Ellen Zegura is the Stephen Fleming Chair and Professor in the School of Computer Science at Georgia Tech's College of Computing. She holds multiple degrees from Washington University in St. Louis: BS in Computer Science, BS in Electrical Engineering, MS in Computer Science, and DSc in Computer Science. Her research focuses on computer networking, social responsibility in STEM education, and computing for development. She co-founded the Computing for Good initiative, emphasizing project-based learning to address societal challenges. Zegura is an IEEE and ACM Fellow, and serves on the Computing Research Association (CRA) Executive Board. Her education spans interdisciplinary fields at Washington University, combining computer science and electrical engineering. She has held leadership roles at NSF and CRA, advocating for equitable technology policies. Notable contributions include advancing QoE metrics for video conferencing, analyzing mobile broadband infrastructure disparities, and developing ethics education frameworks for computing curricula. Research interests include network measurement, community-empowered data practices, and bridging technical innovation with social impact. Recent work examines tribal mobility during pandemics, sensor co-design with Indigenous communities, and ethical pedagogy for teaching assistants. Her labs and collaborations, such as CERCS, emphasize interdisciplinary problem-solving. Zegura’s awards reflect her dual impact in technical innovation and societal engagement.
Dr. Samuel Cheng is an Associate Professor at the Gallogly College of Engineering , University of Oklahoma , specializing in Electrical and Computer Engineering . He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University (2004), preceded by M.S. and M.Phil. degrees from the University of Hawaii and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Education: B.S. (University of Hong Kong, 1995), M.Phil. (HKUST, 1997), M.S. (University of Hawaii, 2000), Ph.D. (Texas A&M, 2004) Professional Experience: Senior Research Engineer at Advanced Digital Imaging Research (2004-2005), prior internships at Microsoft Asia and Panasonic Technologies His research focuses on Information Theory , Signal and Image Processing , and Pattern Recognition , with applications in remote sensing, urbanization analysis, and disaster monitoring. His publications span topics including urban impervious surface mapping , nighttime light analysis , and machine learning for environmental data . His work often integrates multi-source datasets (e.g., Landsat, LiDAR, social media) for spatiotemporal modeling. Technical Expertise: Spectral unmixing, machine learning, thermal remote sensing, GIS integration Key Applications: Power outage detection, vegetation-crime correlation, PM2.5 estimation, smart meter data fusion Dr. Cheng holds three US patents in digital watermarking and is affiliated with IEEE, Sigma Xi, and AAAS. His recent articles demonstrate a trend toward leveraging AI for remote sensing challenges and analyzing urbanization impacts on ecosystems.
Dr. Silvia Baiocco serves as Assistant Professor at University of Rome Tor Vergata, teaching entrepreneurship, tourism management, and marketing courses across Bachelor and Master programs including 'Creation of Enterprises and Entrepreneurship' (Master), 'Fundamentals of Service Management' (Bachelor), and 'Tourism and Cultural Management for Sustainability' (Bachelor). Her institutional affiliation centers on Business Economics (sector ECON-07/A) with research rooted in co-evolutionary theory. Her research critically examines sustainable business model innovation through three interconnected lenses: (1) tourism-destination co-evolution in historic villages and Alberghi Diffusi, (2) university-industry knowledge exchange for sustainable spin-offs via PNICube Observatory frameworks, and (3) technology integration in smart tourism through AI-driven destination management. She emphasizes context-specific adaptation in both high-income (Italy) and low/middle-income settings (Ghana), with strong focus on social impact and heritage preservation. Analysis of her 2023-2025 publications reveals accelerating focus on digital tourism transformation (AI applications, smart city integration) and resilience-building in accommodation firms. Her work consistently applies co-evolutionary frameworks to decode organizational adaptation, particularly in sustainable entrepreneurship contexts. The PNICube Observatory reports highlight her policy-relevant contributions to university research valorization. As educator, Dr. Baiocco actively shapes future business leaders through courses spanning startup creation to sustainable destination management. Her research trajectory indicates deepening engagement with technology-mediated sustainability solutions and cross-sectoral innovation ecosystems, particularly through ongoing PNICube Observatory initiatives.
Dr. Farhad Aslani is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering at the University of Western Australia (UWA), serving as Director of the Materials and Structures Innovation Group. He leads the $250M Australian Composites Manufacturing CRC and co-leads UWA's Engineering Materials Research Cluster. His research focuses on innovative construction materials, including self-sensing concrete, 3D-printed composites, and fire-resistant materials. He has secured over $20M in CRC funding and holds leadership roles in national/international conferences. Key awards include the 2024 Concrete Institute WA Rising Star Award and multiple citation milestones. His work aligns with sustainable development goals, emphasizing eco-friendly materials and infrastructure resilience. Education: PhD in Structural Engineering, University of Technology Sydney (2014) Certificates in Leadership, Research Commercialization, Public Policy, and Project Management from Curtin University, Queensland University of Technology, RMIT, and UTS. Research Interests: Smart materials, sustainable concrete technologies, additive manufacturing, blast/fire resistance, and composites for infrastructure. His lab develops self-sensing concretes, lightweight engineered composites, and electromagnetic shielding materials. Grants & Projects: $4.3M ACM CRC project on composite repairs ARC grants for nanocomposite coatings and fire facilities Main Roads WA funding for timber bridge strengthening Expertise: Structural design, composite materials, and industrial collaborations (e.g., Woodside, Holcim). He advises on major projects like the Morley Ellenbrook Rail Line and Forrestfield Airport Link. Awards: 2024 Concrete Institute WA Rising Star Highly Cited Scholar (ScholarGPS, 2024) Most Cited Paper Awards (2018–2020)
Christine A. Parlour is the Sylvan C. Coleman Chair of Finance and Accounting at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley. She co-directs the Berkeley Center for Responsible Decentralized Intelligence. Her research focuses on Fintech, digital payments, and market microstructure, particularly in cryptocurrency and decentralized finance (DeFi). She has served on the Nasdaq Economic Advisory Board and the New Special Study of Securities Markets steering committee. Education: PhD and MA in Economics from Queen’s University (Kingston), BSocSci from University of Ottawa. Her work explores payment system externalities, blockchain protocols, and banking innovation. Recent research includes analysis of Bitcoin transaction fees, decentralized exchange liquidity, and systemic risks in DeFi markets. Publications span top finance journals, addressing topics like Uniswap’s AMM model, miner collusion in Bitcoin, and the impact of Fintech on traditional banking. She frequently engages with policymakers on digital currency regulation and CBDC design.
Carlos Guestrin is the Fortinet Founders Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University and serves as Director of the Stanford AI Lab (SAIL) and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI). He holds dual roles as Chief Scientist at Visual Layer and Virtue AI. His research focuses on machine learning methods, explainability, fairness, and ethics of AI, alongside systems for scalable AI deployment. Education details are not explicitly provided, but his work spans foundational contributions to machine learning systems (e.g., XGBoost) and explainable AI frameworks like Anchors and LIME. He emphasizes ethical AI through projects like CheckList for model testing and Model Equality Testing for API transparency. His scientific contributions include advancing optimization techniques (AdaScale SGD, TVM compiler) and ethical benchmarks for generative AI. He has been recognized as a Member of the National Academy of Engineering for his transformative impact on AI systems and their societal applications. Guestrin leads interdisciplinary initiatives at SAIL and HAI, fostering collaboration between technical innovation and human-centered design. His work bridges theory and practice, addressing challenges in healthcare (diabetes management systems) and AI security.
J. Eric Bickel is a Professor at The University of Texas at Austin, serving as Director of the Operations Research & Industrial Engineering (ORIE) and Engineering Management programs. He holds a courtesy appointment in the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering and directs the Center for Engineering & Decision Analytics (CEDA). His academic background includes a PhD and MS in Engineering-Economic Systems from Stanford University and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from New Mexico State University. His research focuses on decision analysis under uncertainty, addressing topics like probabilistic modeling, climate engineering, risk management, and applications in sports and energy sectors. His work has been featured in major media including The New York Times and Wall Street Journal , and his climate engineering research was endorsed by Nobel Laureates as a top climate change response strategy. Professor Bickel has extensive industry experience, having previously served as Senior Engagement Manager and Co-Director of Client Education at Strategic Decisions Group (SDG), where he remains on the Board of Directors. His consulting spans oil/gas, energy trading, and financial services sectors. He has received recognition as a Fellow of the Society of Decision Professionals and contributed to the Copenhagen Consensus on Climate Project. His teaching extends to executive education through Texas Executive Education and McCombs School of Business. Research highlights include novel methods for probabilistic dependence modeling, value-of-information analysis in shale reservoirs, and critiques of risk assessment tools like heat maps. His climate engineering work emphasizes economically viable solar radiation management strategies.
Michalis Vazirgiannis is a Professor at LIX, École Polytechnique (France) leading the Data Science and Mining (DaSciM) group. With academic backgrounds in Physics (Athens University), AI (Heriot-Watt University), and Informatics (Athens University), he has conducted research at Fraunhofer, Max Planck MPI, and INRIA/FUTURS while teaching at institutions across Greece, France, China, and Spain. His research spans Machine/Deep Learning for Graphs (GNNs, graph kernels, embeddings) Text Mining & NLP (Graph-of-Words, biomedical text analysis) Combinatorial Optimization for pandemic forecasting and energy systems Event/Anomaly Detection in time series and sensory data Industrial collaborations with Airbus, Google, Tencent, and BNP . He has supervised 29 completed PhD theses, published over 250 papers, and received prestigious awards including Marie Curie and Tencent Rhino-Bird Fellowships. His team leads the ANR-HELAS Chair (2020-2025) focusing on heterogeneous data deep learning.
Prof. Ilse Dewachter is the head of the Biomed Neuroscience research group at Hasselt University (UHasselt), specializing in Alzheimer’s therapy and prevention for over 25 years. Her work focuses on multi-targeted therapies targeting tau, inflammation, and ApoE, alongside pioneering research into disease prevention via blood-based biomarkers. Recent studies explore a protective APOE3ch mutation that halted Alzheimer’s progression in a patient, offering hope for new treatments. Research Interests: - Alzheimer’s disease mechanisms (Abeta, tau, inflammation) - Multi-target therapies and biomarker development - Neurodegenerative disease prevention strategies - Genetic mutations impacting disease progression Articles Overview: Her most recent work (2025-2022) addresses neuroinflammation, tau propagation models, and AI-driven neuroimaging. Key themes include APOE genetics, blood-brain barrier dynamics, and exercise impacts on cognition. Funding & Grants: Current projects require significant investment for advanced biomarker equipment and clinical trials. A notable €300,000 grant funded research on brain lipid metabolism’s role in Alzheimer’s. Labs & Teams: Leads the BIOMED Neuroscience group at UHasselt, collaborating internationally on preclinical models and drug development.
Marc G. Berman is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Chicago. His research focuses on understanding how environmental factors interact with human cognition, emotion, and behavior, particularly through the lens of environmental neuroscience. He leads the Environmental Neuroscience Lab (ENL), investigating how natural and urban environments influence brain function, memory, attention, and mental health. Dr. Berman holds a B.S.E. in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in Psychology and Engineering from the same institution. His postdoctoral training was at the Rotman Research Institute in Toronto. Prior to Chicago, he was an Assistant Professor at the University of South Carolina. His research interests include the cognitive and affective benefits of natural environments, brain network efficiency, and the neurobiological underpinnings of self-control and emotion regulation. Recent work explores how urban design elements (e.g., greenspace, street activity) relate to crime rates and mental health outcomes, leveraging big data from social media and geospatial tools. Key contributions include demonstrating that natural environments improve memory and attention by ~20%, and that city characteristics like population diversity and segregation correlate with implicit racial biases. His lab employs fMRI, neuroimaging, computational modeling, and ecological data to quantify brain-environment interactions. Dr. Berman collaborates across disciplines, integrating neuroscience, psychology, urban planning, and data science to inform evidence-based environmental design for public health. Current projects include analyzing social media data to map gang networks and investigating how heat and greenspace influence emotional states in urban populations.
Allaudeen Hameed is the Tang Peng Yeu Professor in Finance at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School , where he has been a Professor since 2006. He also holds editorial roles at several leading finance journals and has previously held visiting positions at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and University of Texas at Austin. Education: Ph.D. in Finance, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours), Second Class Upper Division, National University of Singapore Research Interests: His research spans a wide range of topics in finance, including return-based trading strategies , stock return co-movement , liquidity , the role of financial analysts , and international financial markets . These interests are deeply rooted in empirical asset pricing, market microstructure, and behavioral finance. His work often explores how market frictions, investor behavior, and institutional features affect asset prices and trading strategies, with a strong focus on cross-country and emerging market contexts. Scientific Awards & Honors: Asian Finance Conference Best Paper Award – 2024 Pacific Basin Finance Journal Best Paper Award – 2024 UM Distinguished Visiting Scholar, University of Macau – 2024 Best Paper of PERC Award – 2023 Tun Ismail Mohamed Ali Distinguished Chair, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia – 2022–2024 Teaching Excellence Team Award, NUS Business School – 2020 Best Paper Awards, FMA – 2016 & 2018 Outstanding Researcher Award, NUS Business School – 2015 & 2003 University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Alumni Merit Award – 2011 Professional Service: He serves as Editor of the International Review of Finance and Associate Editor of the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis and Pacific-Basin Finance Journal . He is also a Senior Fellow at the Asian Bureau of Financial and Economic Research (ABFER) and a former Council Member of the Society for Financial Studies. Leadership Roles: He is currently Chair of the Faculty Promotion & Tenure Committee (FPTC) and Chair of the Faculty Promotion in Educator Track Committee (FPEC), both from 2025–2026.
Petter N. Kolm serves as a Clinical Professor of Mathematics and Program Director at New York University, with his office located in Warren Weaver Hall (520). He can be contacted at petter.kolm@nyu.edu or 212-998-4855, and holds an editorial board position at the Journal of Portfolio Management. His academic qualifications include: Doctorate in Mathematics from Yale University M.Phil. in Applied Mathematics from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm M.S. in Mathematics from ETH Zurich Dr. Kolm's research centers on quantitative finance, with primary focus areas including quantitative trading strategies, delegated portfolio management, financial econometrics, risk management, and optimal portfolio strategies. His work integrates advanced mathematical modeling with practical investment applications, bridging theoretical frameworks and real-world market dynamics through rigorous empirical analysis. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals consistent emphasis on portfolio optimization techniques—particularly Bayesian methods and the Black-Litterman model—alongside significant contributions to algorithmic trading systems, factor-based equity portfolio construction, and machine learning applications for financial sentiment analysis. His scholarly output demonstrates evolution from foundational portfolio theory toward contemporary computational finance challenges. As Program Director, Dr. Kolm oversees academic programming and likely mentors graduate students in quantitative finance, though specific advisee details are not documented. His prior industry role at Goldman Sachs Asset Management provided direct experience in developing hedge fund strategies, informing his applied research approach. Dr. Kolm's professional trajectory includes significant industry engagement through his tenure in Goldman Sachs' Quantitative Strategies Group, where he developed quantitative investment systems. His current academic leadership position leverages this practical experience to shape quantitative finance education and research at NYU.
Bruno Takahashi is the Brandt Endowed Professor of Environmental Communication at Michigan State University, holding a joint appointment in the School of Journalism and AgBioResearch. He serves as Research Director of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism and maintains affiliations with the Health and Risk Communication Center, the Environmental Science and Policy Program, and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at MSU. Born and raised in Lima, Peru, Dr. Takahashi earned his bachelor's degree in communication from Universidad de Lima, followed by M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Environmental Science from SUNY ESF. Bachelor's in Communication, Universidad de Lima, Peru M.S. in Environmental Science, SUNY ESF Ph.D. in Environmental Science (specializing in environmental communication and participatory processes), SUNY ESF Dr. Takahashi's research program focuses on news coverage of environmental issues, environmental journalism practices in Latin America and U.S. Latino media, and identity in science communication. His work emphasizes counter-hegemonic environmental discourses in Latin American contexts, examining complex networks of actors, media, and communication processes embedded in post-colonial and social and environmental justice dynamics. He has conducted extensive field research in Peru, Bolivia, and Puerto Rico, with particular attention to environmental communication during disasters and in Indigenous communities. His recent scholarly output reveals a strong trend toward examining climate change communication through diverse cultural lenses, with significant attention to Latin American perspectives, immigrant experiences in the United States, and identity factors in science communication. His publications frequently address decolonial approaches to environmental communication and the need for more inclusive international scholarship that centers Global South perspectives. Scientific awards and recognitions include: 2024 AEJMC First Place in Latin American Communication Research 2021 Fellow of the Institute for Diverse Leadership, AEJMC 2019 Knudson Latin America Book Prize Multiple top paper awards from ICA and AEJMC conferences Dr. Takahashi actively mentors a diverse research team of Ph.D. students, post-doctoral associates, and MA students, with former students now holding positions at universities including University of Nevada, University of Minnesota, and Emory University. His research is supported by significant grants including a $2.8 million NSF grant for the SciComm Identities Project, funding from the Climate and Land Use Alliance, and multiple State Department and Embassy grants for environmental journalism training in Latin America. He has developed and led education abroad programs to Peru (2018, 2024) and the Netherlands/Belgium (2022), providing experiential learning opportunities for students in environmental communication. As Research Director of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, Dr. Takahashi leads initiatives supporting environmental journalists globally. His current projects include examining environmental discourses in the Peruvian Amazon related to oil spills affecting Indigenous communities, studying decolonial environmental journalism practices in Bolivia and Peru, and co-leading Working Group 5 on Public Engagement and Governance for The Lancet Countdown Latin America, which has generated significant media coverage in outlets like CNN and El País.
Giuliano Di Baldassarre is a Professor of Hydrology and Environmental Analysis at the Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University , Sweden. He serves as Head of Division for LUVAL (Air, Water and Landscape Sciences) and directs the Centre of Natural Hazards and Disaster Science (CNDS) (2016–2025). His work bridges water, environment, and society through interdisciplinary methods , focusing on disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, and sustainable development. Education : Details not explicitly provided in the text. His research examines feedbacks between human activities and hydrological processes , including floods, droughts, and reservoir management . Key themes include social-ecological systems , inequalities in water crises , and policy implications of hydrological extremes . He has pioneered sociohydrology and human-water system modeling . Recent articles highlight global drought-flood interactions , urban water inequality , climate service maladaptation , and sociohydrological modeling . His work spans Nature Sustainability , Science Advances , and Hydrological Sciences Journal . Scientific Awards : International Hydrology Prize (Volker Medal) Plinius Medal (EGU) Witherspoon Lecture Award (AGU) European Research Council Consolidator Grant He led Panta Rhei - Everything Flows (2013–2022), IAHS’s global initiative on water-society interactions. Current efforts include transdisciplinary praxis and climate risk reduction frameworks .
Dr Sumeet Jain is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, affiliated with the School of Social and Political Science (Social Work). His interdisciplinary research focuses on community mental health in low-income contexts, cultural psychiatry, ethnography, and global mental health policy, with regional expertise in South Asia. He has led projects funded by ESRC, Carnegie Trust, British Academy, Wellcome Trust, DFID, and World Bank, including studies on recovery-oriented mental health in India, poverty-mental health linkages, and evaluation of Scotland's alcohol/drug referral services. Research Interests: Community mental health systems in low-resource settings Critical analysis of psychiatric categories and local distress Qualitative/ethnographic evaluation of health programs Training of social workers in non-western mental health Global mental health policy and equity Publication Trends: Recent works emphasize participatory interventions, mutuality in mental health, caste identities, and critiques of scaling-up global mental health initiatives. His research spans South Asia, Malawi, Ghana, and the UK, blending sociocultural perspectives with public health outcomes. Scientific Awards: ESRC-Impact Accelerator Award Carnegie Trust funding for community mental health in India British Academy collaboration on caste and distress Wellcome Trust grant for London health inequalities study DFID/World Bank funding for poverty-stigma-mental illness research Dr Jain supervises postgraduate research in Global Mental Health and Social Work, contributes to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, and co-edited The Palgrave Handbook of Sociocultural Perspectives on Global Mental Health (2017).
