Dr. Federico Cammelli is a Researcher at the Department of Environmental Systems Science (ETH Zurich) within the Professorship for Sustainable Agroecosystems. His work focuses on environmental sustainability, deforestation mitigation, and equitable policy design in tropical regions. He investigates the effectiveness of supply chain policies, fire management strategies, and smallholder livelihood challenges in regions like the Amazon, West Africa, and Indonesia. Key research areas include zero-deforestation commitments in cattle and soy sectors, cocoa sustainability in West Africa, and the interplay between fire use, poverty, and conservation. He employs experimental methods and interdisciplinary approaches to address complex environmental governance challenges. Based at ETH Zurich’s Sonneggstrasse 33 campus, Dr. Cammelli collaborates with international institutions to advance sustainable agroecosystems and climate-resilient development. His research bridges environmental science, policy analysis, and socioeconomic dimensions of conservation.
Jacob Bukoski is Assistant Professor and Director of the Forests and Climate Change graduate certificate at Oregon State University's College of Forestry. His research examines forest carbon dynamics, climate mitigation, and international forestry. Education includes: PhD in Environmental Science from UC Berkeley MS in Environmental Science from Yale University BA in Environmental Studies from UNC Chapel Hill Research focuses on carbon accumulation in forests, mangrove conservation, and climate policy integration. Teaches interdisciplinary courses on social-ecological systems and forest carbon analysis. Recent publications quantify carbon storage in global plantations and mangrove ecosystems. Current projects investigate albedo impacts on reforestation protocols and coastal conservation synergies. Directs graduate studies in Forests and Climate Change.
Prof. Christian Heipke is a distinguished academic serving as Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geodetic Science at Leibniz University Hannover, Germany. He also holds the position of Executive Director at the Institute of Photogrammetry and GeoInformation (IPI), one of the leading research institutions in geospatial sciences within the faculty. His leadership extends across multiple committees including the Curriculum and Teaching Committee, Admissions and Examination Boards for Geodetic Science and Geoinformatics, and Navigation and Environmental Robotics. As a Professor at IPI, he maintains active research while overseeing significant academic and administrative responsibilities at the university. Professor Heipke's research spans multiple domains within geospatial sciences, with particular emphasis on: Advanced photogrammetric techniques and algorithms Remote sensing applications for environmental monitoring Computer vision approaches for geospatial data analysis Urban development monitoring using satellite imagery Machine learning applications in geoinformatics Disaster prediction and management systems His recent scholarly output reveals a strong focus on integrating cutting-edge computer vision and deep learning techniques with traditional photogrammetric methods. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications shows a clear trajectory toward more sophisticated AI-driven approaches for processing geospatial data, with particular attention to time-series analysis, uncertainty quantification, and multi-view systems. His work bridges theoretical advancements with practical applications in flood forecasting, deforestation monitoring, urban planning, and construction materials analysis. The geographic scope of his research has expanded significantly, with recent projects focusing on international case studies in the Philippines and tropical regions. Professor Heipke leads the Institute of Photogrammetry and GeoInformation, a major research hub that has celebrated 75 years of contributions to the field. His leadership extends to the Graduiertenkolleg 2159: "Integrity and Collaboration in Dynamic Sensor Networks," where he serves as a professor overseeing doctoral research. The institute maintains state-of-the-art facilities for processing satellite imagery, aerial photography, and developing novel algorithms for geospatial data analysis. Under his direction, the institute has strengthened its international collaborations and interdisciplinary research approaches, particularly in addressing Sustainable Development Goals through geospatial technologies.
Andrew Friend is a Researcher at the University of Cambridge , affiliated with the Department of Geography . His work focuses on terrestrial ecosystem dynamics, particularly the interplay between vegetation, carbon fluxes, and climate systems. He develops process-based computer models to simulate vegetation growth, competition, and carbon cycle responses, while also conducting experimental and field studies in collaboration with institutions like the Sainsbury Laboratory, NIAB, and Forestry England. Friend’s research integrates plant physiological knowledge with global vegetation modeling . Key interests include source-sink carbon interactions, physiological diversity in ecosystems, and the impact of climate extremes on forest resilience. His models address challenges such as drought, temperature changes, and deforestation, with applications in predicting future carbon balances and informing climate mitigation strategies. The 15 most recent articles highlight his contributions to understanding Amazon deforestation tipping points , wood formation mechanisms , and fire/disturbance impacts on ecosystems . These works span climate science , forest ecology , and biogeochemical cycles , emphasizing multi-scale approaches from cellular processes to global systems. Friend collaborates with institutions like Forestry England (Thetford Forest studies), Sainsbury Laboratory , and the C-CLEAR Doctoral Training Partnership . His work bridges computational modeling, experimental validation, and field data to advance terrestrial carbon cycle science.
University of California, Los AngelesUnited States
Thomas Gillespie is a Professor and Co-Chair of the Environmental Science and Engineering (D.Env.) Program at the Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His research integrates Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, and biogeography to study tropical dry forests in biodiversity hotspots and develop predictive models for species distribution and conservation. Education: Ph.D. in Geography, UCLA (1998) M.A. in Geography and Planning, California State University, Chico (1994) B.A. in International Affairs, University of Colorado, Boulder (1990) Research Interests: Gillespie’s work focuses on field-based floristic surveys and remote sensing analysis of tropical dry forests across the Pacific, Caribbean, and California. He combines GIS with ecological data to model biodiversity patterns, anthropogenic disturbance impacts, and climate change scenarios. His research spans biogeography, conservation science, and environmental policy. Scientific Awards: NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship Grants: Gillespie has secured major grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Institutes of Health (NIA, NICHD), and MacArthur Foundation for projects on urban greening, disaster recovery, and tropical forest conservation.
Jan Dirk Wegner is an Associate Professor at the University of Zurich, holding the chair in 'Data Science for Sciences' and leading the EcoVision Lab. He previously served as a Postdoc (2012–2016) and senior scientist (2017–2020) at ETH Zurich's Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing Group, following his PhD (with distinction) from Leibniz University Hannover (2011). His research bridges machine learning, computer vision, and remote sensing to address environmental and geoscience challenges, focusing on large-scale environmental data analysis, vegetation monitoring, and climate change mitigation. Education: PhD (with distinction) in Geodesy, Leibniz University Hannover (2011) Postdoc, ETH Zurich (2012–2016) Senior Scientist, ETH Zurich (2017–2020) Research Interests: Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Remote Sensing, Environmental Science, Climate Science, Geosciences, Explainable AI, Uncertainty Quantification, and Applications in Sustainability. The EcoVision Lab develops data-driven methods for global-scale environmental monitoring, including vegetation parameter mapping, flood prediction, forest degradation detection, and AI-driven ecological modeling. Awards: ETH Postdoctoral Fellowship (2012–2016) Science Prize of the German Geodetic Commission WEF Young Scientist Class 2020 (Top 25 globally under 40) Advising & Leadership: Director of the University of Zurich's Doctoral School in Data Science, leading the EcoVision Lab, and coordinating the CVPR EarthVision Workshops. His roles include Vice President of ISPRS Technical Commission II, member of the ETH AI Center, ELLIS, and UN-ETH Partnership. Labs/Teams: EcoVision Lab focuses on interdisciplinary AI applications for environmental challenges, collaborating with NGOs, governments, and industry to translate research into societal impact.
Jeff Sayer is a Professor in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Faculty of Forestry . His research focuses on applied conservation science and the human dimensions of environmental change , with fieldwork spanning Indonesia, West and Central Africa, and Southeast Asia. Current projects include sustainable landscapes in Indonesia (since 2010), forest transitions in Ghana and the Congo Basin (since 2000), and new approaches to conservation science (since 2000). Research emphasizes integrated natural resource management, landscape-scale decision-making, and reconciling agriculture with biodiversity conservation. Key research themes: Integrated landscape approaches for multifunctional landscapes Forest governance and tenure conflicts Policy coherence for Sustainable Development Goals Human-environment interactions in tropical regions Recent publication trends show interdisciplinary focus on deforestation-free trade policies, agroforestry systems, forest governance challenges, and transdisciplinary science applications across tropical Asia, Africa, and Canada.
Anthony Bebbington is the Milton P. and Alice C. Higgins Professor of Environment and Society at Clark University’s Graduate School of Geography. He also holds roles as a Research Associate at the Centro Peruano de Estudios Sociales (Peru) and a Professorial Research Fellow at the University of Manchester (UK). His expertise spans political ecology, extractive industries, socio-environmental conflicts, and rural development in Latin America. With a PhD in Geography from Clark University (1990), he has conducted extensive research across Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and El Salvador. His work examines the interplay between resource extraction, governance, and community rights, with a focus on addressing inequality and environmental justice. His research has been supported by major grants from the Economic and Social Research Council (UK), Ford Foundation, and National Science Foundation. Notable collaborations include partnerships with organizations such as Rimisp-Latin American Center for Rural Development, the Salvadoran Ministry of Environment (MARN), and the University of Manchester. Bebbington is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences and has held fellowships from institutions like the Stanford Center for Advanced Studies and the Fulbright Commission. Research interests include institutional innovations in resource governance, the socio-environmental impacts of mining, and political settlements shaping extractive industry policies. His publications address topics like infrastructure’s role in environmental degradation, community-based development, and the governance of extractive industries. Recent work highlights the global drivers of environmental change linked to mining and the need for equitable resource management frameworks. Awards: US National Academy of Sciences membership, multiple fellowships from leading institutions. Key Projects: Studies on mining governance in El Salvador, Honduras, and Peru; analyses of deforestation linked to extractive industries; and frameworks for sustainable infrastructure development. Bebbington’s advisory and grant work emphasizes bridging academic research with policy impact. He collaborates with NGOs and governments to design inclusive strategies for natural resource management, emphasizing participatory approaches and environmental accountability.
Mariam Zachariah serves as a Research Fellow at the Centre for Environmental Policy within the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Imperial College London. She is a core contributor to World Weather Attribution (WWA), an international scientific collaboration conducting rapid climate change attribution analyses for extreme weather events globally. Her work bridges climate science, vulnerability assessment, and policy-relevant research. Her educational foundation includes a PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), where she investigated climate impacts on Indian agriculture. This research focused on drought and extreme temperature effects on crop yields in major agrarian regions, recognizing agriculture's critical role in India's climate-vulnerable economy. Zachariah's research centers on near-real-time attribution of extreme events to quantify human-induced climate change influences. Her expertise spans climate modeling, statistical analysis of extreme weather, and integrating vulnerability frameworks to assess compound impacts on communities. She examines how climate change interacts with socioeconomic factors to exacerbate disasters, particularly in agricultural systems and flood-prone regions worldwide. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a dominant focus on rapid attribution of droughts, floods, and heatwaves across diverse global contexts - from the Horn of Africa to Central Europe and South America. These studies consistently demonstrate climate change as a significant amplifier of event severity, while emphasizing how pre-existing vulnerabilities determine actual impacts. Her work increasingly addresses compound hazards and the intersection of climate change with infrastructure failures and land management. As a key member of the World Weather Attribution initiative, Zachariah collaborates with climate scientists, social scientists, and vulnerability experts in a unique operational framework that delivers scientific assessments within days of extreme events. This work directly informs policymakers, media, and affected communities about climate change's role in contemporary disasters.
Janina Grabs is Professor of Sustainability Research at the University of Basel, where she heads the subject area of Sustainability Research within the Department of Social Sciences at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. She is responsible for social science teaching in the Master's program in Sustainable Development and leads a research group investigating sustainability governance in global value chains, particularly in tropical agricultural commodities. Her academic background includes a PhD in Political Science from Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster (2018), with research stays at Carleton University in Ottawa and Yale University in New Haven. Prior to her current position since June 1, 2024, she worked as an assistant professor at ESADE Business School in Barcelona (2021-2024) and as a postdoc at ETH Zurich (2019-2021). Professor Grabs' research focuses on transnational sustainability governance in global value chains, examining how states, firms, NGOs and other actors can improve environmental and social sustainability in commodity production. Her interdisciplinary work bridges political economy, regulatory governance, and business in society scholarship to investigate who defines sustainability in the marketplace, what rule-making mechanisms exist, their effectiveness, and potential unintended consequences on smallholders' livelihoods. She places special emphasis on coffee, palm oil, and cocoa sectors, exploring how global production and consumption processes can be steered toward more sustainable directions within market frameworks. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on zero-deforestation initiatives, supply chain due diligence legislation (particularly the EU Deforestation Regulation), jurisdictional approaches to sustainable commodity governance, and the evolving role of various actors in sustainability governance. Her work spans multiple commodities but shows particular depth in coffee and palm oil sectors, examining both environmental and social dimensions of sustainability through field research in Colombia, Honduras, Costa Rica and Indonesia. Her significant contributions to the field have been recognized with prestigious awards: 2021 Organizations and the Natural Environment Book Award from the Academy of Management 2022 Lynton Keith Caldwell Award for the best book in the field of science, technology and environmental politics from the American Political Science Association Professor Grabs actively mentors doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers including Alexandra Bögner, Charline Depoorter, Lucia Casalegno, Lesly Nassila, and Philipp Dunker. Her research is supported by multiple third-party funded projects such as EXPECT-AGRI (investigating political economy of expectations in agri-food sustainability transformations), PACSMAC (examining paradoxes of climate-smart coffee production), and research on zero-deforestation commitments in the palm oil sector. She also serves as book review editor for the journal Regulation & Governance and participates in professional associations including the ECPR Standing Group on Regulatory Governance and the International Studies Association. She leads the Sustainability Research Group at the University of Basel, which conducts interdisciplinary research on sustainability governance and transformations toward more sustainable socio-economic systems, with particular focus on agri-food, energy, and mobility sectors while addressing critical questions of justice, equity, and inclusivity in sustainability transitions.
Dan A. Iancu is an Associate Professor of Operations, Information & Technology at Stanford Graduate School of Business, affiliated with the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER). He holds a BS from Yale, SM from Harvard, and PhD from MIT. His research bridges operations, finance, and sustainability, focusing on dynamic optimization under uncertainty and its applications in supply chains, FinTech, and healthcare. Notable work includes designing financing solutions for global supply chains and promoting ethical analytics. Education: BS in Electrical Engineering (Yale, 2004), SM in Engineering (Harvard, 2006), PhD in Operations Research (MIT, 2010). Professional experience includes a Goldstine Fellowship at IBM Research and teaching roles at Wharton and INSEAD. He has won multiple awards including INFORMS Optimization Society (2009) and JFIG (2013) prizes. Research emphasizes fairness and environmental impact, with recent projects on sustainable palm oil production and climate impacts of digital supply chains. His work appears in Management Science, Operations Research, and Mathematics of Operations Research. Awards include Srivani Faculty Scholar (2023–24) and teaching commendations at Harvard, MIT, and INSEAD. He advises on multi-disciplinary projects involving engineering, environmental science, and business students.
Prof. Douglas Sheil is a Chairholder in Forest Ecology and Forest Management at Wageningen University & Research. He holds a MA in Natural Sciences from Cambridge and an MSc in Forestry from Oxford. His career includes roles at the University of Oxford, CIFOR (Indonesia), the Institute for Tropical Forest Conservation in Uganda, and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). His research focuses on tropical forest ecology, biodiversity conservation, and human-forest interactions, with over 200 publications. He co-authored the influential textbook Tropical Rain Forests: Ecology, Diversity, and Conservation (2010). Awards include the Biotropica Prize (2004) and the Queen’s Award for Forestry (2015). Education: MA (Natural Sciences, Cambridge), MSc (Forestry, Oxford) Key Roles: Director of Institute for Tropical Forest Conservation (2008–2012), Professor at NMBU (2013–2020) Research Interests: Tropical forest dynamics, climate change impacts, conservation strategies, and the socio-ecological dimensions of forest management. His work spans field studies in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Oceania, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to address deforestation, biodiversity loss, and sustainable land use. Recent Trends in Articles: Focus on mycorrhizal networks, oil palm impacts, lightning disturbance, and mammal population responses to human activity. He explores mechanisms linking forest structure to ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration and water regulation, often integrating remote sensing and global datasets. Awards: Biotropica Prize, Queen’s Award for Forestry Grants/Projects: Studies on lightning effects in African forests, camera trap mammal surveys, and policy analyses for vegetable oil sustainability. Labs/Teams: Leads interdisciplinary groups at Wageningen, collaborating with CIFOR and international networks. Active in IUCN committees to translate science into conservation policy.
Prof. Ingo Grass is a Full Professor at the University of Hohenheim, heading the Department of Ecology of Tropical Agricultural Systems (490f) and serving as Deputy Head of the Department of Crop Production in the Tropics and Subtropics (490e). He is Director of the Hans Ruthenberg Institute for Tropical Agricultural Sciences and an Equal Opportunities Officer within the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. His research focuses on agroecology, tropical agricultural systems, and biodiversity conservation in human-modified landscapes. Education: PhD in Biology from Philipps-Universität Marburg (2014). PostDoc at University of Göttingen (2014-2019) before moving to Hohenheim. Research Interests: Agroecosystem biodiversity, pollination ecology, land-use impacts on ecosystems, and sustainable farming practices. His work emphasizes reconciling productivity with biodiversity preservation, with a focus on tropical regions and temperate grasslands. Articles Trends: Recent work explores pesticide impacts on non-target insects, agroecological strategies to enhance pollination and biocontrol, and biodiversity benefits of diversified crops. He frequently collaborates on global studies involving tropical landscapes and urban agriculture dynamics. Awards: Maria Sibylla Merian Award (2013), Teaching Excellence Awards (2016 & 2018). Labs/Teams: Leads interdisciplinary teams in tropical agroecology, collaborating with institutes in Indonesia, Madagascar, and South Africa.
Ankit Kariryaa is a Tenure Track Assistant Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management , University of Copenhagen. His work bridges Machine Learning and Environmental Informatics , focusing on remote sensing, geospatial analysis, and ecological modeling. University of Copenhagen, Denmark Machine Learning Section, Department of Computer Science Geography, Land, Environment and Society, Department of Geosciences Kariryaa specializes in applying deep learning and computer vision to environmental challenges. His research includes: Automated tree detection and biomass estimation via satellite imagery Multi-modal geospatial representation learning Monitoring farmland tree decline and carbon sequestration potential Agroforestry system mapping using AI Developing AI tools for climate policy and sustainability Recent work trends show a focus on quantum-inspired machine learning , environmental monitoring , and cross-cultural AI applications . His 15 most recent publications span topics in remote sensing , ecological modeling , and AI ethics , with methods ranging from neural networks to tensor-based learning. He collaborates across disciplines, notably with researchers in ecology , climate science , and quantum computing . His outreach includes seminars on AI in agroforestry and ecosystem management , while his team contributes to global tree resource databases like TreeSense.
Julian Adamek is a computational cosmologist and lead developer of gevolution , a general-relativistic N-body code for cosmological simulations. His work focuses on modeling relativistic effects in cosmic structure formation to better understand gravity’s role on large scales and dark energy. Research Interests: Computational Cosmology, Theoretical Cosmology, Large-scale structure of the Universe, Relativistic N-body simulations. Technical Leadership: Lead developer of gevolution , a public cosmological simulation code available via GitHub. Recent publications span diverse applications of deep learning in geospatial analytics, environmental monitoring, and computer vision, including phenology modeling, biomass mapping, conflict assessment, and 3D reconstruction from point clouds. Key Trends: Integration of AI/ML for environmental tasks, cross-domain applications (cosmology, ecology, forestry), and satellite data processing. Technical Focus: Transformer networks, diffusion models, super-resolution imaging, and ensemble learning for uncertainty quantification. Julian collaborates with researchers in cosmology and geospatial science, though specific students or awards are not mentioned in the provided texts.
