Professor Andrew Chadwick is a leading scholar in political communication and digital media studies at Loughborough University, where he directs the Online Civic Culture Centre (O3C). He holds a BSocSc from Birmingham, MSc and PhD from the London School of Economics. His research focuses on hybrid media systems, disinformation dynamics, and digital politics. Key contributions include conceptualizing hybrid media events and analyzing misinformation in personal messaging platforms. His work has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the APSA Best Book Award. He supervises numerous PhD students exploring topics like social media influence, public opinion, and digital disinformation. Current projects include the Leverhulme-funded Everyday Misinformation Project examining numerical disinformation on messaging apps. His media engagements span BBC Radio 4 to The Washington Post. Research highlights include studies on misinformation warnings' ineffectiveness, vaccine hesitancy, and the role of celebrities in political representation. O3C serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research on digital civic culture. Chadwick’s academic leadership includes roles in editorial boards for top journals and international conference keynotes.
Daniel Adelman is the Charles I. Clough, Jr. Professor of Operations Management at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He joined the faculty in 1997 after completing his PhD in industrial engineering and operations research at Georgia Tech. Adelman is a leading expert in Business Analytics and Management Analytics, helping companies deploy data and decision analysis to build world-class strategic and tactical management capabilities. Adelman received his PhD in industrial engineering and operations research in 1997, along with a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering and a master's degree in operations research, all from the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Daniel Adelman's research focuses on applying analytical models to solve complex business problems across multiple industries. He has worked with firms from diverse sectors including internet services, chemical distribution, airlines, third party logistics, fiber-optics manufacturing, semiconductor manufacturing, oil, and healthcare. His research integrates real-world data with analytical models to bring structure and discipline to decision and control processes, enabling firms to achieve higher profits with lower risk. Adelman's recent work has concentrated heavily on healthcare analytics, where he leads the Healthcare Analytics Laboratory at Chicago Booth. This lab works with teams of doctoral and MBA students on projects with major healthcare institutions to optimize clinical, operational, and financial outcomes. His research spans foundational operations research including approximate dynamic programming, inventory theory/supply chain management, and revenue management/pricing optimization, as well as examining the linkage between operational performance metrics and financial performance of firms. Adelman's publications show a clear trend toward increasing focus on healthcare applications while maintaining strong theoretical foundations in operations research. His earlier work focused more on general operations management problems like inventory control and supply chain optimization, while his recent publications demonstrate a strategic shift toward healthcare analytics, particularly examining surgical team dynamics, hospital performance metrics, and resource allocation during public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. George B. Dantzig Prize (1998) for the best dissertation in operations research and management sciences that is innovative and relevant to practice Adelman regularly advises doctoral and MBA students through the Healthcare Analytics Laboratory at Chicago Booth. He has served as Associate Editor for Management Science, currently serves as Associate Editor for Manufacturing and Service Operations Management, and is the Area Editor for Operations and Supply Chain at Operations Research. His industry collaborations include significant projects with Akamai on internet pricing, with GE Global Research Labs on the electricity smart grid, with BP on gasoline supply contract portfolio optimization, and with Symantec on software release planning. Adelman leads the Healthcare Analytics Laboratory at Chicago Booth, which brings together interdisciplinary teams of doctoral and MBA students to work on a portfolio of projects with major healthcare institutions. The lab focuses on optimizing clinical, operational, and financial outcomes through advanced analytics and decision modeling.
Professor Roel Sterckx is the Joseph Needham Professor of Chinese History, Science, and Civilization at the University of Cambridge, affiliated with Clare College. He specializes in pre-imperial and early imperial Chinese thought, classical Chinese language, and natural history. His research bridges anthropology and the history of science, focusing on topics like ritual, economic thought, and animal studies. He has authored influential books including Food, Sacrifice, and Sagehood in Early China and Animals through Chinese History . Sterckx is a Fellow of the British Academy (since 2013) and holds leadership roles at the Needham Research Institute. He supervises PhD students on subjects ranging from Warring States rhetoric to Han Dynasty apocrypha. Education: BA/PGCE in Sinology and History, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Masters in Classical Chinese and Philosophy, National Taiwan University PhD in Chinese History, University of Cambridge Research Interests: Early Chinese cultural ecology, ritual economy, and the interplay of moral and material values. His work analyzes texts like the Rites of Zhou , Mozi , and Huainanzi , emphasizing agricultural thought and animal symbolism. Awards: British Academy Fellowship (2013) Grants and Labs: Directs the Cambridge-based Needham Research Institute, focusing on East Asian science and technology history. Current projects include studies on Han perceptions of southern regions and the economics of ritual in early China.
Renaud Morieux is Professor of European History at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of Pembroke College. His research explores borders between Britain, France, and the wider world since the 18th century, with focus on migration, oceans, incarceration, and the social history of war. He holds editorial responsibilities for journals including Past & Present and Revue d'Histoire Moderne et Contemporaine . Research Interests: Morieux investigates maritime borders through interdisciplinary lenses combining legal history, family studies, and global perspectives. His projects examine political deportation in the Indian Ocean and a reflexive history of European statelessness. His award-winning publications analyze cross-Channel relations, war captivity, and oceanic governance. Article Analysis: Morieux's scholarship demonstrates consistent focus on transnational networks, legal pluralism, and subaltern agency. Recent work explores colonial knowledge systems, penal transportation, and epistolary communities, reflecting innovative methodological approaches to reconstructing marginalized histories across imperial spaces. Awards and Honors: Philip Leverhulme Prize for History (2014) Leo Gershoy Award for The Channel: England, France and the Construction of a Maritime Border (2017) Mémoires de la Mer book prize (2009) Advising and Grants: Morieux has supervised 10+ PhD students on topics ranging from naval mutinies to famine philanthropy. Current doctoral candidates explore Sir Joseph Banks' networks, WWI prisoner repatriation, and oral culture in the French Atlantic. His research receives international funding including EU and UK research council support.
Associate Professor Joyce Nip is a member of the University of Sydney's Discipline of Media and Communications and Department of Chinese Studies. Her research focuses on media dynamics in Chinese societies, particularly the political and social implications of digital platforms like social media. She has held visiting roles at the University of Hong Kong and the University of Maryland, and received the 2020 Taiwan Fellowship. Education and Professional Background: Joyce has over 20 years of experience in journalism, teaching, and research. She was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Maryland (2004–2005) and has held academic roles in Hong Kong before joining the University of Sydney in 2010. Research Interests: Her work spans journalism studies, civic media use, and diasporic Chinese communities. Current projects include studies on online public opinion in Greater China and China’s external news communication strategies. Grants and Awards: Joyce has secured grants from the Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation for projects on Chinese social media and public opinion. Her 2020 Taiwan Fellowship reflects her expertise in cross-strait communication. Teaching and Supervision: She teaches courses on Chinese media in global contexts and supervises research on topics like Taiwanese public communication and diasporic media. Past students include Liang Xia (PhD) and Weiwei Xu (PhD). Labs and Collaborations: Joyce contributes to the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre and serves on editorial boards for Asian Journal of Communication , Digital Journalism , and Journalism Practice .
Claudia R. Binder is Full Professor at EPFL's School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, leading the Laboratory for Human-Environment Relations in Urban Systems (HERUS) since 2016. Previously, she held professorships at the University of Munich (2011-2016), University of Graz (2009-2011), and University of Zurich (2006-2009). She served as Dean of EPFL's ENAC School from 2020-2023 and holds advisory roles with Swiss federal institutions including the Mercator Foundation since 2024. Her academic foundation includes a Biochemistry degree and PhD in Environmental Sciences from ETH Zurich, followed by postdoctoral research at the University of Maryland. This interdisciplinary background underpins her research approach spanning natural and social sciences. Professor Binder's work centers on urban sustainability transitions, examining urban metabolism dynamics through systems science frameworks. She investigates energy-food-transport interdependencies in cities using transdisciplinary methods that integrate material flow analysis, spatial modeling, and socio-technical assessments. Her research particularly emphasizes regulatory mechanisms and transformation drivers in human-environment systems, with case studies across Swiss and global urban contexts. Recent publications reveal evolving focus from foundational urban metabolism studies toward actionable transition strategies. Her 2024-2025 work increasingly addresses social tipping dynamics, circular decarbonization, and spatially explicit waste management, demonstrating methodological innovation through geo-referenced material flow analysis and participatory backcasting frameworks. Key thematic clusters include energy innovation diffusion, plastic waste governance, and demand-side flexibility in residential systems. She actively mentors 7 current PhD candidates while supervising 11 graduates since 2018, with research spanning urban metabolism modeling, sustainability assessment, and transition governance. Her leadership extends to Swiss National Science Foundation committees and National Research Program 71 on energy consumption management. At EPFL, she directs the HERUS laboratory which develops the Sustainability Solution Space methodology for urban assessment. The lab operates at the intersection of data science, environmental engineering, and social theory, maintaining strong field connections in Switzerland, Indonesia, and Germany for empirical validation of transition models.
Michelle Arrow is a Professor at Macquarie University's School of Humanities and Centre for Media History. Her research focuses on cultural history, post-war Australia, and feminist movements. She holds a PhD from the University of Sydney (1999), with notable works including Upstaged (2002), Friday on Our Minds (2010), and The Seventies (2019), which won the Ernest Scott Prize. Her work explores how culture shapes identities and responds to political shifts. She has led projects like 'Public Intimacy: A Biography of Anne Deveson' and contributed to media initiatives such as ABC TV's Rewind . Awards include Fellowships from the Academy of the Social Sciences (2023) and the Royal Historical Society (2025). Her current projects include a biography of Anne Deveson and studies on gender citizenship and LGBTQIA+ activism. Michelle has been a media commentator on topics like historical representation and social policy. Education: PhD in History, University of Sydney (1999) Thesis: Social and cultural history of Australian women playwrights (published as Upstaged ) Research Interests: 1970s Australia, Royal Commissions, feminist politics Popular culture and its political dimensions Historical representation in media and film Awards: Ernest Scott Prize (2020) NSW Premiers' Multimedia History Prize (2014) Elected Fellowships (2023, 2025) Grants/Projects: ARC-funded projects on women's refuges and children's rights Audio-visual archive prototyping (2017) Biography of Anne Deveson (2020–2023) Media Engagement: ABC TV presenter ( Rewind ) Contributions to The Conversation and public talks
Vinzenz Hediger is a Full Professor of Film Studies at Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany. He has held previous positions as Full Professor of Film Studies and History/Theory of Documentary Forms at Ruhr-University Bochum (2004–2011) and as a substitute Full Professor at the same institution (2002/3). Hediger has served as Senior Fellow at IKKM, Bauhaus Universität Weimar (2016), and as Speaker/Director for research programs including the DFG-funded Graduate College GRK 2279 Configurations of Film (2017–2021) and the Hans Böckler Foundation's The Productivity of Culture (2009–2014). Current Role: Full Professor, Film Studies, Goethe University Frankfurt Previous Roles: Professorships in Film Studies, Guest Professorships in Belgium, France, Italy, Czech Republic Leadership: Co-founder of NECS (2006–2011), President of German Association for Media Studies (2007–2011) Research Interests span Film Studies, Film Philosophy, Media Culture, Post-cinema, and Digital Media Culture. His work explores the philosophical foundations of film, industrial cinema, and the digital transformation of media practices. Hediger's recent publications focus on the ecology of post-cinematic media, the productivity of industrial films, and the historiography of film studies. Scientific Awards & Roles include membership in the Mainzer Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur (2017), Senior Fellowship at IKKM (2016), and Franqui Chair at the University of Antwerp (2014). He has directed large-scale research programs and contributed to international academic networks like NECS.
Professor Adam Yuet Chau is a Fellow and Director of Studies at St John's College and holds the Professor of the Anthropology of China position at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge . His academic journey includes training at Stanford University (PhD in Anthropology, 2001) and teaching roles at Oxford and SOAS before joining Cambridge in 2008. Focus on Chinese religions and their social dimensions Specializes in ritual theory and cultural transformations Develops comparative frameworks for understanding religious practices His research spans religion under socialism , hosting in political/religious contexts , and ritual polytropy . Recent projects include editing Chinese Religious Culture in 100 Objects and analyzing 'spheres' (界) in Chinese society . Publications like Miraculous Response (2006) and Religion in Contemporary China (2011) establish him as a key figure in religious anthropology. Current and past PhD/MPhil students explore topics from temple festivals in Taiwan to religious subjectification . He actively reviews for leading presses (Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard) and journals ( Ethnos , Modern China ), and participates in international academic workshops.
Tom van Laer is an Associate Professor of Marketing and Deputy Head of Discipline, Research at The University of Sydney Business School. He is globally recognized as the leading expert in storytelling and narrative persuasion, currently occupying the top position on Elsevier's SciVal top 100 list for the most-cited researchers in this domain. His academic journey includes a BA and MA from Nijmegen and a PhD from Maastricht University. Dr. van Laer's research explores storytelling, persuasion, and messaging through an interdisciplinary approach that bridges behavioral experiments, quantitative modeling, and interpretive research. His work spans narrative transportation theory, consumer reviews analysis, digital storytelling, and the psychological mechanisms behind how stories influence consumer behavior. He has developed influential frameworks including the Extended Transportation-Imagery Model and narrative agency theory, with particular expertise in analyzing how stories shape responses to climate change communications and social conflict narratives. His publication record features articles in the most prestigious academic journals including the Journal of Consumer Research (where he serves as Area Editor), Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Management Information Systems, and International Journal of Research in Marketing. His recent work shows a strong trend toward meta-analyses of narrative effects, climate change communication, and the psychological mechanisms of 'bleed' between fictional experiences and real-world behavior. Dr. van Laer is an active media commentator whose research has garnered extensive global coverage across Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US, including national television and radio interviews. His media engagement focuses on storytelling in political campaigns, social media marketing, and the psychological impact of narratives in consumer contexts. He teaches MKTG3121 Advertising: Persuasive Principles and MKTG6006 Persuasive Advertising: Illuminating Dark Art, and has received recognition for both research and teaching excellence. His professional affiliations include the Association for Consumer Research, Australian Marketing Institute, Australian & New Zealand Marketing Academy, and International Society for the Study of Narrative. Dr. van Laer is a member of several university research centers including the Sydney Centre for Healthy Societies, Sydney Environment Institute, and Charles Perkins Centre, where he contributes his expertise in narrative persuasion to interdisciplinary research on societal challenges.
Marian Chertow is the Manufacturer’s Association Professor of Industrial Ecology at Yale University and Director of the Center for Industrial Ecology at the Yale School of the Environment. She holds an appointment at the Yale School of Management (SOM) and previously taught at the National University of Singapore (NUS) for 20 years, contributing to the development of their Master’s of Environmental Management program. Her research focuses on industrial ecology, circular economy, and industrial symbiosis—the study of material, energy, and byproduct exchanges among businesses. She pioneered frameworks for understanding industrial ecosystems and their resilience, emphasizing collaboration among firms for environmental and economic benefits. Her work spans global case studies, including China, India, and Singapore, and explores urban metabolism, resource reuse, and policy innovation. Chertow has received prestigious awards, including recognition from the U.S. EPA, the CT Women’s Hall of Fame, and the International Society for Industrial Ecology (ISIE). She advises organizations like Trane Technologies and chairs initiatives like the Industrial Symbiosis Research Symposium. Beyond academia, she founded a theater company staging Greek tragedies and teaches a course linking environmental themes to theater. Her research integrates complex adaptive systems theory, social network analysis, and policy design to address sustainability challenges in emerging economies. Current projects include analyzing waste management in China and urban resource flows in Singapore. Chertow’s interdisciplinary approach bridges environmental science, economics, and management to advance sustainable industrial practices globally.
Lotte van Dillen is a Professor of Social Cognition and Decision Making at Leiden University's Social, Economic and Organisational Psychology department under the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. She also serves as researcher at the Knowledge Center for Psychology and Economic Behavior (KCPEG) and member of the Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC). As Director of Research, she is part of the Psychology Institute's executive board. Her work focuses on how affect influences decision-making across health, legal, and financial contexts, emphasizing limited mental capacity's role in perception and behavior. Education: Master's degrees in Social Psychology and Cognitive Psychology (cum laude), University of Amsterdam (2004) PhD in Psychology from VU University Amsterdam (2008, cum laude) Postdoctoral research at Utrecht University and New York University Research Interests: Examines interactions between affect and cognition in decision-making, including attention's role in consumption, moral judgments, and financial decisions. Current projects include distracted eating's effects on health, non-uptake of social welfare benefits, and neuropsychological mechanisms of hedonic compensation. Grants & Funding: €400k NWO grant (2023) for research on distractions and dietary habits Police and Science Program funding for camera evidence analysis studies Multiple ODISSEI-LISS grants (2020) on consumption patterns and welfare uptake Teaching: Lectures on decision-making at Leiden's BSc/MSc psychology programs and advises legislators/judiciary via Academie voor Wetgeving and Studiecentrum voor Rechtspleging. Labs/Teams: Affiliated with KCPEG and LIBC, collaborating on interdisciplinary projects combining psychology, neuroscience, and policy applications.
John Ferguson is a Professor in Accounting at the School of Management, University of St Andrews. He serves as Co-Director of the Centre for Social and Environmental Accountability Research (CSEAR) and the Centre for the Study of Philanthropy & Public Good. His work significantly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in areas related to responsible consumption and production, and peace, justice and strong institutions. His academic qualifications include BA (Hons), BA, MAcc, Ph.D, CertTHE, and professional designations FHEA, FRSA, CMBE. Professor Ferguson's research focuses on accountability and corporate governance, with particular emphasis on the social and organizational impact of different governance models and corporate accountability for human rights. His work explores how businesses can be held accountable for human rights violations and how governance structures influence corporate behavior. He has made significant contributions to understanding the implementation of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) in Scotland through his work with the Scottish Government on the National Baseline Assessment. His research demonstrates strong trends in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, and the intersection of human rights with corporate governance, with recent publications exploring forward-looking responsibility frameworks, translation of human rights principles into corporate contexts, and national action plan implementation. Winner of the British Accounting Association Accounting Education Special Interest Group Annual Prize (2008) for the paper 'Accounting Textbooks: Exploring A Cultural and Political Artifact' Professor Ferguson has supervised multiple postgraduate students and currently serves on the editorial boards of Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal and Human Relations. He previously served as Editor of the Social and Environmental Accountability Journal (SEAJ) from 2011-2015. He has led significant research projects including 'The In-Betweeners: Examining the role and impact of 'experts' in business and human rights' funded by The Royal Society of Edinburgh (2023). He is active in several research networks and advisory groups, including the International Corporate Accountability Roundtable (ICAR), and has organized numerous academic conferences and workshops on business and human rights implementation.
Aimee van Wynsberghe is the Alexander von Humboldt Professor for Applied Ethics of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Bonn, where she also serves as Director of the Institute for Science and Ethics (IWE). Her work focuses on integrating ethical values into AI and robotics design, positioning Bonn as a leader in human-centered AI in Europe. She co-founded the Foundation for Responsible Robotics and advises international bodies such as the European Commission and the World Economic Forum. Van Wynsberghe holds a PhD in Applied Ethics from the University of Twente (2012), an MA in Bioethics (Erasmus Mundus, 2008), an MA in Applied Ethics from KU Leuven (2007), and a BSc in Cell Biology from Western Ontario (2006). Her research spans AI ethics, robotics ethics, care ethics, and sustainable technology, with a particular emphasis on value-sensitive design. Recent publications highlight her leadership in sustainable AI, ethical robotics, and multidisciplinary approaches to AI's hidden costs. She has secured significant funding, including the Humboldt Professorship (€3.5M) and Stiftung Mercator support (€3.8M), and leads the Bonn Sustainable AI Lab. Her awards include the L’Oréal UNESCO For Women In Science Award (2018) and the Humboldt Professorship (2021). Scientific Advisory Roles: Member, European Commission High-Level Expert Group on AI (2018–2020) Director, Artificial Intelligence Lab at TU Delft (2019–2021) Co-founder, ALLAI (2019–2021) Board Member, Konrad Zuse Schools of Excellence (2022–) Labs & Teams: She founded the Bonn Sustainable AI Lab and previously coordinated the 4TU Robotics Task Force. Current affiliations include the University of Bonn’s IWE, the German National Academy of Sciences (Leopoldina), and the German Academy of Science and Literature in Mainz.
Reetika Gupta is an Associate Professor at ESSEC Business School, Singapore, with a career spanning institutions such as Lehigh University (College of Business and Economics) and City University of New York – Baruch College. Her research focuses on Marketing , Consumer Behavior , and Digital Marketing , particularly in areas like Interactive Marketing , Bottom-of-the-Pyramid Consumers , and Augmented Reality in Marketing . PhD in Marketing (City University of New York – Baruch College, 2005) PGDPC (Mudra Institute of Communications, 1996) BA (Honors) in Economics (St. Stephen's College, 1994) Her research explores: Psychological factors in ethical consumption and sustainable marketing Design of digital platforms to enhance consumer revisits and engagement Impact of social relationships on consumer behavior in emerging markets Political ideology's influence on product preferences Recent publications analyze Bottom-of-the-Pyramid Consumers , Mobile Marketing , and Healthcare Challenges . Awards include Fond de Recherche ESSEC grants and the Alfred Noble Robinson Faculty Award (2012). She has served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Consumer Marketing (2020–2022) and currently as Associate Editor.
