Find Academic Supervisors

Sigrid SchmalzerView profile

Professor

• History of Modern China
• History of Science
• Science Activism
• +3 more

Sigrid Schmalzer is a Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, specializing in the history of science and modern China. She holds a Ph.D. in History and Science Studies from the University of California, San Diego (2004). Her research bridges the social, cultural, and political dimensions of science in China, with a focus on the intersections of agriculture, activism, and revolutionary movements. Schmalzer is the author of *Red Revolution, Green Revolution: Scientific Farming in Socialist China* (2016), winner of the Joseph Levenson Book Prize, and *The People's Peking Man: Popular Science and Human Identity in Twentieth-Century China* (2008), recipient of the Allan Sharlin Award. Her current projects include a book on agricultural heritage in the People’s Republic of China and leadership roles in organizations like the Critical China Scholars and Science for the People. She co-edits the *Activist Studies of Science and Technology* series for UMass Press, emphasizing socially engaged scholarship. Schmalzer also serves as Co-President of the MSP faculty union at UMass Amherst. Research interests span the history of science activism, transnational movements, and the legacy of Maoist science. Notable awards include the Freeman Book Award (2018) for her children’s book *Moth and Wasp, Soil and Ocean*, which integrates science education with historical narratives. Her work often critiques capitalist and authoritarian structures while advocating for science as a tool for justice and sustainability. Recent publications explore themes like agroecology, science policy, and the global dimensions of China’s scientific history. She teaches courses on modern China, science in society, and radical science movements, blending interdisciplinary approaches to engage students in critical analysis of historical and contemporary issues.

Matthew PotolskyView profile

Professor

• Decadence
• Mimesis
• 19th-Century European Literature
• +3 more

Matthew Potolsky is Professor of English at the University of Utah, specializing in nineteenth-century literature and literary theory. His career spans from 1998 Lecturer at Harvard University to current University Professorship. He earned a BA in Comparative Literature and Philosophy (1990), followed by MA and PhD in Comparative Literature (1992, 1997) from UC Irvine. Chair of English Department (2013-2016) University Professor (2014-2016) Research focuses on Decadence , Mimesis , Finance-Aesthetics intersections , and Government Secrecy . His work traces connections between financialization and decadent aesthetics, revealing how economic cycles influence artistic production. Key themes include: Decadent anti-realist literary movements Finance capital's cultural impact Decadent counterpublic formations Victorian aesthetic education debates Sublime aesthetics in national security Cosmopolitanism in literary communities Recent publications analyze: Decadent style as financialization rhetoric Reintroduction of verisimilitude theory Decadent responses to financial crises Mimetic labor in artistic production Decadent cosmopolitan counterpublics Historical parallels between financialization and literary decadence

• Critical Mental Health
• Postcolonial Theory
• Critical Race Theory
• +10 more

Ameil Joseph is an Associate Professor at McMaster University's School of Social Work, where they contribute to critical scholarship at the intersection of mental health, race, and social justice. Their work examines how ideas about difference, normalcy, sexuality, eugenics, race, ability and mental 'illness' cohere and perform within policy, law and practice, with over a decade of professional experience in mental health settings including supportive housing, settlement services, crisis respite, and forensic community treatment. Education: Ph.D in Social Work, York University (2009-2014) MSW, Wilfrid Laurier University (2005-2007) BA in Psychology, University of Waterloo (1998-2003) Dr. Joseph's research engages with critical mental health, postcolonial theory, critical race theory, and critical disability studies to examine the historical production of ideas about difference. Their scholarship particularly focuses on how these ideas manifest in mental health systems, immigration policy, and criminal justice, with attention to issues of social justice, violence, ethics, and confluence. Their work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical implications, addressing the complex interplay of colonialism, racism, sanism, and eugenics in contemporary social systems. Analysis of Dr. Joseph's recent publications reveals a sustained focus on colonial and eugenic violence within mental health, immigration, and criminal justice systems. Their scholarship consistently examines how racism, sanism, and ableism intersect to produce particular forms of state violence, particularly against racialized immigrants with mental health conditions. Recent work has expanded to address temporal dimensions of oppression, data colonialism, and community responses to grief and loss during the pandemic, demonstrating both theoretical sophistication and practical relevance to current social issues. Scientific Awards: University Scholar 2025 - Recognized for research leadership and impact among eight McMaster professors honored as University Scholars Dr. Joseph has secured significant research funding, including nearly $75,000 from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) for community-engaged projects addressing social justice issues. Their teaching portfolio includes advanced courses on critical mental health perspectives, race and colonialism in Canadian society, and social justice theory. While specific graduate students aren't listed in available materials, their extensive co-author network suggests active mentorship and collaboration. Dr. Joseph contributes to community-based initiatives in Hamilton addressing racism in healthcare and mental health systems, connecting academic scholarship with practical community responses to systemic issues. Dr. Joseph maintains an active presence in community responses to contemporary challenges, particularly through initiatives addressing grief during the pandemic and systemic racism in healthcare. Their work exemplifies the integration of scholarly rigor with community engagement, demonstrating how academic research can inform and be informed by real-world social justice efforts.

Kingsley EdneyView profile

Associate Professor

• International Relations
• Chinese Politics
• Soft Power
• +4 more

Dr Kingsley Edney is an Associate Professor in International Relations of China at the University of Leeds' School of Politics and International Studies. He holds a PhD (International Relations) and MA (Political Science) from the University of Melbourne, along with a BA(Hons) in Politics and Anthropology from Victoria University of Wellington. Fluent in Chinese and with experience living in Shanghai and Beijing, his research focuses on China's non-material international security dynamics, including cultural diplomacy, propaganda, and ideological strategies to manage global information flows. His expertise includes Chinese soft power, the role of ideology in foreign policy, and the intersection of domestic political cohesion with international security objectives. He teaches undergraduate and master's courses on China's domestic and international politics. Current postgraduate researchers under his supervision are Jinru Huang, Yanyu Lu, and Hengfeng Zhao. Edney's research outputs span topics like public perceptions of China in the Anglosphere, Chinese youth nationalism, and environmental governance. His work often bridges theoretical frameworks with empirical analysis of China's evolving global engagement strategies. He maintains active academic engagement through platforms like Google Scholar and ORCID.

• Digital Journalism
• Fact-checking
• Media Platforms
• +7 more

Oscar Westlund serves as Professor at the Department of Journalism and Media Studies within the Faculty of Social Sciences at Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet), where he co-leads the OsloMet Digital Journalism Research Group. He maintains a secondary appointment at the University of Gothenburg and acts as Editor-in-Chief of Digital Journalism . His research spans digital journalism, fact-checking, platform dynamics, media management, news consumption, and mobile media. Westlund's scholarly focus centers on journalism safety in digital environments, sociotechnical dimensions of misinformation combat, and platform-induced challenges for news organizations. His work examines professional fragilities of journalists, epistemological foundations of data journalism, and legitimacy paradoxes in public service media-platform relationships. Current projects address disinformation countermeasures through the SCAM initiative (Source Criticism And Mediated Disinformation). Analysis of his 2022-2024 publications reveals dominant themes: journalism safety frameworks (33%), platform-journalism tensions (27%), and fact-checking as sociotechnical practice (23%). Key methodological approaches include cross-national comparative studies, epistemological analysis, and practice theory applied to digital news production. Westlund actively contributes to academic discourse through editorial leadership at Digital Journalism and special issue guest editing. His research group coordinates interdisciplinary collaboration on digital journalism studies, while the SCAM project develops practical methodologies for disinformation detection in democratic contexts. Recent work demonstrates increasing emphasis on mobile news ecosystems and journalist safety cultures. He co-leads the OsloMet Digital Journalism Research Group, which investigates platform impacts on news production, mobile journalism evolution, and epistemological shifts in data-driven reporting. The group maintains strong international partnerships, particularly with Swedish institutions through his University of Gothenburg affiliation.

Ben CoulsonView profile

Lecturer

• US-China Relations
• Critical Geopolitics
• East Asian Security
• +3 more

Dr. Ben Coulson is a Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Edinburgh's School of Social and Political Science. His research sits at the intersection of critical International Relations, history, and critical geopolitics, with a primary focus on the historical development of US-China relations from the mid-19th century to present. Education: PhD in International Relations, Newcastle University Research examines contemporary US foreign policy in East Asia, East Asian security dynamics, and the relationship between popular culture and politics. He teaches courses on Politics in a Changing World, Geopolitics, and Sport and Politics. Current work investigates how geopolitical discourses shape US-China relations across different historical periods, analyzing continuity and change in bilateral relations through critical theoretical frameworks.

• Household Finance
• Banking
• Behavioral Economics
• +4 more

Claire Célérier is an Associate Professor of Finance at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, where she holds the Canada Research Chair in Household Finance. Her academic career spans prestigious institutions including the University of Toronto (where she advanced from Assistant to Associate Professor between 2016-2022) and the University of Zurich (2014-2016). She maintains an affiliation with the People's History Lab and actively contributes to academic discourse through conference organization including 'Race, Equity and Public Policy' (2023) and 'Banks, States and the People' (2024). Dr. Célérier's research explores how finance can benefit households through multiple lenses including behavioral economics, asset pricing, and financial history. Her work investigates innovation in finance, diversity and inclusion impacts, and historical perspectives on financial systems. She has developed significant expertise in household finance, banking, and the intersection of finance with social issues, particularly racial disparities in financial markets as demonstrated in her award-winning research on the Freedman's Savings Bank. Her scholarly output shows a clear trajectory from foundational work on security design and investor behavior toward increasingly socially relevant research on financial inclusion, racial equity, and household financial decision-making. Recent publications demonstrate her growing focus on historical contexts of financial systems and their contemporary implications, particularly regarding marginalized communities. Canada Research Chair in Household Finance (2024) Bank of Canada Governor's Award (2022) University of Toronto Top 5% Merit Award (2021) Petro Canada Young Innovators Award Program (2021) Multiple Rotman School of Management Teaching Awards (2019-2021) Ieke van den Burg Prize for Research on Systemic Risk (2015) Dr. Célérier has successfully secured substantial research funding including Insight Development Grants (CAD 54,500), Connaught Research Grant (CAD 10,000), and the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation Grant (EUR 400,000). She mentors several PhD students including Andrada Bilan (2020), Alexey Vasilenko (2023), and Purnoor Tak (Expected 2026), and has supervised numerous master's theses at both University of Toronto and University of Zurich. Her service contributions include Rotman School of Management MBA program committee, executive committee, seminar coordination, and faculty recruiting committee.

Karl GustafssonView profile

Professor

• International Relations
• Security Studies
• Collective Memory in Global Politics
• +2 more

Karl Gustafsson is a Professor at Stockholm University within the Department of Economic History and International Relations. His work bridges security studies , collective memory , and digital research methods in international relations. Current Role: Professor of International Relations, Stockholm University Previous Positions: Post-Doc at Lund University, Researcher at Swedish Institute of International Affairs Visiting Appointments: University of Tokyo, Osaka University, Keio University, Academia Sinica, Nordic Institute of Asian Studies Research Focus: Karl specializes in memory politics , ontological security , and anxiety-driven international dynamics , particularly in Sino-Japanese relations and digital platforms . His studies explore how historical narratives and online memory construction influence state identity and policy. Awards & Grants: Recipient of the Wang Gungwu Prize (2014) and Stockholm University Association’s award (2011). Holds Swedish Research Council and Marianne & Marcus Wallenberg Foundation grants for projects on apologies in international politics and digital memory in East Asia . Publications: His work appears in journals such as International Studies Quarterly , European Journal of International Relations , and Memory Studies , addressing topics like narrative power in East Asia, anxiety’s role in policy change , and digital humanities applications in IR.

• Natural Language Processing
• Large Language Models
• Digital Libraries
• +7 more

Min Yen Kan is an Associate Professor and Vice Dean of Undergraduate Studies at the National University of Singapore's School of Computing, Department of Computer Science. With a PhD from Columbia University (2002), he leads the Web Information Retrieval / Natural Language Processing Group (WING.NUS) and serves as ACL Ethics Committee co-chair. His research spans Natural Language Processing , Large Language Models , Digital Libraries , and Information Retrieval , with specific focus on scientific discourse analysis, fact verification, and multimodal systems. Current projects include Scholarly Document Information Extraction (TRL 6), Task-Oriented Dialogue Systems (TRL 4), and Recommendation Systems (TRL 5). Recent publications reveal strong trends in LLM limitations (bias, hallucination, evaluation), conversational recommendation systems , and misinformation detection . His work consistently bridges theoretical NLP with real-world applications in digital libraries and scientific communication. Award highlights include: CIKM 2019 Best Paper Award ACL Distinguished Service Awards Vannevar Bush Best Paper Award (JCDL 2012) ACM Distinguished Speaker designation Kan mentors PhD students with placements at Google and USTC, and serves as associate editor for Information Retrieval and survey editor for Journal of AI Research . His lab WING.NUS develops practical tools like SciWING for scientific document processing and FANG for fake news detection. Media engagements include commentary on AI regulations in Southeast Asia and workforce implications in the AI era.

• Computational Social Science
• Network Science
• Data Visualization
• +7 more

Yu-Ru Lin is an Associate Professor at the School of Computing and Information, University of Pittsburgh, and serves as Research & Academic Director at the Institute for Cyber Law, Policy and Security (Pitt Cyber). She leads the Pitt Computational Social Dynamics Lab (PICSO Lab) and holds secondary appointments in Political Science, Computer Science, and the Intelligent Systems Program. PhD in Computer Science from Arizona State University Postdoctoral research at Harvard University and Northeastern University Her research focuses on computational approaches for: Networked social dynamics High-dimensional social information summarization Trust and distrust propagation Misinformation detection Policy diffusion analysis Recent publications span 2014-2020, covering: Social media crisis response Graph visualization techniques Policy diffusion patterns Misinformation mitigation Temporal topic modeling Scientific support includes: National Science Foundation (NSF) awards Minerva/ONR funding AFOSR grant for distrust modeling DARPA Understanding Group Biases program As director of PICSO Lab, she leads interdisciplinary research teams on: Digital accountability Urban mobility patterns Health informatics via crowdsourcing Trust-influence dynamics

Catherine LaiView profile

Associate Professor

• Speech and Language Processing
• Computational Linguistics
• Prosody
• +17 more

Catherine Lai is a Reader (~Associate Professor) in the Department of Linguistics and English Language at the University of Edinburgh, with strong affiliations to the Centre for Speech Technology Research (CSTR) and the Institute for Language, Cognition and Computation (ILCC) in the School of Informatics. She is based in the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences and is actively involved in research, teaching, and academic service. Department: Department of Linguistics and English Language School: School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences Research Institutes: Centre for Speech Technology Research, Institute for Language, Cognition and Computation Email: C.Lai@ed.ac.uk Her research centers on the role of prosody—non-lexical aspects of speech—in spoken communication. She investigates how prosody contributes to discourse structure, information structure, and affect in dialogue, using interdisciplinary methods from linguistics and machine learning. Her work bridges theoretical linguistics and practical speech technology, aiming to improve spoken language understanding and synthesis systems. She is particularly interested in how prosody shapes listener expectations and how affect and topic are expressed and perceived in conversation. Her recent publications reflect a strong focus on self-supervised learning in speech models, emotion recognition, ASR error correction using large language models, cognitive state classification, and ethical considerations in language technology. She explores topics such as the uncanny valley in synthetic speech, gender expression through voice, and community-centered development of language technologies. Prize from Scopus Profile Catherine Lai has supervised several PhD students, including Leimin Tian and Yuanchao Li, and has been involved in significant research projects, such as a Toyota-funded initiative on spoken dialogue for robot companions. She has secured multiple grants and leads a research agenda that integrates theoretical inquiry with real-world applications in assistive technologies and social science. Her academic service includes organizing major conferences like Interspeech and UK and Ireland Speech. She is a key member of research teams at CSTR and ILCC, collaborating across disciplines to advance the understanding of spoken communication and the development of robust, ethical speech technologies.

Daria DavittiView profile

Associate Professor

• Human Rights Law
• Public International Law
• Environmental Law
• +3 more

Daria Davitti is a Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor in Public International Law at Lund University's Department of Law. Her research focuses on intersections of international economic law and human rights, particularly in contexts of migration, climate breakdown, and privatized public goods. She leads major projects like the ERC-funded 'Refugee Finance: Histories, Frameworks, Practices' and the Formas-funded 'Screening for Sustainability'. Awards include the 2021 Juridiska Föreningens pedagogiska pris and the title of Docent in Public International Law. She advises on EU migration policies and environmental law compliance, and collaborates with institutions like GLAN and the International Code of Conduct Association for private security service providers. Her work examines refugee finance mechanisms, sustainable investment frameworks, and legal accountability in transnational corporate activities. Key areas include refugee entrepreneurship, EU Taxonomy sustainability criteria, and human rights due diligence in international investment. She has published extensively on topics ranging from refugee bonds to litigation finance in investment arbitration.

Jeffrey MonaghanView profile

Associate Professor

• Security Governance
• Policing Practices
• Surveillance Studies
• +4 more

Jeffrey Monaghan is an Associate Professor at the Institute for Criminology and Criminal Justice (ICCJ) at Carleton University. He holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Queen’s University and serves on the editorial board of Criminological Encounters . His research focuses on the intersections of policing, surveillance, and systemic inequality, with a particular emphasis on settler colonialism, Indigenous movements, and the global expansion of security practices. Monaghan teaches courses on criminological theories, policing, and justice frameworks. His work examines how security and policing practices criminalize marginalized communities, especially Indigenous peoples and social movements resisting extractive development. Key projects include analyses of counterterrorism strategies, disability injustice in criminal systems, and the securitization of Canadian foreign aid. He has authored/co-authored books like Security Aid: Canada and the Development Regime of Security and Policing Indigenous Movements , and edited volumes such as Protests in the Information Age . Monaghan’s research integrates critical criminology, colonial studies, and sociolegal analysis. He is cross-appointed to Carleton’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the School of Canadian and Indigenous Studies, amplifying interdisciplinary engagement with security governance and social justice issues.

Lisbeth AggestamView profile

Associate Professor

• Foreign Policy Analysis
• International Politics
• Political Leadership
• +4 more

Lisbeth Aggestam is an associate professor at the Department of Political Science and an associate researcher at the Center for European Research (CERGU) at the University of Gothenburg. She serves as the editor-in-chief of the international journal Foreign Policy Analysis , published by the International Studies Association (ISA) and Oxford University Press. Aggestam's research focuses on several interconnected areas: Political leadership and foreign policy Diaspora and foreign policy Foreign policy role theory The European Union as a global actor Her scholarly work demonstrates a consistent focus on leadership dynamics within European foreign policy, particularly examining how the EU navigates its role as a global actor amid shifting geopolitical landscapes. She has developed significant theoretical contributions to role theory in foreign policy analysis, creating frameworks for understanding how states and international organizations perform specific roles on the global stage. Aggestam's publication record reveals several important trends in contemporary foreign policy studies. Her work increasingly examines the intersection of domestic politics and international relations, particularly how diaspora communities influence state foreign policies. Her recent research addresses European strategic autonomy in the context of US foreign policy shifts and the implications of Sweden's NATO membership decision, reflecting her ability to connect theoretical frameworks with pressing real-world issues. As an educator, Aggestam serves as course manager and instructor for several key programs: EU2215: Europe in the World (MA, 15 hec) SK1136: Foreign Policy Analysis (BA, 7.5 hec) EU1145: The European Union in International Affairs (BA, 7.5 hec) Through her leadership of the Swedish Research Council project 'Transnational civil society and foreign policy' (2022-2025) and her editorial role at Foreign Policy Analysis , Aggestam plays a significant role in shaping contemporary discourse on international relations and European foreign policy.

Susan L. BurnsView profile

Professor

• Japanese history
• Tokugawa period
• Meiji period
• +6 more

Susan L. Burns is a Professor at the University of Chicago, where she holds appointments in the Department of History, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, and The College. She currently serves as Department Chair and Chair of the Undergraduate Studies Committee. Education: PhD, University of Chicago (1994) Her research focuses on Japan’s nineteenth-century social history, emphasizing intellectual and cultural practices, the intersection of medicine and public health, gender analysis, and legal discourses. She explores continuities between Japan’s early modern and modern eras, particularly how medical and legal frameworks shaped national identity. Recent publications span leprosy’s impact on citizenship, the rise of medical marketplaces, and gendered dimensions of reproductive health. Her digital humanities work on Mapping Medical Tokyo integrates GIS and text mining for historical analysis. Scientific Awards: Fulbright-Hays Fellowship IIE Fulbright Japan Foundation Japan Society for the Promotion of Science National Endowment for the Humanities She has secured grants for research on medical commodities, psychiatric practices, and the spatial dimensions of Meiji-era health policies. Her courses include Gender and Japanese History and Medicine and Culture in East Asia .