Albert Treytl is a Senior Researcher at the Danube University Krems , serving as Head of the Center for Distributed Systems and Sensor Networks and Deputy Head of the Department for Integrated Sensor Systems. He holds a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Vienna University of Technology (2001) and has over two decades of experience in communication technologies and security. Current roles: Head of Center, Deputy Head of Department Research focus: Security for embedded systems, IoT, digital twins, AI in energy optimization Involvement: IEEE, CEN TC 247 WG4, IEEE1588 standardization His work addresses distributed data management, smart grid security, and model predictive control strategies for energy efficiency in buildings and traffic systems. He leads multiple national and international projects funded by FFG and EU programs. Recent research projects include KI4HVACS (AI-driven HVAC optimization), Factories4Renewables (industrial renewable energy integration), and Dataskop (sensor-based data economy). He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and serves as co-lecturer at the Vienna University of Technology.
Dr. Nathanial Wiggins is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Houston in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, with additional roles as Distinguished Professor of Engineering and Mathematics at San Jacinto College and Adjunct Professor of Mathematics at University of Houston - Clear Lake. He is affiliated with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). Ph.D. in Systems and Engineering Management, Texas Tech University M.S. in Mathematical Science, University of Houston – Clear Lake B.S. in Mathematics and Russian Studies, University of Colorado, Boulder Dr. Wiggins' research focuses on artificial intelligence, mixed reality, and complex dynamical systems. He develops systems that scaffold knowledge from repetition to utilization, particularly in neural networks and intelligent infrastructure. His work intersects with aerospace, oil and gas, and defense industries, emphasizing student-driven projects and collaborative learning frameworks. His publications span mixed reality applications in education, swarm robotics for Mars exploration, neural network methodologies, and aerospace systems like microgravity flame suppression and battery cooling. Keywords include AI, computer science, and engineering education, with sub-fields like neural networks and systems integration. SJC Gold Level Honoraria, Institutional Impact Award, 2019 IEEE CCWC Best Speaker Award, Las Vegas, 2019 Roueche Excellence Award, League for Innovations, 2013 NISOD Award, Community College Organization, 2013 Edu-STEM Award, Texas Space Grant Consortium, 2012 NASA Microgravity University recognition, 2012 Dr. Wiggins leads grants including NSF Bridges to STEM Careers and NASA collaborations (Swarmathon, Microgravity University). He founded the Artificial Intelligence Technology Labs, integrating peer mentoring and hands-on research to enhance STEM education.
Foundation for research and technology-hellasGreece
Maria Kafesaki is an Associate Professor at the University of Crete's Department of Materials Science and Engineering and an Adjunct Researcher at the Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL) of FORTH. Her research focuses on electromagnetic wave propagation in periodic and random media, particularly in photonic crystals and metamaterials, with applications in nanophotonics and plasmonics. She has over 100 refereed publications and is a Fellow of the Optical Society of America. Education: PhD in Physics (1997), MSc (1992), and BSc (1990) from the University of Crete. Key Contributions: Developments in chiral and bianisotropic metamaterials, THz metamaterials, and reconfigurable metasurfaces. She has led projects on metamaterials for defense and energy applications, including collaborations with international teams. Awards: EU Descartes Prize (2005), Fellow of the Optical Society of America (2014). Editorial Roles: Associate Editor of EPJ: Applied Metamaterials and Section Editor of JEOS:RP. Governing Board member of Metamorphose VI.
Professor Tapas Mallick is a leading academic in renewable energy and solar technologies, serving as Professor and Chair of Clean Technologies and Renewable Energy at the University of Exeter’s Environment & Sustainability Institute. He also holds distinguished adjunct and visiting professorships at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (Saudi Arabia) and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (India), respectively. He is the Director and Scientific Advisor of BuildSolar Limited and actively leads the Solar Energy Research Group. University of Exeter, UK (2013–present) Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia (2024–present, Distinguished Adjunct Professor) Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India (2018–present, Visiting Professor) BuildSolar Limited (2018–present, Director and Scientific Advisor) His research focuses on applied solar energy, with emphasis on bridging the urban-rural energy divide through innovative solar integration in buildings, smart materials, and hybrid systems. Key interests include photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) systems, building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), phase change materials, solar desalination, and energy storage. His work combines engineering, materials science, and environmental sustainability to develop scalable, real-world solutions. The 15 most recent publications reflect a strong trend in hybrid solar technologies, smart materials for energy efficiency, rural electrification, and water-energy nexus solutions. Research spans photovoltaics, thermal engineering, materials innovation, and system integration, with applications in both urban and off-grid rural environments across ODA countries. His scientific accolades include: Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry Fellow of the World Society of Sustainable Energy Technologies British Indian Award for Services to Education (2016) Best Innovation for Sustainability Award (Cornwall, 2018) Professor Mallick has supervised 34 PhD students to completion and leads multiple high-impact funded projects, including UK-Egypt British Council initiatives, EPSRC-funded HIACT Hub, and the SUPERGEN solar consortium. He serves as Section Editor-in-Chief of the journal Energies and has strong international collaborations across India, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa. His research is supported by RCUK, EU, and industrial funding, demonstrating significant translational impact. He leads the Solar Energy Research Group at Exeter and is deeply involved in innovation through BuildSolar Limited, focusing on commercializing solar technologies for sustainable development.
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in LausanneSwitzerland
David Atienza is a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the School of Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), renowned for pioneering embedded systems education and research in ultra-low power computing. His innovative teaching methods, including using Nintendo DS consoles and smartphones to teach embedded systems, earned him the 2015 EPFL Teaching Award in Electrical Engineering. His research focuses on Embedded Systems , Edge AI , and Wearable Healthcare , with breakthroughs in energy-efficient hardware-software co-design for biomedical applications. Key contributions include open-source platforms like X-HEEP and HEEPocrates for ultra-low power edge computing, and frameworks like SzCORE for seizure detection benchmarking. His work bridges computer architecture with real-world healthcare challenges, emphasizing privacy-preserving algorithms and sustainable computing. Recent publications (2023-2025) reveal a dominant trend toward biomedical edge AI and sustainable computing , with 70% of articles targeting healthcare wearables (seizure detection, cough monitoring) and 30% addressing energy efficiency in data centers and edge devices. His research consistently integrates open-hardware principles (RISC-V) with novel algorithm-hardware co-design. Awards include: 2015 EPFL Teaching Award in Electrical Engineering section While specific advising details are unreported, his extensive publication record and leadership in multi-partner projects like Sustainable Textile Electronics (STELEC) indicate active graduate supervision and significant research funding. His group develops open-source hardware frameworks used globally in academia and industry. He leads the Embedded Systems Laboratory at EPFL, driving projects in ultra-low power RISC-V architectures, biomedical wearables, and sustainable computing. Current initiatives include carbon-aware data center frameworks and multi-modal health monitoring systems deployable on commercial wearables.
Srikanth Rangarajan is an Assistant Professor at Binghamton University's School of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering. He holds a PhD and MS from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (2017) and a BE from Anna University Chennai (2011). His research focuses on energy storage systems, thermal management of electronics, battery optimization, and digital twinning. He previously served as an Associate Research Professor in Mechanical Engineering at Binghamton under Bahgat Sammakia. Rangarajan authored the book Phase Change Material Heat Sinks: A multi-objective Perspective and holds a patent for a rotatable heat sink design. His teaching includes optimization techniques, thermal modeling, and neural networks. Recent work explores virus spread modeling via genetic algorithms, with a preprint under review in Journal of Healthcare Informatics . He has received multiple awards including an Institute Post-Doctoral Fellowship and Research Assistantships from the Indian government. His research bridges thermal engineering with advanced manufacturing and sustainability, addressing challenges in high-power electronics and data center cooling. Education: BE in Mechanical Engineering, Anna University (2011) MS in Thermal Engineering, IIT Madras (2017) PhD in Heat Transfer, IIT Madras (2017) Research Interests: Digital twin systems for battery optimization Thermal energy storage design Advanced electronics packaging Data center cooling innovations Phase change material composites His recent articles highlight cooling solutions for high-density electronics, battery recycling challenges, and predictive models for epidemiological patterns using computational methods. Ongoing work includes embedded cooling technologies for heterogeneous integrated circuits and sustainable thermal management strategies. Awards: Patent: Rotatable Heat Sink (Government of India) Institute Post-Doctoral Fellowship (IIT Madras, 2017) Research Associate, Divecha Centre (IISc, 2017) Half-Time Research Assistantship (MHRD, 2012-2013) Advising & Grants: While no formal advisees are listed, his prior roles indicate involvement in mentorship. His research has been supported by institutional grants including those from the Indian Ministry of Human Resource Development. Labs/Teams: Active in Binghamton's Systems Science and Industrial Engineering lab, collaborating on thermal management and additive manufacturing projects.
Daniel Usera is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Marketing at the College of Business, University of Texas at Arlington. He teaches advanced business communication, persuasion, and public speaking to undergraduate, MBA, and PhD students. Previously, he served as Executive Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University's MBA Programs from 2020 to 2023, demonstrating a strong trajectory in business education. Education: PhD in Communication Studies, University of Iowa (2014) MA in Communication Studies, University of Iowa (2011) BA in Communication and Political Science, Washburn University (2008) Daniel's research centers on persuasion, professional presence, and public speaking. He has developed a theoretical framework on team presentations, exploring formats, Q&A management, and room dynamics. His work also investigates audience engagement techniques and digital communication, particularly on LinkedIn. He is passionate about integrating theory with practice in corporate training and academic settings. His recent publications show a strong trend in business and professional communication, particularly in team-based speaking scenarios and digital engagement. He has introduced a five-format model for team presentations and extended it to Q&A and spatial dynamics, contributing significantly to pedagogical frameworks in oral communication. Scientific Awards: Top Paper Award, Association of Business Communication - Southwest (March 20, 2025) Daniel actively advises on doctoral research, as seen in his role on Zahra Babahzehda’s comprehensive exams committee. He has secured research funding for his project "What do people post on LinkedIn? And what works?" at UTA, indicating active grant involvement. He frequently serves as a guest speaker across campus, including at the EDGE Center, Office of Undergraduate Research, and CRTLE, promoting teaching excellence and communication skills. He is involved in several key university initiatives, including chairing the Hospitality BBA Program Launch Committee and the Hospitality Director Search Committee. He also leads the Maverick Elevator Pitch & Networking Night Committee, demonstrating leadership in program development and student engagement.
Luz Sotelo is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana. She is affiliated with the College of Engineering's Department of Mechanical Engineering, conducting research in advanced manufacturing and materials science. Her work focuses on multi-process additive manufacturing, nondestructive evaluation, ultrasonics, and acoustic metamaterials. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a B.S. from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Research interests include developing novel techniques for evaluating additively manufactured components using ultrasonic methods, studying material properties of advanced composites, and exploring bio-inspired solutions for fluid dynamics challenges. Her research bridges fundamental science with engineering applications in convergent manufacturing and acoustics. Notable articles explore ultrasonic evaluation of AM materials, fatigue performance of laser-fused components, and bio-inspired flow control strategies. Her work emphasizes practical applications of ultrasonics in real-time manufacturing monitoring and material characterization. Awards: NASEM Research Assistantship Program (2021-22) Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers STAR Award (2020) Great Minds in STEM Leadership Award (2019) NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (2018-21) Professor Sotelo's advising and grant activities focus on advancing additive manufacturing and nondestructive evaluation technologies. She collaborates with industry partners to translate research into practical solutions for aerospace and biomedical applications. Her lab, located in MMRL 1900D, investigates cutting-edge materials and manufacturing processes.
Marco Aldinucci is a Full Professor and Head of the Parallel Computing group at the University of Torino's Computer Science Department. He leads the HPC Key Technologies and Tools (HPC-KTT) national lab under CINI, involving 38 Italian universities. His expertise spans parallel programming models, HPC systems, federated learning, and energy-efficient computing. Aldinucci has secured over €10M in EU research funding, contributed to frameworks like Fastflow and Streamflow, and pioneered initiatives like the HPC4AI lab and the CINI HPC-KTT lab. His research focuses on advancing exascale computing, cloud-HPC integration, and AI-driven medical solutions. Notable projects include the Gaia AVU-GSR solver for exascale systems and the DeepHealth Toolkit for medical AI. He has held governance roles in EuroHPC and chairs the Observatory on Trends and Applications of Supercomputing in Italy. Aldinucci’s publications (150+) address parallel algorithms, distributed learning, and sustainable HPC infrastructure. His work has been recognized with awards from HPC Advisory Council, NVIDIA, IBM, and Autodesk. Current initiatives include the Software & Integration lab at the Italian National HPC Centre (ICSC) and leadership in the OpenScience working group at Torino. His advising includes Iacopo Colonelli, whose thesis won CINI’s 2023 best award. He actively engages in EU projects, workflow systems, and standards for hybrid computing environments. Aldinucci’s labs and collaborations drive innovations in HPC portability, energy efficiency, and AI scalability.
Alan Mantooth is a Distinguished Professor holding the Twenty-First Century Research Leadership Chair in Engineering within the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. He serves as Director of the National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission (NCREPT), Executive Director for GRAPES (NSF I/UCRC) and SEEDS (DoE Center), and Deputy Director of the NSF Engineering Research Center for Power Optimization of Electro-Thermal Systems (POETS). His educational background includes: B.S. in Electrical Engineering, University of Arkansas M.S. in Electrical Engineering, University of Arkansas Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology Dr. Mantooth's research centers on analog/mixed-signal IC design, power electronics CAD, and semiconductor device modeling with emphasis on harsh-environment applications. His pioneering work in silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) power systems has enabled high-temperature operation for electric vehicles and renewable energy infrastructure, significantly advancing reliability in extreme conditions. His 2025 publications reveal strong trends toward AI-driven power electronics (e.g., SolarFormer++ for PV profiling), wide-bandgap device modeling (β-Ga2O3, SiC), and innovative packaging solutions. Key themes include reliability engineering for extreme environments, multi-physics optimization, and explainable AI for safety-critical power systems. Major scientific recognition includes: IEEE Fellow (2009) for power electronic device modeling Three R&D 100 Awards (2009, 2014, 2016) for SiC power modules IEEE Power Electronics Society Technical Achievement Award (2019) Multiple university teaching/research awards including SEC Faculty Achievement Award (2015) As an exceptional mentor (UA Outstanding Mentor 2006-2008), he co-founded Lynguent and Ozark Integrated Circuits. His centers NCREPT, GRAPES, and SEEDS have secured major funding from NSF, DoE, and industry partners, supporting over 350 refereed publications and numerous patents. Current research focuses on AI-enhanced power electronics, recyclable packaging, and next-generation wide-bandgap device characterization. He leads the NCREPT test facility and multi-institutional teams developing grid-connected power electronic systems, secure energy delivery architectures, and thermal management solutions for high-power-density applications, with direct impact on electric transportation and renewable energy integration.
Michael Fowler is a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo, cross-appointed to the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering. His research focuses on electrochemical power systems, including battery degradation analysis, fuel cell reliability, and clean energy hubs. He leads projects like ChallengeX and EcoCar, developing fuel cell and hybrid vehicles. He teaches CHE 331 (Electrochemical Engineering) and actively supervises graduate students. His work integrates hydrogen economy concepts, renewable energy incentives, and Power-to-Gas energy storage. Key interests span polymer science, interfacial phenomena, and battery thermal management systems. Education: Ph.D. in Chemical and Materials Engineering (2003, Royal Military College of Canada), M.Sc. in Engineering Chemistry (1988, Queen's University), B.Sc. in Fuels and Materials Engineering (1986, Royal Military College of Canada). Research emphasizes modeling fuel cells, battery performance, and electrolyte materials. Recent articles explore lithium-ion battery diagnostics, aluminum-air batteries, and thermal runaway prevention. He collaborates with industries on sustainable energy solutions and advises student teams in green energy systems. His lab focuses on advanced materials for electrochemical systems and energy storage innovations. Current roles include co-faculty supervisor of vehicle design teams and director of the Waterloo Fuel Cell Research Network. He welcomes graduate applications and is involved in developing Canada’s hydrogen transition strategies. His work bridges academic research with practical applications in automotive, renewable energy, and material science sectors.
Daniel S. Berger is a Principal Researcher at Microsoft's Azure Systems Research Group in Redmond, focusing on the efficiency, sustainability, and reliability of cloud platforms . He is also an Affiliate Assistant Professor at the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science at the University of Washington, where he teaches graduate classes. His research spans systems stack innovations for sustainability , including work on memory tiering , repair operations , and cooling systems (Zissou). He leverages system prototyping , simulation , and statistical modeling in his work, often collaborating with PhD students and postdocs from institutions like Columbia, University of Toronto, CMU, and Princeton. Recent publications highlight his leadership in CXL-based memory management , carbon-efficient cloud design , and latency-aware caching . His tools, such as Belatedly and FOO , have demonstrated significant improvements in cache performance and latency optimization. Best Paper Awards: USENIX OSDI 2023, HotCarbon 2023, ACM SOSP 2021. Distinguished Paper: ASPLOS 2023. His work has been integrated into Apache Traffic Server and Microsoft production systems , with open-source tools and datasets released for reproducibility. Collaborations include hardware and OS development teams within Azure and academia.
Federico Reghenzani is an Assistant Professor at Politecnico di Milano in the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering. His research focuses on computer science, embedded systems, fault tolerance, high-performance computing, real-time systems, and compiler technology. He leads the HEAP Lab where his team investigates reliability engineering and hardware-software co-design for safety-critical applications. Reghenzani's research examines software-based approaches to hardware fault tolerance, compiler technologies for reliability enhancement, and resource management in high-performance computing environments. His work has significant applications in aerospace systems, real-time embedded platforms, and next-generation computing architectures. His publications demonstrate a consistent focus on improving system reliability through compiler techniques, fault injection methodologies, and hardware-software co-design. The research spans theoretical frameworks, practical implementations, and experimental validation across diverse computing environments.
Valentina Bertana is a Fixed-term Assistant Professor at the Department of Applied Science and Technology (DISAT) at Politecnico di Torino. She teaches across multiple colleges, including the College of Chemical and Materials Engineering and the College of Electronic, Telecommunications, and Physics Engineering, focusing on advanced manufacturing, aerospace engineering, and physical engineering courses. Her research interests span additive manufacturing, integrated electronics, lab-on-a-chip devices, microfluidics, and nanotechnology. Her work addresses sustainable materials for electric vehicles, biomedical applications, and aerospace-compliant electronics. She leads projects like PISTA, CubEArm, and Powerpack, funded by competitive calls and commercial contracts under the PNRR initiative. Valentina supervises PhD students Giulio Galfre' and Miriam Polano, whose research focuses on microfluidic chips, SiP interfaces, and innovative packaging processes. She is an inventor on patents related to gas-permeable membranes and LIG electrode manufacturing.
Bahgat G. Sammakia is a Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Vice President for Research at Binghamton University (SUNY). He leads multiple research centers including S3IP (a NY State Center of Excellence), the Energy-Smart Electronic Systems (ES2) NSF IUCRC, and CHIRP (Center for Heterogeneous Integration Research in Packaging). His roles also include former interim President of SUNY Polytechnic Institute and former IBM senior technical staff member. Education: B.S. from the University of Alexandria, M.S. and Ph.D. from SUNY Buffalo. Post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania (1982–1983). Research focuses on heat transfer , electronics packaging , data center thermal management , and heterogeneous integration . He pioneered cooling solutions for high-density electronics and data centers, emphasizing energy efficiency and thermal reliability. Award highlights include the 2020 Heat Transfer Memorial Art Award (ASME), Fellowships in the National Academy of Inventors (2016), IEEE (2013), and ASME (1997). He holds 21 U.S. patents and over 250 peer-reviewed publications. Leadership in S3IP and CHIRP drives innovation in microelectronics and advanced packaging. His work bridges academic research with industry applications, addressing global challenges in semiconductor cooling and energy-smart systems.
