Laura Anderson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Binghamton University. She holds a Ph.D. from MIT (1994) and has been affiliated with Binghamton since 2001. Her research focuses on Combinatorics and Topology, with a specialization in matroid theory, hyperplane transversals, and topological combinatorics. She teaches advanced courses such as Introduction to Combinatorics (Math 511) and Discrete Mathematics (Math 314). Her academic contributions include groundbreaking work on oriented matroids, combinatorial Grassmannians, and hyperfield applications. Anderson has advised multiple Ph.D. students, including Olakunle Abawonse, Ulysses Alvarez, and Leandro Junes, whose theses explore topics like matroid extensions and tropical phased matroids. She actively participates in academic conferences, co-organizing the Binghamton University Graduate Conference in Algebra and Topology (BUGCAT). Anderson’s research integrates algebraic topology with discrete mathematics, addressing geometric realizations, hyperfield structures, and topological invariants. Her pedagogical innovations include experimenting with flipped classroom methods in calculus education. She maintains an active presence in academic service, contributing to journal reviews and editorial work in combinatorial geometry.
Beverley J. McKeon is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University, previously holding the Theodore von Kármán Professorship in Aeronautics at Caltech. Her research focuses on fluid mechanics, particularly turbulence, flow control, and boundary layer dynamics. She earned her B.A. and M.Eng. from the University of Cambridge, and her Ph.D. from Princeton University. McKeon's work integrates experimental and theoretical approaches to manipulate wall-bounded flows for drag reduction and performance enhancement. Her research interests include resolvent analysis, high Reynolds number turbulence, and the application of machine learning to fluid dynamics. She has led interdisciplinary projects on morphing surfaces and viscoelastic turbulence. Awarded the Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship and PECASE, McKeon has been recognized for her teaching and mentoring. Her honors include Fellowships from the APS and AIAA. She chairs editorial boards for journals like Physical Review Fluids and has served on national committees for theoretical and applied mechanics. Her academic leadership includes roles as Deputy Chair of Caltech’s Division of Engineering and Applied Science and Associate Director of GALCIT. She advises numerous students and collaborates globally on initiatives like the Stories of Women in Fluids.
Dr. Lucas Pahl is a Lecturer in Economics at the University of Sheffield, School of Economics since 2024. His research specializes in mathematical game theory, particularly in equilibrium refinements, fixed point theory, and real algebraic geometry. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Rochester, an MSc in Mathematics from IMPA (Brazil), and a BSc in Social Sciences from the University of São Paulo. Previous positions: Postdoctoral Scholar at Hausdorff Institute for Mathematics and Institute for Microeconomics, University of Bonn His research interests include advanced topics like fixed point theory applications in game theory, algebraic topology intersections with economic models, and equilibrium refinement methodologies. Recent work explores information spillover in zero-sum games and polytope-form game structures. Key publications focus on O’Neill’s theorem extensions, sustainable equilibria analysis, and finite characterizations of perfect equilibria. He serves as a reviewer for top journals including Econometrica and Games and Economic Behavior. No scientific awards explicitly mentioned. His advisory and grant activities remain unspecified in current records. Labs/teams: No lab affiliations explicitly stated in provided information.
Padhraic Smyth is a Distinguished Professor and Hasso Plattner Endowed Chair in Artificial Intelligence at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), holding joint appointments in the Department of Computer Science and Department of Statistics. He leads the DataLab research group, focusing on machine learning, AI, and their applications in climate science, healthcare, and education. His research spans probabilistic modeling, deep learning, and human-AI collaboration. Education: PhD in Electrical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology (1988), MSEE (1985), and BEng (1984). Prior to UCI, he worked at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (1988–1996). Research Interests: Machine learning, AI, pattern recognition, Bayesian methods, climate science applications, algorithmic fairness, and human-AI interaction. He has published over 200 papers and co-authored textbooks like Modeling the Internet and the Web . Awards: ACM Fellow, IEEE Fellow, AAAI Fellow, AAAS Fellow, and ACM SIGKDD Innovation Award recipient. He has held leadership roles in UCI's Center for Machine Learning and Data Science. Key Projects: Human-AI collaboration frameworks, robustness in deep learning, climate modeling using spatio-temporal data, and AI fairness with missing attributes. Collaborates with institutions like NASA and industry partners (e.g., Google, eBay). Labs/Teams: Director of UCI’s Data Science Initiative and HPI Research Center in Machine Learning. Supervises a vibrant PhD program with over 30 alumni in academia and industry.
Song Mei is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Statistics and Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. She received her Ph.D. from Stanford University in 2020 under Andrea Montanari and maintains active research collaborations with institutions including Amazon (as a 2023 Amazon Research Award recipient) and OpenAI (where she is currently on leave). Her research spans the intersection of statistics, machine learning, information theory, and computer science, with particular emphasis on foundational theories for modern AI systems. Key interests include language models, diffusion models, quantum algorithms, and high-dimensional statistics, often leveraging insights from statistical physics literature. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on theoretical underpinnings of generative AI, with significant contributions to understanding contrastive pre-training (CLIP), attention mechanisms in LLMs, and mathematical foundations of diffusion models. Her work demonstrates consistent interdisciplinary connections between statistical theory and practical AI development. Sloan Research Fellowship (2025) Noether Early Career Scholar Award (2025) Google Research Scholar Award (2024) Amazon Research Award (2024) She actively advises graduate students through MA programs and has secured significant research grants including Amazon Research Awards. Her work with AGI Labs at Amazon demonstrates applied impact of theoretical research. Current projects focus on mechanistic interpretability of large language models and mathematical frameworks for generative AI. Professor Mei leads research on the statistical principles behind frontier AI models, with particular focus on developing rigorous theoretical frameworks for understanding emergent behaviors in large-scale systems.
Alexander Wendt is the Mershon Professor of International Security and Professor of Political Science at The Ohio State University. He holds a PhD from the University of Minnesota (1989) and has taught at Yale University, Dartmouth College, and the University of Chicago before joining OSU in 2004. His work is foundational to constructivism in international relations, notably through his 1992 article Anarchy is What States Make of It and his 1999 book Social Theory of International Politics , which earned the Best Book of the Decade Award (2006). He is widely recognized, including as the most influential IR scholar over 20 years (TRIP Survey, 2017) and recipient of the 2023 Johan Skytte Prize for advancing constructivism with Martha Finnemore. Wendt’s research bridges philosophy and social science, exploring quantum theory’s implications for decision-making and social science in works like Quantum Mind and Social Science (2015). His current projects include a book on UAP and human security, responding to the Pentagon’s 2021 confirmation of UAP as a threat. His career spans theoretical innovations in agency-structure interactions, norms, and sovereignty, with a focus on redefining international relations through interdisciplinary lenses. Awards include the prestigious Skytte Prize (2023) and sustained recognition for transforming constructivism into a leading paradigm. His work challenges classical social science frameworks, proposing quantum theory as a revolutionary baseline for understanding human cognition and societal systems.
Margaret P. Chapman is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. She leads the DATA Lab (Decision Analysis for Trustworthy Autonomy), focusing on risk-averse and stochastic control theory with applications to environmental and human health. Education: B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University (2012, 2014), Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from UC Berkeley (2020, advised by Claire Tomlin) Her research bridges robust and stochastic optimal control via risk measure theory, emphasizing safety-critical applications in healthcare and sustainable cities. Key challenges include scalable risk-sensitive control methods, integrating physics-based and data-driven models for safety analysis, and promoting technologies that enhance planetary and human well-being. Recent publications focus on risk-averse autonomous systems, CVaR-based safety analysis, and multi-time-scale modeling for cancer treatment. She has advised students in both graduate and undergraduate research roles, including NSERC awardees and thesis participants. Awards: US National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Berkeley Fellowship, Terman Engineering Scholastic Award, Leon O. Chua Award She teaches courses like ECE 557 (Linear Control Theory) and ECE 1643 (Risk-Averse Control with Learning). Her invited talks span institutions such as MIT, Princeton, and Georgia Tech, highlighting risk-sensitive analysis and control for trustworthy autonomy.
Zach Shahn is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the CUNY School of Public Health. He holds a PhD in Statistics from Columbia University and a BA in Mathematics from Stanford University. His research focuses on causal inference methods applied to healthcare data, particularly time-varying treatment effects and critical care applications. He has conducted postdoctoral work at Harvard School of Public Health and previously worked at IBM Research in Healthcare and Life Sciences. Education: PhD in Statistics and Probability, Columbia University BA in Mathematics, Stanford University Research interests include developing causal inference frameworks for evaluating treatment efficacy in dynamic healthcare settings, with a focus on critical care outcomes and methodological innovations. Recent work explores applications of causal diagrams, instrumental variables, and machine learning in healthcare decision-making. His studies often involve large-scale healthcare datasets to assess interventions' real-world impacts. Key trends in his articles include advancements in causal effect estimation under complex treatment regimes, bias analysis in observational studies, and methodological contributions to difference-in-differences and N-of-1 trial designs. His work bridges statistical theory with practical healthcare challenges, emphasizing reproducibility and policy relevance. No scientific awards are listed, though his contributions to causal inference methodologies are notable in academic circles. He has advised on healthcare data projects and published extensively without explicitly listed grants. His professional network includes collaborations with institutions like Harvard and IBM. He is affiliated with CUNY's public health programs and actively engages in academic discourse via Twitter and LinkedIn. His lab or team details are not explicitly mentioned in available materials.
Cong Ling is a Professor of Information Theory and Cryptography at Imperial College London's Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, within the Faculty of Engineering. His research focuses on lattice theory and its applications in coding, cryptography, quantum information, and number theory. Key affiliations include the Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research and the Engineering Secure Software Systems group. Education details are not explicitly provided in the text, but his professional experience indicates advanced qualifications in electrical engineering and mathematics. Research interests span lattice-based cryptography, post-quantum security, algebraic coding theory, and quantum-resistant algorithms. His work bridges information theory and number theory, with contributions to MIMO systems, secure communication protocols, and cryptographic protocol design. Recent publications emphasize lattice reduction techniques, quantum algorithms for the shortest vector problem, and advancements in polar codes. Notable trends include exploration of non-commutative algebras for cryptography, Gaussian sampling optimizations, and hybrid quantum-classical approaches to hard integer problems. Over 50+ articles published since 2018 reflect his leadership in lattice-based research and quantum-safe technologies. Awards: None explicitly listed in the text. Grants/Advising: No specific grants or student advisees mentioned; focus remains on collaborative research outputs. Labs/Teams: Associated with Imperial's Cyber Security Research groups and quantum engineering initiatives.
Scientia Professor Gary Froyland is a Professor at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), affiliated with the School of Mathematics & Statistics. He leads the ARC Laureate Centre for Dynamical Systems and Data and holds an Einstein Visiting Fellowship from the Einstein Foundation Berlin. His academic credentials include a BSc (Hons 1, Medal) in Pure and Applied Mathematics from the University of Queensland and a PhD in Mathematics from the University of Western Australia. Professor Froyland's research spans two primary domains: dynamical systems and optimization. In dynamical systems, he investigates the interplay of probability and geometry in nonlinear and chaotic systems, employing tools from ergodic theory, functional analysis, and differential geometry. His work extends to applications in oceanography, atmospheric science, and granular flows. In optimization, he focuses on decision-making in complex systems with uncertain information, developing novel approaches in mathematical programming that have been applied to mining, logistics, and medical treatment planning. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on coherent structures in dynamical systems, linear response theory, and applications to geophysical phenomena. The research shows increasing interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly with climate scientists and data analysts, reflecting a trend toward applying advanced mathematical techniques to real-world problems in environmental science and engineering. J.D. Crawford Prize (2025) Elected Member of the Academy of Europe / Academia Europaea (2024) ARC Laureate Fellow (2024-2029) Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) (2021) Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (2020) Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence - Postgraduate Research Supervision (2015) Professor Froyland actively supervises PhD and honors students, with current advisees including Kevin Felipe Kühl Oliveira, Nicholas Peters, and Kathrin Völkner. His research is supported by multiple grants, including an ARC Laureate Fellowship (2024-2029) for "Breakthrough mathematics for dynamical systems and data," an Einstein Visiting Fellowship (2022-2026), and several ARC Discovery Projects. His work has practical applications in climate science, mining optimization, and medical treatment planning, particularly in radiotherapy. He leads the ARC Laureate Centre for Dynamical Systems and Data, which brings together researchers to develop new mathematical approaches for analyzing complex dynamical systems. The center focuses on creating methods to identify coherent structures in spatiotemporal data, with applications spanning environmental science, social science, health science, and engineering.
Ivan Dokmanic is an Assistant Professor at the Coordinated Science Laboratory (CSL) within the University of Illinois . His research bridges signal processing , machine learning , and applied inverse problems , with a focus on acoustics, biomedical imaging, and distance geometry. Current Role : Assistant Professor, CSL Email : dokmanic@illinois.edu Research Interests : Dokmanic explores machine learning applications in inverse problems , particularly distance geometry for molecular imaging and acoustics . His work includes unlabeled sensing , where distances between points are known but their arrangement is not. This has implications for powder diffraction , indoor localization , and echo modeling . Article Trends : His recent publications emphasize distance geometry in machine learning , acoustic signal processing , and inverse problem theory . Key areas include molecular imaging , audio encryption , and sensor positioning . Collaborative work spans medical imaging , cyberphysical systems , and geometric invariants . 2016 Google Faculty Award NSF Grant (1 year, $157,079) Students and Grants : Dokmanic mentors PhD students like Puoya, Shuai, and Anadi. His research is funded by the National Science Foundation , Google , VISA , and nVidia .
Nori Franco serves as Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Michigan and Chief Scientist at RIKEN's Theoretical Quantum Physics Laboratory in Japan. His dual appointments reflect his significant contributions to both American and Japanese academic communities, with continuous service at Michigan since 1990 and at RIKEN since 2002. His research spans quantum information, condensed matter physics, and quantum optics, with particular focus on light-matter interactions, superconducting qubits, optomechanics, and quantum open systems. Franco's work bridges theoretical foundations with experimental implementations, especially in circuit quantum electrodynamics and quantum computing applications. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on non-Hermitian quantum systems, quantum control techniques, and applications of quantum information science to fundamental physics problems. His research group consistently produces highly cited work, with publications appearing in top journals across quantum physics and condensed matter disciplines. Scientific Awards: Charles Hard Townes Medal (2024) - sole recipient for fundamental contributions to quantum optics and quantum information processing Research Doctorate Honoris Causa from University of Messina (2024) Highly Cited Researcher for eight consecutive years (2017-2024) Member of Academia Europaea (2023) Willis E. Lamb Medal (2023) for quantum electronics research Throughout his career, Franco has secured significant research funding and mentored numerous students and postdoctoral researchers. His work has received international recognition through invitations to deliver prestigious lectures including the Stanislav Ulam Lecture and Sir Nevill Mott Lecture in 2024. His research group maintains strong collaborations across multiple continents, reflecting his global impact on quantum physics. At RIKEN, Franco leads the Quantum Information Physics Theory Research Team within the Quantum Computing Center, directing cutting-edge theoretical work that complements experimental efforts in quantum computing hardware development.
Yasushi Sakurai is a Professor in the Department of Translational Datability at Osaka University's Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, co-leading the Sakurai and Matsubara Laboratory within the Center for Industrial Science and AI. His research mission focuses on transforming society through real-time prediction of natural and social phenomena using large-scale data analytics, with emphasis on practical technological implementation. His research spans time-series big data analysis, dynamic learning systems, and real-time information provision. Key areas include tensor stream mining, EEG-based healthcare applications, cybersecurity anomaly detection, and multi-omics cancer subtyping. The lab specializes in developing deployable technologies that optimize social activities through predictive modeling of evolving data streams. Recent publications (2023-2025) reveal concentrated innovation in time-series data stream processing, with dominant themes in tensor analytics, frequency-domain forecasting, and causal modeling. His team produces high-impact work accepted at premier AI venues (ICLR, AAAI, KDD, WWW), consistently featuring oral presentations that highlight technical novelty and societal relevance. Scientific Awards: FY2024 Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award for Science and Technology (Research Category) for dynamic learning and real-time data stream analysis Professor Sakurai mentors graduate students including Naoki Chihara (DEIM2024 Outstanding Paper Award winner), Yuka Tamura (DEIM2024 Student Presentation Award winner), and Ren Fujiwara. His lab maintains active industry-academia partnerships focused on practical technology deployment, with research directly addressing real-world challenges in healthcare monitoring and cybersecurity. The Sakurai and Matsubara Laboratory operates as a dynamic research unit within Osaka University's Center for Industrial Science and AI, structured around specialized teams for tensor stream analysis, medical data mining, and network dynamics. Current projects emphasize real-time prediction systems with immediate societal applications, supported by strong industry collaboration frameworks.
Dr. Hongtu Zhu is the Kenan Distinguished Professor of Biostatistics, Statistics, Radiology, Computer Science, and Genetics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). He holds affiliations with the Gillings School of Global Public Health and leads the Biostatistics and Imaging Genomics Analysis Lab. His expertise spans statistical learning, medical imaging, AI, and big data integration, with a focus on precision medicine and biomedicine. Dr. Zhu earned his PhD in Statistics from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2000) and has held prior roles including DiDi Fellow/Chief Scientist (2018-2020) and Bao-Shan Jing Endowed Professor at MD Anderson Cancer Center (2016-2018). He has published over 345 peer-reviewed articles in top-tier journals like Nature, Science, and JASA, and actively contributes to editorial roles including Coordinating Editor of JASA. His research interests include neuroimaging analysis, knowledge graphs, and AI applications in healthcare. Notable awards include the COPSS Snedecor Award (2025), IEEE Fellowship (2025), and IMS Medallion (2027). He has mentored over 80 PhD students/postdoctoral fellows and serves on NIH grant review panels and professional organizations like the ASA's Section on Statistics in Imaging. Key Contributions: Imaging genomics, brain connectivity studies, ridesharing market optimization, medical AI frameworks Lab Innovations: Brain Imaging Genetics Knowledge Portal, Biomedical Knowledge Graph Interface Teaching: Advanced biostatistics courses (Generalized Linear Models, Deep Learning in Biomedicine) Recent work explores causal inference in healthcare, X chromosome's role in neurobiology, and AI ethics in medical vision-language models. His interdisciplinary projects bridge statistics, computer science, and clinical practice to address complex biomedical challenges.
Aviad Levis is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto's Department of Computer Science, starting July 2024. He is affiliated with the Dunlap Astronomical Data Science and Technology Group (DADDAA) and collaborates with the Toronto Computational Imaging Group alongside Kyros Kutulakos and David Lindell. Previously, he was a postdoctoral researcher at Caltech's Computing + Mathematical Sciences department under Katherine Bouman, working with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration. PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Technion (supervised by Yoav Schechner) Research focuses on computational imaging tools at the intersection of AI and physics Develops algorithms for 3D tomography in both cloud physics and black hole imaging Recipient of ERC Synergy grant for CloudCT space mission His research spans two major domains: Computational Climate Imaging through cloud tomography to improve climate models, and Black Hole Imaging with the EHT collaboration. He pioneered methodologies for 3D cloud structure recovery using scattered sunlight and contributes to dynamic 3D reconstructions of black hole environments. Current interests include non-linear inverse problems, equation discovery from data, and ML-accelerated scientific simulations. Recent publications highlight advancements in atmospheric tomography and black hole emission modeling. His work on CloudCT involves coordinated nano-satellites for 3D cloud imaging, while EHT contributions include first images of Sagittarius A* (2022) and ongoing development of algorithms for 3D structure recovery. The ERC Synergy grant underscores his impact on climate imaging technology. Personal Website Work Email
