Assoc Prof Geraldine Torrisi is the Deputy Head of School (Learning & Teaching) at the School of Information and Communication Technology at Griffith University. With a PhD in Educational Studies and degrees in Science (Physics/Mathematics) and Education, she focuses on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) , User Experience , and Learning Theory . She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Griffith Learning and Teaching Academy . Education: PhD in Educational Studies (Griffith University) Masters of Educational Studies (James Cook University) Bachelor of Education (Secondary Science and Maths) (James Cook University) Bachelor of Science (Physics/Mathematics) (James Cook University) Research Interests include Interactive Digital Media , Educational Technology , and Data Literacy . Her 2025 book chapters explore AI's role in education, while 2024-2023 articles address data literacy frameworks and hybrid teaching models. Scientific Awards include Griffith Award for Excellence in Teaching (2011) , Excellence in Teaching Award (2015) , and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2018) . She also received multiple Group Learning and Teaching Commendations (2009, 2017, 2019). Grants include The Dignity Project (2024-2025), Promoting Renewable Energy Adoption (2022-2025), and Smart Environmental Sensing (2022-2023). She supervises PhD students on topics like Human-Machine Teaming and Instructional AR Design .
Valerie Sessions serves as an Adjunct Professor of Computer Science and is concurrently employed by the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC), Atlantic as a computer scientist. Her academic appointments and defense sector work demonstrate active engagement in both higher education and applied technology fields. Her educational qualifications are: PhD in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of South Carolina MS in Computer and Information Science from the University of Charleston and the Citadel BS in Computer Science from the College of Charleston with minors in Mathematics and Physics Dr. Sessions' research spans critical computer science domains with strong defense applications. Her focus on data quality addresses reliability in information systems, while exoskeleton standards development intersects robotics and military technology. She also pioneers video management systems and video analytics , emphasizing real-time data processing for security contexts. These interests reflect practical innovation in national defense and information infrastructure. Her notable recognitions include: 40 Under 40 award by the Charleston Regional Business Journal Crow of the Year from the Palmetto Roost Chapter of the Association of Old Crows Stuart Madnick Best Paper Award at the International Conference on Information Quality (MIT) Dr. Sessions provides significant professional service through advisory roles. She contributes to the U.S. Department of Justice's Global Privacy and Information Quality Working Group (GPIQWG), serves as Board Member for Charleston Women in Tech, and acts as Educational Director for the Palmetto Roost Chapter of the Association of Old Crows. She also participates in the Program Committee for the International Conference on Information Quality and maintains membership in the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), highlighting leadership in both academic and defense communities. Her dual affiliation with academia and NIWC Atlantic positions her within defense-focused research teams addressing information warfare challenges. The Palmetto Roost Chapter involvement specifically ties her to electronic warfare and signals intelligence initiatives, leveraging her technical expertise in government contexts.
Shaileshh Bojja Venkatakrishnan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at The Ohio State University's College of Engineering. His research spans multiple domains at the intersection of networking, distributed systems, and machine learning with a particular focus on blockchain technologies and cryptocurrency networks. Educational Background: PhD in Computer Science from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), 2017 Bachelor's degree from Indian Institute of Technology Madras, 2012 Dr. Bojja Venkatakrishnan's research interests center around fundamental algorithmic questions at the networking layer of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency networks. He is particularly interested in applying machine learning techniques for developing algorithms over networks and graphs, with emphasis on 'first-principles' thinking to solve complex distributed systems problems. His work extends to scheduling algorithms for data center networks, peer-to-peer networks, and information theory. The breadth of his research is evident in his publications spanning blockchain networking, payment channel networks, decentralized applications, and machine learning applications for network optimization. Research Impact: Recipient of the Joan and Lalit Bahl fellowship at UIUC His publication record demonstrates significant contributions to the field, with papers appearing in top venues including SIGCOMM, NSDI, SIGMETRICS, and IEEE Transactions. His recent work focuses on enhancing blockchain scalability through peer sampling techniques, transaction reordering mitigation, and efficient peer-to-peer network design for decentralized applications. The trajectory of his research shows a consistent focus on addressing fundamental challenges in distributed systems with practical implications for real-world blockchain implementations and network architectures.
Sigrun Lindaas Norhagen is a PhD candidate in Professional Digital Competence (PfDK) at the University of Bergen, while serving as Head of Digitalization at NLA Kalfaret University College in Bergen. Her work focuses on digital competence, basic skills, and higher education pedagogy, with a particular emphasis on ICT integration in teaching and learning. Research Interests Digital competence frameworks for teacher education ICT-supported learning environments Development of digital pedagogical tools Ethical use of AI in education Privacy and data security in educational contexts Interactive digital learning resources Projects Diverse projects related to educational digitalization Innovative learning areas and ALC classrooms VR applications in religious education Development of multimodal learning resources Education PhD candidate in Professional Digital Competence (2021-present) Master in ICT-Supported Learning (HiOA, 2014-2016) 4-year teacher education (NLA Lærerhøgskolen, 1997-2001)
Alessandro Lameiras Koerich is a Professor in the Department of Software Engineering and IT at École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), part of the Université du Québec network in Montreal, Canada. He is affiliated with the LIVIA (Imaging, Vision and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory), where he conducts research in machine learning, computer vision, and pattern recognition. His work focuses on developing AI solutions for real-world applications in healthcare, security, and multimedia analysis. His research interests span multiple domains of artificial intelligence, with particular emphasis on multimodal machine learning, affective computing, and trusted machine learning systems. Dr. Koerich's work explores how AI can interpret human emotions through facial expressions and audio analysis, develop robust models resistant to adversarial attacks, and create efficient learning systems that can adapt to changing data streams. His research bridges theoretical advances with practical applications in healthcare monitoring, security systems, and multimedia content analysis. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on multimodal emotion recognition, with increasing emphasis on transformer architectures, knowledge distillation techniques, and addressing challenges in real-world settings (in-the-wild recognition). His work consistently combines computer vision with audio processing, demonstrating expertise in both visual and auditory modalities for affective computing applications. Recent trends show growing interest in large language models for audio classification and addressing challenges of concept drift in text stream mining. Dr. Koerich actively supervises numerous graduate students across various research projects, with a particular focus on multimodal expression recognition, music genre classification, and robust machine learning systems. His collaborations span multiple institutions and research groups, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of his work in artificial intelligence. He is a key member of the LIVIA laboratory, which has established ÉTS as a leading institution in computer vision research in Canada (ranked 6th according to CSRankings). The laboratory focuses on solving real-life problems through AI engineering, particularly in developing complex deep learning models with massive amounts of data that have incomplete annotations.
Professor Brenda Dvoskin serves as a faculty member at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, teaching Feminist Legal Theory and Torts while pioneering research at the intersection of sexuality, technology, and legal frameworks. Her work critically examines digital consent architectures, privacy invasions, and participatory governance models in online environments. Her academic credentials include: S.J.D. from Harvard Law School (2023) LL.M. from Harvard Law School (2018) Law degree from Torcuato Di Tella University, Argentina (2015) Dvoskin's research synthesizes feminist legal theory with digital rights advocacy, focusing on how algorithmic systems impact sexual autonomy and privacy. She investigates the structural failures in content moderation systems that perpetuate gender-based harms while developing frameworks for trauma-informed digital consent protocols. Her scholarship bridges theoretical legal analysis with practical interventions in platform governance. Analysis of her 2022-2025 publications reveals three dominant trajectories: (1) deconstruction of 'safety' narratives in Big Tech feminism, (2) forensic examination of democratic deficits in platform governance, and (3) development of counter-surveillance methodologies for sexual privacy violations. These works consistently challenge technocratic solutions while centering marginalized experiences in digital policy design.
David B. Larson is Professor of Radiology (Pediatric Radiology) at Stanford University School of Medicine and Director of the Stanford Radiology AI Development and Evaluation (AIDE) Lab. He is also Associate Chief Quality Officer for Improvement at Stanford Health Care and co-founder of the American College of Radiology's Learning Network. MD and MBA from Yale University (2002) Pediatric internship and radiology residency/fellowship at University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (2003-2008) Board-certified in Pediatric Radiology and Diagnostic Radiology His research focuses on sociotechnical healthcare systems , radiology quality improvement , and AI implementation . Key projects include optimizing CT radiation dose, developing EMM frameworks for AI monitoring, and establishing ACR accreditation standards for radiology AI. Recent publications analyze diagnostic certainty frameworks , clinical history completeness , and radiation dose harmonization . His work emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration through programs like the Radiology Improvement Summit and the Stanford Medicine Center for Improvement. He actively mentors postdoctoral researchers and leads initiatives in pediatric imaging , clinical decision support systems , and medical AI ethics . Current teaching includes graduate medical education courses in radiology and AI applications.
Professor Wei Xiong is the John H. Scully '66 Professor in Finance and Professor of Economics at Princeton University, affiliated with both the Department of Economics and the Bendheim Center for Finance. His work bridges economic theory with practical financial systems, focusing on capital market imperfections and behavioral finance. Research Interests : Capital market imperfections, behavioral finance, China's financial system, commodity markets, real estate economics, and data privacy. Recent Activities : Keynote speaker at the 2024 Chinese Economists Society Conference and 2023 Asian Meeting of Econometric Society on topics related to China's hybrid economy and economic challenges. Scientific Contributions : 15 most recent articles explore themes like China's growth targets, structured investor beliefs, industrial policy information discovery, and real estate market dynamics. Scientific Awards : Recipient of the Smith Breeden Prize (2012) for outstanding contributions to financial economics. His work is frequently summarized on platforms like VoxChina and VoxEU.
Carmen Jordá Sanz is a Professor and Director of the Department of Criminology and Security at Universidad Camilo José Cela (UCJC) since 2020, where she has been teaching since 2017. She also serves as Head of the Intelligence and Foresight Office at Prosegur. A distinguished expert in her field, she was named one of Spain's 40 best foresight experts by Forbes magazine. Dr. Jordá holds a PhD in Law, Government, and Public Policy from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), where she also earned dual degrees in Law and Psychology. Her research focuses on the intersection of criminology, cybersecurity, and social sciences. Key areas include organized crime, business crimes, digital evidence, biometric systems, and the societal impact of technology. She has led significant research on gender-based violence indicators through animal abuse, facial recognition technology biases, and dark web investigations. Her work demonstrates how social sciences and humanities are crucial for addressing technological challenges, as she argues in her influential article 'Fuzzys vs. Techies?' Dr. Jordá's publication record shows consistent scholarly output across criminology, cybersecurity, and social sciences. Her recent work examines cutting-edge issues like algorithmic security for peacebuilding, connected vehicle cybersecurity, and wildlife trafficking networks. She has developed a distinctive approach that bridges technical security solutions with social science perspectives, emphasizing that 'technology made by and for humans needs precisely humanity' at its center. Listed among the 40 best foresight experts in Spain by Forbes CCS-S certification from Agencia de Certificaciones de Ciberseguridad Accredited as 'Profesora Contratada Doctora' through PEP by ANECA As an active media commentator, Dr. Jordá has contributed to major publications including El País, El Economista, Forbes Colombia, and The Objective. Her expertise spans both academic research and practical security applications, with significant work for the Civil Guard's Center for Analysis and Forecasting, European Commission research projects, and Red.es (Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence). She has been instrumental in developing frameworks that integrate social science perspectives into technological security solutions, arguing that the best human firewall in cybersecurity is training and awareness developed with input from education and communication experts.
Tom DE LEYN is a Tenure Track Assistant Professor at Hasselt University's School of Social Sciences, where he contributes to the Capacity group Social Sciences and the Research group Research for Digitalisation, Diversity and Democracy. His work bridges media studies, sociology, and digital anthropology with a focus on youth experiences in technology-mediated environments. Based at Campus Hasselt in the Faculty of Law building, he actively engages in interdisciplinary research examining the societal implications of digital transformation. His research centers on Digital Media, Media and Communication, and the Sociology of Youth, with particular emphasis on Privacy and Surveillance dynamics across diverse cultural contexts. He investigates how children, adolescents, and ethno-religious minorities navigate digital spaces, parental mediation, and mobile technologies through qualitative and ethnographic approaches. Key themes include digital disconnection practices, intimate surveillance, and the socio-cultural construction of technology use, often comparing Global North and South contexts like Belgium and Liberia. Recent publications (2024-2025) reveal a cohesive trajectory examining digital harms assessment scales, children's perspectives on surveillance, and the paradoxes of digital disconnection policies. His work consistently employs innovative methodologies like the 360° interview technique while addressing critical gaps in understanding racial, gendered, and age-based digital inequalities. This scholarship demonstrates strong thematic continuity across media sociology, youth studies, and critical technology assessment. No scientific awards were mentioned in available sources. Tom DE LEYN actively contributes to academic training as a coordinating lecturer for courses including Media and Communication Studies I, Digital Media and Civil Society, and Qualitative Research Methods. He currently leads the 'Environmental analysis digital skills' research project (2025) focused on community service learning contexts, demonstrating practical engagement with digital inclusion initiatives. Within Hasselt University's research ecosystem, he operates through the Research group Research for Digitalisation, Diversity and Democracy, which examines technology's societal impacts through lenses of diversity, democratic processes, and digital transformation. This affiliation positions his work at the intersection of theoretical innovation and real-world policy relevance, particularly regarding youth digital rights and inclusive technology design.
Sahar Abdelnabi is an AI Security Researcher at Microsoft and will join the ELLIS Institute Tübingen as a Faculty/Principal Investigator. She is co-affiliated with the Max-Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and Tübingen AI Center , leading the COMPASS Research Group focused on safe, aligned, and steerable AI agents with emphasis on security, human-AI interaction, and cooperative systems. Her research spans three pillars: (1) Probing AI failures through biases, emergent risks, and misuse scenarios; (2) Developing defenses like white-box control methods and reasoning enhancements; and (3) Leveraging AI for societal good through scientific discovery. Key contributions include coining indirect prompt injection vulnerabilities (2023), pioneering generative AI watermarking (2020), and receiving the ACL2025 Best Paper Award for work on LLM sampling heuristics. PhD in Computer Science (2019-2024) from CISPA Helmholtz Center , advised by Prof. Dr. Mario Fritz MSc in Computer Science from Saarland University Research Highlights Her work bridges AI security and safety with sociopolitical implications, focusing on prompt injection , cooperative multi-agent systems , and contextual integrity . She has been recognized by policymakers and industry leaders, including NIST , OWASP , and Microsoft's AI Bug Bounty Program . Scientific Awards Best Paper Award at ACL2025 Best Paper Award at AISec'23 Workshop Spotlight Paper at NeurIPS Datasets and Benchmarks 2024 Academic Leadership She actively contributes to the AI and security communities through: Program Committee: IEEE S&P (2026) , SaTML (2024-2026), USENIX Security (2025) Organized IEEE SaTML'25 LLMail-Inject Challenge Reviewed for top conferences: ICLR , NeurIPS , CVPR
Dr. James N. Gilmore is an Associate Professor of Media and Technology Studies and Graduate Coordinator in the Department of Communication at Clemson University's College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences. He joined Clemson in 2018 after completing his PhD at Indiana University and has established himself as a leading scholar in media technology studies, with expertise in wearable technologies, datafication, and media infrastructure. Dr. Gilmore's educational background includes: Ph.D. in Communication and Culture from Indiana University (2018) M.A. in Film and Television from University of California, Los Angeles (2013) B.A. in Film and Media Studies from University of South Carolina (2011) His research focuses on the cultural politics of media and communication technologies, particularly how computational technologies convert human behavior to data (datafication). Dr. Gilmore examines how everyday devices like smartwatches, fitness trackers, and body cameras reinforce systems of normalcy, surveillance, and solutionism across health, labor, accessibility, law enforcement, and other domains. His work bridges theoretical frameworks from media studies, cultural studies, and science and technology studies to analyze the social implications of emerging technologies. Dr. Gilmore's publications demonstrate consistent engagement with emerging technologies across multiple domains. His recent work spans wearable technologies, virtual reality, AI platforms like ChatGPT, streaming services, and smart home devices, revealing patterns in how technologies mediate everyday life while raising critical questions about privacy, surveillance, accessibility, and corporate power. His scholarship consistently connects technological developments to broader social, political, and cultural contexts. Dr. Gilmore has received numerous honors and awards for his research and teaching: Top Paper Award, Popular Communication Division, Southern States Communication Association (2024) Outstanding Teaching of the Year (Junior Tenure-Track), College of Behavioral, Social, and Health Sciences (2022-2023) Outstanding research publication award for 'Securing the kids' (2022) Research Faculty Spotlight (Spring 2021) Ray Camp Award for Most Outstanding Research Paper (2018) As Graduate Coordinator, Dr. Gilmore actively mentors students, with numerous co-authored publications featuring graduate and undergraduate researchers. His students have contributed to research on AI adoption, virtual reality, wearable technologies, and platform politics. Dr. Gilmore has secured internal research funding at Clemson University, including recognition through the university's research reporting system. His book projects, including the forthcoming DeGruyter Handbook of Wearable Technologies and Society, represent significant scholarly contributions that bring together international researchers. Dr. Gilmore leads research initiatives focused on wearable technologies and media infrastructure, with his recent book 'Bringers of Order' establishing him as a leading voice in wearable technology studies. He is currently editing a comprehensive handbook that will expand this research area significantly.
Prof. Dr. Alexander Pretschner is a leading academic in software and systems engineering at the Technical University of Munich, with additional roles as Chair of the bidt Board of Directors, Member of the Executive Committee, and Chair of the Scientific Directorate at fortiss (Bavarian Research Institute for Software-Intensive Systems). His expertise spans software engineering, information security, and ethical deliberation in agile processes. Professor for Software & Systems Engineering, TUM Founding Director and Chairman of bidt Chair of Scientific Directorate at fortiss Research interests focus on software engineering with emphasis on testing and information security , alongside pioneering work in AI ethics , digital sustainability , and data privacy . Key projects include EDAP (Ethical Deliberation for Agile Processes), DetDat (Determinants of Data Disclosure), and AIffectiveness in Education. Publications and lectures address critical issues like "What makes Munich attractive for Open AI?" , "How generative AI transforms creative work" , and "Balancing benefits and risks of AI assistants in workplaces" . Collaborations include prominent researchers like Julian Nida-Rümelin and Niina Zuber.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Tim Erhan Güneysu is the head of the Chair of Security Engineering at Ruhr University Bochum and spokesperson for the Horst Görtz Institute for IT Security (HGI). He also leads the Cyber-Physical Systems department at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) in Bremen. His research spans hardware security, post-quantum cryptography, and embedded systems security. Research Interests: Güneysu focuses on hardware security, including cryptographic implementations resistant to quantum computing threats. His work addresses post-quantum cryptography standards, secure embedded systems for medical technology (PQC4Med), and dynamic hardware reconfiguration for physical security (SecRec). He emphasizes practical applications in cybersecurity and cryptographic agility. Publications: Recent articles highlight advancements in polynomial inversion masking, KEM certificate authentication protocols, and nanoelectronics security. These works align with quantum-resistant algorithms, secure communication, and hardware-software co-design for medical and embedded systems. Leadership and Contributions: Güneysu co-founded SciEngines GmbH, a company specializing in hardware for cryptanalysis. He serves as Managing Director of the Transactions on Cryptography Hardware and Embedded Systems , a leading journal in hardware security. His projects include securing medical devices against post-quantum threats and developing reconfigurable hardware for security-critical environments. Labs and Teams: He leads the Cyber-Physical Systems department at DFKI and oversees the HGI research cluster at Ruhr University, which includes Germany's only Cluster of Excellence in IT security (CASA) and collaborations with the Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy.
Benjamin M. Ellingson is Professor of Radiological Sciences, Psychiatry, and Neurosurgery at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. He directs the Brain Tumor Imaging Laboratory (BTIL) and co-directs the Center for Computer Vision and Imaging Biomarkers. His research focuses on developing advanced MRI/PET biomarkers for brain tumor diagnosis, characterization, and therapeutic response assessment. Dr. Ellingson has co-authored over 250 peer-reviewed articles and leads multiple NIH/DoD grants validating imaging in multicenter trials. Education: BS Biomedical Engineering, Milwaukee School of Engineering (2003) MS Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University (2005) PhD Functional Imaging - Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University & Medical College of Wisconsin (2008) Fellowship in Radiology/MRI Physics, Medical College of Wisconsin (2010) His research integrates quantitative imaging, artificial intelligence, and metabolic profiling to address challenges in neuro-oncology. Key interests include: Development of sodium/pH-weighted MRI for tumor acidosis mapping AI-driven super-resolution and artifact reduction techniques Diffusion/perfusion phenotyping for immunotherapy response prediction Multimodal biomarker validation in clinical trials Recent publications demonstrate a dominant focus on glioma imaging innovations, particularly: Advanced diffusion/perfusion MRI techniques for treatment response assessment Integration of AI for image synthesis and artifact correction Novel metabolic imaging approaches targeting glycolysis and pH dynamics Standardization of response criteria (RANO) for clinical trials Awards: ISMRM Young Investigator Award (2010) ACRIN Young Investigator Award (2012) Johnny Mercer Foundation Award (2013) SNO Excellence in Neuroimaging (2019) He leads major grants including: DoD CDMRP projects targeting EGFR signaling and multinuclear MRI (2021-2028) NIH R01 grants for MR-PET imaging of glioblastoma glycolysis (2023-2028) UCLA Brain Tumor SPORE Neuro-Imaging Core (2017-2027) His laboratory develops imaging protocols for national/international clinical trials and maintains industry partnerships for biomarker implementation.
