Jennifer Hubbert is a Professor of Anthropology and Asian Studies at Lewis & Clark College. She holds a PhD and MA from Cornell University and a BA from Stanford University. Her research focuses on the anthropology of the state, Chinese soft power, and gun culture in the U.S., with notable work examining Confucius Institutes, the Shanghai Expo, and evolving demographics of gun ownership. Hubbert has been awarded grants including a 2023 National Endowment for the Humanities grant for her project on liberal gun ownership and its implications for citizenship and emancipatory democracy. Her academic contributions span books like China in the World: An Anthropology of Confucius Institutes, Soft Power, and Globalization (2019) and over 20 peer-reviewed articles. She has held prestigious fellowships, including the 2018-2020 USC Center on Public Diplomacy Research Fellowship. Hubbert’s recent NEH-funded research explores how non-traditional gun owners reimagine citizenship through gun ownership, aligning with humanities perspectives on technology’s societal impact. Her work bridges global-local dynamics, analyzing how institutions like Confucius Institutes shape cultural perceptions, and how urban events like the Beijing Olympics construct national identity. Her teaching includes courses on power and resistance, China’s representation in media, and ethnographic research methods.
Przemyslaw Grabowicz is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at University College Dublin and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He leads the SIMS (Socially Intelligent Media and Systems) Lab and the EQUATE initiative, and is actively involved in the Knowledge Discovery Lab (KDL). His work bridges computer science, social science, and public policy, focusing on responsible AI and digital society. Research Interests: Fair and Explainable Machine Learning Computational Social Science Social Media and Network Science Public Opinion Modeling Algorithmic Bias and Discrimination Prevention Open-World Learning His research develops statistical and machine learning methods to understand and augment public opinion in digital environments, ensuring fairness, transparency, and societal benefit. He emphasizes legal compliance and ethical design in AI systems. Recent Research Trends: His recent publications focus on social media polls, political bias, misinformation, and fairness in machine learning. He investigates how algorithmic systems shape public discourse, especially during elections and global crises, and develops methods to detect and mitigate bias in data and models. Scientific Awards and Recognition: Best Paper Honorable Mention, ICWSM’25 WICI Data Challenge Main Prize (2013) Arnold O. Beckman Research Award Multiple UMass Amherst Interdisciplinary Research Grants Volkswagen Foundation Grants (over €900k total) Advising and Grants: Dr. Grabowicz supervises several PhD students in the SIMS and KDL labs and collaborates with MS students. He has secured significant funding from the Volkswagen Foundation, UMass Amherst, and the University of Illinois, supporting research on political misinformation, media bias, and global agenda setting. He is currently recruiting a postdoc at UCD. Labs and Initiatives: He heads the SIMS Lab and the EQUATE initiative, and contributes to the KDL. His project socialpolls.org explores public opinion through social media, and he maintains an active presence through the Uncommon Good blog on responsible AI.
Professor Tirthankar Roy holds the position of Professor of Economic History at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). His expertise spans South Asian economic history, global historical dynamics, environmental history, and the legacies of colonial empires. He teaches courses such as EH307 (Economic History of South Asia, 1600–2000) and EH404 (India and the World Economy). His research interrogates long-term patterns in Indian capitalism, the interplay between climatic conditions and economic change, and the persistence of colonial legal frameworks in modern India. Key contributions include Monsoon Economies: India’s History in a Changing Climate and co-authored works like Law and the Economy in Colonial India and its sequel. His recent book Water and Development: The Troubled Economic History of the Arid Tropics examines water resource management in arid regions. He actively engages with public discourse via social media, countering historical myths about colonialism with evidence-based scholarship. Research interests include the economic development of South Asia, global historical comparisons, environmental determinants of economic activity, and the socio-political dimensions of colonial legal systems. His work bridges historical analysis with contemporary policy debates, emphasizing the need for evidence-based understanding of historical processes.
Fabio Sabatini is a Full Professor of Political Economy at Sapienza University of Rome and a Research Fellow at the Institute of Labor Economics (IZA). His work focuses on the intersection of communication technologies, social capital, and political behavior. He teaches Political Economy and Economics of Sustainable Development, and actively engages in public discourse through Substack newsletters like The Civic Economist . His research explores how digital media shapes societal values, economic outcomes, and political preferences. Notable themes include the behavioral impacts of social media, the role of social capital in crises, and the geopolitical tensions between the US and EU under Trump's administration. Sabatini critiques policies that undermine academic freedom and democratic institutions, frequently analyzing authoritarian trends in global governance. He maintains an extensive publication record with over 50 papers in peer-reviewed journals, focusing on topics like terrorism radicalization, disaster politics, and digital economy effects. His work bridges theoretical frameworks with empirical analysis, often addressing contemporary policy challenges. Sabatini's academic networks include collaborations with institutions like the European Commission and IZA. His Substack articles and social media activity reflect a commitment to public engagement, translating complex economic concepts for broader audiences while critiquing populist policies and advocating for evidence-based governance.
Rohit Valecha is an Associate Professor in the Department of Information Systems and Cyber Security at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), holding the Cloud Technology Endowed Fellowship. He joined UTSA in 2016 and holds a Ph.D. from the University at Buffalo in Management Science and Systems, alongside a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and an M.S. in Computer Science from the same institution. His research focuses on social media's role in crisis response, emergency management, and information security/privacy. He employs methodologies like NLP, text mining, social network analysis, and machine learning. Key areas include understanding societal disruptions via social, psychological, and design theories, with notable work on misinformation harms during crises and digital inclusion in disaster resilience. Dr. Valecha has authored/co-authored over 75 technical papers in top journals such as MISQ, JAIS, and IEEE Transactions. His work has garnered awards including the Dean's Distinguished Research Award and best paper recognitions at AMCIS, DESRIST, and other conferences. He serves on editorial boards for Information Systems Research and Journal of Strategic Information Systems , and as Coordinating Editor for Information Systems Frontiers . He has secured over $1 million in grants, including NSF and DHS funding for projects on disaster resilience, vaccine misinformation, and digital inclusion for older adults. His grants emphasize collaborative research on cyber threats, emergency management, and crisis informatics.
Dr. Lucy Fraser is a Senior Lecturer in Japanese at the School of Languages and Cultures , University of Queensland. Her work bridges Japanese and English literary traditions with a focus on fairy tales, gender studies, and animal-human relationships. Her research explores: Transnational adaptations of fairy tales Gender representations in Japanese literature and manga Literary translation and cross-cultural connections Environmental narratives through fictional animal depictions Recent publications examine fairy tale fashion translation (2024), border-crossing narratives (2023), and animal symbolism in classical/modern Japanese texts (2022). She co-edited The Routledge Companion to Gender and Japanese Culture (2020) and supervises PhD projects on feminist discourse, queer narratives, and cross-cultural modernity. Dr. Fraser's translation work includes Tsushima Yuko’s Tōkina-to (2020) and collaborations on shojo manga gender studies (2018). She previously received funding for technology-enhanced Japanese language assessment (2019).
Laura Chrisman is a Professor of English at the University of Washington's College of Arts & Sciences, holding the Nancy K. Ketcham Endowed Chair. She is affiliated with the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies' Africa Studies Program and contributes to the Nancy K. Ketcham Endowed Chair in English. Her academic work bridges literary criticism with transnational political analysis. Education: B.A. (Honors) in English Language and Literature, University of Oxford (1984) D.Phil. in English Literature, University of Oxford (1992) Chrisman specializes in African literature, postcolonial theory, and Black Atlantic studies with particular focus on South African literary resistance and imperial discourse. Her current research traces transnational connections between early 20th-century African-American and South African black nationalist intellectual traditions. Her publications demonstrate sustained engagement with anti-imperial critique across multiple disciplinary frameworks, including cultural studies, historical analysis, and literary theory. This work intersects with her teaching in British Empire literature, globalization, and postmodern fiction. Scientific Awards: Recognized in University of Washington Faculty Awards (2023-2024) Chrisman has supervised 11 PhD dissertations exploring diverse postcolonial themes, from Victorian masculinity's impact on colonial narratives to contemporary literary responses to disaster in Haiti and the Gulf Coast. She teaches courses on globalization, cultural studies, and African literatures.
Prof. Michael Janoschka is a Professor of Regional Studies at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), leading the Institute of Regional Studies since June 2022. His work focuses on urban transformation, housing market dynamics, and participatory research methods. He holds a doctorate from Goethe University Frankfurt and has taught internationally in institutions including the University of Leeds, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, and Universidad de Santiago de Chile. Research interests include financialization of housing markets, urban displacement processes, and governance innovations. He has conducted fieldwork across Latin America, Southern Europe, and German urban regions like Leipzig and Karlsruhe. Notable projects include CONTESTED_TERRITORY (EU-funded, 2025), CoprodAction (Ecuador urban co-production study), and the IECO Institute for Eco-Industrial Development (BMBF-funded). Publications span over 20 years, with key works on gentrification dynamics, post-crisis urban landscapes, and transnational real estate investment. His 2016 study Gentrification, displacement, dispossession established frameworks for understanding Latin American urban processes. Current research emphasizes spatial justice and the 'Right to the City' discourse. Education: Humboldt University of Berlin (undergraduate), Goethe University Frankfurt (PhD) Labs/Teams: Institute of Regional Studies research group, IECO eco-industrial development initiative Grants: Over €5M in EU and German federal funding since 2020
Véronique Hoste is Senior Full Professor of Computational Linguistics at Ghent University's Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, where she serves as Department Head of Translation, Interpreting and Communication and Director of the LT3 language technology research team. She also holds the position of Research Director for the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy. Her educational background includes a PhD in Computational Linguistics from the University of Antwerp (2005) focused on optimization in machine learning for coreference resolution. Key research areas encompass machine learning for natural language processing, semantic and discourse modeling, including specialized work in event detection, entity/event coreference resolution, irony detection, and emotion analysis. Hoste's publication trends reveal strong interdisciplinary focus, with recent work bridging NLP with crisis communication, digital humanities, and ethical AI. Her team develops high-quality datasets (e.g., EmoTwiCS for emotion trajectories) and collaborates extensively with commercial partners on projects like SentEMO for aspect-based sentiment analysis. Current research emphasizes multimodal emotion analysis, fuzzy rough set methods for sentiment detection, and cross-document event coreference. Elected member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts (KVAB) Francqui Chair appointment by Université Libre de Bruxelles (2023-2024) Co-founded LT3 spin-off AlfaSent (2024) for customer feedback analysis Authored first Dutch-language book on NLP: "Taaltechnologie ontrafeld" She actively supervises multiple PhD students on projects including Common-sense knowledge in irony detection (Common-sense), cross-document event coreference (Encore), and empathy modeling in conversational agents (FlandersAI). Her team secures funding through interdisciplinary collaborations like NewsDNA for news recommendation and METRICS for emotion trajectory analysis. Hoste also engages in public outreach through the "AI at school" initiative and advises on language technology integration in high school curricula. The LT3 laboratory under her leadership maintains strong industry partnerships and develops practical NLP tools including EmotioNL and Automatic Term Extraction systems, while advancing core research through projects like CLARIAH-VL for data curation.
Griseldis Kirsch is a researcher at the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics (LAC) at SOAS University of London. Her work focuses on Japanese media and popular culture, with particular emphasis on gender, transnationalism, and identity politics. She has edited and contributed to key publications such as the Handbook of Japanese Media and Popular Culture in Transition (2022) and Assembling Japan: Modernity, Technology and Global Culture (2015). Her research spans visual culture, historical memory, and media's role in constructing national identities. Recent articles examine topics ranging from imperial nostalgia in Japanese television to the representation of cultural otherness and gender dynamics in propaganda films. She has supervised or collaborated on theses exploring single motherhood, anime music, and Korean-Japanese media remakes. Notable trends in her publications include critiques of Japanese nationalism, analysis of transpacific cultural flows, and investigations into minority representations. Her work bridges film studies, anthropology, and cross-cultural communication, often addressing tensions between local and global influences in media. Current affiliations include contributions to the JAPAN DOCUMENTS publication series and ongoing scholarly engagement with Japanese television dramas, anime, and their socio-political implications.
Chris Russill is an Associate Professor in the School of Journalism and Communication at Carleton University, Ottawa, serving as Academic Director of Re.Climate, a center for climate communication and public engagement. His research examines climate communication transformations in the digital information environment, focusing on disinformation, crisis management, and public engagement strategies. Education: Ph.D. in Communication, Penn State University M.A., York University, Toronto B.A., York University, Toronto Russill investigates how digital platforms reshape climate discourse, with particular attention to greenwashing mechanisms, carbon pricing communication, and media dynamics during climate emergencies. His work bridges environmental communication, media studies, and policy analysis, exemplified by projects like the true crime podcast Who Killed the Carbon Tax and co-edited volumes including Critical Approaches to Climate Change and Civic Action . His 2021-2025 publications reveal consistent thematic focus on climate communication ethics, tipping points discourse, and industry greenwashing practices. Key contributions analyze Pathways Alliance's oil sands marketing, social media dynamics during extreme weather, and ethical frameworks for climate messaging across diverse media platforms. Scientific Awards: No specific scientific awards listed in source material Russill secures research funding from SSHRC, McConnell Foundation, Ivey Foundation, Donner Foundation, Jarislowsky Foundation, Trottier Family Foundation, Environmental Funders Canada, Clean Economy Fund, and MITACS. His collaborative projects involve interdisciplinary teams, evidenced by co-authored reports on wildfire misinformation ( Flame Wars ) and Competition Bureau submissions addressing deceptive environmental claims. As Academic Director of Re.Climate, Russill leads climate communication initiatives while contributing to Carleton's Collaborative Specialization in Climate Change. He serves on editorial boards for Environmental Communication , Palgrave Studies in Media and Environmental Communication , and Communication Undisciplined , shaping scholarly discourse in the field.
W. Patrick Wade serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at Georgia State University, where he contributes to undergraduate programs (B.A. Journalism, B.A. Speech) and graduate programs (M.A. Human Communication and Social Influence, M.A. Mass Communication, M.A. Digital Media Strategies, Ph.D. Public Communication). Education Ph.D., Northwestern University M.A., Northwestern University B.A., Emory University Research Interests Dr. Wade's scholarship centers on rhetorical studies of visual media, with concentrated expertise in 20th century war photojournalism, visual rhetoric, public memory, and the intersection of imagery with civic persuasion during societal conflicts. His work critically examines how photographic representations shape public understanding of military trauma, social justice movements, and environmental disasters. Publication Trends Spanning 2013-2024, his research demonstrates consistent engagement with visual communication in conflict zones—from Vietnam War narratives to contemporary racial justice protests and ecological crises. This trajectory reveals interdisciplinary connections between communication theory, historical analysis, and sociopolitical critique, particularly regarding how imagery mediates public discourse around militarism, race, and environmental trauma. Professional Recognition No scientific awards, fellowships, or major honors were documented in the source materials. Mentorship and Funding While the provided texts confirm his faculty role, specific details about graduate student advisement, research grants, or funded projects were not disclosed in the available documentation. Research Environment Information regarding dedicated laboratories, research centers, or collaborative teams affiliated with Dr. Wade's work was not specified in the extracted content.
Yoshiko Matsumoto is the Yamato Ichihashi Professor in Japanese History and Civilization and Professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Stanford University, with a courtesy appointment in Linguistics. She has been a faculty member at Stanford since 1992, progressing from Assistant Professor to her current distinguished position. Matsumoto also serves as coordinator of the Japanese Language Program and has held significant administrative roles including Chair of the Department of Asian Languages (2003-2005) and Interim Chair of the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures (2016). Matsumoto earned her Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of California, Berkeley (1989), following M.A. degrees in Linguistics from UC Berkeley and General and Applied Linguistics from the University of Tsukuba, an M.I.A. in American Studies from the University of Tsukuba, and a B.A. in English Language & Literature from Japan Women's University. Professor Matsumoto's research focuses on linguistic pragmatics from cross-linguistic perspectives, with particular expertise in Japanese language. Her work spans structural and sociocultural aspects of language in use, including noun-modifying clause constructions, honorifics, discourse markers, and the intersection of language with gender and aging. She has pioneered research on conversational narratives of older adults, examining how ordinary framing strategies help individuals navigate difficult experiences. Her current projects explore intergenerational communication through haiku, communicative abilities of people with dementia, and noun-modifying constructions across Eurasian languages. Matsumoto's scholarship consistently bridges theoretical linguistics with practical applications for understanding human communication in diverse social contexts. Matsumoto's recent publications reveal a growing focus on practical applications of linguistic research for social benefit, particularly in intergenerational communication and dementia care. Her work increasingly integrates arts-based approaches, especially haiku poetry, to bridge generational divides and enhance communication with elderly populations. The research shows a consistent trajectory from theoretical linguistic frameworks toward applied, human-centered language studies that address real-world challenges in aging societies, with particular attention to how ordinary language practices help individuals navigate life transitions and difficult experiences. Dean's Award for Distinguished Teaching, School of Humanities and Sciences, Stanford University (2000) Richard E. Guggenhime Faculty Scholar, Stanford University (2000-2003) Violet Andrews Whittier Fellow, Stanford Humanities Center (2019-2020) Faculty Research Fellow, Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender Research (2014-2015) Research Fellow, Japan Foundation (2002) Internal Fellow, Stanford Humanities Center (2005-2006) Presidential Fund for Innovation in the Humanities, Stanford University (2009-2011) Professor Matsumoto has mentored numerous students through her teaching in Japanese language and linguistics courses, including specialized offerings on language and aging, points in Japanese grammar, and haiku-based communication. Her research has been supported by prestigious grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Japan Foundation, and Stanford's Presidential Fund for Innovation in the Humanities. She has served on multiple editorial boards including the Journal of Pragmatics since 1992, demonstrating long-standing leadership in her field. Matsumoto has also advised students through individual studies and thesis projects in East Asian Languages and Cultures. Matsumoto leads several collaborative research initiatives including the 'Sharing Conversations' project which examines intergenerational communication through haiku, and research on communicative abilities of people with dementia. Her work often involves interdisciplinary teams spanning linguistics, gerontology, and creative arts, with fieldwork conducted in both Japan and the United States. The 'Noun-Modifying Constructions in Languages of Eurasia' project represents a major international collaboration examining linguistic structures across cultural boundaries. She also directs the 'Language, Old Age and Gender in Japan' project supported by the Stanford University/Japan Foundation, and the 'Difficult Conversations Continue: Memories of the 3.11 Disaster and Bereavement Narratives' project focused on post-disaster communication.
Associate Professor Peter Pugsley is affiliated with the University of Adelaide's School of Humanities, within the Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics. He holds the position of Associate Professor and previously served as Head of the Department of Media. His research focuses on Asian cinema, global cinema trends, popular culture, and media systems, with notable publications on Japanese high school films, cross-cultural cinematic exchanges, and Asian media policy. He teaches courses such as Asian Film Studies and Screenwriting, and has supervised numerous PhD/Masters candidates. He currently serves as President of the Screen Studies Association of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand (SSAAANZ). Research Interests: Asian film aesthetics, cross-cultural media interactions, television studies, cultural policy, and Australia-Asia relations. His work spans Indian, Malaysian, Hong Kong, Singaporean, and Chinese media, including analyses of TV, film, and social media. Publications: His 15 most recent works (2023-2010) explore topics like East Asian calligraphy in cinema, French-Japanese film exchanges, and gender discourses in Tamil cinema. These contributions highlight transnational film dynamics, cultural symbolism, and media's role in shaping identity. Professional Activities: He has taught abroad at Ritsumeikan University (Kyoto) and contributes to community radio. His leadership in SSAAANZ underscores his influence in screen studies. No scientific awards are explicitly listed, but his prolific publication record reflects academic recognition. Advising & Grants: Supervises multiple graduate students on film and media topics. His teaching spans film theory, screenwriting, and global cinema approaches, reflecting his commitment to both research and pedagogy.
Dr. Roger Moser is a Senior Lecturer at Macquarie University's Department of Management Innovation, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Research Centre. He also holds adjunct roles at the Indian Institute of Management Udaipur (since 2012) and the University of St. Gallen (since 2012). His research focuses on Decision Intelligence, Strategic Management, and International Management, particularly exploring how executives leverage data (small/big) to enhance decision-making frameworks. He has over 99 publications since 2005, with notable works in journals like Journal of Service Research and Journal of Business Research . Dr. Moser holds a Dr. rer. pol. from EBS European Business School (2006) and a lic. oec. HSG (MSc) from the University of St. Gallen (2003). His research interests include Decision Model Innovation, Social Capital in emerging markets, and strategic alignment in supply chains. He has conducted impactful studies on access-based services in India, supplier integration in China's automotive sector, and humanitarian logistics using satellite data. His recent work emphasizes technology integration in B2B value creation, decision frameworks for uncertainty reduction (e.g., in agriculture and disaster management), and AI-driven expert systems. He has presented at global forums on topics like digital transformation and decision intelligence applications, contributing to both academic and practitioner discourse. External Roles: Adjunct Professor of Business Policy, Indian Institute of Management Udaipur Titularprofessor / Permanent Lecturer, University of St. Gallen Notable impacts include a project providing clean drinking water in India through access-based solutions, recognized for quality-of-life and societal contributions. His research has been cited over 1,666 times with an h-index of 21.