Alison Slinskey Legg, Ph.D., is a Teaching Professor and Center Director at the University of Pittsburgh, specializing in expanding access to STEM education through large-scale interventions. She founded the Broadening Equity in STEM Center, a collective impact initiative bridging academic and professional sectors, and serves as Principal Investigator for the $10 million NSF INCLUDES ALLIANCE: STEM PUSH Network. Developed national network of pre-college STEM programs using improvement science Pioneered accreditation model for out-of-school STEM programs Created cross-program research on STEM student enrollment trends Her outreach initiatives include Pitt-Kits curriculum, mobile laboratories serving 10,000+ students annually, and teacher professional development programs. She co-created the PBS pilot Science Mission 101 , winning Pennsylvania Excellence in Broadcasting Award (2010). Recent research focuses on racial equity in STEM spaces, program quality standards, and pandemic-era educational continuity. Her work spans STEM education, equity frameworks, and interdisciplinary curriculum development. Notable awards include: Pennsylvania Excellence in Broadcasting Award for Children’s Programming (2010) Dr. Legg’s lab initiatives include the STEM PUSH Network, Gene Team summer research program, and a tri-state mobile laboratory network. She advocates for evidence-based practices in pre-college STEM education through scholarly publications and practitioner collaborations.
Elias Jarlebring is a Professor in Numerical Linear Algebra at the Department of Mathematics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm. He has held the position of Full Professor since 2021, following his tenure as Associate Professor (2013-2021) and Dahlquist Research Fellow (2011-2013). His research focuses on numerical analysis, numerical linear algebra, matrix computations, and scientific computing. Jarlebring develops linear algebra algorithms to solve problems from various fields including systems and control, acoustics, electromagnetics, data science, quantum mechanics, and quantum chemistry. He is a core developer of NEP-PACK, a scientific computing software package for nonlinear eigenproblems. His recent publications demonstrate significant contributions to computational methods for nonlinear eigenvalue problems, matrix functions, and parameterized linear systems. The research shows a clear trajectory toward increasingly complex applications in quantum computing, data science, and wave propagation problems. Project grant, Swedish research council (2019) Ruth och Nils-Erik Stenbäcks foundation, junior grant (2019) Göran Gustafsson Prize for junior researchers (2014) Project grant for junior researchers, Swedish research council (2014-2018) Professor Jarlebring has supervised numerous PhD students including Vilhelm Peterson Lithell, Gustaf Lorentzon, Siobhán Correnty, Parikshit Upadhyaya, Emil Ringh, Antti Koskela, and Giampaolo Mele. He has received multiple research grants from the Swedish Research Council and serves as editor for BIT Numerical Mathematics, Linear and Multilinear Algebra, NACO Numerical Algebra Control and Optimization, and CALCOLO. He is actively involved in the numerical linear algebra community as a member of ILAS (International Linear Algebra Society), GAMM Activity Group on Numerical Linear Algebra, and the Nordic Numerical Linear Algebra Association. He also contributes to open source projects, particularly in the Julia programming language ecosystem.
Ki-Woong Park is a tenure-track full Professor in the Department of Computer and Information Security at Sejong University. He leads the System Security and Computer Engineering Research (SysCore) Lab, which focuses on system security research with numerous ongoing projects funded by major Korean research institutions including IITP, NRF, and KRIT. Sejong University, Department of Computer and Information Security System Security and Computer Engineering Research (SysCore) Lab Leader Member of IEEE, IEEE Computer Society, and ACM Education: Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, KAIST (Advisor: Prof. Kyu-Ho Park) M.S. in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, KAIST (Advisor: Prof. Kyu-Ho Park) B.S. in Computer Science, Yonsei University (Summa Cum Laude) Exchange Student at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Professor Park's research focuses on designing, building, and analyzing secure systems, particularly for cloud computing, networked systems, and embedded systems. His work often involves reevaluating existing security mechanisms and actual system implementations with subsequent evaluation in real computing environments. He has made significant contributions to areas including cloud security, IoT security, ransomware detection, moving target defense, and metaverse security. His research approach emphasizes both theoretical foundations and practical implementation, with numerous publications in top-tier security and systems venues. His recent publications (2023-2024) demonstrate a strong focus on emerging security challenges in modern computing environments, particularly in metaverse platforms, UAV systems, and edge computing. These works span both theoretical security frameworks and practical implementations, with an emphasis on visualization techniques, hardware-based security mechanisms, and AI-enhanced security analysis. His research shows a clear progression from traditional cloud and network security toward next-generation security challenges in immersive virtual environments and cyber-physical systems. Scientific Awards: Microsoft Research Fellowship (2009-2010) Best Poster Gold Award at WISA 2020 Best Paper Award at MobiSec'18 Professor Park actively mentors numerous graduate and undergraduate students through the SysCore Lab, with current members including Ph.D. students, MS students, and undergraduate researchers. His research is supported by multiple significant grants, including the NRF Outstanding Researcher-Mid-career Researcher project, IITP Information Security Core Source Technology Development, and Defense Technology Advancement Research Institute projects. These grants total tens of billions of Korean won and address critical national security challenges in cyber defense, cloud security, and metaverse technologies. The SysCore Lab, under Professor Park's leadership, maintains a strong industry and government collaboration network, with part-time researchers from organizations including Hyundai Duty Free, Astron Security, Korea University, and various military cyber commands. This unique structure enables the lab to address both theoretical security challenges and practical implementation issues in real-world systems.
Jean-Pierre Fouque is a Professor in the Department of Statistics and Applied Probability (PSTAT) at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research focuses on stochastic processes, financial mathematics, systemic risk, and reinforcement learning, with a particular emphasis on mean field games and multi-scale stochastic models. He explores applications in portfolio optimization, risk management, and algorithmic finance. His work combines theoretical advancements in stochastic analysis with practical applications in economics and finance. Notable contributions include developing models for systemic risk in financial networks, analyzing reinforcement learning algorithms in mean-field frameworks, and studying stochastic volatility effects in derivatives pricing. Recent research trends include integrating deep learning techniques for systemic risk quantification, advancing multi-scale asymptotic methods for portfolio optimization, and investigating strategic interactions in financial systems using game-theoretic approaches. His publications frequently address topics such as stochastic volatility calibration, optimal investment strategies under uncertainty, and the dynamics of financial markets under stress scenarios. Dr. Fouque has contributed to foundational textbooks and edited volumes on systemic risk and mean field games. His interdisciplinary work bridges probability theory, mathematical finance, and computational methods, impacting both academic research and practical risk management practices.
Max Lau is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics and the Department of Epidemiology at Emory University. His research focuses on integrating machine learning and computational methods with epidemiological and genomic data to study infectious disease dynamics. He teaches courses such as BIOS 790R (Advanced Seminar in Biostatistics) and DATA 534 (Applied Machine Learning). Dr. Lau's work emphasizes scalable Bayesian inference, graph neural networks, and stochastic modeling to address challenges in disease transmission, outbreak control, and pathogen evolution. His recent research includes developing tools like ScITree and Epilearn, and he has contributed to understanding measles dynamics, tuberculosis treatment, and livestock disease management. His academic contributions span over 30 publications since 2010, with a particular focus on phylodynamics, epidemic modeling, and vaccine strategy evaluation. His interdisciplinary approach bridges computational methods with public health applications, aiming to enhance disease prediction and intervention efficacy.
Stanislaw Jarecki is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS) at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). He joined UCI in 2003 after earning his Ph.D. in Computer Science from MIT in 2001 under Prof. Shafi Goldwasser. His research focuses on applied and distributed cryptography, with significant contributions to threshold cryptography, secure computation, and password-authenticated key exchange (PAKE) protocols such as OPAQUE, which secures 2 billion WhatsApp users. He also worked at Intertrust’s StarLab and Stanford’s applied cryptography group under Prof. Dan Boneh. Education: Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2001. Research Interests: Distributed cryptography, secure multi-party computation, privacy-preserving protocols, threshold security, blockchain applications, and efficient cryptographic primitives. His work emphasizes practical solutions for real-world systems, including protocols resilient to server compromises and scalable encryption methods. Awards: 2023 IACR Fellow for contributions to distributed cryptography and efficient secure computation. Advising and Grants: Jarecki’s research has been supported by grants including NSF SaTC programs. He advises students on cryptographic protocol design and security mechanisms. His work on OPAQUE and CHIC protocols exemplifies his focus on bridging theoretical cryptography with practical implementation. Labs/Teams: Leads a research group focused on applied cryptography and security within ICS at UCI, collaborating on projects like secure computation, privacy-preserving data processing, and cryptographic protocol development.
Mohammadreza Karamad is an Assistant Professor in the School of Sustainable Energy Engineering at Simon Fraser University (SFU), with a joint appointment in the Sustainable Energy Engineering department. His research focuses on computational materials discovery, leveraging quantum-mechanical methods (e.g., DFT) and machine learning (ML) to design advanced energy materials for clean technologies like hydrogen storage and catalysis. He holds a Ph.D. from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and completed postdoctoral research at Stanford University. His academic background includes leadership roles in the CMD Lab (Computational Materials Discovery), where he explores novel materials for electrochemical energy conversion processes. Key research areas include electrochemistry, heterogeneous catalysis, and material science, with a particular emphasis on CO2 reduction, ammonia synthesis, and sustainable energy storage solutions. Dr. Karamad collaborates with industry and academic partners to advance materials discovery through high-throughput computational screening and AI-driven approaches. He actively seeks motivated students (undergraduate and graduate) to join his research program, focusing on developing next-generation energy materials. His lab is located in room B8220, and he can be reached at mkaramad@sfu.ca. Notable technical contributions include pioneering work on transition metal nitrides for CO2 reduction, single-atom catalysts for ammonia synthesis, and machine learning frameworks for predicting material properties. His research bridges fundamental theory with practical applications, addressing global challenges in sustainable energy and environmental technology.
Associate Professor Steven Lu is a faculty member at the University of Sydney Business School, serving as Deputy Head of Discipline (Education). He holds a PhD in Marketing from the University of Toronto, an MA in Economics from York University, and a BA from Nankai University. His research focuses on quantitative modeling, machine learning, and big data analytics applied to digital economy challenges such as digital retailing, search advertising, and blockchain. He co-directs the Consumer Insights Research Group and is affiliated with the Sydney Institute of Agriculture. Dr. Lu has published in top journals including Marketing Science , Production and Operations Management , and Journal of Retailing . His awards include the CNS Vithala Rao Award, ANZMAC Best Paper Awards (2022-2024), and the 2021 Vice Chancellor's Teaching Award. He teaches courses on machine learning in marketing, marketing research, and new product development. He leads research grants such as 'The Era of Mobile Payment' (2021) and 'Digital Transformation of Food Sensory Quality' (2017). His advising focuses on topics like neural recommender systems, e-coupon effectiveness, and heterogeneous treatment effects analysis.
Ran Spiegler is a Professor of Economics at both Tel Aviv University and University College London (UCL). He holds a PhD in Economics from Tel Aviv University (1999). His research focuses on economic theory, behavioral economics, and bounded rationality, with notable contributions to understanding decision-making under flawed causal reasoning, narrative-driven political and economic dynamics, and market behaviors influenced by limited consumer rationality. Spiegler has held roles including Member at the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton, 2000-2001) and Prize Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford (1999-2000). Education: PhD in Economics, Tel Aviv University (1999) Affiliations: Professorships at Tel Aviv University (2009–present) and UCL (2006–present) Research Interests: Spiegler’s work explores how bounded rationality shapes economic outcomes, including consumer decision-making, market competition, and the role of narratives in political mobilization. He has authored influential books like Bounded Rationality and Industrial Organization (2011) and The Curious Culture of Economic Theory (2024), which critique and expand economic theory’s methodologies. Recent Articles: His recent work examines topics such as false narratives in politics, monopolistic data practices, and competitive markets with imperfectly discerning consumers. These studies highlight interdisciplinary applications of economic theory to modern challenges like algorithmic transparency and platform economics. Awards: Prize Research Fellow, Nuffield College, Oxford (1999–2000) Grants & Labs: While specific grants are not detailed, his research is funded through institutional affiliations. He collaborates widely, with notable co-authors like Kfir Eliaz and Yair Antler.
Johanna Sumiala is a Professor of Media and Communication Studies at the University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Social Sciences. She holds a Docent title in Communication and leads research initiatives such as the Helsinki Inequality Initiative (INEQ) and the Helsinki Research Hub on Religion, Media and Social Change. Her expertise spans media anthropology, media and religion, visual culture, and media history. She has supervised doctoral candidates in Social Sciences and Theology, and her work bridges academic research with public engagement through media appearances and policy consultations. Education: Master of Arts (History of Ideas and Learning), University of Oulu, 1996 Licentiate in Philosophy, University of Jyväskylä, 2000 Doctor of Philosophy (Journalism), University of Jyväskylä, 2001 Docent of Communication, University of Helsinki, 2010 Research Interests: Her work examines digital death rituals, media’s role in religious populism, and the intersection of technology and existential security. Projects include Digital Death: Transforming History, Rituals and Afterlife and Mediatized Religious Populism . Grants & Collaborations: Funded by the Academy of Finland and EU CHANSE consortium, her research explores topics like hybrid media events, digital witnessing, and transnational Islam governance. She collaborates internationally with institutions like the London School of Economics and University of Bath. Labs/Teams: Leads the Helsinki Research Hub on Religion, Media and Social Change, focusing on digital religion’s methodological challenges and societal impacts.
Dr. Leon Barron is a Reader in Analytical & Environmental Sciences at the School of Public Health, Imperial College London. His expertise spans chemical contaminant analysis, wastewater epidemiology, and environmental forensics. He leads the Emerging Chemical Contaminants team within the Environmental Research Group, focusing on pharmaceuticals, PFAS, and illicit drugs. Education: BSc(Hons) in Analytical Science (2001), PhD in Analytical Chemistry (2005), and a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (2011). Previously held roles at King's College London as Lecturer (2009–2015) and Senior Lecturer (2015–2020). Research interests include trace environmental analysis (LC, GC, MS), chemical risk assessment, and wastewater-based epidemiology. Key projects include global drug use monitoring via sewage analysis and PFAS removal from drinking water. His work has produced over 100 peer-reviewed articles, with recent focus on PFAS accumulation, biochar filtration, and urban pollution source apportionment. Awards include Fellowships from Royal Society of Chemistry and Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. Supervises PhD students on topics like pesticide exposure, opioid monitoring, and machine learning in ecotoxicology. Collaborates internationally via initiatives like the Sewage Analysis CORE Group and NIHR HPRU in Environmental Exposures.
Bertram Müller-Myhsok is a Research Professor and Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich, Germany. His research focuses on statistical genetics and transcriptomic data analysis in psychiatric disorders, particularly major depression, PTSD, schizophrenia, and their treatment responses. He integrates machine learning with genetic and clinical data to develop predictive models and stratified treatment approaches. Professional activities include leadership roles in the International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry and collaborations with institutions like the Institut du Cerveau (Paris) and Bernhard Nocht Institute (Hamburg). His work spans genetic epidemiology, psychiatric genomics, and precision medicine, with over 400 publications in high-impact journals. Key research areas include identifying genetic risk factors for mental disorders, developing polygenic scores, and leveraging omics data to uncover disease mechanisms. He leads projects like Psych-STRATA, a Horizon Europe-funded initiative advancing personalized psychiatry through pharmacogenomics.
Song Ma is a Professor of Finance and Entrepreneurship at Yale School of Management and a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). He is also an affiliated faculty member at Yale Law School Center for the Study of Corporate Law and Yale SOM Program on Entrepreneurship, having joined Yale SOM Faculty in 2016. His educational background includes: PhD in Finance from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business (2016) BA in Economics from Zhejiang University (2010) Professor Ma's research primarily focuses on innovation economics, entrepreneurship, financial economics, AI, and big data. His work extends to corporate strategy, industrial organization, antitrust, labor, and business law. He has made significant contributions to understanding how innovation interacts with financial markets, corporate strategy, and competition policy, particularly through his influential 'Killer Acquisitions' paper which has been cited in Congressional antitrust reports and lawsuits against major tech companies. His recent publications demonstrate an interdisciplinary approach combining finance, economics, and data science methodologies. Many papers examine the intersection of innovation and corporate finance, with increasing incorporation of AI and big data techniques as seen in his video analysis research. His work shows evolution from traditional finance topics toward more policy-relevant research with real-world impact on antitrust regulation and innovation policy. Professor Ma has received numerous prestigious awards: 2023 Best Paper Award, China International Conference in Finance 2022 Best Paper on Competition Economics, Association of Competition Economics 2022 Jerry S. Cohen Award for Antitrust Scholarship 2021 GARP Best Paper in Risk Management Award 40 Under 40 Best Business School Professors by Poets & Quants (2021) Robert F. Lanzillotti Prize for Antitrust Economics (2020) Jensen Prize for Best Paper on Corporate Finance (2019) In teaching, Professor Ma delivers popular courses including 'Entrepreneurial Finance,' 'Venture Capital and Private Equity,' and 'Finance and the Society.' He co-organizes WEFI (Workshop on Entrepreneurial Finance and Innovation), a bi-weekly virtual research forum. His research has been referenced by major regulatory bodies worldwide including the FTC, EU Competition Commission, and UK Competition and Markets Authority, and featured in leading media outlets like Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Professor Ma actively incorporates new data science technologies into his empirical economic research, focusing on unstructured data analysis and machine learning applications.
Prof. Matt Pritchard is a Professor in Earth & Atmospheric Sciences at Cornell University, based at Snee Hall. His research focuses on volcanology, geodesy, and remote sensing, with a particular emphasis on using satellite data to monitor volcanic activity, deformation, and glacial interactions. He leads studies on global volcanic systems, including Indonesia's Semeru and Raung volcanoes, Chile's Cordón Caulle, and Bolivia's Uturuncu, applying techniques like InSAR, SAR, and thermal imaging. Key research interests include volcanic eruption dynamics, magma-hydrothermal systems, and the integration of multi-sensor datasets. He has contributed to developing tools like Hotspotter for automated volcanic thermal feature detection and has explored planetary volcanism (e.g., Venus). His work bridges geophysics, glaciology, and computational methods, addressing both Earth and extraterrestrial systems. Prof. Pritchard has received recognition such as the William Bowie Lecture (2022, 2023). His projects often involve international collaborations, including the CEOS Volcano Demonstrator initiative and the EarthDEM/ArcitcDEM projects. He also engages in geothermal energy research and seismic monitoring in Ithaca, NY.
Scott E. Denmark is the Reynold C. Fuson Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois, Department of Chemistry, within the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. He earned his S.B. from MIT (1975) and D.Sc. Tech. from ETH-Zürich (1980) under Albert Eschenmoser. His research focuses on synthetic organic chemistry, organoelement systems (Si, P, Sn, S, Li), palladium catalysis, and chemoinformatics. He has pioneered methods in asymmetric catalysis, total synthesis of natural products, and tandem cycloaddition reactions. Denmark chairs editorial boards for top journals and leads the Denmark Group, mentoring over 100 students. Awards include the Paracelsus Prize (2020), Noyori Prize (2019), and membership in the National Academy of Sciences (2018). Education: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1975 D.Sc. Tech., ETH-Zürich, 1980 (Advisor: Albert Eschenmoser) Research Interests: Design of new organic reactions and catalysts Structure-reactivity relationships in organoelement systems Total synthesis of alkaloids, polyenes, and glycosides Machine learning for catalyst optimization Asymmetric phase transfer catalysis Green chemistry using water-based systems Recent Research Trends: Recent work emphasizes indium-catalyzed allylations of carbohydrates (Nature, 2025) and chemoinformatics-driven catalyst design. Collaborations with MIT and industry (e.g., Pfizer, Amgen) highlight applied impact. Awards: Paracelsus Prize (2020) Ryoji Noyori Prize (2019) Member, National Academy of Sciences (2018) Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2017) Advising & Grants: Mentored 40+ PhD students and 60+ postdocs. Active in funding initiatives for chemoinformatics and sustainable catalysis. Recent grants include Pines Fellowship (2025) for student Matthew Albritton. Labs/Teams: Leads the Denmark Group at UIUC, known for interdisciplinary projects merging organic synthesis with computational methods. Collaborates globally, including with ETH-Zürich and Hiroshima University.
