Dr Maurizio Cinquegrani is a Senior Lecturer in Film and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Lead at the University of Kent's School of Arts. He holds a PhD from King's College London and has held roles including Head of Film and Media, School Director of Graduate Studies, and Deputy Dean (Student Experience). His research focuses on film's relationship with space, memory, and historical events, particularly the Holocaust and Cold War. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (2018-2023). Education: PhD in Film Studies (King's College London, 2010), MA in Contemporary Cinema Cultures (King's College London), BA in Film Studies (University of Bologna). Research interests include cinematic geographies, urban space representation, and documentary film. His notable works include Of Empire and the City: Remapping Early British Cinema (2014), Journey to Poland: Documentary Landscapes of the Holocaust (2018), and Film, Hot War Traces and Cold War Spaces (2022). He has also produced essay films such as Aran Diary (2023) and Formosa 228 (2024). Professional activities include editorial roles for Immagine. Note di Storia del Cinema and AHRC-funded research projects. He supervises doctoral students in film history, documentary cinema, and spatial memory studies. Key awards include the Royal Geographical Society Fellowship. His teaching emphasizes research-led learning and has been influenced by his extensive international collaborations, including visiting roles at Taipei National University of the Arts and Poznań University of Technology.
Emil J. Straube is a Professor of Mathematics at Texas A&M University, where he has held the rank of Professor since 1996 and served as Department Head from 2011 to 2019. He earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) in 1983 under Prof. K. Osterwalder. His research focuses on Several Complex Variables, with emphasis on the ∂-Neumann problem, Bergman kernel, and boundary regularity of solutions to Cauchy-Riemann equations. Education: Ph.D. in Mathematics, ETH Zurich, 1983 Diploma in Mathematics (dipl. math. ETH), ETH Zurich, 1977 Research Interests: His work bridges complex analysis, partial differential equations, and operator theory. Key topics include global regularity of the ∂-Neumann operator, compactness estimates, D’Angelo forms, and the Diederich-Fornaess index. He has contributed foundational results on Sobolev regularity and geometric conditions for subellipticity. Publications & Awards: With over 50 peer-reviewed articles, Straube has authored influential monographs such as Lectures on the L2-Sobolev Theory of the ∂-Neumann Problem . Notable accolades include the Stefan Bergman Prize (1995, jointly with H.P. Boas), AMS Fellow (2013), and Texas A&M’s Distinguished Achievement Award (1998). His work has been supported by NSF grants totaling over $3 million and international collaborations at institutions like the Erwin Schrödinger Institute (Vienna). Service & Leadership: Organized major conferences, including the 2015 Qatar Complex Analysis Conference Edited journals such as Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications and Complex Analysis and Its Synergies Guided 7 Ph.D. students and co-mentored numerous postdocs Current Activities: Active in teaching advanced graduate courses (e.g., Complex Variables I/II) and continues research in global regularity theory and CR geometry.
Thomas Lam is a professor of mathematics at the University of Michigan , specializing in algebraic combinatorics, total positivity, and connections to mathematical physics. His work bridges cluster algebras, positive geometry, and integrable systems, with applications to scattering amplitudes in quantum field theory. Lam has collaborated extensively with physicists such as Nima Arkani-Hamed and mathematicians like Pavlo Pylyavskyy and Mark Shimozono. Key research areas: Cluster algebras, total positivity, electrical networks, positroid varieties, and quantum cohomology. Notable contributions: Defining polypositroids, proving regularity theorems for totally nonnegative flag varieties, and establishing cluster structures in braid varieties. Recent work focuses on positive geometries , including the amplituhedron and moduli spaces of points on projective lines, with implications for particle physics. His articles often explore dual graded graphs, K-theoretic Schubert calculus, and the interplay between combinatorics and algebraic structures. Lam's research has been supported by NSF grants, including DMS-0748636 and DMS-1249708 .
Olivia Constantin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the Faculty of Mathematics. She has been actively publishing since 2008, with research contributions in functional analysis, complex analysis, and mathematical fluid dynamics. PhD in Mathematics (implied by academic position and research output) Her research primarily focuses on operator theory on function spaces, especially Fock and Bergman spaces, and the application of complex analysis to fluid flows. Key areas include Hankel operators, integral operators, embedding theorems, and the analysis of water waves and oceanic gyres. Her work combines deep analytical techniques with applications in fluid mechanics. Recent publications show a strong trend toward using complex-analytic methods to study irrotational flows, traveling water waves, and gyre dynamics, indicating an interdisciplinary approach bridging pure and applied mathematics. Her 2025 paper on velocity extrema in ocean gyre flows highlights ongoing contributions to geophysical fluid dynamics. She has led two research projects: Operatorenklassen (2012–2016) and Analysis of Operators on Spaces of Holomorphic Functions (2017–2019), demonstrating sustained research leadership. Active speaker at academic conferences, with 18 recorded scientific activities including talks from 2008 to 2023 Olivia Constantin collaborates with prominent mathematicians such as A. Aleman, J. A. Peláez, A.-M. Persson, and D. Kalaj. She has not received any explicitly mentioned scientific awards. There is no information about her advising students or managing labs or research teams.
Steve Whittaker is Professor of Human-Computer Interaction at the University of California at Santa Cruz. He conducts interdisciplinary research at the intersection of social science and computer science, focusing on how technology affects human memory, communication, and personal information management. His current research explores human-centric AI systems, mental health technologies, and digital identity. His research interests center on designing interactive systems that support human needs in digital environments. He investigates how people manage digital information, remember personal experiences through lifelogging, and interact with conversational agents and social robots. His work emphasizes computational well-being, affective computing, and the social implications of technology use. He has made foundational contributions to the fields of personal information management (PIM), computer-mediated communication (CMC), and human-robot interaction. The recent publications reflect a strong trend toward mental health technology, human-AI interaction, and digital well-being. His work spans from theoretical models of emotion and memory to practical systems for mental health apps, chatbots, and immersive visualization. He frequently publishes in top-tier venues such as CHI, CSCW, and IUI, often in collaboration with researchers across disciplines. Lifetime Research Achievement Award from SIGCHI Fellow of the Association for Computational Machinery (ACM) Member of the CHI Academy Lasting Impact Award from ACM CSCW Best Paper Award at CSCW10 Best Paper Award at CHI07 Honourable Mention at ACM CHI 2020 Multiple best paper nominations at CHI, CSCW, and IUI MIT Siegel Prize Steve Whittaker has supervised numerous PhD and Master’s students, though specific names are not listed in the provided text. His research has been funded by major grants from NSF, NIH, and industry partners, enabling long-term studies on digital behavior and system development. He is Editor of the journal Human Computer Interaction and has authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications. His most recent book, The Science of Managing Our Digital Stuff (MIT Press), co-authored with Ofer Bergman, synthesizes decades of research on personal information management. He leads a vibrant research lab at UC Santa Cruz that focuses on human-centered computing, where students and collaborators work on projects involving AI, mental health, digital memory, and social interaction. The lab has produced influential work on lifelogging, email management, telepresence robots, and algorithmic transparency. The team employs mixed methods, combining qualitative studies with system design and evaluation.
June Huh is a Mathematics Professor at Princeton University's Department of Mathematics. His research focuses on the interplay between algebraic geometry, combinatorics, and matroid theory, with notable contributions to Hodge theory, tropical geometry, and log-concavity phenomena. He is actively involved in collaborative projects such as the FRG initiative on matroids, graphs, and algebraic geometry. Key research interests include matroid polytopes, Chow rings, Lagrangian geometry, and combinatorial applications of Hodge-Riemann relations. His work bridges discrete and continuous mathematics, with implications for enumerative geometry and geometric combinatorics. Recent publications explore topics like volume polynomials, Bergman fans, and singular Hodge theory in combinatorial geometries. He has received funding for interdisciplinary research through grants like the FRG Collaborative Research program. His contributions highlight innovative methods in geometric and algebraic combinatorics.
Avi Wigderson is the Herbert H. Maass Professor in the School of Mathematics at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton. He is a leading authority in theoretical computer science, particularly computational complexity theory. Wigderson organizes the Computer Science and Discrete Mathematics (CSDM) program at the Institute, fostering interdisciplinary research at the intersection of mathematics and computer science. Wigderson earned his Ph.D. (1983), M.A. (1982), and M.S.E. (1981) from Princeton University. Prior to his current position, he held appointments at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1986-2003), Princeton University (1990-1992), Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, Berkeley (1985-1986), IBM Research (1984-1985), and University of California, Berkeley (1983-1984). Wigderson's research spans computational complexity theory, randomness and computation, algorithms and optimization, circuit complexity, proof complexity, quantum computation and communication, and cryptography. His work explores fundamental questions like whether mathematical creativity can be automated (P vs NP problem), the security of electronic commerce, the role of randomness in computation, and the potential of quantum mechanics to enhance computation. He has made significant contributions to understanding the power and limitations of efficient computation. Analysis of Wigderson's recent publications reveals a strong focus on optimization, complexity theory, and their mathematical foundations. His work connects diverse areas including non-commutative algebra, geometric complexity, graph theory, and quantum computing. A recurring theme is exploring whether fundamental computational problems like P vs NP can be addressed through optimization techniques such as gradient descent. His research shows increasing interdisciplinary connections between theoretical computer science, mathematics, and physics. ACM A.M. Turing Award (2023) Abel Prize (2021) Donald E. Knuth Prize (2019) Gödel Prize (2009) American Mathematical Society's Levi L. Conant Prize (2008) Rolf Nevanlinna Prize (1994) Yoram Ben-Porat Presidential Prize for Outstanding Researcher (1994) Bergman Fellowship (1989) Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences Member, National Academy of Sciences While specific details about Wigderson's students are not provided in the source material, his extensive lecture series, workshops, and program organization suggest significant mentorship activities. His book "Mathematics and Computation" published by Princeton University Press serves as an educational resource for students and researchers. Wigderson has organized major programs at the Institute for Advanced Study including "Lower Bounds in Computational Complexity" (2018) and "Pseudorandomness" (2017), creating research opportunities for numerous scholars. Wigderson leads the Computer Science and Discrete Mathematics (CSDM) program at the Institute for Advanced Study, which brings together researchers from mathematics and computer science to explore fundamental questions in computation. His work with collaborators across multiple institutions has established connections between theoretical computer science and diverse fields including quantum information theory, algebraic geometry, and optimization. Recent projects focus on non-commutative optimization and its applications to computational complexity problems.
Dr. Hamish Ford is a Senior Lecturer in Screen and Cultural Studies within the School of Humanities, Creative Industries, and Social Sciences at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He serves as the discipline liaison for Screen and Cultural Studies and has held significant leadership roles including Deputy Head of School: Teaching and Learning (2020-2023) and Program Convenor for the Bachelor of Arts (2016-2019). PhD, University of New South Wales Bachelor of Arts (Honours), University of Western Sydney Dr. Ford is globally recognized for his expertise in post-war European modernist cinema and the relationship between film and 20th Century European philosophy. His research spans cinematic time and negativity, cinema and postcolonialism, and the intersection of European philosophy with film studies. He has published extensively on Ingmar Bergman, Ousmane Sembène, and Jean-Luc Godard, with his 2012 book Post-War Modernist Cinema and Philosophy: Confronting Negativity and Time receiving significant acclaim. His current research focuses on Bergman studies, with two major projects underway: co-editing The Companion to Ingmar Bergman (2024) and authoring History, Power, and Negation in Ingmar Bergman's 1960s Chamber Film Series (2025). Analysis of Dr. Ford's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on European modernist cinema, particularly Bergman's work, alongside growing attention to postcolonial and world cinema. His scholarship demonstrates strong interdisciplinary connections between film studies, philosophy, and cultural theory, with recurring themes of negativity, time, and historical representation. The geographic scope of his research has expanded from primarily European cinema to include significant work on African, Iranian, and East Asian cinema. Co-editing The Companion to Ingmar Bergman (2024), featuring 32 essays from leading Bergman scholars worldwide Sole-authored book History, Power, and Negation in Ingmar Bergman's 1960s Chamber Film Series (2025) Multiple refereed journal articles on Ousmane Sembène's Moolaadé and Jacques Rivette's Out 1 Editorial work on a special journal issue about the global reception of Ingmar Bergman's cinema Dr. Ford has successfully supervised six PhD students to completion and currently supervises four more. His grant funding totals $28,700 across nine grants from 2008-2016, primarily supporting conference travel and research projects on film modernism. He has been instrumental in developing the University of Newcastle's Bachelor of Arts Online program, creating and teaching three screen studies courses on the FutureLearn platform. His teaching consistently receives high student satisfaction scores, well above school and university averages, with multiple nominations for 'best lecturer' awards.
Anna Sofia Rossholm is an Associate Professor in Cinema Studies and Deputy Head of the Department of Media Studies at Stockholm University. Her work bridges film studies, literary adaptation, and gender studies, with a focus on Swedish cinematic heritage, including the works of Astrid Lindgren and Ingmar Bergman. She teaches courses on gender in moving images, Swedish film culture, and ecocriticism, and supervises students at bachelor's, master's, and PhD levels. Her research explores screenwriting practices, transmedial storytelling, and the intersection of cinema with nature and memory. Current projects investigate authors like Lindgren and Bergman, film tourism, and eco-critical analyses of postwar wildlife documentaries. Recent publications include studies on women’s screenwriting in Swedish cinema and Bergman’s legacy in tourism. Rossholm’s interdisciplinary approach combines archival analysis with theoretical frameworks from eco-criticism and childhood studies. She has authored a monograph on Ingmar Bergman’s creative process and contributes to debates on film pedagogy and HIV representation. Her work highlights the transmedia dimensions of storytelling and the cultural significance of Swedish cinema history.
Dr. Felipe Rincón is a Senior Lecturer in Algebra at Queen Mary University of London, affiliated with the School of Mathematical Sciences and the Centre for Combinatorics, Algebra and Number Theory. He works at the intersection of combinatorics, tropical geometry, and algebraic geometry, focusing on matroid theory and its connections to tropical geometry. Research Interests Combinatorics Matroid theory Tropical geometry Algebraic geometry His research explores how combinatorial structures like matroids influence geometric and algebraic objects, particularly through tropicalization. Key topics include tropical ideals, moduli spaces, and applications to compressed sensing. Recent Publication Trends Dr. Rincón’s work bridges abstract combinatorics (e.g., matroid subdivisions, positroids) with applied fields (e.g., signal processing). He investigates tropicalization of algebraic varieties, CSM cycles, and the balance properties of tropical ideals. Advising and Grants He advises PhD students Benjamain Dobres, Samuel-Louis Gardiner, and Xiaoan Yang, and leads the EPSRC-funded project Matroids in tropical geometry (2021-2023, £210,270). Labs and Teams Dr. Rincón is a core member of Queen Mary’s Combinatorial Algebraic Geometry Research Group and the Centre for Combinatorics, Algebra and Number Theory, collaborating on international programs like the Barcelona CRM Intensive Research Program (2026).
Professor Alexander Tumanov is a faculty member in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. He holds the rank of Professor and has been active in research and teaching since at least 2000. His current teaching includes Math 220 Calculus in Fall 2025. Education & Affiliations: His academic career is deeply rooted at the University of Illinois, with no indications of former roles or retirement status. Research Interests: Tumanov specializes in Several Complex Variables, Differential Geometry, and Partial Differential Equations. His work explores topics such as CR mappings, stationary discs, pseudoholomorphic curves, symplectic geometry, and nonlinear PDEs. Notable contributions include studies on automorphism groups of bounded domains, boundary value problems, and applications of Gromov's methods in symplectic topology. Publications: His recent work (2025–2013) focuses on advanced topics like non-linear Lie groups, q-convex manifolds analysis, outer billiards dynamics, and symplectic non-squeezing in infinite dimensions. Earlier contributions include boundary regularity for elliptic equations and minimal energy configurations on spheres. Awards & Grants: No specific awards are listed in the provided materials, though his extensive publication record reflects sustained scholarly impact. No grants or advising data are explicitly mentioned. Labs & Teams: Tumanov collaborates extensively with researchers like A. Sukhov, L. Baracco, and B. Coupet, as evidenced by co-authored papers. His work intersects pure mathematics with geometric analysis and mathematical physics.
Thore Bergman is a Professor of Psychology and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan. He co-directs the University of Michigan Gelada Research Project in Ethiopia and the Capuchins at Taboga Project in Costa Rica. His research spans primate behavior, cognition, and communication, with fieldwork in Ethiopia, Botswana, and Mexico. Ph.D. in Evolutionary and Population Biology from Washington University Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Pennsylvania (2001-2005) His research focuses on: Social cognition and dominance hierarchies in primates Vocal communication and its evolutionary link to human language Sexual selection mechanisms in primate societies Hormone-behavior interactions through non-invasive sampling Ecological influences on social systems Recent publications emphasize methodologies like acoustic recordings, genetic sampling, and playback experiments across gelada monkeys, baboons, and howler monkeys. His work bridges cognitive evolution and behavioral ecology. Scientific recognition includes: APS Fellow Bergman advises graduate students and employs technologies ranging from hand-held computers to radio tracking. He investigates vocal repertoires, social assessment, and physiological consequences of behavior.
David Barrett is a Professor and Associate Chair for Education-Personnel & Curriculum at the Department of Mathematics , University of Michigan . His research focuses on complex analysis , projective duality , and function theory on complex domains . Education: Ph.D., University of Chicago (1982) Barrett's work explores the interplay between holomorphic function theory and geometric properties of complex hypersurfaces , particularly through the Leray transform and Bergman projection . He investigates projective duality and Levi-flat hypersurfaces , often collaborating with researchers like Luke Edholm and Dusty Grundmeier. His 15 most recent publications highlight advancements in complex geometry , harmonic analysis , and integral operator theory , with notable contributions to Bergman kernel behavior, holomorphic extension , and duality on complex domains . The work spans topics such as Fourier modes , conformal metrics , and topological properties of Levi-flat surfaces .
Juha Torvinen is a University Lecturer at the Department of Philosophy, History and Arts Studies , Faculty of Humanities , University of Helsinki , and a Docent at the University of Turku since 2012. His work bridges musicology , ecological activism , and historical analysis of composers under Nazi regimes. Research Focus : Ecomusicology Environmental and Social Justice Nordic Music and Cultural Identity Modernism and Esotericism Historical Musicology Music and Politics His recent publications explore themes like environmental slow activism , self-denazification in composer correspondence , and esoteric elements in Nordic music . He leads projects including "Finnish Musicians in Nazi Germany" and "Activist Music Research for Social Justice" , funded by the Kone Foundation . Scientific Awards : 2017: Nominated for Vuoden Tiedekynä (The Scientific Article of the Year) In his role as a doctoral program supervisor , Torvinen mentors students in Philosophy, Arts, and Society . He actively participates in academic events, including conferences , seminars , and peer review . His media engagement spans radio programs , documentaries , and public commentary on music and society.
Dr. Ashvin Immanuel Devasundaram is a Reader in Global Cinemas at Queen Mary University of London, specializing in World Cinemas with a focus on New Independent Indian Cinema, emerging cinemas from South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa. He actively engages in transdisciplinary and intercultural exploration, connecting cinematic representations with themes such as postcolonialism, decolonisation, LGBTQ+ issues, urban violence, and cultural heritage. Current Research: Principal Investigator for the AHRC-funded India-UK project 'Connecting Creative Industries and Cultural Heritage: India-UK Film Festival Federation, Youth Curation and Community Co-creation' (2024-2027). Leadership Roles: Associate Director of the UK Asian Film Festival (UKAFF) and founder of its Edinburgh edition (2016). Key Themes: Intersections of cinema with philosophy, politics, migration, postmodernism, and urban transformations across India, South Africa, Bhutan, Singapore, and Brazil. His work has led to the establishment of an international interdisciplinary research network on global urban violence and its impact on marginalized communities, alongside ongoing editorial roles in academic series and journals. He mentors through the B-MEntor scheme and integrates philosophical themes into his music with the transglobal neo-progressive rock project The Multitude. Scientific Awards: Edinburgh University Literary Award (2012), QMUL Community Engagement Prize (2018).
