Darryl Jones is Professor at Griffith University's Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, specializing in behavioral ecology and human-wildlife interactions. His research examines urban ecosystems, wildlife conflict resolution, and conservation strategies, with particular emphasis on bird ecology and road infrastructure impacts. Professor Jones has authored influential books including 'Feeding the Birds at Your Table' and 'A Clouded Leopard in the Middle of the Road' that bridge scientific research and public engagement. His work explores: Wildlife responses to urbanization Bird feeding practices and consequences Road ecology and mitigation design Human dimensions of conservation Koala-vehicle collision patterns Recent publications document COVID-19's impact on global bird feeding behaviors, analyze 20-year trends in koala road mortality, and evaluate LED streetlight effects on urban wildlife. He leads research on dingo population viability in Fraser Island and develops innovative wildlife monitoring technologies like the open-source WildWID RFID system. Professor Jones collaborates extensively with government agencies on conservation policy and has secured funding for projects examining wildlife crossing infrastructure effectiveness. His research informs evidence-based approaches to human-wildlife coexistence in rapidly changing landscapes.
Josh Seim is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Boston College, affiliated with the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences. His work focuses on the sociologies of work, medicine, welfare, punishment, pedagogy, and ethnographic methods. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and has published widely in top journals including *American Sociological Review* and *Social Problems*. Education: B.A., Gonzaga University M.S., Portland State University Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley Research Interests: His research explores how institutions like healthcare systems, welfare offices, and penal institutions interact with urban poverty. Recent projects include studies on ambulance crews’ labor processes, welfare bureaucracy, and post-prison labor. His writing also emphasizes pedagogical innovation in sociology teaching and ethnographic methodological rigor. Key themes include the governance of suffering, medical labor, and carceral systems. Publications & Books: Bandage, Sort, and Hustle: Ambulance Crews on the Front Lines of Urban Suffering (UC Press, 2020) The Welfare Assembly Line: Public Servants in the Suffering City (forthcoming UC Press, 2026) Teaching: Sociology 7715: Classical Sociological Theory (graduate) Sociology 7716: Contemporary Sociological Theory (graduate)
Olga Sorkine-Hornung is a Professor of Computer Science at ETH Zurich and head of the Institute of Visual Computing. She leads the Interactive Geometry Lab, focusing on theoretical and practical advancements in digital content creation, geometry processing, and shape modeling. Current position: ETH Zurich, Department of Computer Science Previous roles: Courant Institute (NYU), Technical University of Berlin Education: BSc and PhD from Tel Aviv University, postdoc at TU Berlin Her research spans shape representation, digital fabrication, computer animation, and fundamental geometry processing. Key contributions include Laplacian surface editing, as-rigid-as-possible deformation, and generalized winding numbers. She works on applications in VR, AR, and autonomous systems. Awards include Test of Time Awards (2024), ACM Fellow (2020), ERC Consolidator Grant (2020), and EUROGRAPHICS Young Researcher Award (2008). She has supervised numerous students and co-developed software libraries like libigl and Instant Meshes . Co-chair roles for SIGGRAPH, Eurographics, and Pacific Graphics Editorial board member for ACM Transactions on Graphics and other journals Keynote speaker at VMV, CVPR, and SIAM conferences Her work bridges mathematical rigor with practical implementation, advancing computer graphics and geometry processing through intuitive algorithms that maintain surface detail while enabling efficient computation.
Steven Jackson is a Professor of Information Science and Science and Technology Studies at Cornell University's Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, with additional graduate field appointments in Communication and Public Affairs. Since July 2023, he has served as Vice-Provost for Academic Innovation at Cornell, and previously held leadership positions as Chair of Information Science and Dean of William Keeton House. His work bridges academic research with significant institutional leadership in higher education innovation. Dr. Jackson's research focuses on critical intersections of technology, society, and the environment, with three primary strands: technology ethics, law and policy; maintenance, repair and sustainability; and technology, inequality and global development. His work draws from American pragmatism, political economy, and science and technology studies, integrating methods from sociology, anthropology, philosophy, and media studies. He is particularly interested in how computing practices meet social and material worlds, with implications for infrastructure, collaboration, sustainability, and cultural practice. His recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on repair as both theoretical concept and practical methodology, exploring 'ordinary hope' as a framework for technological engagement and examining unmaking as a necessary counterpart to design. The research spans diverse geographical contexts from the global North to South, addressing caste dynamics in computing, digital authoritarianism, and infrastructure challenges in developing contexts. Dr. Jackson has received significant recognition including an NSF CAREER award and more than twenty paper awards at leading computing and information science venues. His research has been supported by major organizations including the U.S. National Science Foundation, Social Science Research Council, Ford Foundation, Sloan Foundation, World Bank, Intel Research, Atkinson Center for Sustainability, and the Canadian Social Science and Humanities Research Council. As an advisor, Dr. Jackson has mentored numerous graduate students who have gone on to prominent positions at institutions worldwide. He currently advises Jen Liu, Amy Cheatle, Daniel Mwesigwa, Johan Michalove, and Ritik Batra, while his former students include Palashi Vaghela (Assistant Professor at Simon Fraser University), Samir Passi (Responsible AI Researcher at Microsoft), Maggie Jack (Assistant Professor at NYU), and Ranjit Singh (Senior Researcher at Data and Society). Dr. Jackson convenes the Computing On Earth Lab, an experimental collaboration bringing together social scientists, humanists, artists, and engineers to rethink the material and planetary foundations of computing. The lab reflects his commitment to interdisciplinary approaches that address computing's environmental impacts and sustainability challenges.
Gianluca Iaccarino is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University and the Robert Bosch Chairholder. He serves as Director of the PSAAP Center and leads large-scale computational research initiatives in uncertainty quantification, exascale computing, and multiphysics simulations. His academic journey includes a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Politecnico di Bari (2005), postdoctoral work at Stanford's Center for Turbulence Research, and progression from Research Engineer to full Professor. Education : PhD (Politecnico di Bari), MS/BS in Aeronautical Engineering (University of Naples) Research : Computational engineering, turbulence modeling, uncertainty quantification, biomedical fluid dynamics, and exascale-ready algorithms Publications : 15+ recent articles focus on turbulence modeling, data-driven simulations, and uncertainty quantification across diverse applications in aerospace, biomedical, and energy systems Awards : PECASE (2010), APS Fellow (2019), multiple best paper awards (AIAA, ASME), Terman Fellow (2007) Students : Advises doctoral and master's students in mechanical engineering and computational methods Leadership : Director of PSAAP Center (2014-present), Chair of Mechanical Engineering Department (2024-present)
Prof. Dr. Claudine Moulin is a Full Professor of Historical Linguistics at the Department of German Studies, University of Trier. She co-directs the Trier Center for Digital Humanities and serves as Vertrauensdozentin der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft. With academic roots in Brussels and Bamberg, she completed her PhD in 1990 and Habilitation in 1999 at the University of Bamberg. Her research spans medieval and early modern languages, manuscript studies, digital humanities, and Luxembourgish linguistics. As a leading scholar in historical linguistics, Moulin's work explores urban language history, phraseology, and cultural knowledge transmission through manuscripts. She has directed major digital humanities projects like LexicoLux and Cartul@rium, while pioneering digital codicology methods for medieval texts. Her research combines traditional philology with computational approaches. Her academic accolades include the Akademiepreis Rheinland-Pfalz (2010), Landesverdienstorden (2014), and the Verdienstkreuz am Bande (2025). She has held visiting professorships at Sorbonne, EHESS Paris, and EPHE, and received fellowships from the Humboldt Foundation and European Science Foundation. Notable Academic Roles: Co-founder and Chair of DHd (Digital Humanities in German-speaking countries) Founding member of Trier Center for Language and Communication Member of German Historical Institute Paris scientific board Advisory positions at Austrian Center for Digital Humanities and Herzog August Bibliothek Her editorial leadership includes chief editorship of Sprachwissenschaft journal and co-editorship of Germanistische Bibliothek monograph series. She has mentored over 40 graduate students in topics ranging from medieval marginalia to urban language studies.
K. Michael Hays is the Eliot Noyes Professor of Architectural Theory at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design (GSD) and Co-Director of the Master in Design Studies program. He has been a faculty member since 1988, specializing in architectural history and theory. His research focuses on European modernism, critical theory, and contemporary architectural practice, with notable contributions to the field through writings on figures like Mies van der Rohe and Peter Eisenman. Education: He holds a Bachelor of Architecture (1976) from Georgia Institute of Technology, a Master of Architecture in Advanced Studies (1979) from MIT, and a PhD in History, Theory, and Criticism of Architecture and Art (1990) from MIT. Research Interests: Hays is renowned for founding the journal Assemblage , a pivotal forum for architectural theory. His work bridges historical analysis and contemporary practice, emphasizing theoretical frameworks for understanding modernism and its evolution. He has curated exhibitions at institutions like the Whitney Museum of American Art (as its first Adjunct Curator from 2000–2009). Publications: His authored and edited works include Architecture's Desire , Inscriptions: Architecture Before Speech , and critical studies on architects such as Buckminster Fuller and Diller + Scofidio. These publications explore themes of representation, modernist aesthetics, and interdisciplinary design. Awards and Roles: While no specific awards are listed, his academic leadership roles include Chair of the GSD PhD Committee (1995–2005) and Director of Advanced Independent Study Programs. He has also served on editorial boards for journals like Assemblage and Thresholds . Labs and Collaborations: Hays collaborates with academic and institutional partners, notably through curatorial projects and his role in shaping the GSD's theoretical curriculum. His influence extends to both pedagogical innovation and scholarly discourse in architectural education.
Emre Caglayan is an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for Film Studies at the American University of Paris (AUP). He holds a PhD in Film Studies from the University of Kent (2014) and an MA in Film and Television from Istanbul Bilgi University (2009). His research focuses on global art cinema, slow cinema aesthetics, and the intersection of cinematic form with embodied experiences like walking. Caglayan’s work explores how cinema shapes lived experiences through close analyses of film texts and their cultural contexts. Key research interests include the affective qualities of film sound, urban space representations, and ethical dimensions of political filmmaking. His monograph Poetics of Slow Cinema: Nostalgia, Absurdism, Boredom (Palgrave, 2018) is a seminal work in slow cinema studies. He currently investigates walking as an artistic practice linked to cinema, curating film seasons and designing participatory walking activities. Caglayan teaches courses on film theory, international cinema, and cinematic history at AUP. His work has been published in journals like Quarterly Review of Film and Video , Projections , and Jump Cut , with recent contributions on Turkish cinema and film/music intersections.
Dr James Helal is the Assistant Dean for Sustainability and a Lecturer in Construction Management at the Melbourne School of Design (MSD), University of Melbourne. His research focuses on integrating life cycle assessment and computational tools into the structural design of tall buildings, emphasizing embodied carbon reduction. He is recognized for developing software frameworks that automate environmental impact analysis in early-stage structural design. Dr Helal teaches materials, structures, and life cycle assessment in construction management. His pedagogical excellence has earned prestigious awards, including the Edward Brown Award for Teaching Excellence. He coordinates the construction major in the Bachelor of Design program. His research addresses structural optimization, tall building sustainability, and environmental flows. Key contributions include frameworks for reducing carbon emissions in tall building design and critiques of decorative architectural elements' environmental impact. Awards: Structures Best Research into Practice Prize (Institution of Structural Engineers) Open Award for Excellence in Teaching (Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning) Edward Brown Award for Teaching Excellence (University of Melbourne) Advising & Grants: Coordinates construction curriculum but no explicit student advisee list is provided in texts. His work aligns with sustainability-focused research grants. Labs/Teams: Engaged with MSD’s Future Cities Practice and Construction Innovation initiatives.
University Medical Center Hamburg-EppendorfGermany
Syed Hani Hassan Abidi is an Associate Professor at the Department of Biomedical Sciences , School of Medicine , Nazarbayev University , Kazakhstan. His research integrates virology , immunology , viral oncology , and bioinformatics , with a focus on HIV molecular epidemiology , viral evolution , and drug resistance . He has led international projects across Pakistan, Kenya, Afghanistan, and Kazakhstan, and is recognized for innovative teaching and MOOC development. Education: PhD in Virology and Immunology Research Interests: His laboratory employs bioinformatics (machine learning, AI), genomics , and proteomics to study HIV phylodynamics , viral co-infections , and oncogenic viruses like EBV in prostate cancer. He also explores microbiome-immunity interactions and designs antiviral drugs/vaccines . Recent Research Trends: His 2025 publications emphasize COVID-19 immunopathology , HIV/syphilis epidemiology in Pakistan , and particle physics contributions via ATLAS , showcasing interdisciplinary impact. Awards & Recognition: Outstanding Teachers Award (2019, Aga Khan University) Fellowship of Higher Education (UK, 2022) Teaching & Grants: He pioneered Pakistan’s first MOOC on Computer-Based Drug Discovery (2014) and received a 2022 SoTL grant for MOOC-based molecular biology education. His teaching integrates animations , films , and flipped classrooms . Collaborations & Labs: Leads projects on HIV drug resistance , HCV genomics in Kazakhstan , and AI-driven dementia diagnostics (Kazakh Brain Atlas). His lab collaborates with global institutions to advance viral disease surveillance and therapeutic innovation .
Wendy Ju is an Associate Professor of Information Science at Cornell Tech, with appointments in the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. Previously, she served as executive director of interaction design research at Stanford University's Center for Design Research and as an associate professor of interaction design at the California College of the Arts. Her work bridges human-computer interaction, design, and robotics with a focus on how interactive devices can communicate with people without interrupting them. PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University Master's degree in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT Professor Ju's research centers on implicit interactions, human-robot collaboration, and automotive interfaces. She investigates how people interact with automated systems in natural contexts, develops methods for early-stage prototyping of autonomous technologies, and examines the social implications of robotics in urban environments. Her work spans from theoretical frameworks to practical applications, with particular emphasis on designing systems that integrate seamlessly into human activities without demanding constant attention. Her recent publications reveal a strong trajectory toward understanding human-robot interaction in public urban spaces, with increasing focus on robot navigation in city streets, the social implications of autonomous vehicles, and the integration of generative AI in design processes. Her work consistently bridges theoretical HCI frameworks with practical applications in transportation, urban design, and everyday robotics. Inducted into the ACM SIGCHI Academy (2025) Multiple Honorable Mention Awards at ACM CHI and DIS conferences Best Paper Award at Multimodal Technologies and Interaction (2023) Best Student Paper Award at IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium (2017) Best Demonstration Award at HRI (2017) Professor Ju actively mentors numerous PhD and master's students, many of whom have become leading researchers in HCI and robotics. Her research has been supported by significant grants from NSF and industry partners, enabling extensive field studies of human-robot interaction in real-world settings. She has pioneered methodologies for studying autonomous vehicle interactions through both simulated and naturalistic driving environments. Her work with the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute supports interdisciplinary research at the intersection of computing, design, and urban technology. She has established research partnerships with transportation authorities, automotive companies, and urban planning organizations to study how emerging technologies can enhance urban mobility while respecting human needs and social contexts.
Sarah Billington is the UPS Foundation Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University and a Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment. Her research program focuses on sustainable building design, human wellbeing, and ethical supply chain practices. Education: PhD, University of Texas at Austin, Structural Engineering (1997) MSE, University of Texas at Austin, Structural Engineering (1994) BSE, Princeton University, Civil Engineering & Operations Research (1990) Her lab employs interdisciplinary methods to study how built environments impact human physical, psychological, and social wellbeing. Current projects include developing tools to quantify nature exposure in buildings, exploring affordable housing's role in wellbeing, and using AI to assess forced labor risks in material supply chains. While no longer active in this area, her group previously pioneered research on sustainable construction materials like bio-based composites and ductile cement-based composites. Her recent publications address topics such as nature integration in architecture, workplace design optimization, and health impacts of building materials. The Billington Lab at Stanford fosters collaborative team science, welcoming partnerships to advance occupant-centric engineering solutions.
Brian Y. Lim is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the National University of Singapore (NUS), leading the NUS Ubicomp Lab. His research integrates Explainable AI (XAI) , Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) , and Ubiquitous Computing to address societal challenges in healthcare , wellness , and urban sustainability . He holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Human-Computer Interaction from Carnegie Mellon University and a B.S. in Engineering Physics from Cornell University. Education: B.S., Engineering Physics, Cornell University M.S., Human-Computer Interaction, Carnegie Mellon University Ph.D., Human-Computer Interaction, Carnegie Mellon University His research focuses on designing human-centric AI systems that prioritize transparency and user trust. Key areas include explainable AI algorithms , context-aware computing , data visualization , and trustworthy machine learning . Projects like RexNet and Directed Diversity demonstrate his work in creating relatable AI explanations and enhancing crowd creativity through algorithmic prompting. Recent publications (2022–2025) highlight advancements in faithful visual explanations , user-centric XAI frameworks , and healthcare analytics . Notable awards include the CHI'22 Best Paper Award , IMWUT Distinguished Paper Award , and MOE Outstanding Mentor Award . He has advised numerous PhD and Masters students and leads the NUS Ubicomp Lab, which explores applications like TasteHealthy (food recommendation app) and Food Loves Fellowship (narrative data visualization).
Dr. Alex Bigazzi is an Associate Professor and Associate Head (Undergraduate Program) in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC), with a joint appointment in the School of Community and Regional Planning. He leads the REACT Lab, focusing on active transportation, micromobility, and sustainable infrastructure design. His research emphasizes the intersection of physics, physiology, and behavior in active travel, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists, and addresses emissions reduction and equitable urban mobility. Bigazzi holds a B.M. in Jazz Saxophone from the University of Miami and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Portland State University. His career includes academic and practical contributions, such as founding the REACT Lab and leading projects on e-bike incentives, air pollution exposure, and infrastructure design. His work has earned awards like the 2024 Wall Legacy Award for inclusive transport design and the 2023 Climate Action Award. He teaches courses on pedestrian/bicycle facility design and capstone projects, mentoring students through UBC’s Civil Engineering programs.
Prof. Dr. Jörg E. Drewes is a Full Professor and Chair at the Research Institute for Urban Water Management, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany. He also serves as Academic Program Director for Environmental Engineering at TUM and is a co-founder of Waterloop Solutions GmbH. His work spans advanced water treatment technologies, wastewater reuse, and environmental health surveillance. Affiliations : TUM, Colorado School of Mines, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, UNSW Water Research Centre Research focuses on advanced oxidation processes , membrane fouling mitigation , micropollutant removal , and wastewater epidemiology for public health. His team develops integrated systems for water-energy-food nexus applications and graphene oxide-based treatment solutions. Recent publications address PFAS remediation , UVC-LED pre-treatment for biofouling control, and GIS-based wastewater surveillance models . Awards include the Bayerische Staatsmedaille (2023) and William Dunbar Medal (2022). 2023 : Bayerische Staatsmedaille 2022 : William Dunbar Medal 2018 : IWA Fellow He leads the Nexus@TUM initiative and contributes to EU water resilience strategies. Collaborations include projects in Germany, China, India, and Spain, focusing on climate-resilient water systems and resource recovery .
