Mohamed Amara is a full-time Professor at the University of Pau and the Pays de l'Adour (UPPA) since 1996, affiliated with the Laboratory of Mathematics and their Applications (CNRS-UMR 5142). He served as its director (1999-2007), Director of the Doctoral School of Exact Sciences (ED211, 2007-2008), and UPPA's Scientific Council Vice-President (2008-2012). He has been UPPA's President since 2012 (re-elected until 2020). Education: Mathematics from University of Algiers (1973), Pierre and Marie Curie University (DEA 1974, Doctorate 1978, State Doctorate 1983) Academic Roles: Research Associate at Ecole Polytechnique (1978-1982), Algerian Electricity and Gas Company (1983-1992), Professor in Algiers (1988-1994), Tunis (1994-1995), and Associate Professor at Paris 6 (1995-1996) His research focuses on numerical simulation of partial differential equations for environmental/energy applications, including mechanics in porous media (petroleum engineering, geoscience), fluid mechanics (aerodynamics, estuarine hydrodynamics), non-Newtonian flows, and wave propagation. Articles highlight expertise in discontinuous Galerkin methods, Helmholtz problems, finite element discretization, and multiphysics systems. He managed 20 doctoral theses and led national mathematics programs at ANR (2007-2011). He chairs the Cocktail association for higher education IT systems and collaborates with INRIA's Magique 3D team (since 2006).
Ron Fedkiw is the Canon Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University's School of Engineering. He holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics from UCLA. His research focuses on computational algorithms for applications in computational fluid dynamics, computer graphics, biomechanics, and machine learning. Fedkiw has pioneered techniques for simulating natural phenomena in film and video games, earning two Academy Awards for his contributions to visual effects. He leads the PhysBAM lab and collaborates with industry through consulting roles at Epic Games and former work with Industrial Light & Magic. Education: PhD in Applied Mathematics, UCLA (1996). Notable awards include the National Academy of Science Award, Packard Fellowship, and multiple teaching honors. His lab has graduated 40 PhD students, many of whom have made significant impacts in academia and industry. Research interests span fluid dynamics, cloth simulation, facial animation, and integrating machine learning with physical models. Key contributions include algorithms for two-way fluid-solid coupling, muscle-based facial modeling, and neural network approaches for cloth and deformable bodies. Current projects explore physics-informed machine learning and real-time interactive simulations. Scientific Awards include two Oscars, PECASE, and Okawa Foundation grants. His work bridges computational physics and visual effects, with over 140 research papers and a textbook on level set methods. Advising and grants: Supervised 40 PhD students, securing funding through NSF, ONR, and industrial partnerships. Lab collaborations include SAIL (Stanford AI Lab) and Epic Games. Future work focuses on AI-driven physical simulations and biomedical applications.
Adrian Lew is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University, specializing in computational solid mechanics and numerical algorithms. His research focuses on hydraulic fracturing simulation, embedded boundary methods, and material model design. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Caltech (2003). His work bridges advanced numerical techniques with real-world applications in geophysics, material science, and structural engineering. Education: PhD, Mechanical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 2003 Research Interests: Lew's group develops algorithms for time-integration embedded boundary methods and hydraulic fracturing simulations. Key areas include curvilinear crack propagation, universal meshing for complex geometries, and high-fidelity fracture mechanics. His work on variational integrators and discontinuous Galerkin methods has advanced computational efficiency in nonlinear elasticity and thermodynamics. Publications: Recent articles emphasize mesh optimization (DVRlib), fracture path instabilities, and magma chamber dynamics. His methodologies address challenges in 3D crack modeling, fluid-structure interaction, and high-order approximations in domains with singularities. Advising & Grants: Lew's research is supported by projects in computational geophysics and material science. Though no advisees are listed, his work involves collaborative teams focused on algorithmic innovation and high-performance computing.
Douglas K. Snyder is a Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences within the College of Liberal Arts at Texas A&M University. He previously served as Director of Clinical Training from 1991 to 2012 and has been internationally recognized for his research on marital assessment and outcome research on marital therapy, particularly through his development of the Marital Satisfaction Inventory. Dr. Snyder earned his bachelor's degree from Wittenberg University in 1974, received his doctoral degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1978, and completed his internship at Duke University Medical Center. Prior to his appointment at Texas A&M, he served on the faculty at Wayne State University in Detroit and at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, where he also served as Director of Clinical Training and Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Snyder's research emphasizes the assessment, treatment, and prevention of couple relationship distress. His work centers on the Marital Satisfaction Inventory, a multidimensional measure of relationship accord now published in several languages and used worldwide. His treatment research focuses on tailoring therapy to specific partner and relationship characteristics by integrating cognitive, behavioral, emotion-focused, and insight-oriented interventions. His specific clinical interests include treating difficult couples with emotional, behavioral, and health problems, with particular attention to military and veteran couples and those dealing with infidelity. Dr. Snyder's recent publications demonstrate continued leadership in couple therapy, with emphasis on evidence-based approaches, treatment of infidelity, military couples, and cross-cultural applications of couple assessment tools. His work spans theoretical advancements and practical clinical applications. Outstanding Research Publication Award, Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, 1991 Professor of the Year Award, Texas Psychological Association - Division of Students, 1993 Award for Distinguished Contributions to Family Psychology, American Psychological Association, 2005 Outstanding Contributions to Science Award, Texas Psychological Association, 2008 Distinguished Alumnae Award, University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), 2012 Distinguished Psychologist Award for Lifetime Contributions to Psychotherapy, American Psychological Association, 2015 Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Divisions 5, 12, 19, 29, 43) Fellow of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Fellow of the Society for Personality Assessment Dr. Snyder has served as Editor of the Clinician's Research Digest and as Associate Editor for the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology and the Journal of Family Psychology. His research has been supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, with significant focus on military couples and relationship distress. He has developed evidence-based approaches for assessing and treating relationship problems across diverse cultural contexts. Dr. Snyder is affiliated with the Personality Processes research cluster at Texas A&M University, focusing on objective personality assessment and clinical assessment of couples and families. His work bridges research and clinical practice, with emphasis on developing practical assessment tools and treatment approaches for clinicians working with distressed couples.
Reed Maxwell is the William and Edna Macaleer Professor of Engineering and Applied Science in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the High Meadows Environmental Institute at Princeton University. He serves as Director of the Integrated Groundwater Modeling Center (IGWMC) and leads a research group comprising graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and staff. His academic appointments include concurrent roles in both the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the High Meadows Environmental Institute. Maxwell's research focuses on understanding connections within the hydrologic cycle and how they relate to water quantity and quality under anthropogenic stresses. His work centers on hard problems in hydrology including groundwater, evapotranspiration and snow. His research group uses integrated hydrologic modeling, field observations, and remote sensing products to study terrestrial freshwater systems. Key research areas include surface water and the terrestrial hydrologic cycle; interactions of the land-surface, surface water and groundwater; and human health risk assessment. Maxwell has authored more than 185 peer-reviewed journal articles with an H-Index of 66 and over 19,000 citations. His recent work emphasizes machine learning applications in hydrology, continental-scale modeling, and physically rigorous scenario generation through projects like HydroFrame and HydroGEN. He teaches courses including CEE 306/ENV 318 Hydrology: Water and Climate and CEE 586/ENV 586 Physical Hydrology. 2020 Distinguished Henry Darcy Lecturer American Geophysical Union Fellow (2019) 2018 Boussinesq Lecturer Belle van Zuylen Chair (visiting), University of Utrecht 2017 School of Mines Research Award recipient Maxwell has mentored 17 PhD students and 20 MS thesis students throughout his career. His current research group includes multiple postdocs, research software engineers, and graduate students working on projects spanning continental-scale hydrologic modeling, groundwater-stream interactions, and machine learning applications in hydrology. The IGWMC maintains an active education and outreach program including STEM fairs, school visits, and digital educational tools like the HydroFrame Education Team's virtual sandtank aquifer model.
Jeroen Tromp serves as the Blair Professor of Geology and Professor of Geosciences and Applied and Computational Mathematics at Princeton University, where he also directs the Princeton Institute for Computational Science and Engineering (PICSciE). His work centers on theoretical and computational seismology with applications across Earth and planetary sciences. His research interests focus on imaging Earth's interior through advanced computational techniques. Key areas include surface waves, free oscillations, body waves, seismic tomography, numerical simulations of 3-D wave propagation, and seismic hazard assessment. His group develops open-source software for acoustic, elastic and poroelastic wave propagation, addressing problems in exploration geophysics, regional and global seismology, and helioseismology. Current research trends show strong emphasis on Mars seismology (InSight mission), iron spin crossover in the lower mantle, tilted transverse isotropy in Earth's inner core, and crosstalk-free waveform inversion techniques across multiple scales. Tromp actively mentors graduate students and leads collaborative projects involving seismic wavefield imaging across planetary bodies. His group maintains strong connections with NASA's InSight mission and develops computational frameworks for global centroid moment tensor inversions. The research team operates within the Department of Geosciences, leveraging high-performance computing resources through PICSciE to tackle large-scale inverse problems in seismology.
Ron Dror is the Cheriton Family Professor of Computer Science at the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab , with courtesy appointments in Structural Biology and Molecular & Cellular Physiology . He also holds affiliations with Bio-X, the Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI), the Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering (ICME), Sarafan ChEM-H, and the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute. Education: PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT MPhil in Biological Sciences, University of Cambridge (Churchill Scholar) BS in Mathematics and Electrical & Computer Engineering, Rice University (summa cum laude) Ron leads a multidisciplinary research group that combines molecular simulation and machine learning to study biomolecular structure, dynamics, and function. His work focuses on developing computational methods to accelerate drug discovery by predicting molecular interactions and designing more effective therapeutics. Current projects include the PENSA software library for analyzing biomolecular ensembles and FRAME framework for structure-based ligand design. His research has produced groundbreaking work on G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) , RNA structure prediction , and mitochondrial transport mechanisms . Key publications highlight applications of geometric deep learning and molecular dynamics simulations in structural biology. Scientific Awards: Cheriton Family Professorship (2023) Two Gordon Bell Prizes (2014, 2009) Best Paper Awards at NeurIPS (2021), IPDPS (2013), SC11 (2011), SC09 (2009), SC06 (2006) Science Magazine Top 10 Breakthrough (2010) Fulbright Scholarship , NSF Fellowship , DoD Fellowship , Whitaker Foundation Fellowship Ron has advised numerous doctoral and master’s students including EJ Fine , Masha Karelina , and Briana Sobecks . His lab collaborates with experimentalists across academia and industry, applying computational methods to diverse biomedical problems such as RNA structure prediction , GPCR signaling , and mitochondrial metabolism .
Nori Franco serves as Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Michigan and Chief Scientist at RIKEN's Theoretical Quantum Physics Laboratory in Japan. His dual appointments reflect his significant contributions to both American and Japanese academic communities, with continuous service at Michigan since 1990 and at RIKEN since 2002. His research spans quantum information, condensed matter physics, and quantum optics, with particular focus on light-matter interactions, superconducting qubits, optomechanics, and quantum open systems. Franco's work bridges theoretical foundations with experimental implementations, especially in circuit quantum electrodynamics and quantum computing applications. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on non-Hermitian quantum systems, quantum control techniques, and applications of quantum information science to fundamental physics problems. His research group consistently produces highly cited work, with publications appearing in top journals across quantum physics and condensed matter disciplines. Scientific Awards: Charles Hard Townes Medal (2024) - sole recipient for fundamental contributions to quantum optics and quantum information processing Research Doctorate Honoris Causa from University of Messina (2024) Highly Cited Researcher for eight consecutive years (2017-2024) Member of Academia Europaea (2023) Willis E. Lamb Medal (2023) for quantum electronics research Throughout his career, Franco has secured significant research funding and mentored numerous students and postdoctoral researchers. His work has received international recognition through invitations to deliver prestigious lectures including the Stanislav Ulam Lecture and Sir Nevill Mott Lecture in 2024. His research group maintains strong collaborations across multiple continents, reflecting his global impact on quantum physics. At RIKEN, Franco leads the Quantum Information Physics Theory Research Team within the Quantum Computing Center, directing cutting-edge theoretical work that complements experimental efforts in quantum computing hardware development.
Guglielmo Scovazzi is a Professor at Duke University with appointments across multiple departments including the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, and as Professor of Mathematics. His interdisciplinary research bridges computational mechanics, scientific computing, and engineering applications. Dr. Scovazzi earned his B.S/M.S. in aerospace engineering (summa cum laude) from Politecnico di Torino (Italy), followed by an M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Stanford University. Prior to joining Duke, he was a Senior Member of the Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories' Computer Science Research Institute. His research focuses on developing advanced numerical methods for computational mechanics, particularly finite element methods for fluid and solid mechanics. Key areas include multiphase porous media flows, computational methods for materials under extreme conditions, turbulent flow computations, and instability phenomena. His work emphasizes creating accurate computational approaches that reduce design/analysis costs for complex engineering problems involving fluid-structure interactions and transient phenomena in complex geometries. Dr. Scovazzi's most significant recent contribution is the development of the Shifted Boundary Method, an innovative computational framework that enables efficient simulations on complex geometries without requiring boundary-fitted meshes. This method has found applications in geomechanics, energy systems, and resilient infrastructure design. Kavli Fellow, National Academy of Sciences & Kavli Foundation (2018) Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), White House (2017) Early Career Award, U.S. Department of Energy, Advanced Scientific Computing Research Program (2014) Dr. Scovazzi teaches multiple courses in computational mechanics including Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis and Introduction to the Finite Element Method. His research has been supported by substantial federal funding, and he actively collaborates across disciplines to address challenging problems in energy, environment, and infrastructure resilience through advanced computational methods.
Dr. Andrea Lecchini Visintini is an Associate Professor at the School of Electronics and Computer Science , University of Southampton. He specializes in systems modelling and control with applications in aerospace engineering and biomedical domains, utilizing Monte Carlo methods for stochastic optimization. Cyber-Physical Systems Research Group Institute for Life Sciences Research Focus: His work bridges computational methods with practical applications in: Neurovascular coupling and brain tissue pulsation analysis Advanced control strategies for aerospace systems Stochastic optimization in machine learning and fault detection Medical imaging and diagnostic protocol development Publication Trends: Recent work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches combining computational neuroscience with engineering, focusing on brain hemodynamics, MIMO system control, and data augmentation techniques for imbalanced datasets. Supervision: Currently supervising PhD student Xuankun Cai in Computer Science.
Olof Runborg is a Professor in Numerical Analysis at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden. He works in the Division of Numerical Analysis, Optimization and Systems Theory within the Department of Mathematics at KTH. His research focuses on developing and analyzing numerical methods for partial differential equations, particularly for wave propagation problems. His educational background includes: MSc in Electrical Engineering from KTH (1992) BSc in Economics & Business Administration from SSE (1994) PhD in Numerical Analysis/Applied Mathematics from KTH (1998) Postdoc at Paris VI University (1999) Postdoc at Princeton University's Program in Applied and Computational Mathematics (2000-2001) Became Docent at NADA in 2003 Appointed Professor at KTH in 2010 Professor Runborg's research centers on the numerical treatment of partial differential equations, with special emphasis on wave propagation problems. His work spans multiple areas including high-frequency waves, multiscale phenomena, numerical homogenization, uncertainty quantification, multiresolution analysis, Gaussian beams, and mesh generation. A recurring theme in his research is developing methods to solve computationally expensive problems more efficiently while maintaining accuracy. His approach often involves coupling different numerical methods or reformulating equations to create more efficient computational approaches. His research has applications across physics and engineering domains where wave phenomena are important. An analysis of his recent publications (2015-2025) shows continued focus on high-frequency wave propagation with expanding applications to areas like the Landau-Lifshitz equation for magnetic materials and elastic wave propagation. His work bridges theoretical numerical analysis with practical computational techniques, often developing novel methods like the WaveHoltz iteration for solving the Helmholtz equation. The publications demonstrate increasing attention to uncertainty quantification and multiscale methods while maintaining strong theoretical foundations in error analysis. Professor Runborg teaches several courses at KTH including Numerical Methods (basic course), Applied Numerical Methods, Numerical Algorithms for Data-Intensive Science, and Selected Topics in Numerical Analysis II. He serves as examiner for degree projects in Scientific Computing. His teaching reflects his research expertise in numerical methods and computational mathematics, providing students with both theoretical foundations and practical implementation skills. Beyond his core research, Professor Runborg has engaged in interesting side projects, such as his analysis of 'Numbers on the Web' where he investigated the frequency of numbers 11-1000 in web content, revealing patterns related to dates, time, computer systems, and cultural phenomena. This demonstrates his broader interest in data analysis and computational approaches to understanding patterns in information.
Peter Doerschuk is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Cornell University's College of Engineering. He joined Cornell in July 2006 after serving on the faculty at Purdue University in both Electrical and Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. His educational background includes: B.S. in Electrical Engineering, MIT (1977) M.S. in Electrical Engineering, MIT (1979) Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, MIT (1985) M.D., Harvard Medical School (1987) Peter Doerschuk's research focuses on biological and medical systems through the lens of computational nonlinear stochastic systems. His work spans biomedical imaging , signal and image processing , statistical modeling , and computational inverse problems in biophysics . He develops high-performance algorithms and software systems that integrate accurate physical models with computational efficiency. His research addresses problems across multiple spatial scales—from 3D virus reconstruction using electron microscopy to modeling whole-body ethanol pharmacokinetics. The recent publications highlight a strong trend in computational biomedical imaging and physiological modeling . Key areas include 3D reconstruction of heterogeneous biological structures, cryo-EM dynamics analysis, and physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling. The work consistently combines advanced statistical and machine learning methods with domain-specific physical models, particularly in virology and neurovascular physiology. His scientific awards and honors include: Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) University Faculty Scholar, Purdue University Motorola Excellence in Teaching Award Ernst A. Guillemin Thesis Prize (MIT) Department of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Service Award (Purdue) Dr. Doerschuk has advised graduate students, including Keyuan Xu, whose M.Eng. thesis at MIT received the prestigious Ernst A. Guillemin Thesis Prize. His research has been supported through academic grants and collaborations with institutions such as The Scripps Research Institute and Indiana University School of Medicine. He has developed parallel software systems for high-performance computing applications in biophysics and biomedical signal processing. His research has involved collaboration with multiple labs and teams, including work with Professor J. E. Johnson at The Scripps Research Institute on virus structure determination and with Professor S. J. O’Connor at Indiana University on ethanol pharmacokinetics modeling. These interdisciplinary teams integrate expertise in engineering, medicine, and computational science to solve complex biomedical problems.
David Sivak is a Professor and Canada Research Chair Tier 2 in the Department of Physics at Simon Fraser University (SFU). His research focuses on theoretical and computational biophysics, exploring the physical limits of energy and information transduction in molecular machines. He investigates how biological systems operate efficiently under fluctuating conditions, with emphasis on molecular motors, free-energy transduction, and nonequilibrium thermodynamics. Education: Ph.D. in Biophysics, University of California, Berkeley B.A. in Philosophy, Politics & Economics, University of Oxford A.B. with Honors in Applied Mathematics, Harvard University Research Interests: Sivak's work integrates statistical mechanics, information theory, and molecular biophysics to understand how microscopic systems achieve functional efficiency. Key areas include: Optimal control strategies for nonequilibrium systems Energy-information trade-offs in molecular machines Stochastic thermodynamics of biochemical processes Design principles of ATP synthase and similar rotary motors Publications & Awards: Sivak has authored over 60 peer-reviewed articles, including foundational work on nonequilibrium fluctuation theorems and optimal control in stochastic systems. His awards include the Canada Research Chair and the Young Investigator Award from the Biophysical Society of Canada. Grants & Collaborations: He leads projects funded by the Simons Foundation and collaborates with experimental groups globally. His lab actively mentors graduate students and postdocs, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to biophysical problems. Labs & Teams: The Sivak Group at SFU develops theoretical models and numerical simulations to analyze molecular-scale processes. Current projects explore information engines, microbiome dynamics, and the thermodynamics of cellular processes.
Yuri Bazilevs is the E. Paul Sorensen Professor of Engineering at Brown University's School of Engineering and Co-Director of the Mechanics of Undersea Science and Engineering Center. His research focuses on computational mechanics, isogeometric analysis, fluid-structure interaction, and high-performance computing. Prior to Brown, he held positions at UC San Diego, where he advanced to Full Professor in 2014 after a rapid tenure. He earned his PhD in 2006 and postdoc training in computational engineering at UT Austin's ICES. Research interests span computational fluid dynamics, solid mechanics, and advanced discretization methods like isogeometric analysis (IGA) and meshfree approaches. He has developed novel formulations for complex phenomena such as underwater explosions, composite material failure, and hypersonic flow dynamics. His work integrates cutting-edge numerical methods with practical engineering applications in aerospace, energy, and biomedical systems. Recent publications highlight advancements in IGA for architected materials, RKPM-based crack modeling, and stabilized formulations for compressible flows. His contributions bridge theoretical mechanics with computational innovation, addressing challenges in multiphysics coupling and large-scale simulations. Collaborations span academia and industry, emphasizing practical validation and real-world impact. Bazilevs' expertise includes variational multiscale methods, peridynamics for fracture mechanics, and immersive particle methods for fluid-structure interaction. His work has been applied to wind turbine aerodynamics, gas turbine optimization, and cardiovascular flow analysis. He actively contributes to computational infrastructure development, such as the tIGAr software framework for IGA automation.
Dr. Jia Zhang is the Inaugural Robert H. Dedman Jr. Endowed Department Chair and Professor of Computer Science at Southern Methodist University (SMU Lyle School of Engineering). She holds the Cruse C. and Marjorie F. Calahan Centennial Chair in Engineering and has a courtesy appointment in the Department of Operations Research and Engineering Management. Her research focuses on applying machine learning, natural language processing, and information retrieval to data science infrastructure, particularly scientific workflows, provenance mining, software discovery, knowledge graphs, cloud computing, immune AI, and applications in earth science and healthcare. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science, University of Illinois at Chicago M.S. in Computer Science, Nanjing University B.S. in Computer Science, Nanjing University Dr. Zhang's work emphasizes data science infrastructure and machine learning for scientific workflows and knowledge graphs. Her recent publications highlight deep learning , graph neural networks , and optimization algorithms in cloud computing, cybersecurity, and environmental applications. Key trends include spatiotemporal modeling , hybrid neural architectures , and AI-driven service ecosystems . Scientific Awards: Best Paper Awards IEEE SCC (2011, 2017) Best Student Paper Awards IEEE ICWS (2014, 2018), IEEE ICCC (2018) Distinguished Paper Award ICSOC (2023) First Outstanding Service Award IEEE Technical Committee on Services Computing (2016) She has secured over $5 million in federal grants (as PI) and $11 million as PI/Co-PI from NSF, NASA, NIH, UTSW, Ericsson, SAP, and Google. Her lab (Caruth Hall 308) actively recruits research assistants. She previously served as a faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University, Northern Illinois University, and Nanjing University, and worked in industry as a software architect.
