Janine O'Flynn is the Director of the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University (ANU) since 2023. Previously, she held the position of Professor of Public Management at the University of Melbourne and served as a visiting professor at institutions like City University Hong Kong and Fudan University. Her research focuses on public management reform, governance relationships, and ethical policy-making. Notable contributions include work on public value creation, performance management systems, and positive public administration. She has authored over 75 publications, including Pathways to Positive Public Administration (2024) and co-edited the Research Handbook on Public Management and COVID-19 (2024). O'Flynn has received prestigious awards such as the National Academy of Public Administration Fellowship (2022) and the Best Book Award at the Academy of Management (2013). She actively advises governments globally and chairs research committees for organizations like the Centre for Public Impact. Education: PhD (Melbourne), Bachelor of Commerce (Hons., Melbourne). Key Roles: Editorial Board Member: Public Administration , Public Management Review , and others Board of Directors, Public Management Research Association Advisory Board, Victorian Public Sector Commission Research Focus: Public sector reform, governance ethics, policy complexity, and agile government frameworks.
Claire Bowern is Professor of Linguistics at Yale University specializing in historical linguistics, language documentation, and Australian Indigenous languages. Her research employs computational phylogenetics to study language evolution and supports language revitalization through digital archives and fieldwork methodologies. Recent publications address: Phylogenetic signal in lexical evolution across language families Digital infrastructure for endangered language documentation (FLEx software analysis) Decolonizing linguistics pedagogy and research practices Her work consistently integrates linguistic, anthropological, and computational approaches to analyze language diversity and change. She contributes to global databases including Grambank and D-PLACE, examining links between linguistic, cultural, and environmental patterns.
Nicolas Mathevon is a Professor at the University of Saint-Etienne and a Senior Member of the Institut universitaire de France (IUF). His research focuses on bioacoustics and animal communication, spanning from marine mammals to birds. He has held visiting positions at Hunter College (City University of New York) and the University of California, Berkeley. Education Habilitation à diriger les Recherches (2002, University of Saint-Etienne) PhD (1996, University of Lyon 1) Master's Degree (ranked 2nd, University of Lyon 1) Agrégation in Life and Earth Sciences (ranked 8th) Mathevon's research explores how animals use sound for social interactions, mate selection, and environmental adaptation. His work bridges bioacoustics, neuroethology, and behavioral ecology, with a focus on decoding vocal signals' complexity. His publications cover diverse topics including animal soundscapes, vocal memory in seals, and neural encoding of communication calls. The articles highlight interdisciplinary approaches combining neuroscience, behavioral studies, and acoustic signal analysis. Scientific Awards Prose Award for Excellence in Biological and Life Sciences, AAP (2024) Chevalier des Palmes Académiques (2017) IUF Senior Member (2015-present) IUF Junior Member (2005-2010) Mathevon has supervised 17 PhD students, 10 postdocs, and contributed to public outreach through media, documentaries, and public lectures. He leads the International Master of Bioacoustics program and serves as President of the International BioAcoustic Society.
Anca Dragan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley, where she runs the InterACT Lab focused on algorithms for human-AI and human-robot interaction. Currently on leave from Berkeley, she leads AI Safety and Alignment at Google DeepMind, overseeing safety for Gemini models and preparing for future advancements. Dragan has been a co-PI of the Center for Human-Compatible AI and served on the steering committee for the Berkeley AI Research (BAIR) Lab. B.Sc. in Computer Science from Jacobs University Bremen, Germany Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University Dr. Dragan's research focuses on enabling AI agents to work effectively with, around, and in support of people. Her work bridges robotics, machine learning, and game theory to create systems that better understand human preferences and coordinate with users. Key areas include AI alignment (ensuring AI does what people actually want), learning reward functions from diverse human feedback forms, and developing algorithms for human-AI collaboration across domains like autonomous vehicles, brain-machine interfaces, and recommender systems. Her research emphasizes maintaining uncertainty about human preferences and accounting for the plurality of human values. Dr. Dragan's recent publications reveal a strong focus on addressing fundamental challenges in AI safety and alignment. Her work spans theoretical foundations of reward learning, practical implementations for human-AI coordination, and critical examinations of limitations in current approaches. There's a clear trajectory toward more robust, safe, and value-aligned AI systems that can handle complex human preferences while avoiding both present-day harms and potential catastrophic risks. IEEE RAS Early Academic Career Award in Robotics and Automation (2021) McEntyre Award for Excellence in Teaching (2020) PECASE (Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Engineering) (2019) Sloan Fellowship (2018) NSF CAREER Award (2017) Okawa Foundation Award (2017) MIT Tech Review 35 Innovators Under 35 (2017) Multiple best paper awards at top robotics and AI conferences Dr. Dragan has mentored numerous successful students who have gone on to faculty positions at MIT, Stanford, CMU, and Princeton, as well as industry roles at DeepMind, Waymo, and Meta. Her advising philosophy emphasizes both technical rigor and consideration of broader societal impacts. She has secured significant research funding including NSF CAREER, ONR Young Investigator, and Okawa Foundation awards, supporting work on human-AI interaction and alignment. Dragan has also consulted for Waymo for six years, helping develop roadmaps for deploying increasingly learning-based safety-critical systems. Dr. Dragan leads the InterACT Lab at UC Berkeley, which has produced influential work on Cooperative Inverse Reinforcement Learning, Inverse Reward Design, and other foundational concepts in human-AI interaction. The lab's research has significantly shaped the field of AI alignment, with applications spanning autonomous vehicles that coordinate with human drivers, brain-machine interfaces that adapt to user needs, and language models that better understand human preferences. Current work focuses on scaling safety approaches as AI capabilities advance, ensuring alignment keeps pace with technological progress.
Meredith Tamminga is an Associate Professor of Linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania, where she directs the Language Variation and Cognition Lab . Her work bridges sociolinguistics , psycholinguistics , and theoretical linguistics , focusing on how linguistic variability is represented in mental grammar and how social context influences speech perception and production. She co-leads the Philadelphia Signs Project , exploring sign language sociolinguistics with collaborators at Penn and Gallaudet University. PhD in Linguistics (2014), University of Pennsylvania BA in Linguistics (2009), McGill University Her research integrates experimental methods with naturalistic speech analysis to study individual and group-level language change. Keywords include phonetics-phonology mapping , intraspeaker variation , and quantitative modeling . Notable grants include NSF awards and SAS Dean’s Mentorship Award . Key affiliations include MindCORE , Penn’s hub for integrative mind sciences, and collaborative ties to the Phonetics Lab , Child Language Lab , and Cultural Evolution of Language Lab . Her lab emphasizes cross-departmental research and welcomes undergraduate RAs and PhD students.
Sriram Subramaniam is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and holds the Gobind Khorana Canada Excellence Research Chair in Precision Cancer Drug Design. His research leverages cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to advance structural biology and drug design, focusing on protein dynamics and therapeutic target identification. Education: PhD in Physical Chemistry (1987) from Stanford University; MSc in Chemistry (1981) from Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. Subramaniam's interdisciplinary work combines cryo-EM with computational tools and molecular biology to study protein structures at atomic resolution. His lab has pioneered cryo-EM applications in precision medicine, including mapping small molecule drugs on patient-specific cancer mutants. Recent publications (2024-2022) highlight his contributions to understanding SARS-CoV-2 immune evasion, structural mechanisms of ATPases, and AI integration in structural biology. His research spans viral entry mechanisms, CRISPR systems, and neurodegenerative disease pathways. Scientific Awards: Gobind Khorana Canada Excellence Research Chair NIH Director’s Award for Scientific Excellence Fellow of the Biophysical Society Breakthrough Prize nomination Based at the Djavad Mowafaghian Center for Brain Health, Subramaniam leads the Program in Cryo-EM Guided Drug Design, contributing to over 177 peer-reviewed publications with a career h-index of 58 and citations exceeding 12,340.
Dr Rod Thornton is a Senior Lecturer in Russian Defence and Security Studies at King’s College London, affiliated with the Defence Studies Department and School of Security Studies. He specializes in the Russian military's kinetic and sub-threshold warfare, with a focus on cyber capabilities, space warfare, and UK homeland resilience. His research includes recent British Academy-funded work on UK civil defense capacity during the pandemic, advocating for dedicated civil defense organizations. He has published extensively on Russian military tactics in Ukraine, AI-cyber integration, and space-based deterrence. Russian military cyber operations Space warfare dynamics UK resilience capacity gaps Scientific awards include a British Academy grant (2020). His students focus on asymmetric warfare, AI, cyber, and regional security issues. He teaches at the UK Defence Academy and has collaborated with institutions in Finland, South Korea, and the Freeman Air and Space Institute.
Vivek Shenoy is the Eduardo D. Glandt President's Distinguished Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, with primary appointments in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and secondary appointments in Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics. He leads the Multiscale Mechanobiology and Biomaterials Laboratory, which focuses on developing theoretical frameworks and numerical methods to understand complex biological and engineering systems across multiple length scales. Shenoy's research spans mechanobiology, chromatin organization, cell mechanics, and biomaterials. His work addresses the fundamental challenge of modeling how small-scale cellular phenomena couple with long-range tissue-level interactions across micrometers to centimeters. By integrating insights from soft matter physics, solid mechanics, chemistry, and applied mathematics, his group develops multiphysics continuum and mesoscale theories to elucidate mechanisms controlling both biological and engineering systems. His recent publications demonstrate an increasing focus on nuclear mechanics, chromatin organization, and the interplay between mechanical forces and gene regulation. Analysis of Shenoy's publication record reveals a strong interdisciplinary approach, with high-impact papers spanning biophysics, materials science, and cell biology. His work shows consistent evolution from fundamental mechanics of materials to complex biological systems, with recent emphasis on the mechanical regulation of chromatin architecture, cell migration dynamics in 3D environments, and mechanotransduction in development and disease. His publications appear regularly in top journals including Nature, Science, and their affiliated publications, demonstrating significant influence across multiple fields. Eduardo D. Glandt President's Distinguished Professor Multiple publications in Nature, Science, and PNAS Active research program with publications through 2025 Shenoy actively mentors students and postdocs through his laboratory, with numerous co-authored publications indicating strong mentorship. His research program appears to be well-funded through multiple grants supporting his work in mechanobiology and biomaterials. The Multiscale Mechanobiology and Biomaterials Laboratory maintains active collaborations across disciplines and institutions, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of his research. The Multiscale Mechanobiology and Biomaterials Laboratory, housed within the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, serves as the primary research hub for Shenoy's work. The lab maintains an active presence on social media (Twitter: @ShenoyLab) for updates on activities and publications. Their research approach combines theoretical modeling with experimental validation to address fundamental questions at the interface of mechanics, materials science, and biology.
Dawn Y. Sumner is a Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California, Davis. Her research focuses on geobiology, paleobiology, and planetary science, particularly reconstructing ancient environments on Earth and Mars. She is a key member of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory team, contributing to the Curiosity rover’s exploration of Gale Crater on Mars. Sumner’s work integrates field studies, lab analyses, and interdisciplinary approaches to understand microbial life’s role in shaping Earth’s history and potential habitability on other planets. Education: Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1995). Research interests include microbialite formation, Antarctic lake ecosystems, and the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis. She investigates modern microbial communities in ice-covered lakes (e.g., Lake Vanda) to understand ancient environments and their biosignatures. Her scientific awards include the California Academy of Sciences Academy Fellow (2020) and Geological Society of America Fellow (2014). Sumner emphasizes inclusive education and supports student success in STEM through feminist research practices. Labs/Teams: W.M. Keck Center for Active Visualization in the Earth Sciences (KeckCAVES), Antarctic Lake Research Group.
Felipe Csaszar is a Professor of Strategy and Chair of the Strategy Department at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. His research focuses on decision structures' impact on innovation, financial performance, and social outcomes, with particular attention to cognitive frameworks, organizational processes, and AI's role in decision-making. He holds a PhD and MA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Education: PhD in Strategy, University of Pennsylvania (2009) MA in Strategy, University of Pennsylvania (2007) Research Interests: Strategic decision-making under AI integration Cognitive and structural drivers of innovation Organizational decision processes and design Formal modeling and empirical strategy research Editorial Roles: Senior Editor, Strategy Science and Management Science Former Editor, Organization Science Co-editor, Handbook of AI and Strategy Professional Experience: Prior role: Assistant Professor at INSEAD Previous career: CEO of an internet startup and Head of Research at an asset management firm Labs/Teams: Leading the Strategy Science division at INFORMS Co-chair of the SMS Behavioral Strategy division
Professor Janet B. Pierrehumbert is a leading academic in computational linguistics and natural language processing, holding the position of Professor of Language Modelling at the Oxford e-Research Centre, University of Oxford. She is also a Senior Research Fellow at Trinity College and affiliated with the Faculty of Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics. Her work bridges interdisciplinary research in phonology, sociolinguistics, and computational models of language dynamics. Education: PhD in Linguistics from MIT (1980), A.B. in Linguistics from Harvard University (1975). Research Interests: Focuses on computational linguistics, dialect variation, language dynamics, and the societal impacts of NLP. Her group develops algorithms for analyzing social media discourse, forecasting trends, and modeling language evolution. Recent work includes studies on dialect fairness in LLMs and semantic shifts in political discourse. Key Projects: EPSRC-funded research on online forum dynamics, the Wordovators project on lexical innovation, and collaborations with institutions like the Oxford Man Institute. Her work emphasizes robust NLP systems and theoretical linguistics. Awards: ISCA Medal (2020), National Academy of Sciences membership (2019), Fellowships from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Cognitive Science Society. Grants & Advising: Over £6M in research funding, including EPSRC and Templeton grants. Supervised over 30 PhD students and postdocs, many now leading academics and industry researchers in NLP and linguistics. Labs/Teams: Leads the Pierrehumbert Language Modelling Group, collaborating with the Oxford e-Research Centre and international partners like Stanford and the University of Canterbury.
Professor Jonathan Boff (FRHistS) is a leading military historian in the Department of History at the University of Birmingham. His research explores the intersection of institutions, individuals, and warfare through comparative and cross-disciplinary approaches. He has a unique background combining academic expertise with two decades of private-sector experience, primarily in Asia. PhD in War Studies, King’s College London MA in History of Warfare, King’s College London BA in PPE, Merton College, Oxford University Boff’s research focuses on Economic Statecraft , the military history of the World Wars, British strategy (1880–1945), and the psychological dynamics of combat. He bridges historical analysis with modern policy challenges, particularly in financial and strategic contexts. Recent publications highlight his expertise in First World War financial policy, battlefield tactics, and institutional adaptation. His work is recognized for its empirical rigor and interdisciplinary methodology. AHRC Fellowship in Research Leadership (2020–23) Prize-winning books: Haig's Enemy (OUP, 2018) and Winning and Losing on the Western Front (CUP, 2012) Fellow of the Royal Historical Society He supervises PhD research on topics such as economic statecraft, World War-era military strategies, and comparative studies of morale. His grants include AHRC funding for his current project on financial warfare, culminating in a 2025 monograph by Oxford University Press.
Andrew Childs is a Professor at the University of Maryland, affiliated with the Department of Computer Science and the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS). He serves as Director of the NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institute for Robust Quantum Simulation (RQS) and is a Fellow at the Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science (QuICS). His research focuses on quantum algorithms for simulating physical systems, algebraic problems, and quantum walk protocols, with applications in quantum computing and computational complexity. University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS) Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science (QuICS) NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institute for Robust Quantum Simulation Childs' research spans quantum simulation, quantum Fourier transform, phase estimation, and Hamiltonian dynamics. He has developed techniques to reduce quantum computational resources for simulating quantum systems and explored limitations of quantum computers through hidden subgroup problems and non-unitary dynamics. His publications cover diverse areas including quantum walk optimization, Hamiltonian simulation methods, and applications to cryptography and condensed matter physics. Recent works address spatial search algorithms, product formulas for commutators, and quantum routing protocols. As an educator, Childs has taught courses on quantum algorithms and information processing at both the University of Maryland and University of Waterloo, with lecture notes and materials spanning multiple years. Contact: amchilds@umd.edu | Office: ATL 3359 | Affiliated with University of Maryland's quantum research institutes.
Bai Gao is a Professor of Sociology at Duke University. His research focuses on political economy, globalization trends, and industrial policy, particularly in the context of China and East Asia. He holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University (1994). Research Interests : Impact of state industrial policy on emerging technologies (e.g., electric vehicles in China) Globalization dynamics and post-neoliberal policy paradigms Comparative analysis of developmental models (China, Japan, Germany) Geopolitical implications of China's Belt and Road Initiative Key Contributions : Author of Japan’s Economic Dilemma (2001) and High-Speed Rail: An Analysis of the Chinese Innovation System (2021) Edited volumes on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and global political economy Grants & Funding : "FDI and the Chinese Model of Economic Development" (2005-2007) "Institutional Analysis of Global Production Networks" (2003-2004) Courses Taught : SOCIOL 541: The United States and the Asian Pacific Region SOCIOL 344: Technology and Organizational Environments
Dr. Julian Limberg is a Senior Lecturer in Public Policy at the Department of Political Economy, King’s College London. He previously held a post-doctoral position at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and earned his PhD in Political and Social Sciences from the European University Institute. His research focuses on public policy and political economy, particularly inequality dynamics, tax policy, and environmental governance. Education: PhD in Political and Social Sciences (European University Institute), Post-doctoral Research (Ludwig Maximilian University). Affiliations: Public Policy and Regulation Research Group, Quantitative Political Economy Research Group, Global South Research Group. His work examines the causes and consequences of progressive taxation, climate policy effectiveness, and public perceptions of fiscal fairness. Recent studies include the impact of dedicated climate ministries on emissions reduction and the link between financial sector growth and tax policies. Limberg is also engaged in projects analyzing how technological changes influence tax preferences and the societal consequences of major tax cuts for the wealthy. Key articles highlight his contributions to understanding taxation trends, climate policy implementation, and the interplay between economic shifts and fiscal strategies. He collaborates across disciplines, bridging political science and economics to address contemporary governance challenges.
