Professor Christine (Tini) Mathies serves as Pro Vice-Chancellor, Education at UNSW Sydney. With 18 years at UNSW Business School in roles including Senior Deputy Dean and Associate Dean, she is a recognized leader in marketing education innovation. Current strategic leadership roles Extensive academic background Recognized for educational transformation Her research focuses on services marketing with emphasis on technology integration, consumer psychology, and service experience optimization. Key areas include frontline service robots, humor in service delivery, and consumer decision-making frameworks. Recent publications demonstrate trends in service robotics , humor applications , and crowdsourcing dynamics . These works span 2014-2025 with interdisciplinary connections to psychology, technology, and business strategy. 2023 ASCILITE Innovation Award 2021 QS/Wharton Reimagine Education Award 2011 Australasian Marketing Journal Best Paper Educational leadership includes co-leading UNSW's Assessment and Feedback transformation, with focus on equitable higher education pathways . Her teaching innovations emphasize student-centered approaches and curriculum modernization.
Georgina Heydon is a Professor of Criminology and Justice Studies and a forensic linguist at RMIT University's School of Global, Urban and Social Studies (GUSS). She specializes in investigative interviewing practices, forensic linguistics, and legal-societal issues in policing. Her research focuses on improving questioning methods for vulnerable populations, cross-cultural communication in justice systems, and the impact of criminal records on employment. Key roles include co-convenor of the Gendered Violence and Abuse Research Alliance (GEVARA) and former President of the International Association of Forensic Linguists (IAFL). She has led major grants examining sexual assault reporting mechanisms and Aboriginal employment barriers linked to criminal records. Heydon designs interviewing training programs for police globally and advises multinational corporations on organizational communication. Her research spans legal discourse analysis, interpreter-mediated investigations, and the intersection of language and justice. Media appearances include ABC and SBS TV, where she discusses police interviewing and forensic linguistics. Grants and collaborations include projects with the Australian Research Council, Legal Services Board, and Woor Dungin Aboriginal organization. Teaching interests involve critical discourse analysis of legal communication and criminological methodologies.
Dick Zijp is an Assistant Professor in Heritage of the Dutch Performing Arts at Utrecht University's Department of Media and Culture Studies. He teaches in the Bachelor Media and Culture program, Master Contemporary Theatre, Dance and Dramaturgy, and Master Arts & Society. Specializes in politics and aesthetics of humor (1966–present) PhD thesis (2023) awarded Christie Davies Award Postdoctoral work at KU Leuven on European humor controversies Research Focus : Explores humor's role in public sphere politics, ideological framing in cabaret, and socio-cultural implications of stand-up comedy. Key themes: transgressive humor, cultural memory, and neoliberal critiques in academic contexts. Academic Trends : Recent work examines comic personas (Burnham, Gadsby), heritage documentation (Lurelei cabaret, Showponies 2), and political polarization in comedy. Publications span journals like European Journal of Humor Research and edited volumes on cultural preservation. Honors : Christie Davies Award (2023) Nominated for Boekman Dissertatieprijs (2024) Public Engagement : Regular contributor to De Groene Amsterdammer , NRC , and Theaterkrant.nl . Serves on Nederlands Theater Festival's Cabaret Collectie selection committee since 2023.
Bethany Rose Lamont is a Senior Lecturer in Media Communications at Bath Spa University, affiliated with the Bath School of Art, Film and Media. Her research bridges Childhood and Youth Studies, Trauma Theory, and Digital Media, focusing on how trauma and humor intersect in visual culture. Education: PhD from Central Saint Martins, UAL (2019); MSt in History of Art and Visual Culture from University of Oxford (2014); BA (Hons) First Class from Central Saint Martins (2012). Her research explores trauma's visualization in digital spaces , media ethics , and LGBTQIA+ disability experiences . She investigates nostalgia's role in horror media and participatory media's impact on mental health narratives . Recent publications in First Monday and Galactica Journal examine digital humor around trauma , survivor representation , and nostalgia in prosumer publishing . She guest-edited a 2023 special issue on Digital Nostalgia. Scientific Awards: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA, 2023) Bethany co-edits Doll Hospital Journal and co-produces Sad Girl Cinema , a documentary on mental health in screen culture. She mentors students and youth in neurodiverse and EAL contexts.
Shuhita Bhattacharjee is Assistant Professor of English Literature and Gender & Sexuality Studies in the Department of Liberal Arts and an Affiliated Professor in the Department of Design at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, where she has held academic appointments since 2018. Previously she served as Assistant Professor at Presidency University, Kolkata (2013–2018) and as Lecturer/Adjunct faculty at the University of Iowa and HMM College. Education: PhD English Literature, University of Iowa, USA (2015) MPhil, MA, BA English Literature, Jadavpur University, India (2008, 2006, 2004) Her research ranges across Victorian literature and culture, post-secular theory, religion and secularism, gender and queer studies, postcolonial studies, graphic novels, diaspora cultural production, thing theory, and heritage studies . She interrogates the intersections of faith, gender, empire, and material culture, particularly through fin-de-siècle British and Anglo-Indian fiction. Her publications map a trajectory from Victorian gothic and mesmerism to contemporary South Asian diasporic cinema and web-series, with recurring attention to gendered violence, post-secular identities, and subaltern humor. A second monograph on Colonial Idols in British and Anglo-Indian Literature is forthcoming from Routledge, extending her inquiry into the non-human agency of colonial religious objects. Scientific Awards & Fellowships: Charles Wallace Grant for International Archival Research (2020) Marcus Bach Fellowship (2015) Frederick P. W. McDowell Dissertation Award (2014) Robert L. Platzman Fellowship, University of Chicago (2013) Stanley Award for International Research, University of Iowa (2013) Summer Dissertation Fellowship, University of Iowa (2013) AAUW Fellowship Alternate (2014) She currently leads two ICSSR-funded projects on adolescent sexuality education through picture books and on queer dating-app violence in India, and heads the South Asia chapter of the UKRI AHRC-funded Nineteenth-Century Diversities Research Network (NCDRN) . She founded the Public Humanities Initiative (PHI) at IIT Hyderabad to foster socially-engaged research across disciplines. Beyond academia, Bhattacharjee has extensive social-sector experience on HIV and violence against women, sex education, and anti-sexual harassment policy, informing her gender-sensitisation workshops and classroom praxis.
Dr. Andrew Craig is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences at Queen's University, affiliated with the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Queen’s Cancer Research Institute. He holds cross appointments in the Cancer Biology & Genetics division and the Translational Institute of Medicine (TIME). He earned his PhD in Biochemistry from McGill University (1998) and completed postdoctoral training at Queen's University before joining the faculty in 2002. His research focuses on molecular mechanisms of cancer progression, immune suppression, and metastasis, with a particular emphasis on tumor suppressor miRNAs, actin-driven metastasis, and immunotherapy strategies. Education: PhD in Biochemistry, McGill University (1998) BSc in Biochemistry, Queen's University (1993) Research Interests: Dr. Craig’s work spans immunology, oncology, and cellular biology. Key areas include: Inflammatory mechanisms and inflammasomes Cancer immunotherapy and metastasis TGF-β signaling pathways MicroRNA biomarkers in lung cancer Actin-targeting compounds for cancer treatment Research Highlights: His lab has developed novel synthetic antibodies targeting TGF-β to improve chemotherapy efficacy in ovarian cancer models. Recent studies focus on functional genomic screening to identify vulnerabilities in inflammatory breast cancer and defining miRNA biomarkers in immunotherapy-treated patients. His work integrates advanced techniques like confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. Awards: Canadian Cancer Society Young Investigator Award (2011) Grants & Funding: Dr. Craig maintains continuous external funding for his research, supported by grants from agencies such as the Canadian Cancer Society and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Labs & Affiliations: He leads the Craig Lab within the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences and collaborates with the Queen’s Cancer Research Institute and Translational Institute of Medicine (TIME). His research bridges basic science and clinical translation, emphasizing preclinical models of disease and precision medicine approaches.
Guillem Alenyà Ribas is a Researcher and Director of the Perception and Manipulation group at the Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial (IRI), a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), Barcelona. His research focuses on integrating robots into human environments, particularly in assistive robotics and the manipulation of deformable objects such as garments. His research interests span Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) , assistive robotics , explainable AI , robot personalization , deformable object manipulation , and benchmarking . He aims to make robots more transparent, adaptive, and safe in real-world applications. His work combines AI planning, vision, learning from demonstration, and user-centered design to develop systems that can assist in healthcare, domestic, and industrial settings. Recent publications reveal a strong trend in explainability and personalization in HRI, with a focus on frailty assessment in elderly care , real-time explanations , and counterfactual reasoning . His team also advances benchmarking in cloth manipulation , 3D reconstruction of clothed humans , and ontology-based reasoning for robot plans . This reflects a multidisciplinary approach combining robotics, AI, and social sciences. Coordinator of ROB-IN, CLOE-GRAPH, and BURG projects Principal Investigator in SeCuRoPS and DEMETER 5.0 Former coordinator of SIMBIOTS, HuMoUR, and SOCRATES He has supervised numerous PhD students, many of whom have received prestigious awards such as the Georges Giralt PhD Award and the AIHUB.CSIC Prize. His leadership in technology transfer and European projects highlights his role in bridging academic research with real-world applications. He leads the Perception and Manipulation group at IRI, fostering collaboration across disciplines and mentoring a large team of researchers, PhD students, and technical staff. The group actively contributes to open science through standardized datasets and reproducible methodologies.
Dr. Matthew Hilborn is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at University College Dublin's School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, supported by the Irish Research Council. He specializes in Spanish Film Studies, with a focus on contemporary cinema, humor, national identity, and the sociocultural impact of romantic comedies in post-2000 Spain. His research extends to transnational media, particularly British screen content in Europe via streaming platforms, as part of the AHRC-funded 'Screen Encounters with Britain' project. He has held academic positions at King's College London and Durham University, and is actively engaged in teaching, public outreach, and interdisciplinary scholarship. BA, University of Oxford MA, University of Durham PhD, University of Durham Matthew's research explores the intersections of humor, genre, and national identity in Spanish cinema, challenging perceptions of romantic comedies as mere escapism. He investigates how films reflect and reshape societal norms around gender, sexuality, and nationhood, particularly during periods of crisis. His work also delves into media industries, VOD platforms, and the global circulation of British content, using mixed-methods approaches including textual analysis, audience research, and catalogue studies. He is particularly interested in how streaming algorithms and platform interfaces shape cultural encounters. His recent publications include a monograph on Spanish film comedy and several journal articles on VOD research and humor in literature. He has also co-edited and translated a book on Ophelia’s cultural legacy. His podcast Palomitas brings Spanish cinema to broader audiences, reflecting his commitment to public engagement. His research is supported by grants from the Irish Research Council and AHRC, and he has won awards from the Association of Hispanists of Great Britain and Ireland. Publication Prize, AHGBI Early Career Researcher Award, AHGBI Dolores Orla Merino Prize, Oxford Benefactor's Prize, Oxford Abbott Fund, Oxford Matthew has supervised and taught across Hispanic Studies and Film/TV Studies, with experience in curriculum design and public speaking education. He has advised on film festival programming and contributed to impact-driven research projects. His leadership roles in academic conferences and committees highlight his active participation in the scholarly community. He has no named students listed but welcomes PhD and MA proposals in his areas of expertise. He is involved in media industries research and digital scholarship through his podcast and online engagement.
Ross MacLachlan is a Senior Teaching Fellow in the Department of Design, Manufacturing and Engineering Management at the University of Strathclyde, Faculty of Engineering. He holds an MEng in Product Design Engineering from the same institution (2001) and is actively engaged in multidisciplinary design engineering education. He facilitates key modules across undergraduate years in Electrical Concepts, Fluid Mechanics, Design Engineering, and Design Management, and supports studio-based classes including Design Emotion and Experience. He serves as the 1st-year undergraduate advisor of studies and is the local coordinator for the Joint MSc in Global Innovation Management (GIM), a collaborative program with Hamburg University of Technology and Aalborg University, previously supported by the Erasmus Mundus scholarship. His research interests include Design Creativity, Design Education, Innovation Management Education, Creative Design Methods, Culture and Design, Open-source in Design Practice, Product Acoustics, and Engineering Pedagogy . He has led and participated in funded industry projects such as the development of a tennis court pace measurement apparatus and a system for Transoesophageal probe handling. His recent publications explore the integration of AI (e.g., ChatGPT) in engineering education, virtual-physical-digital prototyping, and co-creation models in learning. His recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward enhancing engineering pedagogy through technology integration, creativity enhancement, and experiential learning. Topics span AI in education, prototyping methodologies, co-creation frameworks, and analytical techniques in design assessment, reflecting a commitment to innovation in engineering education and practice. Scientific Awards: None listed in the provided text. Advising and Grants: Ross MacLachlan supervises undergraduate and postgraduate student design and research projects, as well as group industrial projects. He has been Principal Investigator or Co-investigator on multiple funded projects, including EDUWEAR (2024–2027), Creating Innovative and Active Co-learning Environments (2022–2024), KTP - Elite Bedding (2020–2022), Embedding Design Improv (2017–2021), and New Engineering Design Processes through Constructs of Humour (2015–2017). These projects focus on educational innovation, wearable rehabilitation devices, humor in design, and industry collaboration. Labs, Teams, and Professional Activities: He is part of the Design Research Group at Strathclyde and has been involved in organizing major events such as the International Symposium of Engineering Education (ISEE) 2022 and the Engineering Academics Network (EAN) Annual Congress. He collaborates internationally, particularly within EU-funded and UK-Turkey higher education initiatives, and contributes to academic discourse through conference participation and peer-reviewed publications.
Stephanie Schnurr is a Professor in the Department of Applied Linguistics at the University of Warwick, Faculty of Social Sciences. Her research centers on professional and medical communication, with a strong focus on leadership discourse, gender, humour, politeness, identity construction, and cross-cultural dynamics. She actively supervises PhD and postdoctoral researchers and collaborates internationally across disciplines. Her research interests include analyzing how leadership is constructed through discourse in diverse settings such as workplaces, healthcare, and sports. She investigates the strategic use of humour, gender ideologies, cultural influences, and identity negotiation in interactions. Her work spans organizational, medical, and educational contexts, often using discourse and narrative analysis to uncover power relations and social practices. She is particularly known for her studies in multicultural Hong Kong and more recently in sports environments like boxing and Formula One. The recent publications reflect a strong trend in leadership discourse, medical communication (especially hospital discharge processes), gender and identity, and humour in institutional settings. Her work bridges applied linguistics, organizational studies, and health communication, often employing qualitative and discourse-analytic methods to explore real-world interactions. Stephanie Schnurr has been involved in significant research projects funded by ESRC, Innovate UK, and the Rugby Football Union, focusing on coaching language in sports and improving discharge communication in healthcare. She is a founding co-lead of the Academic Mobilities and Immobilities research network and contributes to key journals like Leadership , Discourse and Communication , and Journal of Pragmatics . She also collaborates on major publications including edited volumes and special journal issues on globalization, gender, and organizational narratives. She leads and participates in interdisciplinary research teams, particularly within the Sports, Culture and Communication Research Cluster at Warwick. Her projects involve collaboration with colleagues across the UK, Belgium, France, and Denmark, focusing on discourse in professional contexts, academic mobility, and communication in healthcare and sports.
Louis Kaplan is a Professor at the University of Toronto, holding dual appointments in the Department of Art History (St. George campus) and the Department of Visual Studies (UTM campus). He serves as Associate Chair and Director of Graduate Studies, with cross-appointments at the Centre for Jewish Studies and Cinema Studies Institute. Kaplan earned his AB from Harvard University (1981), MA and PhD from the University of Chicago (1982, 1988), and completed postdoctoral fellowships in Berlin and Jerusalem. His research explores the intersection of visual culture, photography theory, and Jewish studies, with emphases on: Photographic historiography : Spirit photography, humour in visual media, and community representation Jewish visual cultures : Diaspora art, Holocaust memory, and territorialism Digital humanities : Augmented/virtual reality projects like Mapping Ararat reconstructing imaginary Jewish homelands Deconstructionist approaches to art criticism and media theory Kaplan's publications demonstrate consistent focus on photography's cultural politics, with recent works examining Jewish humour in dark historical contexts and collaborative digital archiving. His 11 books and 80+ articles reflect interdisciplinary engagement across art history, media studies, and cultural theory. Major Awards & Fellowships: Getty Library Research Fellowship (2018) Jackman Humanities Institute Faculty Fellowship (2014-15) SSHRC Insight Grants for digital humanities projects Visiting professorships at University of Michigan (2023-24) He leads collaborative research-creation projects utilizing VR/AR technologies to reimagine historical Jewish refuges, funded by SSHRC. No current advisees are listed.
Kieran File is an Associate Professor and Reader in the Department of Applied Linguistics at the University of Warwick. His work bridges linguistic theory and practical application in high-performance sports contexts, with a focus on how language shapes team dynamics, leadership, media engagement, and identity. Research Interests: Kieran specializes in discourse analysis, interactional sociolinguistics, pragmatics, and professional communication, particularly in elite sports. His research explores team talk, media interviews, athlete-coach communication, and how language reflects and constructs power, identity, and inclusion. He has a strong interest in gendered communication in rugby and inclusive coaching practices. Publications and Research Trends: His recent publications reveal a consistent focus on identity construction, impression management, and linguistic strategies in sports media and team interactions. He frequently employs discourse analysis to examine real-world communication in rugby, football, and netball, with an emphasis on how language performs social functions under pressure. Impression management in sports media Leadership and identity in team discourse Racial and gendered language in sports Genre and register in professional communication Strategic use of humor and impoliteness Communication training for athletes and coaches Scientific Projects and Funding: KTP Project with the Rugby Football Union (2025–2027): Developing knowledge on how coaching language can create inclusive environments for women and girls in rugby. Funding from Innovate UK and RFU: Supporting research into language and social interaction in sport. Collaborations: Kieran has worked with top-tier organizations including Williams F1, Football Association of Wales, England Boxing, Warwickshire County Cricket Club, and professional rugby clubs in New Zealand. He also contributes to academic discourse through book chapters and editorial works on linguistic consultancy and language in the workplace. Education and Teaching: He delivers communication workshops and education programs for athletes, coaches, and performance staff, helping them develop strategic awareness of language use. His teaching integrates qualitative research methods and applied sociolinguistics.
Christopher Moore is an Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director in the Department of Design and Computation Arts at Concordia University. His work bridges art, design, and social critique through humor and playfulness. Education : MFA in Communication Design from Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (1999) Moore's research explores humor as a form of social resistance, speculative design, and design economies. His practice spans sculpture, media installations, and interactive arts, often incorporating storytelling and vernacular design. He has participated in artist residencies across North America and exhibited in solo and group shows internationally. His current 'Speculative Play' project reimagines future scenarios through design interventions. Labs/Teams : Co-founder of Cuddle Commandos and Passive Passive Pink art collectives
Ana Patrícia Morais da Fonseca Martins is a Professor Adjunto at the Higher School of Education of the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, where she has been teaching since 2001. She currently serves as Director of the Department of Exact and Natural Sciences and is a member of the Scientific-Technical Council at the same institution. Her academic career spans over two decades in Portuguese higher education, with a focus on mathematics education and the history of mathematics. Her educational background includes: PhD in History and Philosophy of Sciences from the University of Lisbon (2013) Master's Degree in Mathematics Teaching from the University of Porto (2004) Degree in Mathematics, Educational branch from the University of Coimbra (2001) Dr. Martins' research primarily focuses on the History of Mathematics, particularly Actuarial Calculus from the 18th-20th centuries, History of Science in Portugal, and Mathematics Education. Her work explores how historical context can inform contemporary mathematics teaching practices, with special attention to the incorporation of historical perspectives in teacher training and classroom instruction. She has conducted extensive research on Daniel Augusto da Silva, a prominent 19th century Portuguese mathematician who made significant contributions to actuarial science. Her recent publications reveal a consistent focus on the historical development of actuarial science in Portugal, with particular attention to 19th century developments and key figures like Daniel Augusto da Silva. She has also explored the integration of history of mathematics into teacher education and classroom practice, examining how historical perspectives can enhance mathematical understanding and pedagogy. Dr. Martins has been actively involved in numerous research projects including "(H)ISTO é Matemática – History of Mathematics in Mathematics Teaching" and "Humour in Mathematics Teaching," demonstrating her commitment to innovative approaches in mathematics education. She has also coordinated interdisciplinary projects such as PRINT (Dimensions, principles and objectives of interdisciplinary practices in higher education) through cooperation between Brazil and Portugal.
Edward Peter Errington is an Australian higher-education scholar best known for advancing scenario-based learning (SBL) and role-play pedagogies that cultivate professional identity and graduate attributes across disciplines. Affiliated with James Cook University, he has spent more than three decades researching, writing and teaching about near-world simulations as vehicles for authentic professional preparation. Education: PhD, University of Wollongong, 1985 – thesis on teacher belief systems and drama education outcomes. Research Interests: Errington’s work sits at the intersection of educational innovation and professional formation. He investigates how carefully crafted scenarios can bridge academic knowledge and workplace practice, thereby fostering graduate employability, reflective practice and ethical professional identity. His scholarship spans teacher education, health education, environmental education and psychology, consistently advocating active, experiential and cross-disciplinary pedagogies. Publication Trends: Across 47 works, Errington has produced seminal books such as Preparing Graduates for the Professions Using Scenario-Based Learning (2010) and Developing Scenario-based Learning: practical insights for tertiary educators (2003). His articles map the evolution from early drama-focused role-play studies to large-scale interdisciplinary projects embedding graduate attributes into curricula via scenario methodologies. Advising & Collaborative Projects: While individual student names are not catalogued, Errington repeatedly co-authores with colleagues (Caltabiano, Ireland, Nickson, Sorin, Mackay) on institution-wide teaching-development grants and community-engagement initiatives, indicating substantial collaborative supervision and leadership in curriculum-reform projects.
