Jin Ma is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Southern California (USC), where he has served since 2007. He previously held professorships at Purdue University (1994–2008). His research focuses on stochastic analysis, stochastic differential equations, mathematical finance, and control theory. He directs USC's Mathematical Finance Program and serves on editorial boards for journals like Probability, Uncertainty and Quantitative Risk and SIAM Journal on Control and Optimization . Ma received his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Minnesota (1992) and M.S./B.S. in Applied Mathematics from Fudan University (1985/1982). His work bridges theoretical stochastic analysis and applied domains like finance and insurance, with notable contributions to forward-backward SDEs and mean-field games. Research Highlights: Developed frameworks for stochastic control and backward SDEs in financial and insurance contexts. Advanced mean-field game models for limit order book dynamics and equilibrium analysis. Explored set-valued stochastic differential equations and their applications in risk management. Grants & Advising: Advised numerous graduate students in stochastic processes and mathematical finance. Research supported by NSF grants and industry collaborations.
David Offenberg is an Associate Professor of Finance at the College of Business Administration, Loyola Marymount University . He specializes in Entertainment Finance, Corporate Finance, and innovative teaching methodologies. His groundbreaking 'Entertainment Finance' course, launched in 2014, is the first of its kind for undergraduates in Los Angeles, connecting students with industry leaders like Marvel Studios and Lionsgate. Offenberg’s teaching approach emphasizes Applied Financial Modeling with Peer Critiques, inspired by colleague Dr. K.J. Peters. He earned his Ph.D. and B.S. in Finance from Purdue University and previously worked as a 401(k)-research analyst at Watson Wyatt & Co. Research & Awards : Offenberg’s research has appeared in top journals such as the Journal of Financial Economics and Journal of Corporate Finance . In 2023, he received the prestigious FMA Innovation in Teaching Award for his work in Entertainment Finance. He also organizes the annual California Corporate Finance Conference and manages the LMU Entertainment Finance Alumni Network, leveraging LMU’s 95,000+ alumni network. Teaching Philosophy : Focused on student success, Offenberg maintains a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio, advocating for internships and industry engagement. His courses include theoretical/applied corporate finance and MBA programs. He advises students to 'take advantage of L.A.’s opportunities' and pursue multiple internships before graduation.
Dr Duncan Smith is an Associate Professor in GIS and Visualisation at the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA) at University College London (UCL). He serves as Programme Co-Director for the MSc Urban Spatial Science, focusing on digital visualisation and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) education. His research emphasizes urban sustainability, transport accessibility, and interactive urban visualisation, with a particular interest in global mega-cities like London, Singapore, and São Paulo. Dr Smith holds a PhD from UCL (2011), an MSc from the University of Edinburgh (2005), and a BA (2003). His recent projects include leading the ESRC-funded Driving Urban Transitions project (2024) exploring sustainable travel in small cities and outer metropolitan areas. Previously, he was Co-Investigator on the SIMETRI project (NSFC JPI Urban Europe) analyzing urban sustainability in London, the Randstad, and China's Greater Bay Area. His research interests span urban visualisation techniques, transport equity analysis, and polycentric urban development. Key areas include GIS-driven urban modelling, accessibility metrics, and the intersection of housing policy with sustainable urban form. His interactive visualisations, available on citygeographics.org , showcase innovative approaches to spatial data presentation. Dr Smith's work consistently addresses global sustainability challenges through geospatial methodologies. Recent studies highlight inequalities in transport accessibility and the spatial implications of urban policies. Upcoming projects will further investigate small-city mobility dynamics using multi-national collaborations with Amsterdam and Lisbon researchers.
Wolfgang Forster is a Professor of Civil Law, Comparative Legal History and Legal Philosophy at the University of Tübingen, where he has been teaching since 2011. He served as Dean of the Faculty of Law from October 2020 to September 2022. Prior to his appointment at Tübingen, he was Professor of Civil Law and Legal Philosophy at the University of Giessen from 2007 to 2011. He completed his habilitation at LMU Munich in 2005 with a thesis on insolvency law history and earned his doctorate in 2000 with research on Karl Christian Friedrich Krause's legal philosophy. Forster studied law and philosophy at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich from 1987 to 1992, supported by the German Academic Scholarship Foundation and the Bavarian Scholarship for Gifted Students. He passed his first state examination in law in 1992 and his second in 1995. Between 1995 and 2000, he served as a research assistant at KU Eichstätt/Ingolstadt before becoming a research assistant at FAU Erlangen from 2000 to 2003 and at LMU Munich from 2003 to 2007. His research focuses on Civil Law, particularly the general part of the law of obligations, contract law, and family law; German and Spanish legal history, especially regarding insolvency law; History of Canon Law; and Legal philosophy and history of legal philosophy, with special emphasis on Karl Christian Friedrich Krause's legal philosophy. His work bridges historical legal scholarship with contemporary legal theory, examining how historical legal concepts inform modern jurisprudence. Forster's approach combines meticulous historical research with philosophical analysis, revealing continuities and transformations in legal thought across centuries. His publications demonstrate a consistent focus on the intersection of legal history, philosophy, and practical application. Forster has published extensively on Krausist legal philosophy, Spanish legal history, insolvency law development, and historical aspects of family law. His work shows particular strength in analyzing how legal concepts migrate across national boundaries and historical periods, with recurrent attention to German-Spanish legal connections. Hermann Conring Prize 2010 (for his habilitation thesis) Max Weber Prize of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences (for his dissertation) Faculty Prize of the Faculty of Law of the LMU Munich (for his dissertation) Forster has received significant research funding, including publishing support from the German Research Foundation for his habilitation thesis. He co-organized the 40th German Legal Historians' Day in 2014 and was a co-applicant for the interdisciplinary research training group 'Ambiguity: Production and Reception' approved by the DFG in 2013. He has also served as a visiting professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison, USA. His work demonstrates strong institutional support and recognition within the German and international legal academic community.
Professor Phil Clark is a Professor of International Politics at SOAS University of London, specializing in conflict and post-conflict issues with a focus on transitional justice, peacebuilding, and reconciliation after mass atrocity in Rwanda, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burundi. He holds a DPhil in Politics from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar, and a Bachelor of International Studies from Flinders University. His research focuses on international, national, and community-based responses to mass violence in Central Africa, particularly examining the gacaca community courts in post-genocide Rwanda and the International Criminal Court (ICC). Professor Clark has advised multiple governments (Danish, Sudanese, Swedish, Ugandan, and UK), international organizations (ICC, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda), and NGOs (Human Rights Watch, Crisis Group) on conflict issues in Africa. Professor Clark's work spans several key areas including the History, Politics and Law of the African Great Lakes; Transitional Justice Theory and Practice; the Politics of Violence; Community-Based and Customary Law; Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation; the Politics of International Criminal Justice; Peacebuilding, Security and Post-Conflict Reconstruction; and Moral and Political Philosophy. His approach often combines theoretical analysis with practical fieldwork in post-conflict societies. His publications reveal a consistent focus on the tension between international legal frameworks and local justice mechanisms, particularly examining how post-genocide societies navigate complex reconciliation processes. Over time, his work has evolved from documenting specific cases (like the gacaca courts) to analyzing broader patterns of transitional justice and international criminal law across the African continent. Shortlisted for the Raphael Lemkin Award for best book on genocide and mass violence (for "Distant Justice: The Impact of the International Criminal Court on African Politics") Regular contributor to major media outlets including The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Washington Post, The Guardian, and BBC Frequent media commentator on international news networks including BBC, France 24, Al Jazeera, CNN, and Deutsche Welle Professor Clark has supervised multiple PhD students working on topics related to conflict analysis, women's access to transitional justice, China-Africa relations, and conflict transformation. His current research includes "Intergenerational Justice in Eastern Africa" and "Reframing Justice after Atrocity," which examines justice interactions beyond the linear international-to-national transmission of norms and practices. He has led significant research projects, including serving as technical advisor and co-author of a 2007 UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights project surveying popular perceptions of transitional justice and peacebuilding in northern Uganda. His ongoing work continues to shape academic and policy discussions about justice mechanisms in post-conflict societies.
Mazdak Nik-Bakht is an Associate Professor at Concordia University's School of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering. His work bridges construction engineering with digital innovation, focusing on smart infrastructure and sustainable development. PhD, Construction Engineering & Mgmt., University of Toronto PhD, Structural Engineering, Iran University of Science & Technology MASc & BASc, Structural and Civil Engineering, Iran University of Science & Technology His research integrates Artificial Intelligence and Social Network Analysis into construction management systems. Key areas include: Smart infrastructure and urban computing Deconstruction and circular economy principles Building Information Modeling (BIM) and digital twinning Process mining in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry Decision models in construction project management Semantic computing and computational linguistics applications Recent publications show a focus on BIM analytics , urban resilience , and social media's role in infrastructure planning . Papers often combine AI and network theory to solve complex construction challenges. 2015 Outstanding paper award - Built Environment Project and Asset Management journal He teaches courses on: Big Data Analytics for Smart City Infrastructure Building Information Modeling (BIM) for Construction Building Economics Project Cost Estimating
Joseph Tao-yi Wang is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Economics at National Taiwan University (NTU). He holds a PhD from UCLA and previously served as a Postdoctoral Scholar and Visiting Associate at Caltech. His research spans experimental economics, neuroeconomics, game theory, and behavioral economics, with a focus on strategic decision-making, market design, and learning in games. Wang directs the Taiwan Social Sciences Experimental Laboratory (TASSEL), which hosts large-scale experimental research and conferences like the 2017 APESA. His work integrates eye-tracking, pupillometry, and machine learning to study cognitive processes in economic decisions. Wang is also active in educational innovation, developing flipped classroom models with experiments for economics courses. His publications consistently explore behavioral deviations from game-theoretic predictions, such as overcommunication in sender-receiver games and learning patterns in auctions. Recent work emphasizes reproducibility in management science and AI applications in education. Wang’s research uses diverse methodologies—from neuroimaging to field experiments—to test economic theories in real-world contexts. Wang mentors through NTU’s Berkeley Economics Student Assistant Program (BESAP) and organizes mini-courses for high school students. He has not received scientific awards per the available data.
Juan Camilo Gómez is an Associate Professor with tenure at the University of Washington Bothell's School of Business, specializing in game theory, bargaining, and microeconomic theory. He earned his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Minnesota and his B.Sc. in Mathematics from Universidad de los Andes in Colombia. Education: Ph.D. Economics (1998–2003), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN B.Sc. Mathematics (1990–1996), Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia Research Interests: His research focuses on foundational and applied aspects of game theory, including bargaining models, coalition formation, cooperative solution concepts, and general equilibrium. He explores how efficiency can be achieved in strategic interactions, especially when agents may behave manipulatively or when traditional balance conditions do not hold. His work contributes to understanding how coalitions form and how outcomes can be predicted or designed to ensure equitable and efficient allocations. He also investigates the implications of reference points in bargaining and the role of aspirations in shaping cooperative behavior. Publications Overview: Across his publications, a clear trajectory emerges from foundational theoretical work—such as axiomatizing core extensions in cooperative games—to applied models that predict coalition formation and bargaining outcomes. His research consistently bridges rigorous mathematical frameworks with practical economic questions, including market interpretations of cooperative solutions and strategic pricing models like 'Pay What You Want'. Awards and Honors: 2010 MBA Professor of the Year, University of Washington Bothell Teaching and Advising: Gómez has taught a wide range of courses from undergraduate calculus and mathematical economics to graduate-level game theory and quantitative methods for business. He has held teaching roles at institutions including Macalester College, University of Copenhagen, Universidad de los Andes, and University of Minnesota. He has also co-directed undergraduate theses, such as that of Santiago Saavedra, and served on numerous academic committees including MBA Admissions and faculty hiring. Labs and Teams: While no specific lab is mentioned, his collaborative working papers with researchers like Camelia Bejan and P.V. Balakrishnan suggest active participation in research networks focused on game theory and economic modeling.
Michael Dinerstein is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at Duke University and a Research Collaborator at the University of Chicago. His research focuses on applied microeconomics, integrating industrial organization principles with labor, public, and development economics, with a primary emphasis on education markets. His research explores topics such as student loan policies, teacher labor market dynamics, public provision effects in education, and policy evaluation. Recent studies include analyses of student debt forgiveness, debt moratoria, and teacher tenure reform impacts. Notable articles highlight his work on market equilibrium in education, policy design, and human capital dynamics. He has contributed to discussions via platforms like the Scientific Sense Podcast and maintains an active Google Scholar profile. While no specific advisees are listed, his research collaborations span institutions like Duke and the University of Chicago. His work often intersects with public policy, emphasizing practical applications of economic theory to real-world challenges.
Farhat Chowdhury is an Assistant Professor of Teaching in the Department of Economics at Wayne State University's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Their research focuses on education and health policy, particularly the impact of menstrual product access in schools on educational outcomes, alongside broader international economic and policy issues related to innovation, gender, and development. Education: Ph.D. in Economics, Bryan School of Business and Economics, University of North Carolina at Greensboro (2024) Teaching responsibilities include Principles of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics courses across multiple terms (Fall 2024 to Winter 2025). Recent publications explore gender dynamics in innovation ecosystems, AI research funding spatial patterns, and pandemic-era government policies' sectoral impacts. No scientific awards are explicitly listed in the provided information. Current roles include advising in economics education and contributing to policy-relevant research initiatives in public health and innovation sectors.
Ivan Flechais is an Associate Professor in Software Engineering at the Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford. His work focuses on the intersection of security engineering and human factors, developing approaches that balance technical security requirements with usability considerations in real-world contexts. Dr. Flechais earned his BSc and PhD in Computer Science from University College London. He holds dual French-British nationality and was educated in France until university level. His academic journey reflects an international perspective that informs his research on security systems across different cultural contexts. Flechais's research centers on developing methods for creating secure systems that account for real-world usability constraints. His work addresses the complex challenge where security competes with other system requirements like functionality, usability, and efficiency. He is particularly known for developing the AEGIS design methodology, which provides a cost-effective approach to security design that incorporates usability considerations. His current research explores socio-organizational factors in secure systems design, with recent work focusing on smart home security and privacy, remote work security challenges, and the intersection of security culture with technical implementation. His publication record shows a strong trajectory in usable security research, with recent work (2020-2024) increasingly focused on smart home environments, privacy in domestic settings, and the security challenges of remote work. His research demonstrates consistent attention to the human element in security systems, examining how users interact with security mechanisms in real-world contexts across different cultural settings and technological domains. Smart home security and privacy challenges User experience of security mechanisms Socio-organizational aspects of security implementation Cross-cultural security and privacy considerations Security for distributed and remote work environments Dr. Flechais has supervised numerous PhD and Master's students, including Sarah Alromaih, Varad Vishwarupe, George Chalhoub, and Martin J. Kraemer, among others. His supervision work often focuses on the practical application of security principles in emerging technologies, with students frequently examining security challenges in smart homes, IoT devices, and remote work contexts. His research has been supported through various projects including webinos and Sponstaneous Security, which address security challenges in distributed mobile applications and ad-hoc network environments.
Peng Shige is a Professor of 1st class at the School of Mathematics, Shandong University, China. He has held the Distinguished Professor title under the Ministry of Education (Cheung Kong Scholarship) since 1999. His academic journey includes degrees from Shandong University (Physics diploma, 1971-1974), Paris-IX (1985), and Aix-Marseille University (PhD 1986, Habilitation 1992). Research focuses on nonlinear expectations, stochastic calculus, partial differential equations, and financial mathematics. Key contributions include foundational work on backward stochastic differential equations (BSDEs), the g-expectation framework, and the G-expectation theory extending probability axioms to nonlinear settings. These innovations have advanced stochastic control, financial risk modeling, and differential games. Honors include the 2020 Future Science Award, 2011 Princeton Global Scholar, and 2005 Chinese Academy of Sciences Academician status. He delivered a plenary lecture at the 2010 International Congress of Mathematicians. Peng's work integrates theoretical breakthroughs with applied domains like financial engineering. His research has been widely cited (~8k citations) and shaped modern stochastic analysis methodologies.
Diego Garlaschelli is Professor of Theoretical Physics at the IMT School for Advanced Studies in Lucca, Italy, and at the Lorentz Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Leiden, the Netherlands. He leads the NETWORKS research unit at IMT and the Econophysics and Network Theory group at Leiden. He is also an external faculty member at the Complexity Science Hub in Vienna and an associate member of the Enrico Fermi Research Center in Rome. His affiliations reflect a strong international and interdisciplinary research profile in network science and statistical physics. He holds a master's degree in theoretical physics from the University of Rome III (2001) and a PhD in Physics from the University of Siena (2005). His postdoctoral experience includes positions at the Australian National University, the University of Siena, the University of Oxford, and the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa. Garlaschelli’s research spans network theory, statistical physics, econophysics, financial complexity, ecological networks, and social dynamics. He applies maximum entropy models, information theory, and random graph frameworks to understand complex real-world systems. His teaching includes courses in Network Theory, Econophysics, and Complex Systems at both PhD and MSc levels. The 15 most recent publications highlight a consistent focus on network reconstruction, ensemble inequivalence, renormalization, and applications to financial and socio-economic systems. Key themes include statistical inference in networks, resilience, and multi-scale modeling, with publications in top journals such as Nature Reviews Physics , Physics Reports , Science , and Physical Review Letters . His scientific awards include the Best Paper Award at the 6th International Workshop on Self-Organizing Systems (2012) and the Jan Kijne Prize (2013) as supervisor. He has secured multiple grants from NWO, the European Union, and the Royal Society, and has supervised over 40 students at PhD, master’s, and bachelor’s levels. He also mentors postdocs and visiting scientists. Garlaschelli leads and organizes major international workshops and schools in network science and complex systems. He serves on scientific committees and is an active referee for journals like Nature and Physical Review Letters , as well as funding agencies including the ERC and NWO.
Mashood Baderin is a Professor at SOAS University of London's School of Law, where he has established himself as a leading scholar in Islamic law, international law, and human rights. With over 90 publications spanning more than two decades, Professor Baderin has made significant contributions to bridging Islamic legal traditions with contemporary international legal frameworks. Professor Baderin's research interests focus on the intersection of Islamic jurisprudence with modern legal challenges. His work explores how Islamic legal principles can inform contemporary human rights frameworks, international criminal justice systems, and social reform initiatives in Muslim-majority countries. He has extensively examined Islamic legal theory (usul al-fiqh), the application of Islamic law in modern contexts, and the relationship between Islamic law and international legal norms. His most recent publications reveal a continued focus on the universality of international law from Islamic perspectives, the application of Islamic law in African contexts, and the relationship between Islamic principles and human rights frameworks. Professor Baderin has edited significant works including 'Islamic Legal Theory' (2014) and authored the widely recognized 'Islamic Law: A Very Short Introduction' (2021). Professor Baderin has supervised numerous doctoral students working on Islamic law topics with regional focus on Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. His students' research often examines gender issues, legal reform, and the practical application of Islamic law in contemporary settings.
Professor Lucy Kimbell is Professor of Contemporary Design Practices at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, where she convenes the Policy Futures Studio. She is Co-Director of the Sustainable Transitions through Democratic Design Doctoral Network funded by the EU Marie Curie programme and serves as Visiting Professor at University of Ulster and Honorary Adjunct Professor at RMIT University. Her work bridges design practice, public policy, and social innovation across multiple international contexts. Professor Kimbell's educational background includes a PhD in Design from Lancaster University (2013), an MA in Computing in Art and Design from Middlesex University (1996), and a B. Engineering in Design and Appropriate Technology from the University of Warwick (1989). Her academic journey reflects a consistent integration of technical, creative, and social perspectives. Kimbell's research focuses on service design, social design, and design for policy, with increasing emphasis on sustainable transitions and democratic innovation. She explores how design methods can address complex societal challenges, particularly through transdisciplinary approaches that connect creative practice with public policy contexts. Her work examines the role of design in government, professional services, and community settings, with particular attention to AI readiness in professional service firms and antimicrobial resistance policy in India. She has pioneered frameworks for measuring design's social and environmental value, notably through the Design Value framework developed with the Design Council. Her recent publications demonstrate a clear trajectory toward understanding design's role in public policy, sustainable transitions, and democratic innovation. The research shows increasing integration of practice-based research methods with policy development, emphasizing transdisciplinary collaboration and the application of design thinking to complex societal challenges. There's a notable focus on developing frameworks for measuring design's social and environmental value and advancing democratic innovation through design practice. Notable recognitions include: AHRC Research Fellow in Policy Lab in the Cabinet Office (2014-15) Principal research fellow at University of Brighton (2013-15) Clark Fellow in Design Leadership at Said Business School, University of Oxford (2005-10) Professor Kimbell supervises transdisciplinary PhD research connecting design with public policy, with six completions to date including four UAL-KCL joint studentships. She examines PhDs internationally and serves on the supervisory board for the PhD in Service Design for Public Sector at Sapienza University, Rome. Her grant portfolio includes major projects funded by EU Marie Curie, AHRC, ESRC, and Creative Europe, totaling millions in research funding for design-led approaches to societal challenges, including the Sustainable Transitions through Democratic Design Doctoral Network (2024-28) and the AHRC Design & Policy Research Network (2022-23). She previously directed UAL's Social Design Institute (2019-2022), which brought together university expertise in design for society through capacity building, joint research, publications, and public events. Her collaborative work extends to knowledge exchange projects with Design Council, Department of Work and Pensions, Northern Ireland Social Care Council, and Bite Back 2030, demonstrating her commitment to applying design thinking to real-world policy and social challenges.
