Andrew S. Kelly is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health at California State University, East Bay. His research focuses on American political development and US public policy, particularly in health care, public health, and science policy. Dr. Kelly holds a PhD in Political Science from Northwestern University and has held postdoctoral positions at the University of California, Berkeley (as a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Research Scholar), Johns Hopkins University, and the University of California, San Francisco. His work appears in journals such as Health Affairs , Journal of Health Politics, Policy, and Law , and Publius: The Journal of Federalism . Key topics include Medicare-Medicaid dynamics, Affordable Care Act implementation, all-payer claims databases, and the political dimensions of healthcare pricing. Education: PhD in Political Science (Northwestern University) Awards: Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Research Scholar Professional Experience: Postdoctoral roles at UC Berkeley, Johns Hopkins, and UCSF His research emphasizes intergovernmental policy innovation and the resilience of major healthcare programs amid political shifts. Grants and service activities are not detailed in the provided text.
Dr. Kidambi Sreenivas is an Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), affiliated with the College of Engineering and Computer Science. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and specializes in computational fluid dynamics (CFD), with a focus on unstructured multi-physics flow solvers and applications in aerospace, environmental systems, and biomedical engineering. His research bridges academia and industry, collaborating with NASA, the U.S. Navy, Department of Energy, and private companies. Dr. Sreenivas' research interests include rotating machinery simulations, pre-conditioners for non-ideal fluids, and real-world applications such as submarine hydrodynamics, wind farm optimization, aerodynamic efficiency of vehicles, and contaminant dispersal modeling. He has pioneered methods for simulating complex geometries and physics, including high-fidelity simulations of hypersonic vehicles, weapons bay cavities, and shock-wave interactions. Recent work emphasizes advanced CFD methodologies for high-speed flows, thermal effects on turbulence, and aerothermal characteristics of hypersonic test articles. His collaborations have led to practical solutions for drag reduction on Class 8 trucks and improved accuracy in wind turbine modeling. Dr. Sreenivas also contributes to educational initiatives, such as developing PIV systems for undergraduate fluid mechanics labs. His advising and grants reflect partnerships with federal agencies and private sectors, focusing on projects like microplastic sampling devices for stormwater management. These projects highlight his interdisciplinary approach to solving real-world engineering challenges through cutting-edge computational methods.
Jiannan Wang is an Associate Professor in the School of Computing Science at Simon Fraser University (SFU). He holds a Ph.D. from Tsinghua University (2013) and a B.Sc. from Harbin Institute of Technology (2008). His research focuses on database systems, data management, and data science, with particular emphasis on data cleaning, crowdsourcing, and big data technologies. He leads the SFU Data Science Research Group, aiming to accelerate data science workflows through innovative tools like DataPrep and ConnectorX. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, China (2013) B.Sc. in Computer Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, China (2008) Research Interests: Dr. Wang's work spans database systems, data cleaning, crowdsourcing, and big data education. He develops open-source tools for data scientists to streamline data preparation and analysis. His lab's mission is to make data science more efficient through technologies like DataPrep and ConnectorX . Awards: IEEE TCDE Rising Star Award (2018) CS-Can|Info-Can Outstanding Early Career Researcher Award (2020) VLDB Best Experiments, Analysis & Benchmark Paper Award (2021) PVLDB Distinguished Review Board Member Award (2020) Advising & Leadership: Director of SFU's Professional Master's Program in Big Data and Visual Computing. Supervised over 20 graduate and undergraduate students, many of whom have gone on to roles at top companies like Google, Amazon, and Huawei. Lab & Teams: Part of the SFU Data Science Research Group and the SFU Big Data Academic Advisory Committee. His lab collaborates with industry partners and contributes to open-source projects in data management and machine learning.
Professor Liwei Zhang, M.D., serves as Director of Neurosurgery Department and Vice President of Beijing Tiantan Hospital, with Doctoral Supervisor appointments at Beijing Capital Medical University and Tsinghua University. He is Associate Director of China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Chairman of the Chinese Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and Committee member of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies. His research pioneers skull-base and brainstem tumor treatment, focusing on brainstem glioma genetics and brain function protection. He established the National Brain Tumor Registry of China (NBTRC) —now the world's second-largest brain tumor database with 110,000+ clinical records—and developed non-invasive CSF ctDNA diagnostics for molecular profiling. His work includes identifying PPM1D mutations in brainstem glioma and creating patient-derived DIPG cell models. Major recognitions include: 2018 National Science and Technology Progress Award of China (Second Prize) 2017 Beijing Science and Technology Progress Award (Second Prize) 2017 Chinese Medical Science Prize (Third Prize) 2017 Chinese Medical Science and Technology Progress Award (Third Prize) 2015 Beijing Medical Science and Technology Progress Award (Third Prize) 2015 Chinese Medical Science Prize (Third Prize) 2014 Chinese Medical Science Prize (Third Prize) 2006 Beijing Science and Technology Progress Award (Third Prize) 2006 Chinese Medical Science Prize (Second Prize) He has mentored 30+ graduate students, secured 40+ million RMB in research funding, and established China's Multidisciplinary Cooperation System for Skull-based Tumors. As Chief of Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Tumor Research, he leads NBTRC's global data-sharing initiatives for brain health studies.
Gina Crocenzi (Masterson) serves as a Professor in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages at George Mason University, teaching French literature and related disciplines. She maintains prior faculty appointments at Georgetown University and Princeton University, with active teaching responsibilities confirmed for Fall 2025 courses. Her academic foundation includes a summa cum laude B.A. in Philosophy/History from Georgetown University and a Ph.D. in Modern French Literature and Literary Criticism from the Catholic University of America. Professional certifications encompass Hybrid Learning (American University, 2018) and Online Instruction (NOVA, 2020). Research spans dual domains: French literary studies focusing on Kristeva, Bachelard, 20th-century philosophy, and theology; alongside computational geospatial work in traffic simulation and ZIP code systems. This unusual interdisciplinary range reflects publications in both humanities (e.g., Literature and the Science of the Unknowable ) and computer science venues. Scientific recognition includes: Excellence in Teaching Award, Northern Va Community College, Office of the Dean (Spring 2021) No verifiable information exists regarding graduate student mentorship, research grants, or laboratory leadership. Her professional background additionally incorporates international business project management within the US federal government.
Dr. Chenhao Ma is an Assistant Professor at the School of Data Science , The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen , where he works on large-scale data management and data mining. Previously, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Hong Kong (2021–2022) and earned his PhD in Computer Science from the University of Hong Kong (2021) and B.Eng. from Shandong University (2017). Current research focuses on graph computing (dense subgraph discovery, motif analysis, graph learning), AI+DB (Text-to-SQL, vector search), and traffic data mining (trajectory analysis, outlier detection). He has published over 40 papers in top venues including SIGMOD, PVLDB, KDD and received the ACM SIGMOD Research Highlight Award 2021 and Best of SIGMOD 2020 (4/458). Scientific Awards : ACM SIGMOD Research Highlight Award 2021 Best of SIGMOD 2020 (4/458) Presidential Young Fellow at CUHK-Shenzhen (2023) Hong Kong and China Gas Scholarship (2019-2020) Reaching Out Award (2019) HKU Postgraduate Scholarship (2017-2021) ACM-ICPC Gold Medal (2015) National Scholarship (2014, 2015) Advising and Research Team : He leads a team including Postdoc Dr. Yuanyuan Zeng, PhD students Lujie Ban, Yuwei Xu, and MPhil students Yi Yang, Yuyang Liang. Former mentees like Yichen Xu (PhD at Berkeley) and Jiayang Pang (Master at UC San Diego) have achieved academic placements. Professional Service : He has served as PC member/reviewer for VLDB, KDD, ICDE, WWW, NeurIPS, TKDE , and guest editor for Applied Sciences and Frontiers in Big Data . He chairs sessions at ICDE and VLDB.
Susan B. Davidson is the Weiss Professor at the University of Pennsylvania in the Department of Computer and Information Science , affiliated with the School of Engineering and Applied Science . She serves as Co-Director of the Data Science Program and has held leadership roles such as Deputy Dean of SEAS. Research Interests : Databases Bioinformatics Data Management for Data Science Provenance-Based Trust Management Collaborative Data Curation Professional Activities : Chair of the CRA Board of Directors; Member of the CCC and VLDB Endowment Board. She co-founded the Greater Philadelphia Bioinformatics Alliance and served as Founding Co-Director of the Center for Bioinformatics. Teaching : Recently taught courses including CIS550: Introduction to Database Management Systems (Fall 2022) and CIS545: Big Data Analytics (Spring 2022). Scientific Awards : Fulbright Scholar Hitachi Chair, INRIA-GEMO Advising Legacy : Her former PhD students include Yinjun Wu (Postdoc, UPenn), Sudeepa Roy (Assistant Professor, Duke), Zhuowei Bao (Facebook), Yifeng Zheng (Google NY), Yi Chen (Associate Professor, NJIT), Vanessa Braganhola (Associate Professor, Universidade Federal Fluminense), and Carmem Hara (Professor, Universidade Federal do Parana).
Daniel Vallero is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Duke University . He holds a Ph.D. from Duke (2000) , an M.S. from the University of Kansas (1996) , and a B.A. from Southern Illinois University (1974) . His career spans environmental engineering, exposure assessment, and climate change adaptation, with affiliations including North Carolina Central University (2012-2013) as Associate Professor. Education B.A., Southern Illinois University, 1974 M.S., University of Kansas, 1996 Ph.D., Duke University, 2000 Key Research Areas Environmental systems science Air pollution modeling and control Hazardous waste bioremediation Climate change governance Exposure-based chemical prioritization Biogeochemical cycling under climate stress Publication Trends Focus on PFAS exposure pathways , climate adaptation strategies , and pollutant fate in ecosystems Recent work includes high-throughput exposure models and environmental justice in global warming Scientific Awards Federal Honor Awards (2025) from the U.S. EPA Jeffrey B. Taub Award (1999) at Duke University Notable Contributions Authored Air Pollution Calculations and Environmental Systems Science Developed exposure prioritization tools like Ex Priori Post-9/11 environmental contamination studies in New York City
Professor Cyrill P. Rigamonti is a Tenured Professor of Law at the University of Bern, where he teaches intellectual property law, antitrust/competition law, and media law. He serves as Director of the Institute for Economic Law and Chair of the Department for Economic Law, and is the founder of the Center for the Law of Innovation and Competition (CLIC). Professor Rigamonti is also an elected member of the Federal Arbitral Commission on Copyright and Neighboring Rights, serving as its President since 2024, having previously been Vice President since 2020. Professor Rigamonti holds a S.J.D. from Harvard Law School, an LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center, and a J.D./Ph.D. from the University of Zurich. He also earned a habilitation from the University of Bern and is admitted to practice in New York and Zurich. His academic career includes a visiting position at the University of Oxford's Faculty of Law and Oxford Intellectual Property Research Centre in Spring 2024. Professor Rigamonti's research focuses on intellectual property law, particularly copyright, patent, and trademark law, as well as competition law. His work examines the intersection of intellectual property with fundamental rights, digital technologies, and international harmonization efforts. He has made significant contributions to understanding Swiss copyright law in comparative perspective, particularly regarding non-original photographs, parody exceptions, and internet service provider liability. His scholarly output shows consistent focus on the evolving relationship between copyright law and digital technologies, with particular attention to secondary liability, parody exceptions, and the protection of non-creative works. Professor Rigamonti's work bridges theoretical analysis with practical legal application, as evidenced by multiple citations of his scholarship in Swiss Federal Supreme Court decisions. Prix Jubilé from the Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences (first legal scholar to receive this award) Mancini and Addison Brown prizes from Harvard Law School Professor Rigamonti actively engages with the legal profession through his service on editorial boards including the leading Swiss intellectual property law journal (sic!), as a peer reviewer for the International Review of Intellectual Property and Competition Law (IIC), and as National Correspondent for the Journal of Intellectual Property, Information Technology and E-Commerce Law (JIPITEC). He also serves as Vice President of the Board of the Hans Sigrist Foundation at the University of Bern and on the list of arbitrators for the Swiss-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Binding Arbitration Program.
Dawn Laux serves as Assistant Dean of Academic Programs and Professor of Practice in the School of Applied and Creative Computing at Purdue Polytechnic Institute, Purdue University. She concurrently holds the position of Division Head for Military Science and Technology and chairs the Purdue University Teaching Academy. With over 15 years of service since 2007, Dr. Laux teaches undergraduate information governance courses and has earned recognition including the Charles B. Murphy Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching (2019) and induction into Purdue's Book of Great Teachers (2023). Her educational background includes: PhD in Human Computer Interaction, Iowa State University (2014) MS in Management Information Systems, Iowa State University (2007) BS in Business Education and Office Administration, Ball State University (1994) Dr. Laux's research centers on data governance, computer-supported collaborative learning, and student persistence in technology education. She investigates technology acceptance, recruitment of women and minorities into IT, database management, and information governance frameworks. Her work bridges educational theory with practical applications to enhance student engagement and diversity in computing fields. Analysis of her publications (2011-2016) reveals consistent focus on educational technology interventions, particularly examining virtual communities for student persistence, diversity initiatives in computing, and classroom technology adoption. Her research demonstrates interdisciplinary integration of information systems, educational psychology, and social computing principles with practical applications in higher education settings. Her distinguished recognition includes: Book of Great Teachers, Purdue University (2023) Academic Leadership Program Fellow, Big Ten Academic Alliance (2022-2023) Teaching Academy Member, Purdue University (2019) Charles B. Murphy Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching (2019) College of Technology Exceptional Early Career Teaching Award (2014-2015) Teaching for Tomorrow Fellowship Award (2013-2014) Bringing 10 years of pre-academic industry experience from Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union and Insight Communications, Dr. Laux integrates practical IT expertise into her teaching and leadership. Her administrative roles encompass academic program oversight and military technology education initiatives, supported by her active participation in the National Center for Women and Information Technology Academic Alliance since 2011. As Division Head of Military Science and Technology, Dr. Laux leads specialized technology education programs while chairing the university-wide Teaching Academy to advance pedagogical excellence across Purdue's academic units.
Sharad Mehrotra is a Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), leading the Center for Emergency Response Technologies (CERT) and directing the NSF-funded RESCUE project. He previously served at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin (1993). His research focuses on data management, IoT systems, privacy-preserving technologies, and smart spaces, with contributions to frameworks like TIPPERS and MARS. Education: Ph.D., Computer Science, University of Texas at Austin, 1993 Research Interests: His work bridges database systems, security, and IoT, emphasizing privacy in smart environments. Notable projects include sentient space technologies for disaster response, cryptographic methods for encrypted data queries, and semantic IoT integration. Recent efforts address privacy in multi-owner data systems and resilient community water infrastructure. Awards & Recognition: ACM Fellow (2024) SIGMOD Best Paper (2001), DASFAA Best Paper (2004) NAVWAR Innovation Award (2021) Outstanding Graduate Mentor (2005) Grants & Leadership: As RESCUE PI, he managed $12.5M NSF funding, developing crisis-response software deployed by emergency agencies. Collaborations include the Cal-IT2 institute (UCSD/UCI) and the US Navy’s TIPPERS platform. He co-leads initiatives like the NSF Civic Innovation Challenge for disaster resilience in aging communities. Labs & Teams: Directs UCI’s Information Systems Group and CERT, fostering interdisciplinary research with 60+ members. His teams produce open-source tools (e.g., SEMIoTIC, PrivacySphere) and engage in global partnerships via Fulbright Visiting Scholar programs.
Xiaoning Ding is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). His research focuses on virtualization, multicore computing, cloud infrastructure optimization, and mobile systems. He leads projects addressing challenges in nested virtualization, memory management, and cache conflicts in distributed and cloud environments. Key research interests include optimizing task scheduling in cloud VMs, reducing TLB misses through huge page strategies, and mitigating interference in multi-tenant GPU clouds. His work on page placement mechanisms and dynamic page coalescing aims to enhance virtualized cloud performance. Ding has received federal funding, including an NSF grant for virtualization research in heterogeneous memory hierarchies (2016–2019). His research outputs span over 74 publications, with notable contributions in EuroSys, IEEE Transactions, and conferences like PACT. Media coverage highlights his studies on cloud computing and collaborative mobile systems, such as parking assignment algorithms. Beyond technical contributions, Ding advises students in interdisciplinary projects, exemplified by collaborations with Applied Math majors on cloud computing challenges.
Tyler Simko is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Michigan, specializing in US state and local politics, political geography, and computational social science. His research focuses on understanding and addressing inequality in American public policy through innovative methodological approaches. Education: Ph.D. in Government, Harvard University (2024) A.B. in Politics, Princeton University Simko's research examines state and local politics in the United States with particular focus on political geography and subnational policymaking. His active research agendas include legislative redistricting ("gerrymandering"), local public meetings, school segregation, affordable housing, and data privacy. Methodologically, he develops new techniques in computational social science and machine learning to evaluate subnational inequality and how it can be reduced. His work regularly involves partnerships with federal, state, and local officials to improve the design of public policy. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on applying computational methods to address real-world policy challenges, particularly in school desegregation, redistricting, and local government transparency. His research often leverages large-scale data collection efforts, such as LocalView (the largest database of local government meetings in the US), to analyze patterns of political behavior and policy outcomes across different jurisdictions. Awards and Recognition: APSA 2024-25 Best Paper in Education Politics and Policy Award APSA 2024-25 Best Paper in Urban and Local Politics, Honorable Mention MPSA 2024 Robert H. Durr Award for "the best paper applying quantitative methods to a substantive problem" Derek C. Bok Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching of Undergraduates (2023) Simko teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in American Politics and Political Methodology at the University of Michigan. His teaching experience spans multiple institutions, including Harvard University and Princeton University. He has designed innovative courses on US Local Policymaking, data science, and computational social science. As a Data Scientist at the Office of Evaluation Sciences, he partners with federal, state, and local officials to improve program design and reduce administrative burdens. He is a co-PI of the Algorithm-Assisted Redistricting Methodology (ALARM) Project and co-creator of LocalView, the largest audio, video, and text database of local government meetings in the United States. These projects represent significant contributions to the field of computational social science and provide valuable resources for researchers studying local governance and policy-making.
Ass.Prof. Mag. Christian Domenig is an Assistant Professor at the University of Klagenfurt's Institute of History, specializing in Medieval History and Historical Auxiliary Sciences. His research focuses on the Counts of Cilli, medieval social structures, source criticism, and interdisciplinary approaches linking medieval studies with modern media like Star Trek. He holds a doctoral degree from the University of Klagenfurt (2004) and completed diploma studies in History and Media Communication (1999). Education: 1994-1999: Diploma in History & Media Communication, University of Klagenfurt 1999-2004: Doctoral Studies in History, University of Klagenfurt His research interests include medieval administrative practices, cultural history, and the intersection of medieval themes with contemporary media. Notable projects include the 'Documents and Letters of the Counts of Cilli' (2002-2005) and exhibitions on medieval calendars. He received the Rome Scholarship (2005) for research at the Austrian Cultural Forum in Rome. His publications explore topics like medieval catastrophe narratives, castle politics, and the role of Jewish communities in feudal power structures. He also engages with pop culture interpretations of the Middle Ages, such as analyzing Star Trek's portrayal of pre-modern societies. Awards: Rome Scholarship, Federal Ministry of Education (2005) He advises projects on medieval source criticism and collaborates on digital humanities initiatives like the Klagenfurt Charter Database. His work often bridges traditional historiography with modern pedagogical methods.
Hannah Blum serves as the Alain H. Peyrot Associate Professor in Structural Engineering within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research program focuses on infrastructure resilience, next-generation structural design methodologies, and advanced visualization techniques including extended reality applications, supported by funding from federal agencies, industry associations, and private companies. Her academic credentials include a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Sydney (2017), complemented by MS (2012) and BS (2010) degrees in Civil Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Blum's research program spans critical domains in structural engineering with particular emphasis on steel systems. Key focus areas include: Steel, cold-formed steel, and stainless-steel structural systems Steel deck and joist system behavior Structural stability and reliability analysis Virtual and augmented reality applications in structural steel fabrication Data-driven approaches to structural engineering problems Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a concentrated research trajectory centered on data-driven design methodologies, advanced material systems (particularly stainless steel and high-strength alloys), and immersive technology integration. Notable trends include machine learning applications for buckling prediction, experimental validation of novel structural systems, and mixed-reality solutions for fabrication processes. Her distinguished recognition includes: University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor’s Teaching Innovation Award (2024) College of Engineering Harvey Spangler Award for Innovative Teaching (2023) American Institute of Steel Construction Terry Peshia Early Career Faculty Award (2023) Structural Stability Research Council McGuire Award for Junior Researchers (2022) Structural Stability Research Council Yoon Duk Kim Young Researcher Award (2021) Dr. Blum actively mentors graduate students through CIV ENGR 790 (Master's Research) and 890 (Pre-Dissertator's Research) courses while securing diverse research funding streams. Her professional service includes active participation in steel design standards committees for structural, cold-formed, and stainless-steel systems through organizations like the Structural Stability Research Council. Her experimental and computational research requires specialized facilities for structural testing and digital visualization, though specific laboratory names are not documented in the provided materials. Current projects demonstrate strong industry collaboration, particularly with steel manufacturing and construction technology firms.
