Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityUnited States
Scott England is a Professor in the Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering at the College of Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He serves as the Project Scientist for NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON), Co-Investigator for Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD), and Participating Scientist for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN). Education PhD, University of Leicester (UK), 2005 MPhys First Class Honors, University of Leicester (UK), 2001 England’s research focuses on planetary atmosphere-space environment interactions, particularly gravity waves, atmospheric tides, and ionosphere-thermosphere coupling on Earth and Mars. His work integrates NASA mission data (ICON, GOLD, MAVEN) with numerical modeling to study thermal dynamics, wind systems, and solar flare impacts. Recent publications highlight his expertise in thermospheric gravity wave science, planetary wave-induced ionospheric variability, and Mars atmosphere studies using EMUS and IUVS instruments. Articles span topics like Seasonal variability of DE3/DE2 tides , Transient Martian hot oxygen corona , and Shock-induced plasma dynamics . Scientific Honors 2020 Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence 2016 RHG Exceptional Achievement for Mars Science As a professional leader, England served as Thermospheric Lead for the 2019 Planetary Mission Concept Studies Program and on the National Academy of Sciences Decadal Survey panel. He manages Virginia Tech’s participation in the Virginia Space Grant Consortium and has contributed to high-performance computing committees.
Oliver Schlotterer holds the position of Associate Professor at Uppsala University, affiliated with both the Department of Mathematics (Centre for Geometry and Physics) and the Department of Physics and Astronomy (Theoretical Physics). His research focuses on theoretical physics and mathematical structures in string theory, particularly exploring string amplitudes, modular forms, and algebraic geometry. He has contributed to understanding one-loop string amplitudes, modular graph forms, and supersymmetric field theories. Education: Not explicitly detailed in the provided text. Departments: Joint appointment in Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. His research interests include the interplay between string theory and mathematical frameworks like modular forms, algebraic geometry, and polylogarithmic functions. Recent work emphasizes chiral-splitting techniques, cyclic products of kernels, and the coaction principle in scattering amplitudes. Collaborations span topics from supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories to Einstein-Yang-Mills systems. Publications highlight advancements in string perturbation theory, including studies on non-holomorphic modular forms, genus-one integrals, and the single-valued map in string theory. His work often bridges high-energy physics with number-theoretic structures, such as zeta functions and Poincaré series. No awards or grants are listed in the provided data. He advises no students explicitly mentioned, though his collaborative research suggests involvement in training through projects. Active in the Centre for Geometry and Physics and theoretical physics groups, his research explores foundational aspects of string theory and their mathematical implications.
Shen Wei is the KoGuan Distinguished Professor of Law at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Law School, with a concurrent role as Visiting Professor (2025). His academic career spans legal practice and academia, focusing on international investment law, corporate governance, financial regulation, and international commercial arbitration. Concurrently, his research extends into computational and mathematical domains, including machine learning, deep neural networks, and approximation theory. He teaches international investment law, international financial regulation, company law, and international economic law. His interdisciplinary work bridges legal scholarship with advanced mathematical modeling and algorithmic analysis. Recent research emphasizes neural network architecture, optimization techniques, and approximation theory applied to complex systems. Notable contributions include studies on deep network expressivity, gradient methods, and wavelet-based image restoration. Awards and grants are not explicitly mentioned, but his work reflects significant contributions to both legal and computational fields.
Ronald G. Larson serves as the George Granger Brown Professor of Chemical Engineering and A. H. White Distinguished University Professor at the University of Michigan's College of Engineering, with additional appointments in Mechanical Engineering and Macromolecular Science & Engineering. His research leadership spans multiple departments within the Chemical Engineering Division, where he directs the Larson Lab focused on fundamental and applied soft matter physics. His research program investigates complex fluids through computational and theoretical frameworks, emphasizing polymer physics, rheology, and molecular simulations. Key thrusts include polymer melt processing, biomembrane dynamics, colloidal systems, and polyelectrolyte coacervation. The group employs advanced techniques like Brownian dynamics, coarse-grained modeling, and multiscale simulation to address challenges ranging from industrial polymer processing to biomedical applications. Recent publications (2023-2025) reveal strong momentum in rheological modeling of complex fluids, with particular emphasis on self-healing materials, wax deposition in pipelines, and crystallization mechanisms. The work bridges fundamental molecular insights with industrial applications, demonstrating consistent high-impact output across polymer science, soft matter physics, and chemical engineering domains. The Larson Lab operates as a collaborative hub within the Chemical Engineering Department, leveraging computational resources to advance understanding of fluid mechanics and material properties. Current projects integrate machine learning with traditional modeling approaches, reflecting the group's commitment to methodological innovation while maintaining strong connections to experimental validation and real-world engineering problems.
Carles Padro Laimon is a Professor at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), affiliated with the Department of Mathematics and the School of Telecommunications Engineering. He is a leading researcher in cryptography and information security, focusing on secret sharing schemes, combinatorial structures, and cryptographic protocols. His work integrates discrete mathematics, coding theory, and algorithmic design to address security challenges in digital systems. Padro leads the MAK Research Group (Mathematics Applied to Cryptography) and the ISG-MAK Information Security Group. He has been involved in numerous competitive research projects, including initiatives on post-quantum cryptography and secure multi-user systems. His contributions span over 211 documented activities, including articles, theses, and conference participations. His research interests include the theoretical foundations of cryptography, with a focus on optimizing secret sharing schemes, analyzing matroid-based structures, and developing secure communication protocols. He has collaborated extensively with institutions like the UPC and European research networks, contributing to both academic and practical advancements in cybersecurity. Padro holds a PhD in Mathematics from UPC and has supervised doctoral theses and mentored researchers in his field. His work frequently appears in top journals like IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, Designs, Codes and Cryptography, and SIAM Journal on Discrete Mathematics.
Luca Carloni is a Professor of Computer Science and Department Chair at Columbia University's Columbia Engineering. He leads the System-Level Design Group, focusing on heterogeneous system-on-chip (SoC) architectures, networks-on-chip (NoC), and embedded systems. Carloni holds a Laurea Summa Cum Laude in Electronics Engineering from the University of Bologna and a PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from UC Berkeley. His work emphasizes specialized hardware design, energy-efficient computing, and FPGA-based prototyping. Research interests include system-level design methodologies for SoCs, embedded accelerators, and quantum computing hardware. He has pioneered frameworks like Embedded Scalable Platforms (ESP) and tools like MosaicSim for rapid SoC prototyping. Carloni has received numerous awards, including the NSF CAREER Award (2006), IEEE Fellow (2017), and multiple best paper awards at DATE and CloudCom conferences. He has served on editorial boards of IEEE Transactions on CAD and ACM Transactions on Embedded Computing , and chaired key conferences like EMSOFT and ESWeek. His research addresses challenges in heterogeneous architectures, power management, and the intersection of machine learning with embedded systems. Current projects explore quantum control systems, brain-computer interfaces, and energy-efficient datacenter computing.
Dirk Praetorius is a Professor of Numerics of Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) at the Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien) , affiliated with the Institute for Analysis and Scientific Computing (ASC) within the Faculty of Mathematics and Geoinformation . He leads the research group on Numerics of PDEs and has held various leadership roles, including Institute Director (since 2020) and head of the Numerics research area. His work focuses on numerical methods for PDEs, including Finite Element Methods (FEM), Boundary Element Methods (BEM), adaptive algorithms, and computational micromagnetics. Education and Career: Praetorius earned his Diplom in Mathematics (2000) and PhD in Applied Mathematics (2003) from TU Wien, followed by a Habilitation in Numerical Analysis (2005). He has been a faculty member at TU Wien since 2005, progressing from Assistant Professor to full Professor in 2017. He has also held visiting positions at institutions such as the University of Jyväskylä and RICAM (Linz). Research Interests: His research spans numerical analysis, adaptive FEM/BEM, a-posteriori error estimation, matrix compression, and computational micromagnetics. He has contributed to modeling spin dynamics, magnetic skyrmions, and multiscale systems. His work emphasizes efficient algorithms for large-scale problems and optimal computational complexity. Awards and Editorial Roles: Praetorius received the TU Best Teacher Award (2021) and TU Best Lecture Award (2019). He serves as Senior Editor for Computational Methods in Applied Mathematics (CMAM) and on the editorial board of Applied Numerical Mathematics (APNUM) . He co-founded the outreach initiative TUForMath to promote mathematics education. Grants and Projects: He leads or co-leads several research projects funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), including the collaborative SFB "Taming Complexity in Partial Differential Systems" (2017–2025) and international collaborations with Germany. His work addresses topics like functional error estimates, nonlinear PDEs, and computational design of magnetic devices. Labs and Teams: He contributes to the ASC Institute and coordinates interdisciplinary projects involving computational physics and engineering. His team develops software tools like MooAFEM and Commics for micromagnetic simulations.
Shunde Yin serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Energy & Petroleum Engineering at the University of Wyoming's College of Engineering & Physical Sciences, based in Room 4019 of the Engineering Building. His research focuses on advanced computational methods in petroleum geomechanics with practical applications to reservoir engineering challenges. His educational background includes a Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of Waterloo (2008), an M.S. in Geotechnical Engineering from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2003), and a B.E. in Civil Engineering from Shijiazhuang Railway Institute (1999). Dr. Yin specializes in Coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical-chemical (THMC) modeling and soft computing applications within petroleum geomechanics. His work integrates computational techniques to address subsidence, reservoir depletion, and seismic monitoring challenges, bridging theoretical geomechanics with field applications in energy extraction. Analysis of his 2002-2008 publications reveals consistent innovation in numerical methods for reservoir geomechanics, featuring displacement discontinuity techniques, finite element analysis, and machine learning applications across thermal, hydraulic, mechanical, and chemical domains. No scientific awards were documented in the source material. Information regarding student advising, research grants, and laboratory facilities was not provided in the available documentation.
Jonas Faleskog is a Professor in the Department of Materials and Structural Mechanics at KTH Royal Institute of Technology. His research focuses on mathematical modeling of material deformation and failure mechanisms, particularly in metallic and polymeric materials. Key areas include ductile and brittle fracture analysis, fracture mechanics, and computational modeling of material behavior under various stress conditions. He leads a research group collaborating internationally to develop models describing material failure at microscopic scales. Faleskog teaches courses such as Fracture Mechanics (SE2139) and Modeling in FEM (SE2860), emphasizing practical applications of theoretical models. His work spans experimental and numerical methods, addressing challenges in material heterogeneity, porosity effects, and environmental degradation. Notable contributions include advancements in weakest-link modeling for brittle failure, probabilistic fracture models, and strain gradient plasticity analysis. His research bridges material science, applied mechanics, and numerical methods to optimize material utilization in engineering systems like reactor tanks, aircraft, and vehicles. Key collaborations involve international teams exploring microstructural influences on fracture behavior. While no specific awards are listed, his extensive publication record reflects sustained contributions to mechanical and materials engineering.
Mustafa A. Mustafa is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in the Department of Computer Science at The University of Manchester, where he leads the Trusted Digital Systems Cluster as part of the university-wide Centre for Digital Trust and Society. His academic journey spans prestigious institutions including The University of Manchester, where he completed his PhD, and KU Leuven in Belgium, where he served as a post-doctoral research fellow. Dr. Mustafa earned his educational qualifications through an impressive academic path: a B.Sc. in communications from the Technical University of Varna, Bulgaria (2007), an M.Sc. in communications and signal processing from Newcastle University, UK (2010), and a Ph.D. in computer science from The University of Manchester, UK (2015). His doctoral research focused on "Smart Grid Security: Protecting Users' Privacy in Smart Grid Applications," laying the foundation for his subsequent research career. Dr. Mustafa's research expertise centers on information security, data privacy, and applied cryptography with particular focus on smart grid systems, smart city applications, e-health, and IoT. His work addresses critical challenges in securing peer-to-peer electricity trading markets, smart metering infrastructure, electric vehicle charging systems, and health data management. He has developed innovative solutions for keyless car sharing systems, frictionless authentication mechanisms, and privacy-preserving protocols for data collection and distribution. His scholarly contributions demonstrate a consistent trajectory toward increasingly sophisticated privacy-preserving techniques applied across multiple domains. Recent work shows a growing integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches with traditional cryptographic methods, particularly in federated learning systems and large language model verification. His research bridges theoretical cryptography with practical implementations in energy systems and healthcare applications. Dr. Mustafa's scientific achievements have been recognized with several prestigious awards: Winner of the Student Video Competition at IEEE SmartGridComm 2017 for "Secure and Privacy-friendly Local Electricity Trading" Best Paper Award at SECURWARE 2017 Distinguished Achievement Award as Postgraduate Research Student of the Year nominee by the School of Computer Science of The University of Manchester (2015) Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw Research Fellowship (2018-2023) As an academic supervisor, Dr. Mustafa has mentored numerous graduate students through their PhD and Master's research, with a particular focus on privacy and security challenges in emerging technologies. His current supervision portfolio includes research on privacy-friendly multi-agent systems for smart grids, security for IoT in e-health, vulnerability detection in IoT cryptography, and bot detection systems. He has secured significant research funding through multiple competitive grants including EnnCore: End-to-End Conceptual Guarding of Neural Architectures (EPSRC, 2020-2024), SCorCH: Secure Code for Capability Hardware (EPSRC, 2019-2023), and SNIPPET: Secure and Privacy-friendly Peer-to-peer Electricity Trading (FWO-SBO project, 2019-2023). Dr. Mustafa leads the Trusted Digital Systems Cluster within the Centre for Digital Trust and Society at The University of Manchester. His research group comprises PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and collaborators working on cutting-edge security and privacy solutions. The team maintains strong international collaborations, particularly with KU Leuven in Belgium, and contributes to standards development as evidenced by Dr. Mustafa's role as an expert in the IEC/SYC/WG 3 "IEC Smart Energy Roadmap."
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in LausanneSwitzerland
Inès Lamunière is an Honorary Professor at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), where she previously held roles including Full Professor and Chair of the Department of Architecture (2008–2011). She is also a renowned architect, leading the firm dl-a, designlab-architecture SA in Geneva. Her academic career includes positions as Adjunct Professor at ETH Zurich (1991) and Visiting Professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design (1996, 1999, 2008). She directed the LAMU-EPFL Laboratory (2001–2018), focusing on urban architecture and mobility. Education: Architect degree from EPF Lausanne (1980), followed by studies at the Swiss Institute in Rome and assistant lectureship under Werner Oechslin at ETH Zurich. Research Interests: Urban planning, sustainability, architectural history, and the integration of infrastructure into urban environments. Notable projects include the revitalization of Bellerive-Plage and the LAMU Laboratory’s studies on risky urban objects. Awards: 2011 Meret Oppenheim Prize (Swiss Art Award) and 2017 Chevalier des Arts et Lettres (France). Her work emphasizes context-sensitive design and sustainable urban development. She has supervised numerous theses and contributed to publications on architectural pedagogy, urban theory, and historical analyses of Le Corbusier’s work. Active in academic governance, she served as Vice President of the EPFL WISH Foundation (2006–2016) and on the Fondation pour le Développement des Arts et de la Culture board since 2016.
Amin Barari is an Adjunct Professor at the School of Engineering, RMIT University, Australia. His research focuses on geotechnical and offshore engineering, particularly in foundation systems for offshore wind turbines, soil-structure interaction, and seismic liquefaction mitigation. He has extensive experience in experimental and numerical analysis of pile foundations, bucket foundations, and caisson structures. His work integrates advanced computational methods (e.g., machine learning, finite element modeling) to predict foundation behavior under extreme conditions. Research interests include: offshore wind energy foundations, soil liquefaction, cyclic stability diagrams, and probabilistic hazard assessment frameworks. He has supervised multiple PhD/Masters projects on topics like resilient foundations in calcareous deposits and pile foundation dynamics in expansive soils. His publications span over 147 research outputs, emphasizing geotechnical challenges in coastal and offshore environments. Dr. Barari collaborates with international institutions and has expertise in experimental testing (e.g., large-scale load testing, centrifuge modeling) and advanced AI-driven frameworks for geohazard prediction. His work contributes to sustainable infrastructure design and risk mitigation strategies for renewable energy systems.
Markus Friedrich is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Wayne State University, affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on insect development, gene family evolution, and arthropod visual systems, with a particular interest in cave-adapted species. He has held roles including Editor-in-Chief of the Molecular Biology and Genomics Section for the journal Insects and advised on the Australian Research Council project DP230100731 (2023-2024). Education: PhD in Zoology from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (1995), postdoctoral training at Caltech (1996–1999). His research interests span comparative genomics, evolutionary developmental biology, and the genetic basis of sensory adaptations. Notable work includes studies on opsin gene evolution, cave animal adaptations, and the genomic basis of arthropod diversification. Recent publications highlight discoveries in harvestmen relict eyes, horseshoe crab Pax6 homologs, and cave beetle sleep behavior. Teaching includes courses like BIO4220 Biological Dimensions of Evolutionary Psychology and BIO1500 Basic Life Diversity . He has supervised numerous students and volunteers, fostering a dynamic research lab environment. His work integrates genomic, developmental, and evolutionary approaches to unravel mechanisms of trait evolution in insects. Grants/Awards: Australian Research Council funding, editorial leadership in entomology journals. Labs/Teams: The Friedrich Lab focuses on evolutionary genetics, with projects involving Tribolium beetles, cave organisms, and comparative genomics.
Dr. Joshua New is a Distinguished R&D Staff Member at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and holds a Joint Faculty Position at The University of Tennessee since 2012. He leads research in building energy modeling, climate change science, and supercomputing. His work focuses on urban-scale energy systems, AI-driven analytics, and high-performance computing applications. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science (University of Tennessee, 2009), M.S. in Computer Systems, B.S. in Computer Science and Mathematics (Jacksonville State University). His research interests include optimizing building energy efficiency, simulating climate impacts on urban infrastructure, and developing tools like AutoBEM and ModelAmerica to model 122.9 million U.S. buildings. He has over 150 peer-reviewed publications and led 45+ projects involving supercomputing, visual analytics, and AI for big data. Awards include the R&D 100 Award (2016), ASHRAE Distinguished Service Award (2018), and Lab-Corps (2015). His teams prioritize utility use cases and validate models against real-world data. He is a Senior IEEE member, Certified Energy Manager (CEM), and holds certifications in project management and energy efficiency. Key contributions include the Roof Savings Calculator Suite, AutoGen/AutoSim tools, and the ModelAmerica initiative. His work addresses national energy policy, heatwave resilience, and sustainable city design through interdisciplinary collaborations.
Hadrian Geri Djajadikerta is a Professor and Accounting Discipline Lead at Curtin University's School of Accounting, Economics and Finance, part of the Faculty of Business and Law. He holds leadership roles such as Research Dean (Business and Law) and has previously held positions at UNSW, UTS, Lincoln University, and Edith Cowan University. His academic background includes a PhD from UTS, MBA from Montana State, and qualifications from ITB and UNPAR, alongside professional certifications like CA, CMA, and SCPM. Education: PhD(UTS), MBA(Montana), MSc(ITB), Drs(UNPAR). Additional training includes Business Analytics at the University of Cambridge. Research focuses on sustainability, corporate governance, and management accounting. Key areas include sustainability reporting, environmental disclosures, and interdisciplinary studies in supply chain, finance, and digital technology. Recent work explores climate resilience in higher education, digital competencies in energy industries, and freight transport sustainability. Awards include VC Excellence in Research Supervision and Teaching, AFAANZ Best Paper, and Wiley’s Top Cited Paper. Over 30 PhD students supervised and numerous grant investigations (e.g., Australia Africa Universities Network, Future Energy Exports CRC). Active in global collaborations and policy engagements, including parliamentary inquiries on short-stay accommodation. Grants include projects on climate change resilience ($20,000), digital competencies in energy ($219,375), and freight transport networks ($193,680). Engaged in not-for-profit social initiatives and corporate consulting in Indonesia and Australia. Led the Sustainability and Corporate Governance Research Cluster and contributes to industry partnerships through research clusters and advisory roles.
