Kai-Wei Chang is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the Department of Computer Science, part of the Henry Samueli School of Engineering. He is also an Amazon Scholar at Alexa AI, focusing on advancing trustworthy AI and multimodal foundation models. His research bridges NLP, machine learning, and ethical AI, with a focus on fairness, robustness, and bias mitigation in language and vision-language systems. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science (UIUC, 2015), M.S. and B.S. in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from National Taiwan University. Research Interests: Trustworthy NLP (fairness, robustness), Multimodal Foundation Models (e.g., VisualBERT, GLIP), Reasoning in LLMs, and mitigating societal biases in AI systems. Notable contributions include pioneering work on aligning NLP models with human values and developing SOTA multimodal models like DesCo and GLIP. Awards: Sloan Research Fellowship (2021), Okawa Grant (2018), EMNLP Best Paper (2017), KDD Best Paper (2010). His work is funded by NSF, IARPA, ONR, and industry partners like Amazon, Google, and Facebook. Service: VP-Elect of SIGDAT, Ethics Committee Chair (NAACL 2022), Organizer of Trustworthy NLP Workshops, and Senior Area Chair for top conferences (ACL, NeurIPS, AAAI). Labs/Teams: Leads the UCLA Natural Language Processing Group, fostering interdisciplinary research on ethical AI and multimodal systems.
Aishwarya Agrawal is an Assistant Professor at Université de Montréal in the Department of Computer Science and Operations Research (DIRO), affiliated with Mila – Quebec Institute of Artificial Intelligence and a Canada CIFAR AI Chair. She also serves as a research scientist at Google DeepMind, spending one day weekly there. Education: B.E. in Electrical Engineering (IIT Gandhinagar, 2014), Ph.D. in Computer Science (Georgia Tech, 2019). Her research focuses on multimodal learning , deep learning , natural language processing , and computer vision , particularly in developing AI systems that 'see' and 'communicate' effectively. Grants & Awards: Canada CIFAR AI Chair, 2020 Sigma Xi Best PhD Thesis Award, NVIDIA Fellowship (2018–2019), and multiple fellowships from Google and Facebook. She leads projects like Advancing Multimodal Vision-Language Learning (CRSNG-funded) and StarDoc: Document Structure Extraction (MITACS). Research Contributions: Pioneered benchmarks like CulturalVQA and UI-Vision , and frameworks such as PROGRESS for efficient VLM training. Her work emphasizes cross-modal alignment, robust evaluation, and cultural understanding in AI systems. Labs/Teams: Active in Mila’s core academic group and collaborates with Google DeepMind on multimodal and vision-language research. Supervises a dynamic team of PhD and master’s students in Montreal.
Jarrod Ray Hore is a Scientia Lecturer in the School of Humanities & Languages at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, and Co-Director of the New Earth Histories Research Program. His work explores environmental history, settler colonialism, and the intersections of science, geology, and cultural landscapes. Hore’s research focuses on landscape photography’s role in shaping colonial projects, earthquake geology, and the logistics of the natural history trade. He has published widely in journals like the Pacific Historical Review and Australian Historical Studies, and his award-winning book *Visions of Nature* (2022) examines how photography reinforced settler territoriality. His research interests span environmental history, transnational history, the history of science, and colonial studies. Key areas include the history of settler colonialism in Australia, New Zealand, and North America, as well as the cultural and scientific dimensions of geological exploration. Hore actively supervises HDR and honours students in environmental history, colonial history, and the history of photography. His awards include the Marilyn Lake Prize (2023) and Donna Coates Prize (2022), with shortlist recognitions for prestigious history awards. Beyond academia, he teaches courses like *A House Divided: The Making of Modern America* (ARTS2150), emphasizing U.S. histories of race, class, and global engagement. Hore’s work bridges environmental humanities and colonial studies, analyzing how visual and scientific practices reinforced imperial and settler agendas. His current projects explore the material and logistical networks underpinning natural history collections and the epistemologies of colonial geology.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Brinkhoff is Chair of the Institute Board and Chair of Geoinformatics at Oldenburg University of Applied Sciences. He leads the Institute for Applied Photogrammetry and Geoinformatics (IAPG) and contributes to institutions like the Association for the Promotion of Geoinformatics in Northern Germany (GiN e.V.) and the Oldenburg Research and Development Institute for Computer Science (OFFIS e.V.). Education: Diploma in Computer Science (Informatik), Universität Bremen (1990) Doctorate in Computer Science (Dr. rer. nat.), Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (1994) Brinkhoff's research spans geodatabase systems, spatiotemporal data processing, geosensor analytics, and location-based services. His work addresses Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI), web-based geospatial visualization, and mobile data integration, with applications in traffic management and forensic science. Recent projects include ProSaDi (Digital Provenance and Collection Research) and contributions to the Laboratory for optical 3D metrology . He has served on program committees for ACM SIGSPATIAL (2002-2019), AGILE conferences (2010-2025), and editorial boards of journals like GeoInformatica and TGIS. Notable Lectures: 2024: Forensic applications of tachograph data 2023: Geoinformatics in homicide investigations 2022: Spatiotemporal analysis for sustainability projects 2015: Open geodata standards at FOSSGIS 2014: Mobile sensor data processing
Joy Arulraj is an Associate Professor in the School of Computer Science within the College of Computing at Georgia Institute of Technology. His research focuses on data systems, machine learning, and database systems, with a particular emphasis on video analytics and adaptive query processing. He leads the Data Systems and Analytics Group and is developing the EVA AI-Relational Data System. Dr. Arulraj's research interests span data systems, machine learning, database systems, video analytics, and adaptive query processing. His work centers on developing systems that efficiently process complex queries, particularly for video analytics and machine learning workloads. He has made significant contributions to GPU database systems, non-volatile memory database management, and adaptive query processing techniques. His research often bridges the gap between theoretical database principles and practical implementations for modern hardware architectures. His recent publications show a strong trend toward video analytics systems, adaptive query processing for machine learning workloads, and GPU-accelerated database systems. The EVA system represents a major focus of his recent work, providing end-to-end exploratory video analytics capabilities. His research also addresses fundamental database concepts like buffer management, query optimization, and storage management, adapting these principles for modern hardware and application requirements. Dr. Arulraj has advised numerous graduate students including Pramod Chunduri, Gaurav Tarkok Kakkar, Jiashen Cao, and Sayan Sinha. His graduated students have gone on to work at companies like ServiceNow, Meta Research, and the Korean Army. He actively teaches database system courses at Georgia Tech, including Database System Implementation (CS 4420/6422) and Advanced Database System Implementation (CS 4423/6423), where students build database systems from scratch using C++ and the BuzzDB framework. He maintains an active research program with consistent publication output across top database and systems conferences. His work spans from theoretical database principles to practical system implementations, with a recent emphasis on video analytics, machine learning integration with database systems, and leveraging modern hardware like GPUs and non-volatile memory for database applications.
Adam Wickberg is a researcher in the Division of History of Science, Technology and Environment at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. He serves as co-director of the VR Excellence Centre for Anthropocene History and deputy director of the KTH Environmental Humanities Lab . His work critically examines the intersections of digitalization, sustainability , and the Anthropocene , focusing on their social, political, and historical dimensions. He leads the research project The Mediated Planet: Claiming data for environmental SDGs and has held visiting positions at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin. Education : Not explicitly stated His research spans media studies, environmental history, critical data studies , and postcolonial science and technology studies . Key themes include: Digital twins and marine futures AI ethics for climate justice Colonial histories of environmental data Temporal dimensions of Anthropocene governance Environing media as epistemological tools Planetary datafication systems Recent publications explore how data infrastructures shape environmental governance and how historical media practices inform contemporary sustainability challenges. He has contributed to journals like New Media and Society , Nature , and Critical Inquiry , while engaging in public debates through op-eds in Dagens Nyheter and Aftonbladet . Teaching : Courses include Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Development (AK122V), Environmental History (AK2210), and The Anthropocene (AK126V). Labs/Teams : Leads the Environmental Humanities Lab and collaborates with the WASP-HS Community .
Angelo Peccerillo is a distinguished Full Professor of Petrology at the University of Perugia, Italy, with an extensive academic career spanning multiple Italian universities. He previously served as Full Professor of Petrology at the Universities of Calabria (1993-1997) and Messina (1985-1993), and as Associate Professor of Volcanology (1982-1985) and Assistant Professor (1971-1982) at the University of Florence. He earned his Laurea Degree in Geology from the University of Florence in 1970 and has been a member of Academia Europaea since his election. Peccerillo's research focuses on the petrology and geochemistry of magmatic processes, with particular expertise in igneous petrology, geochemistry, volcanology, orogenic volcanism, and continental rift magmatism. His scholarly work has established him as a leading expert in understanding the complex relationships between mantle processes, crustal interactions, and volcanic activity in the Mediterranean region and beyond. His research methodology integrates petrological, geochemical, and geophysical approaches to develop comprehensive models of magmatic systems. Analysis of Peccerillo's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on magmatic processes across diverse geological settings. His work spans from detailed studies of specific volcanic systems like the Aeolian Islands and Ethiopian Rift to broader investigations of mantle structure and geodynamic processes in the Mediterranean region. A recurring theme is the integration of multiple analytical approaches to model magma plumbing systems, understand mantle composition, and elucidate the geodynamic evolution of volcanic regions, particularly examining the relationships between deep and shallow mantle processes. Antonio Feltrinelli Price 2006 for Earth Sciences, awarded by the National Academy of Lincei, Italy Professor Peccerillo has supervised numerous MSc and PhD students both at his home institution and abroad. His editorial leadership includes serving as Chief Editor of the "European Journal of Mineralogy" from 2006 to 2008 and membership on the editorial boards of several prestigious journals including "Lithos," "Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research," "Geological Society of Italy Bulletin," and "Open Mineralogy Journal." He has been actively involved in research evaluation, serving on national and international panels for organizations such as NSF, ESF, CNR, MIUR, and NATO. Peccerillo maintains strong international scientific connections through visiting positions at institutions like the Australian National University, University of Gottingen, and University of Paris XI at Orsay. His leadership extends to professional organizations, having served as President of the Italian Petrology Group and currently as a Member of Academia Europaea. His administrative experience includes serving as Department Head and Coordinator of PhD programs at the Universities of Messina, Cosenza, and Perugia.
Dr. Farha Sattar is a Lecturer in Education (Mathematics) at the Faculty of Arts and Society, Charles Darwin University. With over thirty years of teaching experience in Mathematics, Science education, GIS, Remote Sensing, and e-Learning technologies at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, Dr. Sattar brings extensive expertise to her academic role. She holds a PhD in Geospatial Science from Charles Darwin University, focusing on Spatial Mathematical Modelling for 3D Gully Mapping and Erosion Quantification. Her educational background includes: PhD in Geospatial Science (Three Dimensional Gully Mapping and Erosion Quantification within a Geoinformatics Framework), Charles Darwin University (2012) Prior academic experience at several Asian and European universities Dr. Sattar's research spans multiple interdisciplinary fields with a strong focus on the intersection of education and technology. Her primary research interests include Mathematics Education, STEM Education, Geoscience Education, Spatial Mathematical Modelling, Drone Technology, Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems, and Innovative Pedagogies such as experiential learning and inquiry-based approaches. She has developed expertise in cognitive development, particularly in fostering critical and creative thinking skills through iSTEM approaches. An analysis of Dr. Sattar's recent publications reveals a consistent trajectory toward integrating emerging technologies like drones, augmented reality, and geospatial artificial intelligence into educational contexts. Her work demonstrates a progression from foundational geospatial research on erosion mapping to innovative applications in STEM education. Recent publications increasingly focus on drone technology for educational purposes, spatial data infrastructure for policy development, and computational thinking development through technology-enhanced learning. Dr. Sattar has received numerous accolades for her contributions to education and research: NT Science Week Awards – Inspired NT STEM Hero of the Year award (2021) Long Service Recognition Award (2023) Finalist, CDU Alumni Award (2023) Multiple Best Presentation Awards (2008, 2010, 2017) Australian College of Educators - 2021 College Medal Nominee As a supervisor, Dr. Sattar mentors postgraduate research students including Ayesha Farhan, who is working on "A Framework for Cognitive Development: Fostering Critical and Creative Thinking Skills, Using iSTEM Approach." She actively secures research funding through various projects such as "DBELaSTEM: Drone-Based Experiential Learning and STEM Education," "STEM_D & VR: Youth STEM Learning and Empowerment with Drones and VR," and "CodProg Drone Lab." Her research is supported by grants from NT Government projects and other external funding sources. Dr. Sattar leads the CodProg Drone Lab, an innovative research space exploring drone technology applications in education. She is a certified drone pilot and aeronautical radio operator, which enables her to bridge theoretical knowledge with practical applications. Her work with the "Flying Forward: Drones, STEM Equity, and Indigenous Empowerment" initiative demonstrates her commitment to community engagement and addressing educational disparities through technology.
Sidi Wu is a Researcher affiliated with ETH Zürich's Institute of Cartography and Geoinformatics. Their primary role is as Staff of the Professorship for Cartography, contributing to academic research and technical operations within the department. They are based at HIL G 23.2, Stefano-Franscini-Platz 5 in Zürich, Switzerland, and can be reached at sidiwu@ethz.ch. Research interests center on advancing AI-driven cartographic methods, historical map analysis, and environmental spatial dynamics. Specific focuses include generative AI applications in map-making, semantic segmentation of historical documents, and leveraging digitized maps for ecosystem studies. They also explore steganography in image translation and cross-domain adaptation techniques for geospatial data. Recent work emphasizes innovations in automated map storytelling systems, spatio-temporal context modeling using transformers, and weakly supervised learning approaches for map segmentation. Their studies frequently bridge cartography with environmental science disciplines like hydrology and urban morphology. No scientific awards or grants are explicitly listed in the provided information. While no advisees are documented here, their research collaborations likely involve student contributions. They are part of the core team at the Institute of Cartography and Geoinformatics, contributing to cutting-edge projects in geomatics and computational cartography.
Youssef M. A. Hashash is the Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering and a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). He holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from MIT (1987–1992). His expertise spans geotechnical engineering, earthquake engineering, and computational geomechanics, with a focus on deep excavations, tunneling, and soil-structure interaction. He co-developed DEEPSOIL, widely used for seismic soil response analysis. Education: B.S. Civil Engineering, MIT (1987) M.S. Civil (Geotechnical) Engineering, MIT (1988) Ph.D. Civil (Geotechnical) Engineering, MIT (1992) Research Interests: Dr. Hashash's work integrates geotechnical engineering with advanced technologies like AI, visualization, and discrete element modeling. Key areas include: Seismic site response and amplification models for Central/Eastern North America Tunneling and underground infrastructure resilience Geotechnical applications of machine learning and augmented reality Soil-structure interaction and liquefaction analysis Professional Roles: Geotechnical co-leader, NIST investigation of the Champlain Towers South collapse (2022–present) Chair, National Academies' Committee on Geological and Geotechnical Engineering (2024–present) Past President, Geo-Institute of ASCE Awards: Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers ASCE 2014 Peck Medal Elected to National Academy of Engineering (2022) Labs/Teams: Leads research groups at UIUC focused on computational geomechanics and geotechnical earthquake engineering. Collaborates with federal agencies like NIST and NSF on large-scale projects.
Dr Francis Maravillas is a Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader of the BA (Hons) Art Histories and Curatorial Practices: Asia and the World at LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore. His academic work bridges art historical research, curatorial practice, and interdisciplinary teaching with a focus on contemporary Asian art contexts. His educational background includes a PhD in Humanities and Social Sciences from the University of Technology Sydney and a First Class Honours BA in Politics from Macquarie University, Australia. Maravillas' research centers on modern and contemporary Asian art, with particular expertise in curatorial practices, exhibition histories, and socially engaged/performatory art forms. His current projects investigate the aesthetics and politics of food in contemporary Asian art, examining how food functions in performance, installation, and community-based practices within post-colonial and global contexts. This research explores intersections between alimentary practices, political economies of survival, and post-colonial histories across Asia. His publication record reveals consistent engagement with Southeast Asian contemporary art worlds, food-art practices, and diasporic visual cultures. Key projects include the co-edited World Art special issue on Southeast Asian art publics (2020) and the forthcoming Routledge anthology 'Tastes of Justice' (2025), which examines food, art, and justice politics in Asian-Australian contexts. Maravillas has secured significant research funding including a SGD 20,000 LASALLE College of the Arts grant for 'Tastes of Justice' (2024) and an AUD 49,526 Creative Australia grant for related art, performance, and symposia activities in Sydney and Singapore (2024). He actively collaborates internationally through co-curated exhibitions like 'Bruised Food: A Living Laboratory' (2019) and the symposium 'Shifting Grounds, New Horizons' (2022), demonstrating commitment to building transnational networks in contemporary Southeast Asian art.
Professor Michael Milford is a robotics and computer vision expert at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), serving as Joint Director of QUT's Centre for Robotics. His research bridges robotics, neuroscience, and computer vision, focusing on biologically inspired navigation systems for autonomous vehicles and drones. He has pioneered projects like SeqSLAM and RatSLAM, emphasizing the synergy between biological intelligence and robotic systems. Research Interests: Milford explores navigation algorithms inspired by animal behavior, energy-efficient neural networks, and autonomous systems. His work aims to create robots capable of operating in dynamic environments through interdisciplinary collaboration with institutions like MIT, Harvard, and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Awards & Recognition: Awarded the 2019 Batterham Medal and a $2.7M Australian Laureate Fellowship for his project on GPS-independent positioning systems. His work has produced highly cited papers in robotics and computer vision, including breakthroughs in visual SLAM and place recognition under varying conditions. Teaching & Collaboration: Milford mentors students in robotics and AI, launching initiatives like the STEM Storybook to inspire youth. He collaborates globally, emphasizing cross-disciplinary research to bridge gaps between fundamental and applied sciences. Labs & Projects: Leads QUT's Centre for Robotics, advancing technologies for autonomous systems. His projects explore neuromorphic computing, SLAM systems, and bio-inspired navigation, with applications in defense, transport, and environmental monitoring.
Ghassan AlRegib is the John and Marilu McCarty Chair Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. He directs the Omni Lab for Intelligent Visual Engineering and Science (OLIVES), the Center for Energy and Geo Processing (CeGP), and previously led Georgia Tech's MENA initiatives (2015-2018). His research spans machine learning, image processing, and seismic interpretation with real-world applications in autonomous vehicles, medical imaging, and subsurface analysis. His research focuses on trustworthy AI systems through three pillars: enhancing interpretability, improving robustness/generalizability, and tackling domain-specific challenges. Key interests include human-in-the-loop frameworks, uncertainty quantification, explainable AI, and physics-driven learning. The OLIVES lab pioneered modern machine learning applications in seismic interpretation and developed open-source datasets for geological fault analysis. Dr. AlRegib's scientific contributions include over 270 publications, multiple U.S. patents, and leadership roles as Technical Program co-Chair for ICIP 2020/2024. His work demonstrates significant impact through awards like the IEEE Fellow designation (2022) and multiple best paper awards at premier conferences. IEEE Fellow (2022) 2023 EURASIP Best Paper Award 2019 ICIP Best Paper Award 2017 Denning Faculty Award for Global Engagement CSIP Research & Service Awards (2003) He has advised numerous PhD students including Dr. Ashraf Alattar (now Auburn professor) and Dr. Zhiling Long (Kennesaw State faculty). His lab structure emphasizes collaborative teams comprising postdocs, senior/junior PhD students, and undergraduates working on high-impact problems from autonomous systems to medical diagnostics. Current research thrusts include trustworthy neural networks, human-in-the-loop frameworks, and deployment of machine learning in seismic interpretation and ophthalmology.
Kathy Fontaine serves as Senior Lecturer in Information Technology and Web Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Program Manager for the RPI-IBM AI Research Collaboration. She joined RPI in 2014 after 25 years at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center where she developed international data access policies through CEOS WGISS, GEO, and USGEO. Her educational background includes: B.S. in Physics with Astrophysics Option from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (1984) M.A. in Science, Technology and Public Policy from The George Washington University (2002) Ph.D. in Public Policy and Public Administration from Walden University (2013) Dr. Fontaine's research integrates data science policy with ethical frameworks, focusing on international data sharing cultures and volunteer organization dynamics. She develops courses like Big Data Policy and Ethical Informatics that address data scientists' societal responsibilities. Her work examines how policy implementations affect global earth observation systems and research data ecosystems, with particular attention to cross-cultural collaboration challenges in scientific consortia. Analysis of her publications reveals strong interdisciplinary connections between earth sciences and computer science, with emerging trends in data dexterity training, knowledge graph applications for social equity, and mineral inventory data legacies. Her research increasingly bridges technical data infrastructure with ethical considerations in data sharing. Dr. Fontaine actively contributes to scientific communities through the Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP), where she serves on GEO's Programme Board, and maintains affiliations with AGU, ACM Web Science, IEEE GRSS, and IEEE SSIT. Her current leadership in the RPI-IBM AI Research Collaboration extends her mission to develop responsible AI frameworks.
Carlos Enrique Palau is a prominent researcher in the field of Internet of Things (IoT), edge computing, and cyber-physical systems. His work focuses on interoperability, security, and scalability in distributed systems, particularly in industrial and smart city applications. He has contributed to frameworks for cloud-edge continuum integration, blockchain-based IoT solutions, and federated computing architectures. Key areas of research include: IoT interoperability and semantic frameworks Edge computing and distributed workload management Cybersecurity for IoT and critical infrastructure Smart port logistics and real-time data analytics Cognitive services in legacy port management systems His recent work explores: Data-as-a-Product frameworks for Industry 4.0/5.0 Autonomous workload scheduling in energy-efficient edge-cloud systems Deception mechanisms for IoT security Self-* capabilities in cloud-edge nodes Palau has collaborated extensively with institutions like Universitat Politècnica de València and international partners in projects funded by EU initiatives. His research addresses practical challenges in industrial IoT deployments, smart city infrastructure, and emergency management systems.
