Sara Hennessy is a Professor of Educational Dialogue and Pedagogical Inquiry at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge , where she teaches and supervises Masters and doctoral students. She serves as Research Director of the £30m+ FCDO-funded EdTech Hub and leads the Cambridge Educational Dialogue Research (CEDiR) Group . Her research spans high- and low-income countries, focusing on classroom dialogue analysis, technology-mediated pedagogy, and teacher professional development. Education: BSc in Social Psychology (LSE), MA (Cantab), PhD in Psychology (UCL) Professional Memberships: American Educational Research Association (AERA), British Educational Research Association (BERA), European Association for Research into Learning and Instruction (EARLI) Research Interests: Hennessy’s work examines how digital technologies can enhance classroom dialogue and collaborative learning, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. She developed the T-SEDA toolkit for classroom dialogue analysis, which underpins multimedia professional development resources. Her projects include Camtree (global practitioner research platform) and the EdTech Hub , investigating equitable uses of educational technology in low-income contexts. Publications: Her recent articles analyze mixed-methods approaches to classroom dialogue, technology’s role in Tanzanian teacher development, and linguistic considerations in resource localization. Earlier works focus on interactive whiteboards, OERs, and socio-cultural perspectives on technology integration. Scientific Awards: ESRC Research Fellowship (2007-2010): Consolidated practitioner-researcher collaboration methodologies Editorial Roles: Former editor of the British Journal of Educational Technology (2016-2024) and editorial board member of the International Journal of Science Education .
Dr. Zhifu Mi is a Professor of Climate Change Economics at the Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction , University College London. His research focuses on carbon footprint analysis, climate change economics, air pollution and health, sharing economy sustainability, and input-output modeling. He has published extensively in top journals like Nature Sustainability , Lancet , and Science Advances . Co-Editor-in-Chief, Structural Change and Economic Dynamics (2020–present) Executive Editor, Journal of Cleaner Production (2019–present) President, Chinese Economic Association (UK/Europe) Council Member, International Input-Output Association Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society His research explores: Carbon Footprints: Economic development and emission convergence in Chinese households Climate-Health Linkages: Air pollution impacts, ultra-low emission policies Sharing Economy: Sustainable societies through shared micro-mobility Policy Analysis: Synergies between environmental regulations Recent publications analyze decarbonization employment gaps, polycentric urban structures, and health-environment policy intersections. Awards include the World Sustainability Award (2018), multiple Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher honors, and UCL's Outstanding Research Supervision Award (2022). He teaches modules on construction economics and input-output analysis.
Dr. Nemanja Stanišić is a Full Professor at Singidunum University's Faculty of Business, with a distinguished academic career spanning over 15 years. He holds a Ph.D. in Corporate Finance from Singidunum University (2010), an MBA in Finance from Lincoln University (2007), and a Bachelor's in Accounting from the University of Belgrade (2005). His expertise focuses on Corporate Finance, Banking, Audit, and Applied Statistical Analysis. His research integrates quantitative methods with economic theory, addressing topics such as audit opinion prediction using AI, tourism destination competitiveness, financial distress dynamics, and air pollution health impacts. He co-authored textbooks including Contemporary Exchange and E-business (2010) and Financial Statement Analysis (2024), and served as Editor-in-Chief of The European Journal of Applied Economics . He teaches courses from Financial Accounting to Advanced Financial Engineering at undergraduate, master's, and Ph.D. levels. The 15 most recent publications highlight his interdisciplinary approach: 7 in Finance/Audit, 5 in Tourism/Hospitality, and 3 in Environmental Health. Key trends include applying machine learning to audit quality (2023), multilevel modeling for hospitality satisfaction (2015-2019), and air pollution mortality analysis (2016). His work appears in high-impact journals like Tourism Management (IF 10.125) and Environmental Health (IF 4.986). He held administrative roles including Rector (2020-2021) and Vice President of Singidunum University. He served as Vice Dean for Student Affairs (2010-2011) and participated in TEMPUS projects for educational reform. He mentors graduate students extensively, advising 100+ bachelor's, 57 master's, and 4 doctoral theses, including international candidates. His visiting professorship at Bangkok's ICO NIDA and teaching in Austria-Singidunum joint programs reflect global engagement. Professional development includes advanced training at Utrecht University (Bayesian Modeling, 2019), Stanford (Mentoring, 2010), and NYU (Valuation, 2012). He reviews for top journals like Annals of Tourism Research and Cornell Hospitality Quarterly , with 1017 Google Scholar citations and 349 Scopus citations. Current research involves the Science Fund of Serbia's TOURCOMSERBIA project evaluating tourism competitiveness models.
Dr. Pammla Petrucka is a Professor at the University of Saskatchewan's College of Nursing and affiliated with the School of Public Health. A USask graduate with degrees in Nursing (BScN, MN, PhD), she focuses on marginalized populations' health through innovative methodologies like qualitative and mixed methods. Her research emphasizes Women’s Health, Global Health, Menstrual Hygiene Equity, and One Health initiatives. Current projects include improving healthcare accessibility in developing regions and addressing menstrual hygiene disparities. She teaches courses on leadership in nursing, rural nursing practices, and evidence-based health care. Dr. Petrucka’s work has been nationally and internationally funded, supporting collaborative research teams across disciplines. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications addressing global health challenges and cultural barriers to healthcare access. Her honors and fellowships reflect recognition for advancing nursing science and public health equity. Grants & Funding: Successfully secured funding at local, provincial, national, and international levels for research projects. Advising: Mentors a large cohort of graduate and undergraduate students in nursing and public health. Labs/Teams: Leads interdisciplinary groups focused on global health equity and maternal-child health interventions. Her sabbatical (July 2024–June 2025) will likely expand her work on One Health innovations and menstrual hygiene advocacy.
Heather A. Jones, Ph.D., serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology within Virginia Commonwealth University's College of Humanities and Sciences, holding joint appointments with the Department of African American Studies, Department of Pediatrics, and Institute for Women's Health. As a licensed clinical psychologist in Virginia, she maintains an active research program focused on reducing mental health disparities through culturally responsive interventions. Ph.D. in Psychology, University of Maryland at College Park (2006) Dr. Jones' research centers on three interconnected pillars: Black children and families' mental health, maternal mental health across the perinatal spectrum, and training culturally competent clinical psychologists. Her work specifically examines ADHD manifestations in Black youth, impacts of racial discrimination on adolescent mental health, and integration of behavioral health services within primary care settings. She employs mixed-methods approaches to address systemic barriers in mental healthcare access for underserved communities. Analysis of her 2023-2025 publications reveals consistent emphasis on health equity through studies of cultural competence in cancer survivorship, ADHD treatment representation gaps, and digital interventions for perinatal depression. Her methodological approaches span latent class analyses of service utilization, content analyses of historical research biases, and clinical trials of integrated care models, all contextualized within structural determinants of health. Dr. Jones has received significant recognition for her contributions: VCU College of Humanities and Sciences Distinguished Teaching Award (2023) VCU Department of Psychology Outstanding Mentoring Award (2023) Elizabeth Fries Young Investigator Award (2016) Clinical and Translational Research Award (2016) She actively mentors students, particularly supporting Black graduate trainees in pediatric psychology as evidenced by numerous student co-authorships. As Principal Investigator, she directs the $1.4M HRSA-funded Primary Care Psychology Training Collaborative providing pro bono services to urban Richmond and rural Virginia communities, recently expanded through an additional $1.1M grant serving Latinx immigrants and refugees. Her federally funded work consistently bridges research, clinical service, and community engagement. Dr. Jones co-directs the Families and Mental Health Research Lab and Primary Care Psychology Training Collaborative, leading interdisciplinary teams comprising psychology graduate students, pediatric residents, and community health workers. These initiatives operate within VCU's integrated primary care clinics, focusing on implementation science to scale evidence-based practices for underserved populations while training the next generation of healthcare providers.
Kelly Askew is a Professor of Anthropology and Afroamerican & African Studies at the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. She holds a PhD in Anthropology (Harvard, 1997) and a BA in Music and Anthropology (Yale, 1997), with over three decades of fieldwork in Tanzania and Kenya. Education PhD in Anthropology, Harvard University (1997) BA in Music and Anthropology, Yale University Key Roles Chair of the Department of Anthropology Niara Sudarkasa Collegiate Professor Her research bridges three primary domains: Postsocialist transitions (e.g., property rights formalization and land conflicts), art and political aesthetics (e.g., Swahili music, African visual arts, ethnographic filmmaking), and indigenous political movements (e.g., Maasai and Parakuyo pastoralists). She has produced award-winning documentaries like The Chairman and the Lions (2013) and Maasai Remix (2019), which examine cultural resilience and land rights. Scientific awards include being a finalist for the African Studies Association Herskovits Award (2002). Recent publications analyze land dispossession mechanisms, postsocialist cultural production, and media’s role in political identity. She has secured grants from the National Science Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Ford Foundation.
Theresa Ulicki is an Assistant Professor in the Department of International Development Studies at Dalhousie University's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Her work focuses on gender and development, with regional expertise in Southern Africa. Education: BA (McGill University), MA (St. Mary's University), DPhil (University of Sussex) Her research explores: Gender equity in organizational contexts Gender-based violence in institutional settings Labor migration patterns in Southern Africa Intersection of poverty, gender, and migrancy Recent publications address gender dynamics in the South African Police Service and cross-border migration from Lesotho. She has contributed to journals like Policing and Society and Development Southern Africa , with a thematic focus on gender and migration intersections.
Hisham Zerriffi is an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in the Department of Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry. He also serves as Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. His research intersects technology, energy, and the environment, focusing on rural areas in the Global South. Affiliation: BioProducts Institute Affiliation: Clean Energy Research Centre Affiliation: Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability His research examines institutional factors in technology diffusion, household energy choices, and welfare impacts of energy use. Current projects include analyzing forest density's ecological impact, clean cooking transitions in India, and decentralized energy systems. Recent publications address just transitions, biomass energy economics, and policy misalignments in Indigenous communities. He has authored works on climate change mitigation via forest carbon credits and rural electrification strategies. Scientific Award: Ivan Head South/North Research Chair As a PhD supervisor, he has guided Natalie Payer on urban energy poverty in the U.S. He collaborates on interdisciplinary grants and leads the Energy Resources, Development and Environment Lab (ERDELab).
Kiran Pedada is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba, and holds the F. Ross Johnson Fellow and The Associates Fellow in Marketing and Inclusive Business. Previously, he was an Assistant Professor at the Indian School of Business (ISB) and a Visiting Scholar at the University of North Carolina. He has been recognized as ISB’s Teacher of the Year (2020 and 2021) and named a top MBA professor by BusinessBecause. His research focuses on marketing strategy, digital transformation, emerging markets, and inclusive business practices. Dr. Pedada earned his Ph.D. in Marketing from Texas Tech University, where he won the Helen Devitt Jones Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award. His doctoral work on international marketing alliances in emerging markets won the prestigious AMS Mary Kay Inc. Doctoral Dissertation Award. Before academia, he worked in management consulting and corporate strategy. Research Interests : Marketing strategy in digital environments Social and financial impact of marketing Global marketing expansion via digital ecosystems Emerging markets dynamics Brand competitiveness through digital orientation Key Contributions : His research has been published in top journals like Journal of Marketing Research and Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. He co-authored cases on digital transformation for Harvard Business Publishing and serves on editorial boards of key marketing journals. His work has been featured in Forbes, Fortune, and CNN. Awards : AMS Mary Kay Inc. Doctoral Dissertation Award (2019) F. Ross Johnson Fellowship Teacher of the Year (ISB, 2020 & 2021) He actively advises on digital readiness of SMEs and ESG integration in alliances. His current projects explore metaverse applications and rural microentrepreneurship in India.
Dr. Mildred E. Warner is a renowned Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning. Her work spans local government service delivery, economic development, environmental sustainability, and multigenerational planning, with a focus on challenging gender biases and promoting social infrastructure as a catalyst for economic growth. She collaborates globally with local government associations, planners, and policy groups. Ph.D. in Development Sociology (1997), Cornell University M.S. in Agricultural Economics (1985), Cornell University B.A. in History (1979), Oberlin College Dr. Warner's research interrogates the impacts of privatization, fiscal decentralization, and market-driven approaches on local governance, emphasizing spatial inequality and rural-urban disparities. She investigates age- and gender-based planning, environmental policy, and pragmatic municipalism, with recent work analyzing water affordability, broadband access, and pandemic response strategies. Her comparative international studies span Canada, Ecuador, Honduras, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and China. Her publications highlight trends in privatization , remunicipalization , public-private partnerships , and age-friendly urban planning . These works often intersect with public health policy , environmental justice , and social equity in service delivery. Scientific awards include the Margarita McCoy Award (2020) , Planning for Social Inclusion Award (2006) , and the Excellence in Research Award (2019) . She has secured major grants from the USDA, NIH, Pew Charitable Trusts, and international bodies to fund her work on aging, rural development, and infrastructure equity. Dr. Warner mentors graduate students in planning and public administration, advising on research design and community development. She directs the Local Government Restructuring Lab and co-founded the Community and Regional Development Institute at Cornell. Her expertise is frequently sought in policy circles and media profiles.
Naomi Rogers, Ph.D. (She/Her) is Professor of the History of Medicine in the Section of the History of Medicine and the Program in the History of Science and Medicine at Yale University. She holds courtesy appointments in the History Department and the Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program, and serves on Yale's Dean's Advisory Council for LGBTQI Affairs. Professor Rogers teaches undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, regularly lecturing on the history of AIDS, reproduction, health economics, eugenics, nutrition, disability, and health activism. Professor Rogers' educational background includes: PhD in History from University of Pennsylvania (1986) MA from University of Pennsylvania (1986) BA in Music from Melbourne University (1980) BA with Honors from Melbourne University (1979) Her research focuses on 20th and 21st century history of medicine with emphasis on health inequities and social justice. Professor Rogers' historical interests span gender and health, disease and public health, disability studies, feminism, alternative medicine, health policy, and health activism. Her work critically examines the intersection of medical practices with social movements, particularly how marginalized communities have challenged medical orthodoxy throughout American history. She has published extensively in journals such as American Journal of Public Health, Bulletin of the History of Medicine, Journal of Medical Humanities, Radical History Review, Social History of Medicine, and Women and Health. Professor Rogers' recent scholarship demonstrates a consistent focus on the historical dimensions of contemporary health issues, particularly vaccine politics, abortion history, and community health activism. Her publications reveal patterns of resistance to medical authority, the role of race and gender in shaping health outcomes, and the historical roots of current health justice movements. Her work bridges academic history with public engagement, as evidenced by her frequent media commentary on COVID-19 and other health issues in outlets including BBC Radio, CNN, Huffington Post, National Public Radio, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post. Among her notable recognitions: AAHN's Lavinia L. Dock Award for Exemplary Historical Research for 'Polio Wars: Sister Kenny and the Golden Age of American Medicine' (2014) Presenter of the AAHM's Garrison Lecture: 'Radical Visions of American Medicine: Politics and Activism in the History of Medicine' (2017) Professor Rogers has been actively involved in academic leadership and mentoring. She has served as Director of Graduate Studies for the 2022-23 academic year, Chair of the Women's Faculty Forum, and Liaison to the Committee on Status of Women in Medicine. Her service extends to editorial boards including the Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences since 2018. She has also contributed to public understanding of medicine through consultations for documentaries including 'The Polio Crusade' (PBS), 'On the Basis of Sex' (Focus Features), and 'War on Science' (in process). Currently, Professor Rogers serves on the Medical School's OBGYN 'Dobbs' Sessions Planning Committee, which has organized webinars for the Yale community, and was co-organizer of the history-themed session 'Rooted in History: Abortion, Law and American Health Care.' She is working on her book project 'Health Radicalism and the Humanization of American Medicine' (under contract with Oxford), examining critics of medical orthodoxy since 1945 including civil rights, consumer, and feminist activists. She also conducts ongoing research on antisemitism in American medicine in the decades before and after World War II.
Dr. Zhiying Ma is an Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice , with faculty affiliations at the Center for East Asian Studies, Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality, and Global Studies Program. She holds a joint PhD in Comparative Human Development and Anthropology from the University of Chicago and bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Philosophy from Peking University. Research Focus: Examines biopolitical paternalism in China's mental health governance Develops peer support systems for persons with serious mental illnesses Investigates intersections of disability rights, care ethics, and welfare systems Conducts ethnographic fieldwork in psychiatric hospitals and community teams Key Projects: Led a CBPR pilot project (2019-2021) to create peer support manuals in Guangzhou, and currently scales services in Guangzhou/Yunnan with Cyrus Tang Foundation support. Collaborated with the WHO on community mental health models. Scientific Recognition: 2021 Ford Global Fellow Published in SSM-Mental Health , Cultural Anthropology , and Disability Studies Quarterly Advocacy & Impact: Combines scholarship and activism , consulting for NGOs on disability livelihoods and gender equality. Collaborates with China's community mental health teams to improve service fidelity and client satisfaction.
Rania Salem is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC). Her research focuses on the sociology of family, gender, and economic sociology of households and labor markets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Research Interests Dr. Salem explores themes such as women’s agency, marriage practices, and the intersection of economic factors with social stratification. Her work often employs empirical methodologies to analyze household dynamics, gender roles, and cultural norms in Egypt, Jordan, and Tunisia. Publication Trends Her recent publications (2015–2022) emphasize gendered labor market effects on marriage timing, matrimonial expenditures, kin marriage rationales, and women’s empowerment in rural MENA contexts. These studies integrate qualitative and quantitative approaches to address social inequalities.
Giovanna Gioli is a Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at Bath Spa University's School of Sciences. She is a co-investigator in the Leverhulme Trust-funded project Digital Climate Futures , exploring decolonial and justice perspectives in climate change adaptation. Her research focuses on political ecology, climate migration, gender equity, and socio-ecological resilience in mountain regions of the Global South, particularly South Asia. PhD in Political Philosophy (University of Parma) MA in Political Philosophy (University of Pisa) MSc in European Studies and Migration (London School of Economics) Her research interests intersect political ecology, climate change adaptation, and the socio-cultural dimensions of migration. She examines how gender, conflict, and environmental hazards shape livelihoods and vulnerability in regions like Pakistan, Nepal, and the Hindu Kush Himalaya. Her work challenges dominant narratives, advocating for justice-oriented approaches to digitalized climate adaptation and decolonizing environmental research frameworks. Gioli has contributed to major projects such as HI-AWARE, analyzing vulnerability in glacier-dependent river basins, and authored commissioned reports for UN Women on migrant workers' socio-economic impacts in Nepal. She also co-edited Water Security across the Gender Divide and Thinking as Anarchists , advancing interdisciplinary debates in environmental humanities and critical theory. Teaching: Directed BSc Global Development and Sustainability at Bath Spa University (2020–2025), module leader for Cities and Environment , and teaches interdisciplinary research methods in environmental humanities. Grants: Leverhulme Trust (Digital Climate Futures, 2023–2026), HI-AWARE (2014–2018), and others addressing environmental migration and vulnerability. She is affiliated with the Research Centre for Environmental Humanities and the Climate, Hazards and Environmental Change Research Cluster at Bath Spa University. Her work bridges philosophical inquiry (e.g., Deleuze, Sartre) with applied research on environmental displacement, emphasizing the need for equitable, community-centered solutions.
Stacey Garrett (she/her/hers) is an Associate Professor in the Counseling, Family Therapy, and Higher Education Department at Appalachian State University’s Reich College of Education. Her research focuses on diversifying higher education through qualitative exploration of faculty, staff, and students of color’s experiences. She advises graduate students across certificate, master’s, and doctoral programs delivered both online and in-person. Member of the Reich College of Education Mentoring Guild Advocate for faculty professional and personal growth Emphasizes institutional leadership strategies for recruitment/retention of diverse faculty Her work highlights challenges like pandemic-era community disruption and burnout prevention through mentorship. Key research themes include Black women faculty navigation, culturally responsive teaching, and systemic barriers faced by marginalized groups in academia.
