Carlos Smaniotto Costa (PhD) is a Professor at the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Universidade Lusófona, Lisbon. As an integrated member of CIAUD Research Centre, he coordinates national and international projects like the H2020 C3Places and COST Action TU1306 Cyberparks. His work bridges Urban Ecology , Landscape Design , and Digital Technologies for sustainable urban development, with a focus on participatory processes in Portugal, Africa, and Latin America. Education : PhD and Magister in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, University of Hanover His research combines Urban Sociology , Public Space , and ICT integration , analyzing how digital tools transform spatial practices. Publications span books and articles on (re)naturalized rivers, underground heritage, and smart landscapes, with case studies in Angola, São Tomé, Brazil, and Europe. Recent articles (2025–2022) emphasize placemaking pedagogy , digital-physical hybrid spaces , and citizen science for territorial planning. He explores co-creation with teenagers, smart city governance, and heritage valorisation through digital storytelling and geomatics data.
Sarbeswar Praharaj is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Sustainable Development at the University of Miami's College of Arts and Sciences. He also serves as Director of the MPS in Urban Sustainability and Resilience Program, Associate Dean of Graduate Education at the School of Architecture, and Affiliate Faculty at the Climate Resilience Academy. His work focuses on urban sustainability, climate resilience, geospatial analysis, and smart cities. Praharaj has contributed to global projects including case studies in Morocco and India, emphasizing participatory design and policy integration. His research explores multidimensional poverty measurement, flood susceptibility modeling, pandemic response strategies, and the role of geospatial tools in disaster management. He has published extensively on India's Smart Cities Mission, urban regeneration frameworks, and the socio-spatial impacts of climate change. Notable contributions include developing digital twin platforms for urban projects, co-design toolkits for poverty visualization, and dashboards to combat pandemic-related socioeconomic challenges. Praharaj advocates for inclusive urban policies and community-driven solutions to environmental and health crises.
Massimo Poncino is a Full Professor at the Department of Control and Computer Science (DAUIN) within the Faculty of Engineering at Politecnico di Torino. He serves as Scientific Advisor for the STMicroelectronics partnership and coordinates basic engineering subjects. A Senior Member of IEEE since 2012 and Fellow since 2012, he has served on editorial boards for IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design, IEEE Design & Test of Computers, and ACM Transactions on Design Automation. Education: Laurea in Electronic Engineering (1989) and PhD in Computer and Systems Engineering (1993) from Politecnico di Torino Academic Career: Visiting Scientist University of Colorado (1993-1994), Researcher at Politecnico di Torino (1995-2001), Associate Professor at University of Verona (2001-2004), Full Professor at Politecnico di Torino (2006-present) His research focuses on energy-efficient digital systems , including design automation of SoCs, hardware-aware AI, battery management, cyber-physical systems, and embedded systems. Recent publications highlight advancements in digital twins for batteries , low-power neural network deployment , and IoT privacy . Scientific Awards: Recognition of Service Award - ACM (2013) Certificate of Appreciation - IEEE Circuits and Systems Society (2006, 2008, 2009) IEEE Fellow (2012-) Research Involvement: EU H2020, VI/VII Framework Programs evaluator Scientific Director for projects: Approxim@ction, EMBAI, DISLO-MAN, DAMASCO Member of EDA research group Teaching: Course director for Energy Management for IoT (2019-2025) Lecturer for Computer Science courses (2003-2025)
Lorna Philip is a Professor in the Department of Geography and Environment within the School of Geosciences at the University of Aberdeen, where she holds a Personal Chair and continues to be an active academic leader. She has been a faculty member since 1998, progressing through academic ranks to her current position, and serves as a key supervisor for PhD students in human geography and rural studies. Education: MA (Social Science) with First Class Honours in Geography, University of Glasgow, 1993 PhD in Human Geography, University of Glasgow, 2000 Research Interests: Professor Philip's research focuses on rural socio-economic change, with particular emphasis on rural social exclusion, population ageing in rural communities, digital divides, and the long-term impacts of environmental events such as flooding. Her work often explores how policy can better address the unique challenges faced by rural and island populations. She is currently co-investigator on the BRUCES programme grant, a five-year interdisciplinary study on rural-urban healthcare equity in Scotland. Her research is funded by major bodies including the Chief Scientist Office, ESRC, and RCUK. Publication Trends: Her recent publications (2022–2025) demonstrate a strong focus on rural policy, islandness, civic participation among older adults, and the value of qualitative longitudinal methods. She frequently publishes in leading geographical journals such as Scottish Geographical Journal and The Geographical Journal , and produces policy-oriented reports for government and advisory bodies like SEFARI. Scientific Awards: Winner of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society Newbiggin Prize (2002) Advising and Grants: Professor Philip has supervised 11 PhD students to successful completion and currently supervises four doctoral candidates working on topics including Scotland’s National Islands Plan, community land ownership, and intergenerational communication. She has led and contributed to numerous funded research projects, including those funded by CREW, ESRC, and the RCUK dot.rural hub, focusing on rural digital economy, flooding impacts, and retirement migration. Labs and Research Groups: While not directly affiliated with a specific lab, Professor Philip is closely associated with interdisciplinary research initiatives such as the Just Transition Lab and contributes to the broader research culture of the School of Geosciences. Her work often involves collaboration with clinicians, policymakers, and community stakeholders, particularly in health and rural development contexts.
Dr. Donghoon Lee is an Assistant Professor and Tier-2 Canada Research Chair in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Manitoba's Price Faculty of Engineering. His research focuses on the intersection of hydroclimatology, data science, and societal impacts, particularly addressing challenges related to climate variability and its effects on water resources, agriculture, and disaster management systems across multiple sectors. Dr. Lee's educational background includes: Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2018) M.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Ajou University (2012) B.Sc. in Civil System Engineering from Ajou University (2010) His research expertise spans hydroclimate forecasting, water resources systems, disaster risk assessment, and agricultural drought and food security. Dr. Lee applies geospatial data science, water system engineering, statistical applications, remote sensing, and numerical modeling to quantify interactions between climate, environmental, and societal factors. His work enhances understanding of both short- and long-term climate risks and develops practical solutions for climate-related challenges facing human societies. Recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on agricultural data systems, climate adaptation policy, and food security analytics, with particular attention to Africa and North American regions. His research integrates satellite data, climate modeling, and socioeconomic analysis to develop practical decision-support tools for sustainable resource management under changing climate conditions. Dr. Lee has received significant recognition through his appointment as a Tier-2 Canada Research Chair, which supports his innovative work at the hydroclimate-society interface. Dr. Lee actively mentors graduate students and is currently seeking applicants at all levels (Postdoc, PhD, MS, and Undergraduate students) to join his research group. His Hydroclimate2X Lab provides opportunities for students to engage in cutting-edge research that combines computational methods with real-world climate challenges. The Hydroclimate2X Lab applies computational and statistical methods to quantify the impacts of climate variability on society. The lab's work includes forecasting extreme hydroclimate events, assessing water-energy risks, and integrating climate data with food and environmental systems to support sustainable decision-making across multiple sectors including agriculture, disaster management, and urban planning.
Francisco J. Tapiador is a Professor at the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha , affiliated with the Department of Environmental Sciences. His research spans Earth Physics, Climate Science, and Remote Sensing, with a focus on precipitation modeling, climate classification systems, and data fusion techniques. He leads the Earth Physics research group at UCLM and collaborates extensively with international institutions. Key Research Areas : Earth Physics Climate Modeling Satellite Meteorology Data Fusion Algorithms Environmental Uncertainty Quantification Publication Trends : Dr. Tapiador's recent work emphasizes high-resolution precipitation merging via radar corrections, machine learning for storm detection, and uncertainty quantification in climate models. His articles integrate Remote Sensing , Machine Learning , and Climate Informatics to address extreme weather and hydrometeorological hazards. Peer Review Leadership : Atmospheric Research Chaos, Solitons and Fractals Chemosphere Heliyon Journal of Computational Science Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics Water Resources Research Collaborative Networks : Andrés Navarro Eduardo García-Ortega Gyuwon Lee Kyo-Sun Sunny Lim Ziad S. Haddad Technological Impact : His work bridges fluid dynamics , entropy-based algorithms , and neural networks to advance satellite precipitation estimation and climate model validation. Current projects include multi-satellite data correction and climate-human system couplings.
Soukaina Filali Boubrahimi serves as an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science Department within the College of Engineering at Utah State University. Her academic appointment is based in the SER 332 building located at 4205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-0001. She maintains a research-active position with a focus on computational methods for complex temporal data analysis. Dr. Filali Boubrahimi's research program centers on time series analysis , machine learning , and space weather prediction , with particular emphasis on solar flare forecasting and counterfactual explanation systems. Her work bridges theoretical machine learning advancements with practical applications in heliophysics, hydrology, and social media analysis. The research portfolio demonstrates significant expertise in handling imbalanced temporal datasets, developing novel data augmentation techniques, and creating interpretable AI systems for critical prediction tasks. Analysis of her recent publication trajectory reveals consistent contributions to counterfactual explanation frameworks for time series data (Info-CELS, M-cels, ACTS), space weather prediction systems (solar flare and energetic particle event forecasting), and generative modeling approaches (AVATAR, ChronoGAN). Her work frequently addresses the challenges of severely imbalanced datasets through contrastive learning and sophisticated preprocessing techniques, demonstrating methodological innovation in handling rare but critical space weather events. While no specific awards are documented in the available information, her research program appears substantial based on the volume and quality of recent publications spanning multiple high-impact domains. The research demonstrates strong interdisciplinary connections between computer science, space physics, and environmental science. Her laboratory activities focus on developing machine learning frameworks for temporal data analysis, with particular attention to space weather prediction systems. The research group appears to specialize in creating robust models for rare event prediction, explainable AI systems for time series classification, and novel data augmentation techniques for imbalanced temporal datasets. Current projects likely include the development of multimodal fusion approaches for solar energetic particle prediction and spatio-temporal modeling for hydrological applications.
Jeeban Panthi is a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Kansas State University's College of Engineering. He holds a Ph.D. in Geosciences (Hydrogeology) from the University of Rhode Island and an M.S. in Environmental Science from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. His research focuses on integrated hydrological systems, particularly groundwater-surface water interactions under climate and land-use changes. Ph.D. - University of Rhode Island (Geosciences/Hydrogeology) M.S. - Tribhuvan University, Nepal (Environmental Science) B.S. - Tribhuvan University, Nepal (Environmental Science) Using numerical modeling, geophysical techniques, and satellite remote sensing (e.g., GRACE/GRACE-FO), Panthi investigates water availability and quality across scales—from mountainous regions to coastal areas. His work bridges upstream to downstream hydrological processes through data-driven approaches. As of 2024, Panthi has authored over 26 peer-reviewed journal articles and 20 conference papers. His research has been funded by prestigious grants including USGS 104(b) program, USAID, and the Kansas Water Institute. Kansas Water Institute’s CoSearch competition winner (2024) Best Presentation Award recipient (2023) UNEP PROVIA Young Scientist Fellow Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research grantee Multiple NSF/GSA/AGU research/travel grantee He leads the Panthi HydroSystem Lab, specializing in agricultural and semi-arid landscapes like Kansas. The lab integrates geospatial technologies with field observations to develop science-based water management solutions for sustainability and resilience.
Vasit Sagan is a Professor of Geospatial Science and Computer Science at Saint Louis University's School of Science and Engineering . He directs the Remote Sensing Lab , serves as Deputy Director of the Taylor Geospatial Institute , and holds the role of Associate Vice President for Geospatial Science in the Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnership. Education: Ph.D. from Peking University (2006) Leadership: Director of Remote Sensing Lab; Deputy Director, Taylor Geospatial Institute Research Interests center on geospatial computer vision , integrating remote sensing, photogrammetry, machine learning/AI, and imagery analysis. His work addresses critical challenges in food and water security , ecosystem monitoring , and social instability at scales ranging from local to global. He has secured over $50M in grants as PI/Co-PI and authored 150+ peer-reviewed publications. Recent Publications highlight his interdisciplinary approach, with studies on crop yield prediction via satellite/UAV imagery, disease detection in wheat, urban tree species classification, and deep learning applications for water quality monitoring. These works span agricultural technology , environmental science , and security informatics , emphasizing data fusion and AI-driven geospatial analysis. Scientific Awards include: 2021 Best Paper Award (Remote Sensing) Best Paper Award (International Archives of Photogrammetry) Advising and Grants : He has mentored numerous doctoral, master's, and postdoc researchers, and led major funded projects focused on geospatial AI and environmental sustainability. Labs and Facilities : Remote Sensing Lab at Saint Louis University and collaborative work with the Taylor Geospatial Institute.
Dr. Jiangxiao Qiu is an Associate Professor of Landscape Ecology at the University of Florida's School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, based at the Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center. His research integrates landscape ecology, ecosystem services, and sustainability science to address global environmental challenges. He employs interdisciplinary approaches including computational modeling, remote sensing, and field experiments to study human-nature interactions across scales. Research Focus: Dr. Qiu investigates how climate change, land-use intensification, and biological invasions alter ecosystems and biodiversity. Key themes include: Landscape sustainability science and social-ecological systems Ecosystem service tradeoffs in agricultural and urban landscapes Global change impacts on biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships Development of geospatial tools for environmental decision-making Recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate strong emphasis on: Urban ecosystem services and greenspace multifunctionality Post-disturbance forest recovery using remote sensing Soil nutrient dynamics in managed grasslands Integration of cultural ecosystem services in landscape planning Scalable frameworks for biomass and biodiversity monitoring Dr. Qiu actively recruits graduate students through his Landscape Ecology and Sustainability Science Lab, focusing on transformative solutions for conservation and policy challenges. Current research explores urban-rural sustainability linkages, phosphorus cycling in subtropical systems, and climate-resilient landscape design.
David Bermbach is a Full Professor at Technische Universität Berlin , leading the Scalable Software Systems group since 2023. His research focuses on distributed systems, serverless computing, and benchmarking, with significant work on edge and fog computing architectures. He is affiliated with the Einstein Center Digital Future and co-chairs interdisciplinary projects like SimRa for bicycle traffic safety. Full Professor, Scalable Software Systems (2023–present) ECDF-Professor, Mobile Cloud Computing (2017–2023) Postdoctoral Researcher (2014–2017) Education : Diploma in Business Engineering (2010) – Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) PhD in Computer Science (2014, summa cum laude) – KIT Research Interests span distributed systems with emphasis on cloud, edge, and fog computing, serverless architectures, IoT platforms, and benchmarking frameworks. His work addresses consistency-performance trade-offs, resource placement, and interdisciplinary applications in urban mobility and satellite edge computing. Article Trends show a focus on serverless computing (12/15), edge-cloud integration (9/15), and benchmarking methodologies (7/15). Key themes include optimizing function placement, federated learning architectures, and low-earth orbit computing systems. Scientific Awards Best Paper Award – ShutPub (2024) Best Workshop Paper – A Research Perspective on Fog Computing (2017) Best Paper Runner Up – Benchmarking Eventual Consistency (2014) Summa Cum Laude PhD Thesis (2014) Advising & Grants include mentoring students like Tobias Pfandzelter and Trever Schirmer, leading funded projects through the Einstein Center Digital Future, and contributing to 6G network research. His team works on cloud federation, serverless optimization, and real-world IoT applications.
Kendra Spence Cheruvelil is a Professor with joint appointments in Lyman Briggs College and the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University, where she has served as Dean since February 2022. She holds a Ph.D. in Fisheries and Wildlife & Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior from MSU, complemented by an M.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife (MSU) and a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Rochester. Her research integrates freshwater ecology, landscape limnology, and STEM education, with emphases on macrosystem lake ecology, collaborative science ethics, and inclusive pedagogical frameworks. Research spans two domains: 1) Data-intensive landscape limnology examining continental-scale lake ecosystems through projects like the NSF-funded LAGOS-Lakes initiative ($4.2M), and 2) Scholarship of Teaching and Learning focusing on effective student teamwork, diversity in STEM, and graduate professional development. She co-directs the MSU Data-intensive Landscape Limnology Lab and leads a $600K NSF project on ethical practices in environmental science teams. Publications demonstrate strong cross-disciplinary trends, with recent works in landscape limnology addressing wildfire impacts on lakes and national-scale aquatic ecosystem analysis, while team science research explores collaborative authorship ethics and interdisciplinary manuscript strategies. STEM education studies investigate undergraduate research team effectiveness. Honors include: William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award (2021) ASLO Fellow (2018) for contributions to aquatic sciences Big Ten Academic Leadership Fellow (2018) Phi Kappa Phi Interdisciplinary Scholarship Award (2015) Multiple MSU teaching honors including Teacher-Scholar Award (2012) Current grants include NSF Macrosystems Biology and Ethical STEM awards totaling $4.8M. She founded the LBC Graduate Fellowship Program in Teaching Scholarship and serves on MSU's Future Academic Scholars Steering Committee. Leads the Data-intensive Landscape Limnology Lab (bigdatalimno.org), advancing collaborative research on continental-scale aquatic ecosystem patterns and team science methodologies.
Silvia Polettini is an Associate Professor in Statistics at the Department of Social and Economic Sciences, University of Rome "La Sapienza". She has been with the university since 2011, achieving the rank of Associate Professor in 2020. Prior to this, she served as a Researcher at the University of Naples Federico II from 2005 to 2011, and worked at the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) from 2000 to 2005. Her academic journey began with a Statistical Officer position at the Italian Ministry of Health from 1998 to 2000. Her educational background includes: 1994: Bachelor's Degree with honors in Statistical and Demographic Sciences, University of Rome "La Sapienza" 1999: Ph.D. in Methodological Statistics, University of Rome "La Sapienza" Silvia Polettini's research spans several critical areas in modern statistics. Her work in Bayesian Statistical inference has produced innovative approaches for handling complex data structures. She has made significant contributions to Official Statistics , particularly in methodologies for data protection and disclosure risk assessment. Her expertise in Statistical Disclosure Risk Estimation and Microdata Protection has positioned her as a leading researcher in data privacy. The development of Bayesian Semi-parametric Modeling for Small Area Estimation represents another major strand of her work, with applications across social and economic domains. Her research on Measurement Error Models addresses fundamental challenges in data quality, while her work on Latent Variable Models and Survival Analysis extends into demographic and health applications. An analysis of her recent publications reveals a clear trajectory focusing on addressing underreporting issues in sensitive social phenomena, particularly violence against women, using sophisticated Bayesian methods. Her work bridges theoretical statistical innovation with practical applications in social policy. The integration of small area estimation techniques with measurement error models represents another significant theme, enabling more accurate regional and demographic analyses despite data limitations. Professor Polettini has been actively involved in numerous research projects, including several PRIN (Progetti di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale) initiatives and international collaborations. Her leadership in projects like "ESSnet on Statistical Disclosure Control" funded by Eurostat and "Data Linkage and Anonymisation" supported by the Isaac Newton Institute demonstrates her standing in the international statistical community. She has served as principal investigator for multiple research projects focused on disclosure risk estimation, small area modeling, and addressing underreporting in social data. Her teaching responsibilities include Statistics for Political Science and International Relations students, as well as Statistics for Economic Applications for International Economic and Financial Relations students. Office hours are held on Thursdays from 10am to 12pm, available both in person and online by appointment.
Prof. Dr. Fadi AL-TURJMAN serves as the founding Dean of the Faculty of AI and Informatics at Near East University (NEU), Cyprus. He holds multiple leadership roles including Head of the Software Engineering Department and Director of the AI and Robotics Institute and the International Research Center for AI and IoT. With a PhD in Computer Science from Queen’s University (2011), he specializes in AIoT systems, wireless networks, and blockchain integration. Affiliation: Near East University Leadership: Founding Dean for AI and Informatics, Director of AI & Robotics Institute Research Focus: His work bridges Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) , Blockchain Applications , and Smart Networking . He explores cybersecurity frameworks for smart cities, quantum state optimization techniques, and novel AI-driven solutions for healthcare, agriculture, and energy systems. Key Article Trends: Recent publications emphasize Transformer models for environmental monitoring, blockchain-enabled security protocols , and evolutionary algorithms for resource optimization. His research spans interdisciplinary domains including medical diagnostics, vehicular networks, and sustainable infrastructure. Scientific Awards: Lifetime Golden Award of Dr. Suat Gunsel (2022) Multiple Best Research Awards at International Venues Labs & Teams: Directs the International Research Center for AI and IoT at NEU, leading multidisciplinary teams in developing advanced networking technologies and AI-driven solutions for global value chain applications.
Thomas Scholten is Professor of Soil Science and Geomorphology at the Department of Geoscience, Faculty of Science, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen. He has been director of the Institute of Geography at Tübingen University since 2006 and has held various leadership roles including President of the German Soil Science Society (2012-2015) and council member of the European Society for Soil Conservation since 2004. In 2016, he was elected as a member of German National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech). Since 2017, he has been co-speaker of the Collaborative Research Center (SFB 1070) 'ResourceCultures' and since 2019, he has been a principal investigator in the Cluster of Excellence 'Machine Learning - New Perspectives for Science' at Tübingen University. Chair of Soil Science and Geomorphology (full professor) at Eberhard Karls University Tübingen (2005-present) Director of the Institute of Geography at Tübingen University (2006-present) Co-speaker of the Collaborative Research Center (SFB 1070) 'ResourceCultures' (2017-present) Principal Investigator in the Cluster of Excellence 'Machine Learning' (2019-present) Professor Scholten's research focuses on soil science, environment, geomorphology, geoecology, soil erosion, and machine learning applications in soil science. His fieldwork spans Europe, Africa, and Asia with major projects in South Africa, Swaziland, Sudan, Israel, China, Nepal, Switzerland, and Germany. He has published extensively with 9 books, 228 refereed papers, and 378 conference papers to his name. His recent publications reveal a strong integration of traditional soil science with cutting-edge machine learning techniques, particularly in digital soil mapping, soil erosion prediction, and resource management. The research spans multiple continents and addresses critical environmental challenges through interdisciplinary approaches combining soil science, remote sensing, and computational methods. Member of German National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech) (2016-present) President of the German Soil Science Society (DBG) (2012-2015) Council member of the European Society for Soil Conservation (ESSC) (since 2004) Editorial board member of Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, Pedosphere Professor Scholten has received research grants from over 15 institutions, primarily the European Union (EU), the German Research Foundation (DFG), and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). He serves as a referee for numerous international journals and has advised on scientific policy through various advisory boards and committees. His work has significant implications for sustainable land management and climate change adaptation strategies globally. He leads the Soil Science and Geomorphology work group at the University of Tübingen, with research activities spanning field studies, laboratory analyses, and computational modeling. His team collaborates with researchers across disciplines including geography, ecology, computer science, and archaeology to address complex environmental challenges through the ResourceCultures Collaborative Research Center and other international projects.
