Marco Di Renzo is a CNRS Research Director (Professor) and Head of the iPhyCom group at the Laboratory of Signals and Systems (L2S) at Paris-Saclay University, France. He is affiliated with both CNRS and CentraleSupélec. His roles include: Member of L2S Management Committee and Board Council Member of the Ph.D. School Admission Committee Academic Vice Chair, ETSI Industry Specification Group on RIS Editorial and leadership roles in IEEE communications journals Education: Laurea (cum laude) and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from University of L’Aquila (2003, 2007) Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches from Paris-Saclay University (2013) Research focuses on 6G networks , reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) , and integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) . He explores electromagnetic theory, machine learning applications, and energy-efficient wireless systems. His work addresses challenges in near-field communications, multi-user MIMO, and holographic beamforming. He advocates for physics-driven design principles in next-gen networks. Key awards include IEEE/IEE Fellowships, the Michel Monpetit Prize, and multiple IEEE Best Paper Awards. He holds international visiting professorships at institutions like the University of Oulu (Finland) and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore). Active in standardization via ETSI ISG RIS and contributes to global initiatives like the ITU 6G Vision. His research bridges theoretical models with practical implementations, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration between physics, signal processing, and AI.
Professor Athanassios Manikas holds the Chair of Communications & Array Processing in the Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering at Imperial College London, part of the Faculty of Engineering. He is a Fellow of both the IET and IMA, and has held significant editorial roles including Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems. His research focuses on wireless communications, radar systems, antenna array processing, and applied mathematics, with over 50 supervised PhD students and 150+ Masters projects. He leads Imperial's research group in array processing and has extensive industry collaborations, including technical leadership of the University Defence Technology Centre in Signal Processing (2008-2013). Awards include the IEEE PIMRC 2022 Best Paper Award and recognition as an IEEE COMSOC Distinguished Lecturer (2016-2017). His work integrates differential geometry principles with array processing, as detailed in his monograph Differential Geometry in Array Processing . Professor Manikas has served as an expert witness in high-profile cases and contributes to academic governance roles such as the Royal Society's International Fellowship Committee. His research group is affiliated with the Space Lab at Imperial, focusing on innovative applications of array signal processing in aerospace and defense systems.
Dr Luke Hespanhol is a Senior Lecturer in Design and Computation at the University of Sydney's School of Architecture, Design and Planning. He is affiliated with the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre and Sydney Nano Institute, and previously served as a guest researcher at Aarhus University's Department of Aesthetics and Communication. His work focuses on interactive media installations that foster reflection on human-environment relationships, blending urban design, technology, and social engagement. He holds a PhD in interactive media architecture from the University of Sydney's Design Lab, with research exploring user-centred hybrid urban environments. His doctoral work laid the foundation for his current interests in digital placemaking, urban informatics, and smart cities. Research Interests: - Designing technology-infused public spaces - Media architecture as a tool for inclusive urban development - Ethical implications of AI and blockchain in cultural contexts - Temporal and spatial dimensions of urban interaction design - HCI methodologies for multiperspectival cultural heritage interpretation - Antifragile city frameworks integrating citizen participation His recent publications highlight trends in reimagining urban futures through speculative design, ethical AI systems, and autonomous vehicle interaction paradigms. While no specific scientific awards are listed, his work often addresses critical societal issues like decolonization in technology and climate-resilient infrastructure. Grants and Collaborations: - 2025: 'Waste to Resilience: Sanitation Against Stunting and Climate Vulnerability in Informal Coastal Areas' (Sydney Southeast Asia Centre) - 2022: 'The Metaverse as Vehicle for Aboriginal Digital Inclusion, Wellness and Self-Determination' (Facebook Research) Dr Hespanhol is actively involved in the Media Architecture Institute and contributes to cross-disciplinary initiatives uniting technology, art, and urban planning. His research emphasizes co-creation processes with communities to ensure equitable technological integration in urban systems.
Julian Jara-Ettinger is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Computer Science at Yale University. He holds a Ph.D. from MIT (2016). His research focuses on understanding the cognitive and computational mechanisms underlying human social behavior, including fairness, linguistic communication, gesture, moral reasoning, and pedagogy. He employs interdisciplinary methods such as computational modeling, eye-tracking, cross-cultural studies, and developmental research to bridge psychology and artificial intelligence. Key research areas include the development of social cognition in children, the integration of theory of mind with communication, and the application of cognitive science principles to build socially intelligent machines. His work emphasizes how humans infer others' knowledge, intentions, and desires, with implications for AI safety and ethical systems design. Publications span topics like epistemic inference, moral judgments, and the computational foundations of social interaction. His lab's research often intersects with evolutionary simulations, neural modeling, and cultural psychology. No scientific awards are explicitly mentioned in the provided text. Collaborations involve cross-disciplinary teams addressing challenges in developmental science, AI ethics, and cognitive robotics. His work has practical applications in educational strategies, social policy, and human-AI collaboration frameworks.
Achim Menges is a Research Professor and Max Planck Fellow at the University of Stuttgart, where he directs the Institute for Computational Design and Construction (ICD). His work bridges architecture, engineering, and computational design, with a focus on developing innovative construction methods and materials. Menges leads the Cluster of Excellence IntCDC: Integrative Computational Design and Construction for Architecture, a major research initiative funded by the German Research Foundation. Menges' research centers on computational design, robotic construction, and biomimetic architecture, with particular emphasis on timber construction, adaptive building systems, and digital fabrication. His work integrates principles from bionics to create responsive, sustainable building systems that adapt to environmental conditions. Notable projects include the BUGA Wood Pavilion (2019), Urbach Tower, BUGA Fibre Pavilion, and the livMatS Biomimetic Shell, all demonstrating his commitment to material innovation and sustainable construction practices. His recent publications reveal a consistent focus on advancing timber construction techniques, developing bio-inspired responsive systems, and implementing robotic fabrication processes. The research shows a clear trajectory toward more sustainable, resource-efficient building methods that integrate digital design with physical construction processes. Menges' work increasingly addresses multi-story timber systems and circular construction principles. Bauwende Prize der Universität Stuttgart 2025 Menges leads numerous research initiatives through the Cluster of Excellence IntCDC, securing significant funding for projects exploring computational design and robotic construction. His work involves extensive collaboration with industry partners and interdisciplinary research teams. Menges directs the ICD research laboratory, which focuses on developing novel computational design methods, robotic fabrication processes, and innovative material systems for architecture. The institute maintains strong partnerships with industry leaders in construction technology and materials science, facilitating the translation of research into practical applications.
Richard S. Sutton is a Professor in the Department of Computing Science at the University of Alberta , a Research Scientist at Keen Technologies, and the Principal Investigator at the Reinforcement Learning and Artificial Intelligence Lab . He also serves as the Canada CIFAR AI Chair at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii) and as Chief Scientific Advisor there. Additionally, he founded the Openmind Research Institute and is Chief Scientific Officer at ExperienceFlow. His research focuses on identifying general computational principles underlying intelligence and goal-directed behavior. He emphasizes the interaction between intelligent agents and their environment , exploring how goals, choices, and information sources emerge from this interaction. His work spans reinforcement learning (RL) , agent-environment dynamics, and ethical considerations in AI, such as robot rights and moral philosophy. His articles include technical works on RL, ethical frameworks, and philosophical essays like The Bitter Lesson (2019) and The Definition of Intelligence (2016). Canada CIFAR AI Chair Co-author of foundational RL textbook Developed Tile Coding Software for RL
Dominique Chen is a Professor at Waseda University's School of Culture, Media and Society since 2022, previously serving as Associate Professor from 2017-2022. A French national born in 1981, he holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Informatics from the University of Tokyo (2013). His work bridges technology, art, and human experience with a focus on digital well-being and more-than-human relationships. Chen's research interests include human-microbe interaction, neo-cybernetics, and the design of systems that foster mutual care between humans and non-human entities. His work with the Nukabot project exemplifies this interdisciplinary approach, exploring how fermentation processes can serve as metaphors for communication and relationship building. He leads the Ferment Media Research group, investigating how fermentation principles apply to digital cultures and communication systems. His recent publications reveal a consistent focus on designing for well-being in digital societies, with particular attention to translation processes, human-microbe relationships, and the creation of systems that support co-adaptive interaction. The Nukabot research series demonstrates how traditional fermentation practices can inform novel interaction paradigms that acknowledge and incorporate more-than-human perspectives. Best Paper Honorable Mention (2024) - ACM Synlogue with Aizuchi-bot ACM SIGGRAPH Special Prize (2023) - Nukabot Best of AppStore 2015/2016 - Picsee/Syncle applications Good Design Award (2008) - Creative Commons Japan Super Creator certification (2009) - IPA Exploratory IT Program Chen has advised numerous projects through his leadership of Ferment Media Research and has served on various committees including the Good Design Award jury (2016-), Yomiuri Shimbun Reading Committee, and advisory boards for art and design institutions. His work extends beyond academia through his founding of Divideal Inc. (acquired by Smart News in 2018) and Creative Commons Japan (now Commonsphere). His laboratory, Ferment Media Research, explores interdisciplinary connections between fermentation processes, digital systems, and human relationships, creating installations like Nukabot that facilitate human-microbe interaction and Last Words/TypeTrace that examines writing processes and communication.
Aura Istrate is a Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Urban Planning & Sustainable Urbanism at the School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy at University College Dublin (UCD). With an international background spanning multiple continents, she conducts interdisciplinary research on sustainable urban development, focusing on active mobility, nature-based solutions, and climate-neutral cities. She teaches GIS and urban planning modules while coordinating several significant research projects across European and Asian contexts. University College Dublin, School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy Primary Coordinator of C-NEWTRAL (Horizon MSCA-DN 2024-2028) Co-Leader of REALLOCATE (Horizon Europe project 2023-2027) Principal Investigator for BIODIVERSA+ projects (NatureScape and NBS4AQUAMISSION) Educated at the University of Architecture and Urban Planning 'Ion Mincu' in Bucharest (BA and MA) and the University of Liverpool (PhD), Dr. Istrate further enhanced her teaching credentials with a Professional Certificate in University Teaching & Learning from UCD. Her academic journey reflects a strong foundation in architectural and urban planning principles combined with specialized expertise in sustainable urbanism. Dr. Istrate's research focuses on smart and sustainable urbanism, particularly examining active mobility, livable streets, green public spaces, and nature-based solutions in urban planning. Her work employs participatory, geospatial, and mixed methods to inform smart communities and the transition to climate-neutral cities. She has practical international experience in urban design and planning, with ongoing collaborations spanning European and Asian countries, currently teaching and researching across cultures in UCD and UCD's International Colleges (CDIC). Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on street vitality, urban heat adaptation, and nature-based solutions. The research demonstrates methodological diversity combining quantitative spatial analysis with qualitative community engagement approaches. Her work spans multiple geographic contexts, with particular expertise in Chinese urban environments and European cities, showing how urban planning concepts need to be contextualized for different cultural settings. The articles consistently address climate adaptation challenges through innovative approaches like urban nature games and fine-grained street classification systems. Dr. Istrate serves as a PhD thesis supervisor and is actively involved in major research initiatives including C-NEWTRAL (as Primary Coordinator), REALLOCATE (as Co-Leader), and BIODIVERSA+ projects (as PI for NatureScape and NBS4AQUAMISSION). Her grant portfolio includes Horizon Europe projects and other significant funding that supports interdisciplinary research on climate-neutral urban development. She has coordinated multiple teaching modules including Planning Design & Development, GIS & Planning, Intro to Spatial Planning, and Local Planning Studio. She leads international research collaborations and maintains active partnerships across various European and Asian countries. Her work bridges academic research with practical urban planning applications, particularly through her focus on research-by-design approaches and participatory methods that engage communities in the planning process. She has served as a lecturer, tutor, or teaching assistant across departments of Architecture, Planning, Environmental Studies, Global Studies, and Human Geography in Ireland, the UK, Czechia, Sweden, China, and Romania since 2010.
Prof. Alexander Pretschner is a Professor of Software & Systems Engineering at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Founding Director of the Bavarian Research Institute for Digital Transformation (bidt). He also serves as Scientific Director of fortiss, a Bavarian research institute for software-intensive systems. His research focuses on software engineering, testing, information security, and ethical software development. Pretschner holds a PhD from TUM and has held academic positions at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and TU Kaiserslautern. He is a co-editor of several prestigious journals, including IEEE Transactions on Reliability and the Journal of Software Testing, Verification and Reliability. Education: PhD in Computer Science, Technical University of Munich MSc in Computer Science, University of Kansas (on Fulbright Scholarship) Diplom in Computer Science, RWTH Aachen University Research Interests: His work spans testing methodologies, secure software design, and ethical considerations in agile development. Notable contributions include frameworks for metamorphic testing, distributed data usage control, and accountability mechanisms for cyber-physical systems. Awards: IBM Faculty Award (2012, 2013) Google Focused Research Award (2011, 2012) EARTO Innovation Prize (2014) 2nd Platz Supervisory Award (2020) Advising & Grants: Pretschner has supervised numerous PhD and Master’s students, contributing to over 200 publications. He leads projects like EDAP (Ethical Deliberation in Agile Processes) and collaborates with industry partners on cybersecurity and AI ethics initiatives. Labs & Teams: His work is anchored in bidt, fortiss, and TUM’s Chair of Software & Systems Engineering, focusing on societal impacts of digitalization and trustworthy AI systems.
Mazdak Nik-Bakht is an Associate Professor at Concordia University's School of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering. His work bridges construction engineering with digital innovation, focusing on smart infrastructure and sustainable development. PhD, Construction Engineering & Mgmt., University of Toronto PhD, Structural Engineering, Iran University of Science & Technology MASc & BASc, Structural and Civil Engineering, Iran University of Science & Technology His research integrates Artificial Intelligence and Social Network Analysis into construction management systems. Key areas include: Smart infrastructure and urban computing Deconstruction and circular economy principles Building Information Modeling (BIM) and digital twinning Process mining in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry Decision models in construction project management Semantic computing and computational linguistics applications Recent publications show a focus on BIM analytics , urban resilience , and social media's role in infrastructure planning . Papers often combine AI and network theory to solve complex construction challenges. 2015 Outstanding paper award - Built Environment Project and Asset Management journal He teaches courses on: Big Data Analytics for Smart City Infrastructure Building Information Modeling (BIM) for Construction Building Economics Project Cost Estimating
Mark Coeckelbergh is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Vienna, specializing in the philosophy of technology, AI ethics, and robot ethics. He is affiliated with the Department of Philosophy and the Research Network Data Science at the University of Vienna. In addition to his academic position, Coeckelbergh has held significant roles including Former President of the Society for Philosophy and Technology (SPT) and Member of the European Commission's High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence (AI HLEG). His research focuses on the ethical, political, and philosophical implications of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence and robotics. Coeckelbergh has published extensively in these areas, authoring influential books such as Robot Ethics (2022), The Political Philosophy of AI (2022), and Why AI Undermines Democracy and What To Do About It . His work explores how AI systems affect democratic processes, human agency, and social relationships. Recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on the relationship between AI, democracy, and ethical governance, examining how AI systems can both threaten and potentially enhance democratic processes through algorithmic transparency and participatory design approaches. Finalist of the World Technology Award 2017 Coeckelbergh teaches various courses including 'Introduction to Philosophy of LLMs,' 'LLMs and the Future of Writing,' 'Ethics and Robotics,' and 'Global Governance of AI.' He has supervised numerous students working on topics related to technology ethics and philosophy. He has been involved in several major research projects including H2020 PERSEO, WWTF Democracy Responsible Entrepreneurship, and FP7 DREAM (Development of Robot-Enhanced therapy for children with Autism spectrum disorders). Coeckelbergh has also announced upcoming guest professorships at the Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Uppsala University, where he will work on environmental and technology ethics projects.
Ivan Flechais is an Associate Professor in Software Engineering at the Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford. His work focuses on the intersection of security engineering and human factors, developing approaches that balance technical security requirements with usability considerations in real-world contexts. Dr. Flechais earned his BSc and PhD in Computer Science from University College London. He holds dual French-British nationality and was educated in France until university level. His academic journey reflects an international perspective that informs his research on security systems across different cultural contexts. Flechais's research centers on developing methods for creating secure systems that account for real-world usability constraints. His work addresses the complex challenge where security competes with other system requirements like functionality, usability, and efficiency. He is particularly known for developing the AEGIS design methodology, which provides a cost-effective approach to security design that incorporates usability considerations. His current research explores socio-organizational factors in secure systems design, with recent work focusing on smart home security and privacy, remote work security challenges, and the intersection of security culture with technical implementation. His publication record shows a strong trajectory in usable security research, with recent work (2020-2024) increasingly focused on smart home environments, privacy in domestic settings, and the security challenges of remote work. His research demonstrates consistent attention to the human element in security systems, examining how users interact with security mechanisms in real-world contexts across different cultural settings and technological domains. Smart home security and privacy challenges User experience of security mechanisms Socio-organizational aspects of security implementation Cross-cultural security and privacy considerations Security for distributed and remote work environments Dr. Flechais has supervised numerous PhD and Master's students, including Sarah Alromaih, Varad Vishwarupe, George Chalhoub, and Martin J. Kraemer, among others. His supervision work often focuses on the practical application of security principles in emerging technologies, with students frequently examining security challenges in smart homes, IoT devices, and remote work contexts. His research has been supported through various projects including webinos and Sponstaneous Security, which address security challenges in distributed mobile applications and ad-hoc network environments.
Masood Masoodian is an Associate Professor in the Department of Art and Media at Aalto University, Finland. He leads the Visual Communication Design research group, focusing on interactive visualization for health, energy, and sustainability contexts. Previously, he held roles at the University of Waikato (2000-2016), University of Southern Denmark, and Massey University. Education: Doctoral degree in Other disciplines from the University of Waikato (1999) Research interests include design thinking, visualization of complex data, and creative aging interventions. Notable projects include the EU-funded INT-ACT initiative (2024-2026) addressing intangible cultural heritage. He has received an award for collaborative work on video game ludonarrative analysis (2019). Recent activities include organizing workshops on map-based interfaces, co-creating cultural heritage methods, and delivering public talks on digital design. Supervised two theses and contributed to 131 peer-reviewed outputs, emphasizing human-centered design and sustainability. Grants: Principal investigator for multiple EU projects totaling over 3 years of active funding. Awards: Prize for 'Comedy in the Ludonarrative of Video Games' (2019). Labs/Teams: Visual Communication Design group, collaborating internationally on projects like INT-ACT's cultural heritage mapping.
Casey Boyle serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing at the University of Texas at Austin's College of Liberal Arts, where he also directs the Digital Writing & Research Lab. His academic profile demonstrates significant contributions to digital rhetoric, accessibility studies, and posthuman theory through both research and teaching. Boyle's research interests span Rhetorical Theory, Digital Rhetoric, Accessibility, Aesthetics, Digital Humanities, Media Studies, AI & Reading/Writing, Techno-poetics/ethics, and Posthumanism . His work explores how digital technologies reshape rhetorical practices, with particular attention to accessibility as both ethical imperative and theoretical framework. His book Rhetoric as a Posthuman Practice examines information as embodied material practice, arguing that digital rhetoric concerns how bodies become informed through practice that includes not only traditional communication but also how information technologies organize those bodies. Analysis of Boyle's recent publications reveals consistent engagement with posthuman and material approaches to rhetoric, with increasing focus on accessibility, digital environments, and the intersection of rhetoric with environmental concerns. His work demonstrates interdisciplinary reach across philosophy, media studies, and digital humanities, with recurring themes of embodiment, materiality, and the ethics of digital communication. Through his teaching, Boyle offers courses such as RHE 330C (Access Designed), RHE 391 (Rhetoric and Aesthetics), and RHE 325M (Advanced Writing), with course descriptions emphasizing experiential learning and practical application of accessibility principles. His Racing to Empathy project (with Terrance Green) develops immersive digital environments to address implicit bias against Black girls in primary education, while A Version to Access (with Nathaniel Rivers) explores accessibility ontologically through the concept of nonequal design.
Wolfgang Porod is a Professor of Electrical Engineering and holder of the Frank M. Freimann Chair at the University of Notre Dame. He is also a Hans Fischer Senior Fellow at the TUM Institute for Advanced Study (TUM-IAS) since 2009, affiliated with the Nanoimprint and Nanotransfer Focus Group led by Paolo Lugli. His research focuses on nanoelectronics and quantum devices, notably co-inventing the Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata (QCA) framework, a molecular-scale information processing paradigm. Porod earned his Diplom (M.S.) and Ph.D. from the University of Graz, Austria, and held postdoctoral roles at Colorado State and Arizona State Universities before joining Notre Dame in 1986. He directs Notre Dame’s Center for Nano Science and Technology, advancing interdisciplinary nanotechnology research. His academic accolades include Fellowships from the AAAS (2005) and IEEE (2001), and teaching awards such as the Kaneb Teaching Award (2005) and the Ruth and Joel Spira Award (2000). Porod’s work bridges quantum physics and engineering, with applications in low-power computing, spintronics, and nanoscale device fabrication. At TUM-IAS, he collaborates on nanoimprint lithography and nanotransfer technologies, advancing scalable nanomanufacturing methods.
