Dr. Diane Brentari is the Mary K. Werkman Professor of Linguistics at the University of Chicago and Co-Director of the Center for Gesture, Sign, and Language. Her research focuses on sign language grammars, phonology, and the emergence of protactile systems in DeafBlind communities. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago (1990) and has taught there since 2011. Key interests include modality effects on language structure, language variation, and typological comparisons. Her work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Neubauer Collegium. Notable contributions include books like Sign Language Phonology (2019) and edited volumes on sign language creation and phonological theory. Awards include Fellow of the Linguistic Society of America and membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Research Highlights: Analysis of Nicaraguan Sign Language emergence, tactile phonology in protactile communities, and cross-modal comparisons of gesture and sign. Courses Taught: Phonological Analysis, American Deaf Community Studies, and Seminars on Multiple Verb Predicates. Dr. Brentari's lab investigates sign language morpho-phonology and its sociocultural dimensions. Recent projects explore how tactile languages utilize touch and proprioception as linguistic resources. Her work bridges theoretical linguistics with empirical studies of language emergence and variation.
Astrid GUILLAUME serves as an HDR Lecturer in the Faculty of Letters, specializing in semiotics with a focus on human and non-human animal communication systems. Her academic position bridges theoretical linguistics, cultural studies, and animal ethics, examining how meaning transfers across species and temporal frameworks through verbal and non-verbal channels. Her research centers on three interconnected domains: theoretical semiotics (intertheoricity and transferogenesis), zoosemiotics (animal communication, sentience, and liminality), and cultural semiotics (semiotranslationology and semiomedievalistics). GUILLAUME challenges anthropocentric paradigms by developing frameworks for understanding non-human sign systems, advocating for terms like 'animal liminaire' in academic discourse. Her work integrates medieval studies with contemporary animal ethics to analyze evolving human-animal relationships. Recent publications (2021-2023) reveal consistent focus on practical applications of semiotic theory to animal welfare crises, particularly cetacean captivity, commercial fishing practices, and hunting ethics. She employs transdisciplinary methodologies to critique anthropocentric exploitation while proposing legislative reforms based on semiotic evidence of animal sentience and communication complexity. Though specific advisory roles remain undocumented, GUILLAUME's direction of academic collections ('Zoosémiotique' and 'Traditions et Croyance') and organization of doctoral seminars demonstrates scholarly leadership. Her editorial work bridges theoretical semiotics with real-world animal advocacy, positioning her as a key figure in emerging humanimalist scholarship.
Annemarie Ross is an Associate Professor in the Department of Science and Mathematics at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), part of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Her work focuses on creating inclusive educational environments for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, with particular emphasis on chemistry education and laboratory accessibility. Dr. Ross earned her BS and MS from Rochester Institute of Technology and her Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Her educational background has equipped her to address the unique challenges faced by deaf students in STEM. Her research centers on deaf education in STEM, inclusive teaching strategies, laboratory safety, scientific argumentation, and career preparation. She develops resources and curricula to ensure equitable access to science education, often collaborating with colleagues to create supportive learning environments that integrate universal design principles and assistive technologies. Recent publications highlight her commitment to enhancing accessibility in chemistry education and undergraduate research experiences. Her work emphasizes safe laboratory practices, culturally responsive teaching, and technology integration to support diverse learners, significantly advancing inclusive STEM education. Dr. Ross has received notable recognition including: ACS Stanley C. Israel Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences (2012) American Chemical Society Certificate of Environmental Merit Award (2013) She has secured multiple grants from NSF, ACS, and RIT to develop course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) for deaf and hard-of-hearing students and establish industry partnerships. Her projects focus on improving student success, technical skill development, and workforce diversity in STEM fields. Dr. Ross collaborates with colleagues Todd Pagano and Susan Smith to create inclusive laboratory environments and research opportunities. Their team has developed nationally recognized programs ensuring safe and successful experiences for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in academic and professional settings.
Erin Walker is an Associate Professor in the School of Computing and Information at the University of Pittsburgh, with a joint appointment as a Research Scientist at the Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC). She also serves as Associate Dean for Research within the School of Computing and Information. Her work focuses on improving educational technology through interdisciplinary methods, encompassing personalized learning environments, robotic learning companions, and culturally-responsive pedagogies. Education: PhD in Human-Computer Interaction, Carnegie Mellon University (2010) B.Sc. (Honors) in Computer Science and Psychology, University of Manitoba (2004) Research Interests: Dr. Walker's research bridges AI, human-computer interaction, and education. Key areas include: - Design of socially-engaged robots for STEM learning - Adaptive learning systems and collaborative pedagogies - Culturally-responsive computing education for marginalized groups - Neuroadaptive learning environments Grants & Projects: Recipient of a $900,000 NSF grant to study robots in math classrooms (LRDC collaboration) Developed EMBRACE: an AI-based reading comprehension tool for dual-language learners LEGO-based robo-tangible learning environments (rTAG) for geometry education Labs & Teams: Her lab focuses on human-centered AI design, collaborating with LRDC and interdisciplinary teams. Current projects emphasize equity in technology design, particularly for Black and Latino communities.
Prof. Dr. Hans Werner Ingensiep is an Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at the University of Duisburg-Essen's Faculty of Humanities and a member of the Institute of Philosophy. His work bridges biophilosophy, ethics, and the history of science, with a focus on evolution, environmental ethics, and Kantian thought. He holds a Diplom in Biology from the University of Bonn (1979), a Dr. rer. nat. in Genetics (1983), and a habilitation in Philosophy and History of Science (1995). He has held visiting positions at the Hastings Center and Georgetown University. His research explores the intersections of biology, ethics, and culture, including animal ethics, plant sentience, and food systems. He co-edits interdisciplinary volumes on bioethics and environmental philosophy and collaborates with the Center for Medical Biotechnology (ZMB) on ethical aspects of biotechnology. His publications span over four decades, addressing topics from Roman animal symbolism to modern ecological crises. His teaching spans liberal studies and interdisciplinary programs. He has contributed to debates on great ape rights, food ethics, and hygiene policy. Notable works include Der kultivierte Affe (2013), History of the Plant Soul (2001), and Food Ethics (2010). His work emphasizes ethical frameworks for emerging biotechnologies and ecological sustainability.
Sara Comai is an Associate Professor at the Politecnico di Milano , affiliated with the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering . She coordinates the Assistive Technology Group (ATG) and leads the MEP (Maps for Easy Paths) project. Research Focus : Database systems, smart home technologies, indoor localization, and assistive solutions for elderly/dementia patients Recent Trends : 2025-2023 publications highlight Occupancy detection via Wi-Fi/infrared sensors Behavior classification for Alzheimer's patients Wearable/RFID-based health monitoring Human-robot collaboration in agriculture Adaptive machine learning for land use segmentation
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rahamatullah Khondoker is a Professor of Business Information Systems with a focus on IT Security and Digitalization at THM University of Applied Sciences . He leads the CYSECDIGITAL research group, specializing in cybersecurity solutions for digitalization, autonomous mobility, and smart systems. PhD candidates under his supervision include Adnan Kujovic, Kumar Saurabh, Md. Zahirul Islam, and Khandaker Mohammad Mohiuddin. Projects funded by Erasmus+, DAAD, and THM Strategic Fund include ZDayIIoTSec and CyModeB . He has collaborated with institutions like IIT Delhi, BUET, and IIIT Allahabad, and signed MOUs with universities in Bangladesh, India, and Thailand. Research Focus : His work bridges Cybersecurity and Digitalization , with key contributions in SDN/NFV security, automotive cybersecurity (ISO/SAE 21434), IIoT, and AI-driven threat modeling frameworks like STRIDE and TMAP. Recent Publications highlight trends in automotive cybersecurity , IoT security audits , zero-day exploit detection , and AI applications for intrusion detection . His research spans threat intelligence integration, blockchain for supply chains, and machine learning in precision agriculture. Scientific Contributions : Nominated for best paper awards at AINTEC 2014 and IEEE NetSoft 2016. Co-authored foundational works on SDN/NFV security (Springer, 2018) and Industrie 4.0 security (Springer, 2017). Industry Collaboration : Partnerships with Continental, ANSYS, DRASS, and others in automotive, IIoT, and cybersecurity domains. He also leads the Automotive Cybersecurity Academy and advises on digitalization policy.
Jeanne-Marie R. Stacciarini is a Professor and Associate Dean for Global Affairs at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, where she also serves as Director of the WHO Collaborating Center. She holds a leadership position in the Department of Systems, Populations and Leadership and maintains affiliation with the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS). With over 25 years of academic experience, she has established herself as a global leader in mental health equity research for underrepresented populations worldwide. Her educational background includes: PhD from University of Brasilia, Brazil (1999) MSN from University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil (1995) BSN from Catholic University of Goiás, Brazil (1985) Dr. Stacciarini specializes in mental health equity research with a focus on underrepresented populations globally. Her work addresses mental health disparities among rural Latino immigrants and farmworkers, rural LGBTQ+ adolescents, and internationally diverse persons with communicable diseases. She is renowned for developing innovative research methodologies including Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) and mixed methods approaches that give voice to linguistically, culturally, geographically, and socially isolated populations. Her development of a new concept for measuring rurality, incorporating personal activity spaces beyond traditional zip code boundaries, has revolutionized health disparities research methodology. Her scholarly output demonstrates consistent focus on health equity through multiple lenses, with methodological innovation particularly in mixed methods and socio-spatial approaches to community-based health research. There's a clear pattern of addressing health disparities among marginalized populations including immigrant communities, rural residents, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with HIV/AIDS, often bridging disciplines to develop comprehensive understandings of health challenges. Dr. Stacciarini has received significant recognition for her contributions: Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (2015) International Senior Educator of the Year, University of Florida College of Nursing (2018) Mary Cash Award, Florida Nurses Association (2023) AACN Lectureship for Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Sustainability in Nursing Education (2024) SIGMA International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame (2024) As an exceptional mentor, Dr. Stacciarini has demonstrated an absolute commitment to inclusive excellence in guiding undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and junior faculty from diverse backgrounds. She has developed innovative courses including Mixed-Methods Research and Foundations of Qualitative Nursing Research at the PhD level. Her leadership extends to advancing global education, anti-bias, anti-racist curricula, and interprofessional experiences across educational programs. She currently serves in multiple professional organizations including the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau International, Southern Research Society, American Academy of Nursing, and as an Advisory Member to the Brazilian Federal Nursing Council. Dr. Stacciarini directs the WHO Collaborating Center at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, which serves as a hub for global health initiatives and research partnerships. Her socio-spatial research approach integrates community members ("Who") and locations ("Where") to develop targeted community-based health interventions, particularly for rural and hard-to-reach populations. This innovative framework has created new pathways for addressing health disparities through context-specific interventions.
Pierrette Bouillon is affiliated with the University of Geneva as a researcher, focusing on machine translation, accessible communication, and language technology applications in healthcare. Her work bridges computational linguistics, speech processing, and inclusive design. Institution: University of Geneva Research Focus: Medical translation, sign language processing, text/pictograph translation Research Interests : Bouillon specializes in machine translation and computational linguistics , with particular emphasis on: Accessible communication for patients with language barriers Sign language and pictograph translation systems (e.g., BabelDr) Speech-to-speech translation in emergency settings Text simplification for intellectual disabilities Historical French normalization for NLP Multilingual speech recognition and post-editing Article Trends : Her recent publications highlight the integration of large language models with accessibility tools in healthcare, focusing on Swiss French sign language corpora , pictograph sequences , and spontaneous speech simplification . Work spans both NLP and human-computer interaction in medical contexts. Education and Teaching : While specific educational details are omitted, Bouillon contributes to translation pedagogy through tools like COPECO and MT3 , integrating speech technologies into post-editing workflows.
Dr. Jillian Gorski serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, holding joint appointments in Pediatrics and Medicine. Board-certified in both Pediatrics and Clinical Informatics, she leads the Pediatric Emergency Department at American Family Children's Hospital—the region's only pediatric-specific emergency facility—providing specialized care for infants through adolescents with conditions ranging from trauma to acute infections. Education: Undergraduate: University of Pittsburgh Graduate: Indiana University-Bloomington – Data Science (MS) Medical School: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Residency: Indiana University School of Medicine – Pediatrics Fellowship: McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University – Pediatric Emergency Medicine Her research program strategically integrates data science and artificial intelligence to transform pediatric emergency care, with three core pillars: eliminating racial/ethnic health disparities, optimizing emergency department operational efficiency, and developing AI-driven triage systems. Current projects focus on shock index validation for pediatric trauma, undertriage analysis, and large language model applications in clinical documentation and medical education. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2020-2025) reveals methodologically rigorous work spanning pediatric trauma metrics (40%), AI validation studies (30%), and health equity investigations (30%). Key contributions include establishing vital sign thresholds for major trauma identification, evaluating LLM performance on medical knowledge assessments, and quantifying racial disparities in emergency department wait times—collectively advancing data-driven approaches to pediatric emergency care. While specific graduate students and grant details aren't publicly documented, her leadership of the Pediatric Emergency Department team implies active clinical mentoring. Her research trajectory suggests ongoing NIH or foundation-funded projects in AI implementation science. Dr. Gorski directs clinical operations at American Family Children's Hospital's Pediatric Emergency Department, which features specialized protocols for pediatric trauma, toxicology, and critical care. The department's research infrastructure supports real-time data collection for her studies on operational efficiency and AI integration, with future work likely expanding into prehospital AI applications and disparity-reduction interventions.
Ingela Holmström is a full-time Professor at the Department of Linguistics , Stockholm University , specializing in Swedish Sign Language (STS) and bilingualism . She serves as Head of the Sign Language Department and leads multiple research initiatives including the MULDER project (2024) on deaf migrants' multilingual situation , the LäsTecken project on deaf children's reading development , and the UTL2 project examining STS as a second language for hearing students . Research Themes : Deaf migrant language acquisition Bilingual education policy Visual-gestural modality instruction Language ideologies in Nordic countries Technological mediation in deaf education Key Methodologies include ethnographic classroom observations, longitudinal studies of cochlear implant users, and mixed-methods analysis of sign lexicon acquisition patterns. Her work demonstrates how able-bodied norms in Swedish bureaucracy create systemic barriers for deaf migrants, while highlighting translanguaging practices as both facilitators and complicators in multilingual classrooms.
Mark Sicoli is an Associate Professor at the University of Virginia , where he serves as Director of the Interdepartmental Program in Linguistics and Associate Editor of Language Documentation and Description . His work spans Zapotec-speaking communities in Mexico (since 1997) and Virginia Tribal Nations like the Nottoway (since 2020). As a Fellow of the UVA Institute for Advanced Technologies in the Humanities (IATH), he leads the Data Back! project (2025-2027) , focusing on digital infrastructure for community-driven language documentation. Specialties: Multimodality, Embodied Interaction, Community-Engaged Research, Video Analysis, Ethnography, Semiotic Theory Research Themes: Language in Human Evolution, Human Social Organization, Anarchist Theory, Language Contact, Documentary Linguistics His scholarship critiques evolutionary progress narratives through anarchist theory and interactional analysis , arguing that language evolved via mutual aid rather than self-interest. He has conducted NSF-funded projects on Zapotec and Chatino language surveys and whistled speech documentation, co-directing initiatives that trained 23 native speakers. His teaching includes collaborative courses like Language Revival in the Eastern Tribes with Nottoway citizens. Key publications include Saying and Doing in Zapotec (2020), exploring how language emerges through joint action, and a 2025 chapter on Zapotec perception categories in the Oxford Handbook of the Languages of Perception . His work emphasizes decolonizing linguistics and empowering Indigenous communities in language preservation. Scientific Awards: Fellow, UVA Institute for Advanced Technologies in the Humanities (IATH)
Christopher Shank is a Senior Lecturer in Linguistics (Language Variation and Change) at Bangor University's School of Arts, Culture and Language. He holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of New Mexico, with additional degrees in TESOL and Bilingual Education. His research focuses on language variation, bilingualism, corpus linguistics, and critical discourse analysis, particularly in healthcare contexts for Deaf communities. He has supervised numerous MA and PhD students, exploring topics like sociolinguistic variation, political discourse, and EFL methodology. Education: Ph.D. in Linguistics, University of New Mexico MA in TESOL, SIT Graduate Institute BA in International Relations, Political Science, and History, University of Wisconsin–Madison Research Interests: Language variation/change, bilingual/multilingual identity, corpus linguistics, critical discourse analysis, healthcare accessibility for Deaf communities. Recent work includes studies on Deaf healthcare experiences in Wales and parenting programs in British Sign Language. Grants & Projects: Public Health Wales Scoping Study on Deaf health (2018) Wales School for Social Care Research Grant on Deaf parenting materials (2018) Santander Mobility Grant for research in Brazil (2020) Publications: Recent articles address Deaf healthcare access, grammaticalization patterns, and corpus-based analyses of cognitive verbs. His work bridges linguistic theory and applied contexts like public health. Teaching: Teaches courses on semantics, syntax, language history, and corpus linguistics at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Dr. Adam Sargent is a Lecturer in the School of Archaeology and Anthropology at The Australian National University. He holds a PhD and MA from the University of Chicago, and a BA from Reed College. His research integrates linguistic and semiotic anthropology with critical political economy to examine labor dynamics, debt systems, and social inequality. Recent work focuses on construction labor in Delhi, engineering training in the U.S., and data-driven debt products in India. His scholarship explores how infrastructural development and financial innovation shape socioeconomic disparities. Research interests include Labour, Debt, Semiotic and Linguistic Anthropology, Political Economy, and India. Notable publications address temporalities in urban construction, data strategies in the Global South, pandemic-era labor practices, and cultural dimensions of Indian infrastructure projects. No scientific awards explicitly listed. His work has been published in journals like Social Anthropology, New Media and Society, and Signs and Society.
Felicity Deamer is a Senior Lecturer in Forensic Linguistics at Aston University, affiliated with the Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics (AIFL) within the College of Business and Social Sciences. Her research focuses on the intersection of law and psychiatry, analyzing linguistic data such as police interviews, psychiatric reports, and online interactions to inform legal and mental health practices. She holds a PhD in Linguistics from University College London (2013) and has held academic positions across institutions including Durham University and the University of the West of England. Deamer’s research interests include forensic linguistics, psycholinguistics, and conversation analysis. She explores topics like evidential consistency in police records, metaphor comprehension in psychosis, and the role of language in legal proceedings. Her work bridges interdisciplinary gaps between forensic science, mental health, and legal systems. Recent publications highlight her focus on transcription practices in legal contexts, emergency call analysis, and therapeutic interventions involving avatar technology for psychosis. She currently supervises multiple PhD students in areas ranging from encouraged suicide analysis to Deaf British Sign Language user interviews. Deamer serves on the editorial board of Frontiers in Communication and has contributed to conferences on transcription in criminal justice and police interview methodologies. Her research emphasizes practical applications, such as improving investigative techniques and enhancing communication in mental health care.
