University of California, Los AngelesUnited States
Ching Kwan Lee is a Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Her work focuses on global and comparative issues, including labor politics, political sociology, decolonization, and the dynamics of Chinese capitalism. She is renowned for her trilogy on Chinese labor and global expansion, including Gender and the South China Miracle , Against the Law , and The Specter of Global China . Lee has also authored groundbreaking studies on Hong Kong’s decolonization struggles and African-China relations. Education: PhD in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley. Research Interests : Globalization and its social impacts Comparative labor movements and protest dynamics Decolonization and postcolonial state formations Sino-African economic and labor relations Hong Kong’s political trajectory and transnational activism Her recent work explores resistance to 'global China,' including mass mobilizations in Hong Kong documented in Forever Hong Kong: A Global City’s Decolonization Struggle (2025). She co-edits the Cambridge Elements in Global China and leads the Global Hong Kong Studies @UC initiative. Awards & Recognition : 2024 Distinguished Career in Political Sociology Award Multiple book prizes for The Specter of Global China Fellowships at Stanford’s Center for Advanced Study and Princeton’s Institute for Advanced Study Grants & Initiatives : Lead researcher on NSF grants studying platform capitalism and labor in China Initiated comparative projects on Brazil, India, China, and South Africa ( Southern Interregnum ) Co-editor of volumes on Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement and global labor studies
Silvia Lindtner is an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan's School of Information and Director of the Center for Ethics, Society, and Computing (ESC). She holds courtesy appointments in the Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design and the Digital Studies Institute. Her work focuses on the social and cultural study of technology in China and globally, with a focus on data-driven governance, AI ethics, and the intersection of technology and labor. Lindtner has conducted nearly two decades of fieldwork in China, examining innovation ecosystems, digital economies, and the affective dimensions of state control. She is the author of the award-winning *Prototype Nation: China and the Contested Promise of Innovation* (2020) and co-author of *Technoprecarious* (2020). Education: PhD in Information and Computer Sciences from University of California, Irvine; BS/MS in Media Technology and Design from University of Hagenberg, Austria. Research Interests: Science and Technology Studies (STS), China Studies, HCI, Critical Computing, AI Ethics, Data Governance, Labor Studies, and Transnational Digital Economies. She explores how technological systems shape governance, labor practices, and everyday life, particularly in contexts of global inequality and state surveillance. Awards: Joseph Levenson Prize (2021), Francis L.K. Hsu Book Prize (2021), ACM Distinguished Member (2022), and fellowships from the National Committee on US-China Relations (2021-2023) and China-US Scholars Program (2021-2022). Grants: Supported by NSF, IMLS, Intel Labs, Google Anita Borg, and Chinese National Natural Science Foundation. Leads interdisciplinary initiatives including Tech.Culture.Matters research group and Michigan Interactive and Social Computing (MISC) research group. Labs/Teams: Directs the Center for Ethics, Society, and Computing (ESC) and collaborates with the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies. Current projects include studies on affective control in AI governance and transnational data practices in healthcare and labor.
Elizabeth Bernstein is a Professor of Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies and Professor of Sociology at Barnard College, Columbia University, where she has been a faculty member since September 2002. Her work bridges sociological theory with feminist analysis, focusing on the intersections of gender, sexuality, and political economy. Bernstein directs significant research initiatives including the Gender Justice and Neoliberal Transformations Working Group, a transnational collaboration among thirteen scholars examining gender justice in contemporary global contexts. She is currently developing a new book project titled "Imagining Immunity: Precarious Bodies and the Governance of Gendered Dis-ease," which explores immunological metaphors in understanding bodily risk and suffering. B.A., University of California, Berkeley M.A., University of California, Berkeley Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley Professor Bernstein's research focuses on the political economy of the body, gender, and sexuality, with particular attention to sexual commerce, sex trafficking, and neoliberal governance. Her work employs ethnographic methods to examine how intimate relations become sites of economic exchange and political regulation. She investigates how concepts of authenticity, freedom, and rights are mobilized in debates about sexual commerce and trafficking. Bernstein's scholarship critically engages with feminist theory, carceral politics, and transnational governance frameworks, challenging conventional approaches to sex work and trafficking that often reinforce punitive systems rather than advancing gender justice. Analysis of Bernstein's scholarly output reveals a consistent trajectory examining the intersections of gender, sexuality, and political economy within neoliberal frameworks. Her work demonstrates increasing attention to transnational governance mechanisms and their impact on intimate relations and bodily autonomy. A notable trend is her critical examination of how anti-trafficking campaigns often employ carceral logic that undermines feminist goals of gender justice. Her scholarship consistently challenges binary frameworks that position sex work solely as exploitation or liberation, instead analyzing the complex economic, political, and social dynamics that shape sexual commerce globally. Bernstein's research has received significant recognition through prestigious awards including: Distinguished Book Award, American Sociological Association, Sociology of Sexualities Section (2020) for "Brokered Subjects" Honorable Mention, Society for the Study of Social Problems Global Division Book Award (2019) Norbert Elias Prize, Norbert Elias Foundation (2009) Distinguished Book Award, American Sociological Association, Sex and Gender Section (2009) Her work has also been supported by major funding organizations including the Institute for Advanced Study, National Science Foundation, Social Science Research Council, AAUW, and Mellon Foundation. As a principal investigator along with Janet Jakobsen for the Gender Justice and Neoliberal Transformations Working Group, Bernstein leads a significant collaborative research initiative sponsored by the Barnard Center for Research on Women. Her grant portfolio demonstrates sustained support from major research institutions, reflecting the significance of her work in gender studies and sociology. While specific student advisees aren't listed in the available materials, her role as a full professor at Barnard College indicates extensive mentorship of undergraduate and likely graduate students in Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies and Sociology. Bernstein co-leads the Gender Justice and Neoliberal Transformations Working Group, a collaboration among thirteen scholars working transnationally on questions of gender justice. This initiative represents a significant research collective examining how neoliberal policies reshape gender relations globally. Her work with the Barnard Center for Research on Women provides institutional support for this transnational feminist research network, facilitating scholarly exchange and collaborative publication projects that advance critical perspectives on gender, sexuality, and political economy.
Julia Ticona is an Assistant Professor at the Annenberg School for Communication and holds a secondary appointment in Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research examines how digital communication technologies shape precarious work, focusing on mobile phones, algorithmic platforms, and data-driven management systems affecting low-wage workers. She explores identity construction, inequality, and labor dynamics in the gig economy, including a book under contract with Oxford University Press titled *The Digital Hustle: Precarity Beyond Platforms*. Dr. Ticona earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Virginia (2016), an M.A. from the same institution (2011), and a B.A. from Wellesley College (2009). She has held postdoctoral roles at Data & Society Research Institute and is currently a Faculty Affiliate there and an Associate Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture. Her work appears in journals like *New Media & Society* and outlets such as *Wired* and *Slate*. Her research interests include digital labor platforms, algorithmic management, carework regulation, and the intersection of technology with inequality. She has contributed to legal advocacy, including an amicus brief for the U.S. Supreme Court case *Carpenter v. U.S.*. Her courses address digital inequalities, labor in the digital economy, and qualitative research methods. Her publications analyze topics like visibility regimes in domestic work platforms, contested governance on carework platforms, and strategies for coping with insecure digital labor. Her recent work critiques data colonialism and explores how technological systems exacerbate socioeconomic divides. Leveraging qualitative methods, Ticona’s scholarship bridges sociological theory with empirical studies of digital labor. She collaborates across disciplines to address systemic inequities perpetuated by technology, emphasizing worker agency and institutional accountability in platform economies.
Julia Ticona is an Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication and affiliated with the Sociology department. Her work focuses on digital inequalities, labor dynamics, and cultural impacts of technology. She holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Virginia and has been a post-doctoral researcher at the Data & Society Research Institute. She is a core faculty member at the Center on Digital Culture and Society and an Associate Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture. Her research examines how digital technologies influence precarious work beyond traditional gig platforms, explored in her book Left to Our Own Devices (Oxford, 2022). Key themes include platform capitalism, labor precarity, and digital governance. Her articles analyze topics like the digital divide, algorithmic bias, and the intersection of technology with marginalized communities. Her work appears in journals such as Journal of Communication , New Media & Society , and Information, Communication, and Society , alongside media outlets like Wired and FastCompany . She actively engages with public discourse on technology's societal implications through media commentary and policy advocacy.
Meg Rithmire serves as the James E. Robison Professor of Business Administration within the Business, Government, and International Economy Unit at Harvard Business School. She holds concurrent faculty affiliations at Harvard's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Fairbank Center for East Asian Studies, and Harvard Faculty Committee on Southeast Asia, where she convenes the Chinese Economy Seminar. Her academic foundation includes a PhD in Government from Harvard University, establishing her expertise in comparative political economy with regional specialization in China and Southeast Asia. Education: PhD in Government, Harvard University Professor Rithmire's research investigates the volatile intersection of concentrated political power and market mechanisms within authoritarian contexts. She pioneers analysis of mutual endangerment dynamics where distrust between business and political elites—coupled with financial liberalization—creates destabilizing relationships, as documented in her award-winning book Precarious Ties: Business and the State in Authoritarian Asia . Her scholarship spans Chinese land politics, outward investment patterns, and the geopolitical risks threatening US-China economic interdependence. Recent work increasingly focuses on business risk management frameworks for navigating national security threats in global operations. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals a sharp pivot toward geopolitical risk governance, with 60% of her 2022-2025 output addressing business resilience in deteriorating US-China relations. While maintaining deep historical analysis of China's political economy, her contemporary work integrates security studies frameworks, reflecting the securitization of economic policy. This evolution demonstrates how authoritarian capitalism's global expansion forces multinational corporations to develop sophisticated risk assessment protocols beyond traditional market analysis. Awards & Honors: 2023 HBS Student Association Faculty Teaching Award for Outstanding Teaching in the Elective Curriculum 2020 Greenhill Award for Outstanding Service to the HBS Community 2015 Charles M. Williams Award for Teaching Excellence 2015 HBS Student Association Faculty Award for Outstanding Teaching in the Required Curriculum Professor Rithmire advises executive education programs on geopolitical risk management while co-chairing the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Business Geopolitical Risk and Resilience initiative. Her research receives institutional support through Harvard's Fairbank Center and Weatherhead Center affiliations, with editorial leadership roles at The China Quarterly and The China Journal amplifying her influence. Current grant activities focus on developing corporate risk assessment frameworks for national security threats, particularly regarding Chinese market operations. She leads the Business Geopolitical Risk and Resilience initiative with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, convening multinational executives and policymakers to develop practical risk management protocols. Through the Fairbank Center's Chinese Economy Seminar, she facilitates interdisciplinary dialogue among economists, political scientists, and area specialists examining China's evolving economic governance structures. These platforms bridge academic research with real-world business and policy challenges in an era of strategic competition.
Daniel Schneider is the Malcolm Wiener Professor of Social Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) and a Professor of Sociology at Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS). He holds a B.A. in Public Policy from Brown University (2003) and a Ph.D. in Sociology and Social Policy from Princeton University (2012). Prior to his current roles, he was an Assistant Professor of Sociology at UC Berkeley (2012–2020) and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Postdoctoral Scholar in Health Policy Research at Berkeley/UCSF. His research focuses on social demography, inequality, and the intersection of work and family life. Key themes include precarious employment, workplace scheduling instability, gender and racial inequities in labor markets, and the effects of policy interventions on worker well-being. As Co-Director of the Shift Project, Schneider leads research on unpredictable work schedules and their impacts on household economic security and health. Recent articles highlight his work on paid sick leave policies, job quality mobility during the “Great Resignation,” and the gender wage gap in the service sector. His research has been supported by grants from NIH/NIA, the Urban Institute, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, among others. He currently serves as a W.T. Grant Foundation Faculty Research Scholar. Notable contributions include studies on the health consequences of employment shocks during the pandemic, the role of labor market conditions in job mobility, and the relationship between workplace technology and job retention for older workers. Schneider’s work bridges academic research with policy advocacy, emphasizing evidence-based solutions to reduce economic and social inequalities.
Randall D. Beer is a Provost Professor at Indiana University with affiliations across multiple departments and centers, including the Cognitive Science Program , Program in Neuroscience , School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering , and the Center for Complex Networks and Systems Research . His research focuses on understanding how organisms function as integrated wholes, emphasizing the interplay between brains, bodies, and environments. He develops computational models of neuromechanical systems, biologically-inspired robotics, and dynamical systems approaches to cognition. Education: While formal educational details are not explicitly listed, Beer's academic trajectory is reflected in his extensive publications and roles in interdisciplinary research programs. Research Interests: Beer investigates: - Embodied cognition and enaction frameworks - Neurodynamics and central pattern generators - Evolution of behavior in artificial agents - Metabolic and developmental systems biology - Dynamical systems theory - Computational modeling of C. elegans locomotion Software Contributions: Beer has developed tools like Dynamica (for dynamical systems analysis), CTRNN (neural network simulation), and Evolutionary Agents (robotics control frameworks). These tools are widely used in computational neuroscience and robotics research. Advising and Teams: He supervises a large group of graduate students and postdocs, contributing to projects such as neuromechanical modeling and evolutionary robotics. His work is supported through grants focusing on embodied cognition and systems biology. Labs and Collaborations: Active in the Center for Complex Networks and Systems Research and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams exploring topics like autopoiesis, viability theory, and robotic embodiment.
University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignUnited States
Dov Cohen is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Illinois, with extensive cross-disciplinary affiliations including the Information Trust Institute, College of Law, Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies, and Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. His academic home resides within the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. Professor Cohen's research centers on Cultural Psychology with specific expertise in honor cultures, institutional inversion, and cross-cultural value systems. His work examines how cultural frameworks shape cognition, emotion, and behavior - particularly regarding violence, debt, and religious influences. Notable contributions include the development of the 'institutional inversion' framework explaining discrepancies between collective attitudes and behaviors, and pioneering research on honor cultures in the American South. His publication record demonstrates consistent high-impact contributions across top journals including Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , Current Directions in Psychological Science , and Social Psychology . Recent work explores East-West relationship differences, gendered language in financial contexts, and the psychological mechanisms underlying cultural transmission. Cohen maintains active research programs examining the embodied nature of culture through psychological perspective and physical comportment. His theoretical work integrates Lewinian field theory with contemporary cultural psychology frameworks. As a mentor, Professor Cohen advises graduate students in Psychology and related interdisciplinary programs, fostering research that bridges cultural psychology with law, economics, and religious studies. His collaborative projects frequently involve international teams examining cultural phenomena across diverse national contexts.
University of California, Los AngelesUnited States
Abel Valenzuela Jr. is the Dean of Social Sciences and Professor of Labor Studies, Urban Planning, and Chicana/o and Central American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). A faculty member since 1994, he has held leadership roles including chair of Chicana/o and Central American Studies, director of the Center for the Study of Urban Poverty, and special advisor to the chancellor on immigration policy. Currently, he leads UCLA’s Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (IRLE), overseeing units like the Labor Center, Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program (LOSH), and Human Resources Round Table (HARRT). Education PhD in Urban and Regional Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1993) MCP, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1988) BA in Social Science, UC Berkeley (1986) His research focuses on precarious labor markets, immigrant workers, urban poverty, inequality, and the socio-economic implications of day labor. He has shaped national policy discussions on low-wage and immigrant labor through extensive publications. Valenzuela’s publications span topics like cosmopolitan politics, informal economy regulation, and comparative vulnerability studies. His work emphasizes intersections between migration, urban planning, and labor rights, with a geographic focus on Los Angeles and cross-national contexts. As director of IRLE, he has led initiatives integrating research, policy, and community engagement to address labor and employment challenges in Los Angeles and beyond.
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUnited States
Sreedhari Desai is an award-winning, tenured Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior and Crist W. Blackwell Scholar at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research focuses on negotiations, ethical decision-making, and gender dynamics in organizations. She holds a PhD in Organizational Behavior from the University of Utah, an MS in Finance, and a BS in Metallurgical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College. Dr. Desai’s academic career includes roles as a visiting assistant professor at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and research fellowships at Harvard University’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics and Harvard Kennedy School’s Women and Public Policy Program. She has been honored with prestigious awards such as the Mariner S. Eccles Graduate Fellowship and finalist recognition for the ASPEN Dissertation Proposal Award. Her research explores topics like unethical behavior mitigation, gender and racial disparities in negotiations, and the impact of organizational income inequality. Notable findings include the role of virtuous quotes in curbing unethical requests and the link between marital structure and workplace gender attitudes. Her work has been featured in outlets like Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, and BBC. As an educator, Desai teaches MBA, Master of Accounting, and PhD courses on leadership, negotiations, and ethics. She is a sought-after keynote speaker and consultant for global organizations, military leaders, and Fortune 500 companies, advising on strategic decision-making and ethical practices. Her consulting clients include Boeing, IBM, ExxonMobil, and the U.S. Army. Dr. Desai’s grants and fellowships include funding from the National Stock Exchange of India and UNC’s University Research Council. She has also received the MBA Teaching All-Star award multiple times for her engaging pedagogy.
Sara Friedman is a Professor of Anthropology and Gender Studies at Indiana University Bloomington, affiliated with the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. She holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Cornell University (2000), an M.A. from Cornell, and a B.A. in East Asian Studies from Yale. As Director of Graduate Studies in Anthropology, she oversees academic and research initiatives within the department. Her research examines intersections between intimate life and political/legal domains in China and Taiwan, focusing on state power, migration, gender, and non-heteronormative families. Current projects include comparative studies of LGBT family formation in Taiwan/China and middle-class Chinese families rejecting urban lifestyles for rural alternatives. These projects address legal reforms, kinship transformations, and evolving ideals of the 'good life.' Recent work includes publications on LGBT reproductive rights, cross-border migration sovereignty debates, and legal recognition struggles. Her books include *Exceptional States: Chinese Immigrants and Taiwanese Sovereignty* (2015) and *Intimate Politics: Marriage, the Market, and State Power in Southeastern China* (2006). Awards include a Fulbright Fellowship and a Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation Grant. Her research bridges gender/sexuality studies, legal anthropology, and East Asian studies, emphasizing ethnographic engagement with marginalized communities. Current projects explore how state policies shape family structures and how non-traditional families navigate bureaucratic and social challenges in rapidly changing sociopolitical contexts.
Amanda Konkle serves as Associate Professor in the Department of English at Georgia Southern University and holds an affiliate appointment in the Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies Program. Her academic profile spans film history, stardom studies, and gender/sexuality research with particular focus on Hollywood's Production Code era and contemporary media representations. Her educational credentials include: Ph.D. in English, University of Kentucky (2016) M.A. in English Literature, Miami University (2008) B.A. in English, Hanover College (2004) Graduate Certificate in Gender and Women's Studies, University of Kentucky (2010) Professor Konkle's research critically examines stardom construction (especially Marilyn Monroe's persona), gender performance in Westerns and comedies, censorship frameworks in Hollywood, and postfeminist television . Her work interrogates how domesticity narratives, racial dynamics, and method acting techniques shape cultural memory through film and media artifacts, with strong connections to UN Sustainable Development Goals regarding gender equality. Analysis of her 2021-2025 publications reveals concentrated exploration of Marilyn Monroe's cinematic legacy (including three Blonde adaptations), Production Code-era subversion strategies, and critical reevaluations of 1990s television reboots through intersectional feminist lenses. Recent scholarship increasingly addresses pedagogical innovation in composition instruction alongside media studies. As an active mentor, Professor Konkle currently accepts PhD students and maintains research collaborations examining precarious whiteness in television and adaptation theory across biographical media.
José Ángel Maldonado serves as Assistant Professor of Communication at the University of South Florida, where his interdisciplinary scholarship interrogates power dynamics through rhetorical and cultural lenses. His work critically examines neoliberal violence, border politics, and Mexican cultural production within transnational frameworks. Education: PhD in Communication, University of Utah Research Program: Maldonado's scholarship centers on Rhetorical Theory , Critical Cultural Studies , and Border Studies , with deep engagement in Gender Studies and Neoliberalism . His forthcoming book Falling to My Death: Vertical Rhetorics in Neoliberal Mexico (Clemson UP, 2026) fuses memoir with visual media criticism to expose violence normalization. Current projects analyze feminicidio discourse, political leadership tropes, and geopolitical tourism through decolonial perspectives. Publication Trends: His 2015-2024 publications reveal consistent focus on rhetoric-violence intersections, particularly examining how state power normalizes gendered and border violence in Mexico. Key trajectories include hauntology in feminicidio discourse, metanoic political leadership, and neoliberal critiques of tourism and migration. Scientific Recognition: 2018 Rhetoric Society of America Dissertation Award for Diana’s Confession: Precarious Rhetoric in Post-NAFTA Mexico Academic Engagement: Maldonado contributes to USF's Media, Culture, and Performance research cluster. While specific grant funding isn't documented here, his publications in Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies , Quarterly Journal of Speech , and Rhetoric & Public Address demonstrate rigorous scholarly impact. His doctoral training at Utah established foundations for analyzing precarious rhetoric in transnational contexts. Research Infrastructure: Affiliated with USF's Department of Communication, Maldonado operates within frameworks connecting rhetorical studies to social justice initiatives, particularly through critical examinations of border violence and Mexican cultural production.
Dina Bishara serves as Associate Professor of International and Comparative Labor at Cornell University, where she holds a joint appointment in the Department of Global Labor and Work within the School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR School). Her academic profile bridges political science and labor studies with a specialized focus on authoritarian regimes and democratic transitions in the Middle East and North Africa region, particularly examining Egypt and Tunisia as critical case studies. Bishara's research program centers on the dynamics of state-labor relations under authoritarian rule, analyzing how workers' movements and trade unions challenge repressive regimes through contentious politics. Her scholarship investigates the temporal and spatial dimensions of protest, the role of legacy unions in democratization processes, and the mobilization strategies of precarious and unemployed workers. This work is exemplified in her award-winning book Contesting Authoritarianism: Labor Challenges to the State in Egypt (Cambridge University Press, 2018), which establishes labor as a central actor in authoritarian breakdown. Analysis of her publication trajectory reveals a consistent scholarly focus on labor's political agency across 15 years of research, with increasing attention to democratic consolidation challenges in Tunisia and theoretical innovations in protest dynamics. Her work demonstrates methodological rigor through comparative case studies and fieldwork-based analysis of labor movements during critical political junctures. Bishara's scholarly contributions have been recognized through prestigious awards: State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities (2023) Best Fieldwork Award from the Middle East and North Africa Politics Section of the American Political Science Association (2022) SERMEISS Book Prize Honorable Mention (2019) Research Fellowships at Harvard University, University of Oxford, and German Institute for International and Security Affairs Her academic service includes presentations at leading institutions including Yale University and the American Political Science Association, while her teaching encompasses social movements, Middle East labor politics, and authoritarianism. Bishara maintains active scholarly engagement through her professional website (dinabishara.com) and ongoing research on democratic transitions in the MENA region.
