Find Academic Supervisors

Margaret MaakaView profile

Professor

• Educational policy
• Educational psychology
• Indigenous educational psychology
• +4 more

Margaret Maaka is a Professor in Curriculum Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa's College of Education, with a distinguished career spanning Indigenous educational psychology, leadership, and policy development. Her work centers on decolonizing educational frameworks and advancing Indigenous knowledge systems. Her academic credentials include a PhD in Educational Psychology (1992) from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, a Master of Education (Honors) with English Literature focus (1978) from the University of Waikato, New Zealand, a Diploma of Teaching in Elementary and Secondary Education (1978) from New Zealand's Department of Education, and a Bachelor of Education (Honors) with English Literature specialization (1977) from the University of Waikato. Maaka's research explores Indigenous leadership complexities, multiliteracies, and cognitive development within Māori and Hawaiian contexts. She investigates how language revitalization intersects with educational policy to foster Indigenous advancement, emphasizing place-based pedagogies and self-determination in schooling systems. Her scholarship consistently challenges Western epistemological dominance in education. Her publications since 2009 reveal a trajectory prioritizing Indigenous research sovereignty, with recurring themes of decolonization, community-led leadership models, and culturally grounded curriculum design. Key contributions examine contested spaces in Indigenous schooling and the politics of knowledge production. Her teaching excellence has been recognized through: Board of Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching (1998) Presidential Citation for Meritorious Teaching (1996) Graduate Student Organization Outstanding Graduate Assistant Teaching Award (1991) While specific advising details are not documented, Maaka's mentorship is reflected in her collaborative publications with emerging Indigenous scholars. Her work demonstrates sustained commitment to transforming educational paradigms through Indigenous epistemologies.

Taylor SparksView profile

Professor

• Materials informatics
• Machine learning for materials discovery
• Sustainable engineering
• +7 more

Taylor Sparks is a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Utah, where he also serves as Director of Graduate Affairs for the John and Marcia Price College of Engineering. He holds a PhD in Applied Physics from Harvard University, an MS in Materials from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a BS in Materials Science & Engineering from the University of Utah. His research focuses on advancing materials discovery using machine learning to streamline and optimize material design, with applications in energy materials, dental materials, and sustainable engineering. His work integrates big data and materials informatics to explore new synthetic techniques, structure-property relationships, and sustainable materials that balance performance with economic factors. The Sparks Research Group has secured funding from agencies including DOE, NSF, DOD, and various industry partners. Sparks' recent research output demonstrates a strong trend toward leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to accelerate materials discovery, with particular emphasis on large language models for materials science, Bayesian optimization for experimental design, and novel approaches to crystal structure prediction. His work bridges the gap between theoretical predictions and experimental validation in materials science. NSF CAREER Award Royal Society Wolfson Visiting Fellow Acta Materialia Outstanding Reviewer Award for 2020 Honorary Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award of 2020-2021 Materials Science & Engineering Department Research Award for 2023 John G. Francis Prize for Undergraduate Student Mentoring Sparks has advised numerous graduate students who have gone on to successful careers in academia and industry. His research has been supported by significant grants from NSF, DOE, DOD, Army Research Office, and industry partners. His group has developed innovative tools including the Materialism Podcast, a materials science YouTube channel, and the Honegumi interface for Bayesian optimization, demonstrating his commitment to both research excellence and science communication. The Sparks Research Group operates multiple laboratories focused on materials characterization, synthesis, and informatics. They collaborate extensively with other institutions globally, host visiting researchers, and run outreach initiatives including the Materialism Podcast and YouTube channel to make materials science more accessible to broader audiences.

Mohsen LesaniView profile

Associate Professor

• Reliability of software systems
• Security of software systems
• Concurrent systems
• +12 more

Mohsen Lesani is an Associate Professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz's Baskin School of Engineering. His research focuses on reliability and security of software systems, particularly concurrent and distributed systems, with recent emphasis on secure replicated systems and distributed machine learning. Dr. Lesani received his PhD from UCLA, MS in artificial intelligence from Sharif University of Technology, and BS in software engineering from University of Tehran. He was previously a postdoc at MIT. His educational background provides a strong foundation for his interdisciplinary research spanning programming languages, distributed systems, and security. His research interests center on creating reliable and secure distributed systems. Current projects include resilient and secure distributed systems, heterogeneous and reconfigurable secure distributed systems, automatic analysis and synthesis of replicated objects, verification of distributed systems, data analytics, secure exchange across blockchains, machine learning for performance models, domain-specific languages and type systems, and automatic fence insertion for concurrent systems. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical implementations to address real-world challenges in distributed computing. Lesani's research has been recognized with several prestigious awards including the NSF CAREER award in 2020 and DARPA YFA award in 2022. His work has also received the SIGPLAN Research Highlight in 2019, a distinguished paper award at OOPSLA 2018, and a best paper award at ISSRE 2015. These accolades reflect the impact and quality of his contributions to the field. He actively mentors PhD students in the Safe and Secure Software (S3) lab, including Xiao Li, Eric Chan, Javad Saber-Latibari, and Tejas Mane. His research has been supported by multiple NSF grants, demonstrating sustained funding for his innovative work. Lesani serves on program committees for major conferences including POPL, PLDI, OOPSLA, and DISC, contributing to the academic community. Lesani leads the Safe and Secure Software (S3) lab at UC Santa Cruz, where his team works on cutting-edge research in distributed systems, programming languages, and security. The lab fosters a collaborative environment where theoretical insights are translated into practical systems that address real-world challenges in reliability and security of distributed applications.

Marwa ElshakryView profile

Associate Professor

• History of Science
• Technology History
• Medicine History
• +3 more

Marwa Elshakry is an Associate Professor at Columbia University, specializing in the history of science, technology, and medicine in the modern Middle East. Her research bridges cultural and intellectual history with the study of scientific exchange and adaptation. Ph.D. — Princeton University (2003) M.A. — Princeton University (1997) B.A. — Rutgers University (1995) Her work critically examines the cultural politics of scientific translation, the role of religion in shaping scientific discourse, and the transnational movement of ideas. She has published extensively on topics like Darwinism in Arabic, the intersection of science and scripture, and the colonial dynamics of scientific knowledge transfer. Marwa's publications highlight themes such as the historiographical challenges of mapping science's global journey, the theological interpretations of scientific concepts in Islamic contexts, and the impact of missionary activities on scientific education in the Ottoman Empire. Her scholarship underscores the agency of non-Western actors in recontextualizing scientific knowledge.

• African Diaspora Literacies
• Discourse Studies
• Gender and Literacy Studies
• +3 more

Dr. Elaine Richardson is a Professor of Literacy Studies in the Department of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University. Her work focuses on African Diasporic literacies, discourse studies, and gender studies. She holds a B.A. and M.A. from Cleveland State University and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University. B.A. and M.A., Cleveland State University Ph.D., Michigan State University Her research explores language, literacy, and discourse practices in Afro-diasporic communities, with emphases on sociolinguistics and critical discourse analysis. She co-edited key texts like Understanding African American Rhetoric and Hiphop Literacies , and her outreach includes youth empowerment projects. Notable awards include the Cleveland State University Distinguished Alumni Award (2007) and Fulbright Scholar Award (2004). Her work bridges academia and community through projects like cultural literacy initiatives and hip hop education networks.

Audrey TruschkeView profile

Professor

• South Asian history
• Mughal Empire
• early modern and modern India
• +14 more

Audrey Truschke is Professor of South Asian History and Director of Asian Studies at Rutgers University–Newark, within the Department of History, Faculty of Arts and Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University and specializes in the cultural, imperial, and intellectual history of early modern and modern India (c. 1500–present). Her scholarship bridges deep historical inquiry with urgent contemporary debates, particularly around religious identity, nationalism, and decolonization. Truschke earned her B.A. in Religious Studies from the University of Chicago (2004) and her Ph.D. in Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies from Columbia University (2012). Her academic journey includes prestigious fellowships at Stanford University, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris III. Her research centers on South Asian history, with a focus on the Mughal Empire, Indo-Muslim rule, Sanskrit-Persian cultural exchanges, and the historical construction of Hindu identity. She critically examines how premodern histories are mobilized in modern political projects, especially Hindu nationalism (Hindutva). Her work spans cultural, intellectual, and religious history, emphasizing philology, translation, and the politics of historical memory. Truschke’s recent publications reveal a consistent trajectory: analyzing the evolution of religious and ethnic identities, particularly 'Hindu' and 'Han', through longue durée historical lenses. Her articles explore how empires, religions, and languages interacted in South Asia, and how these pasts are weaponized in the present. She frequently engages with themes of hegemony, identity formation, and the dangers of historical falsification, especially in the context of Hindutva ideology and its global manifestations. Scientific Awards and Honors: Karwaan Book Award (2022) National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholars Fellowship (2021) Rutgers Board of Trustees Research Fellowship for Scholarly Excellence (2020) John F. Richards Prize in South Asian History, American Historical Association (2017) Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship (2013–2016) Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship (2009–2010) Truschke is an active advisor and mentor, though specific student names are not listed in the provided texts. She has secured significant research funding, including grants from the NEH and Princeton University Press. Her public scholarship includes contributions to the South Asia Scholar Activist Collective , the Hindutva Harassment Field Manual , and the Reporting Guide on Hindu Nationalism . She is currently writing a single-volume history of India for Princeton University Press, forthcoming in 2025. She is affiliated with several research initiatives, including the South Asia Scholar Activist Collective (SASAC), and maintains an active public presence through her personal website, media appearances, and public writings. Her work bridges the academy and public discourse, challenging dominant narratives and promoting historical accuracy in understanding South Asia.

Balazs TrencsenyiView profile

Professor

• Intellectual History
• Political Thought
• Comparative History
• +12 more

Balázs Trencsenyi is Professor in the Department of Historical Studies at Central European University (CEU) and serves as Director of the CEU Institute for Advanced Study in Budapest. He is also Co-Director of Pasts Inc., Center for Historical Studies, and a Member of the 'Democracy in History' Working Group at the CEU Democracy Institute. His academic leadership includes directing the Erasmus Mundus+ Program 'History in the Public Sphere' (2019–2023) and heading the History Department (2017–2020). His educational background includes a PhD in Comparative History from CEU (2004), an MA in Nationalism Studies from CEU (1998), and an MA in Philosophy from Eötvös Loránd University (1997). Trencsenyi is a leading scholar in the intellectual and political history of East Central Europe, with a focus on transnational and comparative approaches. His research examines political modernity, crisis discourses, nationalism, national characterology, anti-modernism, and the conceptual history of identity and temporality. He has directed major collaborative projects such as the ERC-funded 'Negotiating Modernity' and 'European Regions and Boundaries: A Conceptual History.' His influential publications include the multi-volume A History of Modern Political Thought in East Central Europe (Oxford University Press) and Intellectuals and the Crisis of Politics in the Interwar Period and Beyond (2025). His recent articles reflect sustained engagement with crisis discourses, authoritarian regime-building, transnational intellectual history, and the politics of memory in East Central Europe. Themes across his work include the fragility of democracy, the legacy of state socialism, and the interplay between nationalism and modernity. CEU Community Service Excellence Award (2023) Fellow of Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin (2020) Member of Academia Europaea (2011) ERC Starting Grant (2008–2013) Trencsenyi has supervised numerous doctoral students in political thought, nationalism, and intellectual history. He has led research clusters such as 'Crises of Democratization' under the CIVICA project and co-organizes the 'Invisible University for Ukraine' initiative. He is Editor of East Central Europe (Brill) and has served on editorial boards and peer-review panels for major academic institutions and journals. His teaching covers comparative history, political modernity, crisis discourses, and counter-cultural movements under socialism.

Jan Oskar EngeneView profile

Associate Professor

• Terrorism Studies
• Political Science
• European Politics
• +4 more

Jan Oskar Engene is an Associate Professor in the Department of Comparative Politics at the University of Bergen, Norway. His academic career spans several decades with significant contributions to both terrorism studies and heraldry research. Engene's research interests have evolved significantly over time, beginning with a strong focus on terrorism, political violence, and European security. His early work centered on the TWEED (Terrorism in Western Europe: Explaining the Trends) dataset, which documented terrorist incidents across Western Europe from 1950 onward. Over the years, his research expanded to include political symbolism, heraldry, and flag history, particularly regarding Norwegian political symbols and their evolution. His work demonstrates a unique interdisciplinary approach, bridging political science with historical and symbolic analysis. Analysis of Engene's publication trends reveals a clear evolution from predominantly terrorism-focused research in the 1990s and early 2000s toward increasing engagement with heraldry, political symbolism, and Norwegian historical identity markers in recent years. The earlier works focus on quantitative terrorism analysis, counterterrorism policy, and European security frameworks, while more recent publications examine municipal heraldry, county coats of arms, and historical political symbols. This shift demonstrates Engene's ability to apply political science methodologies to diverse research areas while maintaining a consistent focus on political symbolism and identity. Engene has supervised numerous Master's theses at the University of Bergen, primarily in the areas of terrorism studies, European politics, and political identity. His supervision record includes students researching topics such as state responses to terrorism in Italy, Nordic political systems, and regional identity in Western Europe. While specific grant information isn't detailed in the available materials, his TWEED project represents a significant research undertaking that likely involved external funding. Engene maintains active engagement with public discourse through media appearances, having participated in numerous television and radio programs discussing terrorism, security policy, and political symbolism. His work with the TWEED project established him as a leading expert on European terrorism patterns, while his more recent heraldry research has positioned him as a specialist in Norwegian political symbolism and historical iconography.

Laura ToniView profile

Associate Professor

• Large-scale signal processing for machine learning
• Graph signal processing
• Reinforcement learning
• +9 more

Laura Toni is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at University College London's Faculty of Engineering Sciences. She serves as the leader of a research team focused on advanced signal processing and machine learning applications, documented at https://lasp-ucl.github.io . Additionally, she holds prestigious affiliations as an ELLIS (European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems) Member and Turing Fellow Alumni. PhD in Electrical Engineering, University of Bologna (2009) MS in Electrical Engineering, University of Bologna (2005) Professor Toni's research spans theoretical and applied aspects of machine learning with particular emphasis on graph-based approaches. Her work integrates signal processing techniques with modern AI methodologies to address complex problems in communication systems, multimedia processing, and scientific discovery. She has made significant contributions to reinforcement learning theory, graph signal processing, and their applications across diverse domains including drug discovery and immersive technologies. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on graph-based machine learning approaches, with increasing emphasis on reinforcement learning applications. Her work demonstrates a progression from theoretical foundations to practical implementations, particularly in multimedia processing, network science, and drug discovery applications. Many of her recent papers combine graph neural networks with diffusion models and reinforcement learning for complex prediction and generation tasks. Professor Toni has received notable recognition through her ELLIS membership and Turing Fellow Alumni status, which represent significant achievements in the European AI research community. ELLIS (European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems) Member Turing Fellow Alumni As an academic leader, Professor Toni supervises postgraduate students and leads a research team at UCL, focusing on cutting-edge projects at the intersection of signal processing and machine learning. Her team has secured research funding through various channels including European initiatives and industry partnerships, enabling them to pursue ambitious projects in graph learning, reinforcement learning, and multimedia processing. The team actively collaborates with institutions worldwide, including previous connections with UCSD and EPFL. Professor Toni leads the LASP research group at UCL (https://lasp-ucl.github.io), which focuses on Large-scale Adaptive Signal Processing for intelligent systems. The team comprises researchers working on graph signal processing, reinforcement learning, and multimedia applications, with strong connections to both theoretical foundations and practical implementations across various domains including healthcare, communications, and immersive technologies.

Chiara CannellaView profile

Professor

• Culturally responsive education
• Anti-bias education
• Sociocultural research on education
• +12 more

Chiara Cannella serves as Interim Dean and Professor of Teacher Education at Fort Lewis College, where she has been faculty since 2010. Based in the Teacher Education Department, she is a leading scholar in culturally responsive and anti-bias education, with expertise spanning sociocultural research, American Indian education, and social justice frameworks. Her educational background includes: Ph.D. in Anthropology and Education, University of Arizona (2009) M.A. in Anthropology and Education, University of Arizona (2004) B.A. in English Language & Literature, University of Michigan (1996) Dr. Cannella's research centers on education for marginalized students and identity construction through critical sociocultural lenses. She investigates how teacher leadership programs shape professional identity, examines academic identity formation among marginalized youth, and develops counter-hegemonic research methodologies. Her work consistently connects classroom practice to broader social justice movements through community-based partnerships and humanizing pedagogical approaches. Analysis of her publications (2008-2015) reveals persistent focus on resistance-based educational frameworks, particularly in contexts of political pressure like Tucson's ethnic studies ban. Her scholarship bridges anthropology and education through qualitative methodologies that center student and teacher agency, with recurring themes of civic identity development, community resistance to disinvestment, and culturally sustaining pedagogy. Dr. Cannella actively translates research into practice through: Professional development for regional school districts on supporting marginalized students Co-founding the Southwest Colorado Culturally, Linguistically, and Economically Diverse Working Group Service on the Durango 9-R Achievement Gap Task Force Committee work for American Educational Research Association's Division G Consulting engagements with tribal education programs including presentations at Northeastern State University Her collaborative approach extends to research partnerships documented in co-authored works with scholars like Luis Moll and Julio Cammarota, emphasizing community cultural wealth models and sociocultural perspectives on educational relationships.

Chanchal K. RoyView profile

Professor

• Code Clone Detection and Analysis
• Software Evolution and Maintenance
• Software Analytics Research
• +3 more

Chanchal K. Roy is Professor of Software Engineering/Computer Science at the University of Saskatchewan and Co-Director of the Software Research Lab. He leads an NSERC CREATE graduate program on Software Analytics Research and co-leads the Data Management group for an NSERC CFREF project on Food Security, with over 170 publications cited 6,000+ times. His research centers on software clone detection using the widely adopted NICAD system, software evolution, empirical studies, and AI-driven software analytics. Recent work integrates large language models for code generation, clone detection in the AI era, and developer interactions with tools like ChatGPT, emphasizing practical applications in maintenance and analytics. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals a strong trend toward AI/ML integration in software engineering: 12 of 15 articles (2025) explore LLMs, quantum computing, or deep learning for tasks like bug localization, code snippet generation, and feature-toggle analysis. Key themes include empirical validation of AI tools, Stack Overflow data mining, and cross-domain frameworks for Society 5.0. His scientific awards include: Most Influential Paper Awards (SANER 2018, ICPC 2018) Outstanding Young Computer Science Researcher Award (CS-Can/Info-Can, 2018) New Researcher Award (University of Saskatchewan, 2019) New Scientist Research Award (College of Arts and Science, 2019) As lead of the NSERC CREATE program and CFREF data group, he mentors graduate students in software analytics while securing major grants. He actively serves on program committees for ASE, ICSE, and FSE, reviewing journals and organizing workshops on clone detection and empirical methods. His lab focuses on real-world applications in food security data management and software evolution. The Software Research Lab, co-directed by Roy, drives projects like NICAD and the NSERC CREATE initiative, emphasizing open-source contributions and industry collaboration. Current efforts include quantum-SE integration and AI-augmented maintenance tools under the CFREF food security mandate.

Ketika GargView profile

Researcher

• Computational Neuroscience
• Social Media Analysis
• Collective Behavior
• +3 more

Ketika Garg is a Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate in the Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), with an office in the Broad Center for Biological Sciences. Her research focuses on the interplay between individual and social decisions, using experimental and computational methods to explore how social environments influence decision-making and collective behavior. She investigates contexts ranging from traditional foraging paradigms to modern social media landscapes, developing innovative experimental frameworks to study these dynamics. Her research interests span computational neuroscience, social media analysis, and collective behavior, with a particular emphasis on understanding exploration-exploitation trade-offs in both natural and digital environments. She has contributed to studies on hunter-gatherer foraging networks, online toxicity dynamics, and the evolution of search strategies in collective foraging systems. Her work bridges disciplines such as psychology, ecology, and computer science to address fundamental questions in decision-making and social interaction. Dr. Garg’s publications reflect her interdisciplinary approach, covering topics like synergy in collective problem-solving, the roots of online toxicity, and the application of Lévy walks in virtual foraging experiments. While no formal awards or grants are explicitly listed in the provided materials, her research trajectory demonstrates a commitment to advancing methodologies in computational social science. Contact: kgarg@caltech.edu Office: Broad Center for Biological Sciences (96) Phone: 626-395-1755

Emily Prud'hommeauxView profile

Associate Professor

• Natural Language Processing
• Speech Signal Processing
• Computational Linguistics
• +3 more

Emily Prud'hommeaux is an Associate Professor in the Computer Science Department at Boston College. She holds a B.A. from Harvard University, an M.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Ph.D. from Oregon Health & Science University. Her research focuses on natural language processing and speech signal processing, particularly in under-resourced and endangered language contexts, with applications to health and accessibility. Her work emphasizes community-centered approaches to language technology, including developing tools for endangered language documentation and supporting neurodiverse communication needs. She co-founded the Computational Linguistics and Speech Processing lab at RIT and leads a lab at Boston College, supported by an NSF DLI grant for corpus development in endangered languages. Recent achievements include student recognitions such as Gavin Zhang’s McCarthy Prize and Neuhauser Award, and Robbie Jimerson’s successful defense of a dissertation on Seneca language ASR. Collaborators include Dr. Eric Le Ferrand (postdoc, 2023) and former student Dr. Zoey Liu, now a faculty member at the University of Florida.

• Early Modern Indian History
• Modern Indian History
• South Asian Islam
• +7 more

Dr. Razak Khan is a Research Fellow in the History Research Group at CeMIS (Center for Modern Indian Studies). His academic journey includes a DPhil from Freie Universität Berlin (2014) and postdoctoral fellowships at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Friedrich–Alexander University Erlangen–Nürnberg. Research Focus: Early modern/colonial India, South Asian Islam, Urdu public cultures, history of emotions, Indo-German comparative histories, and global intellectual history. Key Projects: His Habilitation project explores 'Minor Cosmopolitanism' through Syed Abid Husain's writings, while his book Minority Pasts (OUP, 2022) examines locality and belonging in Rampur. Publications: 15 recent works span transnational Indo-German intellectual histories, emotional geographies, Urdu archives, and Indo-Islamic cultural studies. Collaborations: Co-edited The Incomparable Festival (Penguin, 2021) and contributed to interdisciplinary volumes on emotions and migration.

Benjamin SteinbergView profile

Professor

• Finite Semigroup Theory
• Geometric Group Theory
• Algebraic Combinatorics
• +5 more

Benjamin Steinberg is a Professor in the Mathematics Department at the City College of New York (CCNY) and the CUNY Graduate Center. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley (1998) under John Rhodes and has held positions at the University of Porto (Portugal) and Carleton University (Canada). His research focuses on algebra, including semigroups, geometric group theory, algebraic combinatorics, representation theory, and automata theory, with notable work on etale groupoids, inverse semigroups, and ring theory. He is the author of several books, including *The q-theory of Finite Semigroups* and *Representation Theory of Finite Monoids*. Steinberg serves as Managing Editor of the *International Journal of Algebra and Computation* and has organized conferences such as the International Conference on Semigroups and Groups in Honor of John Rhodes. Research interests include the interplay between algebraic structures and their applications, such as in automata theory and Markov chains. His work bridges pure mathematics with combinatorial and geometric approaches, often involving categorical and topological methods. Recent articles explore topics like Nekrashevych algebras, twisted Steinberg algebras, and Lyndon's identity theorem for monoids. He has contributed to the study of profinite groups and their connections to symbolic dynamics. Steinberg’s editorial roles and conference organization reflect his leadership in the mathematical community. Despite his defunct blog, his academic contributions remain prolific, with ongoing editorial work and research in algebraic combinatorics and representation theory.