Robin Jia is an Assistant Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science at the University of Southern California (USC) , where he leads the AI, Language, Learning, Generalization, and Robustness (Allegro) Lab . His research focuses on enhancing the reliability and robustness of large language models (LLMs) through mechanistic understanding, benchmarking under distribution shifts, and neurosymbolic integration. Key affiliations include collaborations with the USC Keck School of Medicine and contributions to legal frameworks like the EU's Digital Services Act. Robin's research spans multiple domains, including: Scientific analysis of LLM capabilities in in-context learning , data memorization , and numerical reasoning Advancements in robust NLP systems , emphasizing uncertainty estimation and calibration Development of methods combining LLMs with symbolic solvers for complex reasoning tasks Interdisciplinary applications in medicine and law , such as privacy-preserving synthetic data generation and medical misconception evaluation . His recent publications (2024-2025) address Fourier-based numerical embeddings (NeurIPS), neurosymbolic planning (NAACL), and multimodal benchmarking (COLM), with a strong emphasis on privacy , fairness , and transparency . Scientific awards include the Google Research Scholar Award (2023) , SoCalNLP Symposium Best Paper Awards , and ACL/EMNLP outstanding papers . He advises PhD students like Johnny Wei and Ameya Godbole, and has secured grants from the NSF , USC-Capital One , and USC-Amazon .
Professor Simon Buckingham Shum is a leading academic in Learning Informatics at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), serving as inaugural Director of the Connected Intelligence Centre since 2014. His work bridges Human-Computer Interaction, Educational Technology, and Learning Analytics to develop AI-driven tools like OnTask that enhance student belonging through personalized feedback. Key research areas: Human-Computer Interaction, Learning Analytics, AI in Education, Collective Intelligence Recent work focuses: LLM-augmented qualitative analysis, Belonging Analytics frameworks, and ethical AI implementation in education CIC received the 2024 Vice-Chancellor’s Student Experience Award for scaling OnTask across multiple faculties. His contributions span over 30 years, including founding roles at The Open University’s Knowledge Media Institute and innovations in Open Educational Resources (OER), SocialLearn, and FutureLearn platforms. Notable awards: 2024 Student Experience Award (OnTask), Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), DEFI STRI Researcher at University of Cambridge Education: B.Sc. in Psychology (York), M.Sc. in Ergonomics (UCL), PhD in Human-Computer Interaction (York) He leads multidisciplinary collaborations with teams across Business, Law, and Education faculties, pioneering tools like Theme Explorer and Qreframer bot. His recent focus on the "metacrisis" reframes educational technology’s role in addressing global systemic challenges through transdisciplinary approaches.
Lorraine (Xiang) Li is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Computing and Information (SCI). Her research focuses on the intersection of natural language processing, commonsense reasoning, knowledge representation, and machine learning, particularly in designing probabilistic models and evaluation methods for implicit commonsense knowledge in language. Li holds a PhD from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and previously worked as a young investigator with the Mosaic team at AI2. She has an M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Chicago, where she conducted research at TTIC. Her work emphasizes advancing AI’s ability to reason contextually and generate robust, human-like understanding through probabilistic frameworks. Key research themes include bias detection in reasoning models, iterative model editing, domain adaptation with LLMs, and evaluating commonsense through probabilistic measures. Her recent publications explore challenges like confirmation bias in chain-of-thought reasoning and geographical robustness in object recognition. Li actively contributes to the NLP community, serving on program committees for ACL, EMNLP, NAACL, and ARR. Though no formal awards are listed, her prolific publication record reflects her impact in AI research. She currently leads research in procedural knowledge models (e.g., Plasma) and long-tail knowledge generation, advancing foundational AI methodologies.
Jonathan Levine is a Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, where he has been faculty since 1991. His work focuses on transportation planning, housing and equitable development, and land use and environmental planning, with a particular emphasis on shifting from mobility-based to accessibility-based planning paradigms. Levine's educational background includes: Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley M.C.P. in City and Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley M.S. in Engineering (Civil Engineering-Transportation focus) from the University of California, Berkeley B.S. in Political Economy of Natural Resources from the University of California, Berkeley His research centers on the potential and rationales for policy reform in transportation and land use. Levine argues that a shift in the transportation and land-use planning paradigm from a mobility to an accessibility basis is compelled by transportation theory and would be transformative to planning practices. His current work includes sponsored projects and the book "From Mobility to Accessibility: Transforming Urban Transportation and Land-Use Planning" (Cornell University Press, 2019), co-authored with Joe Grengs and Louis Merlin. He previously authored "Zoned Out: Regulation, Markets, and Choices in Transportation and Metropolitan Land Use" (Resources for the Future, 2006), which argued for policy reform based on expanding households' effective range of choices. Levine's recent publications demonstrate a clear trend toward accessibility-based evaluation of transportation systems and land-use planning. His articles explore topics such as comparing bus rapid transit and light rail, project-level accessibility analysis, overcoming the last-mile problem, and the effects of automated transit systems. His work consistently challenges traditional transportation planning paradigms and advocates for approaches that prioritize access to destinations rather than mere mobility. Levine's contributions to the field have been recognized with several prestigious awards: 2010 Chester Rapkin Award for best paper in the Journal of Planning Education and Research 2011 Residential Fellowship at the Rockefeller Foundation Center in Bellagio, Italy 2001 Excellence in Urban Policy Scholarship Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 1996 Best of Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning Award Levine has led significant research projects including Implementation of Accessibility-Based Evaluation for Transportation and Land-Use Planning funded by NEXTRANS, Sustainable Transportation for a 3rd Century addressing the last mile problem, and Accessibility Evaluation from Laboratory to Practice. His teaching portfolio includes Transportation and Land-Use Planning, Public Economics for Urban Planning, Research Design, and the MUP Capstone studio, where he guides students through real-world planning challenges. As a thought leader in urban planning, Levine regularly contributes to public discourse on zoning policies, housing diversity, and transportation planning. He has been featured in numerous media outlets discussing how land use policies impact sustainability, affordability, and racial justice, emphasizing that "zoning is behind all of it, and is not only the cause, but exacerbates it." His insights on the historical role of single-family zoning in perpetuating racial segregation have been particularly influential in contemporary housing policy debates.
Univ-Prof. Dr. med. Malek Bajbouj serves as Director of the Institute for Affective Neuroscience and Emotion Modulation at Charité – University Medicine Berlin's Campus Benjamin Franklin (CBF), operating within the Department of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry (CC 15). His position integrates clinical leadership with translational neuroscience research focused on severe mental illnesses. Dr. Bajbouj's research program centers on affective neuroscience and emotion dysregulation mechanisms in psychiatric disorders, particularly schizophrenia spectrum conditions and depression. He pioneers multimodal intervention approaches combining neuromodulation (tDCS), oxytocin augmentation, mindfulness therapies, and digital health tools. His work emphasizes translational biomarker development using neuroimaging, machine learning, and physiological stress parameter analysis to personalize treatment for treatment-resistant populations. Analysis of his 2023-2025 publications reveals three dominant research trajectories: (1) novel treatment combinations for negative symptoms in schizophrenia (oxytocin + mindfulness, yoga therapy); (2) real-world implementation of neuromodulation (at-home tDCS protocols, technical efficacy monitoring); and (3) global mental health responses to crises (pandemic impacts on vulnerable groups, culturally adapted refugee interventions). His methodology consistently employs rigorous randomized controlled trials with embedded biomarker studies. As director of his eponymous institute, Dr. Bajbouj leads a multidisciplinary team conducting neuroimaging studies, clinical trials, and international collaborations focused on emotion modulation pathways. The institute coordinates research across CC 15's clinical infrastructure at CBF Building V, with particular emphasis on bridging laboratory neuroscience with clinical psychiatry through the DepressionDC and OXYMIND trial frameworks.
Camille Landais is a Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where she leads the Department of Economics. She serves as Director of STICERD (Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines) and Co-Director of the LSE-Gates Hub for Equal Representation in the Economy (H.E.R.). Additionally, she is a member of the French Council of Economic Advisers (CAE). Her research expertise spans Public Finance, Labour Economics, Applied Microeconomics, and Microeconometrics, with a focus on gender inequality, taxation policies, and child penalties. Landais holds a PhD in Economics from the Paris School of Economics. Her research interests include optimizing public spending efficiency, analyzing the economic impacts of family policies, and addressing wealth inequality through tax reforms. Recent work emphasizes the 'child penalty' phenomenon, migration responses to wealth taxation, and strategies for achieving full employment. She has contributed to high-impact publications such as the Review of Economic Studies and collaborates internationally on projects like the Child Penalty Atlas. Landais teaches advanced courses in public economics and actively engages in policy advising. She directs research centers that prioritize interdisciplinary approaches to economic challenges and inequality reduction. Her work frequently involves large-scale data analysis, including banking data and microsimulation techniques, to evaluate policy outcomes. Education: PhD in Economics, Paris School of Economics Research Centers: Director of STICERD, Co-Director of H.E.R., International Inequalities Institute Associate Teaching: EC325/EC426/EC534 (Public Economics modules) Professional Roles: Member of French Council of Economic Advisers, Editor of LSE Public Policy Review
Harald Rohracher is a Professor at the Department of Theme (TEMA) , Linköping University , affiliated with the Theme Technology and Social Change (THEME) . His research focuses on sociotechnical transitions for climate-neutral cities , examining energy systems, digitalization, and governance strategies. Grants: Formas, Horizon Europe, Vinnova Labs: STRIPE (Sociotechnical Research on Infrastructures, Politics, and Environment), Biogas Solutions Research Center Students: Adam Svensson, Stella Huang, Gavin Nilsson Lewis, Giorgi Kankia Rohracher investigates how households , social movements , and policy frameworks interact in transformative processes. His recent work explores smart grid politics , decentralized energy systems , and urban food digitalization , emphasizing power dynamics and governance experiments. He leads projects on transdisciplinary education for climate governance, positive energy districts , and collective experimentation across Sweden and Spain. His scientific grants highlight institutional support for sustainability research, while his research teams bridge academic, governmental, and civil society actors.
Iris D. Tommelein serves as the Roy W. Carlson Distinguished Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of California, Berkeley's College of Engineering, where she directs the Project Production Systems Laboratory (P2SL). A globally recognized pioneer in Lean Construction, she has revolutionized architecture-engineering-construction (AEC) practices through research, industry workshops, and leadership since co-founding the Lean Construction Institute in 1997. Her educational foundation spans multiple disciplines: Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (Construction Engineering and Management), Stanford University, 1989 M.S. in Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence), Stanford University, 1989 M.S. in Civil Engineering (Construction Engineering and Management), Stanford University, 1985 B.S. (5-year degree) in Civil Engineer-Architect, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium, 1984 Professor Tommelein's research centers on transforming construction processes through Lean principles and digital innovation . Her work pioneers takt planning for workflow reliability, industrialized construction for labor and sustainability challenges, and mistakeproofing to eliminate errors. She integrates digital twins , AI , and optimization to develop practical decision-support systems for supply chains, logistics, and production management. Recent focus includes modular offsite construction and Industry 4.0 applications. Analysis of her 2023-2025 publications reveals intensifying research on takt planning maturity models and industrialized construction feasibility , with growing emphasis on mass timber automation and visual management systems. Her work consistently bridges lean theory with practical implementation across megaprojects, subcontracting networks, and heavy civil engineering. Her exceptional contributions have earned: Lean Pioneer Award (Lean Construction Institute, 2015) National Academy of Construction induction (2019) PPI Technical Achievement Award (2022) Robert B. Harris Award (University of Michigan, 2024) ASCE Construction Management Award (2024) - first woman recipient in 51 years Through the P2SL, she leads industry-collaborative research on production system design, mistakeproofing frameworks, and digital transformation. Her grant-funded projects develop assessment tools for industrialized construction adoption and takt planning methods adaptable to diverse project types. She actively mentors graduate students and drives knowledge transfer via workshops and the annual Construction Innovation Day. The Project Production Systems Laboratory (P2SL) operates as a global hub for construction innovation, partnering with owners, contractors, and suppliers to implement lean production systems. Current initiatives include developing serious games for mistakeproofing training, optimizing work density methods for heavy civil projects, and creating digital twins for real-time construction management.
Uwe Cantner is a Full Professor of Economics at Friedrich Schiller University Jena and holds a professorship at the University of Southern Denmark/Odense. He has held significant roles such as Vice President for Young Researchers and Diversity Management at FSU Jena (2014–2024), Chairman of the German Federal Government's Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation (EFI), and Spokesman of the DFG-GRK 1411 Research Training Group. His work focuses on the economics of innovation, evolutionary economics, industrial economics, productivity measurement, and public finance. Education : Dipl.oec. in Business Administration/Economics (1985) from University of Augsburg; MA in Economics (1984) from Wayne State University; Dr.oec.publ. (1990) and Dr.rer.pol.habil. (1996) from Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich. Cantner's research bridges theoretical and empirical analyses of innovation systems, technological sovereignty, and entrepreneurial ecosystems. He has contributed to debates on missions-oriented innovation policy, productivity dynamics in global value chains, and the role of institutional transparency in regional development. His recent publications analyze industrial policy frameworks (2023), digitalization challenges in European higher education (2022), and corruption-innovation linkages (2020). Articles span evolutionary economics, environmental economics, and policy analysis, with cross-cutting themes in sustainability, governance, and regional development. Cantner actively shapes academic discourse as President of the International Joseph A. Schumpeter Society (since 2015) and editorial roles in journals like the Journal of Evolutionary Economics . He has directed graduate programs and contributed to EU energy transition research through expert surveys.
Lazar Radic Boskovic is an Assistant Professor of Law at IE University (Spain), specializing in administrative law, economic regulation, and competition law. He previously served as Adjunct Professor at IE University (2022–2024) and Universidad CEU San Pablo (2023). His research focuses on competition law, digital competition regulation, and the intersection of law with political philosophy. He is affiliated with the International Center for Law & Economics as a Senior Scholar for Competition Policy. Education includes a PhD in Law from the European University Institute, an LL.M. in International and Comparative Law (EUI), an LL.M. in EU and International Law (Cum Laude, University of Amsterdam), and a double degree in Law and Political Science from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. He blogs at Truth on the Market and is active on X (@Laz_Radic). His research interests emphasize digital markets, consumer welfare standards, and the philosophical underpinnings of competition law. Recent articles analyze EU antitrust guidelines, digital regulation strategies, and critiques of antitrust consensus. He frequently engages in policy discussions through media outlets like Euractiv and The Telegraph. Professionally, he practiced competition law in top-tier firms in Spain and Serbia (BDK Advokati, Martinez-Lage, Allendesalazar & Brockelmann). His work bridges academic research, legal practice, and policy advocacy.
Mustafa Bilgic is a Professor and Chair of the Computer Science Department at Illinois Institute of Technology, where he also directs the Master of Artificial Intelligence program and the Machine Learning Laboratory. His research focuses on machine learning, active learning, explainable AI, and probabilistic graphical models, with applications in healthcare, social media analysis, and biomedical engineering. He has received funding from NSF, NIH, and Samsung, among others. Education: PhD in Computer Science, University of Maryland at College Park (2010) M.S. in Computer Science, University of Maryland at College Park (2006) B.S. in Computer Science, University of Texas at Austin (2004, with High Honors and Special Honors) Research Highlights: Dr. Bilgic's work emphasizes AI ethics, algorithm transparency, and interactive machine learning systems. Notable projects include analyzing political news engagement dynamics and developing frameworks for eliminating explanation noise in AI models. His lab explores tools like OrganoID for tracking organoid growth and IDGI for improving model interpretability. Awards: NSF CAREER Award (2014) ACM SIGKDD Best Student Paper Award (2008) Illinois Tech College of Computing Teaching Excellence Award (2021) Teaching and Leadership: Bilgic teaches advanced courses in AI, machine learning, and data mining. He leads initiatives to bridge AI theory and practical applications, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration. His administrative roles include overseeing the AI master’s program and fostering innovation in computing education.
Dr Dimitrios Tsarapatsanis is a Senior Lecturer at York Law School, University of York. Previously, he served as a Lecturer in Law at the University of Sheffield. He holds an LLB from the University of Athens, an LLM in EU and International Law, and a PhD from Université Paris X-Nanterre. His research focuses on legal theory, human rights, AI ethics, and European law. Education: LLB, University of Athens LLM in EU and International Law, University of Athens DEA in Legal Theory, Université Paris X-Nanterre PhD (summa cum laude), Université Paris X-Nanterre Research Interests: Legal realism, administrative law, judicial decision-making, AI ethics in law, human rights jurisprudence, and bioethical legal issues. His work bridges theoretical jurisprudence with practical legal challenges, particularly in European contexts. Recent work explores the application of natural language processing to predict judicial outcomes and the ethical implications of AI in legal systems. He has also contributed to debates on the European Court of Human Rights' strategies and the legal status of prenatal life. Recipient of the Paul Ricoeur Prize (2009) for his doctoral thesis on prenatal legal personhood. Collaborations: Active in interdisciplinary projects, including the 'AI Law and Ethics: The Challenge of AI Wrongdoing' initiative. His research often intersects with political theory and institutional analysis. Professional Contributions: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2018). Previously practiced law in Greece, focusing on EU law and human rights cases.
Cuiyun Gao is a Full Professor and PhD Supervisor at the School of Computer Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen. She has established herself as a prominent researcher in the intersection of artificial intelligence and software engineering. Her educational background includes a PhD from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (completed in 2018), followed by postdoctoral work at CUHK and a Research Fellowship at Nanyang Technological University. She also had a visiting period at University College London supervised by Prof. Mark Harman and Prof. Federica Sarro. Dr. Gao's research primarily focuses on Software Repository Mining, Natural Language Processing, Code Analysis, Large Language Models, Source Code Understanding, User Review Analysis, Vulnerability Detection, and Mobile Advertising Analysis . Her work bridges the gap between traditional software engineering practices and modern AI techniques, particularly in the context of code intelligence and software maintenance. Her recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate a strong emphasis on Large Language Models for code-related tasks, including code generation, optimization, vulnerability detection, and software engineering applications. Her research shows a clear trend toward addressing practical challenges in integrating LLMs into the software development lifecycle while maintaining code quality and security. Scientific Awards: Distinguished Paper Award at ASE 2023 Best Paper Award of the Track at ICSE 2024 Distinguished Paper Award at ICSE 2024 Dr. Gao actively supervises multiple PhD and Master's students, contributing to the next generation of software engineering researchers. She has served on numerous conference committees including FSE, ISSTA, ICSE, ASE, and SANER. Her research has received significant attention in the software engineering community, with multiple papers published in top-tier venues like FSE, ICSE, ASE, and TSE. Her lab appears to be actively engaged in both theoretical research and practical applications, particularly in the context of WeChat and other industry collaborations, demonstrating strong industry-academia connections.
Professor Alan Dignam is a Professor of Corporate Law at Queen Mary University of London's School of Law. He holds a BA from Trinity College Dublin and a PhD from Dublin City University. His research focuses on corporate law, corporate governance, AI’s impact on corporations, and human rights in corporate contexts. He has authored/co-authored seminal works like Company Law (OUP, 2019) and The Globalization of Corporate Governance (Ashgate, 2009). He received the Fredrick I Medal (1999) and was appointed Honorary KC (2020). Key roles include visiting fellowships at the University of Melbourne and Sydney, editorial roles for Gore Brown on Companies , and advisory work with Amnesty International’s Business Group. He pioneered the 'Human Rights! Bloody Human Rights!' theatre project to highlight corporate accountability. Current research explores corporate disregard (veil piercing) across centuries and AI’s legal implications. Grants include a Wellcome Trust-funded network on AI in corporations. He supervises postgraduate research in company law and corporate governance. Notable projects include empirical studies on judicial rationales in corporate law cases and transnational corporate governance trajectories. His work bridges legal theory, empirical analysis, and public engagement.
Professor Joseph Wood is a Professor of Visual Analytics at City St George's, University of London, where he serves as a founding member of the giCentre. His academic career spans over three decades, with continuous contributions to Geographic Information Science and visualization since 1990. He previously served as Head of Department for Computer Science at City University between 2014 and 2017. Professor Wood's educational background includes a PhD in Geographical Information Science from the University of Leicester (1996), an MSc in the same field from the University of Leicester (1990), and a BSc in Physical Geography & Geology from the University of Sheffield (1989). His academic progression shows steady advancement from Research Scholar at the University of Leicester (1990-1992) through various lecturer and senior positions to his current professorship. His research interests center on visual analytics and data visualization, with particular expertise in geographic information science and terrain analysis. Professor Wood has developed innovative methods bridging GI Science, Data Visualization, and education domains. His specific interests include narrative of visual analytic design, computational thinking in pedagogy, and novel visualization design for geographic data. His work demonstrates a consistent focus on making complex spatial data understandable through innovative visualization techniques. Analysis of Professor Wood's recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on practical applications of visualization techniques across diverse domains including transportation, epidemiology, sports analytics, and historical migration patterns. His work shows an evolution from foundational geographic information science toward broader applications in visual analytics, with increasing focus on narrative structures, responsive design, and accessibility considerations in visualization. The interdisciplinary nature of his research is evident in collaborations spanning computer science, geography, urban planning, and public health domains. Professor Wood has been actively involved in the academic community, serving on organizing and program committees for major international conferences including IEEE Infovis and VAST, Eurovis, GIScience, Spatial Accuracy, and Geomorphometry. His contributions to the field have been recognized through invitations to deliver keynote talks at prestigious venues ranging from GeoComputation to TEDx, where he presented on topics such as visualizing movement behavior of cyclists. As an advisor, Professor Wood has supervised numerous PhD and Master's students, with current supervision of Julia Crossley (Student conceptualisation of abstraction in computer science) and Jude Nzemeke (Understanding student misconception in recursive algorithmic thinking). His extensive supervision history includes completed PhDs on topics ranging from cycling behavior to spatio-social relations in photographic archives. His academic leadership extends to software development, with contributions to tools like litvis, elm-vega/el-vegalite, giCentre Utils, handy, and LandSerf GIS. Professor Wood is an active member of professional organizations including IEEE (2007-present), Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) (2007-present), and Association of Geographic Information (AGI) (1997-present), demonstrating his commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration across computer science and geographic information domains.
