Michael Oppenheimer is the Albert G. Milbank Professor of Geosciences and International Affairs at Princeton University, affiliated with the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), the Department of Geosciences, and the High Meadows Environmental Institute (HMEI). He directs the Center for Policy Research on Energy and the Environment (C-PREE) and holds roles in multiple research programs. His work bridges climate science and policy, focusing on climate impacts, adaptation, and scientific assessment frameworks. He has advised international bodies, including the IPCC, and contributed to foundational climate policies like the Kyoto Protocol. Education: Ph.D. in Chemical Physics, University of Chicago S.B. in Chemistry, MIT Research Interests: Climate change impacts, sea level rise, compound hazards (e.g., storms and heatwaves), migration dynamics, and the role of scientific assessments in policy. His work emphasizes actionable solutions for climate adaptation and mitigation. Grants & Awards: 2010 Heinz Award for the Environment AAAS Fellow Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (via IPCC, 2007) Advising & Labs: Leads the C-PREE, mentors over 20 graduate students, and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams on climate policy and science. Key labs/centers include C-PREE, HMEI, and the NY City Panel on Climate Change.
Alexander Budzier is a Research Fellow in the Department of Technology and Operations Management at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. He specializes in managing projects across IT, infrastructure, energy, and mega-events, with a focus on risk mitigation and systems thinking. His roles include teaching on the MSc for Major Programme Management, MBA, and the Major Project Leadership Academy. Education: PhD from Saïd Business School (2014). Prior experience includes roles at T-Mobile International and McKinsey's Business Technology Office in Düsseldorf and Chicago, advising on IT and operations strategy. Research interests center on IT-enabled change, project setups, and risk analysis. Notable contributions include work on cost overruns in IT projects, the uniqueness trap in project management, and sustainable development via mega-events like the Olympics. Publications span journals like Harvard Business Review , iScience , and Event Management , with a focus on megaprojects, risk, and digital transformation. He has advised governments and corporations on infrastructure investments and project governance, emphasizing evidence-based decision-making.
Associate Professor Jason Thompson holds an Associate Professor position in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne. He is affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences and previously served as Co-Director of the Transport, Health and Urban Systems (THUS) Research Laboratory at the Melbourne School of Design. He earned a PhD in Medicine (2015) from Deakin University, a Master's in Clinical Psychology, and a Bachelor of Science with Honours. His research focuses on computational social science applied to injury rehabilitation, compensation systems, and healthcare design. He has attracted over $5M in research funding and published over 100 articles. Key areas include agent-based modeling, systems dynamics, and policy analysis for public health challenges such as pandemic response and urban mobility. Thompson currently leads the NHMRC Centre of Excellence in Compensable Injury after Road Crashes. Grants: ARC Future Fellowship (2022), DECRA (2017) Awards: Best Paper Award (Computational Social Science Society of the Americas, 2017) Labs: THUS Research Lab (until 2024) His work bridges epidemiological modeling (e.g., influencing Victoria's 2020 pandemic exit strategy) and complex systems analysis for injury prevention and health system design.
Christofer Edling is a Professor of Sociology at Lund University, affiliated with the Faculty of Social Sciences. Previously, he held a professorship at Jacobs University Bremen (2008–2012) and served as Head of the Department of Sociology at Stockholm University (2006–2008). He earned his PhD from Stockholm University in 1999 and has held prestigious fellowships at the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study (2002–2005), Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin (2004/05), and Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (2013). His research focuses on sociological theory and methods, particularly social network analysis and quantitative methodologies. Key areas include crime and extremism, social inequality, and political sociology. He has published extensively on topics like lone-actor terrorism, social capital, and the dynamics of violent extremist groups. Edling’s work bridges theoretical insights with empirical data, often using register-based and survey data. His recent studies analyze contemporary social phenomena such as gun violence trends in Sweden and the integration of youth immigrants. He collaborates with researchers in criminology, environmental policy, and public health, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach. Major awards include the Torgny Segerstedt Pro Futura Fellowship and multiple fellowships at leading research institutes. His contributions span books, journal articles, and methodological reviews, emphasizing analytical sociology and mathematical modeling.
Lidia Morawska is a Distinguished Professor and Australian Laureate Fellow at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), leading the International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health (ILAQH), a WHO Collaborating Centre. She specializes in air quality science and its health impacts, particularly particulate matter research. Her roles include Director of ILAQH, Co-Director of the Australia-China Centre for Air Quality Science and Management, and Adjunct Professorships at Jinan University and the University of Surrey. Education: PhD (Physics) and MSc from Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland. Early career included research in Canada and Poland before joining QUT in 1991, where she was promoted to Professor in 2003. Established the Environmental Aerosol Laboratory (now ILAQH) in 1992. Research interests focus on aerosol science, air pollution, and policy guidance for WHO guidelines since 1990. Awards include the 2023 L'Oréal-UNESCO International Award, 2022 AAAR Susanne V. Herring Award, and 2021 TIME100 recognition. She is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences. Grants and projects include leadership of the ARC Training Centre for Advanced Building Systems Against Airborne Infection Transmission (THRIVE). Collaborates globally on clean air initiatives and indoor/outdoor exposure risks. Active in policy advising, including co-chairing WHO guideline development.
Aleksey Sheshukov is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at Kansas State University, College of Engineering. He leads the Watershed Research Group, focusing on hydrological and water-quality modeling at the watershed scale. His work integrates research and extension to support sustainable watershed management in Kansas and the Central Great Plains. Sheshukov earned his Ph.D. in Fluid Mechanics and M.Sc. in Applied Mathematics/Theoretical Mechanics from Kazan State University, Russia. His professional journey includes academic and research roles at Kazan State Power Engineering University, Chebotarev Research Institute, and the University of Minnesota before joining Kansas State University in 2008. His research centers on physically based modeling of hydrological processes, with a strong emphasis on soil erosion—particularly ephemeral gully erosion—and nonpoint source pollution. He utilizes advanced tools such as SWAT, APEX, GIS, and the Jet Erosion Test (JET) to assess climate and land use impacts on water resources. His group develops innovative models like WINDS and WATER and contributes to the Daily Erosion Project. Sheshukov has been recognized with several honors, including the Big XII Faculty Fellowship Award, ASABE Superior Paper Award, and contributions to nationally awarded watershed plans. He actively mentors graduate students, many of whom have received scholarships and awards at state and national levels. Member, ASABE Technical Committees Member, ASTM Standards Committee Organizer, Regional Workshop on Soil Erodibility and JET (2015) Coordinator, International Workshops on Agricultural Burning (Moscow, 2012) Lead, USDA Scientific Exchange Program on Black Carbon His extension work includes developing watershed assessment plans for 13 HUC-8 watersheds in Kansas and Missouri, engaging stakeholders in conservation efforts, and providing technical guidance on erosion control and water-quality protection. He collaborates widely with researchers across K-State, other universities, and federal agencies such as USDA, NRCS, and USGS.
Prof. Florian Egli is a Professor at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), affiliated with the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology. His research focuses on public policy for the green transition, climate finance, and labor market impacts of energy transitions. He examines topics such as green hydrogen trade, renewable energy investment risks, and fossil fuel phaseout politics. His work bridges academia and policy, addressing challenges like financing Africa’s energy transition, managing trade-offs in electric vehicle policies, and quantifying climate finance needs in developing nations. He critiques energy system models for oversimplifying financial dynamics and advocates for evidence-based policy design. Recent articles highlight themes like green industrial policy frameworks, labor market adaptation to low-carbon economies, and the geopolitical implications of renewable energy exports. Egli’s research emphasizes practical solutions to political and financial barriers in achieving global climate goals. No scientific awards or grants are explicitly listed in the provided text. He advises no students or teams in the given data.
William W. Braham is the Andrew Gordon Professor of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania’s Stuart Weitzman School of Design, where he also directs the Master of Science in Design – Environmental Building Design (MSD-EBD) program and the Center for Environmental Building + Design (CEBD). He previously served as Department Chair and Chair of the Faculty Senate, reflecting his longstanding leadership within the institution. His education includes a B.S.E. in civil and mechanical engineering from Princeton University, followed by a Master of Architecture and PhD in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds a Certificate in Traditional Chinese Architecture from Tsinghua University, underscoring his global perspective on sustainable design. Braham’s research lies at the intersection of architecture, energy, and ecological systems. His work applies systems ecology and building performance modeling to address climate change, energy efficiency, and urban sustainability. Key themes include responsive building envelopes, urban morphology, embodied carbon, and regenerative architecture. He has pioneered the use of emergy synthesis in architectural analysis and has led energy and carbon planning for institutions like the University of Pennsylvania Health System and the Chautauqua Institution. His recent publications reveal a strong focus on smart building technologies, thermal comfort modeling using AI, indoor air quality, and sustainable materials. Collaborations with the Thermal Architecture Lab and international partners highlight the interdisciplinary nature of his work. The articles span topics from blockchain-based environmental accounting to bioclimatic design pedagogy, indicating both scholarly depth and educational innovation. 2021 Best Paper Award, Building and Environment Fellow, American Institute of Architects (FAIA) Braham has advised numerous graduate students and researchers in environmental building design and urban sustainability. His research has been supported by collaborations with PennPraxis, DOE, and industry partners such as Daikin. He continues to lead high-impact research initiatives through the CEBD, including campus energy analysis and building energy modeling tools. He leads the Center for Environmental Building + Design, a hub for interdisciplinary research on energy, climate, and sustainable design. The center fosters collaborations across engineering, architecture, and environmental science, supporting innovative projects in urban metabolism, low-carbon materials, and smart building systems.
Dr Carol Verheecke-Vaessen is a Senior Lecturer in Applied Molecular Mycology at Cranfield University, affiliated with the Centre for Soil, Agrifood and Biosciences and the Applied Mycology Group under the Environment and Agrifood theme. She leads the Food Safety module in the MSc Food Systems & Management program and is the Director of the Mycotoxin Training Hub, developing industry-focused training and research initiatives globally. Education: PhD in Mycotoxin Research, Federal University of Toulouse, France (2014) Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, Cranfield University (2021) Her research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of mycotoxin production in fungi under environmental stress, particularly climate change. She develops holistic solutions from farm to fork for managing mycotoxin risks, including biocontrol agents, decision support systems, and food waste valorization. Her work spans agrifood chain contamination assessment using advanced molecular and analytical techniques. The recent publications reflect a strong trend in climate change impact on mycotoxin dynamics, real-time detection methods (e.g., CO2 monitoring, spectroscopy), biocontrol strategies in coffee and cereals, and innovative pretreatment techniques for mycotoxin analysis. Her studies often involve interdisciplinary collaborations across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Scientific Awards: Best Innovative PhD Award, Federal University of Toulouse (2015) Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) She actively supervises PhD and MSc students and has secured funding from Research England, Innovate UK, and BBSRC. She is co-leading the development of the Magan Centre of Applied Mycology and contributes to the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chain (ACES). Her research projects include Oats for the Future, NutriNuts, and Gender-equal mycotoxin training, emphasizing sustainable and equitable food systems. Laboratories and Research Teams: Applied Mycology Group, Cranfield University Mycotoxin Training Hub (Director) Magan Centre of Applied Mycology (Co-Lead) Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chain (ACES) – Active Member
Maria Papathoma-Köhle is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Alpine Natural Hazards , University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna. She holds a PhD in Tsunami Vulnerability Assessment from Coventry University (UK) and has held roles as Academic Coordinator of the MSc 'Risk Prevention and Disaster Management' at University of Vienna. Her research focuses on natural hazard vulnerability , particularly wildfire and flood risks in alpine regions, with methodological expertise in indicator-based vulnerability assessment and physical vulnerability indices . Education: PhD in Natural Hazards (Coventry University, UK) MSc in Environmental Management (University of Durham, UK) Geology Degree (University of Athens, Greece) Research: Specializes in wildfire vulnerability indices, flood risk modeling, and climate change adaptation frameworks. Developed the Physical Vulnerability Index (PVI) for buildings and contributed to EU-funded projects like FLOODLABEL and EXTEND. Awards: Elise Richter Scholarship (2016) Back to Research Grant (2012) Young European Scientist Award (2002) Projects: Led FWF-funded research on physical vulnerability indicators and collaborated on EU programs for wildfire preparedness. Current work includes climate change adaptation tools for Austrian infrastructure. Advising: Supervised 6 Master's/PhD students on wildfire and flood vulnerability topics. Publications: Over 106 peer-reviewed works; recent articles focus on wildfire indices, IPCC risk diagrams, and dynamic flooding assessment.
Prof. Dr. Bernd Klauer serves as Deputy Head of the Department of Economics at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) since 2017 and holds an Honorary Professorship for Sustainability and Water Resources Management at the University of Leipzig since 2015. He leads the Working Group on Social Science Water Research and contributes to interdisciplinary projects spanning Germany, EU, Jordan, and India. Doctorate in Economics (1997), University of Heidelberg Diplom-Mathematiker (1992), University of Heidelberg His research integrates water economics with ecological economics and governance frameworks, focusing on hydro-economic modeling, water resource governance, decision support systems, and multi-criteria evaluation. Key application areas include Food-Water-Energy Nexus, Integrated Water Resource Management, and EU Water Framework Directive implementation. The 15 most recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on coupled human-natural systems modeling, climate change adaptation in agriculture, water scarcity governance, and socioeconomic analysis of informal water markets. His work consistently bridges technical hydrological models with economic decision-making frameworks across diverse geographic contexts. Current projects include FUSE (Food-Water-Energy Nexus) and NexusFootprints, while completed initiatives like the Jordan Water Project demonstrate his commitment to transboundary water challenges. He collaborates extensively with hydrologists, ecologists, and policy experts.
Dr Ting Sun is an Associate Professor in Climate & Meteorological Hazard Risks at University College London , Department of Risk and Disaster Reduction. He earned his BEng (2009) and PhD in Hydrology (2013) from Tsinghua University , followed by a visiting period at Princeton University (2011–2012). After postdoctoral appointments at Tsinghua and the University of Reading , he held a NERC Independent Research Fellowship at Reading (2017–2022) before joining UCL in May 2022. Education PhD in Hydrology, Tsinghua University, 2013 BEng in Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University, 2009 Visiting PhD Student, Princeton University, 2011–2012 Research Interests Dr Sun’s work converges on urban climate modelling across scales —from neighbourhood blocks to global grids—focusing on the impacts of weather and climate extremes such as heat waves and extreme rainfall in cities. He is the lead developer of the Surface Urban Energy and Water balance Scheme (SUEWS) and its Python wrapper SuPy , developed in collaboration with Prof Sue Grimmond’s micromet group. He also contributes as a core member of the Urban Multi-scale Environmental Predictor (UMEP) development team. His multidisciplinary expertise integrates hydro-climate dynamics, computational modelling, machine learning, built-environment processes, and public-health linkages . Research Trends from Recent Publications Across the 15 most recent articles, a clear trajectory emerges from high-resolution urban-process modelling toward integrated socio-environmental assessments . Studies published in 2024–2025 couple atmospheric models (WRF-SUEWS) with global building-morphology datasets (GLAMOUR) to quantify how cities alter rainfall patterns, temperature sensitivity, and heat-related mortality. Earlier works progressively refined SUEWS’s physical parameterisations and Python accessibility, while recent outputs leverage deep-learning remote-sensing tools (SHAFTS) and hybrid hydrological-neural architectures to deliver actionable insights for urban planning and climate adaptation. Scientific Awards & Fellowships NERC Independent Research Fellowship , University of Reading, 2017–2022 HEA Fellowship , University College London, 2023 Professional Service & Editorial Roles Topic Editor , Geoscientific Model Development (from 2025) Editorial Board Member , Scientific Data (from 2024) Peer review and consultancy for journals, conferences, and policy bodies Supervision of taught-course projects and research degrees External examining and mentoring Labs, Teams & Collaborations Dr Sun leads and collaborates within the UCL Department of Risk and Disaster Reduction , working closely with the micromet group at the University of Reading (Prof Sue Grimmond) on SUEWS/SuPy development. He is an active member of the UMEP consortium and maintains extensive international collaborations spanning Tsinghua University, Princeton, and numerous European research centres, underpinning a vibrant, interdisciplinary research network focused on urban climate resilience.
Lucila de Almeida is an Associate Professor at NOVA School of Law, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, holding the prestigious Abreu Chair in ESG Impact, Climate and Energy Law. She concurrently serves as coordinator of the NOVA Green Lab and the Master's in International and European Law, while maintaining a part-time Full Professor position at the European University Institute's Florence School of Regulation. Her academic leadership spans energy regulation, climate policy, and European legal frameworks. Her educational foundation includes: PhD in European Law from the European University Institute LL.M. in Comparative, European and International Law from the European University Institute Master's in Law and Development from FGV São Paulo Law Degree from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte Professor de Almeida's research confronts urgent energy-climate intersections through critical analysis of regulatory frameworks. She pioneers studies on peer-to-peer energy trading, consumer protection in digitalized markets, and the legal architecture of sustainable consumption. Her work dissects the European Green Deal's implementation challenges, examining how securitization narratives impact energy, food, and climate policies while advocating for equitable regulatory solutions in energy democratization. Her publication trajectory reveals deepening engagement with energy market transformation, shifting from foundational contract law analyses toward systemic examinations of digitalization, community energy models, and Green Deal stress-testing. Recent works increasingly integrate consumer protection with energy democratization frameworks, highlighting regulatory gaps in peer-to-peer platforms and sustainability reporting. Her scholarly recognition includes: Abreu Chair in ESG Impact, Climate and Energy Law Edmond J. Safra Research Fellowship at Tel Aviv University Finnish Distinguished Professorship by the Academy of Finland As principal investigator for major EU-funded initiatives including Horizon Europe's U2Demo project and International Energy Agency's UserTCP Observatory, she directs cutting-edge research on P2P energy sharing and consumer rights. Her editorial leadership spans Competition and Regulation in Network Industries (Sage) and Energy Research & Social Science (Elsevier), shaping discourse on regulatory innovation. Through the NOVA Green Lab, she cultivates interdisciplinary collaboration on climate law implementation and energy justice, developing practical ESG training frameworks for Portuguese SMEs while advancing theoretical foundations of regulatory private law.
Chaopeng Shen is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Pennsylvania State University. His research bridges hydrology with state-of-the-art deep learning and differentiable modeling techniques, focusing on advancing our understanding of hydrologic cycles and their interactions with ecosystems, energy, and carbon cycles. He leads the Multi-scale Hydrology, Processes and Intelligence group (MHPI) and has developed the Process-based Adaptive Watershed Simulator (PAWS) for large-scale hydrologic modeling. Shen's work emphasizes physics-informed machine learning , where deep learning components are integrated with process-based equations through differentiable modeling. This approach enables training neural networks using big data while respecting physical laws, leading to improved generalizability and robustness. His group has demonstrated advantages of differentiable models in rainfall-runoff prediction, routing, ecosystem modeling, and water quality studies. Notably, his team's deepLDB project addresses landslide prediction using AI and big datasets. Recent publications highlight his contributions to global water modeling (grid-LSTM, differentiable Muskingum-Cunge routing), extreme flood forecasting (probabilistic diffusion models), and hydrologic uncertainty quantification . Shen actively engages in interdisciplinary collaborations through the PRISM Cooperative Institute, which aims to integrate multi-domain data for systemic risk assessment. His group has advised students including Dapeng Feng, Wen-Ping Tsai, Kuai Fang, Xinye Ji, and Tasnuva Mahjabin. Shen's research is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DoE), USGS, Google.org, and the Gates Foundation. He serves as Editor for the Journal of Geophysical Research - Machine Learning & Computation and Chief Editor for Frontiers in Water: Water & AI. His open-source software tools like PAWS and deepLDB are available through dedicated project websites.
Nathan Johnson is an Associate Professor at Arizona State University (ASU) within the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering's Polytechnic School. He directs the Laboratory for Energy And Power Solutions and the ASU-Starbucks Center for the Future of People and the Planet, while serving as Assistant Director of Research for the Global Futures Laboratory. His work focuses on sustainable development through energy decarbonization, microgrid innovation, and public-private partnerships. Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University (2012) M.S. International Development & Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University (2008, 2005) B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University (2004) Research interests span microgrid resilience , energy-water-food nexus , grid modernization , and resource circularity , with applications in defense energy security, global energy access, and climate adaptation. His recent publications examine cascading infrastructure failures, hydrogen's role in decarbonization, and AI-driven solar panel diagnostics, reflecting interdisciplinary work in energy economics , control systems , and climate-resilient infrastructure . Over $70 million in funding includes projects like: DoD-funded microgrid resilience programs ($1.05M, 2022) World Bank climate-adaptive energy solutions in West Africa ($39.95M, 2021) NSF grants for urban resilience modeling ($3.6M, 2019) As leader of ASU's LEAPS initiative, he develops deployable energy solutions for disaster relief and underserved communities, combining hardware innovation with workforce development programs for veterans and civilians.
