Martin T. Wells is the Charles A. Alexander Professor of Statistical Sciences at Cornell University, with joint appointments in the Department of Statistical Science, Department of Biological Statistics and Computational Biology, Department of Social Statistics, and as Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and Health Services Research at Weill Medical School. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the ASA-SIAM Book Series and Co-Editor of the Journal of Empirical Legal Studies. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Weill Cornell Medical College Research Interests span applied and theoretical statistics, Bayesian methods, biostatistics, clinical epidemiology, and computational biology. His work bridges disciplines like finance, legal studies, and health services research. Article Trends highlight advancements in Bayesian modeling, quantum cognition machine learning, tensor analysis, and misclassification correction, with applications in genomics, finance, and public health. Fellow of the American Statistical Association Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society Contributions include developing statistical software (e.g., rTensor), methodological innovations in clinical trials, and empirical legal studies on civil rights and the death penalty.
John Paisley is an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at Columbia University's Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, and a member of Columbia's Data Science Institute (DSI). He holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Duke University (2004-2010), followed by postdoctoral research in Computer Science at Princeton University and UC Berkeley. His research focuses on Bayesian models, posterior inference techniques for Big Data, and applications in data analysis, recommendation systems, information retrieval, and compressed sensing. He has pioneered methods like Bayesian Gaussian Process ODEs and Double Normalizing Flows, with recent work emphasizing uncertainty quantification in environmental modeling and neuroimaging analysis. His collaborative workflows (e.g., bneR ) address air pollution exposure and PM2.5 concentration uncertainties, combining Bayesian nonparametric ensembles with geospatial data. He has also developed frameworks for neural network interpretability, image denoising, and compressed sensing MRI. Paisley's work bridges statistical theory and applied machine learning, with applications in healthcare, environmental science, and geophysics. His academic contributions include over 50 publications since 2016, spanning topics like deep metric learning, adversarial learning, and variational inference optimization. He maintains an active research group and serves on editorial boards for machine learning and signal processing journals.
Yang Zhou is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering at Auburn University, part of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. His research focuses on big data algorithms, machine learning, data mining, and distributed computing. He has contributed to advancements in federated learning frameworks, graph mining tools, and spatial machine learning for environmental applications like flood mapping. Education includes a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Georgia Tech (2021), M.E. in Computer Application Technology from Chongqing University (2016), and B.E. in Engineering from Jiangnan University (2014). His work emphasizes scalable algorithms for large-scale systems, with tools like DirDense for dense subgraph mining and FedASMU for federated learning optimization. Recent publications explore adversarial robustness, blockchain strategies in IoT, and curriculum-based learning for large language models. He advises on interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of AI and environmental science.
Ahmed Eldawy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of California, Riverside. He leads groundbreaking research in databases, big data management, and spatial data processing, with a focus on scalable exploratory analytics through systems like Beast , UCR-Star , Raptor , and Spider . His work spans geospatial data infrastructure, distributed computing, and computational geometry. Research Interests : Databases, big data management, spatial data processing, geospatial analytics, distributed systems, computational geometry. Awards : NSF CAREER award (2021), 10-year Influential Paper Award (ICDE 2025), Best Demo award (SIGSPATIAL 2020). Grants : NSF (IIS-2046236, IIS-1954644, CNS-1924694), USDA (USDA NIFA 2020-69012-31914), UC Office of the President (M21PL3368). Labs & Centers : RAISE@UCR, Data Science Center, Center for Robotics and Intelligent Systems (CRIS), Affiliate of Center for Geospatial Sciences and Winston Chung Global Energy Center. His recent publications focus on LLM-driven geospatial visualization (LASEK), distributed raster analytics (RDPro), learned spatial query optimization, and scalable spatiotemporal systems. He advises numerous PhD and Master’s students, many of whom now work at top tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta.
Dr. Baijian "Justin" Yang serves as the Associate Dean for Research at Purdue Polytechnic Institute and is a Professor in the Department of Computer and Information Technology at Purdue University. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Michigan State University, with Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Automation (EECS) from Tsinghua University. Dr. Yang has established himself as a leader in multiple interdisciplinary research domains. Dr. Yang's educational background includes: PhD in Computer Science, Michigan State University (2002) MS in Automation (EECS), Tsinghua University (1998) BS in Automation (EECS), Tsinghua University (1995) His research interests span multiple cutting-edge domains with practical applications: Cybersecurity : Developing novel approaches for threat intelligence, security education, and network defense Big Data : Creating innovative algorithms for dimension reduction, regression with categorical variables, and tensor decomposition Applied Machine Learning : Implementing AI solutions in healthcare, manufacturing, and forestry applications Digital Forestry : Using UAV imagery and remote sensing for forest management and tree species classification Dr. Yang's publication record demonstrates significant impact across multiple disciplines, with recent work focusing on spatial transcriptomics analysis (SiGra), delirium detection using limited-lead EEG, and visual localization technologies. His research bridges theoretical advances with practical applications in healthcare, manufacturing quality control, and environmental monitoring. The interdisciplinary nature of his work is evident in collaborations spanning computer science, healthcare, forestry, and manufacturing domains. His scientific achievements have been recognized with numerous awards: 2023 HRSA Building Bridges to Better Health Competition Winner (Phase 1) and 2nd place ($100,000 prize) in Phase 3 2023 Outstanding Faculty Award in Engagement, Department of Computer and Information Technology, Purdue University 2021 Leadership in Manufacturing Award, Manufacturing Times Digital (MxD) 2021 Good to Great Award, Purdue Polytechnic 2020 Outstanding Faculty Award in Discovery, Department of Computer and Information Technology 2019 University Faculty Scholars, Purdue University As an educator and mentor, Dr. Yang has advised numerous graduate students through their PhD and Master's research. His leadership extends to significant service roles including serving as Faculty Champion for the Holistic Safety and Security research impact area at Purdue Polytechnic from 2018 to 2021, board membership with ATMAE (2014-2016), and participation in the IEEE Cybersecurity Initiative Steering Committee (2015-2017). He holds valuable industry certifications including CISSP, MCSE, and Six Sigma Black Belt, demonstrating his commitment to bridging academic research with industry practice. Dr. Yang leads multiple research projects including "Digital Forestry" for developing tools to quantify forest function, "CHEESE" (Cyber Human Ecosystem of Engaged Security Education), and "CICI" (Supporting Controlled Unclassified Information with a Campus Awareness and Risk Management Framework). His work on "Applied Machine Learning" focuses on solving real-world problems, while his "Dimension Reduction and Memory Amnestic Big Data Regression" project innovates computational algorithms for large-scale data analysis.
Dr. Kevin Kochersberger is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech , with a career spanning academic research, technical innovation, and educational leadership. His work focuses on autonomous aerial systems , robotic control , and applied aerodynamics , particularly through the Uncrewed Systems Laboratory . Kochersberger's research has pioneered UAV-based radiation detection , 3D terrain mapping , and low-resource drone applications , including establishing the African Drone and Data Academy in Malawi . Education: Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech (1994) M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech (1984) B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech (1983) A.S., Engineering Science, Jamestown Community College (1981) Kochersberger's publications demonstrate expertise in UAV path planning , smart material actuation , and radiation source localization , with over $9M in research funding. His scientific awards include AIAA Associate Fellow (2009) and Aviation Week Aerospace Laureate (2003). Notable projects involve helicopter-deployable robotic systems and urban canyon navigation without GPS. Recent articles highlight BVLOS drone simulators , 2.5D terrain mapping , and autonomous negative obstacle traversal , reflecting his focus on real-time adaptive control and heterogeneous robotic systems . He teaches Drone Technology and Flight Operations and Advanced Design Projects , emphasizing student-driven innovation and industry collaboration .
Roberto Tamassia is the James A. and Julie N. Brown Professor of Computer Science and Chair of the Computer Science Department at Brown University. He is also Director of Brown's Center for Geometric Computing. His research focuses on information security, cryptography, algorithms, graph drawing, and computational geometry. He has authored six textbooks and over 250 publications, and his work has been funded by ARO, DARPA, NATO, NSF, and industry sponsors. Education: PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Research Interests: Cryptography and Secure Systems Algorithm Design and Optimization Graph Drawing and Geometric Computing Encrypted Database Security Awards and Honors: IEEE Fellow Technical Achievement Award from IEEE Computer Society Listed among the 360 most cited computer science authors by ISI Grants and Funding: His research has been supported by major agencies and organizations including ARO, DARPA, and NSF, as well as industry partnerships. Labs and Affiliations: Directs Brown's Center for Geometric Computing, a hub for interdisciplinary research in computational geometry and graph algorithms.
Negin Alemazkoor is an Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia's School of Engineering and Applied Science, specializing in interdisciplinary research on infrastructure resilience. Her work focuses on developing AI-driven methodologies for analyzing interconnected systems like power grids, urban flood models, and transportation networks under uncertainty. Key areas include enhancing grid reliability through multi-fidelity modeling, hurricane evacuation equity analysis, and precision-compression techniques for large-scale data. She co-leads a NSF-funded initiative to democratize AI education in high schools. Her research integrates graph neural networks, physics-informed models, and machine learning to address challenges in energy systems, environmental monitoring, and disaster response. Notable projects include hurricane-induced power outage risk analysis under climate change and precision guarantees for smart-meter data analytics. She emphasizes computational efficiency and multi-fidelity approaches to balance accuracy with resource constraints. Recent contributions span AI applications in flood forecasting, renewable energy integration, and infrastructure cybersecurity. Her NSF grant aims to create inclusive AI curricula, reflecting her commitment to education and societal impact. She is affiliated with UVA Engineering’s research initiatives on resilient systems and data-driven decision-making.
Zixiang Xiong is a Professor and Associate Department Head in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University, holding the Robert M. Kennedy '26 Endowed Professorship II. He earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1996. His career includes roles at Princeton University, University of Hawaii, and Texas A&M since 1999. Education: Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1996 Visiting Research Associate, Princeton University, 1995–1997 University of Hawaii, 1997–1999 Research Interests: Focuses on machine learning, image/video processing, federated learning, network information theory, biomedical engineering, and communications. His work spans distributed source coding, genomic signal processing, and energy-efficient systems. Publications & Awards: Over 200 publications, including seminal works on distributed video coding and network information theory. Notable awards include the NSF Career Award (1999), ONR Young Investigator Award (2001), IEEE Fellow (2006), and the ECE Outstanding Faculty Award (2024). His research has led to patents in video compression and multimedia systems. Grants & Advising: Active in NSF-funded projects on coding theory and energy-delay tradeoffs. Advises numerous PhD and MS students, with over 50 alumni in academia and industry. Collaborates on biomedical imaging, remote sensing, and federated learning initiatives. Labs & Teams: Leads a dynamic research group at Texas A&M, focusing on cutting-edge projects in signal processing and machine learning applications. Collaborates with industry and governmental agencies on applied research.
Cynthia D. Rudin is the Gilbert, Louis, and Edward Lehrman Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at Duke University, with joint appointments in the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Statistical Science, Mathematics, and Biostatistics & Bioinformatics. She directs the Interpretable Machine Learning Lab and has held previous positions at MIT, Columbia, and NYU. Her educational background includes: Undergraduate degree from the University at Buffalo PhD from Princeton University (2004) Research Interests: Dr. Rudin's research focuses on interpretable machine learning and its applications across multiple domains. Her work emphasizes creating machine learning models whose reasoning processes people can understand, which includes algorithms for extremely sparse models, interpretable neural networks, interpretable matching methods for causal inference, and dimension reduction for data visualization. She applies these techniques to critical societal problems in healthcare, criminal justice, materials science, and other domains. Her lab has developed practical code for sparse models such as decision lists, decision trees, and additive models that provably optimize accuracy and sparsity. Dr. Rudin's recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate a strong focus on interpretable AI applications across diverse fields including healthcare (mortality risk scores, breast cancer prediction), materials science (metamaterials design), and environmental justice (location-based health analysis). Her work consistently emphasizes practical implementations with real-world impact, particularly in high-stakes decision-making domains where model transparency is critical. Scientific Awards: Squirrel AI Award for Artificial Intelligence for the Benefit of Humanity (2022) - often described as the "Nobel Prize of AI" INFORMS Society on Data Mining Prize (2024) Guggenheim Fellowship (2022) Three-time winner of the INFORMS Innovative Applications in Analytics Award (2013, 2016, 2019) Winner of the 2023 John M. Chambers Statistical Software Award for PaCMAP Winner of the 2024 Award for Innovation in Statistical Programming and Analytics Dr. Rudin has advised numerous PhD students and postdocs who have co-authored significant publications with her. Her lab has received substantial funding for projects applying interpretable machine learning to healthcare (seizure prediction in ICU patients), criminal justice (crime series analysis), and energy infrastructure (underground electrical distribution networks). Her work on the Series Finder algorithm has been adapted by the NYPD and has been running live in NYC since 2016. She directs the Interpretable Machine Learning Lab at Duke, which includes the Almost-Matching-Exactly Lab focused on interpretable causal inference. Her team develops practical code implementations for all their research, emphasizing usability and real-world application in critical domains.
Dr. Scott L. Nykl is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), part of the Graduate School of Engineering & Management. He is a leading researcher in computer vision, real-time 3D graphics, and autonomous aerial systems, with a focus on automated aerial refueling and navigation in GPS-denied environments. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science, Ohio University (2008–2013), Summa Cum Laude, GPA: 4.0/4.0 M.S. in Computer Science, Ohio University (2011–2012), Summa Cum Laude, GPA: 4.0/4.0 B.S. in Software Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Platteville (2002–2006), Summa Cum Laude, GPA: 3.94/4.0 Dr. Nykl's research interests include computer vision, sensor fusion, interactive virtual worlds, and real-time 3D graphics, with applications in aerospace and defense. His work bridges simulation and real-world deployment, particularly in autonomous aerial refueling using stereo and monocular vision. He has pioneered techniques in pose estimation, occlusion mitigation, and sim-to-real transfer learning. His recent publications and projects show a strong trend toward robust, vision-based navigation systems for unmanned and manned aircraft, with emphasis on reliability, accuracy, and real-time performance. His work frequently appears in IEEE, AIAA, and ION venues, reflecting its high technical and operational relevance. Scientific Awards and Recognitions: 2024 Harold Brown Award – Highest U.S. Air Force scientific honor 2024 General Bernard A. Schreiver Award 2025 AETC Airmen of the Year Multiple Air Force Outstanding Scientist/Engineer Awards (2017–2023) Best Paper Award, ACM SIGGRAPH i3D 2013 Forbes' The Greatest Young Inventors in America (2012) NSF GK-12 Fellow (2006) Dr. Nykl has advised numerous graduate students and collaborated extensively on projects involving automated aerial refueling, 3D reconstruction, and cyber education. He has secured significant research funding, including a $100,000 Ohio Third Frontier grant. His work has led to multiple patents and technology transfers. He leads research integrating virtual worlds, digital twins, and augmented reality for both research and pedagogy. Laboratories and Research Teams: His work is conducted within AFIT’s research ecosystem, involving collaborations with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Boeing, and academic partners. He leads projects under the Aerial Refueling Systems Advisory Group (ARSAG) and presents regularly at ION, AIAA, and IEEE conferences.
Valerio Pascucci is a Professor at the University of Utah's School of Computing and a DOE Laboratory Fellow at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. He directs the Center for Extreme Data Management Analysis and Visualization (CEDMAV) and previously led projects at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and University of Texas at Austin. PhD in Computer Science (Purdue University, 2000) MSc in Electrical Engineering (University 'La Sapienza', Rome, 1993) As a pioneer in Big Data Management , Scientific Visualization , and Computational Topology , his work connects topological methods with progressive algorithms to enable interactive exploration of petascale datasets. His research spans climate modeling , neuroscience , materials science , and precision agriculture , focusing on multi-resolution techniques and geometric compression . Recent publications show specialization in web-based visualization and AI-driven analytics for climate data, with emphasis on equity in data access and FAIR data principles . His ViSUS project enables real-time data streaming from supercomputers to desktops, while NAPA explores GPU-based architectures for streaming algorithms. Scientific Awards : Best Paper Award, IEEE Pacific Visualization 2011 Best Application Paper Award, IEEE VIS 2006 DOE Laboratory Fellow He advises numerous graduate students and leads collaborations across national laboratories , universities , and industry . Funded by NSF Grant #2127548 , he develops technologies for exascale computing and geospatial intelligence .
David Andrews is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Computer Engineering at the University of Arkansas College of Engineering. He holds the Mullins Endowed Chair of Computer Engineering and directs research through the Computer Systems Design Laboratory (CSDL). His work bridges hardware and software systems with a focus on practical implementation. His educational background includes: Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Syracuse University Computer Engineer Degree from Syracuse University M.S.E.E. from University of Missouri-Columbia B.S.E.E. from University of Missouri-Columbia Andrews' research centers on embedded systems architectures from a holistic systems perspective, examining interactions between programming languages, runtime systems, and hardware components. His work spans reconfigurable computing, FPGA-based acceleration, and hybrid CPU/FPGA systems. A key contribution is the HybridThreads (hthreads) platform, which abstracts hardware/software boundaries to enable thread-based programming for heterogeneous systems. Recent publications demonstrate his focus on accelerating machine learning workloads on FPGAs, particularly transformer models and attention mechanisms, while addressing resource scheduling and real-time constraints. His publication trends reveal a consistent evolution from foundational work in parallel and distributed embedded systems toward specialized hardware acceleration for modern AI workloads. The research increasingly focuses on memory-centric architectures, computational overlays, and practical implementations for real-time applications across diverse domains including cultural heritage documentation and cybersecurity. As director of the Computer Systems Design Laboratory, Andrews leads interdisciplinary research in real-time embedded systems, reconfigurable computing, multiprocessor systems on chip, and hardware/software co-design. The lab integrates knowledge into undergraduate and graduate curricula covering digital design, computer organization, embedded systems, and systems modeling. CSDL supports a collaborative environment with undergraduate, master's, and PhD students working alongside visiting researchers from global institutions.
Wei Ding is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass Boston). She earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Houston in 2008. From 2019 to 2023, she served as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation's Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS), overseeing programs in Information Integration, Smart Health, Deep Learning Foundations, and Scalable Systems. Her research integrates knowledge discovery, data mining, and machine learning with applications spanning health sciences, astronomy, geosciences, and environmental sciences. She employs advanced techniques like spatio-temporal modeling, deep neural networks, and semantic analysis to address complex real-world problems such as disease subtyping, physical activity prediction, and environmental forecasting. Her work emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration and societal impact. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a focus on AI-driven healthcare solutions (e.g., neuroimaging biomarkers, disorder diagnosis), fundamental ML advancements (e.g., generalization, GAN stability), and cross-domain applications (e.g., climate forecasting, animal behavior analysis). Recurring themes include low-data learning, interpretability, and scalable algorithms. Awards & Honors: IEEE Fellow (2023) NSF Director's Award (2022) WISAY Distinguished Woman in Science Award, Yale University (2019) AI for Earth Award (2018) Best Paper Awards (ICTAI 2011, ICCI 2010) Advising & Grants: She mentors PhD and Master’s students in the Knowledge Discovery Lab (KDLab), with alumni at institutions like Facebook, Google, and McKinsey. Her research is funded by NSF, NIH, NASA, and DOE, including: NIH R01: Predicting youth physical activity (2016) NSF EAGER: Machine learning for cancer subtyping (2017) NIH R01: Accelerometer/gyroscope data for activity estimation (2022) Leadership: She directs the KDLab and co-founded the Women in Sciences Club (WINS). She serves as Associate Editor for ACM TKDD, TIST, and KAIS journals.
Kurt Keutzer is a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley, and a key member of the Berkeley AI Research Lab (BAIR). He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Indiana University (1984) and was previously Chief Technical Officer at Synopsys, Inc. His research focuses on systems issues in deep learning, particularly for computer vision, speech recognition, NLP, and finance. He has published over 250 refereed articles and six books, and is a highly cited author in hardware and design automation. Keutzer has received multiple IEEE Fellowships, DAC awards, and best paper accolades at conferences like Embedded Vision Workshop and ICPP. Educations: 1984, PhD, Computer Science, Indiana University Kurt Keutzer's research interests span Artificial Intelligence , Computer Architecture , and Scientific Computing , with a focus on computational efficiency in AI systems. His work explores hardware-aware neural architecture search, domain adaptation, and quantization techniques to optimize models from edge to cloud. Recent publications highlight advancements in vision transformers , LLM inference efficiency , and autonomous driving . He also contributes to multimodal AI and self-supervised learning frameworks. Scientific Awards: Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Fellow (1996) DAC's Most Influential Paper Award (2023) Top Ten Cited Author and Paper at DAC Best Paper Awards at Embedded Vision Workshop and ICPP Kurt Keutzer has advised numerous Ph.D. and Master’s students, including Forrest Iandola (co-founder of DeepScale), Sheng Shen, and Michael Murphy. His research teams have pioneered hardware-efficient deep learning solutions like SqueezeNet and FireCaffe. Current projects include optimizing large language models (LLMs) for edge deployment and advancing 3D reconstruction for autonomous vehicles. He is also involved in diffusion models , sparse attention mechanisms , and multi-agent coordination for complex tasks.
