Longxiang Li is an Assistant Professor in the Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health. His research focuses on environmental pollutants' human health impacts, particularly unconventional oil and gas development (fracking) and radon exposure. Funded by NIH, he develops satellite-based machine learning models to assess exposure risks. Before joining Emory in 2024, he studied/worked at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Education: Sc.D. from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; M.S. from Chinese Academy of Sciences; B.S. from China University of Geosciences (Beijing). Research interests include exposure assessment, spatial analysis/GIS, and machine learning applications in environmental health. Notable work includes high-resolution radon models and collaborations with the White House on radon-related lung cancer prevention strategies. Key articles focus on radon's effects on asthma, cancer, and pregnancy outcomes, using advanced modeling techniques. His work bridges environmental data science with public health policy. Affiliations: International Society of Environmental Epidemiology, International Society of Exposure Science, American Chemistry Society.
Ali Lashgari is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Aalborg University's Department of the Built Environment (Faculty of Engineering and Science). He holds a PhD in Geotechnical Engineering from Semnan University (2019) and serves as a visiting researcher at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. His research focuses on seismic hazards, offshore energy infrastructure resilience, and probabilistic geotechnical analysis. Education: PhD in Geotechnical Engineering, Semnan University (2019) MSc in Geotechnical Engineering, Semnan University (2013) BSc in Civil Engineering (not specified) Research Interests: Development of predictive models for geohazards (e.g., submarine landslides, liquefaction), offshore foundation resilience, and probabilistic analysis of seismic risks. His work integrates numerical modeling (e.g., DEM-FEM), machine learning, and big data analytics for hazard assessment frameworks. Awards: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (2023) Grants & Projects: PRO-SLIDE: EU-funded project (2023–ongoing) for offshore energy infrastructure resilience against seismic submarine landslides (PI) EU-COST Action CA23155: Pan-European network on ocean tribology (participant) Professional Activities: Founder of Intelligent Environmental Risks Analyzers (2016) Membership in AGU, DFI, GEER, IGS, and IRCEO Lab/Team Affiliation: Risk, Resilience, Safety, and Sustainability of Systems Research Group at Aalborg University.
Dr. Ioannis Kaparias is an Associate Professor at the University of Southampton and Honorary Lecturer at Imperial College London. His expertise spans transport engineering, Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), and sustainable mobility solutions. He holds a MEng from Imperial College London (2004) and a PhD in reliable dynamic in-vehicle navigation (2008). His research focuses on traffic management, active travel, public transport optimization, and the integration of new technologies like CAVs and MaaS. He leads the Transportation Research Group (TRG) at Southampton and has contributed to projects funded by the EU, UK authorities, and industry partners like BMW. Key areas include network reliability, cyclist safety, and land use-transport interaction. He is Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the IET Intelligent Transport Systems journal and serves on TRB committees. Teaching includes Highway & Traffic Engineering modules at Southampton and他曾指导过多个研究生项目。他精通希腊语、英语、德语、法语和意大利语。
Ana Dyreson is an Assistant Professor in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Michigan Technological University and Associate Research Director at the Center for Innovation in Sustainability & Resilience (CISR). She leads the Great Lakes Energy Group, focusing on climate change impacts on electric power systems , energy transitions in cold climates , and thermal power plant modeling . Her work bridges solar photovoltaic design , electricity grid operational modeling , and the energy-water nexus . Education : PhD in Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison (2018) MS in Mechanical Engineering, Northern Arizona University (2014) BS in Engineering Mechanics, University of Wisconsin–Madison (2011) Research emphasizes climate-resilient energy systems , particularly solar energy in cold climates and grid-scale modeling . Her 2025-2022 publications investigate snow mitigation on PV panels , heat pump adoption , floating solar-hydropower hybrids , and climate stressor impacts on thermoelectric plants . She develops inclusive teaching methods and advises on renewable energy deployment through initiatives like the Tech Forward Initiative on Sustainability and Resilience . Her team collaborates on multisector dynamics and energy-water-climate research in the Great Lakes region.
Dr. George Raber is a Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Southern Mississippi. His expertise spans Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, spatial modeling, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). He holds a PhD from the University of South Carolina (2003), an MS from the same institution (2001), and a BS from Brigham Young University (1999). His research focuses on applying geospatial techniques to environmental challenges, particularly in coastal regions, with technical strengths in web mapping, spatial programming, and UAV-based remote sensing. Key research areas include coastal hazard exposure analysis, coral reef restoration, and the integration of machine learning with remote sensing data. His work emphasizes practical applications such as marine habitat mapping, risk assessment for coastal communities, and low-cost monitoring technologies like small unmanned surface vehicles (sUSVs). Dr. Raber's publications reflect a trend toward interdisciplinary solutions, combining geospatial technologies with environmental conservation and urban studies. Notable contributions include studies on UAV-LiDAR accuracy in marsh ecosystems and the socioeconomic impacts of environmental policies. He teaches courses ranging from foundational GIS and cartography to advanced topics like spatial programming and environmental remote sensing. His office is located in Walker Science Building 226.
Ashly Cabas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering at North Carolina State University (NC State). She leads the GEOHAZARDS AND EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING (GEOQUAKE) RESEARCH LAB , focusing on geotechnical aspects of earthquake engineering, including seismic hazard assessment, ground motion modeling, and liquefaction-induced ground deformations. Her work integrates geospatial analytics, numerical modeling, and probabilistic frameworks to enhance infrastructure resilience against seismic risks. Research interests include: Predictive modeling of liquefaction-induced lateral spreading Regional seismic velocity modeling for coastal plains Geostatistical analysis of ground motion data Impact of fluvial geomorphology on seismic hazards Advances in site response analysis methodologies Her research team examines large-scale ground motion databases (e.g., KiK-Net, DesignSafe) and collaborates on projects like the 2023 Gulf/Atlantic Coastal Plains Seismic Model . Key recent contributions involve improving input ground-motion selection protocols and developing databases for hazard mitigation. Grants & Awards: She leads a NSF CAREER Award (2022) focused on probabilistic seismic site response modeling under uncertainty. Her work emphasizes reproducible research practices, as highlighted in publications advocating for open data/code sharing. Labs/Teams: Directs the GEOQUAKE Lab, which bridges geotechnical engineering and computational methods to address societal risks from earthquakes. Collaborations include global case studies (e.g., 2011 Christchurch earthquake, 2018 Anchorage earthquake).
Dr. Narcisa Pricope is Professor of Geography and Geospatial Science in the Department of Geosciences at Mississippi State University (MSU) and concurrently serves as Associate Vice President for Research in MSU’s Office of Research and Economic Development. Previously, she spent a decade at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) where she founded and directed multiple high-profile programs, including the NSF-funded Coastal UAS Observatory and the USGIF-accredited Geospatial Intelligence certificate. Education PhD in Geography (minor Environmental Engineering), University of Florida, 2011 MSc in Geosciences, Western Kentucky University, 2006 BA in Geography and English, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 2004 Research Interests Dr. Pricope is a land-systems scientist who integrates geospatial modelling, remote sensing, and unoccupied aerial systems (UAS) to investigate complex socio-ecological interactions at the food-water-energy nexus. Her work emphasizes understanding environmental variability and human vulnerability to land degradation, drought, and climate change, with a strong commitment to community-engaged research across dryland regions in eastern and southern Africa, Peru, Nepal, and coastal/inland North America. Key methodological thrusts include: Advanced machine-learning and geostatistical analytics Multi-scale remote sensing (satellite, airborne, UAS) Topobathymetric LiDAR for coastal and inland water management GeoAI and geospatial intelligence capacity building Research Trends from Recent Publications Across more than 50 peer-reviewed articles, Dr. Pricope’s recent work demonstrates a pronounced focus on global drying trends, precision mapping of coastal and inland ecosystems, and the deployment of machine-learning techniques to tackle environmental challenges such as salinity intrusion, vegetation classification, and heavy-metal contamination. A strong policy-oriented thread is evident, with several 2024–2025 publications calling for urgent adaptive solutions to aridification and integrating climate policy with disaster planning. Scientific Awards 2022 UNCW Graduate Faculty Mentor Award 2022 Discere Aude Mentorship Award 2021 UNCW College of Arts and Sciences Research Award Grants & Strategic Initiatives Dr. Pricope has secured funding from NSF, NASA, NOAA Sea Grant, USAID, World Bank, Global Environment Facility, NCDOT and NGA, among others. At MSU she leads strategic initiatives in climate resilience, GeoAI programming, and university-wide research support. Laboratories & Teams She previously directed the NSF-funded UNCW Coastal UAS Observatory and oversaw the FAA Collegiate Training Initiative in UAS, positioning UNCW as a national hub for geospatial intelligence education and research. At MSU, she continues to foster interdisciplinary collaboration across geosciences, engineering, and social sciences.
Professor Nan Jiang is a Professor and Head of the Department of Computing and Informatics at Bournemouth University (BU), where he has been a faculty member since 2010. He leads research and teaching in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), digital health, and usability engineering. He co-founded the Bournemouth University Human-Computer Interaction (BUCHI) research group in 2012, contributing significantly to the university’s research excellence in REF 2021. MSc in Advanced Methods, Queen Mary, University of London (2002) PhD in Web Usability, Queen Mary, University of London (2009) His research focuses on data-driven usability evaluation, with recent emphasis on digital health applications, explainable AI (XAI), and accessible technologies. He investigates how user interactions can be optimized for health services on mobile devices, particularly for chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis and mental health. His work bridges technical innovation with user-centered design principles. The 15 most recent publications reflect a strong trend in human-AI interaction, digital health interventions, and accessibility. Key themes include trust calibration in AI systems, co-design of health technologies, and the development of assistive tools using smartphone sensors. His research spans both technical AI modeling and deep user experience evaluation. Active reviewer for top HCI conferences and journals Reviewer for UKRI research councils and SBRI External Examiner at Kingston University and University of East London Member of W3C China Former public expert for W3C HTML Working Group Professor Jiang has secured significant research funding from the European Commission (H2020), ERDF, HEIF, and Innovate UK. He has supervised six PhD students to completion and continues to mentor graduate researchers. He has led major projects such as the FACETS digital toolkit for MS patients and Authentibility Pass for accessible authentication. He also contributes to public engagement through workshops and media appearances on digital addiction and CAPTCHA design. He co-founded and co-chaired the HCI Research Group at BU from 2015 to 2023 and has led initiatives in gamified learning, e-recruitment modeling, and intelligent interfaces. His team, often collaborating with Dr. Huseyin Dogan and Dr. Shamal Faily, focuses on real-world applications of HCI in healthcare, security, and social computing.
Benjamin Suger is a researcher in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Freiburg, affiliated with the Autonomous Intelligent Systems group within the Faculty of Engineering. His work centers on robotics and intelligent systems, particularly in autonomous navigation and environment modeling. Diploma in Mathematics, University of Freiburg (2003–2011) PhD Student, Autonomous Intelligent Systems Group, University of Freiburg (2011–2017) His research interests include traversability analysis, SLAM, 3D modeling, and mobile robotics. He applies machine learning and computer vision techniques to enable robust robot navigation in complex and dynamic environments. His work often integrates sensor data from 3D lidar and visual systems to improve perception and localization. The recent publications highlight a strong focus on long-term autonomy, outdoor navigation, and memory-efficient SLAM algorithms. Key themes include handling perceptual changes, terrain adaptability, and integration of open geospatial data like OpenStreetMap. His work bridges theoretical algorithm development with real-world robotic applications. Scientific recognition includes being a finalist for the Best Conference Paper Award. This reflects the impact and quality of his contributions to the robotics community. Best Conference Paper Award Finalist Benjamin Suger has contributed significantly to research projects such as LifeNav and has served as a teaching assistant for the Introduction to Mobile Robotics course. While no direct advising of students is listed, his collaborative work with prominent researchers like Wolfram Burgard indicates active participation in a larger academic and research team. He has not received external grant mentions in the provided text. He is part of the Autonomous Intelligent Systems lab at the University of Freiburg, a leading group in robotics research, where he contributes to advancing the state of the art in autonomous navigation and environmental understanding for mobile robots.
Stefan Baral is a Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, with affiliations in the Center for Global Health and the Center for Public Health and Human Rights. He is the co-director of the Program for Implementation and Equity Research (PIER) and leads multiple NIH-funded initiatives focused on HIV, stigma, and implementation science. Education: MD, Queen’s University (2005) MSc, McMaster University (2001) MPH, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (2007) MBA, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School (2007) His research focuses on epidemiology and implementation science related to infectious diseases, particularly HIV and STIs among key populations such as men who have sex with men, female sex workers, and transgender individuals. He investigates stigma, mental health, and structural barriers to care in Sub-Saharan Africa and the U.S. His work emphasizes equity, human rights, and scalable public health interventions. His extensive publication record, with over 550 outputs, demonstrates consistent leadership in HIV epidemiology, stigma measurement, and implementation research. Recent articles highlight his focus on big data, PrEP access, gender-based violence in conflict settings, and community-engaged implementation science. Scientific Awards: Research Contributions to Health in Senegal, Ministry of Health, Senegal (2018) Global Health Advising Award, Johns Hopkins (2015, 2012) C.P. Shah Award for Resident Research (2009) Multiple scholarships and recognitions from 2000–2008 Baral is actively involved in advising and grant leadership, serving as Principal Investigator on multiple R01 grants from NIH, amFAR, and the Global Fund. He co-directs the Implementation Science concentration in the DrPH program and teaches advanced courses in implementation research methods. He leads collaborative teams across global institutions and community organizations, emphasizing equity and impact in public health science. He is affiliated with key research hubs including the Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) Implementation Science core and the Mid-Atlantic Consortium (MACC+) Implementation Science support hub.
Ben Hodges is a Professor in the Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering (CAEE) Department at the University of Texas at Austin, holding the Marion E. Forsman Centennial Professorship in Engineering. He specializes in environmental and water resources engineering, with a focus on computational fluid dynamics (CFD), urban stormwater drainage modeling, and river dynamics. His research bridges hydraulics, geospatial analysis, and environmental fluid mechanics, addressing challenges like flood modeling, water distribution systems, and supersaturated dissolved gas management. Education: Ph.D., Civil Engineering, Stanford University (1997) M.S., Mechanical Engineering, George Washington University (1991) B.S., Marine Engineering/Nautical Science, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (1984) Research Interests: Development of computational models (e.g., SPRNT, Frehd, SUNTANS) Oil spill transport modeling, saltwater intrusion, and continental river networks High-performance parallel algorithms and hydraulic simulation tools His work emphasizes practical applications, such as designing stormwater systems and predicting environmental impacts like oil spill trajectories. He collaborates on projects with organizations like IBM Research Austin and the U.S. EPA, contributing to tools like the SWMM5+ and PTSNet simulators. Hodges advises a dynamic graduate research group (JETlab) and maintains active involvement in academic conferences and international collaborations.
Carey W. King is a Research Scientist at the Energy Institute and Lecturer in the Department of Business, Government, and Society at the Red McCombs School of Business, both at The University of Texas at Austin. He also holds appointments in the Jackson School of Geosciences and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. His interdisciplinary research focuses on energy systems, their interactions with economic and environmental systems, and policy implications. King earned his Ph.D. and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. Education Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, 2004 B.S. with High Honors, Mechanical Engineering, 1997 Research Interests King’s work bridges economic and biophysical perspectives, emphasizing rigorous analysis of energy systems, net energy metrics (e.g., EROI), and long-term sustainability. He explores trade-offs in energy policy, climate change mitigation, and resilience of infrastructure to extreme weather. His recent focus includes modeling the energy-water-food nexus and systemic drivers of economic growth. Key Contributions He authored The Economic Superorganism (Springer, 2021), a seminal work on energy-economy interactions. His peer-reviewed publications span energy policy, climate science, and systems modeling. Key contributions include frameworks for assessing energy transitions, resilience to climate impacts, and metrics for sustainability. Awards & Recognition Rosenfeld Plaque (2010), Environmental Research Letters Best Paper Award, ASME Energy Sustainability Conference (2010) National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship (1998) Professional Activities King advises numerous graduate students and has served on thesis committees across disciplines. He has delivered keynote speeches at global conferences and testified on energy-water policy. His research has been featured in outlets like The Wall Street Journal , Marketplace , and American Scientist . Labs & Teams His research group focuses on interdisciplinary systems analysis, integrating energy, economics, and environmental data. Collaborations include the Biophysical Economics Institute and the Planetary Limits Network.
Sebastian Kurtek is a Professor of Statistics at The Ohio State University, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. He holds roles in the Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Biostatistics and Translational Data Analytics. His research focuses on statistical shape analysis, functional data analysis, and Bayesian statistics, addressing challenges in medical imaging, computer vision, and biometrics. Education: PhD in Biostatistics, Florida State University (2012) M.S. in Biostatistics, Florida State University (2009) B.S. in Mathematics, Tulane University (2007) Research Interests: Development of statistical models for complex functional data, including shapes and images Applications in medical imaging, biology, and computer vision Computational tools for Riemannian manifold analysis Publications & Trends: Recent work emphasizes geometric frameworks for analyzing eye tracking heat maps, radiogenomics in tumors, and Bayesian approaches for functional data registration. His articles highlight interdisciplinary applications, combining statistics with fields like computer vision and medical imaging. Awards: Best Paper Awards in computer vision, pattern recognition, and medical imaging NSF funding (multiple grants since 2016) IMS and AMS Travel Awards Grants & Collaborations: NSF DMS-1613054 (2016-2020) NIH R37-CA214955 (2017-2024) Collaborations on endometrial tissue modeling and fossil classification Labs/Teams: Involved in CBMS Conference on Elastic Functional and Shape Data Analysis (EFSDA), advancing methodologies for shape and functional data analysis.
Lisa O'Bryan is an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University. She holds a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota (2015) and a B.S. in Zoology from Texas A&M University (2008). Her research focuses on understanding communication mechanisms underlying collective social behaviors in both human and non-human species, leveraging computational models and machine learning. She has pioneered the use of wearable dataloggers and audio-visual recording technologies to study animal groups and human teams. Dr. O’Bryan’s interdisciplinary work bridges engineering, biology, and social sciences. Her current research investigates vocal turn-taking in human teams and vocal coordination in animal groups. She has received prestigious fellowships, including the James S. McDonnell Postdoctoral Fellowship (2015) and the Rice Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship (2018). Her long-term goals include applying insights from collective behavior to improve human collaboration, aid wildlife conservation, and inform artificial intelligence design. Research Highlights: Developed novel methodologies for analyzing collective intelligence in human teams Discovered goats use copying rather than voting to coordinate movement Explored communication networks in baboons and chimpanzees Her work has been featured in Nature Magazine and she frequently collaborates across disciplines, integrating engineering tools with ecological and behavioral studies.
Noemi Vergopolan is an Assistant Professor in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences at Rice University. Her research focuses on computational hydrology and the water-climate nexus, leveraging satellite remote sensing, machine learning, and high-performance computing to improve hydrological prediction and decision-making for water resource management. Education: B.S. in Environmental Engineering (Federal University of Paraná), M.A. and Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering (Princeton University). Research Interests: Computational hydrology, satellite remote sensing of soil moisture, Earth system modeling, and the water-energy-food nexus. Her work emphasizes scalable approaches for high-resolution hydrological prediction and bridging gaps between local and global monitoring systems. Awards: 2022 American Geophysical Union - Science for Solutions Award 2022 Paul F. Boulos Excellence in Computational Hydrology Award Her research includes developing frameworks like HydroBlocks and SMAP-HydroBlocks for field-scale hydrological modeling, advancing drought monitoring, and integrating machine learning with climate models. Current projects address flash drought dynamics, agroforestry systems, and hyper-resolution soil moisture applications in India and Malawi.
