Xiaoyue Shan is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the National University of Singapore (NUS), located at 1 Arts Link, AS2 #05-36. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Zurich (2021) and previously conducted postdoctoral research at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on labor economics, behavioral/experimental economics, and gender economics, employing experimental and quasi-experimental methods to study topics like gender disparities, discrimination, social interactions, and skill development. Her work explores how peer groups influence personality traits (e.g., conscientiousness, competitiveness), discrimination mechanisms in labor markets, and the impact of policies on gender dynamics. Notable studies include examining sequential spillover effects in resume evaluations and analyzing pension systems' effects on child investment in China. Teaching interests align with her research, emphasizing behavioral and experimental economics. She is reachable at x.shan@nus.edu.sg .
Dr. Sarah Benson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Disability, Inclusion and Special Needs at the University of Birmingham, based at the Dubai Campus. She serves as Programme Lead for the Inclusion and Special Education Needs PGCert and Masters in both the UK and Dubai, and is affiliated with the School of Education. Educational Background: PhD in Special Education, University of Virginia, 2020 MA in International Education, The George Washington University, 2010 BA in English and Special Education, James Madison University, 2002 Her research focuses on inclusive education policy and practice, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. She explores teacher development, inclusive science curriculum for primary students, and autism support in Gulf countries. Her work is deeply informed by cross-cultural experiences, including Peace Corps service in Jordan and a Fulbright year in Norway. Dr. Benson's recent publications reveal a strong trend in inclusive teaching strategies, policy analysis in Jordan and the UAE, and the integration of science education with special needs pedagogy. Her research emphasizes practical implementation, teacher preparedness, and equity in educational access. Scientific Awards and Honors: Fulbright Scholar (2013) President, Curry School of Education and Human Development (University of Virginia) Dr. Benson is actively involved in research leadership, serving as Principal Investigator for the ESRC-GCRF Bhutan Inclusive Employment and Social Participation Project and Co-Investigator on the Disability Under Siege Network and a study on teachers' perceptions of autism in Ras Al-Khaimah. She currently supervises PhD candidates and contributes to international scholarly communities such as the Council for Exceptional Children and the Comparative International Education Society. She is also engaged in commissioned research, including a report on autism teaching preparedness in Ras Al-Khaimah, and teaches modules on cross-cultural special education, inclusion, and policy analysis.
Professor Cristina Iannelli holds the Personal Chair of Education and Social Stratification at the University of Edinburgh’s Moray House School of Education and Sport, affiliated with the Institute for Education, Community & Society (IECS). She is a Fellow of the British Academy and the Academy of Social Sciences. Her research focuses on social stratification in education and labor markets, social mobility, youth transitions, and quantitative data analysis. She has led major international projects like the ESRC-funded ‘Understanding Inequalities’ (2017-2021) and previously co-directed the ESRC Applied Quantitative Methods Network (AQMeN). Key contributions include analyzing educational policies, intergenerational mobility, and curriculum impacts on inequality. Her educational background includes a PhD from the European University Institute (Florence) and prior roles as a Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh. She has supervised 14 PhD students across topics like educational inequality, policy analysis, and labor market transitions. Awards include ESRC research fellowships for projects on educational structure and social mobility. Recent work highlights include analyzing sibling data to study intergenerational transmission of advantage, cross-country comparisons of STEM enrollment disparities, and the role of spatial job opportunities in labor market outcomes. She chairs the European Research Network on Transitions in Youth (TIY) and advises ESRC’s Data and Infrastructure Expert Group.
Matthias Parey is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Surrey. He holds additional roles as a Research Fellow at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) and the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), a Researcher at the ESRC Research Centre on Micro-Social Change (MiSoC), and a Research Associate at ZEW. His research spans Labour economics Economics of education Micro-econometrics Inequality Economics of innovation . His recent publications analyze high-skilled migration selection, trade shocks, cannabis market size estimation, and gasoline demand elasticity. He has contributed to journals like Review of Economics and Statistics , Economica , and Journal of the European Economic Association . Scientific awards include fellowships at IFS and IZA. His work on trade shocks examines gender-specific labor supply responses to Chinese import competition, while his cannabis market research introduces a forensic economics approach using legal inputs. Earlier studies focus on maternal education impacts on child development and the long-term labor market effects of Erasmus student exchanges.
Dr. Heidi Ashton is an Associate Professor in Cultural and Creative Ecologies at the University of Warwick's Centre for Cultural and Media Policy Studies (CCMPS). She holds a concurrent role as a global research fellow at the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC). Her work bridges academic research with practical insights from over 25 years of experience as a freelance dancer, choreographer, and producer across global creative sectors. Key affiliations include Director of Education for SCAPVC and external PhD evaluator at Bahria University, Pakistan. Research interests focus on freelance workers' rights within creative industries, social security access, and policy impacts on arts education and cultural participation. Notable projects include collaborations with Equity Union on social security challenges and with Prof. Prue Huddleston on arts education policy. Her work has influenced UK policy debates, including House of Lords citations and Guardian features. Teaching responsibilities span undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including modules on creative industry workplaces and policy analysis. Current PhD supervision explores cultural policy-labour dynamics and digital platforms' role in creative work. Recent projects include the 'Urban Village' community arts initiative in Coventry and pandemic impact studies on cultural sectors. Publications address freelance worker vulnerabilities, comparative cultural policies (e.g., UK vs USA), and educational apartheid critiques. Her 2024 co-authored 'State of the Arts' report provides a UK-wide cultural sector health check, presented to DCMS officials and arts leaders.
Professor Ashley Braganza serves as Dean of Brunel Business School at Brunel University London and holds the Chair in Business Transformation. He founded and co-directs Brunel's interdisciplinary Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (established 2018), which includes a dedicated AI Lab and forms part of Brunel's broader AI Ecosystem. His leadership secured £3.5 million in grants during the 2022/23 academic year and a recent €5.8 million ELOQUENCE EU project (2024-2027). His academic qualifications include a PhD in Organisational Change and Information Systems from Cranfield University and an MBA in Strategic Management Responsibility from the University of Strathclyde. Professor Braganza's research centers on artificial intelligence, big data, change management, strategy implementation, process and knowledge management, and transformation-enabled information systems . His practice-based approach stems from over 40 major consultancy projects with global organizations including BT, Microsoft, McDonald's, Astra Zeneca, and UN agencies. He champions interdisciplinary experiential learning and rigorous academic research with real-world applications. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals dominant trends in applying AI and digital technologies to healthcare supply chains, blockchain governance, and socioeconomic challenges like digital poverty. His work consistently bridges operations management, information systems, and social sciences while examining human-organizational impacts of technological transformation. His distinguished recognition includes: Election to the British Academy of Management College of Fellows for 25+ years of scholarly contribution and community service Professor Braganza has directed significant research initiatives including the British Academy-funded digital poverty study in Margate, UK-India collaborative projects on AI in healthcare productivity, and curriculum development for special needs trainers. His consultancy assignments with major corporations have co-created practical frameworks for implementing complex organizational change programs. He founded and chairs the British Academy of Management Special Interest Group in Transformation, Change and Development, and directs Brunel's AI: Social and Digital Innovation Research Centre, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration through the Operations and Information Systems Management Research Group (OISM).
Natasha Quadlin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and a faculty fellow at the California Center for Population Research. Her research focuses on social inequality in the U.S., particularly gender inequality, higher education access and economics, and debt's role in education. She holds advanced degrees from Indiana University (Ph.D., M.S. in Applied Statistics, M.A.) and a B.S. from Northwestern University. Key roles include associate editor for Science Advances and associate PI for Time-Sharing Experiments for the Social Sciences (TESS). She has been a Russell Sage Foundation Visiting Scholar (2022-23) and a William T. Grant Scholar (2024-29). Her work bridges sociology, statistics, and policy, emphasizing experimental methods to study social beliefs and behaviors. Research interests include: Gender disparities in education and labor markets Racial and economic stratification in education Public perceptions of social policies Notable awards include the Doris Entwisle Early Career Award (2021), Devah Pager Award (2019), and Lupia-Mutz Outstanding Publication Award (2021). Her book Who Should Pay? examines U.S. public views on college funding responsibilities. Grants and collaborations highlight her work with major foundations and institutions, including NSF support and partnerships with scholars at Harvard, Indiana University, and others. Ongoing projects address pandemic-era educational disparities, gendered wage gaps, and intersectional discrimination.
Caryn J. Block is a Professor of Psychology and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her affiliations include the Organization & Leadership and Social-Organizational Psychology programs. She holds a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from New York University (NYU), an M.A. in Psychology from NYU, and a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses on the long-term effects of stereotype threat in workplaces, the influence of race and gender stereotypes on leadership perceptions, microaggressions, and strategies for creating inclusive climates. Notably, her work explores how systemic stereotypes affect marginalized groups in STEM fields and the psychological dynamics of workplace diversity challenges. Block’s publications span topics including racial dynamics in employment, gender disparities in academic evaluations, and the psychological impact of microaggressions. Her collaborative research with colleagues examines organizational citizenship behavior, diversity trainer effectiveness, and leadership stereotype assessment. Despite no explicitly listed awards, her contributions to organizational psychology and diversity studies are widely recognized through her extensive publication record. Her advising and grant activities are not detailed here, though her research collaborations suggest active engagement in academic networks and institutional change initiatives. Block is affiliated with the Teachers College community and contributes to its mission of advancing education and psychological research in diverse organizational contexts.
Dr. Adriana Kugler is a Full Professor at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy and Economics. She currently serves as Governor of the Federal Reserve Board, on leave from Georgetown since 2023. Previously, she was U.S. Executive Director at the World Bank (2022–2023), Chief Economist at the U.S. Department of Labor (2011–2013), and Vice Provost for Faculty at Georgetown (2013–2016). Her research focuses on labor markets, policy evaluation, and development economics, with notable work on unemployment insurance, immigration, and vocational training. She holds a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley (1997) and a BA from McGill University (1991). Education : Ph.D. in Economics, University of California, Berkeley (1997) B.A. in Economics and Political Science (First Class Honors), McGill University (1991) Research Interests : Dr. Kugler examines the impact of public policies on labor markets, including payroll taxes, employment protections, and unemployment insurance. Her work bridges academia and policy, addressing issues like occupational licensing, immigration, and global development. She has published in top journals such as the American Economic Review and the Journal of Labor Economics. Awards : Chase Award (U.S. Treasury, 2023) 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance (Barrons, 2024–2025) John T. Dunlop Outstanding Scholar Award (2007) Global Development Network First Prize (2010) Grants and Service : She secured NSF grants supporting women in STEM and advised Congress on economic policies. She chairs committees at the National Academies of Science and served on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Technical Advisory Committee. Labs/Teams : Founder of the International Summer Institute on Policy Evaluation (2010–2013) and affiliated with multiple research institutes, including NBER and CEPR.
Dr Raquel Campos is an Assistant Professor (Education) of Management at the Department of Management, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Her work focuses on the impact of information technologies on institutional performance across firms and universities. She holds dual expertise in economics (PhD, MSc from Universidad Rey Juan Carlos) and engineering (BSc in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science). Prior to academia, she worked in IT project management and consulting in Spain and the US. Key qualifications include a PhD in Economics (2013) and MSc in Economics (2009), both from Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. She also completed the University of London’s BSc in Economics and Management via its external program. Her multidisciplinary background spans electrical engineering, computer science, and law. Research interests center on organizational economics, personnel economics, and ICT applications in labor markets. Notable works include studies on hurricane impacts on academic collaborations, internet recruitment strategies in Spain, and gender disparities in engineering careers. She has presented at major labor economics workshops and serves as a referee for Economics of Innovation and New Technology . Teaching responsibilities include leading the Strategy module (MG301) at LSE, where she received top teaching awards including the 2019 Excellence in Education Award. Her professional experience includes roles as Visiting Researcher at University of Kent (2015-2017), and prior IT project management roles in sectors like banking and real estate. Awards highlight her educational contributions: Top 10% performer in LSE Management Department teaching evaluations (2018-19) and Excellence in Education recognition. Current research explores missing skills for EU entrepreneurs/managers using PIAAC data in collaboration with M. Arrazola and J. de Hevia.
Dr. Martha Sidury Christiansen is a Professor of Applied Linguistics/TESOL at the University of Texas at San Antonio , where she serves in the College of Education and Human Development . She is the Principal Investigator of Project RESPETO , a NSF-funded initiative exploring racial equity in engineering education. Her work spans sociolinguistics, digital literacies, and raciolinguistic analysis, with a focus on transnational multilingual communities. Born in Veracruz, Mexico Ph.D. in Foreign/Second Language Education (Ohio State University, 2013) M.A. in English Composition (Indiana University, 2007) B.A. in English Language Teaching (Universidad Veracruzana, 2002) Her research examines how transnational youth navigate digital spaces through multiliteracies , challenges Western academic writing norms via Mexican decolonial methodologies , and investigates raciolinguistic intersections in identity formation. The 15 most recent publications reveal a strong focus on digital communication , transnationalism , and critical pedagogy across journals like TESOL Quarterly and Language@Internet . 2023-2025: Expanding raciolinguistic frameworks in digital contexts 2021-2022: Analyzing multimodal identity construction 2019-2020: Exploring Mexican bilinguals' online language use She has received multiple honors including ACUE Fellow (2023), Fulbright Scholar (2017), and Faculty Leadership Fellow (2021-2022). Her presentations at conferences like ICOLLITE and DDVM Lab highlight her expertise in critical sociolinguistic awareness and digital discourse analysis . Dr. Christiansen actively consults for nonprofits on linguistic equity and multilingual education .
Catherine White Berheide is the Tisch Family Distinguished Professor and Professor of Sociology at Skidmore College , focusing on work and occupations, organizations, and women's studies. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. from Northwestern University and a B.A. from Beloit College . Education Ph.D., M.A. – Northwestern University B.A. – Beloit College Her research explores faculty work-life balance, gender disparities in academia, pandemic impacts on academic productivity, and household labor dynamics. Key themes include: Faculty well-being during crises Gendered division of labor Family-friendly institutional policies Academic career barriers for women Intersectional analysis of race and gender in teaching Recent work analyzes: Emotional labor disparities during remote teaching Career trajectory obstacles in liberal arts colleges Gendered work-life conflict patterns She has contributed to curriculum development through Senior Seminar in Sociology and studies institutional diversity initiatives.
David L. Blustein is a Professor and Golden Eagle Faculty Fellow in the Department of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology at Boston College . He holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University, with expertise in the psychology of working, career development, and social justice advocacy. His research focuses on decent work, work dignity, and precarity, with global collaborations through initiatives like the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Development Program. Blustein has authored influential books, including The Psychology of Working and The Importance of Work in an Age of Uncertainty , and has been recognized with prestigious awards such as the Leona Tyler Award (2022) and the Eminent Career Award (2018). He teaches courses like Advanced Counseling Practicum and Psychology of Work , emphasizing formative education and equity. His work addresses systemic issues in employment, advocating for policies that promote dignity and fairness in workplaces globally. Recent studies include interventions for mental health through work (WIN program) and analyses of pandemic-era precarity. Blustein’s international network and publications reflect a commitment to bridging psychological theory with real-world labor challenges.
Emiliya Lazarova is a Professor of Economics and Head of the School of Economics at the University of East Anglia (UEA). She chairs the Royal Economics Society’s Conference of Heads of Departments of Economics. Her research focuses on coalition formation, matching theory, and applied economics, with recent projects analyzing technological innovation via patent data, biodiversity market measurements, and international environmental agreements. She has held academic roles at the University of Birmingham and Queen’s University Belfast, teaching quantitative courses like Applied Econometrics and topics in applied microeconomics. Her research interests include coalition dynamics, social housing allocation, and the political economy of environmental policies. Current projects with Dr. Yuan Gao include developing an ex-ante novelty index for inventions and studying biodiversity valuation mechanisms. Lazarova has secured grants from the Royal Economic Society and British Academy, focusing on property rights and economic development in emerging economies. Her work bridges theoretical models and empirical applications, addressing issues like firm behavior under political pressure, patent innovation cycles, and disability discrimination impacts. Collaborations span institutions globally, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach to economic challenges. Advisory roles include supervising PhD students on topics such as status-seeking in matching markets and conflict resolution via coalition theory. Her teaching expertise complements her research, emphasizing quantitative methods and policy analysis.
Sharon Sassler is a Professor in the Department of Policy Analysis and Management at Cornell University's Brooks School of Public Policy. She joined the Cornell faculty in 2005 and holds a Ph.D. in Sociology/Demography from Brown University (1995). Her research examines life course transitions of young adults across education, work, relationships, and parenthood, with critical attention to gender, race/ethnicity, and social class disparities. Education: Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Johns Hopkins University, Department of Population Dynamics (1995-96) Ph.D. in Sociology/Demography, Brown University (1995) M.A. in Sociology/Demography, Brown University (1991) B.A. in English & American Literature and Politics, Brandeis University (1984) Professor Sassler's research spans two interconnected domains: family demography and STEM gender dynamics. In family studies, she investigates cohabitation, marriage, and non-marital childbearing through publications like Cohabitation Nation: Gender, Class, and the Remaking of Relationships (2017), which demonstrates how cohabitation patterns exacerbate family inequality. Her work reveals how union transitions affect maternal health, child educational outcomes, and relationship stability across racial and socioeconomic lines. Concurrently, she examines women's retention in STEM fields, analyzing gender wage gaps, occupational attrition, and the impact of family formation on career trajectories in science and engineering professions. Her 2022-2025 publications reveal intensifying focus on cross-national comparisons of union formation and STEM career dynamics, with growing attention to policy impacts. Notable trends include state abortion policy effects on pregnancy outcomes, the retreat from marriage among college-educated STEM professionals, and intersectional analyses of job search strategies. Her work consistently centers gendered power dynamics within cohabiting relationships while documenting how racial and class inequalities shape family formation and STEM participation. Scientific Awards: No specific awards mentioned in source materials Professor Sassler actively mentors through collaborative research projects like Collaborative Research: Early Career Transitions into STEM Employment (2014), indicating grant-funded work examining structural barriers for women in technical fields. Her extensive co-authorship network suggests significant graduate student supervision, though formal advisee lists aren't documented. She teaches core sociology courses including Population and Public Policy (SOC 2030) and Population Controversies in Europe (SOC 3620), connecting demographic theory with contemporary policy debates. Based in Martha Van Rensselaer Hall, she contributes to Cornell's interdisciplinary research ecosystem through affiliations with both the Sociology program and Policy Analysis and Management department, bridging demographic methods with public policy applications to address pressing social inequalities.
