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Rodney Harrison is a Reader in Archaeology, Heritage and Museum Studies at the UCL Institute of Archaeology, University College London. He serves as the founding editor of the Journal of Contemporary Archaeology and has been Vice President of the Association of Critical Heritage Studies since 2012. His research focuses on critical heritage studies, contemporary archaeology, and future-making practices in heritage contexts. Harrison's work challenges traditional boundaries between past, present, and future in heritage discourse, emphasizing how heritage functions as a future-oriented practice. His research spans cultural and natural heritage, exploring connections between heritage conservation and other material legacy management systems, including nuclear waste disposal. Harrison leads the major international 'Heritage Futures' research program funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council. This project represents one of the largest critical, comparative ethnographic studies of heritage practices, examining how different forms of heritage function as distinctive future-making practices across diverse contexts. His scholarly contributions include more than a dozen books and over 60 peer-reviewed articles. Notable publications include Collecting, Ordering, Governing: Museums, Anthropology and Liberal Government (2016), Heritage: Critical Approaches (2013), Reassembling the Collection (2013), Understanding the Politics of Heritage (2011), and The Heritage Reader (2008). Harrison's work consistently engages with critical theory, challenging conventional heritage frameworks and exploring innovative approaches to understanding how material and cultural legacies shape future possibilities. His research has significant implications for heritage policy, conservation practice, and theoretical developments in critical heritage studies.

• Critical Heritage Studies
• Archaeology
• Museum Studies
• +7 more

Oana Balmau is an Assistant Professor in the School of Computer Science at McGill University, where she leads the Data-Intensive Storage and Computer Systems Laboratory (DISCS Lab). She also holds a status-only appointment at the University of Toronto and serves as a working group chair for MLPerf Storage. Her research focuses on creating storage infrastructure that enables fast and energy-conscious insights from data, with particular emphasis on storage and persistent memory technologies for machine learning, data science, and edge computing workloads. Dr. Balmau's research interests span computer systems, with specific focus on: Design and implementation of efficient key-value stores Storage systems for machine learning workloads Edge computing infrastructure Persistent memory technologies Performance optimization of data-intensive systems Her recent work has led to significant contributions in storage benchmarking through the MLPerf Storage benchmark and in edge computing frameworks. The MLPerf Storage benchmark has become an industry standard for evaluating storage performance in machine learning environments, while her work on hierarchical edge computing addresses security and performance challenges in distributed edge environments. Her publications show consistent high-impact contributions to top systems venues, with recent work focusing on processing-in-memory virtualization, stream processing reconfiguration, and efficient data preprocessing pipelines. Dr. Balmau has received numerous awards for her research, including: SEC 2024 Best Paper Award for "Falcon: Live Reconfiguration for Stateful Stream Processing on the Edge" MLCommons Hero Award 2023 for leadership as MLPerf Storage working group chair ACM SIGOPS Dennis M. Ritchie Doctoral Dissertation Award 2021 Honorable Mention CORE John Makepeace Bennett Award 2021 for the best Computer Science doctoral dissertation in Australia and New Zealand USENIX ATC 2019 Best Paper Award for "SILK: Preventing Latency Spikes in Log-Structured Merge Key-Value Stores" As an educator, Dr. Balmau teaches courses on advanced computer systems, operating systems, and principles of computer systems design at McGill University. She has served on program committees for top systems conferences including SOSP, SIGMOD, FAST, and EuroSys, and has co-organized workshops on resource-efficient machine learning and edge computing. She leads the DISCS Lab, which focuses on two main research directions: Systems for ML (including the MLPerf Storage benchmark) and Edge computing (including frameworks for fast and secure edge computing in hierarchical edge environments).

• Storage Systems
• Persistent Memory
• Key-Value Stores
• +4 more

Sarah Sharma is a Professor of Media Theory at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information and Director of the Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology (ICCIT). Her work interrogates intersections of technology, temporality, and labor through a feminist lens. She has held leadership roles in the McLuhan Centre (2017–2022) and is recognized for advancing critical media theory. Research focuses include: • Temporality’s role in cultural politics • Feminist reimaginings of McLuhan’s media theory • Digital platforms’ socio-political impacts • Labour dynamics in gig economies (e.g., TaskRabbit). Her upcoming book Insufferable Tools: Big Tech and the Broken Machine critiques tech industry failures. Key achievements: • 2024 Desmond Morton Research Excellence Award • 2014 NCA Critical Cultural Book of the Year for In the Meantime: Temporality and Cultural Politics . Her edited volume Re-Understanding Media (2022) exemplifies feminist extensions of media theory. Recent engagements include keynote addresses at the Canadian Communication Association (June 2025) and University of Michigan’s Digital Ideas Workshop (June 2025). She critiques ‘accelerationist’ narratives about technology and advocates for rethinking media through marginalized perspectives.

• Media Theory
• Cultural Politics
• Feminist Media Studies
• +3 more

Robert Hamilton is a Professor in the Department of Communication Studies & Media Arts at McMaster University's Faculty of Humanities in Hamilton, Canada. With an extensive career as both an academic and practicing artist, he has established himself as a significant figure in contemporary media arts education and creation since joining McMaster University. Hamilton holds dual MFA degrees from the Art Institute of Chicago and the Jan van Eyck Academie in Maastricht, Netherlands, complemented by a Diploma from the Alberta College of Art + Design. His academic journey spans from 1981-1985 at the Alberta College, followed by advanced studies from 1991-1993 at the Jan van Eyck Academie. His research and creative practice centers on visual media with particular focus on video art, photography, and animation. Hamilton's work consistently explores themes of identity, community, and the evolving urban environment, often reflecting on societal events and contemporary issues. His artistic approach combines technical mastery with conceptual depth, resulting in works that challenge viewers' perceptions of everyday spaces and social structures. He has developed a distinctive methodology that blends documentary techniques with artistic interpretation, creating works that are simultaneously observational and transformative. Hamilton's recent body of work demonstrates a clear trajectory toward examining human relationships with urban spaces, particularly during times of societal transformation like the pandemic. His projects increasingly incorporate digital technologies and AI elements while maintaining a strong foundation in traditional media arts. The thematic continuity across his work reveals a persistent concern with how individuals navigate and make meaning within constructed environments. German Video Art Prize Silver Hugo Award at the Chicago Film Festival Work featured in National Gallery of Canada collection As an educator, Hamilton has mentored numerous students through senior thesis projects and specialized courses in media production. His teaching portfolio spans animation, video art, digital cinema, photographic techniques, and emerging media. While specific grant information isn't detailed in the available materials, his sustained creative output suggests successful acquisition of research funding to support his artistic practice. His work has been exhibited internationally at venues including Maison des Arts de Laval, Museum of Contemporary Art in Castello, Spain, and Transmediale in Berlin. Hamilton maintains an active studio practice that directly informs his teaching approach. His creative process involves both digital and traditional techniques, often experimenting with the intersection of physical and virtual spaces. He has developed specialized approaches to documenting urban environments that reveal hidden patterns and structures within everyday landscapes, creating what might be described as visual commentaries on contemporary life.

• Video Art
• Photography
• Animation
• +9 more

Roy Cross is a Professor at the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema , Concordia University, where he teaches film production. His career spans analog and digital filmmaking , with a focus on low-budget, sustainable practices and liberating parameters in creative education. Cross has received the 2015 Faculty of Fine Arts Distinguished Teaching Award and secured funding from the FRQSC grant , National Film Board , and Telefilm Canada . His research explores early cinema , black-and-white film processing , and non-toxic photochemical techniques through his LabCaf motion picture processing lab. Cross works extensively with 35mm and 16mm formats , often combining silent film aesthetics with modern storytelling in projects like A Dark Blue Sky (2016) and Dream Of The Woman In Blue (2016). Recent projects include still photography experimentation and screen printing , while maintaining active roles in Montreal's Anglophone Improv Theatre community. Scientific awards highlight his pedagogical philosophy , and participation in the Post Image Cluster at Concordia's Milieux Institute demonstrates ongoing interdisciplinary engagement.

• fiction
• script writing
• cinema
• +15 more

Dr. Sihang Liu is an Assistant Professor in the School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo. Prior to this role, he served as a visiting faculty member at SystemsResearch@Google. He holds a PhD from the University of Virginia, where his research was supported by the Google Fellowship Award. His academic career has been marked by contributions to computer architecture, systems, and persistent memory technologies. Dr. Liu's research interests span computer architecture, systems, and cybersecurity, with a focus on persistent memory systems, energy-efficient computing, and data center optimization. His work bridges hardware-software co-design and explores challenges in scalable computing, fault tolerance, and sustainable AI systems. His recent publications highlight advancements in adaptive memory tiering (HybridTier), carbon intensity forecasting (EnsembleCI), and securing persistent memory (Side-Channel Attacks on Optane). These contributions underscore his commitment to addressing critical issues in modern computing systems' performance, security, and environmental impact. Awards: Google Fellowship Award (PhD), NVMW Memorable Paper Award Finalist (2019), 2019 MICRO Top Picks Honorable Mention Professional Service: Program committees for ISCA, MICRO, ASPLOS; Artifact evaluation roles in leading conferences As an advisor, Dr. Liu mentors a diverse group of students, including current PhD candidates Henry Tian and Desen Sun, and numerous undergraduates. His lab focuses on innovation in sustainable computing and resilient systems design.

• Computer Architecture
• Computer Systems
• Persistent Memory Systems
• +3 more

Kaisong Huang is a Researcher at the University of Calgary , where he leads the Data Systems and Infrastructure Lab (DSIL) . His work bridges database systems with modern hardware innovations, focusing on performance optimization and storage technologies. PhD, Computer Science, Simon Fraser University (Sep 2020 - May 2025) MMath, Computer Science, University of Waterloo (Sep 2018 - Aug 2020) BEng, Software Engineering, Nanjing University (Sep 2014 - Jun 2018) Huang's research spans database engines , transaction processing , data storage management , resource disaggregation , and AI/LLM-driven database systems . His work includes optimizing latency in database systems, leveraging non-volatile memory, and addressing cross-engine transaction consistency. Recent publications highlight trends in hardware-aware DBMS design, persistent memory indexing, and SSD performance trade-offs. Huang has received prestigious recognitions, including: ACM SIGMOD Best Paper Award (2025) ACM SIGMOD Student Travel Award (2025) ACM SIGMOD Research Highlight Award (2023) Simon Fraser University (SFU) Graduate Fellowship (2020-2024) SFU Computing Science Travel Awards (2022, 2025) SFU Professional Development Grant (2025) He actively contributes to academic service as: PC member for SIGMOD 2026, ICDE 2026, CIKM 2023-2025, VLDBJ 2025-2026 Reviewer for SIGMOD 2022 and the Journal of Systems Architecture Committee member for the SIGMOD Availability Committee

• Database Engines
• Transaction Processing
• Data Storage Management
• +3 more

Josephine Godwyll is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sports and Recreation , University of Alberta , leading the Justice in Environments of Leisure Lab (JELL) . Her research connects United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with equity in recreation access through geospatial science and environmental justice frameworks. She focuses on overcoming barriers in physical spaces (parks, stadiums) and digital environments (video games), emphasizing SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 16 (Peace and Justice). Her work addresses recreation access challenges for marginalized groups, including low-income populations, people with disabilities, and BIPOC communities. Key projects include the "Colour in Green" urban tree-planting initiative with Edmonton's Open Spaces Directorate and partnerships with newcomer agencies like Action for Healthy Communities . She developed a spatial justice framework for recreation accessibility, influencing the "Greener As We Grow" initiative to plant two million trees. Josephine investigates connections between Indigenous leisure practices and climate resilience, advocating for non-Western approaches to environmental adaptation. Her research spans spatial justice, inclusive urban planning, and digital recreation equity, with a focus on community collaboration and policy reform. Her article trends show persistent exploration of spatial justice, environmental equity, and recreation access through geospatial methodologies, community-based research, and SDG-aligned policy analysis. Josephine's collaborations include the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association and Steadward Centre , advancing recreation access for vulnerable students. She is driven by personal immigrant experiences to transform leisure from a privilege to a universal right.

• Environmental Justice
• Geospatial Science
• Urban Planning
• +6 more

Alice Maurice is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at the University of Toronto, specializing in race and technology in early cinema, documentary studies, and American literature. Her work bridges film history, visual culture, and critical race theory. Research Focus: Racial representation in early U.S. cinema Technological evolution of cinematic language Documentary film production and analysis Intersections of literature, drama, and screen media Her recent publications examine facial representation in cinema ( Faces on Screen: New Approaches , 2022) and the persistence of racial tropes in modern media. Film productions she co-produced include the Academy Award-winning Defending Our Lives (1994) and the Peabody Award-winning A Healthy Baby Girl (1997). Scientific Awards: Peabody Award (Associate Producer, A Healthy Baby Girl, 1997) Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject (Associate Producer, Defending Our Lives, 1994) Her article analysis reveals recurring themes of racialized performance, technological mediation of identity, and the uncanny in documentary practice. These works engage with film theory, critical race studies, and interdisciplinary methodologies.

• Early Cinema Technology
• Race and Ethnicity in Film
• American Literature
• +6 more

Stéphane Roy is a Professor in Art & Architectural History at Carleton University, specializing in 18th-century French and British art with particular emphasis on print culture, visual propaganda, and transnational artistic exchanges. He holds an MA and Ph.D. from Université du Québec à Montréal, complemented by postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Toronto (2005) and Yale University (2008). His curatorial experience includes positions at the Yale Center for British Art (2005-2008) and the Portrait Gallery of Canada (2010), where he co-curated exhibitions like Art and Emancipation in Jamaica (2007) and The Four 'Indian Kings': War and Diplomacy in 1710 (2010). MA, Ph.D. - Université du Québec à Montréal Postdoctoral Fellowship - University of Toronto Postdoctoral Associateship - Yale University His research investigates European printmaking's role in cultural exchange, focusing on topics like 18th-century exhibition practices, mixed printmaking techniques as spectacle, and art marketing's role in public self-fashioning. Current projects include a database of print advertisements from 1770-1800 (funded by SSHRC 2011-2013) and two book manuscripts: a new survey of print trade during the French Revolution and Another Tale of Two Cities: Prints and Visual Culture in 18th-Century London and Paris , the latter taking a transnational perspective on print culture. Scientific Awards: SSHRC Grant (2011-2013) for 'Lasting Impressions: The Persistence of Ancien Régime Print Culture during the French Revolution' Roy's publications and exhibitions demonstrate his expertise in Enlightenment visual culture and its enduring impact. He supervises the department's practicum program, connecting students with museums and galleries in Ottawa, and utilizes Carleton's extensive 18th-century resources including the Art Gallery and MacOdrum Library archives.

• 18th-century French Art
• Print Culture
• European Art History
• +6 more

Fiorella Foscarini is a Professor at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Information, cross-appointed with the Department of History. She holds a PhD in Archival Studies from the University of British Columbia and has held academic roles including Assistant Professor at the University of Amsterdam (2014–2016) and Assistant/Associate Professor at the University of Toronto (2010–2024). Previously, she worked as a Senior Archivist at the European Central Bank (2000–2009) and Head of Records Management in Italy (1995–2000). Her research focuses on recordkeeping cultures, information culture, and archival studies, incorporating diplomatics and rhetorical genre studies. Key areas include organizational records, language/translation in archival terminology, and pandemic impacts on recordkeeping. She leads SSHRC-funded projects on meeting technologies and language translation in archiving. Teaching includes courses like INF2175H (Managing Organizational Records) and INF315H1 (Information Practice in Organizations). She currently supervises Amy Katz. Awards include the Hugh A. Taylor Prize (2015) and Emerald Literati Network Awards (2012, 2018). Grants include SSHRC projects on collaborative practices, trans-imperial archives, and trust in digital records. Research outputs span journals like Archival Science and Records Management Journal , with books such as Recordkeeping Cultures (2021).

• Archival Studies
• Information Culture
• Cultural Memory & Heritage
• +3 more

Ulf Schuetze is a Professor in the Germanic Studies department at the School of Linguistics, Languages and Cultures , University of Victoria, Canada. With over 25 years of experience across five universities in Europe, North America, and Oceania, his research focuses on technology-assisted language learning, the intersection of language and culture, and psycholinguistic mechanisms in second language acquisition. Education: PhD from the University of British Columbia Research Interests: Second Language Acquisition (SLA) with emphasis on memory retention and cognitive processing Integration of Virtual Reality (VR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in language pedagogy Psycholinguistic studies of vocabulary acquisition and spaced repetition techniques Development of intercultural communicative competence through digital platforms Publication Trends: His work spans VR/AI-driven language learning simulations, cognitive neuroscience applications in SLA, and intercultural analysis of lexical differences. Recent projects include AI chatbots for ESL practice in VR environments. Current Research: Collaborating with Dr. Haworth in the Graphics, Artificial Intelligence, Design and Games (GADG) Lab , he is developing AI conversational agents for immigrants to practice everyday ESL scenarios in immersive VR settings.

• Second Language Acquisition
• VR and AI Assisted Language Learning
• Psycholinguistics
• +2 more

Suprio Ray is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Computer Science at the University of New Brunswick, Canada, leading the Big Data Systems and Analytics Lab. He holds a PhD from the University of Toronto, an M.Sc. from the University of British Columbia, and a B.E. from NIT Trichy. Previously, he worked in industry roles at Oracle, Bell Labs, and Webtech Wireless, and completed a PhD internship at SAP. His research focuses on scalable data systems, spatial/spatio-temporal data management, and modern hardware utilization. Key projects include the Jackpine spatial database benchmark , DaskDB (a scalable data science system), and NUMA-aware query processing . He collaborates across disciplines with ECE and GGE departments, supported by grants from NBIF, NSERC, and industry partners. Research interests span Big Data systems, privacy/security in databases, blockchain analytics, and parallel/distributed computing. He has pioneered techniques like STILT multi-dimensional indexes , privacy-preserving spatial queries (Pystin) , and learned spatial indexes . Over 60 publications appear in top venues like SIGMOD, ICDE, and IEEE BigData. Education: PhD (Computer Science), University of Toronto (2015) M.Sc. (Computer Science), University of British Columbia (2003) B.E. (Computer Science & Engineering), NIT Trichy (2000) Teaching includes courses on big data systems (CS4545/6545), database foundations (CS6585), and data science (CS2545). He advises graduate students in scalable analytics and spatial systems, emphasizing industry-relevant software skills. Key awards include the 2024 ACM SIGSPATIAL best poster award , IBM Best Student Paper (2014) , and Harrison McCain Foundation award (2016) . His work has been recognized with 7 best paper awards and 3 patents. Current projects explore FPGA-accelerated joins , serverless data analytics , and privacy-preserving blockchain queries . Past contributions include the GEMM mobility model (2003) and foundational spatial benchmarks.

• Big Data Management
• Scalable Data Science
• Spatial and Spatio-Temporal Data Processing
• +5 more

Dr. Karen Blotnicky , a tenured Professor in the Department of Business and Tourism at Mount Saint Vincent University (Halifax), specializes in marketing and multidisciplinary research. With over 35 years of applied research experience and a former small business columnist for The Sunday Herald and CBC Radio One , she co-founded TMC The Marketing Clinic (1993–2017). Education : BA-Honours and MBA from Saint Mary’s University, Ph.D. from Northcentral University. Research Interests : Pandemic impacts on female entrepreneurs, workplace learning, health/wellness marketing, gender portrayal in advertising, pharmaceutical marketing ethics, and STEM education equity. Grants : WAGE Canada grant (2021–2024) for pandemic recovery research, multiple internal MSVU grants for studies on student experience, pharmaceutical ethics, and healthy eating behaviors. Publication Trends : Her recent work examines Indigenous women’s business funding access, student learning from extracurricular programs, and childhood memory impacts on health behaviors. Earlier studies analyze gender equity in hotel management, STEM career engagement, and advertising strategies. Scientific Awards : Best Paper in Track Award, American Society of Business and Behavioral Sciences (2023, 2022, 2018). Courses Taught : Principles of Marketing, Marketing Analytics, Integrated Marketing Communications, Tourism Research Methods, and Quantitative Methods in Nutrition Research.

• Marketing
• Business Education
• Workplace Learning
• +5 more

Daniel Smilek is a Professor at the University of Waterloo, leading the Vision and Attention Lab. His research focuses on understanding attentional engagement in real-world settings, including mind wandering, sustained attention, and media multitasking. He holds a BSc from McMaster University and advanced degrees (MA, PhD) from the University of Waterloo. His work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical applications, examining how attention shapes everyday experiences. Key research interests include: Mind wandering mechanisms and consequences Vigilance and sustained attention over time Flow states and peak engagement Impact of media multitasking on cognitive performance Attentional errors and recovery processes Funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), his lab investigates attentional dynamics using experimental and naturalistic methods. Notable contributions include defining intentional vs. unintentional mind wandering and exploring pandemic effects on learning. He received the 2007 Outstanding Performance Award for his scholarly contributions. Students interested in joining his lab can contact him via email or visit his office. His research spans educational psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and applied attention science, with over 150 peer-reviewed publications since 2000.

• Cognitive Psychology
• Attention Studies
• Educational Psychology
• +3 more