Laurence Bertrand Dorléac is a Full Professor of Contemporary History (Art History) at Sciences Po Paris, affiliated with the Centre for History (CHSP). She serves as Chairperson of the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques and leads the bilingual "Art and Society" seminar since 2004, publishing its newsletter. Research focuses on cultural history, art history, and political history of art Specializes in visual history, war representations, and material culture Active in editorial collaborations and international exhibitions Her recent work explores intersections of art with AI, environmental politics, and historical trauma. She supervises multiple HDR and PhD students in art history and cultural analysis. No explicit scientific awards mentioned, though her projects receive institutional support like Fondation de France. Her publications span monographs, exhibition catalogs, and interdisciplinary essays.
Dr. Sumin Zhao is a Reader (Associate Professor) in Discourse Analysis at the University of Edinburgh's School of Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences. She holds a PhD in text linguistics from the University of Sydney and has held prestigious fellowships at the University of Southern Denmark and the University of Technology Sydney. Her research focuses on multimodal discourse analysis, social semiotics, and digital literacies, with particular attention to social media practices, immigrant families, and children's digital engagement. Education: PhD in Text Linguistics (Hallidayan tradition), University of Sydney Postdoctoral Fellowships at University of Southern Denmark (2016-2018) and University of Technology Sydney (2013-2016) Research Interests: Analysis of social media genres (e.g., selfies, shelfies, video-sharing platforms) Multimodal communication in transnational families Children's digital literacy practices and translanguaging Semiotic technologies in education and cultural studies Projects & Grants: Lead investigator for the PPLS Small Project Grant on emoji analysis (2021-2022) Pilot study on transnational family storytelling via social media (2020-2021) Awards: Carlsberg Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship (2016-2018) Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellowship (2013-2016) Supervision & Labs: Supervises PhD students researching social media influencers, digital parenting, and transnational literacy practices Member of the International Collective of Research and Design in Children's Digital Books (www.childrensdigitalbooks.com)
Brian Kwok is an Associate Professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University's School of Design, where he serves as Programme Leader of BA Communication Design and heads the Information Design Lab. His academic foundation includes an MA in Design from PolyU, complemented by an MA in Visual Culture Studies and MPhil in Communication from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. With over a decade of tenure at PolyU, Kwok co-founded the Information Design Lab in 2011 to advance research in practical design applications. Kwok's research explores the intersection of visual communication, cultural heritage, and urban environments. Primary domains include: Neon Signage Studies : Documentation and semiotic analysis of Hong Kong's vanishing neon landscapes Healthcare Communication : Typographic legibility for medication labeling targeting senior citizens Urban Ethnography : Spatial practices of street vendors and visual narratives in public spaces Cultural Preservation : Archival projects on Hong Kong's typographic heritage and vernacular design His publication corpus (2015-2023) demonstrates consistent focus on Hong Kong's visual culture evolution, with recurring themes: cultural identity in urban signage, typographic accessibility for vulnerable populations, and cinematic representations of urban change. Methodologically, he blends empirical studies (e.g., user testing of medicine labels) with visual semiotics and historical documentation. Awards recognize both scholarly and practical impact: GRF-funded research on neon sign preservation (2023) Arts Go Digital grant for cultural documentation (2021) HKDA Global Design Excellence Award (2017) Outstanding Paper Award for neon signage research (2017) As Lab Leader, Kwok oversees projects including medicine label optimization, wayfinding systems, and the Fading of HK Neon Visual Culture Project. He actively engages with public institutions through roles on the Public Libraries Advisory Committee and as external examiner for academic programs.
Dr. Jean Goodwin is the SAS Institute Distinguished Professor of Rhetoric & Technical Communication at NC State University's Department of Communication, part of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She specializes in science communication ethics, civil argumentation, and the rhetoric of controversial scientific topics such as climate change and GMOs. Her work bridges theory and practice, including NSF-funded initiatives like Teaching Responsible Communication of Science, which develops case studies for STEM graduate students. She also leads the Leadership in Public Science cluster through NC State's Chancellor’s Faculty Excellence Program. Education: B.A. in Mathematics (University of Chicago, 1979), J.D. (University of Chicago, 1984), and Ph.D. in Communication/Rhetoric (University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1996). Her career includes over 25 years of teaching rhetoric and mentoring students across communication subfields. Research focuses on how scientists communicate effectively with non-experts, leveraging discourse analysis and conceptual frameworks like speech act theory. Key themes include trust-building in contentious contexts, ethical advocacy roles for scientists, and historical rhetorical strategies from Cicero to modern policy debates. Her work often intersects with civic engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration, such as organizing conferences for science communication scholars and advising organizations like the AAAS. Major publications explore ethical dimensions of science communication, including climate change advocacy, disinformation detection, and pandemic messaging. Awards include the EB Knight Journal Award (2007) and her distinguished professorship. Current initiatives emphasize translating scholarly insights into practical tools for scientists and fostering dialogue between scientific and public communities through funded research partnerships.
Morna O'Neill is a Professor and Department Chair at Wake Forest University, specializing in Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century European Art, with a focus on the intersection of art, design, and politics in Britain. Her research redefines traditional hierarchies between fine and decorative arts through a political lens. Research Interests: Art History, British Art, Arts and Crafts Movement, Political Art, Colonial Art, Domestic Interiors, Museum Studies. Key Publications include monographs on Walter Crane and Hugh Lane, and articles exploring topics such as socialist symbolism in decorative arts, imperial narratives in Victorian print culture, and the role of domestic spaces in art history. Her work has been recognized with the Historians of British Art Book Prize. Projects: Co-founder of the digital humanities initiative Home Subjects , which investigates the domestic display of art in Britain (1715–1914), supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities grant. She co-chaired the 2015 College Art Association conference session on private art display. Scientific Awards: Historians of British Art Book Prize for Best Book before 1900 (2011).
Deen Freelon is the Allan Randall Freelon Sr. Presidential Professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication, where he leads research in digital politics and computational methods. His work centers on identity dimensions in social media, misinformation ecosystems, and political communication. Previously, he held tenured positions at American University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Freelon earned a B.A. with honors from Stanford University (2002), followed by an M.A. (2008) and Ph.D. (2012) from the University of Washington. His endowed chair honors his great-grandfather, Allan Randall Freelon Sr., a Penn alumnus and prominent Philadelphia artist. Freelon's research explores intersections of technology and society with emphases on: Computational analysis of social media discourse Race, gender, and ideological asymmetry in online spaces Misinformation propagation and mitigation strategies Impact of personalized information environments on democracy His publications consistently address how digital platforms reshape political engagement and identity expression. Freelon has secured over $6 million in research funding from organizations including the Knight Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, Spencer Foundation, and US Institute for Peace. As a founding member of UNC Chapel Hill's Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life, he contributes to interdisciplinary efforts examining technology's societal impacts.
Crytal Lee is an Assistant Professor in Computational Media and Design at MIT, with a joint appointment in the Schwarzman College of Computing and Comparative Media Studies/Writing. She is also a Faculty Associate at Harvard's Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, co-leading the Ethical Tech Working Group, and a Senior Fellow at Mozilla's Responsible Computing Challenge. Her research focuses on data visualization, disability studies, and ethical technology, emphasizing the 'life-cycle of data representations.' Education: PhD in History, Anthropology, Science, Technology, and Society from MIT (2022); MA and BA (High Honors) in History of Science from Stanford University (2016 and 2015). Research Interests : Crystal examines how data is curated, visualized, and contested, with a particular lens on disability justice and accessible design. Her work bridges STS, HCI, and critical data studies, addressing issues like misinformation, algorithmic bias, and inclusive technology. Awards & Grants : Honorable Mentions at EuroVis 2022 and CHI 2021; NSF Dissertation Improvement Grant; SSRC Social Data Fellowship. Advising & Mentorship : Advised projects on accessible visualization, participatory AI, and disability inclusion. Current book project: Crip Computation . Labs & Teams : Co-leads Ethical Tech Working Group at Berkman Klein; involved in MIT's Data + Feminism Lab and Accessible Interactions projects.
Warren Buckland is a Reader in Film Studies at Oxford Brookes University's School of Arts. He holds a PhD in Film Studies from the University of East Anglia (1993) and previously studied photography at Derby (1987). Research: Film semiotics, cognitive film theory, narrative theory (puzzle films), digital humanities, independent American cinema Professional Roles: Editor of New Review of Film and Television Studies (2003-2016), editorial board member for Signata and book series Thinking Cinema and Hollywood Studio System His article trends analyze: Impossible storyworlds in Hollywood blockbusters Stylometric approaches to independent cinema Semiotic structures in music videos Epistemological foundations of film criticism Cognitive dimensions of cinematic rhetoric Contemporary auteur theory applications Awards: British Academy Post-Doctoral Fellowship (1994) Senior Research Fellow at Freie Universität Berlin (2016) As an educator, he supervises: PhD theses on film style, philosophy, puzzle films MA dissertations on Hollywood, digital humanities BA/MA film theory and research methods
William B Gartner serves as the Bertarelli Foundation Distinguished Professor of Family Entrepreneurship at Babson College's F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business, where he also directs research at the Bertarelli Institute for Family Entrepreneurship. Having joined Babson's faculty in 2017, Gartner brings over 40 years of experience studying entrepreneurial phenomena, with particular expertise in family entrepreneurship dynamics. He previously held distinguished chairs at the University of Southern California and Clemson University, establishing himself as a leading scholar in the field. Gartner earned his PhD, MBA, and BBA from the University of Washington, forming the foundation for his extensive research career. His academic journey began during entrepreneurship's early days in the late 1970s when he took one of the first entrepreneurship courses as an MBA student at the University of Washington, when only six students initially enrolled in the class. Gartner's research primarily explores how families act entrepreneurially, examining topics including entrepreneurial legacy, intergenerational knowledge transfer, and the transformation of family businesses across generations. His work bridges entrepreneurship theory with practical applications, particularly focusing on how entrepreneurial legacies can drive innovation in family businesses. He is particularly interested in the linguistic innovations entrepreneurs employ and how storytelling shapes entrepreneurial identity and practice. His scholarship has evolved to incorporate humanities perspectives, recognizing that literature, philosophy, and history provide valuable insights into entrepreneurial thinking and behavior. Analysis of Gartner's recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on family entrepreneurship as an ongoing process rather than a static state, with increasing attention to methodological innovation in entrepreneurship research. His work demonstrates growing interest in the role of narrative, visual methods, and qualitative approaches to understand complex entrepreneurial phenomena. The research shows consistent focus on family business succession as transformation rather than simple transfer, with increasing attention to adolescent entrepreneurial development and the influence of parenting styles. 2025 — Top 1% of Scholars in all subjects, Stanford/Elsevier's Top 2% Scientist Rankings 2024 — The FamCap25 – The Top FamilyEnterprise Academics, FAMILY CAPITAL MAGAZINE 2022 — Justin G. Longnecker Fellow, United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship 2016 — Dedication to Entrepreneurship Award, Entrepreneurship Division, Academy of Management 2013 — Foundational Paper Award, Entrepreneurship Division, Academy of Management 2005 — International Award for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Research Gartner actively mentors doctoral students and early-career researchers, frequently collaborating on publications addressing complex family business dynamics. His editorial roles as Special Issue Editor for Entrepreneurship and Regional Development and Academy of Management Perspectives demonstrate his influence in shaping research agendas. He has secured significant research funding supporting studies on entrepreneurial legacy, family business succession, and adolescent entrepreneurial development, though specific grant amounts aren't detailed in the available materials. As Director of Research at the Bertarelli Institute for Family Entrepreneurship, Gartner leads initiatives connecting academic research with practical applications for family businesses. His work emphasizes the transformative potential of entrepreneurship within family contexts, challenging traditional notions of family business succession as mere transfer of ownership. Through workshops and seminars, he helps families explore how entrepreneurial legacies can lead to new innovations while preserving core values across generations.
Leigh Gruwell is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at Auburn University's College of Liberal Arts. She specializes in composition and rhetoric, with a focus on digital and multimodal rhetorics, feminist methodologies, and composition pedagogy. Her research explores intersections between feminist theory, material rhetorics, and digital spaces. Education: PhD in Composition and Rhetoric, Miami University (2015) MA in English, Florida State University BA in English, Florida State University Research Focus: Gruwell's work interrogates how digital technologies shape feminist rhetorical practices, particularly in contexts of harassment and ethical access. Her recent studies emphasize materialist approaches to digital rhetoric and methodological innovations in feminist research. Article Trends: Her publications span digital humanities, feminist rhetorical methodologies, and critical analyses of online spaces. Recent work (2022-2024) prioritizes trauma-informed research practices and interdisciplinary bridging of rhetorical theory. Awards/Grants: No specific awards listed, though her research demonstrates sustained innovation in feminist digital studies. Advising & Labs: Advises graduate students in composition studies and rhetoric. No dedicated lab mentioned, but collaborates on digital humanities projects and feminist pedagogy initiatives.
Kerri Kotta is a Professor of Music Theory and Head of Musicology at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. She holds a PhD in Musicology (2004) and an MA in Composition (1997) from the same institution. Her research focuses on music theory, tonal analysis, Estonian music history, and contemporary composition, with special expertise in the works of Eduard Tubin and Dmitri Shostakovich. She coordinates the International Eduard Tubin Society and edits the composer's complete works. Her research interests span music theory , compositional techniques , Estonian cultural heritage , and interdisciplinary performance studies . Recent publications explore modernism in Estonian art music, Beethoven's structural rhetoric, and socio-psychological dimensions of contemporary opera. Kotta received the Reet Neimar Criticism Award (2023) for her contributions to music scholarship. She leads the project How to share the ardor? Conveying complex musical structures through animated scores (2024-2025), funded by the Estonian Ministry of Culture. Administratively, she chairs the Estonian Musicological Society (2013–present) and the International Eduard Tubin Society (2015–present), while serving on the board of the Estonian Composers Union (2022–present).
Peter Knight is a Professor of American Studies at the University of Manchester , affiliated with the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures (English, American Studies & Creative Writing). He focuses on conspiracy theories and cultural approaches to finance , with over two decades of research grants and leadership in major interdisciplinary projects. UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG151: United States) Co-editor of Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories His research reconfigures conspiracy theory analysis through cultural lenses, challenging psychological dismissals. Key projects include Everything Is Connected (AHRC, 2016-20) and REDACT (EU CHANSE, 2022-25). Publications span Routledge, Edinburgh UP, and Cambridge UP. Recent work with Clare Birchall and Michael Butter explores coronavirus pandemic conspiracies , while his Reading the Market (2016) examines Gilded Age financial narratives. He co-curated the Show Me the Money exhibition (2014-16), visualizing financial history. Scientific Awards BAAS Book Prize (2017) Peter supervises projects on topics like 19th-20th century American literature , digital conspiracy theories , and financial epistemology . His media commentary (The Conversation, BBC) addresses public understanding of economic and conspiratorial discourse.
Andrew Campana is an Assistant Professor of Asian Studies at Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences, specializing in modern and contemporary Japanese literature and media. His research explores the possibilities and limitations of expression during media transitions, with particular focus on poetry, digital media, and disability studies. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University and an Honors B.A. in East Asian Studies from the University of Toronto. Campana's first book, Expanding Verse: Japanese Poetry at the Edge of Media , published by the University of California Press in 2024 as an open access work, examines Japanese poetic practice from the 1920s to the present as poets engaged with evolving media technologies including film, tape recording, television, and the internet. As a researcher, Campana's work bridges literary studies, media studies, game studies, and disability studies, with current projects exploring how poetry became a key site of digital experimentation in Japan. His research methodology combines traditional literary analysis with hands-on creative practice, informed by his experiences at MIT's Trope Tank laboratory. His scholarly interests span Japanese media history, disability representation in literature and gaming, digital poetics, and gender studies. His research has received significant media attention, including features in the Cornell Chronicle ('Poets in Japan Experiment at the Edge of Media' and 'Japanese Poets Open New Ways of Thinking About Media'), The Statesman, and interviews on NPR's Academic Minute and the Curiosity Daily podcast discussing his work on gaming and accessibility. As an educator, Campana teaches courses including 'Introduction to Japan,' 'Japanese Poetry,' and 'The Glitch: Errors, Disability, and the Edges of Digital Media' (ASIAN 4703/6703), guiding students through interdisciplinary explorations of Japanese literature, media, and digital culture. His teaching reflects his commitment to understanding media transitions through both theoretical and practical lenses.
Professor Ruth Ahnert holds a Chair in Literary History & Digital Humanities at Queen Mary University of London, affiliated with the School of English and Drama and the Digital Environment Research Institute (DERI). Her research bridges early modern literary studies, digital humanities, and data science, focusing on epistolary culture, surveillance, and interdisciplinary collaboration. She leads the UKRI-funded Living with Machines project, exploring the social impact of 19th-century technology through computational methods. Educated at the University of Cambridge (BA, MPhil, PhD), she has published widely on topics including Tudor networks, prison literature, and quantitative history. Her work emphasizes collaborative methodologies, as seen in projects like Networking Archives (integrating early modern correspondence metadata) and the interactive Tudor Networks visualization. Awards include grants from the AHRC, Folger Shakespeare Library, and the British Library-Alan Turing Institute partnership. She supervises PhD students examining early modern communication networks and deviance, and her teaching reflects her commitment to blending traditional humanities with computational innovation. Ruht Ahnert’s interdisciplinary approach has been featured in documentaries, radio programs, and public engagement initiatives, including Niall Ferguson’s BBC/PBS series Networlds . Her recent publications include The Network Turn (2020, co-authored) and the forthcoming Tudor Networks of Power (2023). She co-edits the Text Technologies series at Stanford University Press, bridging book history and digital scholarship.
Caroline Vout is Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge, holding a Fellowship at Christ's College where she serves as Director of Studies for Prelims and Part 1A in Classics. She directs the Museum of Classical Archaeology (MOCA) and co-directs Cambridge Visual Culture. From 2019-2024, she held the Byvanck Chair of Classical Archaeology/Art History at Leiden University. Born in Durham, Vout completed her undergraduate studies at Newnham College, Cambridge, followed by an MA at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, then returned to Newnham for her PhD. Before joining Cambridge in 2006, she taught at London, Bristol, and Nottingham Universities. Vout is a cultural historian and art historian specializing in the Roman imperial period and its reception. Her research explores power dynamics in classical art, erotic representation, and how antiquity has been reinterpreted through history. She examines how classical visual culture functions as both historical evidence and living cultural force, with particular expertise in body representation and political dimensions of reception. Her publication history reveals deep engagement with classical material across centuries - from detailed artifact studies (Peplos Kore, Discobolus) to broad cultural analyses. Recent work connects antiquity with modern contexts including the Olympic Games and Victorian reinterpretations, showing consistent interest in how classical art remains dynamically relevant. As Director of Studies at Christ's College, Vout mentors undergraduate Classics students while her MOCA leadership bridges academic research and public engagement. Her curatorial work, including the upcoming 'Paris 1924: the Art of the Olympics' exhibition with Chris Young, demonstrates commitment to making classical art accessible through innovative programming and digital initiatives like MOCA's video series. Vout's interdisciplinary approach through Cambridge Visual Culture and her editorial roles (Omnibus, Sculpture Journal advisory board) reflect her position at the intersection of traditional classical scholarship and contemporary visual studies, connecting ancient artifacts with modern cultural discourse.
