Chantal David is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Concordia University. Her research focuses on number theory and its intersections with mathematical statistics. Formal Affiliation: Concordia University, Department of Mathematics and Statistics Email: chantal.david@concordia.ca Office: Library Building, LB 927.09 Research Interests revolve around Number Theory , particularly: L-functions and their non-vanishing properties Elliptic curves over finite fields and function fields Statistics of group structures and root numbers Connections to random matrix theory and metaplectic functions Extremal primes and Frobenius distributions Drinfeld modules and supersingular reductions Article Trends show a focus on cubic and quartic L-functions, non-vanishing phenomena, and statistical properties of elliptic curves over finite fields. Recent work explores metaplectic theta functions, extreme value distributions, and one-level density analysis. Labs & Teams : She is affiliated with the Montreal Number Theory Group (CICMA) .
Elaine Francis is a Professor of English and Linguistics at Purdue University's College of Liberal Arts, where she serves as Associate Head of the Department of English and directs the Experimental Linguistics Lab. She holds additional affiliations as an Affiliate Faculty Member in the Department of Linguistics and a Courtesy Faculty Member in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. Ph.D. in Linguistics, University of Chicago (1999) B.A. in Linguistics, College of William and Mary (1993) MA in Linguistics, University of Chicago (1995) Former Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong (1999-2002) Professor Francis's research focuses on syntax and its interfaces with semantics, discourse information structure, and language processing in production and comprehension. She employs experimental methods to investigate syntactic, semantic, discourse-pragmatic, and cognitive factors underlying complex sentence structures. Her primary research areas include word order alternations, filler-gap dependencies, resumptive pronouns, and grammatical acceptability. She examines how various factors contribute to grammatical alternations in language use and explores how processing pressures in production and comprehension contribute to grammatical conventions. Her recent publication record shows consistent output across multiple linguistic subfields, with a strong emphasis on experimental syntax and psycholinguistics. Her 2022 book, Gradient Acceptability and Linguistic Theory , represents a significant contribution to understanding acceptability judgment tasks in relation to syntactic theory. Her work spans theoretical syntax, experimental linguistics, second language acquisition, and cross-linguistic comparison, often bridging the gap between theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence. Regularly teaches short courses at Linguistic Society of America Linguistic Institutes Member of Linguistic Society of America Ethics Committee Editorial board member of Glossa Psycholinguistics Co-editor of Polymorphous Linguistics: Jim McCawley's Legacy (2005) Co-editor of Mismatch: Form-Function Incongruity and the Architecture of Grammar (2003) Professor Francis actively supervises graduate students in linguistics, though she has indicated she will be unable to take on new graduate students for the 2025-2026 academic year. She has received research support for her experimental work, particularly for investigating syntactic phenomena through controlled experiments and corpus analysis. Her collaborative work extends across multiple institutions and disciplines, including collaborations with researchers in computational linguistics, cognitive science, and clinical linguistics. She directs the Experimental Linguistics Lab at Purdue University, which conducts research on syntactic processing using various experimental methodologies. The lab investigates how speakers produce and comprehend complex sentence structures, with particular attention to how grammatical knowledge interacts with processing constraints. Current projects include research on relative clauses, syntactic islands, and acceptability gradient phenomena across multiple languages.
Paulina Łęska-Bayraktar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English-Polish Comparative Linguistics at the Faculty of English, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, where she conducts research and teaches in formal syntax and comparative linguistics. Her academic foundation is deeply rooted in the same institution, reflecting a sustained commitment to linguistic scholarship in Poland. Her educational background includes: B.A. in English Linguistics, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (2012) M.A. in English Linguistics, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (2014) Ph.D. in English Linguistics, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (2019) Her research interests lie at the intersection of syntax, semantics, and cognitive grammar, with a strong focus on generative approaches to Slavic languages—particularly Polish. She investigates complex syntactic phenomena such as binding theory, pronoun distribution, quantifier scope, agreement, and the structure of relative and nominal clauses. Her work combines formal theoretical analysis with empirical data, often drawing on acceptability judgments and psycholinguistic methodologies. The trends in her recent publications reveal a sustained engagement with the syntax of Polish, especially in non-canonical constructions involving dative arguments, experiencers, and pronominal clusters. Her work contributes significantly to the understanding of how universal syntactic principles manifest in Slavic morphosyntax, and she frequently collaborates with leading scholars like Prof. Jacek Witkoś. She has received research funding from the Polish National Science Center through multiple grants, including OPUS, Beethoven, and Miniatura projects, which have supported her investigations into nominal expressions, pronouns, and anaphora in Polish. These grants underscore the national recognition of her research contributions. Paulina Łęska-Bayraktar actively participates in the international linguistics community, presenting her work at major conferences such as Formal Approaches to Slavic Linguistics (FASL), Formal Description of Slavic Languages (FDSL), and the Poznań Linguistic Meeting. She is also involved in collaborative research teams and has co-authored works with scholars from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and other institutions. Her academic presence is further strengthened by her profiles on ORCID and ResearchGate.
Professor Bernd Möbius is a leading academic in Phonetics and Phonology at the Department of Language Science and Technology, Saarland University. His research bridges phonetic theory with speech technology applications, focusing on text-to-speech systems, prosody modeling, and computational simulations of speech processes. Current research projects: DFG SFB 1102, C1: Information density and phonetic structure predictability DFG SFB 1102, C4: Slavic intercomprehension and surprisal theory (INCOMSLAV) Research Themes: Key areas include text-to-speech synthesis, speech prosody analysis, experimental methods in speech production/perception, information density in phonetics, and cross-linguistic studies of Slavic-Germanic languages. Scientific Contributions: Recent work explores Parkinson-induced dysarthria detection, breath noise acoustics, surprisal-driven speech behaviors, multilingual BERT models for idiomaticity, and perceptual consequences of acoustic adjustments.
Maja J Matarić is the Chan Soon-Shiong Chaired and Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering, with courtesy appointments in Neuroscience and Pediatrics. She serves as founding director of the USC Robotics and Autonomous Systems Center, co-director of the USC Robotics Research Lab, and Principal Scientist at Google DeepMind. Previously, she held leadership roles as USC's interim Vice President of Research (2020-2021) and Vice Dean for Research (2006-2019). Her educational background includes: PhD in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence from MIT (1994) MS in Computer Science from MIT (1990) BS in Computer Science from University of Kansas (1987) Matarić pioneers Socially Assistive Robotics (SAR) , a field her lab named, focusing on human-robot interaction that provides assistance through social rather than physical support. Her research targets critical health and wellness challenges including post-stroke rehabilitation, autism spectrum disorder therapy, cognitive exercises for Alzheimer's patients, ADHD academic support, and mental health interventions. She develops systems modeling user engagement, personality, and motivation, with extensive real-world deployments in schools, rehabilitation centers, and homes. Analysis of her recent publications reveals dominant themes in cognitive health robotics (2025 CHI paper on LLM-powered elder care), pediatric assistive technology (2025 IDC speech therapy review), and adaptive preference modeling (2025 HRI contrastive learning work). Her research consistently bridges machine learning with human-centered design for vulnerable populations. Major scientific recognition includes: ACM Athena Lecturer Award (2024) ACM Eugene L. Lawler Humanitarian Award (2024) ACM Fellow (2020) Presidential Mentoring Award (2011) Multiple society fellowships (AAAS, IEEE, AAAI) As a dedicated mentor, Matarić has championed underrepresented groups through CRA-W, placing numerous women in faculty positions. She leads USC Viterbi's K-12 STEM Outreach Program serving low-income Los Angeles schools and authored The Robotics Prime for student education. Her research has secured significant funding enabling real-world technology transfer, with documented impact in rehabilitation centers and homes through deployable SAR systems. Her Robotics Research Lab at USC drives innovation in embodied AI, with current projects spanning LLM-integrated elder care robots, ADHD academic companions, and autism therapy systems. The lab emphasizes co-design with end-users and rigorous real-world validation across diverse populations.
Meredith Tamminga is an Associate Professor of Linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania, where she directs the Language Variation and Cognition Lab . Her work bridges sociolinguistics , psycholinguistics , and theoretical linguistics , focusing on how linguistic variability is represented in mental grammar and how social context influences speech perception and production. She co-leads the Philadelphia Signs Project , exploring sign language sociolinguistics with collaborators at Penn and Gallaudet University. PhD in Linguistics (2014), University of Pennsylvania BA in Linguistics (2009), McGill University Her research integrates experimental methods with naturalistic speech analysis to study individual and group-level language change. Keywords include phonetics-phonology mapping , intraspeaker variation , and quantitative modeling . Notable grants include NSF awards and SAS Dean’s Mentorship Award . Key affiliations include MindCORE , Penn’s hub for integrative mind sciences, and collaborative ties to the Phonetics Lab , Child Language Lab , and Cultural Evolution of Language Lab . Her lab emphasizes cross-departmental research and welcomes undergraduate RAs and PhD students.
Sandro Carrara is a Full Professor at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), where he leads the Bio/CMOS Interfaces (BCI) laboratory. He is affiliated with the School of Engineering (STI), the Institute of Electrical Engineering (SCI-STI-SC), and the Integrated Systems Laboratory (LSI). His academic leadership spans teaching, doctoral supervision, and editorial roles in major journals including IEEE Sensors Journal and BioNanoScience. Education: Diploma in Electronics, National Technical Institute of Albenga, Italy Master in Physics, University of Genoa, Italy PhD in Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Padua, Italy His research focuses on the integration of biological systems with CMOS technology, particularly in the development of nanoscale biosensors for health monitoring. Key areas include memristive biosensors, wearable and implantable sensors, electrochemical detection, and therapeutic drug monitoring. His work bridges electronics, nanotechnology, and biomedicine to enable point-of-care diagnostics and personalized medicine. His recent publications (2023–2025) show a strong trend toward sustainable printed electronics, machine learning for biosensing, in-memory computing for cancer diagnostics, and remote health monitoring. These works appear in high-impact journals such as IEEE Sensors Journal , Nanoscale , and Biosensors and Bioelectronics: X . Scientific Awards: IEEE Fellow (2015) IEEE Sensors Council Technical Achievement Award (2016) Distinguished Lecturer, IEEE Sensors Council (2017) Best Paper Award, IEEE MeMeA Symposium (2020) Multiple Gold and Bronze Leaf Prizes at PRIME and IEEE conferences Best Poster Awards at EMBEC and Nano-Tera meetings He actively advises PhD students and leads research projects involving CMOS-based biosensors, wireless implants, and smart sensor systems. His lab collaborates widely across disciplines and institutions, focusing on real-world applications in oncology, neurology, and environmental health. He has also contributed to the development of battery-free wearable devices, optical power transfer systems, and IoT-enabled telemedicine platforms. Laboratories and Teams: Bio/CMOS Interfaces (BCI) Laboratory, EPFL Integrated Systems Laboratory (LSI), EPFL Collaborations with IEEE Sensors Council and Circuits and Systems Society Editorial leadership in IEEE Sensors Journal and BioNanoScience
Emma Trentman is an Associate Professor of Arabic at the University of New Mexico (UNM) and Director of the Language Learning Center. Her research focuses on Applied Linguistics, particularly on language learning during study abroad programs, virtual exchange, and the impact of language ideologies on multilingual approaches. Research Interests: Multilingualism, Language Ideologies, Study Abroad Programs, Intercultural Communication, Arabic Language Education, and Curriculum Development. Key Publications: Co-editor of Language Learning in Study Abroad: The Multilingual Turn (2021), with works featured in The Modern Language Journal , Foreign Language Annals , and Critical Multilingualism Studies . Teaching: Offers Arabic language courses and the Languages Capstone class, integrating critical perspectives into language pedagogy. Editorial Work: Co-editor for Critical Multilingualism Studies Journal , advocating for plurilingual practices in education. Publications: Explores topics such as translanguaging, sociolinguistic competence, and decolonizing language learning frameworks across diverse contexts (Egypt, Tanzania, China). Advocacy: Engages in critical discussions on equity, identity, and sociocultural dimensions in language education.
Sug Woo Shin is a Professor of Mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley ( Math Genealogy , MathSciNet Profile ). His research focuses on Number Theory and Automorphic Forms, with significant contributions to the Langlands Program, Shimura varieties, and cohomology of arithmetic spaces. Editorial roles: Astérisque , Manuscripta Mathematica , Journal of the Korean Mathematical Society Recent research explores cohomological properties of locally symmetric spaces, tempered A-packets for classical groups, and modularity of symplectic Galois representations Collaborators include Ana Caraiani, Mark Kisin, Arno Kret, and Peter Scholze He has supervised PhD theses on topics like affine Deligne-Lusztig varieties, specialization maps in Scholze's category of diamonds, and statistical properties of automorphic representations. Teaching includes graduate courses on Number Theory (254A/254B), undergraduate Linear Algebra (110), and Calculus (1A), as well as seminars on global Langlands reciprocity and p-adic cohomology theories. Co-organized conferences include the BIRS workshop on Langlands programs (2025), PRIMA algebraic number theory sessions (2022), and KAST Symposium on automorphic forms (2021). His work appears in journals like Annals of Mathematics, Duke Mathematical Journal, and Compositio Mathematica.
Andrés Buxó-Lugo serves as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University at Buffalo, where he directs the Language Processing and Computation Lab. His research investigates the cognitive mechanisms underlying language production, comprehension, and acquisition with a specialized focus on speech prosody—the rhythm, intonation, and intensity patterns in speech—and their role in human communication. His primary research interests include psycholinguistics, cognitive psychology, speech prosody, language production, language comprehension, language acquisition, and computational linguistics. He examines how listeners integrate diverse linguistic cues during speech processing, how individuals learn unfamiliar constructions like non-native pronunciations or novel prosodic patterns, and the cognitive basis of durational changes in speech. His work also explores how communicative context shapes prosodic production and how higher-level linguistic information aids prosodic structure parsing. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2019-2025) reveals consistent interdisciplinary work bridging cognitive science, linguistics, and computational modeling. Key trends include phonological representation studies, speech planning mechanisms, intonation adaptation across talkers, lexical representation structures, and the integration of input expectations in syntactic parsing. His research demonstrates significant methodological diversity, incorporating experimental paradigms, computational modeling, and acoustic analysis to unravel language processing complexities. As director of the Language Processing and Computation Lab at the University at Buffalo, Buxó-Lugo leads research initiatives focused on developing computational models of language processing while investigating the cognitive foundations of speech and prosody through empirical experimentation and theoretical innovation.
Ning Zhang is an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at James Madison University (JMU), joining in 2024. Her research focuses on enhancing crop resilience through molecular and biochemical studies of plant defense mechanisms against bacterial pathogens, alongside developing genome editing technologies for trait improvement. She holds a PhD in Horticulture and Crop Science from The Ohio State University (2016), an MS in Silviculture from Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University (2011), and a BS in Landscape Architecture from Shandong Agricultural University (2008). Research Interests: Dr. Zhang's lab investigates plant immunity pathways, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing applications, and engineering crops for disease resistance. Her work integrates molecular biology, genetics, and biochemistry to tackle challenges posed by climate change and biotic/abiotic stresses. Recent Trends in Publications: Her articles concentrate on MAPK signaling pathways, NLR protein interactions, PP2C phosphatase regulation, and bacterial effector mechanisms in tomato and other crops. Key themes include immune system activation, pathogen recognition diversity, and transgenic plant development. Lab Information: The Zhang Lab at JMU is part of the Department of Biology, focusing on plant biotechnology solutions for agricultural sustainability. They collaborate on projects involving CRISPR-based gene editing and stress tolerance research.
James Maynard is a Professor of Number Theory at the University of Oxford , holding a Title IV Professorship equivalent to a UK chair or US full professor. He has held prestigious positions including Membership at the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton, 2017), Research Membership at MSRI (Berkeley, 2017), and a Clay Research Fellowship (2015-2018). His research focuses on analytic number theory , particularly prime numbers and sieve methods , with groundbreaking work on prime gaps and Diophantine approximation. EDUCATION DPhil in Mathematics (2009-2013), Balliol College, Oxford Part III Mathematics (2008-2009), Queens’ College, Cambridge BA Mathematics (2005-2008), Queens’ College, Cambridge Maynard’s research explores the structure of prime numbers, including prime distribution , digital properties of primes , and norm form representations . His work has revolutionized understanding of bounded prime gaps and extremal prime spacing using advanced sieve techniques and probabilistic methods. Maynard’s publications (15 most recent) span analytic number theory , prime distribution , and Diophantine approximation . Key subfields include Bounded Gaps Between Primes , Digital Restrictions in Primes , Probabilistic Methods in Number Theory , and Algorithmic Sieve Optimization . Scientific Awards Fields Medal (2022) Cole Prize in Number Theory (2020) ERC Starting Grant (€1.5m, 2020-2025) Compositio Prize (2019) Wolfson Merit Award (2017) EMS Prize (2016) Erdős $10,000 Problem Prize (2016) Clay Research Fellowship (2015-2018) Whitehead Prize (2015) Ramanujan Prize (2014) Maynard has advised no explicitly named students but collaborates extensively in number theory. His grants include the ERC Starting Grant (2020-2025) and Wolfson Merit Award (2018-2023) . He has contributed to collaborative projects like the Polymath group and served as a Summer Consultant at GCHQ/Heilbronn Institute (2008-2012).
Caterina Consani is a Professor of Mathematics at Johns Hopkins University's Krieger School of Arts & Sciences. She holds a PhD from the University of Chicago (1996) and a Dottore di Ricerca in Matematica from the Universities of Genoa and Turin (1993). Her research focuses on arithmetic geometry, non-commutative geometry, and the development of absolute geometry over the 'absolute point.' She has contributed to foundational work on the BC-system, the Arithmetic Site, and the Scaling Site, linking number theory with geometric frameworks. Education: PhD in Mathematics, University of Chicago (1996); Dottore di Ricerca in Matematica, Universities of Genoa & Turin (1993). Prior to Johns Hopkins, she taught at MIT (1996–1999) and the University of Toronto (1999–2005). Research Interests: Arithmetic geometry, non-commutative geometry, absolute geometry in characteristic one, connections to number theory and the Riemann Hypothesis. Collaborations include work with Alain Connes on adele class spaces and non-commutative algebraic geometry. Awards: Fellow of the American Mathematical Society (2024); 2025 Best Paper AOFA Award (Annals of Functional Analysis). Editorial roles include the Journal of Number Theory and Journal of Noncommutative Geometry. Teaching: Offers advanced courses in algebraic geometry and number theory, including topics like étale cohomology and the yoga of weights in 'Weil II.' Grants: Supported by the Simons Foundation. Organized major conferences such as the JAMI Conference on Riemann-Roch in Characteristic One (2019).
Carlos G. Levi is a Research Professor in the Department of Materials at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), part of the College of Engineering. He holds the additional title of Professor Emeritus. His research focuses on microstructure evolution in inorganic materials, particularly in the design of advanced coatings, composites, and alloys for extreme environments. He has contributed significantly to thermal barrier coatings, ceramic matrix composites, and high-temperature alloys for aerospace and energy applications. Education: Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1981) M.Sc. in Metallurgical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1977) Degree in Chemical Engineering, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Mexico (1972) Research Interests: Levi’s work addresses challenges in structural materials, including advanced thermal/environmental barrier coatings resistant to molten silicates, ceramic matrix composites, hypersonic materials, and high-temperature alloys such as multi-principal element alloys. His studies explore degradation mechanisms, phase stability under extreme conditions, and novel synthesis techniques like vapor-mediated melt infiltration. Awards and Honors: 2014 TMS Morris Cohen Award 2012 Fellow of the American Ceramic Society 2008 NIMS Award (shared) for breakthroughs in materials science for energy/environment 2004 DLR Wissenschaftspreis (collaborative paper) 2002 Alexander von Humboldt Research Prize Advising and Grants: No formal student advisees are listed, though his research group likely includes graduate students/postdocs. Grant details are not specified in the provided texts. Labs/Teams: Levi’s research is conducted within UCSB’s Materials Department, leveraging advanced characterization tools (e.g., TriBeam tomography) and computational modeling to study material behavior under extreme conditions.
Babak Falsafi is a Full Professor at the School of Computer and Communication Sciences (IC) at EPFL, leading the Parallel Systems Architecture Laboratory (PARSA). He is a renowned expert in computer architecture, datacenter systems, and cloud-native server design. His research focuses on post-Moore era computing, emphasizing heterogeneous architectures, energy efficiency, and scalable IT infrastructure. Falsafi is the founder of EcoCloud, an EC-sponsored industrial-academic consortium investigating sustainable information technology. He holds ACM and IEEE fellowships, a Sloan Research Fellowship, and has contributed to major projects like Optimus Prime (data transformation acceleration), AstriFlash (flash-based online service systems), and Midgard (virtual memory re-design). His work spans hardware-software co-design, memory systems, and security. Falsafi advises numerous PhD students and collaborates with industry partners such as Google and Cavium. Key achievements include pioneering scalable multiprocessor architectures, snoop filters in IBM BlueGene, and spatial memory streaming in ARM cores. His lab develops open-source tools like QFlex for server simulation. He frequently presents at top conferences (HPCA, ISCA, MICRO) and chairs workshops on post-Moore infrastructure. Teaching roles include leading courses in computer architecture and parallel systems across multiple EPFL departments (SIN, EDIC, SSC, SMA). His work addresses datacenter challenges like the 'data tax' and mitigating latency through specialized accelerators.
