Fausto Caruana is Senior Researcher at the Italian National Research Council's Institute of Neuroscience and Adjunct Professor at the University of Parma's Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC). His career bridges neurophysiology , cognitive neuroscience , and neurophilosophy , focusing on mirror neuron systems , emotional contagion , and embodied cognition . Research Pillars : System neuroscience, laughter studies, social cognition, and 4E cognitive science Methodological Expertise : Intracranial EEG, brain stimulation, tractography, and cross-species comparisons His publications (over 100) demonstrate temporal progression from primate electrophysiology to human clinical neuroscience. Key themes include: Laughter's neurochemical and network basis Insula-cingulate pathways in emotional processing Sensorimotor abductive mechanisms in social cognition Pragmatist approaches to emotion theories Scientific recognition includes the prestigious Sante de Sanctis Prize for his volume "Come Funzionano Le Emozioni". He serves editorial boards for Frontiers in Theoretical Psychology and Mind & Society , while organizing international conferences like the 2024 Erice workshop on Emotional Expressions.
Raghu Garud is the Alvin H. Clemens Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies in the Department of Management and Organization at the Smeal College of Business, Pennsylvania State University. He is an active researcher in the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation, and organizational theory. His research focuses on the emergence of novelty , exploring how new ideas are generated, valued, and commercialized. Key areas include entrepreneurial framing , digital innovation , organizational innovation , and technological design . He employs process-based and narrative approaches to understand innovation dynamics in contexts such as platform-based ventures, regional regeneration, and identity-challenging technologies. Recent publications reveal a strong trend toward understanding legitimacy , institutional categorization , and performative processes in innovation. His work spans comparative studies (e.g., e-cigarettes in US vs UK), in-depth case analyses (e.g., Uber, Gmail), and conceptual advancements in entrepreneurial framing and performativity. Collaborators include Y. Snihur, L. D. W. Thomas, N. Phillips, J. Gehman, and T. Tharchen. His research has appeared in top journals such as Academy of Management Review , Strategic Organization , Journal of Business Venturing , and Strategic Management Journal . While no formal awards are listed in the provided text, his sustained publication record in premier outlets and named professorship indicate significant scholarly recognition. He advises graduate students and collaborates on projects related to innovation and entrepreneurship, though specific advisees are not listed. Garud's work is associated with research on digital platforms, regional innovation ecosystems, and the cultural dimensions of entrepreneurship. He contributes to ongoing scholarly conversations on the processual nature of innovation and the role of narrative and design in entrepreneurial success.
Fiona Jane Dowling is a Professor of Pedagogy at the Department of Sport and Social Sciences , Norwegian School of Sport Sciences . With a background in physical education, qualitative research, and social justice, she has contributed extensively to teacher education and sport sociology through research, teaching, and scholarly publications. Education: PhD in Physical Education Teacher Life Histories, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences (1998) MSc, Loughborough University (1989) Research Interests: Dowling’s research spans physical education pedagogy , narrative inquiry , gender and race in sport , and teacher professional development . She explores how identity, equity, and inclusion are shaped within educational and sporting contexts, with a particular focus on marginalized groups such as ethnic minorities, refugees, and women in sport. Her work often employs qualitative methodologies , especially narrative inquiry , to give voice to teachers, students, and families. She has examined how discourses around race, gender, and inclusion are constructed and enacted in policy and practice, particularly in physical education and youth sport. Recent Publications Trends: Dowling’s recent publications focus on children’s rights in sport , ethnic inclusion in sport policy , and qualitative research in sport studies . Her scholarly output reflects a consistent engagement with critical social issues in education and sport, using discourse analysis and narrative methods to interrogate systemic inequities and advocate for transformative pedagogies. Scientific Contributions: Co-editor of the book Equity and Difference in Physical Education, Youth Sport and Health: A Narrative Approach (Routledge, 2012) Contributor to multiple international handbooks and edited volumes on physical education and sport pedagogy Published over 50 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters Teaching and Supervision: Dowling teaches courses in sport sociology , pedagogy , physical activity and health , research methodology , and qualitative methods . She has supervised numerous master’s and doctoral students and is actively involved in curriculum development and teacher training programs. Current Projects: International study on teacher educators’ and teachers’ perspectives on whiteness, race, and anti-racism in physical education and sport (funded by the British Academy) Investigation of sport and physical activity provision for unaccompanied minor asylum seekers Contact: Email: fionajd@nih.no Phone: +47 23 26 24 16 Mobile: +47 92 40 43 32
Professor Antje Gumz holds a Professorship for Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy with a focus on Depth Psychology-Based Psychotherapy at the Psychologische Hochschule Berlin (PHB). She leads a dedicated working group focused on psychotherapy research and training, with particular emphasis on therapeutic relationship skills, alliance ruptures, and psychodynamic concepts. Her academic work bridges clinical practice and scientific research, contributing significantly to the field of psychotherapy. Dr. Gumz's research interests span multiple dimensions of psychotherapy, with particular focus on measuring and training therapeutic relationship skills, including alliance ruptures, facilitative interpersonal skills, dealing with transference/countertransference, and enactments. She investigates mediators of therapy success and the role of language and voice in psychotherapy, bringing a unique perspective that integrates psychodynamic and systems theory concepts. Her work emphasizes the importance of understanding the therapist's role in therapeutic tensions and crises, and how these can be transformed into opportunities for therapeutic advancement. Professor Gumz has published extensively on psychotherapy techniques and training, with numerous publications in leading journals. Her recent work focuses on the development of assessment tools like the Psychodynamic Intervention List (PIL) and the Mediators of Change in Psychotherapy Inventory (MoCPI). Her research demonstrates how specific verbal techniques relate to session quality and therapeutic outcomes, providing empirical support for clinical practice. Heigl Foundation Research Grant (2019-2025) for therapist interpersonal skills research German Psychoanalytic Society Research Grant (2017-2019) for therapeutic techniques studies Professor Gumz actively supervises numerous doctoral students and research assistants, fostering the next generation of psychotherapy researchers. Her work extends beyond academia through collaborations with multiple psychotherapy training institutes across Germany. She has developed innovative training approaches like the Modified Alliance-Focused Training with Doubling (MAFT-D) to improve therapists' competencies in handling therapeutic tensions. Her research group maintains strong national and international collaborations, contributing to evidence-based psychotherapy training and improved treatment outcomes.
Antoni Verger i Planells is Professor of Sociology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and ICREA Acadèmia researcher specializing in educational policy and comparative education. He serves as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Education Policy and World Yearbook of Education, and coordinates the European Master GLOBED (Education Policies for Global Development) and GLANCE research group within GEPS-UAB. His research centers on the political economy of global education governance, with primary focus on privatization, marketization, and accountability systems. He examines how international organizations drive policy convergence through instruments like large-scale assessments and public-private partnerships, while analyzing equity implications across diverse national contexts including Spain, Latin America, and OECD countries. His work critically engages with theories of policy transfer, network governance, and the emerging global education industry. Verger's recent publications (2024-2025) reveal intensifying research on privatization dynamics, showing how corporate strategies shape education reform through policy entrepreneurship and regulatory innovation. His analysis of accountability regimes demonstrates how hybrid systems create contradictory pressures on schools, while his work on teacher governance exposes tensions between performance metrics and professional autonomy across regulatory contexts. Scientific recognition: ICREA Acadèmia award for research excellence He has directed major funded projects including ILSAINC (2019-2023) mapping the global assessment industry, REFORMED (2016-2022) analyzing autonomy/accountability policies, and EDUPARTNER (2013-2016) studying public-private partnerships. His grant portfolio demonstrates sustained funding for critical analysis of global education governance structures and their implementation. Through GLANCE research group and GLOBED master program, Verger fosters international collaboration on comparative education studies, connecting scholars from Global South and North to examine power dynamics in transnational education policy processes.
Edward Baggs is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Culture and Language at the University of Southern Denmark. He is also affiliated with the Centre for Human Interactivity (CHI) and DIAS, reflecting his interdisciplinary focus on cognition, language, and ecological approaches to human interaction. His research centers on ecological and enactive theories of cognition, emphasizing how perception, action, and environment co-constitute cognitive processes. Key interests include affordances, direct social perception, distributed cognition, and the application of ecological psychology to real-world domains such as aviation safety and climate change communication. The analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent focus on integrating ecological psychology with cognitive science and linguistics. His work challenges representationalist models of mind by advocating for Gibsonian and enactive frameworks that prioritize information in the environment and embodied interaction. Ecological Psychology Cognitive Science Ecolinguistics Enactive Cognition Environmental Communication Philosophy of Mind Edward Baggs has no listed scientific awards in the provided text. He collaborates extensively with researchers such as Sune V. Steffensen, Monica Meyer, and Tom Davies-Barton. Although no formal grants or advising roles are mentioned, his collaborative research outputs suggest active participation in funded or institutional research projects. He has published across journals and books, indicating a strong scholarly presence in ecological and cognitive sciences. He is associated with interdisciplinary research centers such as CHI and DIAS, which support work in human interactivity, digital innovation, and advanced semantics. These affiliations provide a rich environment for exploring cognition as embedded and extended in cultural and technological contexts.
Cameron Alexander serves as a Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Zurich since August 2025, specializing in Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Psychology, Social Cognition, and 4E (embodied, extended, embedded, enactive) approaches to cognition. His academic background includes: Doctorate in Theoretical Philosophy from the University of Zurich (2020-2025), supervised by Prof. Dr. Hans-Johann Glock under the Swiss National Fund NCCR project Evolving Language Master (Research) in Philosophy from the Universiteit van Amsterdam (2016-2018) Master of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Glasgow (2011-2015) His research interrogates how cognition emerges through bodily engagement with environments and social contexts, challenging traditional intellectualist theories of mind. The dissertation project "Situating Other Minds" develops frameworks for understanding intersubjective cognition through situated and dynamic processes, emphasizing that mental state attribution operates via embodied practices rather than theoretical inference. Recent publications reveal a systematic critique of representationalist paradigms in cognitive science. The 2025 article establishes foundational principles of 4E cognitive science, while the 2023 collaborative paper demonstrates how "script-reading" mechanisms can explain social cognition without attributing complex mental state reasoning. Both works exhibit interdisciplinary integration of philosophical analysis with empirical findings from comparative psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Doctoral research was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation's Evolving Language NCCR project. No current advising roles or additional grants are documented in available sources. He contributes to the Evolving Language National Centre of Competence in Research, an interdisciplinary consortium investigating language evolution through biological, cultural, and cognitive lenses. His work specifically advances the project's social cognition research stream through philosophical frameworks for situated intersubjectivity.
Dr. Caroline Curwen is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the Department of Music at Durham University, specializing in music cognition and synaesthesia research. Her work focuses on sensorimotor and embodied accounts of music perception, particularly how synaesthetic experiences (e.g., music-color associations) arise from cognitive and motor processes. Education : Clarinet and academic studies at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), PhD from the University of Sheffield. Affiliations : Consulting editor for Musicae Scientiae ; Treasurer of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music (ESCOM). Her research investigates the interplay between music, emotion, and action in both synaesthetic and non-synaesthetic musicians. Key themes include the conceptual vs. perceptual nature of synaesthesia, sensorimotor frameworks in music cognition, and the role of embodied experiences in musical understanding. Publications highlight trends in studying synesthesia’s impact on music perception, cognitive mechanisms in key signature interpretation, and the sensorimotor underpinnings of musical imagery. Recent work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches combining psychology, neuroscience, and music theory. Awards : Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship (2024–present). While no formal advisees are listed, her editorial and organizational roles reflect her active engagement in shaping the field of music cognition research.
Mary Ann Huntley is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics at Cornell University, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, College Park (1997). Her research focuses on mathematics curriculum analysis, particularly examining the algebra strand in middle/high school textbooks and curriculum implementation. She has led NSF-funded research (Award #090131) and co-edits the Research in Mathematics Education book series with Denisse Thompson and Christine Suurtamm. Huntley has collaborated with educators internationally, publishing on comparative curriculum studies and teacher professional development. She teaches courses such as MATH 1110 (Calculus I), MATH 4980 (Special Study for Mathematics Teaching), and MATH 5080 (Special Study for Teachers), bridging academic research and pedagogical practice. Her work emphasizes curriculum design, fidelity of implementation, and teacher training. Notable contributions include analyzing textbook content across different educational systems and developing tools to assess curriculum enactment. Huntley actively engages in outreach programs like the Family Mathematics Program and has contributed to initiatives promoting mathematics awareness among K-12 students. She has advised on mathematics pathways for undergraduates and collaborates with institutions to enhance mathematics education globally. Education: Ph.D. in Mathematics Education (1997), University of Maryland, College Park Key Roles: NSF Grant Principal Investigator, Co-Editor of Book Series, Mathematics Curriculum Researcher Teaching Focus: Undergraduate mathematics, teacher training programs, and special studies for educators Current Offerings: Courses in Spring/Fall 2025 include Calculus I and specialized teacher training modules Huntley’s research bridges theoretical curriculum frameworks with practical classroom implementation, emphasizing the importance of aligning educational materials with pedagogical goals. Her interdisciplinary approach addresses both local and global challenges in mathematics education.
Bahar Rumelili is a Professor of International Relations and Jean Monnet Chair at Koç University, Istanbul. Her research focuses on international relations theory, European studies, and the intersections of identity, conflict, and EU-Turkey relations. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on European integration, foreign policy, and international relations theory. Her work explores self/other dynamics, ontological security, and liminality in global politics. Notable contributions include analyses of Greek-Turkish conflicts, EU enlargement dynamics, and the agency of peripheral states in shaping European identity. She has published extensively on citizenship practices, civil society, and the transformative potential of international institutions. Rumelili has received prestigious awards, including the 2024 Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council’s Science Award, and has held visiting fellowships at leading institutions. Her research bridges constructivist theory with post-colonial critiques, emphasizing the role of non-Western actors in challenging Eurocentric paradigms. Her work on citizenship and Europeanization highlights how marginalized groups (e.g., Kurds, Armenians) enact multi-layered citizenship beyond formal status. She has also contributed to policy debates on conflict resolution, ontological security, and the EU’s role in border conflicts. Rumelili’s interdisciplinary approach integrates historical analysis, discourse studies, and empirical case studies, making her a leading voice in critical international relations theory and EU-Turkey studies.
Mitch Herschbach is a Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), where he has been teaching since 2011. He also teaches courses in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies at CSUN, demonstrating his commitment to cross-disciplinary approaches to philosophical inquiry. Herschbach received his Ph.D. in Philosophy & Cognitive Science from the University of California, San Diego. This interdisciplinary training forms the foundation of his scholarly work, which bridges philosophical analysis with empirical findings from cognitive science and neuroscience. His research primarily focuses on the philosophy of mind and philosophy of science, with specific attention to cognitive science, psychology, and neuroscience. A significant portion of his work examines human social cognition—the capacity to understand others' mental states, commonly referred to as 'mentalizing,' 'mindreading,' or 'theory of mind.' From a philosophy of science perspective, Herschbach critically investigates explanatory frameworks in cognitive science, particularly the mechanistic approach and its relationship to more radical alternatives emphasizing the embodied, embedded, enactive, and extended nature of cognition. His scholarship consistently engages with simulation theory, folk psychology, and alternative accounts of how we understand other minds. Herschbach's publication record reveals a sustained engagement with foundational questions in social cognition. His most recent work, 'Revising Simulation Theory Beyond Recognition: A Reply to Yousefi Heris' (2025), demonstrates his active participation in contemporary debates. Over time, his research has evolved to address emerging frameworks like 4E cognition (embodied, embedded, enactive, extended) while maintaining critical engagement with traditional theories of social understanding. His work spans theoretical analysis of cognitive architecture, examination of neural mechanisms, and philosophical implications of empirical findings in cognitive science. As an educator, Herschbach has over a decade of experience teaching diverse philosophy courses including Ethics & Technology, Business Ethics and Public Policy, Philosophy and Biology, philosophy of mind, philosophy of science (covering cognitive sciences and biology), logic and critical thinking, socio-political philosophy, and various ethics courses. His Fall 2025 teaching schedule includes multiple sections of Business Ethics and Public Policy alongside Ethics & Technology. Herschbach is an active participant in the academic community, particularly through the Society for Philosophy and Neuroscience (SPAN). He has presented his research at events like SPAN2025, where he discussed his views on simulation theory and anti-localizationist accounts of brain function. He maintains professional profiles on academic platforms including Google Scholar, PhilPeople, ResearchGate, and ORCiD, facilitating scholarly connections in his field.
Dr. Susanne C. Knittel is Associate Professor of Comparative Literature at Utrecht University's Department of Languages, Literature and Communication. Holding a PhD from Columbia University (2011), she specializes in cultural memory, perpetrator studies, and environmental humanities through interdisciplinary lenses. Director of ERC-funded Ecologies of Violence project Co-founder of Journal of Perpetrator Research (2017) Co-director of Utrecht Network for Environmental Humanities Her research combines Holocaust memory with broader questions of guilt, responsibility, and cultural representation. She teaches courses on perpetrator studies, 20th/21st century European/North American literature, and posthumanist theory while organizing international academic initiatives like the Utrecht Forum for Memory Studies . Recent publications focus on environmental violence intersections with colonialism and genocide. Awards include ERC Consolidator Grant (2024), NWO-VENI award (2013), and European Studies Book Award recognition (2016).
Dr. Servet Altan serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Guidance and Psychological Counseling at MEF University's Faculty of Education in Istanbul, Turkey. Appointed in July 2022, he concurrently holds administrative roles as IBEC Coordinator and Vice Dean of the Faculty since September 2023. His academic foundation includes Master's and Doctorate degrees from Bilkent University, complemented by 15 years of K-12 international program implementation experience (2007-2022). Dr. Altan's research centers on students' motivation and engagement, Habits of Mind frameworks, diversity and inclusion practices, and international education systems. His scholarship appears in premier journals including the Journal of Teacher Education and Teaching and Teacher Education, reflecting his focus on practical applications in educational settings. As an International Baccalaureate Lead Educator since 2016, he actively trains teachers across national and international schools. Analysis of his 2022-2025 publications reveals three dominant research trajectories: (1) mindfulness applications for reducing test anxiety and enhancing academic achievement, (2) Habits of Mind integration in teacher development and emergency remote teaching contexts, and (3) equity-focused investigations into IB teacher preparation and student psychological needs. His work spans diverse educational environments from Turkish continuum schools to Latina/o/x community college settings, consistently addressing motivation, inclusivity, and international frameworks. Dr. Altan maintains active scholarly engagement through regular presentations at AERA and EARLI conferences. While specific student advisement details and grant information remain unreported in available sources, his leadership roles and publication record indicate significant contributions to educational psychology and international teaching practices.
Professor Michael Winikoff is a prominent academic at Victoria University of Wellington's School of Information Management, where he joined in June 2019 and served as Head of School from early 2021 to early 2025. Previously, he was Head of Department at University of Otago's Department of Information Science (February 2011 to December 2016) and Associate Professor at RMIT University's School of Computer Science and IT. His career spans over two decades of research in autonomous systems and agent-oriented software engineering. His educational background includes a PhD from the University of Melbourne (1994-1997). His research focuses on improving software creation methodologies, particularly for intelligent agents that exhibit robust and flexible behavior. He is best known for developing the Prometheus methodology for agent-based systems design. More recently, his work has expanded to address societal consequences of autonomous systems and trust issues, with significant contributions to explainable AI (XAI). His publication record demonstrates consistent contributions to autonomous systems research, with recent work focusing on explainability frameworks, trust calibration, and certification of reliable autonomous systems. His 15 most recent publications (2018-2025) show a clear evolution from technical agent design toward broader societal implications, particularly the intersection of technical design and human trust in autonomous systems. The publications span journals like Artificial Intelligence and IEEE Internet Computing, as well as major conferences including AAMAS. Past President of International Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems (IFAAMAS) Co-Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems (JAAMAS) Chair of ICORE rankings management committee Editor-in-Chief for International Journal of Agent-Oriented Software Engineering (IJAOSE) Vice President of Computing Research and Education Association of Australasia (CORE) Professor Winikoff has led significant research projects funded by the Australian Research Council, including work on adaptive personae for interactive toys, service-oriented negotiation in multi-agent systems, and advanced software engineering for intelligent agent systems. His current research continues this trajectory, focusing on making autonomous systems more explainable and trustworthy through engineering approaches that consider both technical and human factors. He maintains active collaborations across institutions, with recent work involving researchers from RMIT University and other international partners.
Tyson Ashley Retz is an Associate Professor of Intellectual History at the University of South-Eastern Norway (Department of Culture and Language Sciences, Faculty of Education and Humanities). He holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. His research focuses on the philosophy of history, historiography, and the intellectual history of political thought, particularly in 19th-century Europe. Retz has held visiting positions at the University of British Columbia (2014), Tallinn University (2018), and the University of Oslo (2021), and is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Vienna (2024-25). Retz’s scholarly work critiques traditional concepts of empathy in historical understanding, advocating instead for a hermeneutical approach rooted in Collingwood’s question-answer logic. His books *Empathy and History* (2018) and *Progress and the Scale of History* (2022) explore foundational issues in historical methodology and the evolution of progress narratives. Current research examines the religious-political dynamics of Restoration France (1815–1830) and the role of historical writing in liberal thought during Catholic revival periods. His peer-reviewed articles span topics such as historical scale, the Anthropocene’s ethical challenges, and comparative progress theories. Retz actively contributes to history education through editorial roles: he edits the *Bloomsbury History: Theory and Method* digital resource, chairs the *History Education Research Journal*, and guest-edited special issues on history didactics. He has supervised at least one PhD student, Jacob Tom (2025), and frequently publishes in journals like *Journal of the Philosophy of History* and *Rethinking History*. Awards include his Royal Historical Society fellowship. Retz’s interdisciplinary work bridges historical theory, education, and political philosophy, emphasizing the societal role of historical inquiry in addressing contemporary ethical and epistemological issues.
