Andres Lucero is Associate Professor of Interaction Design at Aalto University's Department of Art and Media, specializing in human-computer interaction for mobile devices and interactive surfaces. His research integrates human-computer interaction, design methodologies, and playful interfaces. He holds a PhD from Eindhoven University of Technology and has industry experience from Nokia, where he led user-centered design projects as Senior Researcher. Research explores tangible interfaces, social wearables, museum experience design, human-AI collaboration, and cross-cultural co-design approaches. Recent projects investigate conversational agents in design processes, persona generation workflows, and freeform interactive devices. Dr. Lucero received the Honourable Mention Award at MUM 2020 for innovative interaction research. His work advances design methods through first-person perspectives, AI integration, and novel interaction paradigms.
Claire Battershill is an Assistant Professor jointly appointed in the Faculty of Information and the Department of English at the University of Toronto. She holds a PhD from the University of Toronto and a BA (Hons) from the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on the history and future of the book, with a particular emphasis on feminist experimental publishing, literary aesthetics, and 20th/21st-century publishing practices. She is Co-Director of the Modernist Archives Publishing Project (MAPP), a critical digital archive of early 20th-century publishers’ records, and Co-Creator of the SSHRC-funded 'Make Believe' research-creation project. Her publications include Women and Letterpress Printing: Gendered Impressions (2022) and Using Digital Humanities in the Classroom (2022). Dr. Battershill has held prestigious roles such as Wendy M. Cecil Professor in VicOne at Victoria College and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. She has secured grants including the SSHRC Impact Award (2017) and funding from the Canada Council for the Arts. Her teaching spans courses like INF2228H (The Future of Things: Digitization and Remediation) and BKS1002H (Book History in Practice), blending theory with hands-on engagement in digital humanities and book studies. Her research interests span digital humanities pedagogy, collaborative publishing projects, and the intersection of feminist theory with material book culture. She actively contributes to interdisciplinary initiatives like the Critical Digital Humanities Initiative (CDHI) at the University of Toronto.
Ming Yin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Purdue University. Her research bridges human-computer interaction, applied artificial intelligence, computational social science, and behavioral sciences. She focuses on leveraging human behavior data to design intelligent systems that balance machine efficiency with human understanding, trust, and engagement. Education : PhD in Computer Science (Harvard University, 2017), B.E. in Computer Software (Tsinghua University, 2011) Previous Roles : Postdoctoral researcher at Microsoft Research New York City (2017–2018) Teaching : Courses on AI, Human-AI Interaction, Data Mining, and Human-Centered Computing Research Interests center on social computing, crowdsourcing, human-AI interaction, and ethical AI. She employs experimental and computational methods to study how human behavior can improve AI systems' design, fairness, and user trust. Her work has significant implications for gig economy platforms, decision support systems, and algorithmic accountability. Scientific Contributions include over 15 recent articles in top venues like CHI, IJCAI, and ACL. These works explore topics such as LLM-driven trust calibration, adversarial social influence, and ethical AI design. Her research has been recognized with the NSF CAREER Award Siebel Scholar (Class of 2017) Multiple Best Paper and Honorable Mention Awards at CHI, CSCW, and HCOMP Teaching Expertise spans courses like Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (CS 471), Human-AI Interaction (CS 592-HAI), and Data Mining (CS 573). She emphasizes project-based learning and designing systems for real-world problems, such as "learning in a new era" in her 2025 HCI course.
Dr Jacopo de Berardinis is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Music AI, focusing on computational methods for music analysis and information retrieval. His work spans three key areas: Computational Creativity , Music Intelligence and Personalisation , and the Semantic Music Web , aiming to enhance musical understanding and education through AI-driven agents. Prior to his current role, he held positions at the University of Manchester (S+T+ARTS MUSAE project) and King's College London (EU H2020 Polifonia project, where he led the INTERLINK pilot). He earned a PhD in Machine Learning from the University of Manchester, specializing in the automatic evaluation of generative models for music composition. Scientific awards include the AHRC Innovation Accelerator Grant (2022-2026), supporting interdisciplinary research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and musicology. His work emphasizes personalized music experiences for well-being and advancing creative applications of AI in music.
Anocha Aribarg is a Professor of Marketing and Area Chair of Marketing at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, with additional faculty affiliation at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS). Her interdisciplinary research bridges psychological theory, consumer behavior, and advanced statistical modeling to address complex marketing challenges. Education: PhD in Marketing, University of Wisconsin, 2004 MBA, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1998 BS in Statistics, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, 1994 Research Focus: Prof. Aribarg investigates cognitive processes in consumer decision-making, specializing in individual/joint choice dynamics, product search behaviors, and responses to marketing stimuli. Her methodology integrates Bayesian econometrics with physiological measures (eye tracking, skin conductance) and multi-method experimental designs to uncover hidden decision mechanisms. Publication Trends: Her 14 recent publications (2009-2024) reveal consistent innovation in choice modeling, with increasing emphasis on attention dynamics (2020), moral psychology in aesthetics (2022), and high-frequency service data integration (2023). Work appears predominantly in Marketing Science Journal of Marketing Research, and Psychological Science, demonstrating methodological rigor across consumer behavior, advertising, and service contexts. Academic Service: She serves as Associate Editor for Marketing Science, Journal of Marketing, and Journal of Marketing Research, while contributing to the Journal of Retailing editorial board. Teaching: Prof. Aribarg delivers graduate-level courses in Marketing Research and Analytics and Predictive Analytics at Ross, emphasizing data-driven decision frameworks.
John Gallagher is Associate Professor in English and Information Sciences at UIUC. His research examines how writers adapt to participatory audiences in digital environments, including social media interactions and AI writing tools. Using case studies and computational methods, he explores algorithmic audiences, ethical implications of AI, and technical communication in institutional contexts. He teaches courses in professional writing, digital rhetoric, and research methodologies. Recent projects analyze content creators' narratives about platform algorithms, inclusive emoji design, and academic integrity challenges posed by generative AI.
Matthew Kay is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University's School of Communication, with a secondary appointment in Computer Science. He serves as Co-Director of Graduate Studies for the PhD in Technology and Social Behavior program. His research focuses on human-computer interaction and information visualization, specializing in uncertainty communication, usable statistics, and personal informatics. He employs mixed-method approaches including behavioral analysis, interactive system development, and visualization technique evaluation to address real-world data interpretation challenges. Analysis of his recent publications reveals dominant themes in visualization literacy development, uncertainty representation for decision-making, and health informatics applications. His work consistently bridges theoretical frameworks with practical implementations, particularly in educational assessment tools and election forecast visualizations. Professor Kay co-directs the Midwest Uncertainty Collective (MU collective), a research group advancing uncertainty communication methodologies. Previously faculty at the University of Michigan School of Information, he maintains active contributions to visualization tool development including the ggdist R package for uncertainty visualization.
Ari Holtzman is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Chicago. His research spans dialogue systems, text generation, and foundational AI methodologies, including the development of Nucleus Sampling and contributions to the Amazon Alexa Prize. He holds an interdisciplinary degree from NYU in Computer Science and Philosophy of Language, and is nearing completion of his PhD at the University of Washington. Research interests include generative models, alignment challenges in LLMs, evaluation metrics like CLIPScore, and model efficiency techniques such as Qlora finetuning. His work bridges theoretical insights with practical applications, emphasizing both technical innovation and ethical considerations in AI. Key awards include the 2017 Amazon Alexa Prize and Phi Beta Kappa honors at NYU. His recent publications focus on benchmarking frameworks, cache optimization for large models, and understanding model limitations through AbsenceBench. Research contributions extend to multimodal systems, computational creativity, and machine unlearning protocols.
Kyle Bellucci Johanson serves as a Visiting Critic in Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, Department of Art. Holding an MFA from California Institute of the Arts and a BA in Art and Reconciliation Studies from Bethel University, he merges artistic practice with critical theory through performance architecture and collaborative media. Whitney Independent Study Program (2022–23) Founding fellow at land's edge free school (Los Angeles) Teaching experience at SAIC, UIC, CUNY, and Cooper Union His research investigates: Power structures through spatial interventions Critical theory applications in art practice Post-capitalist imaginaries Hauntology and historical materialism Transdisciplinary approaches to social critique Project trends reveal: Reinterpretation of Soviet design principles Investigation of worker identity in post-industrial contexts Temporal and spatial dislocation in artistic practice Monument critique through performative methods Quantum theory-inspired architectural concepts Reimagining of common spaces as political sites Scientific awards include: Creative Research Grant (2025) Whitney ISP participation (2022–23) Automata Studio Residency (2022) Artists Run Chicago Grant (2021) BOLT Residency (2020–21) Through projects like KLUB WRKR —a nomadic workers' club reimagined for the gig economy—and table (2018–2022), a Chicago-based experimental space for artistic practice, he interrogates institutional frameworks while fostering community through discursive meals and collaborative exhibitions.
Felicity McArdle is a Professor in the Department of Early Childhood Education within the Faculty of Education at Queensland University of Technology. With a distinguished career spanning over two decades, her work centers on reimagining early childhood pedagogy through critical lenses of social justice, art education, and play-based learning. Her research has significantly influenced Australian early childhood policy and practice. McArdle's research interests demonstrate a consistent commitment to transformative education. She critically examines how art and play function as vehicles for social justice, challenging neoliberal discourses in early childhood education. Her work on refugee children's artistic expression and anti-bias curriculum development reveals her dedication to equity-oriented pedagogy. Through collaborative drawing methodologies and visual research approaches, she has pioneered innovative ways of understanding children's perspectives. Her publication trends reveal a sophisticated evolution from foundational work on visual arts in education (2001-2010) toward increasingly critical examinations of power, policy, and social justice (2011-2021). The consistent citation impact of her work—particularly her 2002 paper 'Early Childhood Art Education: A Palimpsest' with over 13,000 citations—demonstrates her field-defining contributions to reconceptualizing art education as critical praxis. McArdle has held significant editorial roles including co-editing the influential 2013 volume 'Young Children, Pedagogy and the Arts' and serving on the editorial board of Australian Journal of Early Childhood. Her collaborations with leading scholars like Susan Grieshaber, Jennifer Sumsion, and Linda Knight have produced seminal work on intentional teaching and play-based learning. Her research methodology expertise centers on visual and arts-based approaches, particularly collaborative drawing techniques that engage children as active research participants. This methodological innovation reflects her commitment to ethical research practices that honor children's agency while generating meaningful insights about early childhood experiences.
Katherine Isbister is a full professor in the Department of Computational Media at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she directs the Center for Computational Experience. She was previously an associate professor jointly appointed between the Computer Science department at New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering and the NYU Game Center, and served as the founding Research Director of the Game Innovation Lab at NYU. Her research lies at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction and digital games, focusing on emotion, social connection, and playful experiences. Key research themes include emotion in games , social play , fidget technologies , social VR , and digital characters . Her work combines technical prototyping, design research, and empirical evaluation to understand how interactive systems can support emotional and social experiences. Her publications span top venues such as CHI, DIS, and IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing. Trends in her recent work show a strong emphasis on embodied interaction, affective design, and socio-technical systems for emotional regulation and social connection. She explores how movement, touch, and presence in virtual spaces can enhance human experience. MIT Technology Review TR100 Young Innovator (1999) Best Paper Award, ACM CSCW (2018) New Voices New Visions Award (for SimWorks art series) She has advised numerous students and led research projects involving social wearables, movement-based games, and mental health interventions. Her lab has received recognition from media outlets including NPR, Scientific American, and The Guardian. She has also collaborated with industry partners such as Microsoft, Electronic Arts, and Ubisoft. She leads the Center for Computational Experience at UCSC and has previously directed the Game Innovation Lab at NYU. Her team has produced over 100 peer-reviewed publications and several exhibition-ready games and art installations.
Lorraine (Xiang) Li is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Computing and Information (SCI). Her research focuses on the intersection of natural language processing, commonsense reasoning, knowledge representation, and machine learning, particularly in designing probabilistic models and evaluation methods for implicit commonsense knowledge in language. Li holds a PhD from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and previously worked as a young investigator with the Mosaic team at AI2. She has an M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Chicago, where she conducted research at TTIC. Her work emphasizes advancing AI’s ability to reason contextually and generate robust, human-like understanding through probabilistic frameworks. Key research themes include bias detection in reasoning models, iterative model editing, domain adaptation with LLMs, and evaluating commonsense through probabilistic measures. Her recent publications explore challenges like confirmation bias in chain-of-thought reasoning and geographical robustness in object recognition. Li actively contributes to the NLP community, serving on program committees for ACL, EMNLP, NAACL, and ARR. Though no formal awards are listed, her prolific publication record reflects her impact in AI research. She currently leads research in procedural knowledge models (e.g., Plasma) and long-tail knowledge generation, advancing foundational AI methodologies.
Alexey Vladimirovich Vdovin is a Professor and Senior Research Fellow at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE), working within the Faculty of Humanities and School of Philological Sciences. He began his tenure at HSE in 2012 and has accumulated 15 years of scientific and teaching experience. His academic journey includes a Doctor of Philology degree from HSE (2023), a PhD from the University of Tartu (2011), and his initial degree in 'Russian language and literature' from Vyatka State Humanitarian University (2007). He has held significant roles including Deputy Dean for Science at the Faculty of Humanities (2018-2020) and serves on numerous academic councils and committees. Vdovin's educational background demonstrates both depth and international perspective. After completing his undergraduate studies at Vyatka State Humanitarian University in 2007, he pursued doctoral studies at the University of Tartu, where he earned his PhD in 2011 with a dissertation on 'The concept of 'chapter of literature' in Russian criticism of the 1830-1860s.' His academic development has been enriched by numerous international experiences, including visiting researcher positions at Selwyn College, University of Cambridge (2019), Jordan Center at New York University (2017), and multiple research stays at Humboldt University in Berlin through the Aurora Erasmus Mundus program. Professor Vdovin's research focuses on Russian intellectual history, the history of ideas, the Russian Empire, Russian literature of the 19th century, and nationalism studies. His work particularly examines the formation of the Russian literary canon, representations of peasants in literature, and the relationship between literature and society. He has authored approximately 80 articles and 4 monographs on 19th-century Russian literature, culture, and criticism, with works on major figures like Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Goncharov, Belinsky, Chernyshevsky, Dobrolyubov, and Nekrasov. His recent book 'Monsters at the Threshold: Dracula, Frankenstein, Viy and Other Literary Monsters' (2024) demonstrates his expanding interest in literary archetypes and cultural phenomena. Vdovin has received numerous awards and recognitions for his scholarly work, including the Moscow Government Prize for young scientists (2017), multiple 'Best Teacher' awards (2013-2015, 2017-2024), and recognition as a winner of HSE's competition for best Russian-language scientific works (2022, 2024). He has also received various letters of gratitude from HSE administration, the Faculty of Humanities, and the School of Philology for his contributions to academic life. As an advisor, Vdovin has supervised numerous student research projects, including Smirnova T.V.'s 2014 master's thesis on 'Representation of 'Russianness' and 'Otherness' in Russian essays of the 1840s.' He has also served as a curator for HSE's Personnel Reserve Program at the School of Philological Sciences and has been actively involved in dissertation councils. His research has been supported by significant grants, including a 2024-2025 Russian Science Foundation grant 'The Genre of 'Peasant Life Story' in Russian Literature Before 1861: Poetics, Plots, Socio-Cultural Functions' (No 24-28-00184) and a 2018-2020 RFBR grant on 'State and Literary Institutions: From Peter I's Reforms to the 'Great Reforms.' Professor Vdovin is actively engaged in academic communities beyond HSE, serving as editor-in-chief of the HSE preprint series 'Literary Studies' and participating in the Big Project 'Literature and Society: An Experience of Sociocultural Description.' He is also involved in public scholarship, frequently giving public lectures through platforms like 'Arzamas,' 'Postnauka,' and 'Stradarium,' and appearing on the 'Observer' television program (Culture channel). Since 2015, he has been a mentor at Maya Kucherskaya's Creative Writing School, bridging academic scholarship with creative practice.
Jennifer Minner is an Associate Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art, and Planning. She directs the Just Places Lab and is actively engaged in research on urban change, memory, and equitable development. Her affiliations span urban planning, regional science, and media studies, and she serves on the faculty advisory board of Cornell Cinema. Ph.D. in Community and Regional Planning, University of Texas at Austin M.U.R.P., Portland State University B.A. in Cultural Anthropology, University of Washington Her research centers on adaptive reuse, circular economies in cities, historic preservation, and social justice . She investigates how communities care for, preserve, and reimagine places through participatory planning and material reuse. Her work connects urban policy with climate action, embodied carbon, and the social legacies of mega-events such as the Olympics and World Expos. She uses spatial analytics, film, and community-based methods to explore equitable urban futures. Her recent publications reflect a strong trend toward environmental justice, circular construction, and urban memory . Topics include deconstruction policy, UAVs in preservation, and post-mega-event urban development. These works span disciplines including urban planning, sustainability, media studies, and public policy, with a consistent focus on equity and community engagement. Town and Gown Award (2024) for CR0WD network Climate Neutral Cities Alliance grant on embodied carbon and justice Atkinson Center Fast Grant for NYS circular construction policy NCPTT grant on reuse scenario planning with 3D modeling Mui Ho Center grant on scaling circular construction in NY Jennifer Minner mentors graduate and undergraduate researchers, co-founded the CR0WD network, and leads the CURTA-Y student club. She has secured multiple grants focused on deconstruction, policy design, and community engagement. Her teaching includes courses on circular cities, land use planning, and advanced planning theory, emphasizing participatory and justice-oriented methods. She leads the Just Places Lab , which fosters interdisciplinary research on urban care, memory, and equity. The lab collaborates with the Circular Construction Lab, Historic Ithaca, and community partners on exhibitions, walking tours, and policy initiatives. Projects like Deconstructing Demolition and Waste(d) Imagination Tour exemplify their community-engaged, creative approach to urban sustainability.
Dina Verdín serves as Assistant Professor in Engineering Education Systems and Design at Arizona State University's Polytechnic School, where she leads research on broadening participation in engineering through critical analysis of access and persistence barriers for first-generation, minoritized, and women students at intersectional identity junctions. Her educational foundation includes: Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University M.S. in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University B.S. in Industrial & Systems Engineering from San José State University Verdín's research program employs asset-based frameworks to examine how funds of knowledge and identity development influence engineering pathways. Her access strand investigates high school exposure barriers through culturally responsive activities that foster engineering interest and agency, while her persistence strand analyzes undergraduate institutional structures affecting identity negotiation and degree completion. This work centers intersectional methodologies to redefine engineering identity beyond traditional norms. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2020-2024) reveals consistent focus on first-generation Latinx students, classroom belonging mechanisms, and funds of knowledge applications. Her work predominantly utilizes mixed-methods approaches within Hispanic Serving Institutions, with growing emphasis on migratory student populations and critical engineering agency development. Her accolades include: NSF Graduate Research Fellowship IEEE Frontiers in Education Best Diversity Paper Award College of Engineering Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award AGEP Distinguished Scholar Award AERA Division D Top 3 In-Progress Research Verdín currently directs multiple NSF-funded initiatives including SAFE Teams (Student Asset-based Approach to Equitable Teams) and Reconceptualizing Community Cultural Wealth in engineering design. Her grants portfolio exceeds $1.3 million as PI/Co-PI, focusing on mastery learning implementation, engineering discipline disparities, and migratory student empowerment through gamified curricula. She teaches core courses in engineering statistics and research methods while mentoring graduate researchers. Her work actively shapes engineering education through community-engaged scholarship that centers student assets and challenges deficit-oriented paradigms in STEM persistence research.
