Julie Orlemanski is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago. She holds a Ph.D. and MA from Harvard University (2010) and a BA from the University of Georgia (2004). Her scholarly work bridges late medieval literature with contemporary theoretical debates in literary criticism, the history of science, and the philosophy of fictionality. Harvard University - Ph.D. and MA (2010) University of Georgia - BA (2004) Her research focuses on medieval medical discourse, the poetics of literary personhood, and the historiography of fiction. She is currently completing Making Literary Persons: A Poetics of Voice in Chaucer , which explores Chaucerian narratology, and developing a book on Bernard of Clairvaux's Sermons on the Song of Songs , considering how medieval writing virtualized embodied speech. Her 2019 monograph Symptomatic Subjects examines medical causation in pre-modern literature. Julie serves as Book-Review Editor for Exemplaria: Medieval, Early Modern, Theory (2025–) and has edited special issues on trans-regional medieval studies. Her recent publications analyze medieval fictionality, personification, and the ethical stakes of literary voice. She has presented at the English Institute Annual Conference and organized graduate research symposia.
Christopher Robert Way is an Associate Professor of Government at Cornell University, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. He is a core faculty member of the Institute for European Studies and part of the Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies, where he contributes to the Peace Studies Minor. His research focuses on comparative political economy, international relations, and nuclear proliferation, with a particular emphasis on the effectiveness of non-proliferation regimes and the political drivers of weapons development. Way's academic interests span international/comparative political economy, the political economy of OECD democracies, and the impact of electoral cycles on policy-making. His work integrates quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze topics such as the relationship between conventional arms transfers and nuclear proliferation, the role of political insecurity in financial market liberalization, and the effects of economic interdependence on military conflict. His recent research on paid sick leave policies and democracy’s role in capitalism reflects his broader engagement with public policy and institutional adaptation. Way has also contributed to debates on nuclear energy as an 'ambiguous technology' and the dynamics of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Tong Lam is an Associate Professor in the Department of Historical Studies and the Graduate Department of History at the University of Toronto, where he also directs the Dr. David Chu Program in Asia-Pacific Studies at the Asian Institute. His research sits at the intersection of media studies, environmental history, and science and technology studies (STS), focusing on the politics and aesthetics of mobilization in China’s special zones across socialist and postsocialist eras. Employing interdisciplinary methodologies, his work explores themes such as state-precipitated violence, industrial ruination, and the socio-political implications of technology. He is a visual artist whose lens-based projects interrogate military violence, surveillance, and postindustrial landscapes. His recent scholarship analyzes postsocialist urbanism, digital governance, and the temporalities of infrastructure. While the absence of explicit scientific awards or student advisement records in the provided text precludes their inclusion here, his publications and creative practice reflect a sustained engagement with critical historical inquiry and contemporary socio-technological challenges.
Dr. Isabella Jackson is an Assistant Professor in Chinese History at Trinity College Dublin's Department of History. She specializes in modern Chinese history, with a focus on colonial Shanghai, treaty ports, and the intersections of imperialism and identity. Her research includes the CHINACHILD project, investigating the sociolegal status of enslaved girls and evolving conceptions of childhood in 20th-century China. She is also a co-editor of Treaty Ports in Modern China and author of Shaping Modern Shanghai , analyzing colonial governance and transnational networks. Her teaching includes courses on Republican China, global childhood history, and imperialism. She contributes to Trinity's Asian Studies programs, supervising PhD students researching topics like medical objects in late Qing China and Irish identities in Chinese maritime history. Dr. Jackson's work bridges urban history, colonial studies, and gender analysis, often exploring how global and local dynamics shaped modern China. Her research highlights include examining Sikh policemen in Shanghai's International Settlement, treaty port governance via the Shanghai Municipal Council, and the socio-political dimensions of foreign presence in China. She frequently publishes in journals like Modern Asian Studies and collaborates internationally on projects linking urban development, legal frameworks, and cultural identity.
Nancy E. Levine is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she has conducted extensive research on culturally Tibetan societies across Nepal and China. Her work examines how state-sponsored modernization projects impact family structures, community dynamics, and cultural values in highland Asian contexts. Education: Ph.D. in Anthropology, University of Rochester (1978) Research Focus: Professor Levine specializes in socio-cultural anthropology with emphasis on kinship systems, pastoral economies, and gender dynamics. Her fieldwork spans three and a half years in northwestern Nepal studying household economies, followed by investigations into government reform impacts on Western Tibetan agriculturalists and sedentarization effects on nomadic pastoralists in Sichuan and Qinghai Provinces. Current research analyzes resettlement consequences for Tibetan communities adapting to urban life, including shifts in family relationships, cultural values, and health outcomes. Her methodological approach combines demographic analysis with political economy frameworks to document responses to economic scarcity and mortality patterns in pre-modern contexts. Publication Trends: Her 15-year publication trajectory reveals consistent focus on kinship adaptation under political change, with increasing attention to multi-species anthropology and sedentarization impacts. Early work established foundational analyses of polyandry and child care systems, while recent scholarship examines taxation traditions and sibling centrality in pastoralist survival strategies, demonstrating longitudinal engagement with Tibetan societies through periods of dramatic socioeconomic transformation. Advising and Research: Professor Levine mentors graduate students at UCLA with expertise in Himalayan and Central Asian fieldwork. Her research has been supported by grants enabling sustained ethnographic engagement across multiple Tibetan regions, though specific funding sources aren't detailed in available materials. She maintains active scholarly contributions through journal publications and book chapters addressing contemporary challenges in pastoralist communities.
Dr Duncan Smith is an Associate Professor in GIS and Visualisation at the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA) at University College London (UCL). He serves as Programme Co-Director for the MSc Urban Spatial Science, focusing on digital visualisation and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) education. His research emphasizes urban sustainability, transport accessibility, and interactive urban visualisation, with a particular interest in global mega-cities like London, Singapore, and São Paulo. Dr Smith holds a PhD from UCL (2011), an MSc from the University of Edinburgh (2005), and a BA (2003). His recent projects include leading the ESRC-funded Driving Urban Transitions project (2024) exploring sustainable travel in small cities and outer metropolitan areas. Previously, he was Co-Investigator on the SIMETRI project (NSFC JPI Urban Europe) analyzing urban sustainability in London, the Randstad, and China's Greater Bay Area. His research interests span urban visualisation techniques, transport equity analysis, and polycentric urban development. Key areas include GIS-driven urban modelling, accessibility metrics, and the intersection of housing policy with sustainable urban form. His interactive visualisations, available on citygeographics.org , showcase innovative approaches to spatial data presentation. Dr Smith's work consistently addresses global sustainability challenges through geospatial methodologies. Recent studies highlight inequalities in transport accessibility and the spatial implications of urban policies. Upcoming projects will further investigate small-city mobility dynamics using multi-national collaborations with Amsterdam and Lisbon researchers.
Professor Phil Clark is a Professor of International Politics at SOAS University of London, specializing in conflict and post-conflict issues with a focus on transitional justice, peacebuilding, and reconciliation after mass atrocity in Rwanda, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burundi. He holds a DPhil in Politics from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar, and a Bachelor of International Studies from Flinders University. His research focuses on international, national, and community-based responses to mass violence in Central Africa, particularly examining the gacaca community courts in post-genocide Rwanda and the International Criminal Court (ICC). Professor Clark has advised multiple governments (Danish, Sudanese, Swedish, Ugandan, and UK), international organizations (ICC, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda), and NGOs (Human Rights Watch, Crisis Group) on conflict issues in Africa. Professor Clark's work spans several key areas including the History, Politics and Law of the African Great Lakes; Transitional Justice Theory and Practice; the Politics of Violence; Community-Based and Customary Law; Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation; the Politics of International Criminal Justice; Peacebuilding, Security and Post-Conflict Reconstruction; and Moral and Political Philosophy. His approach often combines theoretical analysis with practical fieldwork in post-conflict societies. His publications reveal a consistent focus on the tension between international legal frameworks and local justice mechanisms, particularly examining how post-genocide societies navigate complex reconciliation processes. Over time, his work has evolved from documenting specific cases (like the gacaca courts) to analyzing broader patterns of transitional justice and international criminal law across the African continent. Shortlisted for the Raphael Lemkin Award for best book on genocide and mass violence (for "Distant Justice: The Impact of the International Criminal Court on African Politics") Regular contributor to major media outlets including The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Washington Post, The Guardian, and BBC Frequent media commentator on international news networks including BBC, France 24, Al Jazeera, CNN, and Deutsche Welle Professor Clark has supervised multiple PhD students working on topics related to conflict analysis, women's access to transitional justice, China-Africa relations, and conflict transformation. His current research includes "Intergenerational Justice in Eastern Africa" and "Reframing Justice after Atrocity," which examines justice interactions beyond the linear international-to-national transmission of norms and practices. He has led significant research projects, including serving as technical advisor and co-author of a 2007 UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights project surveying popular perceptions of transitional justice and peacebuilding in northern Uganda. His ongoing work continues to shape academic and policy discussions about justice mechanisms in post-conflict societies.
John (Xuefeng) Jiang is an Eli Broad Endowed Professor in Accounting at Michigan State University's Broad College of Business, holding appointments in the Department of Accounting and Information Systems, with courtesy positions as Professor of Finance and Faculty Affiliate of the law school. He serves as President-Elect of the Financial Accounting and Reporting Section (FARS) of the American Accounting Association and is an associate editor at Management Science. Dr. Jiang received his education from Renmin University of China and the University of Georgia, and has passed the Uniform CPA exams in both China and the United States. His research spans interdisciplinary areas at the interface of accounting and finance, with particular focus on corporate governance, healthcare management, information technology systems, regulation & public policy, and corporate finance. His methodological approach employs natural experiments and novel data sources to address fundamental questions in financial reporting and disclosure. Dr. Jiang's scholarly work has evolved from traditional accounting topics like earnings management and credit ratings to contemporary issues in healthcare management and cybersecurity. His recent publications examine hospital pricing transparency, data breaches in healthcare systems, and the impact of media oversight on hospital behavior, demonstrating his ability to apply accounting principles to emerging real-world challenges. His research has been widely covered by major media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, NPR, Forbes, and CBS News. American Accounting Association Distinguished Contribution to Accounting Literature Award (2017) Multiple Outstanding Teacher of the Year awards from graduating students Dr. Jiang has successfully mentored doctoral students who have secured tenure-track positions at the University of Florida, the National University of Singapore, and Miami University. He has served on the FARS steering board from 2018 to 2022 and is actively involved in the academic community as a past President of MSU's Chinese Faculty Club and faculty advisor for the Broad China Business Society.
Sarah Harper is the Clore Professor of Gerontology at the University of Oxford and Director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing. She was appointed a CBE in 2018 for services to Demography and serves as Chair of HelpAge International. Professor Harper has held numerous influential positions including serving on the Prime Minister's Council for Science and Technology and as Director of the Royal Institution of Great Britain. Her educational background includes an MA from Cambridge and a DPhil from Oxford. Prior to her academic career, she trained with the BBC as a News and Current Affairs Reporter and Producer. She subsequently held academic positions at the University of London and the University of Chicago before returning to Oxford to found the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing. Professor Harper's research focuses on demographic change, particularly the implications of falling fertility and increasing life expectancy. Her work examines life course factors in healthy ageing, social and economic drivers of health and well-being, with emphasis on life transitions. She has conducted significant research on eldercare in China, fertility patterns in sub-Saharan Africa (revealing that ideal family size remains high despite girls' education), and demographic changes in Vietnam and Myanmar affecting agricultural production and food security. Her publication record demonstrates consistent focus on global demographic trends, with recent work increasingly addressing the intersection of population change with environmental challenges. She has authored influential books including 'How Population Change Will Transform Our World' (Oxford University Press, 2016) and is working on a new book for Cambridge University Press on Population and Environmental Change. Scientific Awards and Honors CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2018 for services to Demography Royal Society for Public Health: Arts and Health Research Award (2011) Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences Fellow of the Royal Anthropology Institute Professor Harper has supervised numerous PhD students across diverse topics from biodiversity conservation in Southeast Asia to intergenerational solidarity in Turkey. Her advisory work extends globally, having served on the Scientific Advisory Board of Natural England, the Royal Society's Working Group on Population and Environment, and as an advisor to governments including the UK, Malaysia, Singapore, and the European Commission. She has received research funding from organizations including the US National Institutes of Health, which supported the founding of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing. As Director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, Professor Harper leads a multidisciplinary team examining demographic trends and their societal implications. The Institute serves as a hub for international collaboration on ageing research, working with organizations including Population Europe and the International Association of Research Universities. She also serves as founding editor of the Journal of Population Ageing and editor of the Handbook of Ageing and Public Policy.
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.
Ching Crumley is a Senior Lecturer in the Economics Department at Bentley University, joining in summer 2024. Previously, they taught at Grinnell College (liberal arts college) and Texas Tech University across courses including Time Series Econometrics and Intermediate Macroeconomics. Education: Ph.D. in Economics from Texas Tech University (2023) International Business from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (2018) Research focuses on Macroeconomics—specifically monetary policy mechanisms—and Energy Economics, with deep analysis of oil market volatilities and comparative studies between developed and developing economies. Their work directly supports UN Sustainable Development Goals related to economic growth and sustainable energy systems. Recent publications (2023-2024) reveal an interdisciplinary trajectory connecting business cycle modeling, zero lower bound monetary policy, BRICS trade integration, pandemic-era oil price asymmetries, and high-skill labor market dynamics. These works demonstrate rigorous application of econometric models like GTAP-E across macroeconomic and energy sectors. Teaching experience has cultivated strong advising capabilities for both coursework and research projects, though no formal advisees or grants are specified. No scientific awards or laboratory affiliations are documented in the available materials.
Claudia Acciai is a Guest Researcher at SODAS (Sociology Department) at the University of Copenhagen, where she works on the research project "Quantifying institutional and country-related Matthew effects in science." She holds a PhD in Political Science and Sociology from the Scuola Normale Superiore, with a dissertation focused on policy design in the Research and Innovation sector. Her academic journey includes research visits at Alliance Manchester Business School, Science Po Paris, and Copenhagen Business School. Her research interests lie at the intersection of comparative public policy, innovation studies, and science of science. She combines computational and experimental methods with qualitative content analysis techniques to examine policy design, institutional effects in science, and research evaluation. Her work frequently addresses how policy instruments function in complex governance environments and investigates gender-related differences in academic publishing. Analyzing her recent publications reveals a strong focus on the science of science, with particular attention to bibliometrics, policy instrument effectiveness, and gender dynamics in academic careers. Her work spans multiple disciplines including political science, sociology of science, and innovation studies, often employing mixed-methods approaches that combine quantitative analysis with qualitative insights. Acciai is an active member of the Knowledge, Organization and Politics research group at the Department of Sociology. Her collaborations span multiple countries and institutions, reflecting the international nature of her research on comparative policy and science studies. She has conducted significant work for research projects funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, including analyses of policy analysis capacity in Italian policymaking and governance changes in higher education systems.
Erik Wade is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English and Creative Writing at SUNY Oswego. He holds a PhD from Rutgers University and has taught at Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn in Germany. His research focuses on race, sexuality, and national identity in early medieval English literature, with a particular emphasis on how these themes intersect with religious texts and cultural narratives. He currently directs the Medieval and Renaissance Studies minor and serves on the advisory board for Exemplaria: Medieval, Early Modern, Theory . Educational Background: PhD in English, Rutgers University (2018) MA in English, University of Oregon (2011) BA in English and History with a minor in Medieval and Renaissance Studies, SUNY Oswego (2009) AA in Humanities, Onondaga Community College (2007) Research Interests: Interrogates racial and sexual discourses in medieval literature Examines how early English texts constructed national identity through contested themes like rape culture and racial hierarchies Investigates global influences (e.g., Byzantine theology) on medieval English thought Challenges Eurocentric narratives in medieval studies Recent Publications Highlight: His work analyzes trans and queer themes in medieval hagiography, the racialized language of 'Anglo-Saxon' terminology, and the intersections between animal studies and gender relations. He co-authored a Smithsonian Magazine article deconstructing the term 'Anglo-Saxon.' Teaching and Advocacy: Teaches courses on medieval global literature, critical theory, and premodern identity. Actively promotes inclusive pedagogy and addresses systemic racism in academic disciplines through published opinion pieces and collaborative projects like the upcoming Race in Early Medieval England (Cambridge UP).
Steven W. Popper is a Professor of Policy Analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy and an Adjunct Senior Economist at the RAND Corporation. He also serves as Distinguished Professor of Decision Sciences at Tecnológico de Monterrey’s School of Government and Public Transformation, reflecting his international academic engagement. His work bridges economics, science and technology policy, and strategic decision-making under uncertainty. Research Interests: Popper's expertise lies in decision-making under deep uncertainty (DMDU), robust decision making (RDM), assumption-based planning, and science, technology, and innovation policy. He has made seminal contributions to long-term policy analysis, particularly through his co-authorship of Shaping the Next One Hundred Years (2003). His research addresses complex systems in economic development, international relations, and environmental planning. Publication Trends: His recent work applies RDM methodologies to diverse domains such as U.S.-China economic competition, Israeli defense and energy policy, transportation planning, and future technologies. His publications often involve scenario analysis, foresight, and adaptive strategies for policy resilience in uncertain futures. Scientific Awards and Leadership: Founding officer and current Finance Chair, Society for Decision Making under Deep Uncertainty Past Chair, Industrial Science and Technology Section, American Association for the Advancement of Science Consultant to the World Bank, OECD, and multiple national governments Advising and Grants: While specific advisees are not listed, Popper has led numerous high-impact research projects funded by U.S. federal agencies and international bodies. His role as Associate Director of the Science and Technology Policy Institute (1996–2001) involved providing analytic support to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, indicating extensive grant-funded research leadership. Labs and Teams: Popper is affiliated with RAND’s research teams focused on policy analysis, innovation, and strategic foresight. He collaborates with interdisciplinary teams applying modeling and simulation tools to public policy challenges, particularly through the Robust Decision Making framework.
Valentina Mazzucato is Professor of Globalisation and Development at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Maastricht University, where she teaches and leads research in transnational migration and development. She founded and directed the research programme on Globalisation, Transnationalism and Development (2012–2020), co-founded the MA Globalisation and Development Studies, and led the development of the interdisciplinary BSc Global Studies. She is a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and has held leadership roles in major research initiatives including the ERC Consolidator Grant project MO-TRAYL. Her educational background includes a BA in Political Science and French Literature from Williams College, an MSc in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State University, and a PhD cum laude from Wageningen Agricultural University on indigenous soil and water conservation in Burkina Faso. Her research focuses on transnational migration between Africa and Europe, particularly the socio-economic and cultural impacts on migrants, their families, and communities. She employs mixed methods and multi-sited research designs, pioneering the simultaneous matched sample methodology. Her recent work explores transnational youth mobility, return visits, remittances, and temporalities of migration. The articles from 2024–2025 reveal a strong thematic consistency in migrant youth, transnational identity, methodological innovation, and policy implications, reflecting her leadership in interdisciplinary migration scholarship. ERC Consolidator Grant (2017–2023) for MO-TRAYL project Elected member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), 2019 Prof. Mazzucato has secured multiple international grants from NWO, NORFACE, and the ERC, enabling her to build transnational research teams and mentor PhD candidates and early-career researchers. She supervises Bachelor’s and Master’s theses and externally examines PhDs internationally. She is actively involved in policy engagement, having advised Queen Beatrix and participated in EU and NGO forums on migration and development. She also co-created a play with Ghanaian migrants to translate research into public dialogue. She leads the Transnational Links and Livelihoods Group and collaborates across institutions including Princeton University (Center for Migration and Development), African universities, and policy organizations. Her work bridges academic research, teaching innovation, and societal impact.
