Ricardo Pinto is an Assistant Professor at Lusófona University of Porto's Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sports, affiliated with HEI-Lab (Digital Human-Environment Interaction Lab). He holds a PhD in Health Psychology from the University of Minho, where he received a Research Fellowship from the Foundation for Science and Technology. His research focuses on: Childhood adversity and trauma mechanisms Domestic violence interventions Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Virtual reality applications in mental health Pandemic-related psychological impacts His recent publications demonstrate strong focus on trauma responses in crisis contexts, particularly examining pandemic grief, first responder mental health, and educational impacts. Research methodologies increasingly incorporate virtual reality simulations to study decision-making and emotional regulation. Awards include: Best Poster Award (2024) Pinto contributes to major research projects including: IMAGINE EURO (maternal-newborn care improvement) BENDIt-EU (burnout prevention in universities) He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Traumatic Stress and regularly presents at international conferences.
Lena O Magnusson is a Lecturer in Visual Pedagogy at the University of Gävle's Faculty of Education and Business Studies, Department of Educational Sciences. She holds a PhD in Aesthetic Expressions with educational science focus and serves as scientific leader of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) research group. Magnusson is also active in the Research On Learning Environments (ROLE) group. Her research focuses on: Digital technology integration in preschool education STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) curriculum development Visual pedagogy and aesthetic learning processes Literacy development through artistic expression Educational environment design Practice-oriented preschool research Magnusson's publications show strong emphasis on visual methodologies, digital tools in early education, and participatory research with children. Recent works explore photographic documentation, art-based pedagogy, and STEAM integration strategies. She leads courses in visual pedagogy within teacher education programs and supervises degree theses. Currently coordinating the VR-funded project 'STEAM Education in Preschool' (2023-2026), a collaboration between University of Gävle, Stockholm University and Umeå University.
Hans Leo Höger is a tenured Professor of Theory and History of Design and Communication at the Faculty of Design and Arts, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano. His academic work spans design theory, cultural engineering, and eco-social dimensions of design, with significant contributions to international design discourse through conferences and publications. His research focuses on Cultural Engineering (transdisciplinary approaches to design processes), Convergence Phenomena in Postindustrial Societies , Design & Politics , New Intercultural Realities , and contextualized Design Thinking . Höger's work critically examines design's role in societal transformation, emphasizing sustainability and cultural sensitivity. Notable contributions include curating the international conference 'Design Research – Strategy Setting to Face the Future' (2007) and serving on evaluation panels for major research bodies like the Swiss National Science Foundation and DFG. His publications reveal consistent engagement with design's evolving relationship to innovation, culture, and global challenges. Commissioner of German participation at XIXth Milan Triennale (2003) Program Committee member for 'Multiple Ways to Design Research' (2009) DFG external expert for research evaluation (2011) Bozen University Press editorial board (2012) Höger bridges academia and industry through strategic consultancy for clients including Siemens, Olivetti, Swiss Re, and leading design offices. His upcoming film series 'Creative Lives on Stage' (May 2025) demonstrates ongoing engagement with design's cultural dimensions. He actively mentors students through courses like Design Theory and History of Design, shaping next-generation design thinkers.
Elinor Särner is a Doctoral student at Linköping University's Department of Economic and Industrial Development (IEI), working within the Projects, Innovations and Entrepreneurship (PIE) division under the Faculty of Science and Engineering. She conducts research as part of the Complex Intelligent Systems and the Management of the Future (Nicer) group and the Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program – Humanities and Society (WASP-HS). Her research focuses on understanding how Artificial Intelligence can be responsibly integrated into society by examining how different actors in complex systems relate to AI and how it affects their interaction. She employs a meaning-making perspective to study how actors jointly understand and create meaning of how AI contributes to future complex systems, particularly in critical infrastructure like energy systems. Her recent publications analyze prospective sensemaking in AI projects, human-AI collaboration in future planning, and the development of AI tools for complex system understanding. Her work demonstrates how AI integration creates challenges in organizational communication and understanding, particularly when multiple stakeholders with different technical knowledge levels collaborate. Elinor's research has practical applications in energy system planning, as demonstrated in her case study of MälarEnergi in Västerås and the municipality of Västerås, where she examined how an AI tool was developed to plan energy systems for a new residential area. She identifies communication challenges between technical suppliers and municipal actors, highlighting the need for human-AI collaboration to navigate uncertainties in predicting future system behavior.
Ana Rita Conde Dias serves as Assistant Professor at Lusófona University of Porto, teaching across the undergraduate Psychology program and Master's degrees in Clinical and Health Psychology and Justice Psychology. She concurrently holds the position of Deputy Director for the Justice Psychology Master's program, demonstrating active engagement in both academic instruction and program leadership within Portugal's higher education landscape. Her educational foundation includes a Licenciatura (Bachelor) in Psychology (2000, University of Minho) Mestrado (Master) in Psychology (2007, University of Minho) Doutoramento (PhD) in Psychology of Justice (2012, University of Minho) Conde Dias' research centers on forensic and clinical psychology with pronounced emphasis on victimology, particularly examining female victimization, prison violence, and domestic abuse through qualitative methodologies. Her work consistently integrates sociocultural analysis of gender dynamics and love discourses, while recent publications reveal strategic expansion into virtual reality applications for psychological training and inclusive tourism frameworks for neurodiverse populations. This evolution demonstrates methodological versatility spanning grounded theory, narrative analysis, and digital interventions. Analysis of her 20 journal articles shows thematic progression from foundational studies on sociocultural representations of domestic violence (2007-2014) toward contemporary investigations of VR-based cognitive stimulation (2021-2023) and cross-cultural prison mental health (2019-2023), with Cape Verdean populations featuring prominently in recent empirical work. Her publications consistently employ qualitative frameworks while increasingly incorporating mixed-methods approaches in correctional and clinical settings. She has received five unspecified academic honors recognizing contributions to victimology and forensic psychology, though specific award titles remain undisclosed in source materials. Conde Dias actively supervises Master's theses examining judicial decision-making in domestic violence cases, childhood victimization in prison contexts, and juvenile delinquency life histories, with 13 thesis supervisions documented between 2017-2019. Her research program includes the VREthics VR simulator (2020), developed for the Portuguese Psychologists Association, indicating practical grant-funded applications of her theoretical work. Her laboratory initiatives focus on virtual reality environments for ethics training and cognitive assessment, with recent collaborations extending into inclusive tourism applications for children with autism spectrum disorders through nautical tourism frameworks.
Elsa Hedling is a Senior Lecturer and Manager of Research and Research Education at Lund University's European Studies department within the The Joint Faculties of Humanities and Theology . Holding a PhD in Political Science (2018), she contributes to research at the intersection of international relations, political sociology, and media and communication studies. Her research explores digital transformation in diplomacy , focusing on digitalization's impact on foreign policy norms, social media use by diplomatic organizations, and counter-disinformation strategies. She works with key entities including the European External Action Service , NATO , and the United Nations . Current projects include ADAC.IO , Postdigital Propaganda , and Frictional Homebuilding in the Palestinian Territories. As a prolific author, her recent work analyzes digital diplomacy trends across EU, NATO, and G20 contexts, with special attention to gendered disinformation and feminist foreign policy frameworks. She teaches courses such as The Meaning of Europe , European Governance , and Social Media and Democracy while coordinating MA programs in European Studies and East/Central European Studies.
Linda Kvarnlöf is a Senior Lecturer at Mid Sweden University's Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, affiliated with the Risk and Crisis Research Centre (RCR). Her work bridges sociology with crisis management, focusing on household preparedness, rural disaster volunteerism, and societal security discourses. Academic Rank: Senior Lecturer Primary Affiliation: Risk and Crisis Research Centre (RCR) Key Research Themes: Emergency Response, Climate Crisis, Rural Resilience Her research explores the intersection of total defence policies with vulnerable/resilient subject constructions , analyzing how rural communities navigate wildfires , power outages , and pandemic conditions . Through practice theory and biographical approaches, she examines the tension between policy-driven preparedness and lived realities. Recent article trends reveal a focus on climate crisis temporality (2023), Covid-19 militarization (2020), and volunteer inclusion dynamics (2018). These contributions span environmental sociology, disaster studies, and critical policy analysis. Kvarnlöf's collaborative work extends to editorial projects, including co-editing Naturkraft: Festskrift till Erna Danielsson (2024), highlighting interdisciplinary approaches to risk research.
Susana Guerrero Sempere (born 1972 in Elche, Spain) is a visual artist and research professor at Miguel Hernández University of Elche's Faculty of Fine Arts. She holds a PhD cum laude in Fine Arts from the same institution and a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts specializing in Engraving and Sculpture from the Polytechnic University of Valencia. Her artistic research focuses on her physical experience as the foundation for creating contemporary mythology, where physical reality, dreams, the subconscious, the magical, the visible, and the hidden coexist. She infuses the sacred into her work through the appropriation of mythical narratives, traditions, rituals, superstitions, and popular legends. Using the creative process as a ritual, each element contributes its poetic and symbolic meaning to her pieces, establishing a dialogue between myth, religion, and living reality involving reason, imagination, and intuition. Guerrero has exhibited extensively internationally, with solo exhibitions including 'Mother, Consumed' (2021) at 532 Thomas Jaeckel Gallery in New York, 'El mal en mí' (2019) at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Elche, and 'Anatomy of a myth' (2018) at Fundación Caja Mediterráneo in Alicante. Her work has been featured in numerous group exhibitions across Spain, Mexico, Germany, Italy, and the United States, including participation in Art Miami, Art Southampton, and the Malta International Arts Festival. Her artistic production demonstrates consistent exploration of mythological themes, material symbolism, and ritualistic processes. The articles about her work reveal a strong focus on how she transforms traditional mythological elements into contemporary visual narratives, with particular attention to bodily representation, vulnerability, and the emotional charge of materials. Her work often bridges physical reality with dreamlike states, creating what critics describe as 'mythopias' - spaces where myth and contemporary experience merge. Premio Max Mejor espectáculo de danza 2023 Premio Cátedra Estudios Artísticos Annetta Nicoli (2023) Primer Premio Mulier, Mulieris (2022) Premio Convocatoria para Adquisicion de obras de arte (2021) Premio CORZON, Premio Nacional de Grabado Marbella 2003 Primer premio, Concurso Nacional de Escultura villa de Leganés 1997 Guerrero has received numerous scholarships supporting her international work, including residencies in Greece, Mexico, Germany, and Italy. Her work is represented in significant collections including the Marieluise Hessel Collection of contemporary art (NY), the Norlinda and José Lima Collection (Portugal), the Elche Museum of Contemporary Art Collection (MACE), and the Kunstlerhaus in Munich, Germany. She has also created public art, including 'Joseph's Bed' sculpture at the Leganés Sculpture Museum in Madrid.
Lauren Schiller serves as Professor of Fine Arts in the Department of Communication Media and the Arts at Seton Hall University, where she has taught painting, drawing, and printmaking since 1999. Her pedagogical approach emphasizes both technical mastery and the creative process, serving both art majors and students from other disciplines seeking to integrate artistic practice into their liberal arts education. Schiller has also developed innovative courses like Digital Painting that bridge traditional techniques with contemporary digital media. Schiller's educational background includes an M.F.A. in Painting & Printmaking from the University of Wisconsin, Madison (1995) and a B.F.A. in Printmaking from East Carolina University (1992). Her teaching philosophy centers on helping students develop a deeper understanding of art making and the role of creativity in both artistic practice and daily life. Her primary research interests focus on the spiritual dimension of material culture, particularly how humans assign meaning to physical objects through ritual and contemplative practices. Schiller explores themes of spirituality expressed through household shrines, altars, and sacred spaces, examining how people use ceremonial objects to connect with their inner world and deeper dimensions of existence. Her work investigates the intersection of matter and spirit across cultural contexts, with recent emphasis on cross-cultural perspectives between Chinese and American spiritual practices. Analysis of Schiller's recent exhibition history reveals a consistent trajectory toward exploring contemplative practices and spiritual materiality. Her most prominent works examine ritual objects, meditation experiences, and sacred spaces through oil paintings and intaglio prints. The recurring 'Matter and Spirit' theme demonstrates her deep engagement with how spiritual needs manifest materially across different cultural contexts, particularly through her participation in the 2018 Matter and Spirit Seminar in China. New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship Award in Painting (2008) Utah Arts Council Individual Artist Grant (1999) Participation in Matter and Spirit Seminar (2018) Schiller has received significant professional development support through the Matter and Spirit Seminar in China, which expanded her cross-cultural understanding of spiritual materiality. Her work has been featured in numerous publications including New American Paintings , Studio Visit Magazine , and Create! Magazine . Schiller's creative practice directly informs her teaching, particularly in courses that explore the intersection of traditional and digital media, as well as the conceptual frameworks behind artistic creation.
Clayton Childress is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Arts. He is a cultural sociologist whose work explores how taste, decision-making, and meaning-making around cultural objects generate social arrangements and inequality. He currently serves as Chair-Elect for the Culture Section of the American Sociological Association and holds editorial roles with Poetics , Contemporary Sociology , Princeton Studies in Cultural Sociology , and the American Journal of Cultural Sociology . Education Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara, 2012 Research Interests Childress’s research integrates cultural sociology with organizational and market studies to examine: Cultural production, reception, and meaning-making Social construction of taste and aesthetic judgment Decision-making processes in cultural markets Symbolic boundaries and social inequality Genre classification and consecration in literature and music Employing qualitative, quantitative, and archival methods, he has investigated publishing fields, music markets, literary prizes, and the life trajectories of creative professionals. Scientific Awards Mary Douglas Prize for Best Book in the Sociology of Culture (2018) for Under the Cover McGuffey Longevity Award (2022) for Media/Society Honorable Mention, Clifford Geertz Prize for Best Article (2021) Teaching & Advising Childress mentors graduate students in UBC’s MA and PhD programs in Sociology. Recent advisees include Jaishree Nayyar and Ikee Gibson, with whom he has co-authored peer-reviewed articles. Labs, Teams & Service He contributes to collaborative research networks spanning cultural sociology, economic sociology, and digital humanities. His service roles include editorial boards for leading journals and leadership within the American Sociological Association’s Culture Section.
Kelly McConnell, PhD is an Associate Attending Psychologist and Director of the Psycho-Oncology of Cancer and Aging Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center . Her work focuses on psychosocial interventions for older adults with cancer and their caregivers, addressing anxiety, existential distress, and end-of-life care challenges. Education: PhD in Psychology from Bowling Green State University, Residency in Geriatric Psychology at Wayne State University, Fellowship in Psychosocial Oncology at Dana Farber Cancer Institute Her research explores distress reduction strategies, cognitive behavioral therapy adaptation for aging cancer patients, and systemic approaches to improve caregiver support. Key publications span Journal of Geriatric Oncology , Psychooncology , and Cancer . Scientific contributions include: 2018 APOS New Investigator Award 2016 SBM Spirituality and Health Special Interest Group New Investigator Award 2012 ASCO Merit Award Current clinical trials investigate music therapy vs CBT for anxiety and implementation of psychosocial interventions in diverse medical settings. She maintains professional affiliations with the American Psychosocial Oncology Society and Gerontological Society of America.
Professor Stefanie Lorenzen holds the Chair of Religious Education and Didactics of Religious Education at the University of Bamberg since the summer semester of 2022. She is a member of the Doctoral Committee for the Faculties of Human Sciences and Humanities and Cultural Studies. Her academic journey includes habilitation at the University of Saarland in 2019, where she completed her work titled 'Decision as a Target Horizon of Religious Education? An Empirically Founded Theory of Religious Positioning Processes from the Perspective of Young Adults,' and prior teaching experience at the University of Bern (2016-2022) as a 60% lecturer in Religious Education. Her research focuses on religious decision-making, positioning processes, and the handling of ambiguity from a religious education perspective. She leads empirical research on religious beliefs and experiences in childhood and adolescence through the 'Children and Religion' project, and investigates church-led religious education experiences through the 'Developing Church Education with Children and Young People' project (2021-2023). Her work also explores interreligious learning as a dimension of religious didactics, religious education for sustainable development, and gender-sensitive religious education approaches. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on empirical approaches to religious education, with particular attention to religious positioning processes, confessional cooperation in religious education, and the challenges of religious pluralism in educational contexts. Her work increasingly integrates sustainability perspectives, particularly through religious contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The methodological approaches in her research combine qualitative empirical methods with theological reflection, creating a distinctive interdisciplinary perspective. Professor Lorenzen is actively involved in professional organizations including the GwR (Society for Scientific Religious Education), ISREV (International Seminar on Religious Education and Values), EARLI (European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction) in the Special Interest Group SIG 19 Religions and Worldviews in Education, and the AKRK (Working Group for Catholic Religious Education) in the subgroup 'Religious Education for Sustainable Development.' Her teaching and research supervision covers religious education theory, historical and contemporary approaches to religious education, and formats for religious education research. She collaborates with colleagues like Konstantin Lindner on confessional cooperation in religious education and with Ulrike Witten on the 'Doughnut Model' for understanding factors influencing religious education. Her research group focuses on developing church education with children and young people, with particular attention to parental perspectives and the Swiss context. The group also examines religious positioning processes in heterogeneous educational settings and explores how religious education can address contemporary societal challenges including sustainability and religious pluralism.
Abena Frimpoma Dadze-Arthur serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Administration and Policy at the University of Birmingham's School of Government. She concurrently holds leadership roles as Co-Director of the Public Management & Leadership Programme, Departmental Lead on Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, Vice Chair for EDI at the UK Association for Public Administration, and Associate Editor of Public Administration & Development . Her academic credentials include: PhD in Culturally Rooted Public Management (University of Birmingham, 2016) MSc in Contemporary Political Sociology (London School of Economics, 2002) BSc (Hons) in International Studies (Drexel University, USA, 2000) Dr. Dadze-Arthur's research pioneers decolonizing frameworks for public governance through indigenous knowledge systems and critical epistemologies. Her work integrates Q Methodology to analyze subjectivity in policy implementation while advocating for feminist, queer, and Global South perspectives. Key themes include knowledge transfer across cultural boundaries, sustainable public management reform, and dismantling epistemic colonialism in administrative education—all emphasizing the situationality of governance solutions. Her publication trajectory reveals intensifying focus on decolonial public administration since 2016, with recent works examining work-integrated pedagogies (2020-2021) and epistemic justice (2022). The corpus spans public sector economics, comparative governance, and democratic participation, increasingly prioritizing indigenous methodologies and intersectional EDI frameworks across global contexts from Abu Dhabi to Ghana. Professional recognition includes: PRINCE2 Certified Project Manager IPDET/World Bank Certified Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Kaplan & Norton’s Certified Balanced Scorecard Practitioner With 10+ years as an international policy practitioner—including Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court advisory—she has led EU-funded projects on labor market inclusion for minority groups and healthcare regulation. Her consultancy spans the UK Department of Education, National Consumer Council, and Royal National Institute for the Blind, focusing on participatory service design for marginalized communities. She actively contributes to the Institute of Local Government Studies (INLOGOV) and leads cross-border collaborations like the International Trailblazers project comparing work-integrated education models in the US, UK, and Denmark.
Maaike Roozenburg (born Delft 1979) serves as Head of the Master Industrial Design department at the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (KABK) since 2017, where she leads the Master of Industrial Design program officially launched in September 2017. This program represents the oldest industrial design program in the Netherlands, established in 1950, and was elevated to Master's level under her leadership. Her educational background includes two years of art history studies at Utrecht University before transferring to DesignLab at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. Roozenburg's professional philosophy emphasizes the critical examination of technology and industrial systems within design education, bridging the gap between technical design education and artistic design education. Research Focus: Her work centers on the management and restoration of heritage, operating at the intersection of design, conservation, and new technologies Design Philosophy: Believes designers must take a stand on sustainability issues and critically question production systems Educational Approach: Teaches students to engage with social debates and understand production processes from both technical and meaningful perspectives Roozenburg leads significant collaborative projects that explore how heritage objects can be reimagined for contemporary use through advanced technologies. Her work challenges traditional museum practices by making historical objects functional again while preserving their cultural significance. She advocates for design that creates meaningful, aesthetic, and sustainable products with positive societal impact, emphasizing that tangible design manifestations have greater expressive power than purely analytical approaches. Her research methodology embraces artistic freedom, allowing intuitive and creative approaches to questions about the meaning and value of production techniques beyond mere economic considerations. Roozenburg believes interdisciplinary collaboration between scientific, technical, and artistic disciplines yields more meaningful results than isolated work.
Dean Cruess serves as Assistant Professor in Psychology and Andrew W. Mellon Penn Faculty Fellow in the Humanities. His research explores connections between dreaming, expressive writing (journaling), and psychological/physical health outcomes. Scientific awards: Andrew W. Mellon Penn Faculty Fellow in the Humanities Research focuses on: how expressive writing and dreaming processes help resolve trauma and stress through symbolic meaning-making, catharsis, and insight mechanisms. These studies bridge psychotherapy techniques with sleep science.
