Jonathan T. Barron is a Researcher at Google DeepMind in San Francisco, specializing in Computer Vision , Neural Rendering , and 3D Scene Reconstruction . He earned his PhD at UC Berkeley under Jitendra Malik and has pioneered advancements in NeRF (Neural Radiance Fields) and diffusion-based 3D generation. Research Interests : Computer Vision, Deep Learning, Generative AI, Image Processing, and 3D Reconstruction via Radiance Fields. His work includes Bolt3D for rapid 3D scene generation, CAT3D/CAT4D for text-to-3D/4D, and Zip-NeRF for anti-aliased radiance fields. He has also developed real-time rendering frameworks like SMERF and NeRF-Casting for reflections. Scientific awards: PAMI Young Researcher Award He has served as Area Chair for CVPR, ICCV, and NeurIPS, and his research is widely adopted in applications like Google's Lens Blur , Portrait Mode , and Jump VR .
University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignUnited States
Joseph Bentsman is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Grainger College of Engineering. He also holds affiliate appointments in the Department of Aerospace Engineering (since 2015) and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (since 2018). His academic journey began with an M.S. from Byelorussian Polytechnic Institute in Minsk, USSR (1979), followed by a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology (1984). Professor Bentsman's research focuses on control of nonlinear and distributed parameter systems, nonlinear oscillations, network control, stability theory, and stochastic multiscale methods. He pioneered a new class of dynamical systems with active singularities that admit control actions during singular phases of motion, which represent a novel category of hybrid systems characterized by impulsively controlled discrete transitions. His recent work has expanded into biomedical applications, particularly thermophysical modeling of tissue during electrosurgery and control of phase change processes. His recent publications (2021-2024) reveal a strong trend toward biomedical applications of control theory, particularly in modeling heat conduction in biological tissues, electrosurgical processes, and phase change phenomena. Approximately 60% of his recent work focuses on biomedical applications, while the remainder continues his foundational work on nonlinear control systems, distributed parameter systems, and systems with active singularities. Key subfields include Stefan problems, enthalpy-based control, telegraph equation modeling, and PDE-based control of complex physical processes. NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award (1989) Life Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineers Life Senior Member of IEEE IEEE Control Systems Society Technical Committee Chair on Power Generation (2015-2019) International Society of Automation POWID Achievement Award (2014) 2018 AIST Computer Applications Best Paper Award Featured in 'People in Control', IEEE Control Systems Magazine (2018) Professor Bentsman has been instrumental in developing educational approaches that integrate signal processing, instrumentation, control, and machine learning, as evidenced by his two textbooks. His work on the steel continuous casting process, particularly the mold oscillation system, has led to practical industrial applications. He has also made significant contributions to power plant control systems and boiler/turbine control. His research group appears to focus on both theoretical control systems development and practical implementation in industrial and biomedical settings, with strong connections to steel manufacturing, power generation, and medical device industries.
University of California , Santa Barbara (UCSB)United States
Utathya Chattopadhyaya is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History at the University of California, Santa Barbara, specializing in Modern South Asian and British Imperial History with intersecting interests in the Indian Ocean World, Global History, and Commodity History. His research combines critical materialist and anti-imperial frameworks to analyze colonial agrarian frontiers, intoxicant commodities, and social dynamics of caste, class, and gender. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses including commodity histories, South Asian public culture, and historical methods. Ph.D., University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (2018) His recent publications focus on cannabis regulation, colonial political economy, and multispecies entanglements in imperial contexts. He has received prestigious fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies, UC Humanities Division, and the Mellon Foundation. Chattopadhyaya co-teaches interdisciplinary courses on topics such as race, colonialism, and cannabis history, contributing to emerging scholarship in Science, Technology, and Society (STS) and decolonial studies. Chattopadhyaya's research clusters around British imperialism's material impacts, particularly in eastern Bengal's agrarian transformations and intoxicant commodity systems. His work synthesizes historical methods with critical plant studies and gender analysis, producing innovative insights into colonial governance and resistance. He actively engages with graduate students in comparative history and Indian Ocean World studies. "Ganja and the Godhead" (2024) - Colonial cosmologies and cannabis "Colonial Capitalism" (2024) - Economic structures of empire "Bodies that Cohere" (2023) - Gender analysis in colonial contexts Key awards include the Margaret T. Getman Service to Students Award (2024), Regents Humanities Fellowship (2022-23), and ACLS Fellowship (2021-22). His scholarly activities intersect with research clusters in Science, Technology and Society; Race, Blackness and Abolition; and Global Antiquity.
Arjun Guneratne is a Professor of Anthropology and Chair at Macalester College, specializing in socio-cultural anthropology, ethnic identities, globalization, and environmentalism, with a focus on South Asia (Sri Lanka and Nepal). He holds a PhD from the University of Chicago and has conducted extensive research on the Tharu ethnic group in Nepal, exploring their identity formation, environmental transformations, and state interactions. Education: B.A. in Anthropology from Dartmouth College PhD in Anthropology from the University of Chicago Research Interests: His work bridges anthropology, environmental studies, and colonial history. Notable projects include studies on Tharu ethnicity, biodiversity conservation in Sri Lanka, and the history of Sri Lankan ornithology. He co-edited Pathways to Power: The Domestic Politics of South Asia and authored Many Tongues, One People: The Making of Tharu Identity in Nepal . Professional Roles: Former Editor of Himalaya journal Committee member of the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka Contributor to environmental NGOs like the Environmental Foundation Ltd. Teaching: Courses include Ethnographic Interviewing, Environmental Anthropology, and South Asian Societies. His work often intersects with science, such as his course Anthropology through Science Fiction and research on ornithology. Grants & Labs: Active in environmental and cultural conservation initiatives, though specific grants are not detailed. Collaborates with South Asian scholars and institutions on regional studies.
Auritro Majumder is Associate Professor of English at the University of Houston's College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, holding a courtesy appointment in the India Studies Program. His academic profile spans literary scholarship, critical theory, and intellectual history with a focus on non-Western perspectives. His educational background includes a Ph.D. in English from Syracuse University (2014), a Certificate in Critical Theory from Cornell University (2012), an M.A. (First Class) in English from Jadavpur University (2009), and a B.A. (First Class Honours) in English from Jadavpur University (2007). Majumder's research centers on peripheral internationalism and decolonial knowledge production , examining literary traditions across India, the Soviet Union, China, Latin America, and the United States. His work bridges literary theory , critical race studies , and global political movements , with particular emphasis on Bengali literature, caste-race intersections, and South-South cultural networks. His monograph Insurgent Imaginations: World Literature and the Periphery (Cambridge University Press, 2020) redefines world literature through non-Western frameworks. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals consistent engagement with decolonial aesthetics , transnational solidarity , and subaltern epistemologies . His scholarship demonstrates interdisciplinary reach spanning literary studies, political theory, film criticism, and comparative intellectual history, with increasing focus on contemporary debates around planetary consciousness and peripheral modernities. His scientific recognition includes: Project Completion Grant, CLASS (2019) William Lee Pryor College Professorship (2018-2019) Research Progress Grant (2017) CLASS Research Funds (2016) New Faculty Summer Research Grant (2015) Majumder actively contributes to academic service as Executive Committee member of the Modern Language Association’s South Asian and South Asian Diasporic Language, Literature and Culture Forum, editorial board member for Mediations , jurist for the National Endowment for the Humanities, and reviewer for multiple international journals. He has lectured globally across North America, South Asia, Europe, and Brazil. His teaching portfolio includes courses on postcolonial literature, modern Indian literature, and graduate seminars in postcolonial theory. Current projects include a monograph titled The Global South in Literature and Theory and a co-edited anthology Cultures of the Cold War in South Asia .
Priti Narayan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Faculty of Arts. Her research and teaching focus on urban processes and politics in India, with an emphasis on state-society relations, feminist methodologies, and public scholarship. Prior to joining UBC, she was a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University’s Mellon Initiative in Architecture, Urbanism, and the Humanities. PhD in Geography, Rutgers University (2019) Narayan’s research explores how marginalized communities in Chennai, India, negotiate slum evictions through collective action. She collaborates with the Pennurimai Iyakkam (“Women’s Rights Movement”) to document working-class activists’ lived experiences and theorize their contributions to urban studies. Her work bridges academic and activist knowledge, advocating for interdisciplinary approaches to environmental justice and labor rights. Recent projects examine urban development in Tamil Nadu, labor codes, and occupational health for construction workers. Her academic publications span journals like Gender, Place & Culture , Urban Studies , and Environment and Planning D: Society and Space , often co-authored with local activists. She emphasizes ethnography, archival analysis, and collaborative methods. Scientific Awards : SSHRC Insight Development Grant (2023) UBC PRE Fund Award (2023) CIHR Operating Grant (Co-PI, 2021-23) Hampton New Faculty Research Grant Narayan supervises graduate students in Geography and Interdisciplinary Studies, including Varun Panickar and Paroma Wagle (postdoctoral). She currently does not accept new supervisees. Her courses at UBC include topics like urban environmental politics and climate change.
Dr. Priyanka Singh is a Lecturer in Film Studies at the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies, University of Leeds, within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures. Her work centers on Indian cinema and emerging cinematic traditions from South Asia and the Middle East, with a strong interdisciplinary focus on feminism, post-colonialism, psychoanalysis, and subalternity. Her academic background includes a PhD in Film Studies from the University for the Creative Arts (2022) and an MSc in Digital Film Technologies and Production Techniques from the University of Bedfordshire. She is actively engaged in curriculum re-definition initiatives that promote Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in higher education. Dr. Singh's research explores women's authorship, marginalized narratives, and the psychosocial dimensions of cinema. Her interests span identity politics, decolonisation, documentary ethics, and queer cinema. She employs transdisciplinary methods, integrating Western and Indian feminist theories with psychoanalysis and religious ideologies. Her recent publications and conference presentations reveal a consistent focus on female desire, resistance to patriarchy, and the de-westernization of cinematic genres. She has contributed to discussions on eco-feminism, Dalit women’s representation, and the role of myth in feminist horror. Her forthcoming monograph Female Desire in Contemporary Bollywood (Routledge, 2024) is a significant contribution to the field. Dr. Singh is a member of several academic organizations, including BAFTSS, Visible Evidence, and the British Association for South Asian Studies, where she serves as Council Member and Co-Editor of a special edition of New Cinemas: Journal of Contemporary Films . Supervises undergraduate and postgraduate research projects in areas such as queer cinema, women’s representation, and practice-based video essays Actively involved in organizing international seminars and conferences on cinema and social justice Collaborates with student education leadership to align curriculum development with EDI goals She is affiliated with the Centre for World Cinemas and Digital Cultures and the Leeds Arts and Humanities Research Institute, contributing to a vibrant research community focused on global cinematic practices.
Chitralekha Zutshi is a Professor of History at the College of William & Mary, specializing in Modern South Asia and the Indian Ocean World. She holds two endowed professorships and has received prestigious awards such as the 2014 Plumeri Award for Faculty Excellence. Her research focuses on Islamicate identities, nationalism, and historical thought, with a particular emphasis on Kashmir's contested histories and political dynamics. She has authored multiple acclaimed books, including Sheikh Abdullah: The Caged Lion of Kashmir (2024) and edited volumes like Kashmir: History, Politics, Representation (2018). Her work challenges monolithic narratives of religious conflict, emphasizing the complexities of class, gender, and caste in Kashmir's socio-political landscape. Zutshi's academic contributions extend to teaching and program development. She founded the William & Mary study abroad program in Goa/Bengaluru and co-directed the Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Program. Her courses include 'Indian Ocean Worlds,' 'War and Peace in Postcolonial South Asia,' and 'Kashmir: Past, Present, and Future.' Her scholarly articles have appeared in The Journal of Asian Studies , Modern Asian Studies , and Economic and Political Weekly . She also engages with public discourse through contributions to KashmirConnected and media outlets like India Today and W&M News . Awards: Plumeri Award (2014), NEH Fellowship (2005-2006), Kluge Fellowship (2008) Grants: Senior Research Fellowship (American Institute of Indian Studies, 2014-2015) Leadership: International Advisory Board member of South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies Zutshi’s research bridges academia and public engagement, addressing themes of historical memory, political agency, and the intersection of identity with colonial and postcolonial power structures.
University of California , Santa Barbara (UCSB)United States
France Winddance Twine is a Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), with affiliations at Cambridge University's Sociology of Reproduction research group. She holds a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley and has held prior positions at Duke University and the University of Washington, where she founded the Latin American Studies unit in the Jackson School of International Studies. Her work focuses on intersectional analyses of race, gender, technology, and inequality, particularly through ethnographic and visual methodologies. Education: Ph.D. in Sociology, UC Berkeley Key Research Areas: Racial literacy, queer reproduction, tech industry inequality, feminist science studies, visual sociology Twine's research bridges multiple disciplines, addressing global racial formations, digital labor markets, and anti-racist strategies. Her concept of 'racial literacy' emphasizes intellectual and cultural practices countering anti-Black racism. Recent work examines Silicon Valley's caste systems and barriers faced by women and minorities in tech. Awarded the 2020 ASA Race, Gender & Class Distinguished Career Award, she also secured a $225K Mellon Foundation grant for interdisciplinary seminars on migration and race. She founded UCSB's Technologies for Justice Lab, fostering collaborations between humanities/social sciences and STEM fields to advance equity in technology. Teaching includes courses on digital technologies, racial justice, and ethnographic methods. Her eleven authored/edited books include A White Side of Black Britain (2010) and Geek Girls: Inequality and Opportunity in Silicon Valley (2022).
Ajay Parasram is an Associate Professor cross-appointed to the Department of International Development Studies, Department of History, and Department of Political Science at Dalhousie University in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. His work critically examines the colonial present through the lens of structural violence related to race, caste, class, and patriarchy. Dr. Parasram's educational background includes a BA (Honours) from Dalhousie University, an MA from Carleton University, and a PhD from Carleton University. His transnational, multigenerational experience as a byproduct of empire deeply informs his research and teaching approach. Parasram's research focuses on three primary interconnected areas: pluriversal sovereignty with particular attention to 19th century Sri Lanka's entanglements in the British empire; settler-colonial studies and decolonial options grounded in his experience as an immigrant to Mi'kma'ki; and a SSHRC-funded project examining the racialization of Asian international students to Canadian universities. His scholarship challenges conventional narratives of development, sovereignty, and citizenship, arguing that many contemporary structural forms of violence have roots in imperial encounters that have been sanitized of their colonial histories. His extensive publication record demonstrates consistent engagement with themes of coloniality, sovereignty, and racialization. Recent work shows an increasing focus on pluriversal approaches to sovereignty, settler-colonial critique, and the application of decolonial theory to contemporary political challenges. His scholarship bridges historical analysis with urgent contemporary concerns about racial justice, Indigenous sovereignty, and alternative political imaginaries. Among his notable recognitions are: SSHRC Insight Grant as Co-Investigator and project lead for the Halifax case study on racialization of Asian international students Founding Fellow at the MacEachen Institute of Public Policy and Governance (2019-2021) Chair and Program Chair of the Global Development Section of the International Studies Association (2019-2020) Parasram actively mentors graduate students interested in colonial, postcolonial, anti-colonial, and decolonial studies. His teaching includes courses on the colonial foundations of development studies, M.K. Gandhi, postcolonial politics, and activism. He has received research funding through competitive grants like the SSHRC Insight Grant, which supports his work on racialization experiences of Asian international students in Canadian universities. As a scholar-activist, Parasram engages with public discourse through media commentary, podcasts, and public speaking on issues of racial justice, colonial legacies, and decolonial possibilities. His work bridges academic scholarship with public engagement, challenging dominant narratives while offering alternative frameworks for understanding sovereignty, citizenship, and justice.
Rutgers, The State University of New JerseyUnited States
Patricia Akhimie is an Associate Professor of English at Rutgers University-Newark, Director of the Folger Institute at the Folger Shakespeare Library, and Director of the RaceB4Race Mentoring Network. She specializes in Shakespeare, Renaissance drama, and early modern women’s travel writing, with a focus on race, gender, and colonialism. Her research explores how literary works contributed to the formation of racial and social hierarchies in the early modern world. Education : Ph.D. in English from Columbia University (2011), M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan (2002), B.A. in English from Princeton University (2000). Additional certifications include Online Teaching (Rutgers, 2019), Effective College Instruction (ACE, 2017), and Feminist Scholarship (Columbia, 2006). Research Interests : Early Modern Critical Race Studies, Shakespearean drama, conduct literature, early modern travel narratives, gender studies, and colonialism. Her work bridges literary analysis with pedagogy and digital humanities, emphasizing the intersection of race, gender, and editing practices. Awards : Recipient of the Warren I. Susman Award for Excellence in Teaching (2021), Mellon-Funded Grant for RaceB4Race (2021–2024), and numerous fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Folger Shakespeare Library, and Ford Foundation. Teaching & Mentorship : Teaches courses like 'Shakespeare and Race' and 'Race in the Renaissance,' focusing on racial literacy in literature. She actively mentors early-career scholars through the RaceB4Race network and has developed innovative online curricula, earning awards for online teaching excellence. Publications : Author of Shakespeare and the Cultivation of Race (2018) and co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Shakespeare and Race (2024). Currently editing Othello for the Arden Shakespeare series and working on Leaving Home: Early Modern Women’s Travel . Affiliations : Affiliated Faculty in Women's & Gender Studies and African American & African Studies at Rutgers Newark. Collaborates with institutions like the Folger Shakespeare Library and the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.
Professor Adrian Hilton is a distinguished faculty member at the University of Surrey, serving as Director of the Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing (CVSSP) and Director of the Surrey Institute for People-Centred AI. He is affiliated with the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering and leads the Visual Media Research Lab (V-Lab). His research focuses on pioneering next-generation 4D computer vision technologies that enable machines to understand and model dynamic real-world scenes. Key areas include 3D/4D shape capture, computer vision, machine learning, graphics, and animation for applications in sports analysis, film/TV production, virtual reality, and medical imaging. His work bridges the gap between real and computer-generated imagery, with notable contributions in volumetric capture, motion capture, and free-viewpoint video. Hilton's recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward multimodal integration, particularly combining audio and visual processing for spatial audio applications, while advancing 4D reconstruction techniques for human performance capture. His work increasingly incorporates transformer architectures and neural rendering techniques for improved illumination estimation, shadow modeling, and multi-view consistency. Scientific Awards and Recognition Two EU IST Innovation Prizes Manufacturing Industry Achievement Award Royal Society Industry Fellowship (2008-2011) Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award in 4D Vision (2013-2018) Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng) Fellow of the International Association for Pattern Recognition (FIAPR) Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (FIET) Hilton actively mentors PhD and post-doctoral researchers through his leadership of CVSSP, which has a grant portfolio exceeding £31M and comprises 170 researchers. He has successfully commercialized several technologies, including systems used by the BBC for sports commentary visualization. His research collaborations span major industry partners including BBC, BT, Sony, Framestore, and The Foundry. He co-founded the G3 Games forum and the CVMP Conference on Visual Media Production, demonstrating strong engagement with the creative industries. Current research projects include the S3A Programme Grant in Future Spatial Audio and InnovateUK's ALIVE project for 360 video reconstruction.
Dr. Golam Rabbani is a Contract Lecturer in the School of Creative Industries at Toronto Metropolitan University. He holds a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from Queen’s University and has taught at institutions like Queen’s University, Carleton University, and various universities in Bangladesh. His research focuses on Baul spirituality, cultural industries, and postcolonial studies, with a particular emphasis on Bangladesh’s folk traditions and immigrant identities in Canada. He has received prestigious awards including the SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship and Erasmus Mundus Scholarship. Education: Ph.D. in Cultural Studies, Queen’s University (2021) MA in Literature and Linguistics (Distinction), University of Antwerp (2015) BA (Hons) and MA in English Literature, Jahangirnagar University (Bangladesh) Research Interests: Creative Industries, Cultural Studies, Ethnomusicology, Postcolonial Theory, South Asian Popular Culture, Baul Spirituality. His work explores intersections between spirituality, music, and contemporary consumer culture in Bangladesh, while also examining immigrant experiences in Canada through creative research initiatives. Grants and Awards: SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship Award Erasmus Mundus Scholarship Queen’s Graduate Award PKSF Best Volunteer Award (2010) Dr. Rabbani’s academic contributions span interdisciplinary courses on creative processes, media representation, and cultural theory. He collaborates with creative industries in Bangladesh and Canada, blending scholarly research with community-based projects addressing EDII (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigeneity) in workplaces and cultural spaces.
Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of BonnGermany
Prof. Michael Max Paul Zeuske is a Senior Research Professor at the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS) , University of Bonn, Germany. He holds a Ph.D. and Habilitation in Modern Global History from the University of Leipzig. His academic career includes professorships at the University of Cologne and the University of Havana (as DAAD Fellow). He specializes in the global history of slavery from antiquity to modernity, with particular focus on Atlantic slavery, South-South slave trades, and the intersections of slavery with capitalism, law, and cultural practices. Zeuskе’s research integrates micro-historical analyses of enslaved individuals and elites with macro-historical frameworks. He has authored over 26 books, 196 papers, and edited 23 volumes, including landmark works like Sklaverei. Eine Menschheitsgeschichte and Handbuch Geschichte der Sklaverei . His editorial roles include co-editing COMPARATIV , a leading journal for global history. He is a corresponding member of prestigious academies in Venezuela and Cuba. Zeuskе’s supervision record includes 25 completed and 10 ongoing Ph.D. theses, along with extensive teaching and mentoring. He has led major international projects like the International Research Seminar on the Second Slavery and conducted groundbreaking studies on slavery’s legal frameworks and commodity production. His work bridges archival scholarship with public history, emphasizing marginalized voices in slavery narratives. Key academic contributions span slave trade networks, gender dynamics in enslavement, and the material culture of enslaved communities. His recent work emphasizes slavery’s legacy in modern capitalism and global justice debates. He has received third-party funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG) and other institutions for large-scale collaborative projects.
Jim Berryman is an Affiliate in Information Studies at the University of Glasgow's School of Humanities. His research spans art history, cultural studies, and social theory, with a focus on the intersection of art, technology, and historical narratives. He explores topics such as AI-generated art, Marxist critiques of art history, and the role of documentation in conceptual art. Berryman has conducted extensive work on Australian cultural history, including studies of national identity, colonial legacies, and the historiography of art. His research interests include the social origins of art, the ethics of cultural repatriation, and the application of digital methods to art analysis. Berryman has collaborated with institutions like the University of Melbourne on projects involving Robert Menzies’ collections and has contributed to debates around museum ethics and the representation of human remains. His interdisciplinary approach bridges art history with philosophy, sociology, and technology studies. Key Themes: AI in Art, Marxist Art Theory, Australian Cultural History, Art Documentation Publications: Over 29 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters since 2012 Collaborations: Caitlin Stone on Menzies collections, studies of Robert Hughes and Bernard Smith Berryman’s recent work examines the implications of generative AI for artistic creativity and critiques traditional historiographical frameworks. His analysis of Arnold Hauser’s theories demonstrates a commitment to reinterpreting foundational art historical narratives through contemporary lenses.
