Michela Bertolotto is a Professor in the School of Computer Science at University College Dublin (UCD). Her research focuses on spatio-temporal data modeling, GIScience, and applications of geospatial technologies in fields like urban planning and health informatics. She leads a research group and has supervised 19 PhD and 8 MSc students. Her work includes innovations in LiDAR-based flood risk visualization, semantic web quality assurance, and open-source spatial data analysis. Bertolotto has held roles including College Lecturer at UCD (2000–2006) and postdoctoral research positions at the University of Maine and University of Genoa. Education: BSc and PhD in Computer Science from the University of Genoa (1993, 1998). Professional achievements include over 100 publications, 24 grants (e.g., Science Foundation Ireland-funded Urban ARK project), and editorial roles at journals like the International Journal of Geographical Information Science. Awards include the UCD President's Research Award (2001) and NATO Postdoc Fellowship (1998–1999). Research interests span map personalization, volunteered geographic information (VGI), and geospatial data quality. Her lab develops tools like the LAMSkyCam (low-cost sky imaging system) and dynamic flood risk viewers. She chairs international conferences and serves on program committees for GIScience events.
Upaka Rathnayake is a Professor of Civil Engineering and Principal Investigator at the Mathematical Modelling and Intelligent Systems for Health and Environment (MISHE) research unit at Atlantic Technological University Sligo, Ireland. He has held academic and research roles globally, including in Sri Lanka, Japan, the UK, New Zealand, Australia, and Fiji. His research focuses on water resources management, hydrological modeling, climate analysis, and AI-driven solutions for environmental challenges. He holds a PhD from the University of Strathclyde and advanced certifications from Hokkaido University. Education: PhD in Optimal Management of Urban Sewer Systems (University of Strathclyde, 2013) Professional Memberships: Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka, Engineers New Zealand, International Association of Hydrological Sciences Research interests include: Hydrological modeling and climate change adaptation Multi-objective optimization and soft computing techniques Explainable AI applications in environmental systems Remote sensing and GIS for water resource management Recent articles highlight AI-driven solutions for air quality prediction, soil nutrient analysis, and flood risk assessment. Awards include the 2023 Presidential Award for Scientific Publications and multiple university excellence awards. He actively advises PhD students on projects like urban water systems optimization and climatic trends analysis. Rathnayake is an editorial board member of journals like Scientific Reports and PLoS ONE , contributing to peer review and policy-oriented research. His work bridges data-driven methods with traditional hydrological practices to address global environmental challenges.
Usman Ali is an Assistant Professor and Adjunct Lecturer at the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University College Dublin. He holds a Ph.D. in 'A data-driven GIS-based approach for multi-scale residential building energy modeling' (2020) from UCD and an M.Sc. in Computer Science from Lahore University of Management Science (2013). His research focuses on machine learning, GIS modeling, urban building energy systems, and energy performance certification. He has contributed to projects like the U.S.-Ireland R&D initiative on building stock classification and energy prediction, and collaborated with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on energy policy research. His work emphasizes data-driven solutions for energy efficiency, urban sustainability, and policy decision-making. Education: Ph.D., University College Dublin (2020) M.Sc., Lahore University of Management Science (2013) B.Sc., International Islamic University Islamabad (2008) Research emphasizes machine learning applications in energy modeling, GIS integration for urban planning, and energy policy frameworks. His recent work includes synthetic building datasets, occupancy-based energy analysis, and uncertainty quantification in energy systems.
Dr. Gavin McArdle is an Associate Professor at the University College Dublin (UCD) School of Computer Science, specializing in spatial data analysis and smart cities. He holds academic affiliations with the National Centre for Geocomputation (Maynooth University) and CeADAR (Data Analytics Centre). His research focuses on urban dynamics, geovisual analytics, smart transportation, and remote sensing applications. He has received a College of Science Teaching Excellence Award for his contributions to education. McArdle earned his BSc, PhD, and a Prof Dip in University Teaching & Learning from UCD. His work bridges academia and industry through collaborative grants, including those from Science Foundation Ireland and EU funding. Notable projects include the Dublin Dashboard (urban analytics platform) and DubSim (traffic simulation using digital footprints). His research outputs span over 147 publications, with recent work addressing Airbnb's impact on urban gentrification, sustainable mobility, and environmental monitoring via satellite data. He actively contributes to professional committees, including roles in the UCD Data Protection Impact Assessment Committee and international conferences like Web and Wireless GIS. McArdle coordinates courses such as Research Practicum and Computer Programming II, emphasizing practical research and technical skills. His interdisciplinary approach integrates machine learning, spatial statistics, and urban informatics to address real-world challenges in smart cities and environmental sustainability.
Dr. Hamid Rabiei is an Assistant Professor in Geography at the School of History and Geography, Dublin City University. He holds a PhD in Spatial Planning and Urban Development from Politecnico di Milano, Italy. His research focuses on sustainable development, spatial inequalities, climate change, and remote sensing/GIS applications. He has secured prestigious grants like the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship and published extensively in top-tier journals such as Habitat International and Applied Geography . His work bridges engineering, social science, and data science to address global challenges like environmental degradation and urbanization patterns. Key research interests include smart cities, spatial composite indicators, gentrification, and social vulnerability to natural hazards. He has contributed to developing novel models like the Adaptive Inverse Distance Weighting (AIDW) for population estimation and the Ordered Geographically Weighted Averaging (OGWA) for composite indicators. Recent work includes spatial analysis of internal migration impacts in Iran, Afghan immigrant segregation in Tehran, and ensemble modeling of extreme temperatures. He serves on editorial boards of academic journals in environmental studies and urban planning. His research emphasizes policy relevance, collaborating with decision-makers to translate findings into actionable strategies. Publications span 2023-2025, reflecting interdisciplinary approaches to urban sustainability, disaster risk, and big data applications. Grants and fellowships highlight his international recognition, particularly in integrating geospatial techniques with socioeconomic analysis.
Dr. Sharon O'Rourke is an Assistant Professor and Ad Astra Fellow at the University College Dublin (UCD) School of Biosystems and Food Engineering since 2019. Previously, she held roles at the University of Sydney and UCD's School of Agriculture and Food Science, focusing on soil science and environmental protection. She holds a BAgrSc from UCD and a PhD in Soil Nutrient Management from Queen's University Belfast. Research Interests: Her work centers on sustainable soil management, soil carbon sequestration, and environmental protection. She employs spectral techniques (e.g., mid-infrared, hyperspectral imaging) and modeling to study soil geochemistry, carbon dynamics, and climate change mitigation. Current projects include ClimateCropping (EU-wide soil carbon management), PRISM (in-field soil sensors), and CFunction (carbon-nutrient stoichiometry). Grants & Projects: Key grants include funding from Teagasc, the Department of Agriculture, and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. Notable projects include proximal soil sensing for carbon monitoring and bio-based product development via pyrolysis. Teaching: She coordinates modules such as 'Carbon & Sustainability,' 'Soil Technology,' and 'Research Skills,' emphasizing agricultural systems and climate-smart practices. Awards: Recognized as an Ad Astra Fellow, highlighting her contributions to innovative soil science research.
Dr. Salem S. Gharbia is the Head of the Department of Environmental Science and a Principal Investigator at Atlantic Technological University (ATU). He leads the Centre for Environmental Research Innovation and Sustainability (CERIS) and co-founded the Centre for Mathematical Modelling and Intelligent Systems for Health and Environment (MISHE). His research focuses on climate resilience, environmental monitoring, and modeling, with expertise in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), wireless sensor networks, and climate change impacts. Dr. Gharbia coordinates major EU projects like Horizon 2020 SCORE and has secured over €14M in research funding. He holds a PhD in Environmental Engineering from Trinity College Dublin, where he received the prestigious Ussher Award. His work spans collaborations with the Irish EPA, Horizon Europe, and the Marine Institute, addressing coastal flooding, microplastic detection, and sustainable agriculture. Education: PhD in Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin. Research interests include climate adaptation strategies, urban resilience, and innovative sensor technologies for environmental monitoring. His projects emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to address global challenges such as rising sea levels, extreme rainfall, and coastal erosion. Awards: Trinity College Ussher Award. Grants: Over €14M secured over five years for projects like EmpowerUS, Pro-climate, and WaterFutures. Advising: Accepting PhD students in environmental science and engineering. Labs: CERIS and MISHE, focusing on climate modeling and environmental systems.
Peter Mooney is a Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science & Engineering at Maynooth University. His research focuses on Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI), OpenStreetMap, spatial data analysis, and geospatial data integration in applications such as environmental monitoring and pervasive health systems. Institution: Maynooth University School: Faculty of Science & Engineering Department: Computer Science Role: Lecturer Mooney's research explores the use of crowdsourced geospatial data, particularly through OpenStreetMap, analyzing data quality, community roles, and integration into location-based services. His work bridges technical analysis with policy considerations in geospatial data management. Recent publications highlight his contributions to understanding spatial data dynamics, including attribute changes in OpenStreetMap, characteristics of edited objects, and applications of VGI in environmental systems. He also investigates the intersection of haptics and GIS for novel interaction methods. Contact: peter.mooney@mu.ie
Dr. Brian Mac Namee is an Associate Professor at the School of Computer Science, University College Dublin (UCD), and UCD Site Director at the Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics since 2024. His research focuses on interactive machine learning, emphasizing human-centered model training, with applications in healthcare, agriculture, space technology, and virtual reality. He co-authored the textbook Fundamentals of Machine Learning for Predictive Data Analytics , translated into five languages. Education includes a PhD (2004) and BA (Mod) from Trinity College Dublin. He previously co-founded the Applied Intelligence Research Centre at Technological University Dublin and was a founding co-PI at CeADAR. He chairs the Artificial Intelligence Association of Ireland and directs training at Krisolis Ltd. Notable awards include the 2016 Data Science Award for Best Academic Research Team and UCD's Fiosraigh Research Excellence Award (2013). His teaching spans advanced machine learning, data science projects, and programming courses. He leads grants such as the SFI-funded Machine Learning & Virtual Reality for Pilot Training and co-directs the SFI Centre for Research Training in Machine Learning.
James O'Donnell is an Associate Professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at University College Dublin (UCD). He joined UCD in 2013 after working at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. His research focuses on multi-scale energy modeling, interoperable BIM solutions, and sustainable building design. He contributes to buildingSMART’s Energy Modelling Expert Panel and teaches modules on building physics and energy analysis. Education: B.E. Civil and Environmental Engineering, University College Cork Ph.D. in Holistic Building Performance Analysis, University College Cork Professional Diploma in University Teaching & Learning, University College Dublin Research Interests: James specializes in energy informatics, building energy simulation, and semantic web technologies for the built environment. His work bridges BIM integration with energy modeling to optimize urban-scale performance. Grants & Funding: PROBONO (2022–2026): Integrator-centric approach for energy-efficient buildings NexSys (2022–2026): Next-Generation Energy Systems ALIVE (2020–2024): Indoor Environmental Quality in Energy-Efficient Buildings Teaching & Editorial Roles: James coordinates courses like Energy Systems in Buildings and serves as an Associate Editor for Journal of Building Engineering and editorial board member of Advanced Engineering Informatics . Professional Affiliations: Member of Engineers Ireland, International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA), and European Council on Computing in Construction.
James Moran is a Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Biology at the Department of Natural Resources & The Environment, Atlantic Technological University (ATU). He serves as Principal Investigator at the Marine and Freshwater Research Centre (MFRC) and is affiliated with the CERIS - Centre for Environmental Research Innovation and Sustainability. His research focuses on High Nature Value (HNV) farmland, habitat quality assessment, agri-environment policies, and biodiversity conservation. He actively contributes to projects addressing ecosystem services, land use planning, and the integration of conservation strategies with agricultural practices. His work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, combining ecological studies with policy analysis to promote sustainable land management. Key areas of interest include the distribution and conservation of HNV forests and farmland, the impact of agri-environment schemes on biodiversity, and the role of habitat features in supporting pollinators and other species. He is also involved in developing innovative tools for monitoring and evaluating environmental policies, such as the Nature Value Index for forests and land use monitoring frameworks. Dr. Moran collaborates extensively with international researchers and policymakers, contributing to initiatives like the HNV-Link project. His research has been cited in policy documents and news outlets, reflecting its practical relevance to environmental conservation and agricultural sustainability.
Lars Pforte is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Science & Engineering at Maynooth University, affiliated with the Mathematics and Statistics department. He holds a PhD in Mathematics and a Masters Degree in Geocomputation. PhD in Mathematics Masters in Geocomputation His research spans both pure mathematics and applied geospatial analysis. Key areas include: Representation theory of finite groups Urban airspace traffic management (UTM) Road safety analysis Data imputation in space-time series While his recent publications focus on algebraic structures like symplectic modules for the Klein-four group and permutation module vertices, he also applies Bayesian statistical methods to urban analytics and transportation safety. No scientific awards are explicitly mentioned in the available information.
Professor Francesco Pilla is a Full Professor of Smart and Sustainable Cities at University College Dublin's School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, where he also serves as Co-Director of the Spatial Dynamics Lab. Previously, he held positions as MSc Director (2018-2019) and Undergraduate Director for the School of Architecture. With over 15 years of experience in GIS modeling and spatial data analysis, Professor Pilla's work bridges technology, urban planning, and community engagement to create more sustainable cities. Professor Pilla's research focuses on developing geospatial analysis tools and environmental pollution models (air, noise, water) using GIS platforms to facilitate interoperability between research teams and end users. His approach integrates environmental pollution models with pervasive and community sensing applications for calibration and validation. A key innovation in his work is the integration of co-design principles through Living Labs in urban planning and citizen science initiatives to improve city life from an environmental perspective. His recent publications reveal a strong focus on urban sustainability challenges, with significant contributions to air quality monitoring, sustainable transportation, climate adaptation, and citizen science methodologies. His work increasingly incorporates advanced AI techniques, including large language models and machine learning algorithms, to analyze urban systems and develop data-driven solutions for complex environmental problems. The research demonstrates a clear trend toward integrating diverse data sources and developing practical tools for urban governance and planning. Haagen-Smit Prize (2024) - Recognizing outstanding papers published in Atmospheric Environment Best eMobility Project - Electric Vehicle Awards 2024 All Ireland community & council awards - Best Community Transport Initiative 2024 Academic research award: tipping point for action from Financial Times (2023) Professor Pilla leads numerous significant research projects including iSCAPE (H2020-SC5) as Coordinator, OPERANDUM (Principal Investigator for UCD) focusing on flood risk reduction with nature-based solutions, WeCount (Principal Investigator for UCD), and Connecting Nature (Principal Investigator for UCD). He has also secured funding through SFI Investigator grants for 'Scalable, Privacy-Enhanced Analytics for sharing mobility systems' and several Environmental Protection Agency projects. His collaborative work extends to partnerships with MIT through Fulbright/EPA TechImpact awards and IBM through Faculty Awards. At the Spatial Dynamics Lab, Professor Pilla oversees research that combines geospatial analysis, environmental monitoring, and community engagement. His innovative 'Bike Library' initiative, which has expanded to multiple schools in Dublin, exemplifies his commitment to translating research into practical community solutions. The lab's work integrates advanced sensing technologies, GIS platforms, and citizen science to address urban environmental challenges through collaborative approaches.
Dr. Shawn Day serves as Head of Department and Lecturer in Digital Humanities at the Department of Geography, University College Cork (UCC), Ireland. He holds a PhD in Cultural Geography from UCC and an MA in History from the University of Guelph. His interdisciplinary research spans Cultural Geography of Irish Craft Beer, 19th Century Economic History, Spatial Humanities, and the History of Health and Medicine. He has pioneered digital humanities projects like the Digital Humanities Observatory (DHO) and contributed to global initiatives such as the Dariah Project and NeDiMAH. Education: PhD Cultural Geography, UCC (2024) MA History, University of Guelph (2004) BA Management Economics, University of Guelph (1988) Research focuses on spatial humanities methodologies (GIS, statistical modeling) applied to Victorian public mental hospitals and Canadian economic history. He has co-authored key works on DH infrastructure and led projects like the 1871/1891 Canadian census databases. His work bridges academic scholarship with entrepreneurial ventures, including founding software companies in Canada. Professional roles include Director of the European Health Futures Forum and Open Knowledge Foundation Ireland, and Coordinator of the Canadian Network for Economic History. He actively collaborates with institutions like Trinity College Dublin and the Royal Irish Academy.
Penny Johnston is a Researcher in the Department of History, Politics and Philosophy at Manchester Metropolitan University, with a background in Archaeology and Digital Humanities. She holds a PhD in Digital Arts and Humanities from University College Cork (UCC) and has held roles at UCD School of Archaeology and organizations like Eachtra Archaeological Projects. Her research focuses on archaeobotany, oral history, and digital humanities, particularly in Bronze Age Ireland and medieval Novgorod. Education: B.A. in History and Archaeology, University College Cork M.Sc. in Environmental Archaeology and Paleoeconomy, University of Sheffield M.A. in Electronic Communication and Publishing, University College London Ph.D. in Digital Arts and Humanities, University College Cork Research Interests: Archaeobotanical analysis of Bronze Age settlements Oral history digitization and public engagement Environmental archaeology in Ireland and Europe GIS applications in archaeological excavation Medieval urban structures and food systems Key Projects: FOODSEC (Food Security in Bronze Age Ireland) at UCD (2023–2024) Project Time: Chronological modeling of late 4th/early 3rd millennia BC sites Analysis of plant remains from Novgorod and Irish archaeological sites Labs/Teams: Member of Environmental Archaeology in Ireland (EAI), contributing to standards and collaborative research projects.
