Ming Hu is a Professor and University of Toronto Distinguished Professor of Business Operations and Analytics at Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. He serves as Area Coordinator for the Operations Management & Statistics Area and holds editorial leadership roles including Editor-in-Chief of Naval Research Logistics and Associate Editor for multiple top journals. MS in Applied Mathematics, Brown University (2003) PhD in Operations Research, Columbia University (2009) His research focuses on sharing economy , social operations , and platform economics , examining how operational decisions can maximize societal benefit. Key areas include crowdfunding , two-sided markets , crowdsourcing , and group buying , with applications to DEI , sustainability , and AI-empowered operations . Recent work analyzes spatial operations in delivery systems, algorithmic fairness , and climate change adaptation in agricultural supply chains. His publications span top journals like Management Science and Operations Research , covering topics from blockchain traceability to quantum-inspired optimization . Scientific recognitions include: Wickham Skinner Early-Career Research Award (2016) Best Operations Management Paper in Management Science (2017) 2018 Poets & Quants Best 40 Under 40 MBA Professors As an Amazon Scholar (2022–) and Chair of Chain Analytics Institute (2023–), he bridges academic research with industry applications in AI-driven logistics and sustainable operations.
Ron Steinfeld is an Associate Professor in the Department of Software Systems & Cybersecurity at Monash University, Australia. He holds editorial roles in Designs Codes and Cryptography (since 2017) and has served on technical committees for top-tier conferences like ASIACRYPT, CRYPTO, and EUROCRYPT. His research focuses on quantum-safe cryptography, lattice-based cryptography, and blockchain security, with over 80 refereed publications and AUD$4M+ in research funding. Education: BSc Mathematics and Physics (Monash University, 1998) BE (Hons., First Class) Electrical and Computer Systems (Monash University, 2000) PhD Computer Science (Monash University, 2003) Research Interests: Design and analysis of cryptographic algorithms, quantum-safe protocols, lattice-based security foundations, and blockchain applications. His work underpins NIST standard algorithms like Kyber and Dilithium through structured lattice problem research. Recent Articles Trends: Focus on privacy-preserving blockchain protocols, post-quantum signature schemes, encrypted data search, and cryptographic applications in adversarial AI. Recent work includes fair Bitcoin watchtower schemes and genomic database privacy solutions. Awards: ASIACRYPT 2015 Best Paper Award Advising & Grants: Supervises PhD projects on quantum-safe cryptography and blockchain security. Leads initiatives like the AUD$4M ARC-funded Quantum Information Technology project. Collaborates with industry partners including CSIRO/Data61. Labs/Teams: Key contributor to Monash’s cybersecurity and cryptography research groups, involving interdisciplinary projects on materials discovery ( Æinstein initiative) and post-quantum blockchain security.
Dr. Liang Cheng is the Department Chair and Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Toledo. He leads a department with ~700 students across CS, CSE, and EE programs. His research focuses on Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), IoT, AI/ML, and intelligent infrastructure, supported by over $30M in funding from NSF, DOE, DOT, and industry. Notable projects include CPS Breakthrough initiatives and underground sensing systems. He co-edited a multidisciplinary book on Underground Sensing and contributed to smart grid cybersecurity. Dr. Cheng has held leadership roles at Lehigh University, shaping faculty governance and equity policies. His 100+ publications span networking, real-time systems, and sensor networks. He advises on funded projects totaling $30M+ and has pioneered pedagogical approaches in computer science education. Research Interests: Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS): Focuses on autonomous drones, energy systems, and real-time infrastructure Networking: Expertise in TSN, DTN, and wireless protocols Cybersecurity: SCADA systems, PLC attack detection, and blockchain energy modeling Underground Sensing: Geo-sensing via wireless signals and subsurface tomography Grants & Projects: Over 20 sponsored projects including NSF CPS Breakthrough (2018-2023), ABB smart grid projects, and DARPA-funded EDIFY systems. Key contributions include reconfigurable wireless architectures and network calculus tools for real-time systems. Teaching: Courses span senior design, compiler design, parallel computing, and wireless sensor networks. Developed pedagogical patterns for non-CS programming education. Awards: Recognized for leadership in academic governance and interdisciplinary research collaboration.
Subodha Kumar is the Paul R. Anderson Distinguished Chair Professor of Statistics, Operations, and Data Science at Temple University’s Fox School of Business. He serves as the Founding Director of the Center for Business Analytics and Disruptive Technologies and has a secondary appointment in Information Systems. His roles include Ph.D. Program Concentration Director for Operations and Supply Chain Management. With over 240 publications, he ranks #1 globally in Information Systems Research publishing and holds a robotics patent. His research focuses on AI, blockchain, healthcare analytics, and cybersecurity, with notable contributions to digital transformation and operations management. Awards include the INFORMS ISS Distinguished Fellow and POMS Fellow. He advises major journals like Production and Operations Management and organizes conferences like POMS 2018. Media mentions span NYT, WSJ, and CBS. Education: University of Washington faculty Texas A&M University faculty Research Interests: Dr. Kumar explores AI applications, blockchain in fintech, healthcare system optimization, and supply chain analytics. He investigates cybersecurity’s operational impacts and data mining strategies. His work bridges theory and practice, addressing challenges in digital transformation and platform economies. Publications Trends: Recent work emphasizes digital platforms (e.g., blockchain adoption, telemedicine impact), organizational behavior (real-time feedback systems), and healthcare operations (personalized treatment algorithms). He frequently collaborates internationally, with studies appearing in Management Science, Information Systems Research, and Decision Sciences. Awards & Recognition: Changjiang Scholars Chair (China) ISB Visiting Professorship POMS Executive Editor Grants & Labs: Secured NIH grants for health analytics projects. Leads Temple’s analytics center fostering industry partnerships. Active in editorial roles (e.g., Production and Operations Management Journal Deputy Editor). Teaching: Offers courses in data science, optimization methods, and innovation entrepreneurship at graduate/undergraduate levels.
George Danezis is a Professor of Security and Privacy Engineering at University College London (UCL), affiliated with the Information Security Group. He is also a faculty fellow at the Turing Institute and has held part-time roles since 2018 to focus on commercialization. His research spans systems security, privacy, anonymous communications, and blockchain technologies. Danezis co-founded Chainspace (acquired by Facebook in 2019) and Mysten Labs, where he serves as Chief Scientist. He holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge (2004) and has held positions at Microsoft Research, K.U.Leuven, and the University of Cambridge. Education: PhD (Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge, 2004), B.A. (Hons) in Computer Science (Queens' College, Cambridge, 2000). Research interests include blockchain consensus, decentralized systems, privacy-preserving technologies, and machine learning applications in security. He has advised numerous doctoral students and led projects funded by EU Horizon 2020, EPSRC, and industry partnerships. His work emphasizes practical solutions for privacy, such as Loopix (anonymity system), Narwhal/Tusk (blockchain consensus), and Coconut (privacy credentials). Danezis has received awards for best papers (PET 2002/2018), is a Fellow of the British Computing Society, and advises organizations like Privacy International and DeepMind. Publications focus on blockchain, anonymity, and privacy, with over 100 peer-reviewed papers. Grants include leadership in projects like DECODE (EU), PANORAMIX, and Glass Houses. Teaching includes courses on computer security and privacy technologies at UCL.
Amr Youssef is a Professor at the Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering, Concordia University. His research focuses on applied cryptography, network security, cyber-physical systems security, blockchain, and privacy. He has contributed extensively to securing smart grids, IoT devices, and web applications through cryptographic protocols and machine learning-driven solutions. His work addresses critical challenges in cybersecurity, including e-voting systems, fault-tolerant differential protection, and privacy-preserving communication protocols. He explores vulnerabilities in modern systems such as SSO permissions, JavaScript exploits, and stalkerware tools, while developing frameworks like MEGR-APT for APT detection and TEE-Receipt for non-repudiation. Youssef’s research integrates interdisciplinary approaches, combining cryptography with AI (e.g., vision transformers for power quality analysis) and leveraging trusted execution environments (TEE) for secure computing. His projects often involve collaboration with industrial standards (e.g., IEC 61850), emphasizing practical implementations in real-world systems.
Anand Bhojan is an Associate Professor (Educator Track) at the Department of Computer Science, School of Computing, National University of Singapore (NUS). He is a member of the Communication and Internet Research Lab and serves on the Graduate Studies Committee. Dr. Bhojan is also the founder of Anuflora Systems and Virtual and Augmented Reality Labs (www.varlabs.org), and serves as Associate Editor of Computers and Electrical Engineering Journal, Elsevier, and Vice President of International Researchers Club, Singapore. Dr. Bhojan earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science & Engineering from NUS in 2011, where his thesis was nominated for the Best PhD Thesis Award. He also holds a Professional Master's in Computer Applications from Bharathidasan University (1999), a Bachelor's degree in Computing with Gold Medal (University topper) from Bharathiar University (1994), and a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching Higher Education from University of Sheffield, UK (2003). His research spans multiple domains including Distributed Computing and Wireless Networks (IoT, Security, Blockchain), Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI, FinTech), and Entertainment Computing with focus on Games, VR/AR/Metaverse technologies. Dr. Bhojan leads the Metaverse Foundry research group which focuses on content generation for games & XR simulations across multiple domains including entertainment, healthcare, and architecture, while also experimenting with innovative teaching methods for entertainment media technologies. Dr. Bhojan's recent research has pioneered hybrid rendering techniques that strategically combine ray tracing and rasterization to create more realistic video game graphics without compromising performance. His work addresses critical challenges in real-time rendering, particularly in depth of field and motion blur effects, with the goal of making Hollywood-quality graphics accessible on a wider range of hardware. Earlier work focused on energy efficiency in mobile gaming, including power management techniques and latency optimization for cloud gaming. Among his notable achievements: 2012 Nominated for Best PhD Thesis Award (Wang Gungwu Medal & Prize), NUS 2011 Dean's Graduate Research Achievement Award (PhD), SoC, NUS 2006 Best R&D Project award from TOTE Board, Singapore 1995 Gold medal for first Rank (out of 4000) in Computing, Bharathiar University Dr. Bhojan has served as Organizing Chair and Program Chair for multiple international conferences and has delivered keynote talks at IEEE/ACM International Conferences. He teaches courses including Computer Networks Practice, Game Development, Interaction Design for Virtual and Augmented Reality, and Game Development Project. He leads the Metaverse Foundry research group and the Virtual and Augmented Reality Labs, where undergraduate and graduate students have won multiple research and innovation awards. His research bridges entertainment, education, and emerging technologies with practical applications in making immersive experiences more accessible across different hardware capabilities while maintaining energy efficiency.
Peter Seele is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society at Università della Svizzera italiana (USI). He is affiliated with the Center for Climate Finance and Sustainability (CCFS), Ethics and Communication Law Center (ECLC), and the Luxury Observatory Lugano (LOLugano). His research focuses on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Business Ethics, Digital Ethics, Greenwashing, and Machinewashing. Dr. Seele holds dual PhDs in Economics (University of Witten/Herdecke, Germany) and Philosophy (University of Düsseldorf, Germany). He previously served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Basel and conducted post-doctoral research at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (KWI) in Essen. His educational background includes studies at the University of Oldenburg and Delhi School of Economics, followed by two years as a business consultant in Frankfurt. His research explores ethical challenges in digitalization, sustainability, and technology. Notable themes include AI ethics governance, ethicswashing in corporate communication, and the interplay between blockchain and business ethics. Recent work addresses greenwashing trends, the ethical implications of algorithmic systems, and sustainable practices in luxury industries. Publications highlight critical analyses of digital ethics frameworks, sustainability backlashes, and the societal impact of emerging technologies. His interdisciplinary approach bridges philosophy, business studies, and environmental science, with a focus on practical solutions for ethical dilemmas in modern organizations. Peter Seele collaborates across academic and industrial sectors, emphasizing real-world applications of ethical theories. He advises on CSR strategies, digital transparency, and regulatory frameworks for sustainable business practices.
Massimo Piccardi is a Professor of Natural Language Processing (NLP), Computer Vision, and Machine Learning at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) , where he has been since 2002. He currently serves as the Head of the School of Electrical and Data Engineering and leads the Big Data Analytics program at the Global Big Data Technologies Centre. His research focuses on advancing NLP, machine learning applications in healthcare, and cybersecurity in IoT systems. He has authored over 200 journal papers and conference proceedings, secured significant ARC and CRC grants, and holds the IEEE Computer Society Distinguished Contributor Award (2022). Education & Professional Roles: Joined UTS in 2002, progressing from Associate Professor (2002–2007) to Professor (2008–present). Serves as Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Big Data and Editor for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine. Active in professional societies including IEEE, ACL, and ALTA (President, 2023–2024). Research Interests: Core areas include NLP (translation, summarization, adversarial attacks), healthcare informatics (clinical NLP, health service analysis), and cybersecurity (IoT security, privacy-preserving systems). Cross-cutting themes include generative models, cross-lingual systems, and ethical AI. Grants & Projects: Principal Investigator on ARC Discovery/Linkage projects and CRC grants. Recent projects include controllable machine translation (Amazon), privacy-preserving digital agriculture, and STEM innovation (ASTRID project with NBN Co). Labs & Collaborations: Leads the UTS Global Big Data Technologies Centre, collaborating on projects like adversarial NLP attacks, medical machine translation, and secure IoT frameworks.
Yang Zhou is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering at Auburn University, part of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. His research focuses on big data algorithms, machine learning, data mining, and distributed computing. He has contributed to advancements in federated learning frameworks, graph mining tools, and spatial machine learning for environmental applications like flood mapping. Education includes a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Georgia Tech (2021), M.E. in Computer Application Technology from Chongqing University (2016), and B.E. in Engineering from Jiangnan University (2014). His work emphasizes scalable algorithms for large-scale systems, with tools like DirDense for dense subgraph mining and FedASMU for federated learning optimization. Recent publications explore adversarial robustness, blockchain strategies in IoT, and curriculum-based learning for large language models. He advises on interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of AI and environmental science.
Marcus Smith is an Associate Professor in Law at the Charles Sturt University , where he teaches LAW222 Technology Law and directs the Bachelor of Laws program. He holds advanced degrees from the Australian National University (PhD, LLM) and the University of Cambridge (MPhil). His research spans technology law and regulation , focusing on genomic data governance biometric identification AI ethics blockchain policy cybersecurity surveillance law He leads the Contemporary Threats to Australian Security research group and serves as Chief Investigator on an NHMRC-funded project (MRF2015531) addressing genomic dataset governance. His recent work analyzes algorithmic bias in facial recognition AI in healthcare blockchain's regulatory challenges post-pandemic cybercrime surveillance ethics data security frameworks He actively supervises PhD and honours students in technology law and contributes to law reform through submissions to international bodies like the UN Human Rights Council .
Dr. Mohammad Zulkernine is a Full Professor and Canada Research Chair in Cyber-Physical System Security at Queen’s University’s School of Computing (Faculty of Arts and Science). He leads the Queen’s Reliable Software Technology (QRST) research group and directs the Queen’s Centre for Security & Privacy. His research focuses on secure software systems for cyber-physical systems, including autonomous vehicles, IoT, and cloud computing. Dr. Zulkernine holds a cross-appointment in Electrical and Computer Engineering and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Ontario. Education: BSc (Bangladesh BUET), MEng (Japan), PhD (University of Waterloo). He joined Queen’s in 2003 and has held sabbaticals at University of Trento, Italy and Irdeto Canada. He has published over 250 papers, led 35+ research projects, and supervised 120+ students. Awards include Canada Research Chairs (Tier I and II), Queen’s Excellence in Graduate Supervision Award, and Distinguished Supervision Award from the School of Computing. Research Interests: Cyber-Physical System Security, Software Reliability, IoT Security, Vehicle Networks, Secure Software Engineering, and Cybersecurity Risk Assessment. Active industry collaborations include EU-funded projects and Canada-Africa initiatives.
Ari Juels is the Weill Family Foundation and Joan and Sanford I. Weill Professor at Cornell Tech (Cornell University) and a faculty member in the Department of Computer Science. He co-founded and co-directs the Initiative for CryptoCurrencies and Contracts (IC³) and serves as Chief Scientist at Chainlink Labs. His research focuses on blockchain technology, cryptocurrency, smart contracts, applied cryptography, authentication, and privacy. Juels holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from UC Berkeley and previously held roles as Chief Scientist and Director of the RSA Laboratories at EMC/Dell EMC until 2013. His work spans foundational contributions to decentralized systems, including Chainlink’s oracle networks and Ekiden’s privacy-preserving smart contracts. Juels has authored influential books like *The Oracle* (2024) and *Tetraktys* (2009), blending cryptography with thriller narratives. He advises numerous students and alumni, many of whom have joined prominent blockchain firms like Chainlink Labs, Mysten Labs, and Espresso Systems. Recent publications explore topics such as liquidity in blockchain assets, oracle network security, and economic analysis of smart contracts. His research emphasizes practical applications of cryptographic principles to real-world challenges in digital systems and decentralized finance. Juels’ lab collaborates on projects like HyDRA (automated bug bounty systems) and Lanturn (economic security metrics). He actively participates in academic and industry partnerships, bridging theoretical computer science with applied blockchain innovation.
Vassilis Zikas is an Associate Professor at the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy and holds a courtesy appointment in the School of Computer Science at Georgia Tech. He previously held positions at Purdue University, the University of Edinburgh, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). His research focuses on cryptography, blockchain technologies, cryptocurrencies, game theory, and distributed computing. He leads the Blockchain Lab at Georgia Tech and serves as Chief Scientist at Sunday Group, where he contributes to the Mobby blockchain architecture. His work is supported by the NSF, DoD, Swiss NSF, and industry partners like Sunday Group and Algorand Foundation. He has organized major conferences including PKC 2020 and has served on program committees for EUROCRYPT, CRYPTO, and TCC. He advises PhD students in cryptography and related fields and has mentored postdocs and master’s students. Zikas’ publications span topics like secure multi-party computation (MPC), blockchain security, and cryptographic protocol design. His recent work includes advancements in privacy-preserving protocols, adaptive security frameworks, and composability in blockchain systems. Notable awards include the 2023 Leadership Award from Purdue College of Science and an AnlytiXIN Fellowship. He actively contributes to both theoretical and applied aspects of cybersecurity and privacy through academic and industrial collaborations.
Na Du is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Informatics and Networked Systems at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Computing and Information. She holds a PhD in Industrial & Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan (2021) and a Graduate Certificate in Data Science. Her research focuses on human factors in smart cities, human-centered computing, and user experience design. She is affiliated with the Intelligent Systems Program, Pitt Cyber, and the Center for Governance and Markets. Education: PhD in Industrial & Operations Engineering (University of Michigan, 2021); Undergraduate in Psychology (Zhejiang University). Research emphasizes explainable AI, human-AI teaming, and smart technologies. Recent grants include funding from Honda Research Institute and Pitt Cyber Accelerator for projects on emotions in Human-AI interaction and Metaverse privacy awareness. Her work has been recognized with awards like the HFES Best Paper Award and the IOE Outstanding Student Award. Advising includes PhD students and researchers in human factors and UX design. The HAT Lab under her leadership explores interdisciplinary challenges in human-computer interaction and smart systems.