Dr. Nicholas Townsend is an Associate Professor at the University of Southampton, specializing in experimental hydrodynamics, marine renewable energy, and maritime robotics. He actively collaborates with the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute and supervises PhD students in cutting-edge maritime research.
Cathy Wu is an Associate Professor at MIT, with affiliations in the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), and Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS). Her research group focuses on integrating machine learning with model-based optimization to solve complex problems in transportation systems and cyber-physical systems. Academic Leadership: Class of 1954 Career Development Associate Professor (MIT) Research Grants: NSF CAREER Award, Amazon Robotics, Mathworks, MIT Mobility Initiative, US DOT, Microsoft Research, Cintra, Symbotic Research Interests : Wu's work bridges AI and engineering challenges in transportation. Key areas include: Hybrid ML/Model-based Optimization (large neighborhood search, branch-and-cut) Sustainable Mobility (Project Greenwave, eco-driving) Multi-Agent Coordination (warehouse automation, cooperative driving) Cyber-Professional Systems (generalization in RL, transfer learning) Recent work demonstrates significant advances in eco-driving (11-22% emissions reduction), large-scale multi-agent path finding (1000+ agents), and foundational RL methods for traffic control. Her group has produced 15+ major publications since 2015, with notable media coverage in Science, Wired, and NewScientist. Selected Scientific Awards NSF CAREER Award (2023) Ole Madsen Mentoring Award (2025) IEEE ITSS WiE/YP Fellowship (2024) Harold L. Hazen Teaching Award (2022) Her lab has advised 12+ graduate students and postdocs, including: Vindula Jayawardana (PhD '24, now at Anthropic) Sirui Li (PhD '25, now at Microsoft Research) Yining Ma (Postdoc, active researcher) Zhongxia Yan (PhD '24, now at Anthropic)
LEE Wee Sun is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the National University of Singapore (NUS), where he previously served as Head of Department, Vice Dean of Undergraduate Studies, and Vice Dean of Research. His academic journey began with a B.Eng. in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Queensland (1992) and a Ph.D. from the Australian National University (1996), followed by research roles at the Australian Defence Force Academy and MIT. Education: Ph.D., Australian National University, Canberra, Australia (1996) B.Eng. in Computer Systems Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia (1992) Research Focus: Professor Lee pioneers work in Machine Learning , Planning Under Uncertainty , and Approximate Inference , with emphasis on integrating AI subfields for holistic reasoning. His current projects include "Learning to Decompose for Reasoning and Planning" (enhancing LLMs via self-supervised problem decomposition) and "Learning to Reason with Visual-Linguistic Inputs" (unifying vision, language, and reasoning in single architectures). Publication Trends: Recent work (2023-2025) centers on bridging LLMs with classical AI techniques, featuring breakthroughs in uncertainty quantification, multi-task optimization, and graph-based reasoning. Key themes include sparsity-aware vehicle routing, epistemic uncertainty for reliable LLMs, and differentiable neural solvers for combinatorial problems. Awards: IJCAI-JAIR Best Paper Prize (2022) RSS Test of Time Award (2021) RoboCup Best Paper Award (IROS 2015) HRATC 1st Place (2015) IPPC POMDP Track 1st Place (2011, 2014) UAI Google Best Student Paper (2014) Semeval-1 1st/2nd Place (2007) J.G. Crawford Prize (ANU 1996) Leadership & Service: As steering committee chair for ACML and area chair for NeurIPS/ICML/AAAI/IJCAI, Professor Lee shapes global AI discourse. His administrative roles at NUS and collaborations with MIT/Singapore-MIT Alliance demonstrate commitment to advancing AI education and research infrastructure. While student advisees aren't listed, his leadership positions imply extensive mentoring. Research Ecosystem: His work drives NUS's AI initiatives including Knowledge@Computing projects on reasoning frontiers. Current efforts focus on making AI systems robust through uncertainty-aware planning and multi-modal integration, with applications in robotics, verification systems, and combinatorial optimization.
Viswanath Nagarajan is an Associate Professor of Industrial & Operations Engineering and Computer Science Engineering (courtesy) at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on combinatorial optimization, approximation algorithms, and stochastic models for routing, scheduling, and location problems. He previously served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan (2014–2020) and a Research Staff Member at IBM T.J. Watson Research Center (2009–2014). He holds a Ph.D. in Algorithms, Combinatorics, and Optimization from Carnegie Mellon University (2004–2009) and a B.Tech. in Computer Science from IIT Bombay (1999–2003). His research explores uncertainty management in optimization, including stochastic models and approximation algorithms for decision-making under uncertainty. He has contributed to adaptive algorithms, submodular optimization, and applications in logistics, network design, and scheduling. Education: Ph.D., Algorithms, Combinatorics, and Optimization (Carnegie Mellon University, 2009) B.Tech., Computer Science and Engineering (IIT Bombay, 2003) Prof. Nagarajan has organized major conferences like IPCO 2019 and served on editorial boards for journals including Operations Research , ACM Computing Surveys , and ACM Transactions on Algorithms . His service includes program committees for SODA, APPROX, and IPCO. He advises Ph.D. students focusing on optimization theory and applications, with advisees securing positions at Yahoo! Research, the University of Chicago, Ford Motor Company, and Georgia Tech.
Minsu Kim is a CIFAR AI Safety Post-doc Fellow at KAIST and Mila, collaborating with Prof. Yoshua Bengio, Prof. Sungjin Ahn, and Prof. Sungsoo Ahn. His work bridges System 2 Deep Learning, Bayesian posterior inference, and combinatorial optimization. Ph.D., Industrial Engineering, KAIST (2025) M.S., Electrical Engineering, KAIST (2022) B.S., Mathematics and Computer Science (Dual Degree), KAIST (2020) Kim's research focuses on enabling AI systems to measure uncertainty, represent causality, and perform sequential reasoning for safety-guaranteed planning. His methodology integrates GFlowNets and diffusion models with off-policy amortized inference, targeting applications in scientific discovery , hardware design optimization , and large language model alignment . Recent work explores Bayesian posterior inference through GFlowNets, aiming to unify deep learning with probabilistic reasoning. His 15 most recent publications (2025–2024) reveal a trend of combining combinatorial optimization with generative models for tasks like molecular graph discovery, vehicle routing, and neural architecture search. He also investigates diffusion samplers for Bayesian inverse problems and symmetry-based neural methods (Sym-NCO) to enhance sample efficiency. Jang Yeong Sil Fellowship (2025) KAIST Presidential Best Ph.D. Thesis Award (2025) Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship (2023) DesignCon Best Paper Awards (2021–2022) Kim's collaborations span KAIST's Industrial Engineering department and Mila's AI research groups. He actively contributes to academic peer review for top conferences (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR) and journals (IEEE TNNLS, TPAMI), emphasizing the intersection of AI safety , uncertainty quantification , and systemic reasoning .
Halim Yanikomeroglu is a Full Professor and Chancellor's Professor at Carleton University's Department of Systems and Computer Engineering, part of the Faculty of Engineering and Design. His research focuses on wireless communications, including 5G/6G networks, non-terrestrial systems (HAPS/LEO satellites), MIMO, and cognitive radio. He has supervised numerous graduate students and holds IEEE Fellow status and the Harold Sobol Award. His work integrates machine learning, federated learning, and sustainability into next-generation networks. Affiliations: Carleton University, IEEE Education: Ph.D. (Toronto), M.A.Sc. (Toronto), B.Sc. (Middle East Technical University) Research interests span cellular networks, relay architectures, and energy-efficient systems. He pioneered cell-switching strategies for green networks and contributed to HAPS and UAV-based infrastructure. His recent work addresses NTN integration, AI-driven spectrum management, and 6G innovations. Awards include IEEE Fellow (2017) and multiple Research.com leadership accolades. His 150+ publications span journals like IEEE Transactions and conferences like ICC. Advising over 50 students, he emphasizes interdisciplinary solutions for future wireless challenges.
Prof. Jack van der Vorst is the Personal Professor of AgriFood Supply Chain Logistics at Wageningen University's Operations Research and Logistics Group. Previously serving as a member of the Board of Directors of Wageningen University & Research (until 2024) and General Director of the Social Sciences Group, he leads over 1000 personnel across three institutes. His advisory roles include the Topteam AgriFood (Science Captain), Top consortium for Knowledge and Innovation (TKI), The Sustainability Consortium (TSC), and Florensis BV's Supervisory Board. With 20+ PhD supervisions and 200+ publications, his research focuses on innovative logistics concepts in AgriFood systems, including supply chain resilience, sustainability, and system innovation. His work integrates modeling frameworks with practical industry applications, emphasizing perishable products, horizontal collaboration, and environmental efficiency. Research interests span AgriFood System Design, Supply Chain Strategy, and Performance Management. His recent studies address challenges like postharvest loss reduction in developing countries, CO2 emission minimization in cold chains, and circular economy implementation in mushroom supply chains. Methodologically, he employs multi-criteria decision models, optimization techniques, and simulation to address complex logistics problems. Publications highlight themes such as horizontal collaboration success factors, vulnerability assessment frameworks, and green supply chain design. His work bridges academic rigor with industry needs, often collaborating with policymakers and international organizations to promote sustainable agri-food systems.
Stephanie Gil is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Her research focuses on artificial intelligence, robotics, and distributed systems, particularly addressing challenges in multi-agent coordination, resilience to adversarial attacks, and wireless communication for autonomous systems. She leads the REACT Lab, advancing research in resilient multi-robot networks and cyber-physical systems. Her work integrates machine learning, control theory, and wireless sensing to solve problems such as whale tracking via autonomous robots, proactive multi-robot routing, and decentralized exploration without explicit information exchange. She has received prestigious awards, including the DARPA Young Faculty Award (2024) and the Amazon Research Award (2021). Key research areas include resilient distributed optimization, trust-centered coordination in multi-agent systems, and leveraging wireless signals (e.g., WiFi-CSI) for sensing and bearing estimation. Her contributions span both theoretical frameworks and practical implementations, with a focus on real-world applications like autonomous rideshare routing and environmental monitoring. Dr. Gil’s research also explores trust and cybersecurity in dynamic networks, with publications on crowd vetting, malicious robot detection, and adaptive communication strategies. She collaborates on interdisciplinary projects, such as Project CETI, combining AI and robotics for ecological studies.
Giancarlo Ferrari Trecate is an Adjunct Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) , affiliated with the School of Engineering and the SCI-STI-GFT department. He is also involved in teaching and research through the STI-SGM and EDRS-ENS programs. Research Interests : Automatic control, state estimation, system identification, machine learning, distributed control, hybrid systems, microgrids, biochemical networks, voltage and frequency stabilization in AC/DC microgrids. Publications Trends : His recent work focuses on integrating Neural ODEs and Hamiltonian structures for stable control systems, regret minimization in distributed control, and robust state estimation under uncertainty. Applications include autonomous mobility-on-demand , power grid optimization , and secure microgrid control against cyber-attacks. Scientific Awards : No specific awards mentioned in the provided data. Teaching & Advising : He supervises PhD students in mechanical engineering and teaches courses on Multivariable control and Networked control systems . His lab, DECODE , specializes in Dependable Control and Decision systems.
Xuemin (Sherman) Shen is a University Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and the Engineering Institute of Canada. Professor Shen serves as Editor-in-Chief of multiple prestigious journals including the IEEE Internet of Things Journal and Springer Peer-to-Peer Networking and Applications. Dr. Shen received his Doctorate in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers University in 1990, following a Master of Applied Science from the same institution in 1987. His undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering from Dalian Marine University, China (1982). Professor Shen's research spans wireless communications and networking, with particular expertise in resource allocation, mobility management, wireless network security, and privacy preservation. His work extends to IoT applications, connected and automated vehicles, network digital twins, and satellite-terrestrial networks. His research has been applied to vehicular networks, wireless body area networks, remote e-healthcare systems, and smart grid technologies, demonstrating both theoretical depth and practical impact across multiple domains. His recent publications reveal strong trends in AI-assisted networking, security and privacy preservation for IoT applications, and energy management in vehicular and smart grid systems. The research shows an increasing focus on integrating AI techniques with traditional networking approaches, addressing critical challenges in security, privacy, and resource management for next-generation wireless systems. R.A. Fessenden Award (2019) from IEEE Canada James Evans Avant Garde Award (2018) from the IEEE Vehicular Technology Society Joseph LoCicero Award (2015) from the IEEE Communications Society Education Award (2017) from the IEEE Communications Society West Lake Friendship Award from Zhejiang Province (2023) President's Excellence in Research from University of Waterloo (2022) Canadian Award for Telecommunications Research (2021) Professor Shen has mentored over 100 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows throughout his career, with many now holding prominent academic positions at top universities worldwide. His supervision has been recognized with multiple awards including the Award of Excellence in Graduate Supervision (2006) from the University of Waterloo. He has served in numerous leadership roles including Past President of the IEEE Communications Society and has chaired major international conferences including IEEE Globecom 2024.
Shashi Shekhar is a Professor at the University of Minnesota, holding the distinguished titles of McKnight Distinguished University Professor and Distinguished University Teaching Professor. He serves as the ADC/CSE Chair and Director of the AI-LEAF Institute within the Department of Computer Science at the College of Science and Engineering. His research interests span multiple areas of spatial computing including spatial data science, spatial data mining, spatial databases, Geo-AI, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). His work has focused on developing scalable algorithms for eco-routing, evacuation route planning, and spatial pattern mining. He has made significant contributions to the field through his Spatial Databases textbook, the Encyclopedia of GIS which has seen over 192,918 downloads in 2017, and a spatial computing book for professionals. His research group has produced numerous PhD graduates dating back to 1993 through 2023. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on applying spatial computing to critical societal challenges including climate change mitigation through the AI-LEAF Institute, pandemic response through mobility data analysis, and sustainable transportation through eco-routing algorithms. His work bridges theoretical advances in spatial data science with practical applications in urban planning, emergency management, and environmental sustainability. Distinguished McKnight University Professor Distinguished University Teaching Professor UCGIS Education Award (2015) Graduate Education Award (2015) President of University Consortium for GIS (2017-2018) Computing Research Association Board Member (2016-2019) Professor Shekhar has advised over 30 PhD students since 1993, with his most recent graduate in 2023. He has secured significant research funding including a $20 million AI Institute grant focused on climate-smart agriculture and forestry. His Spatial Computing Research Group maintains active collaborations with government agencies and industry partners. The group has developed practical applications featured in media outlets including FoxTV coverage of evacuation route planning algorithms. Current research directions include applying AI techniques to address climate challenges through the AI-LEAF Institute and advancing spatial data science for polar regions through NSF-funded initiatives.
Gulsah Akar is a Professor and Chair of the School of City & Regional Planning at Georgia Institute of Technology. She specializes in sustainable urban mobility, focusing on built environment-travel connections, equity, and new mobility technologies. Her research has been supported by grants from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Prior to Georgia Tech, she held a professorship at The Ohio State University (OSU), where she led the PhD Program in City and Regional Planning from 2015–2021 and served as Research Program Lead at OSU’s Sustainability Institute (2019–2021). Her research interests include transportation equity, multimodal travel behavior, and smart city technologies. She co-authored over 35 peer-reviewed articles in top-tier journals, with recent work examining pandemic impacts on urban resilience, autonomous vehicle adoption, and aging populations’ travel patterns. Akar holds editorial roles, including former Editor of the Journal of Planning Literature (2015–2021), and actively contributes to Transportation Research Board committees. Educated at Middle East Technical University (B.Sc. and M.Sc.) and the University of Maryland (Ph.D.), her academic career bridges transportation engineering and urban planning. Key research trends in her publications focus on: 1) built environment interactions with travel behavior, 2) equity in mobility access, and 3) innovation in transportation systems. Her articles consistently analyze data from major U.S. cities like Columbus, Seattle, and New York.
Zhong-Ping Jiang is an Institute Professor at New York University Tandon School of Engineering, affiliated with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and holds cross appointments in Civil and Urban Engineering. He leads the Control and Network (CAN) Lab and contributes to research centers like the Center for Advanced Technology in Telecommunications (CATT) and C2SMARTER. His work focuses on nonlinear control, adaptive dynamic programming, and learning-based control with applications to autonomous systems, urban mobility, and computational neuroscience. He serves as Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica and has held editorial roles in multiple journals. Research interests include model-based and learning-based control for network systems, with emphasis on robotics, connected vehicles, and urban infrastructure. His contributions to nonlinear small-gain theory and robust reinforcement learning have advanced control methodologies for complex systems. Recent publications highlight trends in resilient control under cyberattacks, data-driven optimal control, and reinforcement learning applications in traffic signal optimization and autonomous driving. His work bridges theoretical advancements with real-world challenges in transportation and cyber-physical systems. Awards: Elected to the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (2024). Grants/Projects: Includes RAPID-funded studies on high-resolution agent-based modeling of epidemic spread and NSF-supported research on urban traffic networks. Labs/Teams: CAN Lab (focusing on control theory and networked systems), CATT (telecommunications innovations), and C2SMARTER (urban mobility solutions).
Rodrigo Ventura is an Associate Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), University of Lisbon. He is also a senior researcher at the Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisbon), leading the Space and Aeronautics thematic line. His research focuses on the intersection of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, emphasizing human-robot interaction, space robotics, and cognitive architectures. He coordinates the Minor in Space Sciences and Technologies at IST and the MBE on Space Systems for Tecnico+. As Adjoint Faculty at the International Space University (ISU), he contributes to global academic initiatives. His work includes experiments on the International Space Station and participation in analog space missions. Research interests span biologically inspired systems, machine learning, and teleoperation interfaces. Recent publications address reinforcement learning for UAVs, microgravity experiments, and pseudo-haptic feedback for robotic control. He teaches subjects like Artificial Intelligence and Decision Systems, Satellite Engineering, and Autonomous Systems.
Georges Kaddoum is a Professor at École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) , specializing in Electrical Engineering. He holds the Canada Research Chair in Unlocking the Power of IoT 6G-Networks and the LACIME – Communications and Microelectronic Integration Laboratory affiliation. His work bridges wireless communications, IoT, and machine learning. Research Interests include wireless communication systems, physical layer security, machine learning for networking, and 6G technologies. He focuses on optimizing network performance in challenging environments (impulsive noise, underwater, non-terrestrial networks) and developing AI-driven solutions for jamming mitigation, resource allocation, and secure IoT frameworks. Recent Publications highlight 6G-enabled vehicular networks, quantum-safe blockchain integration, federated learning for transportation systems, and deep learning-based receivers for chaotic communication systems. His work emphasizes semantic communication, interference management, and digital twin applications. Awards IEEE TCSC Award for Excellence in Scalable Computing (2022) Prix d’excellence de la relève (Université du Québec, 2018) Prix d’excellence en recherche (ÉTS, 2018) Multiple IEEE Exemplary Reviewer and Best Paper Awards (2014–2022) Supervision includes 15+ PhD/Master’s students working on topics like index modulation, physical layer security, UAV communications, and intelligent resource management. Research Units Ultra Research Chair on Intelligent Tactical Wireless Networks LACIME Laboratory Canada Research Chair in IoT 6G-Networks