Joel Andreas is a Professor of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University since 2003, serving as Program Director of the East Asian Studies Program. His research focuses on political contention, social inequality, and social change in contemporary China. He holds a PhD in Sociology from UCLA and teaches social theory, political sociology, and courses on Chinese society. He has held visiting positions at universities including the University of Sydney, Hong Kong University, and Ningxia University. His work examines labor movements, rural land policies, and class dynamics in China. Recent research includes analyses of staff-worker congresses, rural land dispossession, and the persistence of militarism in U.S. policy. He critiques market reforms and explores the legacy of the Cultural Revolution. Andreas has contributed to debates on China’s transition to capitalism and the decline of socialist systems. His publications span topics from urbanization to state coercion in rural development. He maintains an active role in academic exchanges and policy-relevant research on China’s socio-political landscape.
Yunxiang Yan is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His work focuses on China and Cultural Anthropology , with specific expertise in Economic Anthropology , Family and Kinship , and Individualization . Education: Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from Harvard University (1993). Yan’s research explores the intersection of social change , moral theory , and family dynamics in modern China. His ethnographic studies in rural villages provide foundational insights into exchange theory and cultural globalization . Recent publications analyze food safety , medical ethics , and moral crises in China, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach combining anthropology, sociology, and philosophy. Articles span themes like intergenerational intimacy , political oppression , and networked social structures . Scientific Awards: Guggenheim Fellowship Levenson Prize-winning Research Yan’s work bridges local Chinese studies with global anthropological discourse. He has held positions at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Johns Hopkins University, and UCLA since 1996. His career reflects a commitment to documenting the lives of ordinary people, rooted in his early experiences as an expelled villager during Maoist China. Contact: yan@anthro.ucla.edu
Jacob Eyferth is an Associate Professor at the University of Chicago, jointly appointed in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, the Department of History, and the College. His research focuses on the social and cultural history of twentieth-century China, particularly rural communities, gender dynamics, and the intersection of technology and everyday life. Key research themes include the impact of industrialization, collectivization, and revolution on non-elite populations, with an emphasis on rural women's labor and cultural resistance. His current project explores cotton production, clothing, and gender during China's socialist era. Eating Rice from Bamboo Roots (2009) How China Works (2006) Rural Development in Transitional China (2004) He received the 2011 Joseph Levenson Prize for his first book. Eyferth has taught courses on topics such as class inequality, everyday life under socialism, and revolutionary China, and has held postdoctoral fellowships at Oxford, Harvard, and Rutgers.
Sigrid Schmalzer is a Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, specializing in the history of science and modern China. She holds a Ph.D. in History and Science Studies from the University of California, San Diego (2004). Her research bridges the social, cultural, and political dimensions of science in China, with a focus on the intersections of agriculture, activism, and revolutionary movements. Schmalzer is the author of *Red Revolution, Green Revolution: Scientific Farming in Socialist China* (2016), winner of the Joseph Levenson Book Prize, and *The People's Peking Man: Popular Science and Human Identity in Twentieth-Century China* (2008), recipient of the Allan Sharlin Award. Her current projects include a book on agricultural heritage in the People’s Republic of China and leadership roles in organizations like the Critical China Scholars and Science for the People. She co-edits the *Activist Studies of Science and Technology* series for UMass Press, emphasizing socially engaged scholarship. Schmalzer also serves as Co-President of the MSP faculty union at UMass Amherst. Research interests span the history of science activism, transnational movements, and the legacy of Maoist science. Notable awards include the Freeman Book Award (2018) for her children’s book *Moth and Wasp, Soil and Ocean*, which integrates science education with historical narratives. Her work often critiques capitalist and authoritarian structures while advocating for science as a tool for justice and sustainability. Recent publications explore themes like agroecology, science policy, and the global dimensions of China’s scientific history. She teaches courses on modern China, science in society, and radical science movements, blending interdisciplinary approaches to engage students in critical analysis of historical and contemporary issues.
Lynn T. White III is Professor Emeritus of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University. His research examines Chinese political development, particularly in the Yangzi delta region around Shanghai, with comparative work in Taiwan, Thailand, and the Philippines. White's scholarship analyzes how economic changes influence political structures, including the shift from socialist planning to market dynamics in post-1970s China. His recent work explores non-electoral political participation and the scope of mobilization in racial, feminist, and nationalist movements. Publications include Careers in Shanghai , Policies of Chaos , Unstately Power (winner of AAS Levenson Prize), and Political Booms . He has mentored numerous doctoral students who now hold academic positions in Asian studies.
Professor David A Palmer is a distinguished academic jointly appointed by the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences and the Department of Sociology at the University of Hong Kong, where he has been teaching since 2008. His interdisciplinary work bridges anthropology, sociology, religious studies, and Sinology, establishing him as a leading scholar in Chinese religious studies and transnational religious movements. Palmer's educational background includes a PhD in Anthropology of Religion from Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (Sorbonne, Paris), an MPhil in Clinical Psychology/Medical Anthropology from University of Paris-VIII, and a BA in Anthropology and East Asian Studies from McGill University. His scholarly contributions span multiple disciplines with particular emphasis on Chinese religious traditions and their global manifestations. His research interests focus on the anthropology and sociology of spirituality and religion, especially Daoism and Chinese religion; religion in modern and contemporary China; inter-Asian and transnational religious circulations; Baháʼí Faith; civil society, volunteering, philanthropy, community engagement; and cultural and religious interactions on the Belt and Road. His work examines how religious traditions navigate modernity, state power, and globalization, with particular attention to the Belt and Road Initiative's cultural dimensions. Palmer's publications reveal a consistent focus on understanding Chinese religious traditions within broader theoretical frameworks of social theory, civil society, and transnational religious networks. His articles demonstrate how Chinese religious practices and institutions both adapt to and shape contemporary social and political contexts, with particular attention to the intersections of spirituality, modernity, and state-society relations. Joseph Levenson Award of the Association for Asian Studies PROSE award of the American Publishers' Association Francis L.K. Hsu Award of the Society for East Asian Anthropology Edward Bruner Prize for the best book in Anthropology of Tourism HK Research Grants Council RGC Research Fellowship (2021-2025) HK Research Grants Council Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship (2019) Palmer currently leads multiple significant research projects including 'Global China, Local Cultures: Chinese Modernity and Soft Power on the Belt and Road' (RGC Research Fellowship, 2021-2025), 'Infrastructures of Faith: Religious Mobilities on the Belt and Road' (CRF, 2019-2023), 'Rituals and Manuscripts of the Lanten Yao (Laos)' (GRF, 2021-2024), and 'Religious Cosmopolitanism in China, 1895-1927' (GRF, 2021-2024). He leads the 'Asian Religious Connections' research cluster at HKIHSS, co-convenes the 'Culture, Community and Social Equity' research cluster in the HKU Faculty of Social Sciences, and serves as co-convenor of the HKU Anthropology Research Network. As President of the East Asian Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, he plays a key role in advancing scholarly understanding of religion in the region.
Professor Jo Barraket is a leading academic and researcher in social equity, social innovation, and public policy. As Director of the Melbourne Social Equity Institute and member of the Dilun Duwa Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership, she focuses on improving social equity through organizational innovation, cross-sector collaboration, and policy design. Her research addresses social procurement, health equity, digital inclusion, and employment pathways for marginalized groups. Her work includes landmark projects such as the Australian Digital Inclusion Index and evaluations of Commonwealth Social Enterprise Development Funds. She has secured over $11M in research grants, including multiple ARC grants, and produced over 75 scholarly publications. Her current projects compare social procurement policies in Australia and Scotland, and study youth unemployment in construction via employment-focused procurement. Key research themes include: social enterprise scaling strategies, cross-sector partnerships for policy implementation, and the role of philanthropy in equitable housing. She advises governments and OECD on inclusive employment policies and chairs major research initiatives like the Social Enterprise Impact Lab. Prof Barraket’s transdisciplinary approach combines rigorous academic research with practical outputs like policy guides and digital tools to maximize societal impact. She previously founded the Centre for Social Impact Swinburne, now a global leader in social economy research.
Andrea Young is a Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB), where they lead the Young Lab. The lab investigates quantum materials through nanofabrication and electronic measurement techniques. Affiliation: University of California Santa Barbara (Department of Physics) Research Interests: Andrea Young's work focuses on the interplay of symmetry, topology, and correlations in low-dimensional systems, particularly exploring superconductivity, magnetism, and fractionalization in graphene and van der Waals heterostructures . They utilize cryogenic measurements and heterostructure engineering to probe thermodynamic properties of these materials. Publication Trends: Recent articles emphasize twisted bilayer/trilayer graphene , moiré superlattices , and fractional quantum Hall effects , with keywords spanning condensed matter physics, quantum materials, and nanofabrication. Scientific Awards: Moore Foundation grant (2020) NSF fellowship (2020) CAREER award (2017) Advising: Andrea Young has advised PhD students such as Dr. Haoxin Zhou (2021) and Dr. Marec Serlin (2021). Their lab also supports research fellows like James Ehrets, who received an NSF fellowship in 2020. Labs & Teams: The Young Lab at UCSB specializes in creating van der Waals heterostructures and developing techniques like picosecond transport and nanoscale interferometry to study fragile electronic states.
Gierad Laput is a Senior Engineering Manager at Apple, leading the Perception and Interaction Engineering organization under Machine Intelligence Neural Design (MIND) at Apple AI/ML (AIML). He is also an Adjunct Professor at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science and Human-Computer Interaction Institute. His research sits at the intersection of sensing systems, interactive technologies, and machine learning, with applications in ambient intelligence, wearables, and AI-driven interactive experiences. Ph.D. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University Founding member of CMU's Future Interfaces Group Former Google Ph.D. Fellow, Disney Imagineer, and recipient of 10 Best Paper Awards/Nominations His research agenda at Apple leverages cutting-edge hardware to develop multimodal ML systems for vision, audio, and motion sensors, enabling features like head gesture detection for AirPods, Apple Intelligence integrations, and health monitoring tools. Recent collaborative projects include Vision Pro hand interaction systems and WatchOS updates for cycling/fall detection. Key research areas include human-computer interaction , machine learning for sensor fusion , and smart environment sensing . Over 35 publications cover transformative technologies like ViBand (bio-acoustic sensing), EM-Sense (touch recognition), SkinTrack (arm as touchpad), and ElectroDermis (stretchable electronics). Scientific honors include: Fast Company Innovation by Design Award (2017) Google PhD Fellowship (2018) Swartz Entrepreneurial Fellowship (2018) Best Paper Awards at ACM UIST (2016) and ACM CHI (2015) As an educator, he has taught courses at CMU and the University of Michigan on on-device machine learning , signal processing , and human-centered design . His lab has mentored numerous researchers now pursuing PhDs at MIT, UW, CMU, and Northwestern.
Jean Oh is a Researcher at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) , leading the interdisciplinary Bot Intelligence Group (BIG) . Her work focuses on developing persistent robots that co-exist and collaborate with humans in shared environments, emphasizing continuous improvement through training, exploration, and human interaction. Education: Ph.D. in Language and Information Technologies, CMU M.S. in Computer Science, Columbia University B.S. in Biotechnology, Yonsei University Oh's research integrates vision, language, and planning systems in robotics, with applications in human-robot teaming , self-driving cars , disaster response , eldercare , and creative robotics . She has pioneered projects like socially-compliant robot navigation in human crowds and AI-driven robotic painting systems. Recent publication trends highlight her work in vision-language planning , social navigation , computational creativity , and human-robot collaboration . Notable contributions include the StyleCLIPDraw algorithm for text-to-art generation and Social-PatteRNN for human-like trajectory prediction. Scientific Awards: Best Paper Award in Cognitive Robotics (ICRA'18, ICRA'15) Best Systems Paper Finalist (HRI'25) Best Oral Paper Finalist (Humanoids'24) Best Paper in Entertainment (IROS'24) Argoverse Challenge Winner (CVPR'24) Best Student Paper (AIAA'24) Best Demo Finalist (RoboSoft'24) Oh mentors a diverse team of PhD, MS, and undergraduate students from CMU departments including Robotics, Computer Science, and Mechanical Engineering. Her research is funded by US Army Research Lab , DiDi Chuxing , and DARPA , with collaborations across industry and academia .
Antoine Bosselut is a Tenure Track Assistant Professor at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in the School of Computer and Communication Sciences, where he leads the EPFL NLP group. His research focuses on developing AI reasoning agents that can model, represent, and reason about human and world knowledge, with applications in health, education, and global fairness. His research interests span multiple critical areas in modern AI: LLM Representations of Knowledge: Understanding what language models know and how they represent that knowledge internally Reasoning Algorithms: Developing methods to improve LLMs' reasoning capabilities through symbolic systems, neuroscience, and cognitive science Large-scale AI Development: Creating open-source foundation models with multilingual capabilities AI Democratization: Ensuring equitable access to AI technologies across different cultural and regulatory contexts His recent publications reveal a strong focus on the intersection of language models and cognitive science, with multiple studies examining how LLMs align with human cognition. He's also deeply engaged in practical applications of NLP technology, particularly in education and multilingual settings, as evidenced by his work on evaluating AI's impact on higher education and developing culturally-aware language models. His scientific achievements have been recognized with several prestigious awards: Outstanding Paper Award at NAACL 2025 ELLIS Scholar designation in 2024 Outstanding Paper Award at ACL 2023 Inclusion in Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Science & Healthcare in 2021 Bosselut actively mentors numerous PhD students across diverse NLP research areas and has secured significant recognition for his work in both academic and media circles. His lab has been featured in major publications including Communications of the ACM, The Atlantic, and Quanta Magazine, highlighting the societal impact of his research on commonsense reasoning and AI capabilities.
Mark Schmidt is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Science. He holds the Canada Research Chair in Large-Scale Machine Learning and is a Canada CIFAR AI Chair at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute. His research spans multiple centers including CAIDA (Centre for Artificial Intelligence Decision-making and Action), the Data Science Institute, and the Machine Intelligence Learning Discovery (MILD) group. Dr. Schmidt's educational background includes a Ph.D. from UBC (2005-2010), an M.Sc. from the University of Alberta (2003-2005), and a B.Sc. from the University of Alberta (2000-2003). His academic career progressed from Postdoc positions at Simon Fraser University, Ecole Normale Superieure, and UBC to Assistant Professor (2014-2019), Associate Professor (2019-2024), and current Professor (2024-present) at UBC. His research focuses on machine learning optimization, with particular emphasis on improving numerical algorithms for large-scale machine learning applications. His work bridges theoretical optimization and practical applications across computer vision, natural language processing, and reinforcement learning. He has developed numerous optimization techniques including variants of stochastic gradient methods, coordinate descent algorithms, and natural gradient approaches. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on optimization for over-parameterized models, particularly transformers and large language models. His work addresses critical challenges in step-size selection, convergence guarantees, and efficient implementation of optimization algorithms. His research has significant implications for training deep neural networks more effectively and understanding why certain optimization methods outperform others in practice. Among his notable awards are the Dorothy Killam Fellowship (2025), Arthur B. McDonald Fellowship (2024), Sloan Research Fellowship (2017), and multiple UBC teaching awards. He has also received the Lagrange Prize in Continuous Optimization and Best Paper Award at AISTATS 2021. Dr. Schmidt actively supervises numerous graduate students, with over 40 PhD and Master's students listed as current or alumni members of his research group. His laboratory maintains strong connections with industry partners, with many alumni securing positions at leading AI companies including Google, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft.
Stephen Licht is an Associate Professor of Ocean Engineering and Graduate Director at the University of Rhode Island's College of Engineering, where he directs the Robotics Laboratory for Complex Underwater Environments (R-CUE). His research focuses on developing maritime robots capable of operating in dynamic and unpredictable environments through biologically inspired propulsion, distributed pressure sensing, model-based optimal control, and compliant underwater manipulation technologies. Ph.D. in Oceanographic and Mechanical Engineering from MIT/WHOI Joint Program (2008) B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Yale University (1998) Former Senior Research Scientist at iRobot and Senior Robotics Engineer at Vecna Robotics Current Research Affiliate with MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering Former Visiting Faculty at Libera Università di Bolzano (2019-2020) Dr. Licht's research spans marine robotics with emphasis on biologically inspired propulsion systems that provide high authority and bandwidth thrust, nonlinear attitude control for maneuvering in dynamic conditions, compliant underwater manipulation technologies, and unmanned aerial monitoring of coastal structures. His work bridges mechanical engineering principles with oceanographic applications to create more capable underwater robotic systems that can operate in complex marine environments. His recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward soft robotics applications for deep-sea exploration, with particular focus on jamming grippers and neutrally buoyant manipulation systems. The research also shows increasing integration of additive manufacturing techniques for field-deployable solutions and computational methods for autonomous systems operating in challenging marine environments. His work spans fundamental control theory, mechanical design, and practical field applications. Dr. Licht has secured significant research funding as both Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator from major organizations including the Office of Naval Research, NOAA, NSF, and various university collaborations. His grants focus on advancing unmanned underwater vehicle technology, soft robotics for deep-sea applications, and coastal monitoring systems. Active mentor to numerous graduate and undergraduate students in Ocean Engineering Successful track record of student placements at organizations including Jaia Robotics, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, FORSSEA Robotics, and government research labs Collaborates with researchers at MIT, WHOI, University of Connecticut, University of Maine, and international institutions Licht leads the R-CUE lab which develops innovative solutions for underwater robotics challenges, with particular expertise in biomimetic propulsion, soft robotics for deep-sea applications, and autonomous systems for environmental monitoring. The lab maintains strong industry connections with OceanGate Inc. and FabNewport, and engages with local educational institutions through outreach programs with Roger Williams Middle School.
Dr. Kim Jeong Won is a Senior Research Fellow at the Energy Studies Institute (ESI), National University of Singapore, where she has been since March 2019. She holds a PhD in Energy and Environmental Policy from Korea University's Green School, an MPA from Korea University, and a MPP from the Harris School of Public Policy Studies, University of Chicago. Her research focuses on renewable energy and climate change policy, policy diffusion among governments, and quantitative policy evaluation methods. Dr. Kim has extensive experience in policy analysis and project management, including roles at the Korea Environment Institute (KEI), UNWTO ST-EP Foundation, and Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). Her work emphasizes vertical and horizontal policy diffusion mechanisms, particularly in energy and climate sectors. She specializes in analyzing policy instrument combinations and designing evaluation frameworks for development projects. Her publications explore urban climate adaptation strategies in South Korea, renewable energy investment requirements for developing countries, and comparative analyses of energy storage systems competitiveness. She has contributed to policy reports for South Korean governments and international organizations, focusing on sustainable energy transitions and green growth frameworks. Dr. Kim's research bridges academic rigor with practical policy implementation, emphasizing quantitative methodologies to assess policy effectiveness. She actively participates in international development projects and contributes to global discussions on climate finance and energy policy design.
Prof. Konrad Schindler holds the position of Full Professor at the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering at ETH Zürich. He is also the Head of the Institute of Geodesy and Photogrammetry (IGP), leading research and educational activities in geomatics and computer vision. His career spans roles as a Photogrammetric Engineer, scientific assistant, postdoc researcher, and academic faculty across institutions including Graz University of Technology, Monash University, and TU Darmstadt before joining ETH Zürich in 2010. Education: Undergraduate studies in Geodesy (1992–1995), Graz University of Technology, Austria MEng in Photogrammetry and Geoinformation (1995–1999), Vienna University of Technology, Austria PhD in Computer Science (2001–2003), Graz University of Technology, Austria Research focuses on Photogrammetry , Remote Sensing , Computer Vision , and Image Understanding with interdisciplinary applications in environmental monitoring, geospatial analysis, and disaster response. He develops computational methods for 3D reconstruction, fusion of multi-modal data, and AI-driven solutions for satellite imagery interpretation. His work bridges geomatic engineering and machine learning to address challenges in urban mapping, climate modeling, and biological systems analysis. Publications reflect expertise in geospatial AI, diffusion models, and benchmarking datasets for disaster resilience. Notable works include Marigold (image analysis adaptation) and BRIGHT (building damage assessment). His research emphasizes practicality and scalability, such as affordable depth estimation and global biomass datasets. He has received the 2013 Marr Prize Honourable Mention (IEEE) and the 2012 U.V. Helava Award (ISPRS), alongside several Best Presentation Awards. His contributions span technical leadership, editorial roles (ISPRS Journal), and service to Swiss remote sensing commissions. Advising and grants: While no specific advisee names or grant details are listed, his career trajectory includes mentoring postdocs and junior faculty. He teaches advanced courses in Photogrammetry , Image Interpretation , and Machine Vision , integrating cutting-edge AI techniques into curricula. His research group collaborates on global-scale projects like canopy height mapping and satellite-based climate variable assessments. Labs/Teams: As Institute Head, he oversees the IGP lab at ETH Zürich, with prior affiliations including the Digital Perception Lab (Monash University) and the Computer Vision Lab (ETH Zurich). His work often involves multi-institutional collaborations focused on geospatial AI and environmental science.
