Prof. Dr. Thomas Hofmann is a Full Professor and Head of the Department of Computer Science at ETH Zurich since 2014. He also leads the Institute for Machine Learning. His research focuses on machine learning, deep learning, natural language understanding, and text understanding. Hofmann holds a Ph.D. from the University of Bonn (1997) and has held academic positions at Brown University (1999–2004) and TU Darmstadt. He transitioned to industry as Director of Engineering at Google (2006–2014), leading the Zurich R&D center, before returning to academia. He co-founded Recommind (2000) and 1plusX (Swiss marketing tech company), currently serving as Chief Scientist and board member at 1plusX. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science, University of Bonn (1997) Postdoctoral Work: MIT (CBCL/AI Lab), UC Berkeley (EECS/ICSI) His research explores advanced machine learning techniques, including diffusion models, generative adversarial networks, and optimization dynamics. Hofmann’s entrepreneurial ventures reflect his focus on applying AI to real-world challenges, such as e-discovery and marketing technology. His work spans theoretical contributions (e.g., neural network training dynamics, continual learning) and applied innovations (e.g., image editing, portrait generation). Hofmann actively bridges academia and industry, influencing both research and commercial AI applications.
Musa Jouaneh is a Professor in the Mechanical, Industrial and Systems Engineering department at the University of Rhode Island 's College of Engineering . His research spans Robotics, Automation, Mechatronics , and Motion Control systems, with recent work focusing on robotic rehabilitation platforms, fastener extraction, and neural network applications in disassembly processes. Education: Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of California at Berkeley (1989) M.Eng., Mechanical Engineering, University of California at Berkeley (1986) B.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Louisiana, Lafayette (1984) Research Trends in Jouaneh's recent publications emphasize robotic rehabilitation using magnetic actuation, automated fastener detection via neural networks, and trajectory optimization for servo motor systems. His work bridges mechatronic design with industrial automation , particularly in disassembly and assembly applications. Grants include projects like "Cobots for Outfitting of Hangers" (ONR, 2023) and "Device for Proprioception Training" (RI Commerce, 2024). He leads the Mechatronics Lab and Intelligent Control and Robotics Laboratory , focusing on practical automation solutions.
Dr. Kim Jeong Won is a Senior Research Fellow at the Energy Studies Institute (ESI), National University of Singapore, where she has been since March 2019. She holds a PhD in Energy and Environmental Policy from Korea University's Green School, an MPA from Korea University, and a MPP from the Harris School of Public Policy Studies, University of Chicago. Her research focuses on renewable energy and climate change policy, policy diffusion among governments, and quantitative policy evaluation methods. Dr. Kim has extensive experience in policy analysis and project management, including roles at the Korea Environment Institute (KEI), UNWTO ST-EP Foundation, and Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). Her work emphasizes vertical and horizontal policy diffusion mechanisms, particularly in energy and climate sectors. She specializes in analyzing policy instrument combinations and designing evaluation frameworks for development projects. Her publications explore urban climate adaptation strategies in South Korea, renewable energy investment requirements for developing countries, and comparative analyses of energy storage systems competitiveness. She has contributed to policy reports for South Korean governments and international organizations, focusing on sustainable energy transitions and green growth frameworks. Dr. Kim's research bridges academic rigor with practical policy implementation, emphasizing quantitative methodologies to assess policy effectiveness. She actively participates in international development projects and contributes to global discussions on climate finance and energy policy design.
Prof. Christian Holz is an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Deputy Head of the Institute of Intelligent Interactive Systems at ETH Zürich. His work focuses on advancing human-computer interaction through innovations in wearable technologies, mixed reality systems, and sensor-driven applications. Key research areas include motion capture, physiological signal processing, and adaptive user interfaces. Holz leads the SIPLab (siplab.ethz.ch), producing influential work at the intersection of computer science and biomedical engineering. His research explores cutting-edge topics such as egocentric vision systems, wearable health monitoring devices, and VR/AR applications. Recent studies investigate cybersickness detection via EEG, heart rate estimation from eye-tracking cameras, and scalable motion capture using inertial/UWB sensors. Holz's work emphasizes practical applications in healthcare, education, and human-centered computing. Publications reflect a strong focus on interdisciplinary solutions, combining machine learning with sensor data analysis. Notable contributions include the EgoSim multi-view simulator, WildPPG biomedical dataset, and MiBOT cardiovascular modulation device. His research bridges theoretical advancements with real-world usability in domains like emergency response training, chronic disease monitoring, and immersive education.
Prof. Konrad Schindler holds the position of Full Professor at the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering at ETH Zürich. He is also the Head of the Institute of Geodesy and Photogrammetry (IGP), leading research and educational activities in geomatics and computer vision. His career spans roles as a Photogrammetric Engineer, scientific assistant, postdoc researcher, and academic faculty across institutions including Graz University of Technology, Monash University, and TU Darmstadt before joining ETH Zürich in 2010. Education: Undergraduate studies in Geodesy (1992–1995), Graz University of Technology, Austria MEng in Photogrammetry and Geoinformation (1995–1999), Vienna University of Technology, Austria PhD in Computer Science (2001–2003), Graz University of Technology, Austria Research focuses on Photogrammetry , Remote Sensing , Computer Vision , and Image Understanding with interdisciplinary applications in environmental monitoring, geospatial analysis, and disaster response. He develops computational methods for 3D reconstruction, fusion of multi-modal data, and AI-driven solutions for satellite imagery interpretation. His work bridges geomatic engineering and machine learning to address challenges in urban mapping, climate modeling, and biological systems analysis. Publications reflect expertise in geospatial AI, diffusion models, and benchmarking datasets for disaster resilience. Notable works include Marigold (image analysis adaptation) and BRIGHT (building damage assessment). His research emphasizes practicality and scalability, such as affordable depth estimation and global biomass datasets. He has received the 2013 Marr Prize Honourable Mention (IEEE) and the 2012 U.V. Helava Award (ISPRS), alongside several Best Presentation Awards. His contributions span technical leadership, editorial roles (ISPRS Journal), and service to Swiss remote sensing commissions. Advising and grants: While no specific advisee names or grant details are listed, his career trajectory includes mentoring postdocs and junior faculty. He teaches advanced courses in Photogrammetry , Image Interpretation , and Machine Vision , integrating cutting-edge AI techniques into curricula. His research group collaborates on global-scale projects like canopy height mapping and satellite-based climate variable assessments. Labs/Teams: As Institute Head, he oversees the IGP lab at ETH Zürich, with prior affiliations including the Digital Perception Lab (Monash University) and the Computer Vision Lab (ETH Zurich). His work often involves multi-institutional collaborations focused on geospatial AI and environmental science.
Prof. Hedan Bai is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Materials, ETH Zürich, specializing in robotics materials, bio-inspired systems, and soft robotics. Their research focuses on developing advanced materials for sensing, energy-efficient systems, and biomedical applications. Notable projects include the SmartSuit architecture for space exploration and self-healing optical sensors for soft robots. Research interests span bioelectronics, stretchable sensors, haptic interfaces, and biomimetic materials. Bai's work integrates material science with robotics to create adaptive, sustainable, and intelligent systems. Key areas include wireless implants for neuromodulation, environmental-responsive textiles, and energy-harvesting devices. Publications highlight innovations in optical waveguides, self-healing materials, and wearable technologies. Their interdisciplinary approach bridges robotics, biomedical engineering, and aerospace applications. No formal awards are listed, but contributions to next-gen materials for robotics are prominent. Advising and grants are not detailed in the text, but Bai's lab focuses on projects like SmartSuit for extravehicular activities and synthetic afferent neural networks. Collaborations likely involve aerospace and biomedical sectors.
Dr. Diyi Yang is an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science Department at Stanford University. She leads the Social and Language Technologies (SALT) Lab, affiliated with the Stanford NLP Group, Stanford HCI Group, Stanford AI Lab (SAIL), and Stanford Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI). Her research focuses on socially aware natural language processing, large language models (LLMs), and human-AI interaction, aiming to improve human-human and human-computer communication through socially grounded AI systems. Education: Ph.D. in Language Technologies Institute, Carnegie Mellon University (2013–2019) B.S. in ACM Honored Class, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (2009–2013) Research Interests: Dr. Yang’s work bridges computational social science and NLP. She explores how AI can understand social contexts in language use and develop systems that respect cultural norms, ethical standards, and human values. Her lab’s projects include AI companions for skill training (e.g., Rehearsal Dialects), norm-aware LLMs (NormBank), and frameworks for human-AI collaboration (Co-Gym). Recent efforts address bias in AI, societal impacts of LLMs, and ethical evaluation of human-AI systems. Awards & Honors: 2024: Sloan Research Fellowship, ONR Young Investigator Award 2023: Adamic-Glance Young Distinguished Award (ICWSM), Kavli Fellow (NAS) 2022: NSF CAREER Award, Microsoft Research Faculty Fellow 2020: IEEE AI’s 10 to Watch Advising & Grants: Dr. Yang advises over 10 PhD students and postdocs, co-leading projects on LLM evaluation (SWE-bench/SWE-smith), human-AI ethics, and culturally aware NLP. Her research is supported by NSF, Amazon, DARPA, Google, and Stanford’s HAI initiative. Labs & Teams: The SALT Lab collaborates across disciplines, with projects spanning computer science, linguistics, and social sciences. Current initiatives include developing AI tools for mental health support (AI Partner & Mentor) and auditing societal impacts of LLMs.
Abhishek Jain is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University and a Senior Scientist at NTT Research. He is affiliated with the Data Science and AI Institute, the Information Security Institute, and the Algorithms and Complexity group. University: Johns Hopkins University Department: Computer Science Academic Rank: Associate Professor Institutional Roles: Co-director of the Advanced Research in Cryptography group, member of the Theory Group, and co-leader of the Cryptography Group Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California Los Angeles (2012), advised by Amit Sahai and Rafail Ostrovsky. Recipient of the Symantec Outstanding Graduate Student Award during his Ph.D. Research Interests Cryptography Secure computation Proof systems Program obfuscation Privacy Blockchain Theoretical computer science Research Trends: His recent publications emphasize cryptographic protocols for homomorphic encryption, zero-knowledge proofs, and secure multi-party computation, alongside applications in blockchain and privacy-preserving systems. Key themes include scalability, verifiable evaluation, and adapting cryptographic techniques to dynamic and distributed environments. Scientific Awards 2020 NSF CAREER Award Best Paper Awards at Eurocrypt and the International Conference on the Theory and Applications of Cryptographic Techniques Advising & Grants: Mentors Ph.D. students and interns/postdocs at NTT Research. Research funded by NSF, DARPA, JP Morgan, Ethereum Foundation, Stellar, Cisco, Samsung, and JHU Catalyst awards. Labs & Teams: Co-leads the Cryptography Group at Johns Hopkins, participates in the DC Area Crypto Day, and organizes the weekly Theory Seminar. Collaborates with institutions including MIT CSAIL, BUSEC, and Microsoft Research New England.
Prof. Dr. Roland Büchi is a Professor at the School of Engineering, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), specializing in control systems engineering and applied AI. His affiliation includes leadership roles in research projects such as the ongoing 'Digital Bridge to Computer Science' initiative. With a career spanning decades, he maintains active research output and industrial collaborations. Research Interests: Büchi focuses on control systems optimization , particularly PID controller tuning using AI methods, system identification, and applications in robotics and drone technology. His work bridges theoretical control theory with practical implementations in mechatronics. Recent efforts explore machine learning for hysteresis modeling and swarm optimization for control systems. Publication Trends: His 15 most recent works (2018-2024) emphasize AI-driven control optimization , drone technology advancements, and engineering education. Dominant themes include PID parameter tuning for time-delayed systems, drone telemetry, and adaptive learning algorithms. A notable shift toward AI/ML applications in control engineering emerged post-2020. Labs and Teams: Büchi collaborates with researchers like Lukas Gruber and has historical ties to ETH Zurich’s robotics projects. His work involves experimental validation at ZHAW’s engineering facilities, with patents in turbocharger magnetic bearing systems.
Minh Q. Phan is an Associate Professor of Engineering at Dartmouth College's Thayer School of Engineering. His expertise spans system identification, iterative learning control, model predictive control, robotic swarm control, and intelligent control systems. He holds a BS from the University of California, Berkeley, and MS/M.Phil/PhD degrees from Columbia University in Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Phan has contributed to over 50 peer-reviewed publications and serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics. His research focuses on advancing control theory applications in robotics, structural health monitoring, and sustainable construction materials. Key contributions include the development of OKID (Observer/Kalman Filter Identification) methods and bilinear system identification frameworks. Education History: Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, UC Berkeley, 1985 Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, 1986 Master of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, 1988 Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, 1989 Research Interests: Advanced control methodologies for dynamic systems Model-based predictive control strategies Applications in robotics and aerospace engineering Structural health monitoring via system identification Machine learning for materials science Teaching Responsibilities include courses like ENGG 149 (Systems Identification), ENGS 145 (Modern Control Theory), and ENGG 148 (Structural Mechanics). His work bridges theoretical control systems with practical industrial applications, including automation in food processing and sustainable construction practices. Dr. Phan has collaborated on projects addressing viral epidemiology in Vietnam and coastal erosion mitigation strategies.
Amir Zamir is a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) in the School of Computer & Communication Sciences. Previously, he worked at UC Berkeley, Stanford, and UCF with prominent researchers including Silvio Savarese, Jitendra Malik, Mubarak Shah, Rahul Sukthankar, and Leonidas Guibas. He currently leads the Visual Intelligence & Learning Lab at EPFL and serves as chief scientist of Duranta, having previously been the CVML chief scientist of Aurora Solar (a Forbes AI 50 company valued at $4B in 2022) from 2015 to 2022. Dr. Zamir's research spans computer vision, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, with a focus on developing general multi-modal/multi-task vision systems that operate as active agents in the real world. His work emphasizes slow science principles, seeking fundamental understanding over quick publications. Key research areas include embodied vision, multimodal foundation models, computational imaging, and vision-language integration. His notable projects include 4M, Taskonomy, Gibson Environment, Omnidata, and MultiMAE, which have significantly influenced the field of computer vision and embodied AI. Zamir has made substantial contributions to the computer vision community through numerous high-impact publications and leadership roles. His work demonstrates a consistent focus on creating vision systems that go beyond narrow and passive methods toward more general, active, and embodied approaches. The trajectory of his research shows increasing sophistication in handling multiple modalities and tasks within unified frameworks, culminating in recent work on multimodal foundation models that can handle diverse vision tasks. Dr. Zamir has received numerous prestigious awards including the Young Researcher Award 2022 from ECCV, the PAMI Mark Everingham Prize 2022, SIGGRAPH 2022 Best Paper Award for CLIPasso, CVPR 2018 Best Paper Award for Taskonomy, and CVPR 2016 Best Student Paper Award. He is also an ELLIS Faculty Scholar and received the NVIDIA Pioneering Research Award in 2018 for the Gibson Environment. As an advisor, Dr. Zamir has mentored numerous PhD students including Roman Bachmann, Andrei Atanov, Rishubh Singh, Jason Toskov, Kunal Pratap Singh, Zhitong Gao, Mingqiao Ye, and Muhammad Uzair Khattak. His former PhD students include Oguzhan Kar (now at Apple), Alexander Sasha Sax (co-advised with Jitendra Malik, now at Meta FAIR), and Teresa Yeo (now at MIT-Singapore Alliance). Dr. Zamir teaches several advanced courses including CS-503 Visual Intelligence, CS-500 AI Product Management, COM-304 Intelligent Systems, and ENG-615 Topics in Autonomous Robotics. Dr. Zamir leads the Visual Intelligence & Learning Lab at EPFL, which focuses on developing fundamental methods for visual intelligence that can operate effectively in real-world environments. The lab takes an interdisciplinary approach combining computer vision, machine learning, robotics, and cognitive science to create systems that can perceive, understand, and interact with the world. Current research directions include multimodal foundation models, computational imaging, embodied vision, and personalization of generative models.
Yuki M. Asano is a full Professor at the University of Technology Nuremberg , leading the Fundamental AI (FunAI) Lab . Previously, he led the QUVA Lab at the University of Amsterdam and earned his PhD at the Visual Geometry Group (VGG) of the University of Oxford under Andrea Vedaldi and Christian Rupprecht. University of Technology Nuremberg (2024–present) University of Amsterdam (prior to 2024) University of Oxford (PhD, 2020) His research spans Artificial Intelligence , Machine Learning , and Computer Vision , with a focus on Causal Representation Learning , Self-Supervised Learning , and Efficient Model Adaptation . He pioneered techniques like BISCUIT (causal variable identification) and VeRA (parameter-efficient fine-tuning). His work extends to Medical Imaging and Environmental Monitoring through applications in fetal ultrasound analysis and marine debris detection. Recent publications (2023–2025) highlight advancements in Self-Supervised Learning , Vision-Language Models , and 3D Understanding . Notable papers include TWIST & SCOUT (multimodal LLM grounding), SIGMA (masked video modeling), and GeneralAD (anomaly detection). His ICCV 2023 work on Self-Ordering Point Clouds and MoSiC (optimal-transport motion trajectories) underscores his interdisciplinary approach. He received the JUPITER compute grant (2025) and an Outstanding Paper Award at ICLR 2024 . His collaborations span institutions like MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, Qualcomm AI Research, and University of Amsterdam.
Yingyan (Celine) Lin is an Associate Professor in the School of Computer Science at Georgia Institute of Technology, leading the Efficient and Intelligent Computing (EIC) Lab. Her work focuses on cross-layer innovations in machine learning systems, from algorithms to chip design, aiming to advance green AI and ubiquitous machine learning. She holds a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2017). Research interests include efficient machine learning, neural rendering (e.g., NeRF), hardware-software co-design for AI acceleration, and graph neural networks. Her lab has pioneered projects like RTML and 3DML, funded by NSF, NIH, DARPA, and industry partners (Qualcomm, Intel, Meta). Awards: NSF CAREER Award (2021), ACM SIGDA Outstanding Young Faculty (2022), Meta Faculty Research Award (2022) Grants: Multi-university projects funded by NSF, NIH, DARPA, SRC, ONR, and industry Recognition: First-place wins at DAC 2022 and TinyML Design Contest 2022, IEEE Micro Top Pick 2023 Her research bridges algorithmic innovation with hardware implementation, emphasizing energy efficiency and real-time performance for applications in AR/VR, computer vision, and neuro-symbolic AI systems.
Professor Emma Widdis is a leading scholar at the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics at the University of Cambridge, specializing in the intersection of Soviet cinema, ideology, and cultural geography. Her work explores the reeducation of sensory perception through film, early Soviet urban spaces, and the construction of subjectivity via cinematic techniques. Teaches 20th-century Russian/Soviet literature, cinema, and film theory Focuses on sensory engagement, political avant-garde, and urban spatial representation Supervisor for MPhil and PhD students in Slavonic Studies Her recent book Socialist Senses (2017) examines how cinema shaped Soviet perceptions of reality. Her publications span topics like silence in sound film, set design materiality, and costume symbolism in early Soviet cinema. While no formal scientific awards are listed, her research has been supported through institutional grants and collaborations with centers like CRASSH and Cambridge Language Sciences.
Jennifer Olsen, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of San Diego since 2020. She holds a PhD, MS, and BS in Human-Computer Interaction and Cognitive Science from Carnegie Mellon University, followed by postdoctoral research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland. Her research focuses on the intersection of human-computer interaction, cognition, and education, emphasizing collaborative learning and educational technology design from both learner and instructor perspectives. Education: PhD in Human-Computer Interaction, Carnegie Mellon University MS in Human-Computer Interaction, Carnegie Mellon University BS in Cognitive Science, Carnegie Mellon University Research Interests: Dr. Olsen explores how collaboration supports learning, designs technologies to enhance educational practices, and investigates gaze-based metrics for understanding collaborative problem-solving. Her work spans gamified robotics, AI-driven orchestration systems, and virtual reality applications in vocational training. She emphasizes learner-centered design and the integration of social robots and virtual agents in pedagogical settings. Grants/Advising: While no specific grants or advisees are listed, her prolific publication record indicates active involvement in educational technology research and development. Her work addresses challenges in classroom orchestration, multimodal data analysis, and accessibility in educational robotics. Labs/Teams: Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams focused on educational technology, human-robot interaction, and adaptive learning systems. Her research leverages tools like FROG orchestration graphs and eye-tracking technologies to develop practical classroom solutions.
