Daniel Cooney is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He holds additional affiliations as an Affiliate at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology. His research focuses on applying partial differential equations (PDEs), dynamical systems, and stochastic processes to study evolutionary dynamics, particularly in biological and social systems. Key themes include multilevel selection, evolutionary game theory, and the emergence of cooperative behavior. Cooney earned his PhD in Applied and Computational Mathematics from Princeton University, advised by Simon Levin, and completed a postdoc as a Simons Fellow in Mathematical Biology at the University of Pennsylvania. His work bridges theoretical mathematics with applications in ecology, epidemiology, and social sciences. Recent publications explore topics like altruistic punishment in cultural systems, classroom-turnover dynamics, and protocell evolution. He actively participates in academic outreach, co-organizing conferences such as the AMS Special Session on Mathematics of Infectious Disease and the SIAM Minisymposium on Social-Ecological Systems. His research has been published in high-impact journals including *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences* and *Bulletin of Mathematical Biology*.
Prof. Dr. Günther Dissertori is a Full Professor and Rector of ETH Zurich, where he oversees teaching and academic affairs. His academic journey began at the University of Innsbruck, followed by a doctoral position at CERN, and he joined ETH Zurich as an Assistant Professor in 2001 before becoming a Full Professor in 2007. Academic Role: Full Professor of Particle Physics Institutional Leadership: Rector of ETH Zurich (since 2022) Contact: guenther.dissertori@sl.ethz.ch Research Interests: Dissertori's work spans Particle Physics and Experimental Physics , notably contributing to the CMS experiment at CERN, which was instrumental in the Higgs boson discovery. His group also developed cost-effective PET devices, leading to the spin-off Positrigo AG . Research keywords include Detector Development , Medical Imaging , and Quantum Physics . Teaching Excellence: Recognized with multiple Golden Owl awards (2005–2020) and the Credit Suisse Award for Best Teaching (2013), Dissertori is celebrated for his pedagogical impact in the Department of Particle Physics. Scientific Contributions: His publications include advancements in CMOS technology, quantum dynamics, and medical applications, reflecting interdisciplinary expertise in high-speed electronics, environmental science, and architectural history.
Prof. Olga Sorkine Hornung is a Full Professor of Computer Science at ETH Zürich, leading the Interactive Geometry Lab. She holds a BSc and PhD from Tel Aviv University (2000 and 2006) and conducted postdoctoral research at Technical University Berlin. Her research focuses on computer graphics, geometric modeling, and geometry processing, with applications in shape editing, digital fabrication, and animation. She has received numerous accolades, including the ACM Fellowship (2020), ERC Consolidator Grant (2020), and the Golden Owl Teaching Award (2021). Her work bridges theoretical foundations and practical algorithms, addressing challenges in parameterization, surface compression, and interactive design tools. Her research interests span: Computer Graphics & Visualization Geometric Modeling & Processing 3D Content Creation & Digital Fabrication Garment Design & Simulation Human Motion Analysis & Animation Awards and grants include: 2024: Best Paper Honorable Mention (EUROGRAPHICS) 2023: Member of Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW) 2020: ERC Consolidator Grant 2017: Rössler Prize (ETH Zurich) Her lab focuses on developing novel methods for interactive geometry processing, with recent advancements in garment modeling (e.g., AIpparel, Rags2Riches) and motion retargeting systems like WalkTheDog. She actively collaborates on interdisciplinary projects, including biomedical applications and sustainable fashion technology.
Antonio Rangel is the Bing Professor of Neuroscience, Behavioral Biology, and Economics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where he also serves as Head Faculty in Residence. He is a faculty member in the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) with research focusing on the computational and neurobiological basis of value-based decision-making. Dr. Rangel received his educational training at prestigious institutions: B.Sc. from Caltech in 1993 M.S. from Harvard University in 1996 Ph.D. in 1998 Professor Rangel's research lies at the intersection of neuroscience, economics, and psychology, with a focus on understanding how the brain makes decisions. His work investigates the neural mechanisms underlying value computation, choice processes, self-control, and social decision-making. Using a multidisciplinary approach that combines functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), eye-tracking, computational modeling, and behavioral experiments, his lab has made significant contributions to the field of neuroeconomics. His research has revealed how value signals are represented in the brain, how attention influences choice, and the neural basis of self-control failures. Professor Rangel has pioneered methods for studying decision processes with high temporal resolution using eye-tracking data, demonstrating how fixation patterns relate to value computations and choice outcomes. His work spans from theoretical frameworks of value-based decision-making to practical applications in behavioral public economics. Professor Rangel's work has been recognized with prestigious awards: 2019 NOMIS Distinguished Scientist Award 2018 Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science As an academic leader, Professor Rangel has mentored numerous students and researchers who have gone on to make their own contributions to neuroscience and economics. His lab, the Rangel Neuroeconomics Laboratory at Caltech, serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research, bringing together students and scholars from neuroscience, economics, psychology, and computer science. The lab has received significant funding to support its research on the neural basis of decision-making, including support from the NOMIS Foundation. The Rangel Neuroeconomics Laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities including fMRI analysis capabilities, eye-tracking systems, and computational resources for modeling decision processes. The lab fosters a collaborative environment where researchers apply methods from experimental economics and cognitive neuroscience to unravel the complexities of human decision-making.
Amy Bruckman is a Regents’ Professor and Senior Associate Chair in the School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Institute of Technology. As a Fellow of The ACM and member of the SIGCHI Academy , she contributes to social computing research focusing on online collaboration, cross-cultural understanding, and content moderation. Her 2022 book "Should You Believe Wikipedia? Online Communities and the Construction of Knowledge" explores digital knowledge creation. Education: Ph.D. from MIT Media Lab (1997), B.A. in Physics from Harvard (1987) Research Affiliations: GVU Center, IRI People and Technology Her work addresses social computing challenges including: AI ethics in human-AI interaction Algorithmic bias in content moderation Epistemic justice in online communities Comparative platform analysis (Reddit, Discord, TikTok) Grassroots technology movements Recent publications examine: AI support tools for online counseling Community-driven research frameworks Racial bias mitigation in toxic language detection Designing teachable social media experiences Human trafficking intervention ethics Scientific recognition includes: ACM Fellowship SIGCHI Academy membership She has contributed to: Georgia Tech's Computing Education initiatives Research ethics frameworks for Human-Computer Interaction
Professor Siân Bayne is a leading academic in digital education at the University of Edinburgh , where she serves as Assistant Principal for Education Futures and directs the Centre for Research in Digital Education . Her work bridges critical theory and practical innovation in higher education. Interdisciplinary research on digital education and futures studies Leadership in the Edinburgh Futures Institute and Moray House School of Education and Sport Global impact through UNESCO collaborations and UKRI GCRF projects Bayne’s research explores higher education futures , utopian theory , and digital enhancement , with a focus on: AI’s role in teaching and learning Ethical implications of educational technologies Anonymous social media in academic spaces Speculative scenarios for educational systems Global South digital education models Augmented reality applications in assessment Her 15 most recent publications span 2017-2025 , covering critical perspectives on: Generative AI and educational innovation Utopian design in universities Data governance in learning analytics Augmented reality pedagogy Digital cultural heritage Scientific recognition includes: IASH Sabbatical Fellowship (2023) Bayne leads Higher Education Futures initiatives and partners with institutions worldwide, including: UNESCO Global Education and Technology Report World Bank collaborations European university leadership programs She also drives major research centers like: Centre for Research in Digital Education UKRI GCRF Urban Disaster Risk Hub
Ceren Budak is an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan School of Information and holds a joint appointment as Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the College of Engineering. Her work bridges computer science, statistics, and social sciences through computational social science approaches. Her educational background includes a PhD in Computer Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara (2012) and a Bachelors degree in Computer Science from Bilkent University in Turkey (2007). Prior to joining the University of Michigan faculty, she was a Postdoctoral Researcher at Microsoft Research New York. Professor Budak's research centers on computational social science, with particular emphasis on analyzing large-scale datasets to address questions with social, political, and policy implications. Her work spans several interconnected domains: News Media Production & Consumption (examining bias in news outlets and reader preferences), Social Movements & Media (using social media data to study collective action), Social Networks (understanding information diffusion processes), and Measuring and Promoting the Quality of Online Discussions (developing tools to improve online conversations). She teaches SI 608 (Networks) and SI 618 (Data Manipulation and Analysis) at the School of Information. Her publication record demonstrates consistent contributions to understanding how online information ecosystems operate, with recent work focusing on AI-human collaboration, misinformation dynamics, social movement framing, and the application of computational methods to political communication. Her research shows a clear trajectory from foundational work on social network diffusion to increasingly sophisticated analyses of contemporary information challenges. Among her service activities, she has served as Registration chair for COSN (ACM Conference on Online Social Networks) 2015 and as Program Committee Member for numerous prestigious conferences including WWW, ICWSM, WebSci, AAAI, and others. She has also been involved in organizing the MSR NYC Data Science Seminar Series and instructing the Microsoft Research Data Science Summer School.
Mark Lewis is the Kennedy Chair in Mathematical Biology at the University of Victoria, holding joint appointments in the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics and Biology. His research focuses on spatial ecology and mathematical modeling, addressing ecological challenges such as animal movement, invasive species, and disease dynamics. Lewis earned his D.Phil. in Mathematical Biology from the University of Oxford and has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society UK. His work integrates mathematical analysis, field studies, and interdisciplinary approaches to solve ecological problems. Current projects include modeling polar bear populations, cyanobacteria dynamics, and the impact of climate change on wildlife. Lewis supervises students across both UVic and his former University of Alberta lab. Education: D.Phil. in Mathematics (Mathematical Biology), University of Oxford Awards: Royal Society Fellowship, CRM-Fields-PIMS Prize, and Okubo Prize Key Research Areas: Animal movement modeling, aquatic ecology, wildlife disease, and invasive species management Publications highlight his contributions to understanding disease spread, parasite dynamics, and ecological responses to environmental changes. Lewis collaborates widely, applying mathematical tools to real-world conservation and health challenges.
Sabrina Furtado is a Lecturer in Sport Management and Dean’s Associate Fellow at Loughborough University’s School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences. She holds a BSc, MSc, and PhD. Previously, she taught at the Federal University of Paraná and State University of Santa Catarina in Brazil, focusing on sport management, sports law, and entrepreneurship in the sports sector. Her research focuses on sports governance, strategic planning, and policy development in public and private sports entities. Key areas include Olympic and Paralympic federations, sports financing, and the impact of media representation on disability inclusion. She contributes to the Sport, Business and Society and Lifestyle for Health and Wellbeing research groups, as well as the Inteligência Esportiva Research Institute . Recent work analyzes governance structures in Santa Catarina municipalities, business intelligence applications in sports management, and modernization processes in Brazilian Olympic federations. Her publications span topics like Paralympic organizational roles, media stigma in disability sports reporting, and funding mechanisms for sports initiatives. No scientific awards are mentioned. Sabrina advises master’s students on sport management and policy but no grant details are provided. Her current projects aim to strengthen sports policies and enhance stakeholders’ engagement in the sport system.
Christopher Kanan is a tenured Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Rochester, leading the AI Initiative within the Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences. He holds secondary appointments in Brain and Cognitive Sciences, the Goergen Institute for Data Science and AI (GIDS-AI), and the Center for Visual Science. His research focuses on deep learning systems for artificial general intelligence (AGI), including continual learning, medical computer vision, and visual question answering. Previously, he was an Associate Professor at RIT’s Carlson Center for Imaging Science and a leader at Paige.AI, contributing to the FDA-cleared Paige Prostate system. Kanan earned his PhD from UC San Diego, completed postdoctoral work at Caltech, and worked at NASA JPL. Education: PhD in Computer Science, UC San Diego MS in Computer Science, University of Southern California Bachelor’s in Philosophy and Computer Science, Oklahoma State University Research Interests: Kanan’s work spans foundational AI capabilities like continual learning, medical imaging (pathology and radiology), multi-modal reasoning, and cognitive science-inspired models. His lab develops bias-robust AI systems and applies deep learning to healthcare and fusion research. Articles Trends: His recent work emphasizes out-of-distribution generalization, foundation models in pathology, and stability in continual learning. Key themes include AI applications in healthcare, model robustness, and neuroscience-inspired algorithms. Awards: NSF CAREER Award Senior Member, AAAI and IEEE DoE and NSF grants totaling $5M+ DARPA/ARL awards Advising & Grants: Mentored over 10 PhD students, including Robik Shrestha and Usman Mahmood. Secured grants for AI in nuclear fusion and medical imaging. Led RIT’s Center for Human-aware AI (CHAI) as Associate Director. Labs & Teams: Heads the University of Rochester AI Initiative, collaborates with Paige.AI, and leads teams advancing AI in pathology and robotics. His lab’s KLab (klab.cis.rit.edu) focuses on vision and learning systems.
Zizi Papacharissi is a UIC Distinguished Professor of Communication and Political Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), serving as Department Head of Communication. She is also a University Scholar and affiliate faculty at the Discovery Partners Institute (University of Illinois System). Her research explores the social and political implications of digital media, with a focus on affective publics, networked identities, and democratic processes. She holds a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin and has authored over 10 books and 80+ journal articles. Education: PhD, University of Texas at Austin (2000) in New Media Technologies and Political Communication MA, Kent State University (1997) in Communication Studies BA, Mount Holyoke College (1995) in Media Studies and Economics Research Interests: Dr. Papacharissi investigates how digital media shape political participation, identity formation, and public discourse. Key areas include affective publics (emotional dimensions of online activism), the role of social media in democracy, and the ethical implications of AI and connective technologies. Her work bridges communication studies, political theory, and sociology. Recent Contributions: Her 2021 book After Democracy explores post-democratic futures in the digital age. She edits Social Media & Society and collaborates with tech firms like Facebook/Meta and Tencent on media ethics and policy. Her research on #Egypt and #OWS movements highlights social media’s role in mobilizing protests. Awards & Recognition: 2018 Wayne Danielson Award (National Communication Association) 2015 Best Book Award (NCA Human Communication and Technology Division) High-Impact Scholar (University of Texas at Austin) Advising & Grants: While no student names are listed, her courses (e.g., Democracy in a Digital Age ) reflect her mentorship in critical media studies. She has secured grants from the National Academies of Science and the Institute of Medicine for projects on youth well-being and digital media. Labs & Teams: Her research lab focuses on digital media’s societal impact, collaborating with global institutions like the Oxford Internet Institute and the Harvard Kennedy School. She chairs UIC’s interdisciplinary Digital Media and Democracy initiative.
Professor Mark King is a leading academic in Sports Biomechanics at Loughborough University, affiliated with the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, where he serves as Lead for the Sport Performance Research Theme. He holds a BSc (1993) and PhD (1998) in Mathematics and Sports Science from Loughborough, with career progression from Lecturer (1999) to Senior Lecturer (2006), Reader (2012), and Professor (2019). He is also Warden of Royce Hall since 1999, overseeing 375 students' welfare. Education: BSc in Mathematics and Sports Science (1993), PhD in subject-specific computer simulation of dynamic jumping (1998). Affiliations: England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), International Cricket Council (ICC), Badminton World Federation, Lawn Tennis Association. His research focuses on optimizing elite sport performance through biomechanical analysis, particularly in cricket and badminton. Key areas include injury prevention (e.g., ACL risks in badminton, lumbar stress injuries in cricket bowlers) and technique optimization. He has pioneered ICC-accredited testing for illegal bowling actions and explored machine learning applications in data collection. His work highlights trends in cricket fast bowling kinematics, racket sports smash mechanics, and gender-specific performance metrics. He actively collaborates with national and international sports organizations to translate research into practical guidelines for athletes and coaches. Awards: None explicitly mentioned in the text. Grants/Advising: No listed advisees, but extensive industry partnerships support his research. Labs/Teams: National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine (NCSEM), part of his research infrastructure.
Elisabeth Jean Wood is a Professor of Political Science at Yale University and holds a concurrent professorship at the Santa Fe Institute. Her research focuses on political violence, particularly sexual violence during war, civil war dynamics, and social movements. She is renowned for her work on insurgent transitions in South Africa and El Salvador, as well as her analysis of variation in wartime sexual violence. Wood has authored influential books including Forging Democracy from Below (2000) and Insurgent Collective Action and Civil War in El Salvador (2003). Her recent work examines the Myanmar military's sexual violence against the Rohingya, emphasizing ideological motivations and institutional frameworks. Wood teaches courses on comparative politics, political violence, and qualitative research methods at Yale. She serves on editorial boards for Politics and Society , American Political Science Review , and the Contentious Politics series. Her research emphasizes ethical fieldwork practices and transparency in qualitative studies, addressing challenges in conflict zones. Her work bridges theoretical contributions with policy implications for understanding and preventing conflict-related atrocities.
Zhi Da is the Howard J. and Geraldine F. Korth Chair in Finance and Professor of Finance at the University of Notre Dame , Mendoza College of Business, Department of Finance. He completed his Ph.D. in Finance at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management (2006), preceded by an M.Sc. in Financial Engineering from the National University of Singapore (2001) and a B.B.A. with First-Class Honors (1999) from the same institution. Holding editorial roles at Journal of Finance , Management Science , Review of Financial Studies and several other top journals, he is a leading voice in empirical finance research. Education Ph.D. in Finance, 2006 – Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University M.Sc. in Financial Engineering, 2001 – National University of Singapore B.B.A. (1st Class Honors), 1999 – National University of Singapore Research Interests Zhi Da’s scholarship sits at the intersection of asset pricing , behavioral finance , and market microstructure . He investigates how investor attention, institutional trading, liquidity frictions, and information flows jointly determine the cross-section of expected returns. His work delves into retail margin trading, the role of pension-fund flows in exchange-rate dynamics, the informational content of SEC filings, and the efficiency of short-selling mechanisms. By combining large-scale data analytics, textual analysis, and structural modeling, he uncovers novel predictors of returns ranging from presidential approval ratings to real-time attention measures. Recent projects explore fractional trading ’s impact on price efficiency, hedging demand as a driver of intraday momentum, and the hidden effort problem in delegated portfolio management. These themes collectively advance our understanding of limits to arbitrage and the formation of extrapolative beliefs. Publication Landscape Spanning 2025 back to 2009, his 15 most recent articles in Journal of Finance , Review of Financial Studies , Management Science , Journal of Financial Economics , and Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis converge on three broad motifs: (1) micro-level trading frictions—liquidity costs, margin requirements, and short-selling constraints; (2) macro-finance linkages—exchange rates, fiscal policy, and global capital flows; and (3) information economics—attention allocation, media analytics, and regulatory disclosures. The collective evidence demonstrates that seemingly small trading or informational frictions aggregate into large, persistent cross-sectional return predictability. Honors and Awards 2017 William F. Sharpe Award for Best Paper, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis Lead-article distinctions in Journal of Finance , Review of Financial Studies , and Management Science Featured coverage in SmartMoney and CNBC Teaching & Mentorship At Notre Dame’s Mendoza College, Professor Da teaches Investments (undergraduate and MBA) and Fixed Income Securities , integrating cutting-edge research insights into the curriculum. While specific advisees are not listed, his extensive co-author network (22+ recurring collaborators) attests to a vibrant mentoring environment. Laboratory & Data Resources He publicly distributes the NAT (Net Arbitrage Trading) dataset, a stock-quarter panel of arbitrage positions used in Chen, Da & Huang (2019). This resource has become a standard tool for researchers studying arbitrage capital movements.
Andy Pavlo is an Associate Professor with Indefinite Tenure in the Computer Science Department at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science. He is an active member of the CMU Database Group and the Parallel Data Laboratory, where he leads research in database management systems with a focus on self-driving architectures, transaction processing, and large-scale analytics. His work bridges academic research and industry applications through projects like NoisePage, OtterTune (which he co-founded and served as CEO before it ceased operations), and Peloton. Dr. Pavlo's research interests span database management systems with particular emphasis on autonomous database architectures that can self-tune and optimize without human intervention. His work explores transaction processing systems that can handle high-throughput workloads while maintaining consistency, and large-scale data analytics techniques that efficiently process massive datasets. He has made significant contributions to query optimization, database extensibility, and automatic database tuning using machine learning techniques. His recent work on database extensibility revealed critical issues in PostgreSQL's extension ecosystem, showing that approximately 16% of extensions are incompatible with at least one other extension due to API violations and memory errors. His research output demonstrates a consistent focus on practical database systems challenges, with recent publications examining database extensibility, user-defined function optimization, and the cyclical nature of database research. The articles show a strong trend toward making database systems more autonomous, with increasing integration of machine learning techniques for automatic tuning and optimization. His work often combines deep theoretical analysis with practical implementation in open-source systems. Dijkstra Award 2024 for contributions to database systems research Dr. Pavlo actively mentors graduate students, with current advisees including Wan Shen Lim, William Zhang, and Sam Arch (co-advised with Todd Mowry). His former students have gone on to successful careers in both industry and academia. He has secured significant research funding through CMU's affiliate program with major database companies including ClickHouse, DataStax, dbt, Firebolt, MotherDuck, RelationalAI, SingleStore, Spiral, PingCAP/TiDB, Yellowbrick, and Yugabyte. His research is supported by these industry partnerships and likely includes NSF funding given his active participation in the database research community. At CMU, Dr. Pavlo leads the Database Group and organizes several seminar series including "SQL or Death," "Database Building Blocks," and "ML⇄DB Technical Talks." These seminars bring together researchers and practitioners to discuss cutting-edge developments in database systems. He also runs a summer research internship program that has attracted students for multiple consecutive years, indicating a strong research group with ongoing projects and funding.
