Prof. Dr. Silke Hertel is a Professor of Personal Competencies in the School Context at Heidelberg University’s Institute of Educational Science, and currently holds the position of Vice-Rector for Student Affairs and Teaching until 2026. In her role as Vice-Rector, she oversees strategic advancements in research-oriented teaching, innovative teaching formats, and the integration of accessibility, diversity, and digitalization in university education. Her research focuses on self-regulated learning, teacher competencies, and educational psychology, with a particular emphasis on fostering adaptive learning environments and parental-child interactions in early education. Notable contributions include the development of the SAVE suicide prevention program for schools and studies on parental scaffolding in cognitive development. Education: No explicit details provided in the text, though her academic role implies advanced qualifications in educational science. Labs/Teams: Active in the Institute of Educational Science, collaborating on projects related to educational policy and teacher training. Prof. Hertel’s work bridges theoretical research and practical implementation, addressing challenges in modern educational systems through evidence-based interventions and policy guidance.
Emma Dafouz Milne is a Full Professor of English Linguistics at the Department of English Studies , Complutense University of Madrid. Her work focuses on English-medium instruction (EMI) and language policies in internationalized higher education, with a particular emphasis on Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and multilingual university settings (EMEMUS). She has led two Spanish Ministry-funded projects (INTER-LICA, SHIFT) and directed the UCM research group EnGHINE since 2006. Her ROAD-MAPPING framework (developed with Ute Smit) has become a cornerstone for analyzing EMI contexts globally. She serves as Secretary of the ICLHE Executive Board and participates in the COST European Action CLILNetLE network. Her scientific output spans over 90 international journal articles and book chapters, covering topics like academic discourse , disciplinary literacies , and language integration . Recent books include Researching English-Medium Higher Education (Routledge, 2023) and the forthcoming Disciplinary Literacies in English-Medium Higher Education (Routledge, 2025). Awards and recognition include: Stanford University Top 2% Scientists Ranking (2024) 20 Most Relevant Academics at Complutense University (2023) Salvador de Madariaga Research Fellowship (2022) As a visiting researcher and scientific advisor to international projects like ELEMENTAL (UK), Towards a New Model of Communicative Competence (Denmark), and CoRe (Netherlands), she bridges European research initiatives. Her work informs institutions navigating globalization challenges in language policy and academic practice.
Dr Zhiyuan (Thomas) Tan is an Associate Professor at Edinburgh Napier University’s School of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment . He is internationally recognised for his cybersecurity research and has been listed among Stanford University’s Top 2% Scientists for 2021–2023. Education BEng (2005) with high distinction – North-eastern University, China MEng (2008) – Beijing University of Technology, China PhD in Computer Systems (2014) – University of Technology Sydney, Australia Research Interests Dr Tan’s research integrates cybersecurity with machine learning and data analytics. His core areas include: Intrusion detection and defence of critical service systems Adversarial machine learning for malware and anomaly detection Virtualisation security through non-parametric behaviour modelling IoT and vehicular network security—cloud/edge/cloudlet frameworks Privacy-preserving AI and federated machine unlearning Smart-city digital forensics and cyber-physical system resilience Research Output Trends His recent articles (2020–2025) reveal a strong focus on federated learning, edge & mobile computing, UAV coordination, and AI-driven security. Topics span advanced steganography, metamorphic malware, graph injection attacks, and trustworthiness in vehicular platoons, all anchored in real-world IoT and transportation applications. Awards & Distinctions Stanford University Top 2% Scientists List (2021, 2022, 2023) National Research Award 2017 – Research Council of the Sultanate of Oman Best Paper Awards (three instances) Kaspersky Lab Student Cyber Security Conference – Finalist Award SICSA Supervisor of the Year 2019 – Honourable Mention Grants & Leadership Dr Tan has attracted over £200k in external funding including: Carnegie Trust (£73,564) – Federated Machine Unlearning ENU Development Trust (£29,998) – Machine Unlearning Royal Society (£12,000) – VANET Security & Privacy SICSA & other awards for MemoryCrypt, AI Secrets, behaviour biometrics, and visiting-fellow schemes. Supervision & Mentoring Since 2013 he has supervised or co-supervised 16 doctoral candidates and several master’s students; six PhDs have successfully graduated. Roles range from Director of Studies to additional supervisor across diverse topics from malware evolution to VR olfactory interfaces. Research Groups & Collaboration He is affiliated with the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics , the Centre for Distributed Computing, Networking and Security , and the Centre for Cybersecurity, IoT and Cyber-physical Systems at ENU, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration with national and international partners.
Jacob Whitehill is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), affiliated with the Learning Science & Technologies (LST) program. His research focuses on applying machine learning to education and human-computer interaction, including speech recognition, emotion analysis, and automated classroom observation. He leads the NSF-funded project Developing New Scientific Instruments for Classroom Observation and collaborates on the AI Institute for Student-AI Teaming (iSAT) . His research interests span Applied Machine Learning (e.g., multi-modal systems, speaker diarization), AI for Education (e.g., automated instructional evaluation, child speech recognition), and Emotion Recognition (e.g., affective computing in classrooms). Recent work emphasizes classroom observation tools and improving student-teacher interaction analysis through video and audio data. Notable projects include: NSF-funded classroom observation tools AI Institute for Student-AI Teaming (iSAT) Schmidt Futures-funded Hybrid Human-Agent Tutoring for math education His team includes PhD students Xinlu He (Data Science), Jiani Wang (Computer Science), and Yiwen Guan (Computer Science), along with visiting scholar Cecilia Tivir. He advises students on topics like speaker recognition, educational data mining, and computer vision in classroom settings. Grants and collaborations include NSF, Schmidt Futures, and industry partnerships. His lab develops tools for automated feedback on teaching practices, leveraging LLMs and multimodal data. For more details, contact jrwhitehill@wpi.edu .
Tamara Sumner is a Professor at the Institute of Cognitive Science , University of Colorado. Her research focuses on leveraging AI and educational technology to improve teaching practices, particularly in STEM education, and fostering equitable learning opportunities. She co-leads the Institute for Student-AI Teaming (iSAT), reimagining AI's role in education. Her work emphasizes classroom discourse analysis, teacher professional development, and rural STEM pathways. Key research areas include: AI tools for automating feedback on teacher-student interactions Equity-focused learning analytics and visualizations Rural youth engagement in STEM through community partnerships Integration of computational thinking and sensor technologies in K-12 curricula Her recent articles highlight advancements in automated discourse analysis, equity-driven tools like the SEET system, and AI-augmented tutoring models. She has contributed to grants such as the BIGDATA: IA initiative (2018) and co-designed programs like DaSH Home for remote learning. Her work bridges research and practice, involving educators and communities in co-design processes. Current initiatives aim to address systemic inequities through technology, such as visual learning analytics for classroom reflection and STEM career pathways for underserved rural populations.
Dr. Jeroan Allison is Chair and Professor at UMass Chan Medical School's Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences. Trained as a primary care physician and epidemiologist (Harvard SPH), he leads research in narrative interventions for health behavior change, with continuous funding from NIH, AHRQ, and RWJF. His work spans hypertension control in Vietnam, AI-driven health communication, and implementation science for non-communicable diseases. Harvard School of Public Health: Master of Science in Epidemiology University of Alabama at Birmingham: MD Samford University: BS in Chemistry Research interests include narrative medicine , health disparities , mHealth , and health services research . He has published extensively on hypertension interventions in Vietnam, digital health tools, and tobacco cessation strategies using peer engagement. Recent publications focus on AI applications , global implementation science , and social determinants of health . His team has developed culturally adapted interventions for HPV vaccination and hypertension management using community storytelling methods. Scientific contributions include: Co-Editor-in-Chief of Medical Care Developing simulation-based training for research assistants Designing peer recruitment models for smoking cessation Dr. Allison holds multiple grants and leads the UMMS-Vietnam research collaboration , focusing on late-stage translation research in low-resource settings.
Ioannis Soilemetzidis is a Senior Lecturer and Course Leader for the International Events, Leisure and Tourism Management MSc at the Guildhall School of Business and Law, London Metropolitan University. With over two decades of experience spanning academia and industry, he specializes in higher education policy, student retention strategies, and transnational education partnerships. He holds Fellowships from the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI), alongside PRINCE2 certification. His teaching portfolio includes international business, management, tourism, and political economy across multiple UK universities. He has led initiatives in student retention, international recruitment, and academic quality assurance. Research focuses on student experience surveys, academic partnerships, and policy impacts, with publications in journals like European Academic Research and Library and Information Research . Research Interests: Student retention frameworks, cross-border education policies, academic program validation, and entrepreneurial education. Key Contributions: Authored/co-authored major student experience surveys (HEPI/HEA), explored attrition trends using Bourdieu’s sociological theories, and analyzed international education dynamics in Turkey and Greece. Awards: Recognized for contributions to education through FHEA and FCMI Fellowships. He advises on academic partnerships, quality assurance, and intellectual property matters, and is a sought-after consultant for institutions and industry. His work bridges theory and practice in global education systems.
Miao Qian is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Detroit Mercy. She earned her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology and Education from the University of Toronto and completed postdoctoral training in Harvard University's Inequality in America Initiative program. Her research investigates child social cognition, focusing on how children acquire social category knowledge and apply it to social evaluations. Research examines the development and reduction of implicit biases related to race and gender. Current projects include studying social-cognitive drivers of bias and developing interventions like individuation training and cooperative games. Recognized as a 2023 Emerging Scholar by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education.
Dr. Kaie Maennel is a Lecturer at the School of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, part of the Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology at the University of Adelaide. Her research focuses on Human Aspects of Cyber Security, including Cyber Awareness and Hygiene, Serious Games (Cyber Defence Exercises), and Learning Analytics in Cyber Training. She also investigates Usable Security, Information Security Culture, and Cybersecurity Risk Management. With over 20 years of corporate experience in Audit and Assurance at Deloitte, she holds professional certifications: ACCA, CIA, and Estonian CPA. Her research interests emphasize bridging cybersecurity education with practical applications, leveraging experiential learning and advanced analytics. She actively participates in high-profile cybersecurity initiatives like the NATO CCDCOE’s Locked Shields workshop, contributing to exercise design and assessment frameworks. Dr. Maennel is eligible to supervise Masters and PhD students as a Co-Supervisor, focusing on cybersecurity education, exercise methodologies, and human-centric security strategies. She prioritizes interdisciplinary approaches and real-world impact through collaborations with industry and academic partners. Her work spans cyber defense exercise ontology development, cultural adaptation of cybersecurity programs, and leveraging behavioral genetics insights. Recent trends in her publications highlight the integration of AI into cybersecurity training and the critical role of human factors in mitigating cyber risks.
Jonas Bakken is a Professor of Norwegian Didactics at the Department of Teacher Education and School Research, University of Oslo. His work bridges rhetoric, children's literature, and sustainable development education through innovative didactic approaches. As academic director of the Associate Professorship Program, he shapes teacher education and curriculum design. Research Interests: Norwegian language arts, rhetoric integration in education, ecocriticism, multicultural narratives, and bilingual pedagogy. Projects: Evaluation of bilingual education (ETOS), Linking Instruction and Student Experiences (LISE), Scandinavian Narratives of Guilt and Privilege (Scanguilt), Minority Literary Voices in Scandinavia. Publications span textbook analysis, rhetorical strategies in Sámi literature, CLIL education equity, and oral creativity pedagogy. His recent works focus on task culture conflicts and curriculum renewal in Norwegian language arts.
Prof. Dr. Zeki Bayram is a full Professor and current Chairman of the Computer Engineering Department at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU). He has served as the founding chairman of the Internet Technologies Research Center (2006) and chaired the departmental ABET committee from 2010 to 2023. His academic contributions span semantic web services, mobile payment systems, and XML-based technologies. Founded Cybersoft Bilişim Teknolojileri Limited, a dormant software company in North Cyprus Active in academic service, including thesis supervision and editorial roles Teaches courses on programming languages, automata theory, and software tools Research focuses on semantic web service composition, secure payment schemes, and declarative programming paradigms. His work integrates logic programming, constraint solving, and ontology engineering. Prof. Bayram has published extensively in journals and conferences since the 1990s, with notable contributions to formal methods in service-oriented architectures.
Joacim Hansson is a Professor of Library and Information Science at Linnaeus University, Sweden. He teaches at doctoral and master's levels in Library and Information Science and the Digital Humanities program. His research focuses on Knowledge Organization (classification research), Document Studies (digital representation of cultural heritage), and Library Research (institutional identity of libraries). He is affiliated with the Centre for Digital Humanities and the Critical Knowledge Organization Research Group. He serves on editorial boards for journals like Journal of Librarianship and Information Science and is a Senior Associate Fellow at the International Institute of Hermeneutics. His work explores the intersection of classification systems, cultural heritage, and political influences on libraries. He has led projects such as 'Cultivating Information, Organizing Culture' and contributes to initiatives like EUniWell (European University for Well-Being). His publications analyze topics like bibliographic classification's societal role, public libraries in political turmoil, and Jewish library systems' philosophical foundations. He has authored books including Dewey och de svenska biblioteken and De ordnade böckernas folk . His research underscores libraries' democratic roles and the ethical dimensions of information organization. Education: Holds a PhD in Library and Information Science from Gothenburg University (1999) and a licentiate in library studies (1998). His doctoral work examined Swedish library classification systems' societal discourses. Grants and Projects: Leads the 'Cultivating Information' project and contributes to the ReSource graduate school on digital source criticism. Collaborates internationally on classification and cultural heritage digitization.
Daniel Kasper is a researcher at the University of Hamburg's Faculty of Education, specializing in Educational Science with a focus on International Educational Monitoring and Reporting. He currently serves as the National Project Manager for TIMSS 2027, continuing his leadership role from previous TIMSS cycles (2023, 2019). His work centers on large-scale educational assessments, statistical methodology, and primary education research. Dr. Kasper completed his Habilitation in Educational Science with special consideration of empirical educational research at TU Dortmund (2012-2020), followed by his PhD in Educational Science at the same institution (2010-2012). He earned his Diploma in Educational Science from the University of Münster (2001-2007). His research interests span evaluation of education systems, primary school research, educational disparities, and advanced statistical methods in education. He has developed significant expertise in TIMSS methodology, multilevel modeling, and analysis of large-scale assessment data, with numerous publications addressing methodological challenges in international comparative studies. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals a strong focus on TIMSS methodology and results, particularly regarding mathematics and science competencies in primary education. His work demonstrates expertise in statistical methodology for educational assessment, with several publications developing and refining analytical techniques for large-scale data. A recurring theme is examining educational disparities related to student composition, socioeconomic factors, and gender differences. Dr. Kasper has served as National Project Manager for multiple TIMSS cycles (2019, 2023, 2027) and has been involved in PIRLS studies, demonstrating sustained leadership in major international educational assessments. His work bridges methodological innovation with practical application in educational monitoring. He teaches courses across all academic levels, including 'Introduction to Empirical Research Methods' for Bachelor students, 'Methods of Empirical Educational Research' for Master students, and advanced workshops on longitudinal scaling and the Rasch model for doctoral candidates. His teaching reflects his dual expertise in educational research methodology and statistical analysis.
Yalong Yang is an Assistant Professor at the School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Institute of Technology. His research focuses on immersive analytics, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) interfaces, with a particular emphasis on spatial interaction, hybrid user interfaces, and data visualization techniques. He explores how embodied interactions and immersive environments enhance understanding in domains like education, sports analytics, and collaborative decision-making. Key research themes include hybrid immersive systems (combining VR/AR with physical devices), asymmetric collaboration in mixed environments, and AI-driven tools for programming education. His work spans both theoretical frameworks and applied systems, such as SPHERE for scalable personalized feedback in coding classrooms and VizGroup for collaborative learning analytics. Yang’s recent publications highlight trends in spatial hybrid interfaces, navigation in immersive environments, and the integration of generative AI in educational technologies. His projects often involve evaluating interaction techniques (e.g., label placement in AR) and comparing performance across desktop and VR platforms. Notable contributions include the SportsXR initiative for immersive analytics in sports, and systems like CompositingVis for creating complex visualizations in 3D spaces. His work addresses challenges in situated analytics, wearable technologies for outdoor activities, and audience analysis in VR exhibitions.
Aino Ahtinen is a University Lecturer in Computing Sciences at Tampere University's Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences. Her work focuses on human-robot interaction, particularly in educational and healthcare contexts. She has extensive experience designing socially assistive robots, wellness technologies, and participatory design frameworks for diverse populations including older adults, children, and professionals. Her research emphasizes co-learning models involving social robots, accessibility in senior-robot interactions, and the integration of robotics into primary education and workplace well-being. Notable projects include the ROBOTOUR co-learning initiative for seniors and ROBOCAMP programs for youth. She has pioneered studies on robot literacy metrics and ethical design considerations in social robotics. Dr. Ahtinen has contributed to over 60 peer-reviewed publications since 2003, with recent work focusing on robot-assisted physical activity, privacy-aware robotic systems, and cross-generational technology education. Her research bridges human-computer interaction, gerontechnology, and educational technology, consistently prioritizing user-centered design principles.
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