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Mallory Elizabeth SoRelleView profile

Associate Professor

• Political Inequality
• Socioeconomic Inequality
• Consumer Financial Protection
• +5 more

Mallory Elizabeth SoRelle serves as the Tony & Teddie Brown Associate Professor at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy. Her research examines how public policies both stem from and perpetuate socioeconomic and political inequality in the U.S., with a focus on consumer financial protection and civil justice—issues critical to marginalized communities yet often neglected by welfare state scholars. Her academic credentials include: Ph.D. in Government, Cornell University (2016) M.A. in Government, Cornell University (2014) Master of Public Policy, Harvard University (2010) B.A. in Government, Smith College (2006) SoRelle's scholarly work centers on policy feedback effects, investigating how existing policies shape political behavior and future policy design. She analyzes consumer finance regulation, student debt relief, voting access reforms, and preemption politics, highlighting their disparate impacts on vulnerable populations and implications for democratic health. Her recent publications demonstrate a cohesive research agenda applying policy feedback theory across diverse policy domains. Key themes include the political consequences of financial regulation, the dynamics of student debt politics, and the erosion of voting rights, all examined through the lens of inequality and democratic participation. Dr. SoRelle holds the distinguished Tony & Teddie Brown Associate Professorship at Duke University. She is an active educator teaching courses such as The Political Economy of Policymaking and Public Policy, Political Power, and Social Change. Her research is supported by an NSF CAREER grant (2024-2029) investigating the political economy of fringe financial technologies and their impact on economic inequality.

Emma LeesView profile

Professor

• Environmental Law
• Property Law
• Land Law
• +5 more

Professor Emma Lees serves as Professor of Environmental and Property Law at the University of Cambridge, based in the Department of Land Economy with affiliation to the Law Faculty. She is a Fellow of Downing College and maintains connections with the Conservation Research Institute and Land Economy department at the David Attenborough Building, Cambridge. Her educational background includes an undergraduate Law degree (with French Law) from Brasenose College, Oxford (2009), an LLM by Research from the University of Dundee, and a PhD in Land Economy from the University of Cambridge (2013) supervised by Professor Martin Dixon. Lees' research spans environmental and property law with particular emphasis on biodiversity protection, contaminated land regulation, waste management, and planning law. Recent work explores the use of scientific information in environmental adjudication and transnational climate litigation. Her scholarship demonstrates a clear trend toward interdisciplinary analysis connecting legal theory with practical environmental governance challenges, especially regarding the precautionary principle and climate accountability. Richard Macrory Prize for Best Paper in the Journal of Environmental Law (2016) Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence Highly Commended (2016) She actively supervises PhD candidates including Farhana Hamid Butt and Gonzalo Vial Forcade, with recent graduates Giulio Corsi and Douglas Maxwell. Her teaching portfolio covers Land Law, Contract Law, Landlord and Tenant Law, and Environmental Law. Lees contributes to research centers CEENRG (Centre for Environment, Energy and Natural Resource Governance) and CCPL (Cambridge Centre for Property Law), focusing on property rights in environmental contexts.

Rebecca DiamondView profile

Professor

• Economics
• Urban Economics
• Public Policy
• +5 more

Rebecca Diamond is the Class of 1988 Professor of Economics at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, a Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), and holds a courtesy appointment in the Economics Department. Her research focuses on urban economics, housing policy, economic inequality, and labor markets. Key areas include analyzing rent control effects, gig economy dynamics, nutritional disparities, and spatial sorting of workers by skill. She advises doctoral students on topics like urban economics and public policy. Her work has been published in top journals such as the American Economic Review, Quarterly Journal of Economics, and Review of Economic Studies. Teaching responsibilities include courses on applied econometrics, public economics, and social insurance. She has been involved in doctoral training through practicums and independent studies. Her research has influenced policy debates on housing affordability, racial disparities in housing returns, and the impacts of high-skilled immigration on innovation. Positions: Professor of Economics (GSB), SIEPR Senior Fellow, Courtesy Professor (Economics) Key Research Themes: Urban policy, labor market inequality, gig economy, food deserts, rent control

• Urban Geography
• Equitable City Planning
• Public Spaces
• +4 more

Professor Kurt Iveson is a Professor of Urban Geography in the School of Geosciences at the University of Sydney. He is affiliated with the Sydney Environment Institute and Sydney Southeast Asia Centre. His research focuses on urban equity, public space governance, and the democratization of urban processes. Notable projects include studies on multicultural urban planning, pandemic-era mutual aid networks, and climate adaptation strategies. He has authored influential books such as Publics and the City (2007) and Everyday Equalities (2019). Iveson’s work often bridges theory and practice, addressing issues like affordable housing activism, graffiti policies, and the spatial implications of digital media. His recent research emphasizes community-led disaster resilience, people power strategies, and the geopolitics of urban infrastructure. Grants include studies on informal accommodation in Sydney and international comparisons of urban alliances. Media engagements include ABC discussions on outdoor advertising, vertical transport, and post-pandemic urban recovery. His work advocates for inclusive urban policies that balance equity, sustainability, and civic participation.

• Urban Planning
• Critical Urban Governance
• Indigenous Rights in Urban Planning
• +7 more

Professor Libby Porter is a leading academic and researcher in urban planning and human geography at RMIT University, Australia. As Director of the Centre for Urban Research (CUR) and Professor in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies (GUSS), her work focuses on critical urban governance, decolonising planning practices, Indigenous rights, and urban displacement. She holds a prestigious position as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has contributed extensively to international policy debates through her role as Assistant Editor for Planning Theory and Practice . Her research examines settler-colonial dynamics in urban development, public housing policy, and the intersection of planning with Indigenous sovereignty. Notable publications include Unlearning the Colonial Cultures of Planning (2010) and Planning in Indigenous Australia (2018). Libby has held academic roles in the UK and Australia and previously worked in urban planning policy for Victorian Government departments. She supervises students in Honours, Masters, and PhD programs, focusing on topics like Indigenous housing, urban displacement, and environmental policy. Her work has been featured in The Conversation , BBC News, and academic journals. Libby also leads the Critical Urban Governance Research Program and oversees the Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning at RMIT. Awards: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Key Roles: Director, Centre for Urban Research; Co-founder, Planners Network UK; Member, Expert Advisory Panel for Melbourne 2030 Research Themes: Property rights, urban sustainability, decolonisation, Indigenous planning, gentrification

Daniel MatlinView profile

Associate Professor

• African-American History
• Intellectual History
• History of Race
• +7 more

Dr. Daniel Matlin is a Reader (equivalent to Associate Professor) in the History of the United States since 1865 at King's College London, affiliated with the Faculty of Arts & Humanities and the Department of History. He joined King's in 2012 after previous academic positions at Queen Mary University of London (as Leverhulme Early Career Fellow) and Cambridge University, where he served as Director of Studies at the Centre for History and Economics. His research examines the intersection of race, intellectual life, and urban space in 20th-century America, with specializations in: African-American intellectual/cultural history Civil rights and Black Power movements Historical constructions of race and Black diasporic identity Urban history (particularly Harlem and New York City) Jazz history and cultural expression Publication analysis reveals consistent focus on Harlem as both physical space and cultural symbol, with interdisciplinary approaches bridging history, visual culture, musicology, and urban studies. His works critically analyze racial representation, community formation, and the politics of space. Awards & Honors: Arthur Miller Centre First Book Prize for On the Corner: African American Intellectuals and the Urban Crisis Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship He actively supervises PhD students in African-American history, civil rights, black nationalist thought, and 20th-century cultural history. Grant-funded projects include 'Race Capital? Harlem as Place and Symbol since 1900.' Matlin engages extensively with public history through lectures at institutions like the National Theatre and Black Cultural Archives.

• Legal Education
• Real Estate Law
• Banking Law
• +3 more

Robert W. Brown serves as President, CEO, and COO of the University of West Los Angeles (UWLA), leading its School of Law and School of Business. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State University, Los Angeles (1974) and a Juris Doctor from UCLA (1977). A licensed attorney since 1977, he has 43 years of expertise in real estate and banking law, advising Fortune 100 institutions on transactions exceeding $10 billion. His career spans roles as General Counsel at Sears Savings Bank, Vice President at City National Bank, and arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association. He has handled major transactions, including a $2.2 billion sale of Sears Savings Bank assets and the transition of Security Pacific National Bank’s real estate portfolio to Bank of America. Brown also serves as a Probate Referee in Orange County and contributes to CEB publications on commercial leasing. Brown’s leadership at UWLA has driven its growth into one of the largest State Bar-accredited law schools, expanding into international partnerships with institutions in China, India, Mexico, and Africa. He is a frequent lecturer on real estate and banking, and his accolades include multiple Hall of Fame inductions.

Bruce GrohsgalView profile

Professor

• Bankruptcy Law
• Business Restructuring
• Student Loan Discharge in Bankruptcy
• +4 more

Bruce Grohsgal serves as the Helen S. Balick Professor in Business Bankruptcy Law at Widener University Delaware Law School, where he joined the faculty in July 2014 after over 30 years of legal practice. His primary academic affiliation is with Widener University's Law School, where he teaches Bankruptcy, Contracts I and II, Secured Transactions, International Bankruptcy, and Financial Regulation. Prior to academia, he practiced at Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones, LLP in Wilmington, Delaware, representing major entities in high-profile bankruptcy cases including Solyndra, Global Home Products, and Trans World Airlines. Professor Grohsgal's research focuses on bankruptcy law with particular expertise in business restructuring, student loan dischargeability, and financial institution insolvency. His work critically examines the absolute priority rule, structured dismissals, and the legislative history behind student loan nondischargeability. He has extensively analyzed how bankruptcy courts handle debtor-creditor agreements, lease rejections, and the recharacterization of debt claims as equity. His scholarship consistently bridges theoretical legal analysis with practical restructuring challenges faced by practitioners. As Editor-in-Chief of the Norton Journal of Bankruptcy Law and Practice and the Norton Annual Survey of Bankruptcy Law, Grohsgal significantly influences bankruptcy scholarship. His recent publications (2020-2023) demonstrate a concentrated focus on student loan bankruptcy discharge mechanisms, evolving interpretations of the absolute priority rule, and procedural innovations in Chapter 11 cases. The articles reveal growing scholarly attention to consumer bankruptcy issues within traditionally corporate-focused bankruptcy scholarship. Professor Grohsgal actively engages with policy development through congressional testimony, including written submissions for H.R. 1667 (Financial Institution Bankruptcy Act of 2017). He directs the Institute of Delaware Corporate and Business Law and previously chaired the Delaware State Bar Association's Bankruptcy Section. His practical experience informs his academic work, particularly regarding first-day motions, asset sales in bankruptcy, and derivatives treatment in insolvency proceedings.

Reeve HustonView profile

Associate Professor

• U.S. political history
• History of capitalism
• Global/comparative history of capitalism
• +7 more

Reeve Huston is an Associate Professor of History at Duke University's Arts & Sciences school. His scholarship focuses on U.S. political history and the history of capitalism, with particular emphasis on the evolution of democratic practices and land distribution conflicts during the Antebellum period. Ph.D. in History from Yale University (1995) B.A. and M.A. from Wesleyan and Yale Universities His research examines: Two-party democracy formation (1790s-1840s) Land policy conflicts in early America Democratization processes and competing political practices Global capitalism history frameworks Recent publications analyze: Jacksonian democracy's institutional foundations Land policy's role in political development Democratization debates during political transitions Key honors include: 1999 Dixon Ryan Fox Prize 2000 Theodore Saloutos Prize His teaching employs flipped classroom models with emphasis on discussion-based learning.

• Civil Law
• Intellectual Property Law
• Information Law
• +3 more

Mustafa Aksu is a Professor at Istanbul University's Faculty of Law, Department of Civil Law. His research spans Civil Law , Intellectual Property Law , Information Law , and EU Legal Harmonization . He has advised 26 theses and published extensively on digital rights, family law, and obligations law. Research Interests: Focus on AI and law, copyright exhaustion in digital markets, EU-Turkey legal alignment, domain name regulation, and protection of computer programs. Publications: Recent works include AI's legal frameworks (2023), medical informatics law (2021), and digital exhaustion doctrine (2016). His research emphasizes cross-border IP enforcement and EU court precedents. Contact: Email aksum@istanbul.edu.tr | Office: Hukuk Fakültesi Binası, İkinci Kat, Oda No: 38, Beyazıt, Istanbul, Turkey.

Meredith GreifView profile

Academic

• Homelessness
• Housing Policy
• Urban Inequality
• +5 more

Meredith Greif is an Assistant Research Professor of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University, specializing in the intersection of race, space, and housing. Her work examines systemic inequities in housing policy and their impacts on marginalized communities, particularly through the lens of landlord-tenant dynamics and urban housing crises. Education: PhD in Sociology from Pennsylvania State University. Her research focuses on homelessness, urban inequality, racial stratification, and mental health, with a particular emphasis on how housing insecurity perpetuates racial and economic disparities. She has published extensively on topics including administrative burdens in housing voucher programs, unintended consequences of tenant protection laws, and global urban health challenges in contexts like Accra and Nairobi. Her 2022 book Collateral Damages: Landlords and the Urban Housing Crisis analyzes how legal systems fail vulnerable renters and exacerbate urban crises. Current research explores neighborhood satisfaction, mental health outcomes linked to housing instability, and racial segregation mechanisms in housing markets. Key themes in her work include policy evaluation, structural inequality, and interdisciplinary approaches to urban studies. No specific grants or advising roles are detailed in the provided materials.

David HoffmanView profile

Professor

• Contract Law
• Interdisciplinary Legal Studies
• Form Contracts
• +5 more

David Hoffman is the William A. Schnader Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. His research focuses on contract law, combining interdisciplinary approaches with empirical evidence. He previously taught at Temple Law School (2005–2017) and practiced at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. Hoffman holds a JD from Harvard Law School and a BA in Archaeology and History from Yale University. Education: JD, Harvard Law School BA in Archaeology and History, Yale University Research Interests: Hoffman explores form contracts, blockchain transactions, AI applications in legal interpretation, and the societal impacts of contractual practices. His work on residential leases led to the Philadelphia Fair Lease Project with students. Recent projects include analyzing non-disclosure clauses and the effects of evictions linked to court delays. Key Contributions: Model lease development for Philadelphia Studies on form contracts' societal costs Analysis of arbitration clauses in consumer agreements Blockchain transactional frameworks Awards: Harvey Levin Teaching Award (2018) Temple Law Outstanding Professor Award (2013) Advising & Grants: Advised on NFL concussion litigation (MDL-2323) and National Opioid Settlements. Collaborates frequently with students on empirical legal projects. Active in public commentary on contract law via media and Twitter. Labs/Teams: Leads interdisciplinary research teams at Penn Carey Law, focusing on contract law reform and technology integration.

David WisemanView profile

Associate Professor

• Access to Justice
• Social and Economic Human Rights
• Legal Education
• +5 more

David Wiseman is an Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Law, currently on academic leave (2025-26). He holds degrees from Monash University (B.Ec./LL.B Hons), University of Toronto (LL.M, S.J.D), and specializes in access to justice, social/economic human rights, and housing rights. His teaching includes Property Law, Trusts, and experiential learning courses like the A2J Lab. B.Ec./LL.B (Hons), Monash University LL.M., University of Toronto S.J.D., University of Toronto Research focuses on using smart legal forms and regulatory sandboxes to enhance access to justice, particularly for low-income communities. He has explored roles of non-lawyers in community legal assistance and regulatory changes in Canada and global jurisdictions. Professor Wiseman has served as Vice-Dean (Academic) for the English Common Law Program (2021-2024), Academic Director for Experiential and Clinical Learning (2024-25), and President of the Canadian Association of Law Teachers (2017-2019). He has also contributed to legal reform in Canada and Australia through government submissions and UN advocacy. Scientific Awards: Professor of the Year, Windsor Law Students' Association (2004) His career spans roles at the National Judicial Institute, University of Windsor, and Monash University, with board service at community legal clinics in Melbourne and Ottawa. He has authored works on paralegals in landlord-tenant disputes, judicial competence in Charter litigation, and refugee status determination systems.

Kuni KamizakiView profile

Assistant Professor

• Urban Transformation
• Housing Inequality
• Community Land Trusts (CLTs)
• +4 more

Kuni Kamizaki is an Assistant Professor and Admissions Chair at the School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), University of British Columbia. He holds a Ph.D. in Planning from the University of Toronto (2022). His research focuses on urban transformation in global cities, emphasizing displacement, housing inequality, and community-led alternatives for social and racial justice. He has conducted fieldwork in Tokyo (Japan) and collaborated with community land trusts in Toronto and Vancouver. Education Background: Ph.D. in Planning, University of Toronto, 2022 Research Interests: Kuni’s work adopts a multi-scalar approach to study urban decline in post-growth Japan (e.g., Tokyo’s population decline and aging crisis) and explores CLTs as anti-displacement tools. He emphasizes participatory action research with grassroots organizations like Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust and Downtown Eastside Community Land Trust. His research bridges theory and practice, aiming to inform equitable urban policies. Awards and Recognition: 2023 Urban Affairs Association’s Janet Smith Emerging Activist Scholar Research Award Metcalf Foundation Fellow (2024) analyzing Toronto’s Parkdale CLT history Teaching and Collaboration: Kuni teaches courses on housing justice and urban planning. He actively engages with non-profits in Metro Vancouver through UBC’s Balanced Supply of Housing project. He is a member of Planners Network, advocating for socially just planning practices. Labs/Initiatives: Collaborates with Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust (Toronto) and Downtown Eastside Community Land Trust (Vancouver), contributing to housing justice advocacy and policy development.

• Sociology of Ideas
• Theoretical Sociology
• Political Sociology
• +3 more

Rutledge M. Dennis is a Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at George Mason University. He holds a B.A. in Social Science and Sociology from South Carolina State University, an M.A., and Ph.D. in Sociology from Washington State University. His research focuses on the sociology of ideas, political sociology, race and ethnic studies, urban communities, and the works of W.E.B. Du Bois. He previously served as the first Coordinator of African American Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University and was a past president of the Association of Black Sociologists. Dr. Dennis’s academic contributions include over 50 peer-reviewed articles and edited volumes. His work spans theoretical sociology, Black masculinities, social movements like Black Lives Matter, and critical analyses of systemic racism. Notable publications include The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Race, Ethnicity, and Nationalism (2020) and Reimagining Black Masculinities (2020). Awards: Sigma Rho Sigma Research Award, Joseph S. Himes Distinguished Scholarship Award, and the ASA DuBois-Johnson-Frazier Award. Teaching: Courses on race relations, urban sociology, and sociological theory. His research emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to understanding racialized power structures, with a focus on marginalized communities. Current projects explore the legacy of W.E.B. Du Bois and modern applications of his theories of double consciousness and dual marginality.