Dr Barney Craggs serves as a Lecturer in the School of Computer Science and concurrently holds the position of Chief Information Security Officer within IT Services at the University of Bristol, demonstrating a unique integration of academic research and institutional security leadership. His educational foundation includes a PhD, MRes, and BSc (Hons) degree, establishing his technical and research credentials in cybersecurity domains. Dr Craggs' research focuses on human-centered security systems, with core expertise in Security Ergonomics, Cyber Security, Human Factors, and Cyber Physical Systems. His work bridges theoretical computer science with practical security implementations, emphasizing usability and human behavior in cyber-physical environments. He actively collaborates with key researchers across Bristol's ecosystem including Dr Anya Skatova (Health Data Science), Professor Awais Rashid (Cyber Security), and colleagues at the Bristol Digital Futures Institute, fostering interdisciplinary approaches to modern security challenges.
Matteo Brunelli is Associate Professor of “Mathematical Methods of Economics and Actuarial and Financial Sciences” at the University of Trento , Department of Industrial Engineering, and Adjunct Professor (docent) at Lappeenranta University of Technology , Finland. He is nationally habilitated as Full Professor in Italy and has held long-term visiting positions at Berkeley, Turku, Auckland, JAIST and Binghamton. Education: Ph.D. (Doctor of Science) in Information Technologies, Åbo Akademi University, Finland, 2011 – graded Eximia cum laude approbatur M.Sc. in Economics, University of Trento, 2007 – grade 110/110 cum laude B.Sc. in Economics, University of Trento, 2005 Research focus: Brunelli’s work sits at the intersection of multi-criteria decision analysis , operations research and computational optimisation . He develops axiomatic foundations and algorithms for pairwise comparison matrices , consistency indices , the best-worst method and fuzzy preference relations , and applies them to energy planning, sustainable inventory, maintenance scheduling, 3-D printer selection, and blockchain governance. His 2023-2025 articles reveal intensified interest in uncertainty modelling (Dempster-Shafer theory), bi-objective optimisation of inventory and maintenance, and group decision protocols that integrate probabilistic or active-learning components, demonstrating both methodological depth and practical relevance. Scientific awards & grants: Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Researcher grant (€254 670, 2014-2017) Claudio Dematté Research Grant (€19 000, 2008) Teacher of the Year Award, Aalto University (2013 – both Spring & Autumn semesters) Bernard Roy Award 2021 for outstanding contribution to Multiple Criteria Decision Aiding (under-40 category) Supervision & funding: While specific doctoral students are not listed, Brunelli currently supervises graduate theses at Trento and has continuously held competitive national grants. His Academy of Finland project “Consistency of valued preference relations for decision analytics methods” financed three years of full-time research and international collaboration. Editorial & community roles: He serves on the editorial boards of International Journal of General Systems and Mathematical and Computational Applications , and acts as area editor for Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis , positioning him among the key gatekeepers of the MCDA community.
Dr. Richard Y. Zhao is a tenured Professor in the Department of Pathology and Microbiology-Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. His research combines molecular biology, fission yeast genetics, mammalian biology, and virology to study virus-host interactions, particularly for HIV and Zika virus. He previously held academic positions at Northwestern University and Columbia University and has contributed to over 120 peer-reviewed articles. B.S., China Oceanography University (1981) M.S., Oregon State University (1995) Ph.D., Oregon State University (1991) Postdoctoral Training, Columbia University (1991-1992) Dr. Zhao's research focuses on: Virus-host interactions and pathogenicity High-throughput drug screening for antivirals Role of viral proteins in neuroinflammation and cancer Translational genomics in precision medicine His recent publications highlight SARS-CoV-2 ORF3a, Zika envelope proteins, and HIV protease inhibitors, emphasizing host-pathogen mechanisms across species. He has served on NIH panels and editorial boards for journals like Cell Research and Retrovirology . Scientific awards include: Fellow, American Academy of Microbiology (2019) Bernard L Mirkin Endowed Chair (2001-2004) Honorary Director, Shandong Gallo Institute (2009) Distinguished Service from SCBA (2015) Outstanding Service from CBA-USA (2016) Dr. Zhao also contributes to clinical diagnostics and personalized medicine through molecular testing and pharmacogenetics programs.
Mohamed Shaat is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the Engineering Department at St. Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas. Holding a Ph.D. from New Mexico State University (2017), he previously served as Assistant Professor at Abu Dhabi University (2019-2021) and held postdoctoral positions at Southern Methodist University (2022-2024) and Boston University (2021-2022). His research bridges energy storage systems, active matter physics, and advanced materials engineering. His educational foundation includes: Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, New Mexico State University, 2017 M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering, New Mexico State University, 2016 M.Sc., Zagazig University (Egypt), 2012 B.Sc., Zagazig University (Egypt), 2007 Dr. Shaat's research program focuses on interdisciplinary innovation in energy storage (SOFCs & ASSBs), mechanics of active matter, nano-confined fluids, chiral metamaterials, and topological/non-Hermitian mechanics. He integrates machine learning with continuum mechanics to optimize electrochemical systems and additive manufacturing, exploring nontraditional phenomena in complex materials for next-generation engineering applications. Analysis of his 60+ journal articles reveals a dominant trajectory in nonlocal elasticity theory and topological mechanics, with increasing integration of machine learning (2020-2024). His work spans nanostructure mechanics, metamaterial design, and energy storage optimization, demonstrating consistent innovation in theoretical frameworks for complex material systems. His scholarly recognition includes: World's Top 2% Scientist (Stanford University, Mechanical Engineering & Transports, since 2019) Outstanding Graduate Award, New Mexico State University (2017) Merit-Based Enhancement Fellowship, New Mexico State University (2017) Best Master's Thesis Award, Zagazig University (2013) Committed to academic service, Dr. Shaat serves on the editorial board of Scientific Reports and as Specialty Associate Editor for Frontiers in Mechanical Engineering. His extensive peer review for Nature, Nature Communications, and Applied Physics Letters reflects his field authority. While specific grant details aren't disclosed, his postdoctoral appointments and publication volume indicate successful research funding. His teaching includes Materials Engineering and Materials Laboratory courses, emphasizing hands-on student mentorship. Though laboratory infrastructure isn't explicitly detailed, his research scope suggests computational modeling expertise and likely collaboration with experimental teams for materials characterization in energy storage and metamaterials development.
Andrea Wollensak is Professor of Art at Connecticut College, where she has taught since 1993. She is an interdisciplinary artist and designer whose work explores the convergence of place, identity, and history through site-based artworks that combine new media technology with traditional design and fabrication. Her educational background includes a B.F.A. from the University of Michigan and an M.F.A. from Yale University. She has held visiting faculty positions at numerous institutions including the University of Gothenburg, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Concordia University, Rhode Island School of Design, and the Estonian Academy of Arts. Wollensak's research focuses on social design and place-based storytelling, employing collaboration with community partners, computer scientists, musicians, poets, and scientists. Her work addresses themes of place-based narratives, environment, and memory through forms including audio/video, interactive installations, data visualization, artist books, and digitally fabricated works. She examines how design can be used as a tool for social impact and civic participation. Her most recent projects include Mapping Your Journey to School (2023), which engages Estonian and Ukrainian refugee students in creative writing workshops; Water Stories: Visual Poetics and Collective Voices (2022), a year-long artist residency at the Anchorage Museum; and Open Waters (2019-2020), an interactive installation examining Arctic environmental change. U.S. Fulbright Scholar in Estonia (2023) Artistic Excellence Award in Digital Art from Connecticut Office of the Arts Artist residency at Hafnarborg Contemporary Art Museum in Iceland (2011) Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism Grants in New Media (2010, 2006) IASPIS International Artist Studio Program in Sweden (2007) Rockefeller Study and Conference Center residency (2000) Wollensak has advised numerous students in design and new media projects, often collaborating with community partners. She served as Director of the Ammerman Center for Arts and Technology at Connecticut College from 2014-2020 and currently serves on the Advisory Council of the Winterhouse Institute and the Advisory Board for Digital Media Connecticut. Her teaching emphasizes design as an interdisciplinary practice that prepares students to be creative problem solvers who can use design to create positive social impact. Her work has been exhibited internationally at venues including the Göteborg International Contemporary Art Biennial, Nova Scotia Art Gallery, Brno Design Biennial Moravian Gallery, Center for Visual Art in Denver, Brown University's Granoff Center Gallery, and the Burchfield Penney Arts Center in Buffalo.
Yepang Liu is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen, China. He leads the Software Quality Lab and serves as director of the Trustworthy Software Research Center within the Research Institute of Trustworthy Autonomous Systems. His educational background includes a B.Sc. with honors from Nanjing University (2010) and a Ph.D. from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (2015), where he was supervised by Prof. Shing-Chi Cheung. Prior to joining SUSTech, he worked as a postdoc at HKUST's CASTLE Lab and Cybersecurity Lab. Liu's research primarily focuses on software testing and analysis, empirical software engineering, AI for SE, software security, and trustworthy AI. His work bridges traditional software engineering with cutting-edge AI technologies, particularly in automated testing, security analysis, and quality assurance for mobile, blockchain, and extended reality applications. Recent projects explore how large language models can enhance bug detection, improve testing automation, and address fairness issues in machine learning systems. His contributions have been recognized with three ACM SIGSOFT Distinguished Paper awards (ICSE 2021, ASE 2016, ICSE 2014) and one Distinguished Artifact award (ICSE 2019). He has also received the ACM SIGSOFT Service Award and Distinguished Reviewer Award for his extensive service to the software engineering community. Top-10 Most Active Early-Stage Software Engineering Researcher (2013-2020) Top-10 Most Popular Instructor Among 2024 Undergraduate Graduates at SUSTech Junior Faculty of the Year (2021) SUSTech Teaching Excellence Award (2021) Outstanding Mentor Award (2020, 2024) Liu actively serves on the editorial boards of Empirical Software Engineering (EMSE) and Journal of Computer Science and Technology (JCST). He has participated in over 80 conference committees including leadership roles in ICSE, FSE, ASE, and ISSTA. His research is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key Research and Development Program, and leading Chinese IT companies. He regularly mentors PhD and MSc students and has guided multiple national competition award-winning teams. The Software Quality Lab under Liu's direction focuses on innovative approaches to software testing, security analysis, and quality assurance across various platforms including mobile, blockchain, and extended reality applications. Current projects emphasize the integration of AI techniques with traditional software engineering practices to address emerging challenges in software quality.
Timothy Harris is an Affiliated Lecturer at the University of Cambridge's Department of Computer Science and Technology, where he jointly teaches courses on multicore semantics and programming. Currently, he works at OpenAI, focusing on performance optimization for GPU inference of large language models, including the Azure OpenAI Service. Previously, he held roles at Microsoft, AWS, Oracle Labs, and was a faculty member at the University of Cambridge (2000–2004). His research spans distributed systems, runtime systems, operating systems, and high-performance computing, with an emphasis on scalability and performance. He contributed to projects like the Xen hypervisor and the Barrelfish research OS. Key research interests include distributed training of PyTorch models in the ONNX runtime, large-scale storage performance with Amazon S3, and runtime systems for in-memory graph analytics. His work often bridges 'big data' and high-performance computing techniques. Notable contributions include the book Transactional Memory (2010) and the Barrelfish OS, alongside numerous publications in top-tier conferences like SOSP, ASPLOS, and EuroSys. He has served as PC chair for ISMM 2025, VEE 2017, and EuroSys 2015, reflecting his leadership in the systems research community. His awards include a Best Paper Award at PACT 2010. Beyond academia, Harris is an avid hiker, aiming to complete the UK coastline, and maintains a photography portfolio at tlhphotography.uk .
Carlos Enrique Palau is a prominent researcher in the field of Internet of Things (IoT), edge computing, and cyber-physical systems. His work focuses on interoperability, security, and scalability in distributed systems, particularly in industrial and smart city applications. He has contributed to frameworks for cloud-edge continuum integration, blockchain-based IoT solutions, and federated computing architectures. Key areas of research include: IoT interoperability and semantic frameworks Edge computing and distributed workload management Cybersecurity for IoT and critical infrastructure Smart port logistics and real-time data analytics Cognitive services in legacy port management systems His recent work explores: Data-as-a-Product frameworks for Industry 4.0/5.0 Autonomous workload scheduling in energy-efficient edge-cloud systems Deception mechanisms for IoT security Self-* capabilities in cloud-edge nodes Palau has collaborated extensively with institutions like Universitat Politècnica de València and international partners in projects funded by EU initiatives. His research addresses practical challenges in industrial IoT deployments, smart city infrastructure, and emergency management systems.
Dr. Daniel Allen is a Lecturer in Human Geography at Keele University's School of Life Sciences, specializing in human-animal relations. An IUCN/SSC otter specialist, his research on otter conservation and dog theft informs policy and advocacy. He led an Environment Agency project on otter predation perceptions and founded the 'Pet Theft Reform' campaign, influencing UK legislation (Pet Abduction Act 2024). His research examines human-animal bonds, including dog theft impacts and mental health benefits. Current projects include 'No pets! Young people’s transitions to campus living,' funded by the Society for Companion Animals Studies. Teaching includes modules on Nature Conservation, Space and Society, More-than-human Geographies, and Animals and Society. He supervises PhD student Emma Randall on eco-therapy. Awards include the Daily Mirror’s Peoples Pet Awards Special Recognition (2021) and the PM’s Points of Light Award (2022). Publications emphasize spatial justice, animal advocacy, and policy impacts, with recent work on pet theft trends and human-animal bonds in crises.
Ciarán Mac an Bhaird is an Associate Professor of Business and Management at Dublin City University (DCU), within the Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge department. He holds a PhD from Trinity College Dublin, a B.Comm and LL.B from NUI Galway, and an M.Sc. in Finance from DCU. His academic role includes teaching and supervising PhD students focusing on enterprise policy, high-growth firm financing, and entrepreneurship education. Research interests span resourcing small firms, capital structure, alternative finance, and public policy for SMEs. He authored Resourcing Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (Springer-Verlag, 2010), launched by the Irish Minister for Enterprise. His work has been published in journals like Small Business Economics and Venture Capital . He chairs the Entrepreneurial Finance track at the Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Conference and serves as an associate editor for Research in International Business and Finance . Current PhD advisees include Simon Bridge, Nouf Alnasser, Batoul Batoulbanjar, and Sean O Reilly. Professional activities include contributions to policy reports for Enterprise Ireland and the Irish League of Credit Unions, and participation in the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Programme.
Jeffrey R. Errington is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University at Buffalo (SUNY). His research focuses on developing molecular simulation methods to study interfacial phenomena in complex fluids, including CO2 sequestration, enhanced oil recovery, and ionic liquid behavior. He holds a BS (1995) and PhD (1999) in Chemical Engineering from the University at Buffalo and Cornell University, respectively, and completed postdoctoral work at Princeton University. Education: BS, Chemical Engineering, University at Buffalo, 1995 PhD, Chemical Engineering, Cornell University, 1999 Research Interests: Computational methods for interfacial properties Molecular simulation of carbon capture and environmental systems Thermodynamic modeling of ionic liquids and nanomaterials Recent Work Trends: Recent articles emphasize advancing Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics techniques for studying fluid interfaces, with applications to energy storage, environmental engineering, and material science. Key themes include interfacial wetting, adsorption in nanoporous materials, and free-energy landscape analysis. Awards: NSF CAREER Award (2003) NYSTAR James D. Watson Investigator Award (2004) SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence (2016) UB Exceptional Scholar Awards (2005, 2014) Leadership & Service: Director of Undergraduate Studies (2006–2014) Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education (2014–2023) Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs (2023–2024) Chair, CoMSEF Forum (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) His research group actively collaborates on CACHE Corporation initiatives and develops educational tools for undergraduate researchers.
Professor Catherine Easton serves as Professor in Information Technology and Intellectual Property Law at Lancaster University's School of Law, with additional affiliations at Security Lancaster and the Centre for Law and Society. Her work bridges legal scholarship with practical technology implementation, focusing on digital inclusion and governance frameworks. Her research centers on internet governance, domain name regulation, intellectual property law, and accessibility for disabled users. She examines how legal frameworks interact with human-computer interaction systems, particularly in crisis response scenarios and educational technology. Her scholarship consistently addresses the tension between regulatory compliance and genuine digital inclusion, with special attention to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Her recent publications reveal growing emphasis on autonomous systems regulation, particularly regarding disability access in driverless vehicles, and ethical frameworks for cloud-based disaster response. The scholarly trajectory shows evolution from foundational website accessibility analysis toward complex systems governance in emerging technologies. Higher Education Academy International Scholarship recipient MMU Promising Researcher Fellow (2011) Co-chair of UN Internet Governance Forum's Internet Rights and Principles Dynamic Coalition Treasurer of British and Irish Law, Education and Technology Association Guest editor for Web Journal of Current Legal Issues Disability Special Edition Professor Easton actively develops legal education technologies, having created interactive teaching resources for major textbooks and pioneered clicker technology applications in law classrooms. She leads initiatives like the National Law Student Forum and has presented extensively on MOOCs and legal pedagogy. Her Security Lancaster affiliation connects her work to broader research on information transparency and crisis response ethics, where she examines big data's implications for inclusion and human rights.
Dr. Janet Walkoe is an Associate Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership at the University of Maryland. Her work focuses on mathematics education, particularly algebra teaching and learning, and the role of teacher noticing in responsive instruction. She holds a Ph.D. in Learning Sciences from Northwestern University (2013), an MS in Mathematics from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a BA in Mathematics from the University of Chicago. Before academia, she taught high school mathematics for a decade, earning National Board Certification. Her research emphasizes how teachers attend to student algebraic thinking during instruction and how pre-service teachers can develop noticing skills through video analysis. Key areas include teacher responsiveness, multimodal algebraic thinking, and computational thinking integration in mathematics education. She has led the NSF-funded CAREER grant (2020) exploring teacher noticing of student thinking, and co-authored influential works like Lenses for examining students’ mathematical thinking (2014), which earned an NCTM award. Notable Grants: NSF CAREER DRL 17-537 ($736,914), INFACT Subaward ($250k), Spencer Foundation Grant ($44k) Teaching: Courses include Interdisciplinary Teaching in Middle Grades (TLPL 423/424), Elementary Mathematics Education (EDCI 652), and Foundations of Mathematics Education (EDCI 751) Professional Development: Develops video-based tools for teacher reflection and computational thinking integration Walkoe advocates for culturally sustaining pedagogy and equity in teacher education. Her recent work bridges computational thinking with mathematics instruction, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to foster student engagement.
Noura Limam is a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Waterloo's Cheriton School of Computer Science. Her research spans network operations, with emphases on software-defined networking (SDN), 5G/6G architectures, network security, and autonomous network management. Recent work focuses on AI-driven solutions for encrypted traffic analysis, network slicing security, and satellite communication systems. She develops frameworks like Monarch for network slice monitoring and 5Guard for secure slicing. Contributions include blockchain-assisted authentication protocols, meta-reinforcement learning for threat mitigation, and novel handover mechanisms for non-terrestrial networks. Her publications demonstrate consistent innovation in making networks more adaptive, secure, and efficient.
Zakir Durumeric is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University, leading the Stanford Empirical Security Research Group. His research focuses on Internet security, trust, and safety, emphasizing large-scale network measurement and open-source tool development. He founded Censys, a platform providing global Internet device data, and maintains tools like ZMap, ZGrab, and Retina. Research interests include cybercrime prevention, censorship analysis, disinformation tracking, and platform governance for online harassment. Notable contributions include studies on the Mirai botnet, TLS certificate ecosystems, and vulnerabilities like Heartbleed and Logjam. Awards include the IRTF Applied Networking Research Prize (2015) and a Test of Time Award (2022). Teaches courses: CS155 (Computer & Network Security), CS356 (Systems & Network Security), and CS249i (Modern Internet). Advises over 20 students, including Catherine Han, Kimberly Ruth, and Liz Izhikevich. Develops open-source software such as ZMap Toolkit and ASdb, and maintains datasets like CrUX Top Million Websites. Recent work explores toxic online behavior, misinformation ecosystems, and regional censorship mechanisms in China. His lab’s tools are widely adopted in academia and industry for security research and policy guidance.
