Bente Halkier is a Professor in Sociology at the University of Copenhagen's Department of Sociology, part of the Faculty of Social Sciences. Her work focuses on consumption practices, food politics, and qualitative methodologies. She has held academic roles since 1993, including leadership roles in research groups and centers. PhD in Social Sciences from Roskilde University (1998) Professorships at Roskilde University (2011–2016) and University of Copenhagen (2016–present) Her research explores how everyday practices like food consumption intersect with broader societal issues. Key areas include: Contestation over food safety and dietary advice Convenience food dynamics and sustainability Interactions between media, science, and consumer behavior Her recent projects include studies on socioeconomic disparities in dietary health and the role of food practices in climate change mitigation. She has led multiple grants, including the Proper Food under Economic Constraints project (2018–2021). Bente has authored over 30 academic books and journal articles, edited volumes on consumption studies, and served on editorial boards for journals like Cultural Sociology and Journal of Consumer Culture . She frequently collaborates internationally, including with institutions in the UK, Sweden, and Norway.
Dr hab. Agata Małyska is a Professor at the Center for Polish Language and Culture for Poles Abroad and Foreigners (CJKP) at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS), Lublin, Poland. She has served as Deputy Director of CJKP since 2000 and heads training programs for Polish-as-a-foreign-language teachers. Her work spans Polish language instruction, political discourse analysis, and intercultural communication. Academic Affiliation: Center for Polish Language and Culture for Poles Abroad and Foreigners (CJKP), UMCS Leadership Roles: Deputy Director of CJKP, Head of "Lato Polonijnego" courses Her research focuses on political and social discourse , with emphasis on ritualization , lexical evaluation , linguistic taboos , persuasion , and intercultural communication . She applies interdisciplinary methodologies combining linguistics, psychology, and sociology to analyze parliamentary speeches, media texts, and Polish language teaching strategies. Analysis of her publications reveals trends in political linguistics , Polish-as-a-foreign-language pedagogy , and intertextuality in marketing . Recurring themes include language taboo evolution , persuasive communication , and lexical dynamics in political contexts . Scientific Achievements : Co-editor of 70 Years of Contemporary Polish Organizer of international Polish language training programs Member of State Commission for Polish Language Certification (2024) As an educator, she trains teachers for Polish-as-a-foreign-language instruction in domestic institutions and abroad. Her organizational work includes coordinating internships for trainees and directing academic conferences on language and culture.
Jane L. Risen is the H.G.B. Alexander Professor in the Behavioral Science Department at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Her research explores judgment and decision-making, intuitive belief formation, magical thinking, and ethical dilemmas. She leads the HOPE Lab (formerly HoME Lab), which investigates how honesty, prosociality, and opportunity shape social interactions. Education: B.A. summa cum laude in Psychology from Harvard University (2001), Ph.D. in Social and Personality Psychology from Cornell University (2007) Research Themes: Ethical decision-making, intergroup relations, embodied cognition, and self-control mechanisms Her recent work focuses on conspiracy theories, ritualistic behavior, and information avoidance. Articles on these topics have appeared in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , Psychological Science , and Journal of Consumer Research . Notably, her 2021 paper on work group rituals was awarded the Robert B. Cialdini Prize, and her 2018 paper on the psychology of rituals received the SPSP Student Publication Prize. Awards: Robert B. Cialdini Prize (2021) SPSP Student Publication Prize (2018) Science Editors' Choice (2011) Teaching: Courses include 'Diversity in Organizations', 'Managerial Decision Making', and 'Workshop in Behavioral Science' As a member of the American Psychological Society and Society for Personality and Social Psychology, her insights have been featured in New York Times , Washington Post , and Psychology Today . The HOPE Lab continues to examine how ethical judgments influence group affiliation, language, and prosocial behavior.
Professor Donna Marshall is a Full Professor and Vice-Principal for Research & Innovation at the College of Business, University College Dublin (UCD). She serves as the Executive Director of the UCD Earth Institute: People, Work, Society initiative and is a multi-award-winning Sustainable Supply Chain scholar. Professor Marshall is ranked among the top supply chain researchers globally, with over one hundred research outputs in prestigious journals including MIT Sloan Management Review, Journal of Business Ethics, and Production and Operations Management. Her educational background includes a BSc and PhD from the University of Bath, UK. Professor Marshall has extensive experience in academic leadership, having served as Head (Vice Principal) of Research, Innovation and Impact for the UCD College of Business from September 2018 to June 2021. Professor Marshall's research focuses on sustainable supply chains, with particular emphasis on climate crisis response, ethical sourcing, supply chain transparency, and the bio-circular economy. She is passionate about bringing systemic change to broken supply chains and addressing the world's biggest crises of climate chaos and exploitation of people and planet. Her current research projects include sustainable supply chains in fashion with Fashion's Responsible Supply Chain Hub (FReSCH), sustainable bio-circular economy initiatives, and transparency in complex supply chains including controversial industries. She has secured research funding with multiple national and international teams amounting to over €30 million. Her recent publications reveal a strong trend toward examining power dynamics, justice issues, and transparency in supply chains, particularly in the fashion industry. She has also made significant contributions to understanding issue-washing (including greenwashing and biowashing) and developing frameworks for sustainable biocircularity. Her work increasingly focuses on just transitions and ensuring that sustainability efforts authentically address social and environmental challenges rather than merely creating the appearance of progress. Harold E. Fearon Award for Best Paper in Journal of Supply Chain Management (2014) Nevi Healthcare Best Paper Award Runner up at IPSERA Conference (2015) Multiple teaching awards for her innovative approaches to supply chain education Former President of the International Purchasing and Supply Education and Research Association (IPSERA) Professor Marshall has extensive teaching experience across undergraduate, Masters, and PhD levels. She created and directed the QS-world ranked UCD MSc in Supply Chain Management, which evolved into the MSc in Sustainable Supply Chain Management in 2023. She serves on the editorial boards of multiple high-ranking journals and provides pro bono advisory services to international organizations, companies, NGOs, and government bodies. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes individualized learning, inclusivity, and life-long learning, with a focus on creating safe, encouraging environments for her diverse international student body. She leads several research teams and initiatives including Fashion's Responsible Supply Chain Hub (FReSCH) and works closely with industry partners to translate research into practical applications for more sustainable and just supply chains.
Kornelia Hahn is Professor of General Sociology and Sociological Theory at the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg , affiliated with the Faculty of Social Sciences and Department of Sociology and Social Geography . Current roles include Chair of the Doctorate Curriculum Committee and co-coordinator of the ESA Research Network 29 Social Theory. PhD and Habilitation (venia legendi) from the University of Bonn, Germany Trained in Sociology, Modern German Literature, and General Linguistics Her research focuses on cultural dynamics through material, historical, and semiotic perspectives , examining (digital) communication, intimate relationships, political public spheres, and embodied service/fashion industries. Recent conference talks analyze fashion supply chains , platform economy privacy , and digital transformation in public spheres. Publications include the 2024 article Intimacy and the Transformation of the Public Sphere (Theory, Culture & Society) and the 2021 monograph Social Digitalization: Persistent Transformations Beyond Digital Technology . She co-edits the book series Media Cultures in the Digital Age (Springer Nature). Award for Outstanding Achievement in Lecturing (Leuphana University Lüneburg) Award for Outstanding Achievement in Publishing (Leuphana University Lüneburg) Teaching expertise in Sociological Theory, Sociology of Culture, Digital Communication, Fashion Industries, and Interpretive Methods. Serves as reviewer for German Research Foundation DFG , Einstein Foundation Berlin , and multiple international journals (Journal of Consumer Culture, Austrian Journal of Sociology, etc.).
Norbert M. Schmitz is a Professor of Aesthetics at the Muthesius Academy of Fine Arts in Kiel, Germany. He has held academic roles at institutions including the University of Wuppertal (1992-1996), University of Siegen (2000), Ruhr University Bochum (1991-2000), and the University of Art and Design in Zurich (1999/2000). His international lecture activities span Austria, Switzerland, France, USA, and Pakistan. Institute of Art, Design and Media Studies: Aesthetics Muthesius Academy of Fine Arts (Faculty) Research and Publications: Schmitz’s work focuses on intersections of modernist art , film studies , media theory , and visual culture , with particular emphasis on topics like interactive media art , cinematic artist portraits , and synthetic realities . His edited volumes include works on embodiment , temporal media , and design anthropology . Academic Collaborations: Frequent co-editor with Lars C. Grabbe and Patrick Rupert-Kruse , contributing to the Yearbook of Moving Image Studies (YoMIS) and other key publications. His editorial work spans institutions in Darmstadt, Marburg, and Vienna. Key Themes: Explores media as aesthetic strategy , evolutionary perception , intermediality , and technological materiality across film, art, and design. Analyzes modernist paradigms in works by Eisenstein, Tarkovsky, and Bauhaus theorists.
Professor Kristian Bankov holds a Doctor of Science (DSc) in Semiotics from New Bulgarian University (2023). He serves as Professor in the Southeast European Center for Semiotic Studies at NBU. Director of Southeast European Center for Semiotic Studies since 2007 General Secretary of International Association for Semiotic Studies (2014-2024) Vice-Rector for International Affairs and Public Relations at NBU (2011-2012) Chief Organizer of the annual Early Fall School of Semiotics since 2006 His research spans multiple dimensions of semiotics: Continental philosophy of language and Bergson's philosophy Sociosemiotics and identity studies Consumer society and digital culture Artificial intelligence and new media Semiotics of economic transactions Digital education and technological transformation Recent publications focus on digital culture, economic sign systems, and digital transformation with particular attention to: Digital semiosphere and platfospheres Monetary semiotics and digital currencies Social media analysis and consumer rituals Trust systems and digital experience economy Identity formation in post-truth environments Audiovisual translation in digital culture
Adel Nikjoo is a Doctoral Researcher in Tourism Geography at the Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, University of Oulu. His current research focuses on the Gen Z project, exploring tourism development in Iran through an evolutionary economic geography lens. He examines sustainability challenges, generational adaptation, and the role of younger communities in tourism changes. His work often combines qualitative methods with real-world problem-solving, particularly addressing social media's impact on travel behavior and identity. Adel has conducted fieldwork in high-risk environments, including anthropological research on pilgrims in Iraq during ISIS's presence (2014) and studies on Iranian women's travel experiences. His research interests span cultural tourism, gender studies, youth sociology, and the interplay between technology and travel. He has published extensively on topics such as community-based tourism, pilgrimage dynamics, and digital sharing behaviors during crises. He holds a Master of Science degree and has professional experience in the travel industry. Adel collaborates internationally and is open to interdisciplinary projects aligning with his research areas. His work bridges academic rigor with practical solutions, advocating for inclusive tourism practices and cultural preservation.
Lisa Birke is an interdisciplinary artist and faculty member at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Arts and Science , where she founded the Digital and Integrated Practice (DIP) area in the Department of Art & Art History in 2019. Her work intersects performance, video art, augmented reality, and installation to critique cultural norms and explore subjective realities through Canadian landscape narratives. Education: BFA (1999) in Visual Art (Painting) from Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design MFA (2013) in Fine Arts (Studio Art) with distinction from the University of Waterloo Birke’s research investigates the collision of art history, pop culture, and everyday life in multi-channel digital works. She blurs the line between theatrics and documentation, focusing on themes like postfeminist critique, relational aesthetics, and technological mediation. Recent projects include TrippingTime (2024) and Natures of Reality (2021), both utilizing augmented reality for public engagement. Key scientific trends: Immerse audiences in layered realities, challenge normative representations, and employ collaborative digital tools (360 video, AR) to address themes of community, tolerance, and the deconstruction of perfection. Scientific awards: Provost’s New Teacher Award (2022) USSU Teaching Excellence Award (2022) Canada Council for the Arts Grow Grant (2023-2024) Arizona International Film Festival Jury Award (2024) Teaching & advising: Birke advocates for competence, autonomy, and relatedness in pedagogy, emphasizing foundational skills alongside experimental risk-taking. She served as graduate chair (2019-2022) and mentors students in digital media, installation, and performance art. Labs & teams: Principal Investigator for the Shared Spaces augmented reality outreach project (University of Saskatchewan), collaborating with international institutions and grade 8 students in Germany.
Leslie Paris is an Associate Professor in the Department of History within the Faculty of Arts at the University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on modern American social and cultural history with particular expertise in childhood, youth, gender, sexuality, and popular culture. Currently working on a history of American childhood during the 1960s and 1970s, she examines how social and political movements shaped children's culture while also publishing on middle-aged American women and generational cohorts. Her research interests span multiple interconnected fields including modern American social history, cultural history, childhood history, youth history, generational studies, gender history, sexuality history, and popular culture history. Dr. Paris has made significant contributions to understanding American summer camps, twentieth-century American girlhood, and the cultural significance of toys and play. Her work often bridges historical analysis with contemporary cultural concerns, particularly regarding how age and generational identity function in American society. Dr. Paris's publications reveal consistent engagement with how cultural institutions shape and reflect American identity formation, particularly through childhood experiences. Her scholarship demonstrates particular strength in analyzing how gender, age, and generational identity intersect in American cultural production and consumption. The recurring theme across her work is the examination of seemingly mundane cultural practices—summer camps, dolls, children's media—as sites where broader social transformations occur. National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship, 2017 SSHRC Connections grant, 2014-15 Yasuo Sakakibara Prize (awarded twice by American Studies Association) Multiple UBC research grants including Humanities and Social Sciences Research Grant Multiple Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada grants Undergraduate research mentorship awards Dr. Paris has received substantial research funding including multiple Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada grants, UBC research awards, and prestigious external fellowships. Her mentorship of undergraduate researchers has been formally recognized through multiple AURA Undergraduate Research Awards and Undergraduate Research Opportunities Mentorship Awards at UBC. While specific grant amounts aren't detailed, her sustained funding record demonstrates significant scholarly impact and recognition within her fields of expertise.
Fabio Gygi serves as Senior Lecturer and Chair in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at SOAS, University of London. Born in Switzerland, he spent formative years in Japan, Germany, and England before earning his PhD in social anthropology from UCL. Prior to joining SOAS, he worked for three years as an assistant professor of sociology at Doshisha University in Kyoto. MA in European Ethnology and Japanese Studies from University of Tübingen PhD in Social Anthropology from University College London (UCL) Dr. Gygi's research centers on material culture, particularly examining human-object relationships through three interconnected lenses: how people engage with possessions and the cosmologies they create, the cultural construction of hoarding as pathology (following its 2013 DSM-V classification), and the materialization of gender in Japanese contexts. His work bridges historical anthropology with contemporary ethnographic studies, often employing participant observation methods such as assisting with apartment clean-ups in Tokyo to study hoarding behaviors. His recent publications reveal consistent thematic trajectories across Japanese cultural studies, with particular emphasis on material agency, waste practices, and the social life of objects. The 2022-2023 publications demonstrate expanding interest in robotics and human-technology interaction alongside continuing work on gender performance and material culture in Japan. As a dedicated supervisor, Dr. Gygi currently guides fifteen PhD students across diverse topics including Japanese sex work activism, transgender existence in Kansai, assistive technology in Japan, and queer feminist kinship in Taipei. His supervision portfolio reflects his interdisciplinary approach connecting material culture studies with gender, technology, and mental health anthropology. His fieldwork primarily conducted in Tokyo informs his theoretical contributions to understanding materiality, while his earlier work on trench art from World War I established foundations for examining how traumatic experiences become embodied in material culture across historical and contemporary contexts.
Dr. Shannon Cummins is a Professor of Marketing & Entrepreneurship at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) College of Business Administration. She serves as Director of the UNO Center for Professional Sales and holds editorial roles at academic journals. Her expertise spans sales education, sustainability, and governance, with a focus on pedagogical innovation and professional development. Education: Ph.D. in Marketing, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2012) Fulbright Scholar at the Warsaw School of Economics Research & Teaching: Dr. Cummins emphasizes sales management, negotiations, and international marketing. Her work includes developing sales competitions, integrating live cases into curricula, and exploring sustainability in advertising. She has published extensively in journals like Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management and Journal of Macromarketing . Awards: Best Paper Award (2015) Outstanding Paper Award (2017) College of Business and Economics Faculty Service Award (2016) Service & Leadership: She leads UNO’s Center for Professional Sales and participates in national committees like the Fulbright National Screening Committee. Her service includes editorial roles and university-wide initiatives promoting interdisciplinary education. Pedagogy Innovations: Dr. Cummins advocates for live case studies, professional classroom collaborations, and service-learning programs to enhance student engagement and career readiness in sales and marketing.
Katja Tikka is a Researcher in Legal History at the Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki, with a focus on migration, minority histories (particularly Karelians), and early modern legal-commercial systems. She holds a Doctor of Law (2020) and Master's in Nordic History (2014). Her work spans genealogy research, organizational histories, and popular non-fiction, editing two peer-reviewed genealogy journals. Key research areas include Karelian identity, post-WWII land disputes, and early modern European mobility/empires. Active in 5 research projects (e.g., COST Action EU-PoTaRCh as coordinator), she has over 70 publications across legal history, migration studies, and environmental history. Awards include Academy of Finland grants. Teaching emphasizes student-centered methods at multiple Finnish universities. Editorial roles and board memberships include Geneettisen sukututkimuksen seura. Recent activities include keynote presentations at Nordiska rättshistorikermöte (2024) and theology conferences.
Michael Stevenson is a New Zealand-born artist and educator based in Berlin. Since 2011, he has served as Professor of Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts Nuremberg , where his work bridges art, philosophy, and institutional critique. His practice interrogates systems of power, philanthropy, and knowledge production through installations that reimagine bureaucratic and educational frameworks as speculative artifacts. BFA, Elam School of Fine Arts (1986) Lives/works in Berlin (since 2000) Research interests span contemporary art practices , installation theory , and critical engagement with economic systems . Recent projects like Mind’s Eye (2024) and Disproof Does Not Equal Disbelief (2021) employ soft furnishings and telethon motifs to critique philanthropy’s paradoxes. His Serene Velocity series (2017–2023) merges theological and tech pedagogy, inspired by John Wimber’s healing clinics and Peter Thiel’s Silicon Valley ideologies. Scientific awards include the Berlin Senate’s working scholarship (2005) and Art Center Pasadena scholarship (2001). Key publications such as Animal Spirits (2013) and This is the Trekka (2003) reflect his interdisciplinary approach. Collaborations with galleries like Michael Lett (Auckland) and KW Berlin showcase his global institutional presence.
Alice Wickström serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Management Studies at Aalto University, where she conducts interdisciplinary research at the intersection of organization studies, gender theory, and digital labor. Her work critically examines contemporary workplace transformations through feminist and psychoanalytic lenses, with particular focus on power dynamics in algorithmic management systems and digital consumer culture. Wickström's research program investigates how digitalization reshapes organizational subjectivity, examining phenomena like reactive consumer anxiety, spatial reconfigurations in startup ecosystems, and the material manifestations of gendered inequality. She employs innovative methodologies including diffractive reading and affect theory to analyze countercultural collectives, algorithmic erasure practices, and embodied organizing processes. Her theoretical contributions extend to posthuman perspectives on the Anthropocene's impact on organizational thought and alternative conceptualizations of strength in leadership contexts. Analysis of her 2023-2025 publications reveals three dominant research trajectories: (1) critical examinations of digital labor platforms and algorithmic management; (2) explorations of gendered materiality and embodied workplace practices; and (3) theoretical interventions addressing the Anthropocene, pandemics, and posthuman challenges to organizational theory. Her work consistently demonstrates international collaboration patterns, particularly with Nordic and Anglo-American scholars, while maintaining strong connections to critical management traditions through publications in Gender, Work & Organization and Organization Studies.
