Marco Fernandes is an Adjunct Assistant Professor (part-time) at NOVA School of Business and Economics (NOVA SBE), where he coordinates a Field Lab on Entrepreneurial Finance. He concurrently serves as an Executive Board Member of ANACOM – National Communications Authority. Previously, he held senior executive roles including CEO of PME INVESTIMENTOS, SA, PORTUGAL VENTURES, SCR, and leadership positions in Mutual Guarantee Societies. His career spans over 25 years in finance, entrepreneurship, and public policy. Education: PhD in Economics (ISCTE-IUL, 2015), Master in Management and Industrial Strategy (ISEG, 2004), and a Degree in Economics (ISEG, 1995). Executive education includes programs at INSEAD, UC Berkeley, and Nova SBE. Research focuses on Entrepreneurial Finance, Venture Capital strategies, Sustainable Finance, and Public Policy impacting innovation ecosystems. Professional History Highlights: Executive Director at DNA Cascais (2015–2021), fostering innovation ecosystems Management consultant in Portugal and CPLP countries Early career at Aicep and CGD Current roles emphasize bridging academic research with practical finance solutions for startups and SMEs through blended finance mechanisms and policy frameworks.
Dr. Noni Gaylord-Harden is a Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Texas A&M University. Her research lab focuses on addressing traumatic stress and mental health disparities in Black youth and families through community-engaged, strengths-based interventions. She is affiliated with the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program and collaborates with multidisciplinary teams including experts in quantitative/qualitative methods, measure development, and intervention implementation. Her primary research examines how exposure to community violence and traumatic loss affects Black adolescents in disinvested urban areas, emphasizing protective factors like future orientation, coping strategies, and family relationships. She also explores racial equity in education and healthcare, leveraging cultural assets to mitigate health disparities stemming from adverse childhood experiences. Recent work highlights trends in understanding firearm decision-making among Black adolescents, moderating effects of moral disengagement in violent offending, and multigenerational trauma impacts. Her studies employ advanced statistical methods like latent profile analysis and incorporate intersectionality frameworks. Dr. Gaylord-Harden’s lab actively involves graduate and undergraduate students in translational research, aiming to bridge academic findings with real-world applications. She has contributed to special issues on youth of color development and serves as an editorial advisor for Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology .
Siyao Li is an Assistant Professor of International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) and an affiliated faculty member in the Department of Political Science. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania (2022) and a Master’s in Statistics from The Wharton School. Her research focuses on the politics of foreign direct investment (FDI), trade, and business-government relations, particularly in weak institutional environments and China's political economy. She employs mixed methods, including statistical analysis and survey experiments, to study technology assets, intangible property protection, and the interplay of geopolitics with economic policies. Education includes a PhD in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania and a MA in Statistics from Wharton. Previously, she was a GPEP Predoctoral Fellow at Georgetown University's Mortara Center for International Studies (2020-2021). Currently, she serves as a non-resident Center Associate at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for the Study of Contemporary China. Her research interests emphasize technology-driven economic interactions, state competition in the global economy, and the resurgence of geopolitics in international trade. She also explores how firms secure property rights in unstable regimes, with a focus on intangible assets like technology. Scientific Awards: Recipient of the International Studies Association's IPE Best Graduate Student Paper award. In advising and grants, she has mentored students through her fellowship at Georgetown and currently engages with graduate and undergraduate education in GSPIA. She teaches courses on International Political Economy (PIA 2301) and Contemporary China's role in it (PIA 2474). Her work is published in Journal of Conflict Resolution , Journal of European Public Policy , and Political Science Research and Methods , reflecting her expertise in empirical political economy and institutional analysis. She collaborates with interdisciplinary networks like the Critical Political Economy Research Network (CPERN), though no specific lab or team is explicitly mentioned. Her academic profile highlights engagement with current debates on China’s global economic strategies and the evolving IPE landscape.
Patti Weir is a Professor and former Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Windsor. She has held significant administrative roles, including Acting Provost (2021) and Acting Associate Vice-President Academic (2023). Her work focuses on graduate education policy, sustainability initiatives, and fostering academic excellence. She has been instrumental in institutional collaborations, such as the Memorandum of Understanding with the Graduate Student Society to improve student experiences. Roles: Dean of Graduate Studies, Acting Provost, Academic Leadership Affiliations: University of Windsor, Office of the Provost Her research interests span physical activity and aging, disability studies, and youth sport participation, with a focus on factors like relative age effects and inclusive policies. She has contributed to initiatives enhancing engagement among older adults and advocating for equitable opportunities in sports and education. Notable administrative achievements include transitioning graduate admissions to UWinsite Student and promoting sustainability through campus initiatives. She collaborates widely, supporting student success and interdisciplinary research.
Jimena Cosso is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology at the University of Maryland. Her research focuses on early mathematics development among Latine dual language learners (DLLs) and their families, emphasizing culturally and linguistically relevant measures. She leads the HOLA STEM Lab, which designs family-centered interventions leveraging Latine communities' knowledge. Dr. Cosso holds a PhD in Educational Psychology from Purdue University, an MS in Comparative and International Education from NYU, and a BA in Sociology from Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina. Her work employs mixed-methods approaches to explore how Latine families support early math learning at home, how schools assess DLLs' readiness, and how cultural contexts shape STEM engagement. Recent projects include validating culturally contextualized math assessments and analyzing the role of parental math anxiety in home learning environments. Dr. Cosso has received fellowships from NSF, IES, and Vanderbilt University's Data Management program. Her grants include projects on Latine family math resources and measurement development. She teaches EDHD 322: The Young Child as Mathematician and actively advises students in developmental psychology and quantitative research. Her lab, HOLA STEM Lab, bridges academic research with community engagement, focusing on equitable STEM education. Current openings for Fall 2025 students are available through direct inquiry.
Snježana Močinić is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Educational Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, affiliated with the Department of Studies in the Italian Language. She holds a PhD in Pedagogy from the University of Zagreb (2015) and a postgraduate master's degree from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Rijeka (2004). Her career spans teaching in Italian primary schools, teacher training, and academic leadership roles. She coordinates study programs and methodology courses in early childhood education and curriculum design. She has led the State Licence Exam Committee for Italian-language preschool teachers since 2000. Education: PhD in Pedagogy, Zagreb Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2015 Postgraduate Master's, Faculty of Teacher Education, Rijeka, 2004 Research Interests: Teacher education models, competency development in educators, experiential learning strategies, traditional cultural heritage integration in education, and sustainable pedagogical practices. She emphasizes curriculum design for early childhood and the role of school environments in learning processes. Publications: Over 20 articles focusing on teacher competencies, preschool education, and cultural heritage in curricula. Recent work explores Kolb's learning model applications and the knowledge society's impact on education. Leadership & Projects: Involved in national and international educational projects. Coordinates study modules and organizational improvements at the faculty level. Served on university committees and contributed to policy reforms in teacher training.
Alice Lee is an Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior at Cornell University's ILR School, focusing on social influence dynamics in organizational contexts. Her research explores how individuals strategize influence, who adopts these strategies, and situational factors determining effectiveness. Education: Ph.D. in Management from Columbia Business School; B.S. in Finance from NYU Stern School of Business. Pre-academic career: Asset Management at J.P. Morgan. Research Interests: Social influence mechanisms, decision-making processes, and the psychological underpinnings of organizational behavior. Her studies emphasize the social meaning attached to influence attempts and their outcomes in economic or subjective contexts. Publications span interdisciplinary fields including genetics and stem cell research, though her primary academic focus remains organizational behavior. Notable articles address bone regeneration, neuromuscular disorders, and genomic analyses. No awards or grants explicitly listed in provided materials. No advisee names documented here. Labs/Teams: Not specified in the provided texts.
Michael Dobbie is a Professor and Director of Phenomics Australia (a NCRIS-funded initiative) at the Australian National University (ANU). He leads the Australian Phenomics Facility, focusing on large-scale genetic and phenotypic analysis of mouse models. His research integrates genomic data with clinical and experimental phenotyping to advance biomedical discovery. Education: Holds a PhD in genetics-related fields. His work emphasizes international collaboration through projects like the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC) and initiatives like the Deep Genome Project. Research interests include mouse mutagenesis, population genomics, and the genetic basis of developmental diseases. He advocates for ethical standards in preclinical research and equitable genomic data practices, particularly involving Indigenous populations. Leads major projects such as 'Scale-up of technologies for stem cell disease models' and 'Enhanced data assets for Genomic Medicine.' His lab develops tools for genetic screening and phenotype analysis, contributing to drug discovery and disease modeling. Collaborates globally through networks like AMMRA (Asia-Pacific mouse genetics initiative) and contributes to policy frameworks for biomedical infrastructure.
Min Zhan is a Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's School of Social Work, serving as Director of the Center for the Study of Global Gender Equity and an Affiliate of the Center for Social & Behavioral Science. She holds a PhD in Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis (2001) and prior degrees in History from Peking University (BA, 1991; MA, 1994). Her research focuses on low-income families' economic well-being, emphasizing financial asset development, human capital growth, and program evaluation. Current projects include evaluating education loans' impact on college graduation, assessing outcomes of elderly financial abuse interventions, and studying financial service utilization among low-income populations. Her work intersects social policy, financial literacy, and socio-economic equity, with recent publications addressing diabetes care mediation, cardiovascular disease prevention, and asset-building policies. She collaborates widely on global gender equity and behavioral science initiatives.
Željka Car is a Professor at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER) , University of Zagreb, Croatia. She serves as Head of the Department of Telecommunications and focuses on research in telecommunications, software engineering, and human-computer interaction. Research Interests : Accessibility in digital systems, augmented reality, assistive technology, serious games for education, machine learning applications, network reliability, and project management. Teaching : Leads courses in project management and software development methodologies. Projects : Involved in developing ICT-AAC applications for children with developmental disabilities, VR/AR tools for military and educational use, and software process improvement frameworks. Publications highlight trends in accessible software design, gesture-based interfaces, and integration of emerging technologies with augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems.
Prof. Alfonso Sousa-Poza is a Professor leading the Department of Household and Consumer Economics at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. He also serves as Fachgebietsleiter (Head of Field) for the School of Health Care & Public Management. His research focuses on health economics, demographic shifts, public policy effects, and socio-economic determinants of well-being with emphasis on China and global populations. Recent work examines urban housing impacts on mental health, vaccination long-term effects, and obesity trends across 837 global studies. Key contributions include analyzing peer effects on fertility preferences, spousal bereavement's healthcare implications, and worldwide diabetes prevalence. He has published over 48 peer-reviewed articles since 2012, specializing in cross-national comparisons and policy-relevant demographic analyses. Current teaching includes consumer behavior seminars and health economics modules for 2025 semester.
Dr. Connie Barroso (Garcia) is an Assistant Professor of Developmental Sciences in the Department of Educational Psychology at Texas A&M University, affiliated with the School of Education and Human Development. She holds a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Florida State University (2020), along with an M.S. (2016) and B.S. (2013) in Psychology from the same institution. Her research focuses on understanding how beliefs, emotions, and attitudes toward mathematics influence STEM career pathways and academic achievement. Key areas include math anxiety, mindset theories, and career aspirations in children and adolescents. She directs the BEAM Research Lab, aimed at improving math-related educational outcomes through empirical studies. Research Grants: Funded by the American Educational Research Association and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Education: Ph.D., Developmental Psychology, Florida State University (2020) M.S., Learning and Cognition, Florida State University (2016) B.S., Psychology, Florida State University (2013) Her work spans developmental psychology and educational psychology, with a focus on interventions to mitigate math anxiety and promote STEM engagement. Recent publications analyze spatial anxiety, growth mindsets, and resilience in pediatric ADHD. Awards: American Educational Research Association Fellowship Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Fellowship Labs/Teams: Director of the BEAM Research Lab at Texas A&M University, which investigates math affect and STEM pathways. Current students include Xiaotong Yi and Isabella Schemidt. Past advisees include Anjali Chaudhary and Raashi Sangwan.
Li Qi holds the prestigious Hal and Julia T. Smith Chair of Free Enterprise at Agnes Scott College, where she serves as Professor of Economics. She joined the faculty following a postdoctoral research fellowship at Columbia University, having earned her BS from the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing and PhD from the University of Pittsburgh. Her research program centers on behavioral and experimental economics and finance , with specialized focus on China's economy and transitional economies. Professor Qi investigates financial innovations, economic reforms, and developmental impacts through experimental methodologies, examining market behaviors, portfolio decisions, and situational influences on economic choices. Analysis of her publication record reveals consistent application of experimental approaches to emerging market dynamics, particularly China. Her work spans electronic trading mechanisms, business cycle correlations across Chinese cities, firm leverage determinants, and consumption puzzles under market reforms, demonstrating how controlled experiments illuminate real-world financial phenomena in transitional economies. Professional leadership includes serving as President of the Chinese Economists Society. Her research appears in premier journals including Review of Finance , Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization , and China Economic Review , establishing her as a significant contributor to behavioral finance and China-focused economic research.
Dr. Shannon D. Snapp serves as Associate Professor of Psychology within the Department of Psychology at California State University, Monterey Bay, operating under the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Her research centers on asset-based, justice-driven investigations of interpersonal relationships and educational policies that promote health and well-being among underrepresented youth, particularly LGBTQ youth and youth of color through rigorous intersectional analysis. Her academic foundation includes: PhD in Developmental Psychology from Boston College MA in Developmental Psychology from Boston College BA in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Kansas Dr. Snapp's research program employs mixed methods to examine how supportive school practices and inclusive policies can mitigate mental health disparities and educational inequities for sexual and gender minority youth. She prioritizes critically-conscious methodologies that center youth voices and experiences while developing actionable frameworks for systemic change, consistently emphasizing intersectionality as fundamental to understanding complex identity formations. Analysis of her 2015-2025 publications reveals a strategic evolution from foundational work on LGBTQ-inclusive curricula toward cutting-edge investigations of digital hookup culture and theoretical innovations like the "safety spectrum theory." This trajectory demonstrates deepening engagement with intersectional contexts—particularly for LGBTQ youth of color—and increasingly sophisticated examinations of school discipline disparities, relationship formation, and identity development in digital spaces. Her teaching innovations include developing and instructing "How to Love: The Art and Science of Love and Intimacy" (featured in her TEDx CSUMB talk "To Suffer Less, We Need Perfect Love") and "Social Psychology and Social Justice." She integrates wellness practices including yoga and meditation into her professional approach to foster holistic student development.
Hyungsoo Kim is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Sciences at the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky. He joined UK in 2002 after completing postdoctoral training at the University of Georgia's Department of Housing and Consumer Economics, and was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2008. His academic background includes a Ph.D. in Agriculture & Natural Resource Economics from Kyoto University (2000). Dr. Kim's educational background includes: Ph.D. in Agriculture & Natural Resource Economics, Kyoto University (2000) M.S. in Agriculture & Natural Resource Economics, Kyoto University (1997) B.S. in Food Science & Technology, Chungang University (1983) His research focuses on financial security across life stages, particularly examining the intersection of health conditions and financial burdens. Dr. Kim investigates how chronic health problems affect retirement savings, the relationship between health events and consumer debt, and interventions to improve financial literacy and noncognitive skills for better financial outcomes. His work often explores self-regulation mechanisms in financial behaviors, with specific attention to demographic differences including race/ethnicity, gender, and age groups. Analysis of Dr. Kim's publication record from 2003-2023 reveals a consistent focus on wealth economics, retirement planning, and health-financial interactions. His recent work (2019-2023) increasingly examines psychological dimensions of financial behavior, including the relationship between debt and psychological distress in young adults, and how health literacy affects wealth disparities among older populations. His research employs sophisticated econometric methods including fixed effects models and survival analysis. Dr. Kim's scientific recognition includes: Richard L. D. Morse Mid-Career Award (2014) AARP Public Policy Institute's: Financial Services and The Older Consumer Award (2007) Dr. Kim has secured significant research funding, including a project titled 'Retiring Poor in New Jersey: The Projected Expenditures of State Government' (2015) and participation in the Child Poverty Nutrition Center project funded by the US Department of Agriculture (2015-2019). He has mentored numerous graduate students whose research interests include debt in young adults, cross-cultural differences in retirement planning, and extension program effects on financial and health literacy. During his sabbatical in 2009, he collaborated with Columbia University on developing noncognitive and motivational research for retirement savings, and he served on the Board of Directors of the American Council on Consumer Interests (2010-2013).
