Jan Alber is a Professor of Modern English and American Literature at the Department of English and American Literature and Culture, Justus Liebig University Giessen . He previously held positions at RWTH Aachen, Aarhus University, TU Darmstadt, and the University of Freiburg. His work bridges narrative theory, cognitive studies, and postcolonial literature, with a focus on unnatural narratives and empirical approaches to literary analysis. Fields of Interest: Unnatural Narratology, Cognitive Literary Studies, Climate Fiction, Postcolonial Literature Key Themes: Storyworlds, Ideology, Empirical Methods, Narrative Beginnings Alber's recent publications explore narrative theory's intersections with cognition and ideology, including analyses of digital post-postmodernist novels and climate change narratives. His empirical studies examine how readers process experimental narratives, particularly unnatural narrators and metaleptic structures. He has received prestigious awards such as the Habilitation Prize from the German Association of Anglists (2013) and the FRIAS junior group competition (2008). His research is funded by the AHRC, DFG, and Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, notably supporting interdisciplinary work on post-truth political narratives and Ukrainian scholars. Alber co-founded the Aachen Center for Cognitive and Empirical Literary Studies and serves as President of the International Society for the Study of Narrative. He organizes international workshops on cognitive narratology and teaches courses spanning literary history, theory, and postmodern fiction.
Roger Boltshauser is a Full Professor and Deputy Head at the Department of Architecture, ETH Zurich. His practice and academic work emphasize tectonic building culture, proportion, and material experimentation, diverging from mainstream German-Swiss architectural trends. He combines teaching with active architectural practice, influencing younger generations at ETH and TU Wien. Key themes: Tectonic structures, grid-based order, social responsibility in architecture, critique of modernist canons Notable projects: Hochhaus H1 Zwhatt-Areal (2025), Masterplan Zoo Basel (2025), Centre for Dental Medicine Zurich (2025) His buildings prioritize mass and permanence , evident in projects like the Kopfholz School and Rauch House . Recent works at the EPFL Solar Biennale (2025) and Architecture of Memory exhibition (2025) explore sustainable design and cultural narratives. Boltshauser’s studio on Dubsstrasse exemplifies research into load-bearing structures and urban spatial relationships.
Dr. Edyta Chlebowska is an Assistant Professor at the Cyprian Norwid Research Center, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin. Specializing in the visual art and literary legacy of Cyprian Norwid, she explores intersections between Polish Romanticism, art history, and cultural studies. Her work extends to album art analysis and interdisciplinary connections with music (e.g., Pink Floyd, Czesław Niemen). Her research focuses on Norwid's self-portraits, eschatological themes in his drawings, and comparative studies with 19th-century Warsaw painting. She reconstructs lost artworks, documents private collections (e.g., Konstancja Górska, Victor Gomulicki), and examines Norwid's reception in Florence and Odessa. Key projects include translating Studia Norwidiana and critical editing of Norwid's complete works. As editor-in-chief of multiple On Cyprian Norwid. Studies and Essays volumes and organizer of conferences like Niemen Non Stop and Colloquia Norwidiana , she bridges academic rigor with public engagement. Her publications span peer-reviewed books, journal articles, and popular science pieces, emphasizing Norwid's unpublished works and symbolic programs.
Brendan O'Connor is an Associate Professor in the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His research focuses on computational social science and natural language processing (NLP), particularly exploring how social factors influence language technologies and using text analysis to understand societal trends. His work includes studies on racial bias in NLP, political event analysis, and social media linguistics. He holds a PhD in Machine Learning from Carnegie Mellon University (2014) and dual MS/BS in Symbolic Systems from Stanford University (2006). Education: PhD in Machine Learning, Carnegie Mellon University (2014) MS in Symbolic Systems, Stanford University (2006) BS in Symbolic Systems, Stanford University (2006) Research interests span AI ethics, social media analysis, and computational methods for studying language and society. Notably, he investigates racial disparities in NLP systems, linguistic variation in African American English, and event detection in news and social media. His work has been recognized with NSF CAREER and Google Faculty awards, and his research has been cited thousands of times. His lab, the Statistical Social Language Analysis Lab, develops tools for analyzing large-scale text data. He is affiliated with the Center for Data Science, Center for Intelligent Information Retrieval, and Computational Social Science Institute. Recent projects include analyzing global news coverage of critical events and developing frameworks for zero-shot argument explication. Awards and Honors: NSF CAREER Award Google Faculty Research Award Best Paper Award Advising and Grants: O'Connor has advised projects on social media polling representativeness and demographic analysis. His grants include collaborative research on sociopolitical event extraction and bias mitigation in AI systems. He has also contributed to platforms like Rookie for news archive exploration and ezCoref for coreference resolution. Labs/Teams: Leads the Statistical Social Language Analysis Lab and collaborates with the UMass NLP Group and Harvard Institute for Quantitative Social Science. His work bridges NLP with social science methodologies, emphasizing transparency in algorithms and causal inference using text data.
Roger Luckhurst is Professor of Modern Literature and currently holds the prestigious Geoffrey Tillotson Chair of Nineteenth Century Studies at Birkbeck College, University of London. A leading scholar in Gothic literature, science fiction, and trauma studies, he has been affiliated with Birkbeck for over 25 years, contributing significantly to interdisciplinary literary and cultural studies. Education and Career Trajectory: 2020-present: Geoffrey Tillotson Chair of Nineteenth Century Studies, Birkbeck College 2008-2020: Professor of Modern and Contemporary Literature, Birkbeck College 2004-2008: Senior Lecturer, Birkbeck College 1994-2004: Lecturer, Birkbeck College 1992-1994: Lecturer, University of Hull Research Interests and Scholarly Contributions: Luckhurst's research spans multiple interconnected fields, establishing him as a preeminent voice in literary and cultural studies. His work on late 19th century English literature examines the intersections of Victorian culture with emerging scientific discourses. His expertise in science fiction studies encompasses both literary analysis and cultural theory, exploring how speculative fiction reflects and shapes contemporary anxieties. In Gothic studies , he investigates the persistence of Gothic aesthetics and themes across different media and historical periods. His groundbreaking work in trauma studies has contributed significantly to understanding how literature and culture process collective trauma. Publications and Scholarly Impact: His extensive publication record demonstrates a remarkable breadth of scholarly inquiry. From his early work on J.G. Ballard to his recent comprehensive study of Gothic culture, Luckhurst has consistently produced influential scholarship. His books have been translated into multiple languages including French, Japanese, Turkish, and German, indicating significant international impact. His forthcoming The Gothic: An Illustrated History (2021) promises to be a definitive work in the field. Honors and Awards: 2009: Visiting Research Fellow, University of Birmingham 2009: Visiting Research Fellow, Flemish Academic Centre for Science and the Arts (VLAC), Brussels January-June 2011: AHRC Fellowship, Birkbeck College Spring 2016: Mellon Distinguished Visiting Professor, Department of English, Columbia University, New York Public Engagement and Media Presence: Beyond academia, Luckhurst has demonstrated exceptional commitment to public scholarship. He has served as a broadcaster for BBC radio, bringing literary criticism to wider audiences. His journalism has appeared in leading British newspapers, bridging the gap between academic research and public discourse. This dual role as academic and public intellectual exemplifies Birkbeck's tradition of making scholarship accessible to broader communities. Interdisciplinary Approach and Institutional Contributions: At Birkbeck College, Luckhurst has been instrumental in fostering the institution's renowned culture of interdisciplinary studies. His work seamlessly integrates literary analysis with cultural theory, film studies, architectural history, and scientific discourse. This approach has influenced generations of students and scholars, establishing Birkbeck as a leading center for innovative literary and cultural research.
William S. Horton (Sid) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Northwestern University , where he has taught since 2005 and directed the Cognition and Communication Lab (Cresap 108). Starting in September 2025, he will serve as Chair of the Department of Linguistics . His research focuses on socio-cognitive mechanisms in language use, particularly discourse pragmatics , perspective-taking , and non-literal language processing . Education: B.S. in Psychology/German from Duke University (1991), M.A. and Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from University of Chicago (1994/1999) Previous roles: Postdoctoral research at SUNY-Stony Brook, Cognitive Aging at Georgia Tech Research trends from his 20+ years of publications include common ground , memory processes , figurative language , and age-related communication changes . His work increasingly incorporates computational text analysis and real-time digital communication studies. Awards : Fellow, Society for Text and Discourse Students : Supervised Ph.D. theses on conversational alignment, common ground activation, and digital communication. Undergraduate honors projects explore inhibitory deficits, speech internalization, and perspective-taking in bilingualism. Cognition and Communication Lab investigates language processing in spoken/written contexts using experimental methods and computational models.
Professor Heather Ferguson is a distinguished cognitive psychologist at the University of Kent's School of Psychology, where she has built an impressive academic career since her appointment as Lecturer in 2009. Promoted to Professor in 2018, she leads groundbreaking research examining the cognitive basis of social communication across the lifespan. Her work bridges cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and social cognition, with particular expertise in perspective-taking, theory of mind, and the interface between cognitive processes and social interaction. Her research primarily investigates how we access and represent other people's perspectives during communication, using methodologies including eye-tracking, EEG, and reaction time measurements. Key questions driving her work include: How do people understand and predict events based on others' mental states? What happens when these conflict with our own knowledge? How do social abilities relate to cognitive skills like memory and inhibitory control? How does aging affect social cognition? Her work has significant implications for understanding autism spectrum disorder, social development, and cognitive aging. Professor Ferguson's recent publications reveal a strong focus on perspective-taking across the lifespan, social cognition in autism, the cognitive effects of fiction reading, and the neural mechanisms underlying empathy. Her research demonstrates consistent methodological rigor through pre-registered studies and meta-analyses, with particular attention to developmental trajectories from adolescence through older adulthood. Psychonomic Society Early Career Award (2019) Open Science Framework Pre-registration Challenge award (2018) Cognitive Neuroscience Society Postdoctoral Fellow Award (2018) University of Kent Prize for Research (2016) Kent Union Teaching Award for 'Best Teacher' (2012) Professor Ferguson actively supervises multiple PhD students and has secured substantial research funding, including a €1.5 million ERC Starting Grant and multiple Leverhulme Trust grants. Her work with the Cognitive basis of Social Communication and Ageing (COGSOCOAGE) research group has produced influential findings on social cognition across the lifespan. She serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory & Cognition and on the editorial board of Cognition, while also mentoring early-career researchers through the Eastern Arc Mentoring Scheme.
Ying Xu is an Assistant Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), specializing in the design of AI technologies to support children's language, literacy, STEM learning, and well-being. Her research emphasizes creating AI systems that act as interactive learning companions and language partners for children while fostering human-AI collaboration with educators and families. She holds a Ph.D. in Language, Literacy, and Technology from the University of California, Irvine, and previously served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan from 2022 to 2024. Her work focuses on understanding how AI can complement human interactions, particularly through conversational agents integrated into media like books and educational TV programs. Collaborations include partnerships with PBS KIDS, GBH Education, and Sesame Workshop. Funded by organizations such as the National Science Foundation and Schmidt Futures, her research bridges developmental psychology, education, and human-computer interaction. Xu's studies highlight AI's potential for personalized learning while addressing ethical considerations like AI literacy and social impact. Key achievements include numerous best paper awards and recognition as an Early Career Interdisciplinary Scholar by SRCD. Her interdisciplinary approach involves designing technologies that reflect community values and linguistic/cultural diversity, ensuring equitable access to AI-driven educational tools. Xu advocates for balanced AI integration in children's lives, emphasizing the need for transparency about AI's limitations and the importance of maintaining human connections. She explores how AI can empower stakeholders (e.g., educators, parents) to co-create technologies tailored to their needs, ensuring AI serves as a complement—not replacement—for human interaction. Current projects investigate conversational AI's design principles, children's perceptions of AI, and strategies for fostering critical evaluation of AI-generated content. She also examines how AI affects social interactions and developmental processes, advocating for ethical guidelines to maximize benefits while mitigating risks.
Yuuko Uchikoshi Tonkovich is a Professor at the School of Education, University of California, Davis, where she has served since 2004, advancing from Assistant to Associate and then to full Professor. Her work centers on language and literacy development in young dual language learners, with a focus on bilingualism, early literacy, and the role of family and media in language acquisition. Her research interests include: Early Childhood Development Multilingual Learners and Bilingual Education Language Acquisition and Literacy Parent-Child Interaction and Home Language Environment Quantitative Analysis of Educational Outcomes Educational Television and Multimedia Her recent publications span topics such as cognitive distancing in parent-child reading, morphological awareness in bilingual readers, and the impact of teacher language use in multilingual classrooms. The research consistently emphasizes longitudinal, cross-cultural, and interdisciplinary approaches, particularly focusing on Chinese American and Mexican American immigrant families. Her scientific awards include: AERA Vocabulary SIG Notable Vocabulary Researcher Award (2025) Foundation for Child Development Young Scholars Program Grant International Reading Association Dissertation Fellowship and Finalist Award Harvard Graduate School of Education Fellowships She has advised numerous research projects and secured significant funding from NIH/NICHD, the Foundation for Child Development, and other organizations. She teaches courses such as Language Development, Early Literacy, and Research on Text Comprehension. She is actively involved in national initiatives, serving on the Technical Advisory Group for the First 5 California Dual Language Learner Study and as Associate Editor of Applied Psycholinguistics . She leads the Language & Literacy Development Lab at UC Davis, which investigates the cognitive, linguistic, and socio-emotional development of dual language learners.
Nick Montfort is a Professor of Digital Media at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Professor II & Principal Investigator at the University of Bergen 's Center for Digital Narrative. He directs MIT's Trope Tank lab/studio and contributes to platform studies, critical code studies, and electronic literature. Ph.D. in Computer and Information Science from University of Pennsylvania (2007) M.A. in Creative Writing (Poetry) from Boston University (2001) S.M. in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT (1998) B.S./B.A. in Computer Science and Liberal Arts from University of Texas at Austin (1995) Montfort's research focuses on computational creativity and digital poetics , particularly through exploratory programming and constraint-based writing . He has developed over ten computer-generated print books and co-edited MIT Press volumes like The Future and The New Media Reader . His work bridges computer science and literary arts , emphasizing algorithmic expression and platform-specific creation. His recent computational works include All the Way for the Win (2025), written entirely in three-letter words, and collaborations like The Deletionist and Sea and Spar Between . Notable books cover interactive fiction ( Twisty Little Passages ), platform studies ( Racing the Beam ), and generative literature ( 10 PRINT ). He also co-edits the Hardcopy and Using Electricity book series. Montfort's academic contributions span digital narrative systems , creative code , and computer-generated literature . His 101 BASIC Poems and Output: An Anthology of Computer-Generated Text exemplify his focus on code as cultural artifact and algorithmic literary practice . He has presented at major conferences including ELO, C&C, and Digital Arts and Culture, addressing topics from minimalist computational poems to narrative modeling . Through collaborations with institutions like University of Bergen and MIT's Comparative Media Studies/Writing, Montfort explores digital storytelling , machine-generated poetry , and platform-specific creativity . His academic leadership includes directing the Trope Tank and co-founding Bad Quarto press.
Geraldine Heng is the Mildred Hajek Vacek and John Roman Vacek Chair in English at the University of Texas at Austin, where she is cross-appointed to Middle Eastern Studies, Women's Studies, Jewish Studies, and the Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Social Justice. Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2023 and a Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America, she founded and directs the Global Middle Ages Project (G-MAP), a major interdisciplinary initiative promoting global perspectives on premodernity. With a Ph.D. from Cornell University, Heng has pioneered the field of premodern critical race studies, fundamentally challenging the assumption that race is a modern construct. Her research focuses on literary, cultural, and social encounters between worlds, particularly through the lenses of race, gender, sexuality, class, and religion, with special attention to medieval Europe's interactions with Asia and Africa. Heng's scholarly work reveals how medieval global connections shaped cultural production and identity formation long before the so-called 'Age of Exploration.' Her approach synthesizes literary analysis, historical research, and critical theory to uncover the deep roots of globalization and its implications for understanding contemporary identity politics and cultural exchange. Her publications demonstrate a consistent trajectory toward increasingly global frameworks, moving from studies of medieval romance to comprehensive examinations of early global interconnectedness. This evolution reflects her commitment to dismantling Eurocentric narratives of the medieval world and revealing the complex networks of exchange that characterized premodern societies across Afro-Eurasia. 2019 PROSE prize in Global History 2019 Academy of American Literature prize in Historical Studies 2019 Robert W. Hamilton Grand Prize 2020 Otto Gründler prize Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2023) Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America Heng has secured approximately $750,000 in grants for digital projects and held eight major fellowships at research centers. She co-edits the Cambridge University Press Elements series in the Global Middle Ages and the University of Pennsylvania Press series RaceB4Race: Critical Studies of the Premodern. Her teaching encompasses courses on early global literatures, premodern race, Crusades literature, Arthurian traditions, and feminist theory. As founder and director of the Global Middle Ages Project (G-MAP), Heng has built an international scholarly network that challenges traditional disciplinary boundaries and promotes collaborative approaches to studying premodern global connections. The project has fostered numerous digital initiatives, publications, and conferences that have significantly reshaped how scholars understand medieval intercultural exchange.
Yasmin Kafai is a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education (GSE), Department of Learning Sciences. Her research focuses on computational thinking, AI education, and equitable K-12 computing pedagogy. She has pioneered work on integrating electronic textiles (e-textiles) and participatory design into STEM education to engage youth in critical perspectives of technology. Kafai's recent work emphasizes algorithmic literacy, youth-led auditing of machine learning systems, and bridging technical and societal dimensions of computing. Key research areas include: computational empowerment, AI ethics in education, youth agency in technology design, and culturally responsive computing curricula. Her projects often involve hands-on making activities, such as constructing generative AI models or debugging e-textile systems, to foster both technical and critical understandings. Publications from 2024-2025 highlight trends in youth engagement with generative AI, algorithm auditing frameworks, and the intersection of physical computing with growth mindset practices. She has also explored the role of storytelling methodologies in reimagining computing narratives for marginalized groups. Kafai collaborates extensively with teachers to develop scalable professional development programs addressing equity in CS education. Her work frequently appears in learning sciences and computing education journals, with a focus on practical classroom implementations and systemic educational reforms. Ongoing efforts include designing 'Hour of Code' activities that integrate critical AI literacy and fostering youth as co-designers of ethical technology solutions.
Dr. Angeline Lillard is Commonwealth Professor of Psychology and Director of the Montessori Science Program at the University of Virginia. She leads the Early Development Lab, focusing on children's social and cognitive development, particularly Montessori education's impact on learning and wellbeing. A Fellow of AAAS, APA, and APS, she earned her BA in English Literature from Smith College and PhD in Psychology from Stanford University. Research Interests: Dr. Lillard's work bridges Montessori pedagogy with developmental psychology, analyzing how play, educational environments, and culturally responsive teaching shape child outcomes. She explores standardized testing disparities, discipline equity, and the neurobiological underpinnings of pretend play. Key themes in her 15 most recent publications include Montessori's role in reducing educational inequality, the cognitive effects of fantasy in media, and the use of multilevel modeling to assess school discipline patterns. Her research spans preschool to adult wellbeing, emphasizing self-determination theory and longitudinal data. Scientific Recognition: Awarded the Nancy Staub Award for Puppetry Research (2024) Recognized for her book with the Cognitive Development Society Book Award (2006) James McKeen Cattell Sabbatical Fellow (2005-06) Albert Bandura Graduate Research Award (2016-17) Advising and Grants: Mentored 15+ graduate students including Lee LeBoeuf and Christina Carroll. Secured IES funding for a 600-child study on public Montessori preschools and Arnold Foundation support for kindergarten data collection.
Angela Crow is an Associate Professor at James Madison University (JMU) in the School of Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication, where she has served since 2012. Her research bridges literacy studies, design, and urban mobility, focusing on how communities advocate for car-free infrastructure and equitable public spaces. She explores the role of digital communication in fostering feminist interventions, particularly around cycling advocacy and street design. Her work intersects with gender studies, urban studies, and rhetorical theory. Educated at the University of Kansas (Ph.D., 1997) and Point Loma College (B.A., 1987), she has authored books on writing programs and composition studies, including Aging Literacies (2006) and Field of Dreams (2002). Recent publications analyze surveillance, privacy in digital contexts, and transportation equity. Her research often highlights marginalized voices in shaping public discourse. Research Interests: Her current projects examine embodied literacies in mobility advocacy, social media practices of grassroots movements, and the rhetoric of urban infrastructure. She critiques car-centric planning through feminist and critical frameworks, emphasizing accessibility and safety for non-car users. Her work also addresses aging populations’ digital literacies and the intersection of technology with social inequality. Publications: Her articles span rhetorical analysis of social movements, educational assessment frameworks, and the sociotechnical dimensions of writing. Recent trends include collaborations on privacy in big data and participatory design for community mobility.
Dan McAdams is a distinguished Professor of Psychology and Human Development and Social Policy at Northwestern University . As the director of the Study of Lives Research Group , he leads interdisciplinary research on personality development and biographical analysis across the lifespan. Research Interests : McAdams specializes in narrative psychology , focusing on the life-story model of human identity , generativity , and the redemptive self . His work explores how themes of power, intimacy, and redemption shape personal narratives, particularly in political and cultural contexts. He investigates the interplay between autobiographical memory , psychological biography , and personality development . Selected Publications : Recent works include analyses of Joe Biden's leadership narratives , a comprehensive handbook of personality development , and studies on acceptance narratives in late life . His research bridges political psychology with developmental frameworks , examining how sociocultural forces shape individual identities. Scientific Awards : Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence Leadership Roles : Director of Study of Lives Research Group Advising : Mentors doctoral candidates across multiple programs, including Personality, Development, and Health Psychology , Clinical Psychology , and Human Development and Social Policy . His research group also includes affiliates from institutions like Tufts University , Williams College , and Bilkent University .
