Brian W. Dillon is a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, directing the Computational Sentence Processing Lab. He specializes in psycholinguistics, focusing on real-time sentence processing, working memory, and cross-linguistic studies. Dillon holds a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland and a B.A. from SUNY Buffalo. Research : Investigates how cognitive resources like attention and memory influence language comprehension, with studies on languages such as English, Mandarin, Turkish, and Irish. Key projects include syntactic ambiguity resolution, neural network modeling of syntactic processing, and working memory dynamics in sentence interpretation. Recent Work : Published on eye-tracking methods, language model surprisal and garden path effects, and binding theory. Collaborates on NSF-funded projects exploring syntactic dependency formation and interference in agreement processing. Awards : Received the Distinguished Paper Award at CoNLL 2022 for contributions to syntactic surprisal modeling. Labs & Teams : Leads the Computational Sentence Processing Lab, focusing on experimental and computational methods. Current team includes PhD students like Özge Bakay and Satoru Ozaki, with alumni in academic and industry roles.
Professor Vasilis Sarafidis is a faculty member in the Department of Economics and Finance at Brunel University London, within the College of Business, Arts and Social Sciences. He holds the academic rank of Professor in Finance and is actively engaged in research, teaching, and academic leadership. His educational background includes a PhD in Econometrics from the University of Cambridge (2006), an MPhil in Economics and Econometrics from the same institution (2001), and a BA in Economics with Computing and Quantitative Methods from the University of Sussex (2000). His research is centered on the econometric analysis of panel data, with emphasis on model specification and testing, dynamic panels, common factor structures, spatial interactions and networks, multi-dimensional panels, and random coefficient models. Applications span banking and finance, crime analysis, natural resource allocation, and policy evaluation. His methodological contributions are particularly significant in models with heterogeneous effects and nonlinear error components. His recent publications (2022–2024) reveal a strong focus on advanced panel data techniques, including IV estimation of spatial dynamic panels, Granger non-causality tests, factor-augmented models, and rank conditions in CCE estimators. These works demonstrate a consistent trend toward improving inference in complex, high-dimensional panel settings with cross-sectional dependence and unobserved heterogeneity. He has served as Associate Editor for Empirical Economics since 2019 and as Guest Editor for the Journal of Econometrics and Empirical Economics . He is a member of the Scientific Committee for the International Panel Data Conference series since 2016. He has held leadership roles including Director of Education at Monash University (2017–2019) and Associate Dean for PhD Research at BI Norwegian Business School (2021–2023). His research has been supported by competitive funding, including a major Australian Research Council (ARC) grant (DP-170103135) for AUD 379,500 on micro-panel data with nonlinear error components, applied to alcohol-fueled violence and drug-related harm. He has advised major institutions such as the Productivity Commission (Australia), Essential Services Commission, NSW IPART, and water and energy regulators. He has organized major international conferences, including the 2015 AAE Conference, 2017 and 2021 International Panel Data Conferences, and is organizing the 2025 conference on 'Social and Sustainable Finance' at Brunel. He also contributes to the academic community through open-source software, having co-developed the Stata package xtivdfreg for IV estimation of panel data models with unobserved factors, available on GitHub.
Catarina Figueira is a Professor of Applied Economics and Policy at Cranfield School of Management, where she serves as Director of Education and Head of the Economics & Banking Group. She previously directed the Cranfield Executive MBA Programme and has held roles at the European Parliament's Directorate General for Research. BSc, MA, PhD in Economics/Business Her research focuses on financial modelling , institutional performance , and the effects of regulatory changes . She explores corporate governance , board diversity , and cosmopolitanism in entrepreneurship . Her work spans housing markets, including house price analysis and mortgage arrears , and she co-developed the DPS rent index for the UK. Recent publications reveal trends in monetary policy impacts , bank ownership dynamics , renewable energy diffusion , and entrepreneurial learning . She has secured academic prizes for her research but no specific awards are named. Her roles at Cranfield include academic governance and strategic leadership in education. Key collaborations include Giorgio Caselli and Joseph Nellis on banking efficiency, Nicholas Theodorakopoulos on entrepreneurship, and David Parker on ownership studies. She contributes to international conferences and advises public/private sectors.
Mark Newson is an Associate Professor at the School of English and American Studies and a lecturer in the Department of English Linguistics at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) . He is also affiliated with the Általános Irodalomtudományi Kutatócsoport (General Literary Studies Research Group), where he holds a lecturer position. His research focuses on syntax , particularly case theory , generative grammar , and optimality theory . He has extensively studied syntactic movement phenomena, case assignment in English and Hungarian, and the role of functional categories in grammatical frameworks. Key trends in his publications include analyses of DP movement , modal auxiliaries , non-finite clause structures , and syntactic dependencies . His work often bridges theoretical linguistics with empirical studies of specific languages. Mark Newson maintains active academic collaboration through conferences like the Budapest Linguistics Conference (BLINC) and has contributed to the dissemination of linguistic theory, including translations of foundational works like Chomsky's Universal Grammar into Chinese.
Dr. Qianqian Shi is a Lecturer and ARC-DECRA Fellow in the Discipline of Chemistry at the University of Newcastle's School of Environmental and Life Sciences. She holds a PhD from Monash University (2018) and has extensive postdoctoral experience in chemical engineering, leading to her DECRA Fellowship (2020-2024). Her research focuses on self-assembled plasmonic nanocrystals for applications in photocatalysis, sensing, and flexible electronics. Key projects include flexible artificial leaves for solar energy conversion, plasmonic bio-sensors, and programmable nanoassemblies. Education: PhD in Chemical Engineering, Monash University (2018) Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Monash University (2018-2020) Research Interests: Dr. Shi's work integrates nanofabrication, plasmonics, and self-assembly to design functional nanomaterials. Her lab explores flexible plasmonic systems for energy (e.g., artificial leaves), sensing (e.g., SERS-based bio-detection), and wearable electronics. Recent breakthroughs include rootless duckweed-inspired artificial leaves and hierarchically resistive skin biosensors. Awards: ARC DECRA Fellowship (2020-2024) Advising/Grants: Supervision opportunities focus on flexible plasmonics and nanoassembly projects. Current grants include ARC DP-funded research on flexible plasmonic artificial leaves and collaborative work on binary nanoassemblies with Dr. Robert Chapman. Labs/Teams: Her group at the University of Newcastle collaborates with Monash University and industry partners on plasmonic materials for next-generation energy and biomedical applications.
Marcelo Barra Ferreira is an Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of São Paulo (USP), with a tenured position. He specializes in Semantics, Pragmatics, and Computational Linguistics. His research focuses on Indo-European languages, formal semantic analysis, and computational processing of natural language. Ferreira coordinates the postgraduate program in Linguistics at USP (2022–2026) and holds a CNPq 1D Research Productivity Scholarship, recognizing his contributions to academic research. He has a PhD in Linguistics from MIT (2005), preceded by a Master’s (2000) and Bachelor’s (1997) in Linguistics from the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP). His academic trajectory includes postdoctoral fellowships at USP (2008) and the University of Maryland (2015). Ferreira’s research explores topics like temporal semantics, modality, aspect, and computational linguistics. He co-leads the Grupo de Linguística Computacional (GLIC) and has authored influential textbooks on formal semantics and computational linguistics. His publications span theoretical linguistics, computational models, and Portuguese language analysis. Key contributions include studies on imperfectivity, necessity modals in Portuguese, and the semantics of determiner phrases. His work bridges formal theory with practical applications in computational linguistics, emphasizing cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Kristina Pettersen is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Health and Nursing Science, University of Agder. She was hired in August 2023 after working at DPS Strømme, a psychiatric outpatient clinic. Her research focuses on mental health work, interdisciplinary collaboration, child and adolescent mental health, and support systems for nurses in mental health roles. Education: CBT Supervisor (2022), Cognitive Therapist (2016), Master’s in Mental Health Work (2012), Bachelor’s in Nursing (2006) Her recent publications examine interdisciplinary inclusion teams in schools, emphasizing timely interventions and collaboration between educators, healthcare professionals, and families. These works align with her broader interest in improving mental health support structures for vulnerable youth and enhancing professional practices in school health services. Prior to academia, she worked as a psychiatric nurse in Oslo (2006–2018) and as a student therapist in the St. Hanshaugen district (2018–2022), integrating clinical experience with educational frameworks.
Associate Professor Cecilia Gonzalez Tokman is an ARC Future Fellow at the School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Queensland, specializing in random dynamical systems, transfer operators, and Lyapunov exponents. She earned her PhD from the University of Maryland, College Park, following undergraduate studies at Universidad de Guanajuato/CIMAT. PhD in Mathematics, University of Maryland, College Park BSc in Mathematics, Universidad de Guanajuato/CIMAT Her research focuses on developing frameworks for transport in random dynamical systems using the Lyapunov–Oseledets spectrum. She has pioneered tools for approximating coherent structures, establishing limit laws, and optimizing mixing, with applications in data assimilation and metastable systems. Recent publications emphasize transient patterns, stability of Blaschke product cocycles, and lifespan analysis of coherent structures. Her work spans theoretical mathematics, computational dynamics, and interdisciplinary applications in physics and biology. Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA), 2016 Promoting Women Fellowship, University of Queensland ARC DP Grant (2018, 2022) as Lead CI Co-led MATRIX and BIRS-CMO workshops She supervises PhD students on topics including random dynamical systems and global stability of chaotic systems. Her service roles include the MATRIX Scientific Committee and Australian Mathematical Society council.
David Rosenthal is a Lecturer at the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences at ETH Zurich and a Partner at VISCHER, a leading Swiss commercial law firm. He specializes in data protection law, technology law, and AI governance, with extensive experience advising multinational clients on cross-border data transfers, eDiscovery, and regulatory compliance. He holds a law degree from the University of Basel and has a background in software development and legal practice. His research focuses on the intersection of technology and law, including generative AI risks, Swiss-U.S. data frameworks, and cloud computing compliance. He actively contributes to professional associations such as the German Association for Corporate Data Protection (VUD) and the Cross-border eDiscovery Privacy & Investigations Association (CeDIV). His work emphasizes practical legal solutions, including compliance tools like the GAIRA (Generative AI Risk Assessment) framework and the CCRA-FI cloud risk assessment tool for financial institutions. Notable achievements include over 50 published articles on data protection and AI law, frequent speaking engagements at legal and tech conferences, and recognition by Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 for his expertise. His advisory roles include serving as secretary to VUD and CeDIV, and board member of the Swiss Forum for Communications Law (SF-FS).
Matt Wagers is a Professor of Linguistics at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), where he serves as Faculty Director for Curriculum and Enrollment in the Division of Humanities (2025-2026). His research focuses on language processing, particularly the role of syntactic information in memory management, and spans experimental syntax, psycholinguistics, and cross-linguistic studies. He holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Maryland (2008), supervised by Colin Phillips, and a B.A. in Molecular Biology from Princeton University (2003), with Certificates in Neuroscience and Linguistics. Wagers teaches courses on psycholinguistics, experimental methods, and syntax. His work investigates how linguistic features guide memory access during sentence processing, with emphasis on interference effects, syntactic prediction, and the universality of parsing principles. Notable projects include studies on Chamorro and Tagalog syntax, Zapotec sentence processing, and the NSF-funded research on animacy and resumption. He collaborates extensively, mentoring over 30 graduate and undergraduate students, many of whom have contributed to groundbreaking studies in experimental syntax and psycholinguistics. His lab, z/lab, explores sentence processing in under-researched languages, while his Spencer Foundation-funded project examines generative AI's impact on linguistics education. Recent grants include NSF support for cross-linguistic research (2020-2024) and a UCOP MRPI Planning Grant (2025-2027) on leveraging linguistic diversity to improve AI models. Wagers has supervised numerous dissertations and theses addressing topics like subject encodings, agreement attraction, and resumptive pronouns, reflecting his commitment to bridging theoretical linguistics and empirical research.
Ole Andreassen is a Professor at the University of Oslo and Head of the Center for Precision Psychiatry at Oslo University Hospital. He is also a Senior Consultant at Nydalen DPS, Oslo University Hospital. His research focuses on the genetic, environmental, and neurobiological mechanisms underlying brain diseases, including mental and neuropsychiatric disorders, with an emphasis on personalized psychiatry and clinical trials. His educational background includes a cand.med. from the University of Bergen (1993), a PhD (1996), and postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School (1998–2000). He became a Specialist in Psychiatry in 2006. Andreassen’s research spans psychiatric genetics, neuroimaging (MRI), psychopharmacology, brain pathology, and the overlap between mental and physical health. He is a pioneer in precision psychiatry, utilizing large-scale genomic and neuroimaging data to understand disease mechanisms and develop targeted treatments. His work frequently involves polygenic risk scores, brain aging, immune system interactions in mental illness, and cross-disorder genetic analyses. His recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on integrating genetics with brain structure and function, exploring immune and metabolic links to psychiatric disorders, and developing computational tools for precision medicine. Themes include genetic overlap across disorders, sex differences, developmental trajectories, and the impact of environmental factors. Fridtjof Nansen Prize for Outstanding Research (2023) The Brain Council's Research Award (2024) University of Oslo Research Prize (2020) Elected Member, Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters (2014) Fulbright Scholarship (2011) Andreassen leads a major research center and collaborates extensively in international consortia. He has secured significant research grants and supervises a large research team, though specific student names are not listed. His work has direct implications for improving diagnosis, treatment, and prevention in psychiatry.
Oliver Rheinbach is a Professor of High-Performance Computing in Continuum Mechanics at the Institute of Numerical Mathematics and Optimization, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, TU Bergakademie Freiberg. He also serves as the Pro-Dean of the faculty and the Scientific Director of the University Computing Center (URZ). His academic affiliations reflect a deep integration of computational mathematics and high-performance computing in engineering and biomedical applications. Research Interests: His primary fields include High-Performance Computing, Numerical Mathematics, Domain Decomposition Methods, Finite Element Methods, and Fluid-Structure Interaction. His work bridges theoretical numerical analysis with practical applications in biomechanics, materials science, and exascale computing. He actively explores the co-design of algorithms and solvers for next-generation supercomputers. Research Trends from Publications: The 15 most recent articles reveal a consistent focus on scalable domain decomposition methods (e.g., BDDC, FETI-DP), particularly for nonlinear and time-dependent problems in solid and fluid mechanics. There is a strong emphasis on parallel algorithms for exascale systems, with applications in hemodynamics, glacier modeling, and cardiac simulation. Recent work integrates machine learning into inverse problems, indicating a forward-looking research direction. Scientific Awards and Recognition: h-index of 28 (Google Scholar), 16 (zbMATH) Active participation in DFG and BMBF-funded priority programs Leadership roles in major academic and computing infrastructures Advising and Grants: While no formal list of students is provided, his leadership in research projects such as SPP2311, SPP2256, and SCALEXA suggests extensive mentorship and collaboration. He has secured substantial grant funding from the DFG (e.g., EXASTEEL, Domain-Decomposition-Based FSI) and BMBF (SCALEXA, OERSax), reflecting national recognition of his research impact. Labs and Teams: As Scientific Director of the URZ, he leads the university's high-performance computing infrastructure. He is deeply involved in the Faculty’s Compute Cluster and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams in computational biomechanics and materials science. His work in the SPP2256 and SPP2311 consortia involves national and international research networks focused on variational modeling and cardiovascular simulation.
Paolo Acquaviva is a Professor at the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics at University College Dublin (UCD). He holds a Laurea in Lettere from the University of Pisa and a PhD from the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa (1993). His academic career at UCD spans from 1990 to present, with a 3-year interlude at the University of Venice. He has held roles including Lecturer (1990–1996; 1999–2004), Senior Lecturer (2005), and Professor. His research focuses on theoretical morphology, semantics, and the interfaces between syntax, morphology, and semantics, particularly regarding plurality, nominal categories, and lexical semantics. Acquaviva’s research projects include studies on the vision-language interface, the morphological structure of nouns, and the Irish verbal system. He has been awarded an IRCHSS Senior Fellowship (2004–2005) and a Humboldt Fellowship (2007–2008). His publications explore topics such as pluralia tantum, nominal reference, and the morphosemantics of number. He has coordinated numerous modules in Italian language and literature, emphasizing student-centered pedagogy. He also served as Director of the UCD Foundation for Italian Studies and held leadership roles in university committees. His academic contributions span over 129 publications, including monographs like Lexical Plurals (OUP, 2008). Recent research highlights include investigations into nominal conceptualization, visual object lexicalization, and the structural bases of gender systems. His work bridges formal linguistic theory with empirical typological analysis, particularly in Celtic and Romance languages.
Colum Yip is an Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the TESOL Certificate and Linguistics Minor at California Polytechnic State University. His roles include teaching and academic coordination in applied linguistics and second language education. He holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Washington, along with multiple master's degrees in TESOL and Linguistics, and a B.A. in English from Washington State University. Research interests focus on syntax of Chinese languages (including DP structure and relative clauses), second language acquisition, computer-assisted language learning, and Vygotskian sociocultural theory. Recent work explores accessibility in linguistics education and the ethical integration of AI tools like ChatGPT in language pedagogy. Recent publications address linguistic accessibility frameworks and machine translation usage among STEM learners. His presentations span topics like critical thinking in language education and sociocultural theory applications in applied linguistics courses. Active in professional organizations such as CALICO and the American Association of Applied Linguistics.
Jila Ghomeshi is a Professor and Associate Dean (Curriculum and Programs) in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Manitoba, holding a position in the Department of Linguistics. She holds a PhD (1996), MA (1990), and BA (1988) in Linguistics from the University of Toronto and York University, respectively. Her research focuses on syntax, morphology, and Persian linguistics, with specializations in understudied languages and constructions like pronouns, reduplication, and prescriptivism. Her work bridges theoretical linguistics and sociolinguistics, exploring topics such as morphological homophony, associative plurals, and language policy. She currently serves as President (2023–25) of the Canadian Linguistic Association. Notable awards include the 2014 National Achievement Award from the Canadian Linguistic Association. Ghomeshi’s outreach includes publications like Grammar Matters (2010) and articles addressing terminology usage in societal contexts. Her research emphasizes underrepresented linguistic phenomena, contributing to both formal syntactic theory and applied linguistics. She is not currently accepting graduate students.
