Find Academic Supervisors

Alison PowellView profile

Associate Professor

• Technology Design and Policy
• Public Sector Technology
• Digital Futures
• +5 more

Dr Alison Powell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), serving as Programme Director for the MSc Media and Communications (Data and Society). Her research focuses on technology design, public sector technology, and digital futures. She is known for her book Undoing Optimization: Civic Action in Smart Cities (2021) and her participatory research method, data walking. From 2019–2023, she directed the JUST AI network, supported by the Ada Lovelace Institute and UKRI, advancing AI ethics research. Her work integrates critical theory, participatory methods, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Education: PhD in Communication from Concordia University (Canada), MA in Media Studies from Toronto Metropolitan University, and postdoctoral research at the Oxford Internet Institute. Prior to academia, she worked in the film and TV industry. Research interests include civic engagement in data-driven governance, ethical AI, and participatory urbanism. She has advised projects like Africa Just AI and Operationalising Ethics for AI, funded by Horizon Europe, AHRC, and the Open Society Foundations. Her articles address topics such as AI governance, urban light ecology, feminist research praxis, and the ethical implications of technology for marginalized communities. She contributes to blogs like Media@LSE and leads initiatives at Polis and the LSE’s Digital Futures for Children project. Grants and collaborations include work with Projects by IF, Open Rights Group, and the Human Data Interactions Network (EPSRC). She explores intersections of technology, justice, and sustainability, emphasizing equitable and inclusive innovation.

Alenda Y. ChangView profile

Assistant Professor

• Environmental Media
• Game Studies
• Ecocritical Theory
• +3 more

Alenda Y. Chang serves as an Assistant Professor in Film and Media Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. With a multidisciplinary background spanning biology, literature, and film, she integrates ecocritical theory with contemporary media analysis. Her scholarly work appears in journals including Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment , Qui Parle , and electronic book review , focusing on sustainable media practices and ecological frameworks for digital engagement. Her educational background includes: M.A. and Ph.D. in Rhetoric from the University of California, Berkeley M.A. in English Language and Literature from the University of Maryland Chang specializes in environmental media and game studies, developing theoretical frameworks for ecological game design. Her research examines how digital games model environmental systems and foster player engagement with climate change through concepts like "slow violence" and "rambunctious play." She advocates for sustainable design patterns that address gaming's carbon footprint while creating immersive ecological narratives. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals a consistent trajectory from foundational ecological game theory (2013-2018) to current work on thermal contexts of play and sustainable infrastructure (2022-2024). Her scholarship increasingly bridges data-driven activism with critical game design, emphasizing multispecies entanglements and infrastructural play as tools for environmental awareness. As co-founder of Wireframe—a collaborative media studio at UCSB—Chang cultivates critical game design practices through initiatives like growinggames.net . The studio supports data-driven global media art, environmental activism, and experimental pedagogy, serving as a hub for translating ecological theory into tangible digital interventions that challenge anthropocentric perspectives in gaming.

Eric V. MazumdarView profile

Assistant Professor

• Machine Learning
• Economics
• Optimization
• +4 more

Eric V. Mazumdar is an Assistant Professor at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), jointly appointed in the departments of Computing and Mathematical Sciences and Economics. He holds a B.S. from MIT (2015) and a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley (2021), co-advised by Michael Jordan and Shankar Sastry. His research bridges machine learning and economics, focusing on deploying algorithms into societal systems through theoretical and practical lenses. Key areas include strategic classification, multi-agent reinforcement learning, and distributionally robust optimization, with applications in healthcare, online markets, and intelligent infrastructure. Education: B.S., Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015 Ph.D., Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley, 2021 Research Interests: Mazumdar’s work emphasizes understanding learning algorithms in strategic environments, including min-max optimization, game theory, and multi-agent systems. He explores how algorithms interact with human and algorithmic agents in dynamic systems, with practical applications in healthcare delivery, e-commerce, and autonomous systems testing. Awards: NSF CAREER Award (2023) Simons Institute Research Fellowship in Learning in Games Grants & Funding: Supported by NSF, DARPA, Amazon, and other organizations. His NSF CAREER grant focuses on strategic interactions in societal-scale systems. Teaching: Courses include Networks: Structure & Economics (CMS/CS/EE/IDS 144) and Topics in Learning and Games (CMS/Ec 248). At UC Berkeley, he contributed to courses like Data, Inference, and Decisions (DS 102). Students & Postdocs: Current students: Lauren Conger, Tinashe Handina, Yizhou Zhang Postdocs: Zaiwei Chen, Laixi Shi, Kishan Panaganti (co-advised with Adam Wierman)

Knut DrescherView profile

Associate Professor

• Bacterial Biofilms
• Microbial Multicellularity
• Biophysics
• +5 more

Prof. Knut Drescher is an Associate Professor at the Biozentrum, University of Basel , leading a research group focused on bacterial biofilms , swarming , and microbial multicellularity . Previously, he served as a Professor of Biophysics and Max Planck Research Group Leader at Philipps-Universität Marburg (2015-2021) and conducted postdoctoral research at Princeton University. Research Interests: Physical and biological mechanisms of biofilm formation Cell-cell interactions in microbial communities Antibiotic resistance in biofilms Hydrodynamics of bacterial swarms Evolution of cooperation in multispecies biofilms Development of bioimaging software (BiofilmQ, BacStalk) Scientific Awards: 2023: SNSF Consolidator Grant 2019: Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize (DFG), VAAM Research Prize, IUPAP Young Scientist Prize 2016: ERC Starting Grant Advising & Grants: Advises PhD and Master's students in microbiology, biophysics, and bioinformatics Secured major grants from ERC , HFSP , and DFG

Michael R. DoveView profile

Professor

• Environmental Anthropology
• Climate Change Anthropology
• Human Ecology
• +7 more

Michael R. Dove is the Margaret K. Musser Professor of Social Ecology and Professor of Anthropology at Yale University, where he also serves as Curator of Anthropology at the Peabody Museum and Co-Coordinator of the Combined YSE/Anthropology Doctoral Program. With over forty years of research experience, his work focuses on environmental anthropology, particularly the environmental relations of local communities in South and Southeast Asia. Dove earned his B.A. from Northwestern University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Stanford University. His academic journey has spanned decades of field research in Asia, including more than a dozen years conducting long-term studies on human ecology in Borneo and Java, developing government research capacity in Indonesia, and advising the Pakistan Forest Service on social forestry policies. Professor Dove's research interests encompass the anthropology of climate change, cultural and political aspects of natural hazards and disasters, indigenous environmental knowledge and practice, environmental institutions and movements, history of environment-related sciences, and multispecies ethnography. His work often examines how local environmental systems interact with national and global markets, politics, and ideologies, with a focus on problematizing orthodox approaches to conservation and development. He has made significant contributions to understanding human-environment relations through both theoretical frameworks and practical applications. Dove's recent scholarly output demonstrates a progression toward more integrated approaches to environmental challenges, blending historical perspectives with contemporary issues. His publications increasingly focus on the intersections of climate change, social justice, and indigenous knowledge systems, while maintaining his longstanding interest in Southeast Asian environmental relations. The work shows a growing emphasis on post-humanist approaches and multispecies ethnography, reflecting broader trends in environmental anthropology while maintaining his distinctive focus on political ecology and institutional analysis. As an educator, Professor Dove has supervised numerous doctoral and master's students, many of whom have gone on to win research awards and secure prestigious positions. He organizes separate research labs for doctoral students from Yale School of the Environment and other departments, as well as for joint YSE/Anthropology doctoral students. His advisees typically conduct international research and have excellent records of obtaining research support both within and beyond Yale. The Dove Lab at Yale School of the Environment serves as a hub for environmental anthropology research, focusing on topics including natural resource management, property rights, power struggles, household energy transitions, and human-wildlife interactions. The lab fosters a collaborative environment with 30-50 students working on related issues each year, characterized by supportive peer dynamics rather than competition. It also contributes to policy and social change through its research and the work of its alumni.

• Environmental education
• Curriculum and pedagogy theory and development
• Early childhood education
• +5 more

Tracy Charlotte Young is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Education, Southern Cross University (SCU), serving as Course Coordinator for Early Childhood Programs at the Melbourne Campus. With over 30 years of experience as an environmental educator, early childhood teacher, and tertiary educator in Initial Teacher Education, her career bridges research, pedagogy, and advocacy. Education: PhD (2019), Master of Education (2010), Bachelor of Education (1998), Graduate Diploma of Child Development (1991). Research: Focuses on child-animal relations, multispecies education, and environmental education through critical posthuman and post-qualitative lenses. Teaching: Covers philosophy (ecological ethics, Indigenous perspectives), ecology (sustainability pedagogies), and leadership in early childhood education. Supervision: Available for Masters and Doctoral projects in early childhood education, multispecies inquiry, and posthuman theories. Contact: Located at 108 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne 3000; email tracy.young@scu.edu.au. Research Impact: Her work integrates early childhood education with multispecies interactions, challenging traditional human-centric pedagogies and expanding ecological ethics in educational frameworks.

• Animal Ethics
• Anthropocene Studies
• Human-Animal Interaction
• +3 more

Eva Meijer is a Lecturer in the Knowledge Technology and Innovation group at Wageningen University & Research. Her work focuses on ethical and social dimensions of human-animal coexistence, particularly in the Anthropocene era. Fingerprint Highlights: Anthropocene (100%), Stray Cat (100%), Social Interaction (33%) Research areas span animal ethics, interspecies care, and societal responses to stray animal populations. She explores how urban environments shape human-animal relationships through projects like Anthropocene Ethics: Taking Animal Agency Seriously (2018-2023), which examined wild/domestic animal dynamics and environmental impacts. Recent publications analyze: Amsterdam stray cat communities (2021) - combining care ethics and urban ecology Educational frameworks for multispecies coexistence (2023) - integrating animal agency into pedagogy Her work demonstrates cross-disciplinary engagement with environmental ethics, animal studies, and social interaction theories.

Samantha KingView profile

Professor

• Cultural Studies
• Sociology
• Health Studies
• +5 more

Samantha King is a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen's University. She holds a PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her interdisciplinary research integrates feminist, queer, and critical race theories to examine the intersections of health, sport, and the body. She leads the King Research Group, based in KINE 206J & 301V offices. King's research interests span topics such as drug cultures, food politics, and the sociology of sport. Her influential work includes the book Pink Ribbons, Inc: Breast Cancer and the Politics of Philanthropy , adapted into an NFB documentary. She explores themes like pharmaceutical use in professional sports, the ecological dimensions of embodiment, and multispecies approaches to sport studies. Her recent publications analyze racial capitalism in NFL pain management, pandemic-era human-animal relations, and the sociological implications of whey protein consumption. She has co-edited volumes on food ethics and bodily embodiment, reflecting her commitment to interdisciplinary dialogue. Her work bridges cultural studies, sociology, and health studies, addressing contemporary issues in sport, medicine, and everyday life. King’s academic contributions include over 30 peer-reviewed articles and edited collections. She has received international attention for critiquing corporate philanthropy in health activism and challenging normative frameworks in sport studies. Her current projects explore multispecies methodologies and the political economies of meat production.

Elvin KaranaView profile

Professor

• Materials Design
• Emerging Materials
• Material Driven Design
• +6 more

Elvin Karana is a Professor of Materials Innovation and Design at Delft University of Technology's Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering. His work bridges the gap between material science, design, and human-computer interaction with a focus on emerging materials and their experiential qualities. He leads the Materials Experience Lab, which investigates how materials communicate ideas and beliefs while enhancing functionality and user experience. Dr. Karana's research interests center on Materials Design, Emerging Materials, Material Driven Design, Bio-based Materials, and Materials Experience. His work explores how living materials can be incorporated into design practices, particularly focusing on microbial interactions, textile interfaces, and regenerative material ecologies. He investigates how materials can be designed to create serene experiences, facilitate multispecies interactions, and support sustainable practices in human-computer interaction. His recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward biodesign and living materials, with significant focus on microbial systems like cyanobacteria and flavobacteria. His work explores the design space of direct interactions with living organisms, examining how materials can be designed for performativity and how livingness can be understood as a material quality. The research spans textile interfaces, material ecologies, and regenerative design approaches that integrate living systems into everyday artefacts. Best Paper Honourable Mention (2023) Dr. Karana serves as a member of the Supervisory Board/Advisory Board at Avans University of Applied Sciences (CARADT) from May 2024 to December 2025. His research has been featured in various media outlets including TU Delft, Delta, Strawberry Earths, and architectmagazine, highlighting the societal impact of his work on living materials. His projects often involve interdisciplinary collaborations across design, biology, and engineering disciplines. He leads the Materials Experience Lab, which approaches materials as a medium that communicates ideas, beliefs, and approaches while compelling users to think, feel, and act in certain ways. The lab's work emphasizes the dual role of materials as both technical and experiential components in design, exploring how material qualities can be harnessed to create meaningful interactions and sustainable solutions.

Shiho SatsukaView profile

Associate Professor

• Sociocultural Anthropology
• Environmental Anthropology
• Science and Technology Studies
• +3 more

Shiho Satsuka is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Toronto, Canada, specializing in sociocultural anthropology with regional expertise in East Asia and North America. Her research focuses on the politics of knowledge production , cultural translation of nature , and capitalism-environment relations . She is currently developing a book project titled The Charisma of Wild Mushrooms: Undoing the Long Twentieth Century , examining how mushroom science can destabilize industrial modernity. Ph.D. in Anthropology (University of California, Santa Cruz, 2004) Her ethnographic work spans: Transnational translation of ecological knowledge in Japanese tourism (book: Nature in Translation , Duke 2015) Satoyama forest revitalization movements Matsutake mushroom's role in reimagining interspecies coexistence Comparative studies of Canadian multiculturalism and Japanese coexistence models Publications demonstrate trends in: Multispecies entanglements Environmental knowledge pluralism Decolonizing scientific frameworks Ontological multiplicity in cultural analysis Anthropocene ethnography Collaborative research methodologies Awards and grants include: SSHRC Insight Grant (2016-2022) for Matsutake Worlds research Carson Fellowship (2012) at Rachel Carson Center She supervises graduate students in areas of environmental anthropology and science studies while maintaining a collaborative research network across Japan, North America, and Europe.

Chris SpeedView profile

Professor

• Design Informatics
• Regenerative Design
• Sustainable Design
• +7 more

Chris Speed is a Professor of Design for Regenerative Futures at RMIT University, Australia, and Director of Regenerative Futures. Previously, he held academic roles at the University of Edinburgh, including leading the Institute for Design Informatics and co-designing the Edinburgh Futures Institute. His research focuses on design-driven solutions for social, environmental, and economic challenges, leveraging data and emerging technologies. Key areas include blockchain applications, sustainable design, and regenerative systems. Affiliations: RMIT University (Current), University of Edinburgh (2012–2024) Grants: £7.4m Creative Informatics (UK), £5m DECaDE (Digital Economy) Publications: Over 50 peer-reviewed articles on design informatics, regenerative futures, and blockchain ethics. Research interests span Design Informatics, Human-Computer Interaction, and Sustainable Design. He has supervised 23 PhD/MPhil students and pioneered projects like OxChain (blockchain for charitable giving) and Creative Informatics (data-driven creative industries). Awards: Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (2020), Chancellor’s Award for Research (University of Edinburgh, 2020). Collaborations include BBC, Oxfam, and the Digital Catapult. His work emphasizes co-creation with communities to address systemic challenges, such as climate action and cultural value measurement.

Ingo GrassView profile

Professor

• Agricultural Ecology
• Biodiversity Conservation
• Agroecology
• +4 more

Prof. Ingo Grass is a Full Professor at the University of Hohenheim, heading the Department of Ecology of Tropical Agricultural Systems (490f) and serving as Deputy Head of the Department of Crop Production in the Tropics and Subtropics (490e). He is Director of the Hans Ruthenberg Institute for Tropical Agricultural Sciences and an Equal Opportunities Officer within the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. His research focuses on agroecology, tropical agricultural systems, and biodiversity conservation in human-modified landscapes. Education: PhD in Biology from Philipps-Universität Marburg (2014). PostDoc at University of Göttingen (2014-2019) before moving to Hohenheim. Research Interests: Agroecosystem biodiversity, pollination ecology, land-use impacts on ecosystems, and sustainable farming practices. His work emphasizes reconciling productivity with biodiversity preservation, with a focus on tropical regions and temperate grasslands. Articles Trends: Recent work explores pesticide impacts on non-target insects, agroecological strategies to enhance pollination and biocontrol, and biodiversity benefits of diversified crops. He frequently collaborates on global studies involving tropical landscapes and urban agriculture dynamics. Awards: Maria Sibylla Merian Award (2013), Teaching Excellence Awards (2016 & 2018). Labs/Teams: Leads interdisciplinary teams in tropical agroecology, collaborating with institutes in Indonesia, Madagascar, and South Africa.

Eitan TadmorView profile

Professor

• Nonlinear Conservation Laws
• Spectral Methods
• Kinetic Theory
• +5 more

Eitan Tadmor is a Distinguished University Professor at the Department of Mathematics and Institute for Physical Science & Technology at the University of Maryland. He holds the 2024 Chaire d'excellence at Sorbonne University's Fondation Sciences Mathématiques de Paris, and has served as Director of multiple research centers including the Center for Scientific Computation and Mathematical Modeling (2002-2016) and The Sackler Institute of Scientific Computation (1993-1996). Current: University of Maryland (2005-present) Previous: UCLA (1995-2002), Tel-Aviv University (1989-1995), CalTech (1980-1982) His research spans nonlinear conservation laws , entropy-stable schemes , collective dynamics , spectral methods , and multiscale modeling . He pioneered the spectral viscosity method and developed stability criteria for numerical schemes. Recent publications focus on swarm-based optimization , Euler-Poisson equations , and hydrodynamic alignment with over 15000 citations. His work on kinetic formulations and regularizing effects in PDEs has become foundational in computational mathematics. 2022 Norbert Wiener Prize (AMS-SIAM) 2022 Gibbs Lecturer (AMS) 2015 Peter Henrici Prize (SIAM-ETH) 2013-2021 Fellow of AMS/SIAM NSF grants (1999, 2008-2012, 2012-2020) He developed CentPack software for hyperbolic conservation laws and co-authored influential review papers on numerical methods and mathematical modeling. His collaborative work with institutions like IPAM, KI-Net, and ETH-ITS demonstrates international scientific leadership.

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Digital Humanities
• Art and Technology
• +5 more

Steven Devleminck is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at KU Leuven's Faculty of Engineering Technology, concurrently serving as coordinator of the School of Arts (Associated Faculty) in Brussels. His dual appointment bridges engineering and arts through the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) group at Group T Leuven Campus and Unit Art & Technology in Brussels, with active membership in DigiSoc – KU Leuven Digital Society Institute. His research centers on human-centered computing and speculative design methodologies , with core expertise in tangible interaction for emotion regulation and multispecies futures. Key themes include biofuturing as co-creative response to climate crises, squeeze-based interfaces for workplace stress, and artistic AI collaborations. His work uniquely integrates computer science with choreography, film studies, and anthropology through projects like “Youth TikTok production as public pedagogy” and “Imagining the Post-Anthropocene in BioFutures Living Lab”. Analysis of recent publications reveals three dominant trajectories: (1) Advancement of squeeze interaction techniques for affective computing, (2) Development of biofuturing frameworks for multispecies speculation, and (3) Critical examinations of AI's role in artistic mediumship. Cross-cutting themes include post-anthropocentric design, climate-responsive technologies, and decolonial approaches to digital pedagogy. Devleminck actively mentors doctoral candidates including Ula Sickle (choreographic exhibitions) and J. Verbesselt (cinema studies), while leading major funded projects such as: Living Corpora (2025-2029): Pioneering human-AI collaboration in digital humanities as Co-promotor Experiential Futuring (2022-2026): Co-creative methodology for social media outage response as Co-promotor Deradicalizing the City (2021-2025): Urban intervention research as Promotor He serves on the Computer Science Department Council and Doctoral Committee for the Associated Faculty of Arts. His laboratory ecosystem spans the HCI Group T Leuven Campus for technical development, Brussels-based Unit Art & Technology for artistic integration, and BioFutures Living Lab for participatory multispecies experimentation. This tripartite structure enables transdisciplinary work connecting squeeze sensor engineering with climate futures speculation and museum interface design.

Andy WhiteView profile

Professor

• Mathematical Biology
• Ecological Modeling
• Evolutionary Dynamics
• +3 more

Andy White is a Professor in the School of Mathematical & Computer Sciences at Heriot-Watt University, specializing in mathematical biology. He holds dual roles in the Mathematics Department and the broader interdisciplinary research environment. His research focuses on developing mathematical models to address ecological and evolutionary questions, particularly in host-parasite dynamics and infectious disease management. He has held academic positions since 1999, progressing from a Lecturer to Professor by 2013. Education: PhD from University of Liverpool (1996), supervised by Professors Mike Begon and Roger Bowers. Early career included climate change research at NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (1996–1999). Research Interests: Mathematical modeling of biological systems, including adaptive dynamics in host-parasite interactions, population dynamics of ecological systems, and disease transmission mechanisms. Key projects include analyzing the UK grey squirrel invasion and tuberculosis/African swine fever spread. Collaborations span institutions like UC Berkeley and the Institute of Game and Wildlife Research, Spain. Recent Article Trends: Focus on pathogen-mediated invasions, virulence evolution in multispecies contexts, hyperparasite dynamics, and the ecological impacts of predator recovery (e.g., pine marten effects on squirrel populations). These studies combine theoretical models with real-world conservation applications. Grants & Collaborations: Engages in interdisciplinary projects addressing global challenges like biodiversity conservation and disease management. Active in collaborations across Europe and North America. Labs/Teams: Leads research groups focused on mathematical ecology and epidemiology, with contributions to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to life on land and good health.