David Newburn is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Maryland, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. His research focuses on environmental and resource economics, particularly land-use regulations for farmland and forest preservation, and water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. He develops spatial models to manage urban sprawl and evaluates incentive-based programs for conservation practices. Research Areas: Land-Use Change and Urban Sprawl Water Quality Trading and Conservation Spatial Economic Modeling Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) Collaborations: NSF-funded Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES) National Center for Smart Growth Chesapeake Bay Program Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee Recent Publications: Highlight trends in household behavior, land-use policy effectiveness, and coastal adaptation to climate impacts. Articles span environmental economics, urban ecology, and interdisciplinary sustainability research. Education: B.S., University of Maryland, College Park (1991) Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley (2002)
Joseph Francois is a Professor of Economics and Director at the World Trade Institute (WTI) , affiliated with the Economic Institute at the University of Bern. He previously served as Deputy Director of the NCCR Trade Regulation (2015–2017) and held professorships at Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and other institutions. His research spans international economics, trade policy, globalization, environmental economics, and computable general equilibrium (CGE) modeling. Key focus areas include cross-border production chains, trade in services, open economy competition policy, financial market integration, and the interplay between trade agreements and sustainability goals. Scientific distinctions include a Fellowship at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (London). His methodological expertise includes CGE modeling, econometric estimation of large nonlinear systems, and policy analysis of trade disputes, carbon border adjustments, and non-tariff measures. Education: Ph.D. in Economics, University of Maryland BA in Economics and History, University of Virginia He has contributed extensively to policy briefs and technical reports, particularly in analyzing trade impacts on employment, economic development, and environmental outcomes.
Professor Jaana Kaarina Bäck is affiliated with the University of Helsinki, serving in the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry's Department of Forest Sciences. She leads the 'Ecosystem processes' research group and oversees ecosystem research at the SMEAR measurement network. Her work bridges forest ecology, atmospheric science, and climate change mitigation, focusing on forest-atmosphere interactions and biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs). PhD in Physiological Plant Ecology (University of Oulu, 1994) Docentship in Forest-Atmosphere Interactions (University of Helsinki, 2010) Docentship in Plant Ecophysiology (University of Oulu, 1998) Bäck's research explores how boreal forests influence atmospheric composition, carbon cycling, and climate dynamics. She investigates BVOC emissions, ecosystem responses to climate change, and feedback mechanisms between vegetation and the atmosphere. Her recent publications (277 total) analyze carbon dynamics after forest thinning, aerosol production in boreal ecosystems, and harmonized environmental observations via eLTER. These works span soil functions, air quality, and climate risk research. Knight, First Class, Order of the White Rose of Finland (2021) Open Science Award (University of Helsinki, 2018) Pro Scientia Award (Finnish Academy of Sciences and Letters, 2017) Bäck supervises 3 postdoctoral researchers, 4 doctoral students as main supervisor, and 12 as co-supervisor. She has secured over 6 M€ in research funding, including EU Horizon grants and Academy of Finland projects.
Prof. Dr. Florian Jeltsch leads the Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation research group at the Institute of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Potsdam. His work spans multiple ecological domains with a focus on understanding biodiversity patterns and processes in changing environments. His research group investigates community ecology across various landscapes including grasslands, agricultural systems, and drylands. Dr. Jeltsch's research interests encompass Community Ecology of Grasslands and Agricultural Landscapes, Community Ecology of Drylands, Biodiversity in Heterogeneous Environments, Movement Ecology and Biodiversity Dynamics, and Applied Regional Conservation. His work integrates theoretical and empirical approaches to address pressing ecological questions related to global change. He has been instrumental in developing and applying individual-based models to understand complex ecological systems. Analysis of Dr. Jeltsch's recent publications reveals a strong focus on individual-based ecological modeling, movement ecology, and the impacts of landscape heterogeneity on biodiversity. His work spans from theoretical foundations to practical conservation applications, with particular emphasis on savanna ecosystems, habitat fragmentation effects, and climate change impacts. The research demonstrates integration of multiple scales from individual energetics to community dynamics. Dr. Jeltsch has mentored numerous doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers who have gone on to establish their own research careers. His group has been involved in multiple collaborative projects including BioHet, GrassYear, BioMove, and ORYCS, addressing biodiversity conservation in heterogeneous environments. The Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation group maintains active research stations including the Gülpe Research Station, providing field-based research opportunities. The group's work bridges theoretical ecology with practical conservation applications, particularly in the context of global environmental change.
Janina Grabs is Professor of Sustainability Research at the University of Basel, where she heads the subject area of Sustainability Research within the Department of Social Sciences at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. She is responsible for social science teaching in the Master's program in Sustainable Development and leads a research group investigating sustainability governance in global value chains, particularly in tropical agricultural commodities. Her academic background includes a PhD in Political Science from Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster (2018), with research stays at Carleton University in Ottawa and Yale University in New Haven. Prior to her current position since June 1, 2024, she worked as an assistant professor at ESADE Business School in Barcelona (2021-2024) and as a postdoc at ETH Zurich (2019-2021). Professor Grabs' research focuses on transnational sustainability governance in global value chains, examining how states, firms, NGOs and other actors can improve environmental and social sustainability in commodity production. Her interdisciplinary work bridges political economy, regulatory governance, and business in society scholarship to investigate who defines sustainability in the marketplace, what rule-making mechanisms exist, their effectiveness, and potential unintended consequences on smallholders' livelihoods. She places special emphasis on coffee, palm oil, and cocoa sectors, exploring how global production and consumption processes can be steered toward more sustainable directions within market frameworks. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on zero-deforestation initiatives, supply chain due diligence legislation (particularly the EU Deforestation Regulation), jurisdictional approaches to sustainable commodity governance, and the evolving role of various actors in sustainability governance. Her work spans multiple commodities but shows particular depth in coffee and palm oil sectors, examining both environmental and social dimensions of sustainability through field research in Colombia, Honduras, Costa Rica and Indonesia. Her significant contributions to the field have been recognized with prestigious awards: 2021 Organizations and the Natural Environment Book Award from the Academy of Management 2022 Lynton Keith Caldwell Award for the best book in the field of science, technology and environmental politics from the American Political Science Association Professor Grabs actively mentors doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers including Alexandra Bögner, Charline Depoorter, Lucia Casalegno, Lesly Nassila, and Philipp Dunker. Her research is supported by multiple third-party funded projects such as EXPECT-AGRI (investigating political economy of expectations in agri-food sustainability transformations), PACSMAC (examining paradoxes of climate-smart coffee production), and research on zero-deforestation commitments in the palm oil sector. She also serves as book review editor for the journal Regulation & Governance and participates in professional associations including the ECPR Standing Group on Regulatory Governance and the International Studies Association. She leads the Sustainability Research Group at the University of Basel, which conducts interdisciplinary research on sustainability governance and transformations toward more sustainable socio-economic systems, with particular focus on agri-food, energy, and mobility sectors while addressing critical questions of justice, equity, and inclusivity in sustainability transitions.
Patrick M. Gillevet is a Professor and Director of the Microbiome Analysis Center at George Mason University, with a primary appointment in the Biology Department and affiliate faculty status in the School of Systems Biology. His career focuses on integrating genomics, bioinformatics, and molecular ecology to study microbiome interactions in human health and environmental systems, including the development of multitag sequencing for high-throughput microbial analysis. Education: Ph.D., Biochemistry, University of Manitoba (1982) B.S., Microbiology, University of Toronto (1976) His research explores dysbiosis in the human microbiome (gut, mouth, urogenital, respiratory tracts) and its role in diseases, cognitive function, and social behavior. He pioneered the concept of the "metabiome" to describe host-microbiome interactions in systems biology. Key projects include analyzing multitag sequencing for evolutionary studies and microbial community characterization in ecosystems. Recent publications highlight collaborations on gut microbiome trends in cirrhosis, alcohol use disorder, and antibiotic resistance, with a focus on cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. His work spans clinical trials (e.g., griffithsin gel), dietary interventions, and environmental microbiome studies.
Jonna Häkkilä is a Professor of Industrial Design at the Faculty of Art and Design, University of Lapland and serves as Vice Dean (Research). She holds a Docent title in Human-Computer Interaction and Computer Science from the University of Oulu (since 2011). Her primary research group is LUX (Lapland User Experience Design). Research focuses on user-centered design, wearable technology, cultural heritage digitization, and ethical technology integration with marginalized communities. She leads projects like the MAGICS National Infrastructure for Human in the Digital World and Indigenous Digital Storytelling with New Media. Awards include Best Demo Award at Pervasive Displays 2019 and Best Paper Award at MUM 2017. Active in organizing international conferences and supervising 3 doctoral works. Engaged in Arctic resilience initiatives through co-creative methodologies.
Yu Sheng is a Professor and Crawford Chair in Agricultural Economics at the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University. He holds leadership roles including President of the East Asia branch of AARES, Vice-President of ASAE, and Co-Editor of the Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics. He has authored ~50 journal articles in top-tier journals since 2011, focusing on climate change, agricultural productivity, and rural transformation. His work spans collaborations with institutions like ERS-USDA, OECD, and IFPRI. Education: Ph.D. in Economics (2003–2006), Australian National University Master of International Economics (1999–2002), Nankai University Bachelor of International Economics (1995–1999), Nankai University Research Interests: Science and technology policies, agricultural productivity, rural transformation, agricultural sustainability, climate change impacts, commodity trade analysis, and computable general equilibrium modeling. His work bridges economic theory with practical policy applications in agriculture and development. Collaborations & Activities: Global Agricultural Productivity Analysis Group Member (2018–present) Executive Committee Member, Chinese Economic Society in Australia (2013–present) Teaches courses at Peking University and Hong Kong Polytech University on agricultural economics, micro/macroeconomics, and quantitative methods. Research Trends: His publications emphasize empirical analysis of agricultural systems, climate resilience, and policy interventions. Recent work highlights the intersection of urbanization, labor markets, and environmental sustainability in China and global contexts.
Dan A. Iancu is an Associate Professor of Operations, Information & Technology at Stanford Graduate School of Business, affiliated with the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER). He holds a BS from Yale, SM from Harvard, and PhD from MIT. His research bridges operations, finance, and sustainability, focusing on dynamic optimization under uncertainty and its applications in supply chains, FinTech, and healthcare. Notable work includes designing financing solutions for global supply chains and promoting ethical analytics. Education: BS in Electrical Engineering (Yale, 2004), SM in Engineering (Harvard, 2006), PhD in Operations Research (MIT, 2010). Professional experience includes a Goldstine Fellowship at IBM Research and teaching roles at Wharton and INSEAD. He has won multiple awards including INFORMS Optimization Society (2009) and JFIG (2013) prizes. Research emphasizes fairness and environmental impact, with recent projects on sustainable palm oil production and climate impacts of digital supply chains. His work appears in Management Science, Operations Research, and Mathematics of Operations Research. Awards include Srivani Faculty Scholar (2023–24) and teaching commendations at Harvard, MIT, and INSEAD. He advises on multi-disciplinary projects involving engineering, environmental science, and business students.
Tiago de Melo Cartaxo is a Senior Lecturer in Environmental Law at the University of Exeter’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Cornwall Campus. He founded the Exeter Centre for Environmental Law (ExCEL) and is part of Law and Business Cornwall (LAB/C). Current roles include Associate Director for External Engagement at the Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI) and former Director of Postgraduate Research for Humanities and Social Sciences. His research focuses on environmental rights, climate resilience justice, circular economy, energy transition, and international environmental law. He holds a European PhD in Law from Universidade Nova de Lisboa, with postdoctoral work at the University of Surrey. Tiago has advised governments and international bodies, including the Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council, and chairs the World Public Sector Integrity Initiative (WPIEI). Education European PhD in Law, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (2015–2020) LLM in Environmental Law and Planning, University of Coimbra (2012–2014) Licenciatura in Law, University of Lisbon (2000–2005) Research Interests He explores legal frameworks supporting sustainability transitions, including governance of single-use plastics, nature markets, and climate adaptation. His work bridges environmental law with social equity, focusing on resilience justice, circular economy policies, and EU environmental law. He emphasizes transdisciplinary approaches to address socio-ecological challenges in urban contexts. Notable Contributions Coordinated ESI-funded projects on regulatory frameworks for nature markets Developed academic partnerships with the Portuguese Environment Agency Chaired WPIEI during Portugal’s EU Presidency Advised on post-2011 Portuguese economic reforms Awards & Affiliations Fulbright Scholarship (USA) FCT Fellowships (Portugal) Senior Fellow of AdvanceHE Member of ILA Committees on Sustainable Development, SDGs, and ICC Environment Commission Advising & Grants Tiago welcomes PhD/Masters supervision in Environmental & Climate Law. His grants include ESI funding and collaborations with international institutions. He leads the NOVA Law Green Lab and has advised Portuguese and EU policymakers on environmental compliance and energy transitions. Labs & Networks Founder of ExCEL and NOVA Law Green Lab; collaborates with Exeter Biodiversity & People Network, Exeter Food Policy, and Environmental Intelligence initiatives.
Thomas Berger is a Professor at the University of Hohenheim , affiliated with the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and leading the Department of Economics of Land Use . He also contributes to the Computational Science Hub and Hohenheim Tropics initiatives. Focus Areas: Climate change adaptation, land-use modeling, biodiversity-productivity trade-offs, agent-based simulation, and machine learning in agricultural systems. Key Projects: Simulation frameworks for smallholder resilience in Ethiopia, bioeconomic modeling in the Amazon, and hybrid intelligence applications in European agricultural policy. Recent Publications: 2025 study on climate change effects on insecticide reduction in Germany, 2024 work on reconciling biodiversity with productivity via hybrid models, and 2023 methodological contributions to surrogate modeling and seasonal forecast integration. Research Trends: Interdisciplinary integration of climate science, agricultural economics, and computational modeling, with increasing emphasis on AI-assisted decision support systems and sustainability policy validation. Teaching & Outreach: Offers Agricultural Economics seminars and Hohenheim Tropics discussions, requiring advance email registration for office hours.
Bruno Basso serves as the Hannah Distinguished Professor in the Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences at Michigan State University, based in 307A Natural Science Building. He teaches GLG 446: Water and Food and maintains active research in sustainable agricultural systems, with contact via 517-353-9009 or basso@msu.edu. His work bridges academic research with practical farm applications across the US Midwest. His core research interests include: Food Security and Plant Resilience mechanisms Soil Science with emphasis on organic carbon dynamics Precision Agriculture technologies (drones, remote sensing) Climate-Smart Agriculture practices Nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiency Yield stability analysis through spatial-temporal modeling Regenerative agriculture impacts on greenhouse gas emissions Ecosystem services valuation in crop-livestock systems Analysis of his 2023-2025 publications reveals a dominant focus on quantifying climate benefits from regenerative practices using multi-model ensembles. His work consistently addresses scalability for farmer adoption, with strong emphasis on N₂O emissions mapping, soil carbon durability, and yield stability zones. Key methodological innovations include hybrid SAR-remote sensing integration and AI-driven nutrient prescription systems, primarily applied across Midwest corn-soybean systems. No scientific awards were documented in the provided materials. While specific advising details are absent, his leadership in the LTAR cropland common experiment and Soil Inventory Project indicates active mentorship of graduate researchers. His research likely attracts significant USDA and NSF funding given the scale of field experiments and modeling initiatives focused on decarbonizing agriculture. Dr. Basso co-leads the Soil Inventory Project at Kellogg Biological Station, developing integrated sampling, data repository, and modeling frameworks for regenerative agriculture. His team combines ground observations, remote sensing, and biophysical modeling to quantify soil carbon and greenhouse gas fluxes, collaborating with farmers, industry partners, and international researchers to translate science into on-farm practices.
Maria Navarro is a Teaching Professor at the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, specifically within the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communication. She holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Education from Texas A&M University (2004) and a BS/MS equivalent in Agricultural Engineering from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain (1992). Ph.D., Agricultural Education, Texas A&M University (2004) BS/MS, Agricultural Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (1992) Her research focuses on High-Impact Practices (HIPs), interdisciplinary education, and integrating STEM with social sciences to create globally conscious curricula. She has led transformative projects in curriculum operations, faculty development, and student equity, with recent work emphasizing sustainable food systems and biocultural diversity. 2018 Fellow, Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education 2017 D.W. Brooks Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching 2016 Outstanding Graduate Faculty Mentor Award 2014 UGA Richard B. Russell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Dr. Navarro has secured competitive grants totaling over $1.1 million from USDA-NIFA-HEP for projects like 'Interdisciplinary graduate research and education in sustainable food systems' and 'Integrating humanistic studies into engineering education.' Her teaching includes international study-abroad programs, graduate seminars, and first-year courses, with a focus on experiential learning and curriculum innovation.
Jean-Pierre Gattuso is a CNRS Research Professor at the Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche (Sorbonne University) and Associate Scientist at the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI-SciencesPo, Paris). His research focuses on the impacts of ocean acidification and warming on marine ecosystems, as well as ocean-based solutions to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Current Roles : CNRS Research Professor, Associate Scientist at IDDRI-SciencesPo Past Positions : Research Professor at Shantou University (2006–2009), Visiting Scientist at Rutgers University and NCAR (2004–2005), Group Leader at Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche (1998–2004), and others. His research interests span ocean acidification , carbon and carbonate cycling , climate change impacts on marine ecosystems , and ocean-based mitigation strategies . He co-edited the first book on ocean acidification and contributed to IPCC AR5 and AR6 reports. Recent publications highlight his work on ocean alkalinity enhancement , CO2 sequestration , and climate policy integration . He has developed tools like FOCE systems for in situ ocean acidification experiments and standardized ocean carbonate chemistry analysis. Scientific Awards : Ruth Patrick Award (2020), Blaise Pascal Medal (2014), Vladimir Vernadsky Medal (2012), and others. Academic Memberships : Foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, elected member of the European Academy of Sciences, Academia Europaea, and founder of the European Geosciences Union. Gattuso has led the Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre at the International Atomic Energy Agency and will co-chair the 2025 One Ocean Science Congress.
Kunhee (KC) Choi is a Professor in the Department of Construction Science at Texas A&M University, holding the History Maker Homes Endowed Professorship and serving as a Chancellor EDGES Fellow. His research focuses on enhancing transportation systems through cyber-enabled solutions, including digital twinning, artificial intelligence, and data-driven modeling. B.E. in Architectural Engineering, Korea University (1999) M.S. in Construction Science, Texas A&M University (2002) Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley (2008) Dr. Choi’s work addresses four key areas: (1) AI-powered mobility and safety solutions for highway projects, (2) cost-time-risk tradeoff analyses under alternative contracting methods, (3) infrastructure sustainability through life-cycle assessment, and (4) stochastic modeling for civil planning and management. His research has been funded by NSF, USDOT, NCHRP, and TxDOT. Recent publications highlight his emphasis on predictive analytics, flood resilience, pavement engineering, and AI-driven disaster recovery frameworks. The i²dEAS Lab, which he directs, has produced 130+ peer-reviewed publications and secured $500k+ in annual research funding. Chancellor EDGES Fellow (2022) NSF Grant Recipient for Road Safety Research Texas Sea Grant Program Award (NOAA Funding) for AI-based evacuation route modeling Dr. Choi’s teaching philosophy emphasizes integrative learning and interdisciplinary critical thinking in construction management. His lab collaborates with academia, government, and industry to optimize transportation infrastructure performance through safer, more efficient management strategies.
