Professor William (Bill) Bloss is an atmospheric scientist at the University of Birmingham, serving as Head of the College of Life & Environmental Sciences. His research integrates laboratory studies, field measurements, and numerical models to address air pollution sources, transformations, and policy implications. PhD in Atmospheric Chemistry, University of Cambridge BA in Natural Sciences (Chemistry), University of Cambridge Research focuses on: Urban air pollutant sources and transformations (e.g., Delhi, Birmingham) Atmospheric oxidant dynamics and reactive nitrogen cycles Policy-driven air quality improvement via projects like WM-Air and ASAP-Delhi Recent publications emphasize: Street-scale pollution modelling Particulate matter source apportionment Climate risk mapping methodologies Scientific recognition includes: Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) Chair of RSC Environmental Chemistry Group (2012–2015) Advisory roles span: Clean Air Advisory Panel for Wales Strategic Advisory Board, RESAS Scotland
Dan Steinberg is a senior research scientist and team leader of the Decisions & Statistical Learning team at CSIRO Data61 in Canberra, Australia. His expertise lies in probabilistic machine learning, variational inference, Bayesian deep learning, causal inference, and their application to domains spanning synthetic biology, geospatial analytics, and algorithmic fairness. Education PhD in Computer Vision / Machine Learning (2013) – University of Sydney, Australian Centre for Field Robotics Bachelor of Engineering (Mechatronics, First-Class Honours) – University of Sydney (2008) Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) – University of Sydney (2008) Research Interests Steinberg’s core research agenda revolves around building scalable probabilistic models that can learn efficiently from limited or noisy data and provide principled uncertainty estimates. Key themes include: Variational Inference & Bayesian Deep Learning: developing lightweight yet powerful algorithms for approximate posterior inference in complex models (e.g., Aboleth, Revrand). Active Learning & Experimental Design: creating methods that decide which experiments or measurements will maximise information gain, with recent focus on in-silico protein engineering via Variational Search Distributions (VSD). Causal Inference: leveraging machine-learning tools to perform robust observational causal studies for evidence-based policy, including work on youth well-being and academic outcomes. Algorithmic Fairness: translating normative notions of equity into quantifiable objectives for regression-based decision systems. Large-scale Spatial Analytics: Landshark—an open-source TensorFlow toolkit for supervised learning on massive geospatial raster datasets. Notable Software & Tools Aboleth: A minimal-overhead TensorFlow framework for Bayesian deep learning. Landshark: Command-line tools for large-scale spatial inference. Revrand: Scalable Bayesian generalised linear models with non-conjugate likelihoods. libcluster: Extensible C++ library for hierarchical Bayesian clustering. Scientific Awards Oral Presentation Award – ICML 2025 Workshop on Scaling up Intervention Models (SIMS) Oral Presentation Award – NeurIPS 2024 Workshop on Bayesian Decision-making and Uncertainty (BDU) Oral Presentation Award – NeurIPS 2023 Workshop on Adaptive Experimental Design and Active Learning Spotlight Paper Award – NeurIPS 2014 (Extended and Unscented Gaussian Processes) Research Team & Collaborations As Team Leader – Decisions & Statistical Learning at CSIRO Data61, Steinberg directs a multi-disciplinary group that partners with government agencies (e.g., Jobs and Skills Australia, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) and industry to deploy machine-learning solutions at scale. He has previously held roles as Principal Researcher at Gradient Institute (2019-2023), Senior Research Engineer at CSIRO Data61 (2016-2019), Researcher at NICTA (2013-2016), and Research Associate at the University of Sydney (2012-2013).
Mohamed Allali is an Associate Professor at Chapman University, affiliated with both the Fowler School of Engineering (Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science) and Schmid College of Science and Technology (Department of Mathematics). His research spans data engineering, machine learning, climate informatics, and mathematical education. He has contributed to constraint-based intelligent tutoring systems, data drift detection using KL divergence, and geospatial analysis for environmental monitoring. Education: University of Oklahoma (BS, MA, PhD). His recent work focuses on data distribution divergence, climate modeling for sea turtle habitats, and neural network applications in medical imaging. He has collaborated extensively on drought indices, satellite data validation, and educational technologies. His publications highlight expertise in statistical learning, computational methods, and interdisciplinary environmental applications.
Vladimír Siládi, PhD, serves as Assistant Professor and Head of the Department of Computer Science at Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, where he has held academic positions since 1995. His current roles include Project Coordinator for the Virtual University initiative and Registration Authority for SlovakGrid, with prior experience as a part-time Assistant Professor at Slovak University of Technology. Educational Background: PhD in Computer Science, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (1997-2007) Master's in Theology, Comenius University in Bratislava (2003-2008) Master's in Secondary Education and Teaching (cum laude) and PaedDr. (EdD), Matej Bel University (1988-1993, 2005) High School Diploma, GMN Banská Štiavnica (1984-1988) His research centers on Grid Computing architectures , parallel processing techniques , and security frameworks for distributed systems . Specialized expertise includes GPU-accelerated algorithms for NP-hard problems, trust models in ad hoc grid environments, and cloud-based educational platforms. His interdisciplinary work bridges computer science with environmental modeling and psychological applications through virtual reality systems. Publication analysis reveals a consistent focus on computational optimization across 12 major works (2006-2014), with recent contributions emphasizing trust intersection models for decentralized grids (2012-2013) and cloud-based educational infrastructure (2013). Earlier works established foundations in GPU-accelerated network topology optimization and genetic algorithms for irregular systems (2006-2010). Scientific Awards: No awards documented in source materials Project leadership includes the Virtual University of Matej Bel University (ITMS 26110230077) coordinating 85 team members across 280 courses, plus TEMPUS-FLACE distance learning development (1998-2000). His registration authority role for SlovakGrid since 2009 supports national research infrastructure. Departmental leadership involves managing the Computer Science team while teaching core courses in algorithms, grid technologies, and GPU programming, maintaining consultation hours for student engagement.
Sivasakthy Selvakumaran is a Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge's Department of Engineering, affiliated with Isaac Newton Trust and Newnham College. Her work focuses on applying satellite imaging technologies like InSAR to monitor millimetre-scale earth surface movements for assessing built environment infrastructure resilience. Current role: Isaac Newton Trust / Newnham Fellow in Engineering Institution: University of Cambridge Department: Engineering Her research bridges civil engineering, geoinformatics, and remote sensing to predict structural failures in urban infrastructure. She specializes in integrating Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) with conventional surveying methods and digital engineering models to enhance infrastructure monitoring capabilities. Sakthy's publications highlight her expertise in using InSAR stacking techniques for bridge scour detection and developing earth observation frameworks. As a Chartered Civil Engineer with global experience, she has worked on mega-projects like Crossrail in London, post-earthquake housing reconstruction, and industry R&D roles before returning to academia to establish a research group focused on earth observation applications.
Agostino Tomasello is an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and Marine Sciences at the University of Palermo. His academic position (BIOS-01/C classification) reflects his specialization in marine biological systems, with particular focus on Mediterranean seagrass ecosystems. He maintains regular office hours both at the main campus (Viale delle Scienze building 16) and at the Trapani teaching center for Biotechnology students. Dr. Tomasello's research interests center on marine ecology, particularly the biology and conservation of Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows. His work spans environmental monitoring, coastal management, and the impacts of human activities on marine ecosystems. He has extensively studied seagrass transplantation, habitat mapping using acoustic technologies, and the effects of environmental stressors including climate change and ocean acidification. His publication record demonstrates expertise in both field research and advanced statistical modeling of marine ecological data. The 15 most recent articles show consistent focus on Posidonia oceanica ecosystems, with methodologies ranging from morphological analysis to geospatial modeling. His research has important implications for marine conservation and management of Mediterranean coastal environments. Dr. Tomasello actively supervises graduate students, with recent theses focused on marine biology topics including seagrass mapping, environmental monitoring, and restoration ecology. His work with students demonstrates practical application of research to real-world conservation challenges.
Scott Michael Bartell is a Professor and currently serves as the Vice Dean of Academic Affairs at the Joe C. Wen School of Population and Public Health, University of California, Irvine. He has been at UCI since 2006, progressing from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor and ultimately to Professor. His academic journey includes positions at Emory University and research experiences at UC Davis and the University of Washington. Dr. Bartell earned his educational credentials from prestigious institutions: Ph.D. in Epidemiology from University of California, Davis (2003) M.S. in Statistics from University of California, Davis (2001) M.S. in Environmental Health from University of Washington School of Public Health (1996) B.A. in Environmental Sciences from University of California, Berkeley (1994) Dr. Bartell's research focuses on environmental health methodology, exposure assessment, environmental epidemiology, and risk analysis , with particular expertise in per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). His work bridges statistical methods with practical environmental health applications, developing tools like the Blood PFAS Calculator and the MapGAM R package for spatial epidemiology. His research has been featured in prominent media outlets including Veritasium. Analysis of Dr. Bartell's recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a strong focus on PFAS exposure assessment and health effects, particularly in vulnerable populations including children, adolescents, and pregnant women. His work increasingly integrates multi-omics approaches with traditional epidemiological methods, examining how environmental exposures affect metabolic pathways, liver function, and neurological outcomes. Much of this research leverages the Teen-LABS cohort studying adolescents undergoing bariatric surgery. Dr. Bartell's scientific contributions have been recognized with several awards: Chancellor's Fellow (2023-2026) Excellence in Service Award (2025) Recognition for Outstanding Leadership Award (2019) As an academic leader, Dr. Bartell has directed doctoral programs, increased enrollment by 7% annually, and facilitated curriculum revisions for CEPH re-accreditation. He has mentored numerous graduate students, with several first-author publications by students. His administrative roles have expanded from Director of Doctoral Degrees to Associate Dean and now Vice Dean of Academic Affairs, overseeing degree programs serving over 1,600 students. Dr. Bartell leads the Spatial Epidemiology Research Group at UCI and is actively involved in multiple research projects including the UCI PFAS Health Study. His work often involves interdisciplinary collaborations across environmental health, statistics, and clinical medicine.
Jaeyoung Ha is an Assistant Professor in Landscape Architecture at Virginia Tech's School of Design. His research focuses on the intersection of environments and human well-being, leveraging immersive visualization technologies, and advancing climate resilience strategies. Ph.D. in Environmental Design and Planning, Kansas State University Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA), Seoul National University Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture, Pusan National University Mental Well-being: Investigates how landscapes influence psychological restoration through biodiversity and spatial patterns, employing VR experiments and observational studies. Immersive Visualization: Pioneers AR/VR applications in landscape education and design decision-making. Climate Resilience: Conducts interdisciplinary research on green infrastructure and urban heat island mitigation. His 15 most recent publications span 2017–2025, with recurring themes of mental health assessment , 3D urban morphology , multisensory landscape evaluation , and ecosystem services quantification . Articles combine theoretical exploration and data-driven methodologies across diverse urban contexts.
Paulina Jaramillo is a Professor in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), where she co-directs the Open Energy Outlook Initiative. She is a fellow of the Scott Institute for Energy Innovation and Research at CMU and a research affiliate of the Kigali Collaborative Research Center. Jaramillo also holds a courtesy appointment in CMU Africa. Her research focuses on the social, economic, and environmental implications of energy system transitions, with a particular emphasis on climate change mitigation, sustainable energy access in the Global South, and equitable energy planning. Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineering, CMU (2007) M.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, CMU (2004) B.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Florida International University (2003) Her recent work explores diverse decarbonization pathways, hydrogen's role in industrial sectors, and geospatial assessments for climate resilience. Jaramillo has received prestigious awards including the Andrew Carnegie Fellowship (2020), ELATES Fellowship (2023), and leadership roles in the IPCC’s 6th Assessment Report. Andrew Carnegie Fellow (2020) Coordinating Lead Author, IPCC 6th Assessment Report (2019-2022) Member, National Academies Roundtable (2023-2024) ELATES Fellow (2023-2024) Jaramillo leads interdisciplinary research projects, including a $1.5 million NSF-funded INDABA partnership for industrial decarbonization and AfriqAir initiatives for cleaner air in Africa. She collaborates with CMU’s Kigali Collaborative Research Center and Scott Institute, emphasizing stakeholder engagement and local conditions in energy system development.
Cristina Azevedo Gomes is a full-time Researcher and Coordinating Professor at the School of Education of Viseu , Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Portugal. She has held leadership roles including President of the institution (2021–present) and Coordinator of the ICT Competence Center (2021–present). Her career spans three decades at the same institution, holding roles like Assistant Professor (1984–2005) and Adjunct Teacher (1992–2005). Education : PhD in Computer Engineering (2001), University of Coimbra Master’s in Systems and Information Technology in Education (1991), University of Coimbra Bachelor’s in Chemistry (1983), University of Coimbra Research Interests : Her work bridges Educational Technology , Robotics in Early Education , and Multisensory Learning . She focuses on digital tools for environmental education, intergenerational inclusion via apps, and algorithmic thinking in primary schools. Projects like GreenCode , MindMaths , and VIAS highlight her commitment to eco-friendly tech and social innovation. Publications & Projects : Over 15 recent articles analyze trends in mobile sensors for school health , gender dynamics in STEM , and pedagogical ICT integration . She has led EU-funded initiatives (Erasmus+, FEDER) and coordinated national programs like NÓNIO-SÉCULO XXI . Awards : António Vaquero Award (2016, 2018) Supervision & Leadership : She mentors Master’s students in education and communication, with 20+ theses supervised (2004–2023). She leads the Smart City Lab for Kids and has designed frameworks for multisensory educational software evaluation.
Antonio Rago is a Researcher in the Department of Computing at Imperial College London. He specializes in Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) with a focus on computational argumentation frameworks and their integration with data-driven AI systems. His work bridges symbolic AI and machine learning to enhance transparency and societal benefit in AI applications. Education: PhD in Computing (2019) from Imperial College London, supervised by Prof. Francesca Toni and Dr. Marco Aurisicchio, with an MEng in Automotive Engineering from Loughborough University (2012). Research: Explores explainable AI through argumentation semantics, counterfactual reasoning, and hybrid symbolic-statistical methods. Application domains include e-learning, Formula One race strategy, healthcare, and mechanical engineering. Workshops: Organizer of international workshops like Arg&App 2025 and ArgXAI-25, and co-organizer of previous events at KR, ECAI, and COMMA conferences. Publications: Active in top AI venues (KR, IJCAI, AAAI, AAMAS) with over 25 publications since 2016, emphasizing argumentation-based explanations and robust AI systems. Industry Experience: Former Race Strategy Engineer at Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team (2012-2014) and Project Manager at Green Lifting Ltd. (2014-2017).
Enrico R Crema is an Associate Professor in Computational Analysis of Long-Term Human Cultural and Biological Dynamics at the Department of Archaeology , University of Cambridge, and a Fellow at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. His work integrates computational modeling, quantitative analysis, and cultural evolutionary theory to address long-term human societal changes. Research Focus: Cultural evolution, prehistoric demography, settlement archaeology, and the Jomon-Yayoi transition in Japan. Key Projects: ERC-funded ENCOUNTER on rice farming diffusion, Leverhulme-funded BuckBee on crop-pollinator dynamics, and Marie Sklodowska-Curie supervised projects on archaeological modeling. Recent Publications highlight his expertise in Bayesian radiocarbon analysis, demographic modeling, and cultural transmission studies. His methodological contributions include the rcarbon and nimbleCarbon R packages for open science in archaeology. Scientific Awards include the McDonald Anniversary Research Fellowship Philip Leverhulme Prize in Archaeology Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship (Host Supervisor) Advising involves mentoring current PhD candidates like Leah Brainerd Christiane-Marie Cantwell Alexes Mes Charles Simmons Finn Stileman Andriana Xenaki and former students including Rachel Blevis Jasmine Vieri Benjamin J Utting .
Sandra Wall-Reinius is an Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer at Mid-Sweden University, affiliated with the Department of Economics, Geography, Law and Tourism (EJT) and the European Tourism Research Institute (ETOUR). Her work bridges Human Geography with practical tourism and recreation management issues. Academic Titles: Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor Institution: Mid-Sweden University, Östersund Research Units: ETOUR, Department of EJT Research Focus includes: Social representations of nature and human-nature interactions Environmental justice, spatial inequalities, and tourism conflicts Accessible tourism and therapeutic landscapes for marginalized groups Multifunctional landscape governance Recreation ecology and sustainable tourism Recent Publications highlight trends in: Accessibility planning for outdoor recreation Tourism enclave dynamics Trail systems as collaborative tools Wildlife tourism economics Gerontological perspectives in nature recreation Policy frameworks for mountain landscapes Supervision includes PhD students Elena Pibernik, Michael Röslmaier, and Nicholaus Voogt, with completed supervision of Axel Eriksson (2024), Jack Shepherd (2022), and others. She contributes to projects like MISTRA Sport & Outdoors and VIMAS Visitor Monitoring .
Mark Edward Borsuk is the James L. and Elizabeth M. Vincent Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering. He leads the Borsuk Lab, which specializes in interdisciplinary modeling of coupled social, environmental, and technical systems. His research spans climate change, ecosystem services, water resources, land use, and environmental health, using advanced methods such as Bayesian networks, agent-based modeling, game theory, and risk analysis. He co-directs the Center on Risk within Duke’s Science & Society Initiative and is an Associate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society. B.S.E. in Civil Engineering and Operations Research, Princeton University, 1995 M.S. in Statistics and Decision Sciences, Duke University, 2001 Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Policy, Duke University, 2001 Postdoctoral Training, EAWAG (Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology), Systems Analysis, Integrated Assessment, and Modelling (SIAM) Dr. Borsuk’s research focuses on integrating scientific data across disciplines to support decision-making under uncertainty. He is a leading expert in Bayesian network modeling applied to environmental and human health regulation. His work combines risk analysis, game theory, and agent-based modeling to assess climate change and environmental policy. He has developed novel frameworks for valuing ecosystem services, modeling landowner behavior, and assessing geoengineering risks. His lab emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and quantitative decision support. His recent publications reflect a strong trend toward integrating machine learning, causal inference, and spatial modeling into environmental assessment. Topics include solar radiation modification governance, land-use policy forecasting, invasive species impacts, and urban green space valuation. His work increasingly leverages big data (e.g., Zillow, remote sensing) and probabilistic programming to enhance model transparency and predictive accuracy. Chauncey Starr Distinguished Young Risk Analyst Award, Society for Risk Analysis, 2013 Early Career Research Excellence Award, International Environmental Modelling and Software Society, 2008 Earl I. Brown Outstanding Civil Engineering Faculty Award, Duke University, 2018 Best Paper, Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management Journal, 2012 Excellence in Mentoring Award, Dartmouth College Postdoctoral Association, 2010 Best Paper in Integrated Modelling, Environmental Modelling & Software Journal, 2008 Dr. Borsuk has been a principal investigator on grants from NSF, EPA, NIH, NIEHS, and USFS. He mentors a diverse group of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, including Kim Bourne, Jon Holt, Chris Krapu, and Ryan Calder. He teaches courses such as Risk and Resilience Engineering, Engineering Economics, and Independent Study in Civil and Environmental Engineering. He is actively involved in advising and curriculum development through the Bass Connections Energy & Environment Research Team. He leads the Borsuk Lab, a dynamic research group focused on systems, risk, and decision analysis. The lab is a key contributor to the Bridge Collaborative—a partnership between Duke, The Nature Conservancy, IFPRI, and PATH—where it develops quantitative models to support cross-sectoral decision-making. The lab also investigates landowner decision-making in New England forests and the governance of solar geoengineering, using agent-based and deliberative modeling approaches.
Associate Professor Mehmet Kizil is the Mining Engineering Program Leader at the School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, The University of Queensland. With a career spanning 25+ years, he holds a Bachelor of Mining Engineering (1986) from Dokuz Eylul University (Turkey) and PhD (1993) from the University of Nottingham (UK). His affiliations include being an affiliate of Future Autonomous Systems and Technologies and active participation in Mining Education Australia. School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering Australian Research Council (ACARP, CRCTiME, MRIWA, SIMTARS, industry partners) Research interests focus on mine planning/design, production optimization, computer/virtual reality applications, and mine ventilation systems. His 2025-2024 publications highlight innovations in FMIPCC systems, methane dispersion modeling, digital twins for mineral processing, and sustainable underground mining. Notable scientific achievements include being recognized as Higher Education Academy Senior Fellow (2018) and receiving national teaching awards. His work with industry partners (Newcrest, Rio Tinto, BHP, Xstrata, Anglo American, Origin Energy, Iluka Resources) has secured over $3M in research funding.
