Find Academic Supervisors

• Haptic interfaces
• Tangible user interfaces
• Shape-changing displays
• +4 more

Sean Follmer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University's School of Engineering. He leads a research group focused on human-computer interaction with particular emphasis on haptic interfaces, shape-changing displays, and accessibility technologies. His work bridges mechanical engineering principles with interactive systems design to create novel physical interfaces. Follmer completed his PhD at MIT Media Lab in 2015, where he worked on shape displays and tangible interfaces. His doctoral research laid the foundation for his ongoing work in dynamic physical interfaces that can change form to provide rich haptic feedback and tangible interaction. His research interests span several interconnected areas: haptic interfaces that provide touch-based feedback in virtual environments; shape-changing displays that dynamically alter their physical form; tangible user interfaces that leverage physical objects for digital interaction; and accessibility technologies, particularly for blind and visually impaired users. Recent work has increasingly focused on making data visualization and educational tools accessible through multimodal and tactile interfaces. His approach often combines mechanical design, control systems, and user-centered design to create systems that extend human perception and interaction capabilities. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong trend toward accessibility applications, particularly in education for blind and low-vision users, while maintaining technical depth in haptics and physical interface design. His work on electroadhesion, swarm robotics for haptic feedback, and non-visual interaction techniques demonstrates both theoretical rigor and practical application. The interdisciplinary nature of his research bridges mechanical engineering, computer science, and design. As a mentor, Follmer has supervised numerous students who have gone on to publish as first authors in top HCI venues. His lab appears to foster collaborative work, with many publications involving multiple students and cross-institutional collaborations. While specific grant information isn't visible in the publication record, the volume and diversity of projects suggest substantial research funding from multiple sources. Follmer's lab focuses on physical computing and interactive systems, with particular expertise in actuation mechanisms for shape displays, haptic feedback systems, and accessibility technologies. The research group appears to maintain strong connections with both the mechanical engineering and computer science communities, participating in conferences across these domains. Recent work suggests growing interest in the ethical implications of sensory substitution technologies and the social dimensions of interactive systems.

Micael JonssonView profile

Associate Professor

• Ecosystem Ecology
• Biodiversity Conservation
• Environmental Impact Assessment
• +3 more

Micael Jonsson is an Associate Professor at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Sweden. His research focuses on understanding how environmental changes and human activities influence species composition in ecological communities, and the subsequent impacts on ecosystem functioning and services. His work spans aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, including boreal forests, streams, and riparian zones. Research interests include biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships, pharmaceutical contaminant effects on aquatic organisms, and the role of species interactions in maintaining ecosystem resilience. He employs innovative methods like UAV-based monitoring and deep learning to study ant mound distributions and ecological impacts. Key areas of investigation include decomposition processes, contaminant transfer via insects, and the behavioral effects of pharmaceuticals on fish. His studies often integrate field experiments with controlled laboratory trials to assess ecological and physiological responses. He collaborates on large-scale projects such as the FreshLanDiv database and RIPARIANET initiative to prioritize ecologically critical riparian zones. Publications highlight advancements in understanding PFAS contamination, bubble barrier technology for fish guidance, and the interplay between forest management and ecosystem services. His work contributes to sustainable resource management strategies and conservation practices in boreal and subarctic ecosystems.

• Artificial Intelligence
• Optimization Algorithms
• Software Engineering
• +3 more

Antonio Moratilla Ocaña is a Professor at the Department of Computer Science (Ciencias de la Computación) at Universidad de Alcalá. He is affiliated with the AUDITAI research group focused on Research, Development and Analysis of Complex and AI Software. His doctoral thesis (2017) explored 'Intelligent Management of Road Distribution of Hydrocarbons'. Education: PhD in Computer Science from Universidad de Alcalá (2017), supervised by Dr. Eugenio José Fernández Vicente. Research Interests: His work bridges AI and optimization techniques with real-world applications. Key areas include: Genetic Algorithms for logistics optimization (e.g., VRP problems) AI-driven narrative text generation from data Integration of multimedia and ERP systems IT governance frameworks (ITIL, COBIT, EFQM) Application of machine learning in tourism and healthcare sectors Publications Trends: His work spans 25 years (1996-2018), with recent emphasis on AI applications in logistics, healthcare informatics, and software engineering. Early work focused on tourism information systems and XML-based educational tools. Advising & Grants: No specific grants or student advisees listed, though his research group likely engages in collaborative projects. His thesis supervision record is not detailed here. Labs/Teams: Active member of the AUDITAI group, dedicated to advanced software development for AI applications.

Thomas MehnerView profile

Researcher

• Fish Ecology
• Limnology
• Evolutionary Ecology
• +6 more

Dr. Thomas Mehner is a Senior Researcher and Working Group Leader at the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) in Berlin, where he leads the Research Group for Food Web Ecology and Fish Communities. He previously served as Vice-Director of IGB (2020-2024) and Deputy Director (2016-2019). Since 2012, he has held the position of Private Docent (PD) for Fish Ecology at Humboldt University zu Berlin, formally establishing his academic faculty status. His research expertise spans fish ecology and limnology, evolutionary ecology and population genetics, and behavioral ecology. His work focuses on freshwater ecosystems, particularly fish community structure, pond ecology, and the impacts of environmental changes on aquatic biodiversity. He is actively involved in multiple significant research projects including FishDistribution (modeling fish distributions under climate change), ODER~SO (investigating the Oder River environmental disaster), and PONDERFUL (as project lead, developing methods for maximizing the use of ponds in climate change adaptation). Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on freshwater biodiversity conservation, particularly regarding pond ecosystems and their role in supporting amphibian and fish species. His work increasingly addresses climate change impacts on freshwater systems, nature-based solutions for water management, and the integration of ecological research with policy implementation across European contexts. His research combines field studies with modeling approaches to understand complex ecological relationships in freshwater environments. Mehner has been actively publishing since the 1990s, with recent work appearing in high-impact journals including Hydrobiologia, Ecology of Freshwater Fish, and Biodiversity and Conservation. His collaborative approach is evident in the extensive international co-authorship networks across his publications. His career progression shows consistent advancement in research leadership, beginning with PhD studies at Rostock University (1989-1992), followed by postdoctoral positions at University of Technology Dresden and Innsbruck University, then joining IGB in 1997 as Deputy Head of Department where he has remained throughout his career.

• Data Science
• Machine Learning
• Natural Language Processing
• +7 more

Luca Cagliero is an Associate Professor (L.240) at the Department of Control and Computer Science (DAUIN) at Politecnico di Torino . He serves as Coordinator of the Interdepartmental Center SmartData@PoliTO - Big Data and Data Science Laboratory and Scientific Advisor for the Partnership Agreement with TIERRA. His research spans Data Science , Machine Learning , and Natural Language Processing , with a focus on Financial Data Mining , Generalized Pattern Mining , and Legal AI . Scientific Branch: IINF-05/A - Information Processing Systems (Area 0009 - Industrial and Information Engineering) ERC Sectors: PE6_7 (Artificial Intelligence), PE6_9 (Human Computer Interaction), PE6_11 (Machine Learning), PE6_10 (Web and Information Systems) His scientific awards include the GiovedìScienza Award (2013), Working Capital PNI (2011), and Optime. Recognition of Merit in the Study (2008). He is a Fellow of ACM (2010-) and Effective Member of IEEE (2010-). As an Associate Editor for journals like Expert Systems with Applications and Machine Learning with Applications , he contributes to academic publishing. His conference roles include Program Committee memberships at ACM SIGMOD 2023, IEEE ICDM 2021, and ACM CIKM 2018. Luca supervises PhD students in areas such as AI-driven Cybersecurity , Conversational AI , and Neural Explainers , including Aurora Gensale, Giuseppe Gallipoli, and Irene Benedetto. His commercial research contracts involve projects like AI for Trend Analysis (Intesa Sanpaolo), Predictive Maintenance , and Legal Document Processing . Key research trends include Retrieval Augmented Generation for visually-rich documents, Bias Mitigation in speech models, and Shapley Value Estimation for model explainability. His work bridges Natural Language Processing with Cybersecurity in automotive systems.

• Project Management Education
• Educational Technology
• Curriculum Development
• +3 more

Professor Fiona Saunders is a Professor of Project Management Education and Director of the Centre for Learning Enhancement and Educational Development (LEED) at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). She leads LEED's efforts to integrate pedagogic scholarship, innovation, and digital education into curriculum development and educational policy. Previously, she served as Faculty Director of Education in MMU's Faculty of Science and Engineering, overseeing teaching strategies, student experience, and graduate outcomes from 2017–2022. Her academic background includes a PhD in Project Management (2016, University of Manchester), an MBA with Distinction (1999, Lancaster University), and a BSc in Applied Physics and Electronics (1991, University of Durham). She is a Principal Fellow of AdvanceHE and Chartered Engineer. Her research focuses on educational technology, curriculum design, project management in safety-critical industries (e.g., nuclear energy), and decolonizing curricula. Notable outputs include books on project finance and peer-reviewed articles on video-based teaching, nuclear project management, and high-reliability practices. Recent work addresses curriculum decolonization and integrating Ubuntu philosophy into engineering education. Prof Saunders has extensive industry experience, including project management roles at PA Consulting and the Autobar Group before transitioning to academia. She advises on educational policy, chairs international conferences, and maintains a professional blog with global reach (www.fionasaunders.co.uk).

• Information Systems
• Technology in Education
• Web Development
• +4 more

Samer Hijazi is a Professor at Texas Lutheran University (TLU) specializing in integrating technology into education. His work focuses on web development, database systems, and innovative teaching methodologies. He holds a D.B.A. in Information Systems from the University of Sarasota, an M.A. in Economics from Morgan State University, a B.S. in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics from Towson State University, and an A.A. in Computer Science from Montgomery College. Research & Collaboration His research emphasizes practical applications of technology in education, including: Web technologies interfacing with relational databases AJAX-based rich user interfaces Portable learning environments via USB drives Knowledge management systems with business intelligence components Presentations & Publications Key contributions include: ACET Conference 2013 presentations on WAMP server utilization and Syrian student virtual learning communities ASCUE presentation on portable web programming tools Development of Camtasia-based instructional videos Awards & Leadership Recipient of the 2001 Servant Leader of the Year award. Served as President-elect of the Association of Computer Educators in Texas (ACET). Advocates for technology-enhanced education through campaigns like the Seguin Respect Initiative. Teaching Innovations Pioneered using jump drives for teaching web programming via XAMPP Lite, enabling offline development environments. Developed methodologies to teach object-oriented concepts through JavaScript. Focused on making technology accessible in resource-constrained settings.

• Orthopedics
• Immunology
• Platelet Rich Plasma
• +4 more

Tomasz Mariusz Bielecki is a Teaching Professor at the Clinical Department of Orthopedics within the Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze at the Medical University of Silesia. He was appointed to the rank of Professor in 2018 and obtained his doctorate in 2005, maintaining active clinical and research roles at Wojewódzki Szpital Specjalistyczny Nr 5 im. św. Barbary in Sosnowiec. His educational background includes: Doctorate (2005) Professor Bielecki's research spans orthopedics with deep integration of immunological and biotechnological methodologies. His primary interests include Platelet Rich Plasma applications for tissue regeneration, immunological profiling of leukocytes via flow cytometry, hip arthroplasty outcomes through long-term follow-up studies, and tissue scaffold development using both human and swine models. His work bridges clinical orthopedics with laboratory investigations in microbiology and anti-bacterial strategies, emphasizing translational approaches to improve implant integration and healing processes. With 142 publications, his scholarly output demonstrates consistent focus on orthopedic innovation, particularly in regenerative medicine and comparative orthopedic studies. His research trends reveal strong emphasis on biological augmentation techniques, with platelet-rich plasma and tissue engineering constituting approximately 60% of his recent work, while immunological monitoring and microbiological safety account for 30%, and biomechanical studies of hip replacements comprising the remainder. He has received 2 scientific achievements recognized within the Polish academic system, though specific award names are not documented. His research impact is quantified by an h-index of 16 (Scopus) and 10 (Web of Science), alongside a substantial MEiN score of 1,126 reflecting national research evaluation metrics. Professor Bielecki has promoted 5 doctoral theses, indicating active mentorship in orthopedic research. His work is supported by institutional grants enabling comparative studies between human clinical data and swine models, with recent funding focusing on scaffold-based tissue regeneration and infection prevention in joint replacements. Based at the Clinical Department of Orthopedics, he operates within a multidisciplinary team integrating clinical surgeons, immunologists, and biotechnologists. His laboratory environment emphasizes translational research where surgical innovations are rapidly tested using flow cytometry and microbiological assays before clinical implementation.

Zac FreedmanView profile

Assistant Professor

• Environmental Microbial Ecology
• Biogeochemistry
• Soil Microbiology
• +7 more

Zac Freedman is an Assistant Professor and the O.N. Allen Professor of Soil Microbiology in the Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. He leads an active research lab focused on environmental microbial ecology, biogeochemistry, and sustainability. His work bridges fundamental microbial processes with applied environmental challenges such as climate change, land degradation, and sustainable agriculture. His research interests include: Environmental microbial ecology and community dynamics Soil carbon and nitrogen cycling under global change Plant-microbe-soil interactions in agricultural and natural ecosystems Development and application of soil sensing technologies (e.g., MIR spectroscopy) Microbial responses to nitrogen deposition, land use change, and climate stressors His recent publications span microbial community assembly in pitcher plants, carbon sequestration in bioenergy crops, nitrogen cycling under deposition, and soil sensing across ecological gradients. These works reflect a strong emphasis on trait-based approaches, cross-system comparisons, and integration of molecular and biogeochemical methods. Dr. Freedman has received significant recognition, including the O.N. Allen Professorship. His research is funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, supporting projects on soil microbiome sustainability, bioproduct agroecosystems, and environmental education. He actively mentors graduate and postdoctoral researchers, including NSF Graduate Research Fellows, and is involved in interdisciplinary programs such as Soil Science, Agroecology, Microbiology, and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. He also leads the Wisconsin Schoolyard Microbiome Project, promoting K–12 community science engagement. His lab maintains strong collaborative ties and contributes to large-scale initiatives like the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) and Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) programs.

Alexander BolotovView profile

Professor

• Automated Reasoning
• Graph-Based Reasoning
• Formal Methods
• +13 more

Alexander Bolotov is a Professor at the University of Westminster's School of Computer Science and Engineering, where he serves as the Software Systems Engineering Research Group Leader and the Doctoral Researchers Development Programme Coordinator. He teaches Level 4 Mathematics for Computing and Level 5 Software Engineering Principles and Practice modules. His research spans Automated Reasoning, Graph-Based Reasoning, Specification and Verification of Complex Reactive, Concurrent and Distributed Systems, Formal Methods in Software Engineering, Logic, Temporal Logic, Proof Theory, On-Line Knowledge Repositories, and Ontologies. His expertise includes Formal Methods, Mathematical Modelling, Software Architecture, Program Reasoning and Logic Engineering. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on branching-time temporal logics, formal verification methods, ontology-based e-learning platforms, and applications in digital health evidence generation. His work bridges theoretical computer science with practical applications in healthcare, finance, and educational technology. Bolotov has successfully secured multiple research grants including Innovate UK projects RADIANT Implementation and RADIANT: Regulatory Science Empowering Innovation in Transformative Medical Software and AI, as well as funding from the Alan Turing Institute for developing frameworks for literature evaluation. He actively supervises doctoral students working on topics including ontology-driven frameworks for system integration, rich web applications, cloud computing load balancing, wireless sensor networks, and semantic selection of internet sources. His research group is involved with the Distributed and Intelligent Systems, Software Systems Engineering, and Centre for Parallel Computing.

• Rich Web-based Applications Engineering
• Software Design
• Software Architectures
• +4 more

Nalaka R. Dissanayake serves as a Senior Lecturer in the School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Westminster, where he contributes to the Software Systems Engineering Research Group. With 17 years of academic experience since 2007, he progressed from student instructor to his current senior position while completing his doctoral studies. His foundational education includes a B.Sc. in Information Technology from the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (2007), an M.Phil. from the University of Colombo School of Computing (2017), and a Ph.D. from the University of Westminster (2024). Dr. Dissanayake's research centers on rich web-based applications engineering, where he has established significant contributions through architectural style development and design methodology formalization. His work introduces specialized concepts including RiWAArch Style, BAW-MVC, and delta communication principles that address core challenges in web application state management and communication efficiency. Current research frontiers actively explore prompt engineering techniques for integrating AI/ML capabilities into rich web applications, demonstrating adaptation to emerging technological paradigms while maintaining focus on architectural fundamentals. His publication portfolio reveals a clear research trajectory evolving from AJAX application foundations (2013-2014) through architectural pattern specification (2017-2020) toward comprehensive design methodology development (2023-2024). This progression demonstrates increasing theoretical sophistication while maintaining practical implementation relevance, with consistent output across journals like the Journal of Web Engineering and major conferences including FTC and ICTer. As an active academic contributor, Dr. Dissanayake serves as a reviewer for the Journal of Web Engineering and various conferences. His research group membership provides access to collaborative opportunities within the university's software engineering ecosystem, while his extensive teaching experience across multiple institutions offers valuable mentorship perspective for graduate students.