digital uses
• +3 more

Samuel Coavoux is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at ENSAE and a researcher at Crest in the Computational Social Science (CSS) research group. He holds a PhD in Sociology from ENS Lyon (2016) and previously worked as a digital researcher at Orange. His research focuses on cultural consumption, social inequalities, and digital culture, employing computational methods and mixed approaches. Research interests include: Cultural consumption patterns and inequalities Digital platform usage (Twitch, YouTube, streaming services) Algorithmic recommendation systems Museum visitor behavior Video game cultures and practices Environmental impact of digital consumption His publications (2014-2025) predominantly explore digital culture, algorithmic systems, and cultural consumption, with recurring themes in computational sociology, platform studies, and cultural inequalities. Recent work examines generative AI in social research, advertising algorithms, streaming environmental impacts, and music recommendation systems. Coavoux leads the 'Records' research project with Deezer, analyzing music streaming data to study cultural inequalities and algorithmic recommendations. He teaches courses on sociology and sociology of culture at ENSAE.

Matthijs SpaanView profile

Professor

• Safe and Robust Reinforcement Learning
• Planning Under Uncertainty
• Sequential Decision Making
• +5 more

Matthijs Spaan is a Professor of Reliable AI Algorithms at Delft University of Technology , where he co-directs the Sequential Decision Making group in the Department of Intelligent Systems (EEMCS faculty). Previously, he served as an Associate Professor in the Algorithmics group at TU Delft and as a Senior Research Scientist at the Institute for Systems and Robotics, Instituto Superior Técnico (Lisbon). He holds a PhD in Computer Science (2006) and an MSc in Artificial Intelligence (2002) from the University of Amsterdam. His research focuses on safe and robust reinforcement learning , planning under uncertainty using POMDPs/Dec-POMDPs, and sequential decision-making algorithms . He has contributed to embedding epistemic uncertainty in deep reinforcement learning, safe policy improvement, and constrained decision-making frameworks for smart energy systems, robotics, and traffic optimization. His work includes 15+ key publications in top venues like AAAI, IJCAI, ICAPS, and AAMAS, spanning 2024 to 2011. He has advised four PhD students to completion and co-organized major workshops such as the Lorentz workshop on Rigorous Automated Planning (2022) and AAAI 2022 program. His professional service includes editorial roles at AI Magazine and Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research , area chair positions, and leadership in IJCAI, ICAPS, and IFAAMAS.

Erik van der SpekView profile

Assistant Professor

• Game Design
• Playful Interaction
• Augmented Reality
• +4 more

Erik van der Spek is an Assistant Professor at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Industrial Design department. He serves as the research director of the TU/e Game/Play Lab and holds leadership roles in the IFIP Technical Committee on Entertainment Computing (TC14). Research Focus: Designing games and play experiences for entertainment, learning, vitality, and empathy Leadership: Steering Committee Member of ICEC, former Program Chair of ICEC, Student Game Competition Chair for CHI Play and ICEC His work explores the intersection of playful interaction and immersive technologies, particularly AR. He investigates how fantasy elements and magic circles create cathartic mediated presence experiences and stimulate novel worldviews. Recent studies examine AR tabletop gaming perspectives, fantasy's cognitive impact, and pedagogical framework development. Key publication trends include: Augmented Reality integration in game design Fantasy's role in educational contexts Player journey analysis Cross-cultural and age-adaptive learning systems Second-person perspective mechanics Immersive educational experiences He supervises over 60 student games annually and teaches courses like 'Design for Games & Play I/II' and 'Project 2 Design'. His research has received funding from the China Scholarship Council (grant ID: 201806790091).

Dickie CoxView profile

Associate Professor

• visual communication
• play
• collaboration
• +11 more

Dickie Cox serves as Associate Professor and Graduate Director of the Master's in Communication program at Monmouth University's College of Communication. He also advises both the HawkInteractive program and eSports Club, demonstrating his commitment to integrating digital media, gaming, and interactive technologies into academic practice. M.F.A. in Design, Virginia Commonwealth University BGS in Anthropology, Religious Studies, and Filmmaking, Virginia Commonwealth University Cox's research explores the intersection of physical and digital experiences, with particular focus on visual communication, play theory, gaming, and immersive experience design. His work investigates how digital technologies facilitate the integration of multiple dimensions of media - from one-dimensional words to five-dimensional behavioral interactions - and how these intersections shape human culture and societal structures. He examines how media constructs the world we inhabit, with special attention to the democratization of media production and the emergence of the 'experience economy' where immersive installations create new forms of narrative and social connection. His scholarly work reveals consistent themes across gaming culture, immersive art installations, and interactive design. Cox analyzes how play functions as a space for experimentation beyond first impulses, examining game systems and rules not for competition but for understanding human behavior. His publications investigate everything from pandemic-era video game culture to the collaborative structures of immersive art collectives like Meow Wolf, revealing patterns in how digital-native generations approach media creation and consumption. Judith Stanley Traveling Fellowship for the Improvement of Teaching in the Humanities (2023) Summer Faculty Fellowship (2018) Inaugural Barbara E. Murphy Fellowship (2016) Best in Show Purchase Award, Double Exposure Photography Show (2006) Honorable Mention Award, Southeast Regional Fine Arts Exhibition (2006) Cox actively mentors students through HawkInteractive and the eSports Club, guiding them in developing skills at the intersection of art, design, and technology. His grant history shows consistent support for projects exploring interactive media, with fellowships enabling research into immersive installations across multiple countries. His external affiliations with the New Media Caucus, Southeastern College Art Conference, and Broadcast Education Association demonstrate his commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration. Cox's 2018 Researcher-in-Residence position with Meow Wolf Creative Studios in Santa Fe reflects his deep engagement with immersive art collectives. His creative practice spans multiple fabrication environments, including NextFab studios where he develops interactive installations combining physical computing, digital fabrication, and projection mapping. Projects like 'Hex Light Matrix' and 'Playlights' demonstrate his integration of Arduino programming, sensor technology, and traditional fabrication techniques to create experiences that bridge digital and physical realms.

Ignacio DomínguezView profile

Assistant Professor

• Human Behavior Modeling in Virtual Environments
• Game Design and Interactive Narrative
• Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
• +4 more

Ignacio Domínguez is an Assistant Professor at North Carolina State University's Department of Computer Science within the College of Engineering. He serves as Assistant Director of the Senior Design Center and specializes in human behavior modeling in virtual environments, with applications in cybersecurity, game design, and educational technology. Ph.D. in Computer Science (2018, NC State) M.S. in Computer Science (2015, NC State) B.S. in Informatics Engineering (2010, Universidad Católica Andrés Bello) His research focuses on computational modeling of human decision-making in interactive systems, with interdisciplinary applications spanning: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and User Experience Animal-Computer Interaction (Canine physiology monitoring) Software Engineering Education and Capstone Project Management Cognitive Modeling through typing and game behavior The 15 most recent publications demonstrate expertise in flipped classroom analytics, game-based security modeling, posture classification, and educational software automation. Key trends include: Integration of behavioral data with security protocols Real-time physiological monitoring for accessibility Machine learning in educational contexts Visual and cognitive factors in virtual environments Scientific recognition includes: Best Paper Honorable Mention (CHI 2016) Outstanding Teaching Assistant awards (2011-2014) Grow with Google Scholarship (2018) He has mentored 8 undergraduate and graduate students through research projects and serves as a teaching advisor for: DELTA Grant-funded initiatives Senior Design Center operations NC Collaborative training portal migration