Daniel Kifer is a Professor in the Computer Science and Engineering department at Pennsylvania State University, with affiliations to the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. His work bridges computer science, privacy-preserving machine learning, and geoscience applications. With over 10,000 citations and a high h-index, he focuses on methods to unify theoretical and applied research. Research Interests: Differential Privacy, Privacy-Preserving Machine Learning, Physics-Informed Neural Networks, Landslide Prediction, and Formal Verification of Privacy Systems. Recent projects include grants from the National Science Foundation: SaTC: CORE: Small (2024): privacy-preserving user data embedding in machine learning pipelines. SaTC: CORE: Medium (2017-2023): formal methods for differential privacy and accuracy optimization. His research outputs span domains like geoscience, database systems, and policy analysis, emphasizing precision and scalability of privacy-preserving algorithms.
Deepak Ganesan is a Professor at the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His research focuses on low-power sensing and communication, networked systems, and machine learning applied to pervasive health monitoring and societal challenges. PhD, Computer Science, University of California, Los Angeles (2004) MS, Computer Science, University of California, Los Angeles (2000) BTech, Computer Science, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (1998) Ganesan's work bridges wireless sensor networks, smart textiles, and healthcare applications. He designs ultra-low-power wearable devices for tracking health signals like drug use, smoking, and cognitive performance, often integrating machine learning for robust detection. His research emphasizes societal impact, particularly in aging and Alzheimer's care through the Massachusetts AI and Technology Center for Connected Care (MassAITC) and the Center for Personalized Health Monitoring (CPHM). Recent publications highlight innovations in edge-cloud collaboration, fabric-based sensors, and longitudinal health analytics. His NIH-funded MD2K Center for Excellence and affiliations with the Center for Data Science and Computational Social Science Institute further underscore his interdisciplinary approach. ACM Fellow NSF CAREER Award (2006) IBM Faculty Award (2008) UMass Junior Faculty Fellow (2008) UMass Lilly Teaching Fellow (2009) Best Paper at CHI 2013 Best Paper Runner-up at Mobicom 2014 Honorable Mentions at Ubicomp 2013 Ganesan leads the SENSORS: Wireless Sensor Networks Group and contributes to global initiatives like the Internet of Battlefield Things. His work spans academic research, industry partnerships, and policy development in AgeTech and digital health.
Laura Albert is a Professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and former David H. Gustafson Department Chair (2021-24). She serves as a Fellow of AAAS and IISE, and previously held the INFORMS presidency. Her research focuses on optimizing public-sector systems, with applications in critical infrastructure protection, emergency response, and cybersecurity. She advocates for public engagement through op-eds and blogs like 'Punk Rock Operations Research.' Education: PhD in Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2006) MS in Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2001) BS in Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2000) Research Interests: Dr. Albert’s work bridges operations research and public policy, addressing challenges in emergency medical services, voting system security, law enforcement strategies, and opioid treatment diversion programs. She employs mathematical optimization, game theory, and stochastic modeling to design resilient systems. Awards: INFORMS Impact Prize (2018) NSF CAREER Award (2011) Fulbright Award (2020) AAAS Fellow (2020) Advising & Grants: While explicit student names aren’t listed, her research has been supported by grants from the NSF, Army Research Office, and other agencies. She advises on interdisciplinary projects involving public health, cybersecurity, and disaster management. Labs/Teams: Engaged in collaborative efforts across the College of Engineering, including affiliations with the Electrical & Computer Engineering department. Leads initiatives on resilient infrastructure and emergency response systems.
Dr James Herbert-Read is an Associate Professor and Whitten Lecturer in Marine Biology at the Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge. He serves as Deputy Head of Department (Postgraduate Education) and leads the Marine Behavioural Ecology Group. His research focuses on understanding how animals, particularly marine organisms, collect and process information from their environments to make behavioral decisions, with emphasis on social interactions, adaptation mechanisms, and ecological constraints. His group employs theoretical frameworks, controlled experiments, and quantitative field studies to investigate behavioral diversity in marine species. Key themes include collective behavior, predator-prey dynamics, camouflage strategies, and the impacts of environmental stressors on animal decision-making. Recent publications highlight work on lionfish vocalization mechanisms, cuttlefish camouflage, citizen science applications in marine research, and behavioral responses to visual and acoustic noise. Scientific awards and affiliations include: Whitten Lecturer in Marine Biology Associate Professor, University of Cambridge He has supervised research projects on topics such as: Social attraction in invasive fish species Evolution of coordinated movement Neurophysiological basis for leadership in shoals Maternal effects on offspring exploration
Iona Cheng is a Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she conducts groundbreaking research in cancer epidemiology. She serves as co-Investigator of the SEER Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry and is Principal Investigator of multiple NIH- and foundation-funded projects examining genetics, lifestyle factors, and neighborhood characteristics in relation to cancer risk. Dr. Cheng has developed an extensive research program focused on racial/ethnic differences in cancer risk and leads population-based cancer surveillance studies that document variations in cancer incidence and mortality patterns across diverse racial and ethnic groups. University of California, Davis, BS, 1990–1994, Physiology Yale University, MPH, 1999–2001, Chronic Disease Epidemiology University of Southern California, PhD, 2001–2005, Epidemiology University of California, San Francisco, Postdoc, 2006–2008, Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology Dr. Cheng's research spans multiple disciplines within cancer epidemiology, with particular emphasis on understanding how environmental exposures, genetic factors, and social determinants interact to influence cancer risk and outcomes across different racial and ethnic populations. Her work frequently examines the impact of air pollution, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and neighborhood characteristics on cancer development and survival. She has made significant contributions to understanding cancer disparities among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations, bringing attention to the unique cancer risks and outcomes within these understudied groups. Her research often leverages the Multiethnic Cohort Study, one of the largest prospective studies of cancer incidence and mortality across diverse racial/ethnic populations. Analysis of Dr. Cheng's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on environmental and social determinants of cancer risk across multiple organ sites. Her work demonstrates a sophisticated integration of epidemiological methods with environmental exposure assessment, genetic analysis, and health disparities research. Many of her studies examine the intersection of environmental exposures and racial/ethnic disparities in cancer outcomes, particularly regarding breast cancer, lung cancer, and other malignancies. She has published extensively on the impact of air pollution on cancer risk and survival, as well as the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals like bisphenol A, parabens, and phthalates. American Association for Cancer Research Scholar-in-Training Award (2007) National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Award (2007) National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Renewal Award (2009) American Association for Cancer Research Faculty Scholar Award (2011) National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Renewal Award (2011) National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Renewal Award (2013) American Journal of Epidemiology/Society of Epidemiology Research Top 10 manuscripts (2014) Cancer Prevention Institute of California Mentoring Award (2015) American Society of Human Genetics Top poster As Principal Investigator of multiple NIH-funded projects, Dr. Cheng oversees substantial research grants focused on cancer epidemiology and health disparities. Her work often involves large interdisciplinary collaborations with researchers across multiple institutions, including the Multiethnic Cohort Study which follows over 200,000 participants from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds. She has demonstrated leadership in mentoring junior researchers, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds in science, as evidenced by her Cancer Prevention Institute of California Mentoring Award. Her research program integrates data from cancer registries, electronic health records, and geospatial information to provide comprehensive insights into cancer patterns and risk factors. Dr. Cheng's research is closely connected to the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and leverages collaborations with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which provides advanced technological resources for cancer research. Her work benefits from access to extensive cohort data, sophisticated exposure assessment methods, and interdisciplinary expertise in genetics, environmental science, and computational biology available through these institutional partnerships. She frequently collaborates with researchers studying the genetic and environmental determinants of cancer across multiple organ systems, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of cancer etiology and prevention strategies.
Mei-Po Kwan is a distinguished academic holding multiple roles at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). She serves as the Head of Chung Chi College, Choh-Ming Li Professor of Geography and Resource Management, Director of the Institute of Space and Earth Information Science, and Professor at The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care. Her research focuses on geospatial health, urban mobility, environmental health, and innovative GIS methods, emphasizing individual-level environmental exposure and social disparities. Education: Ph.D. Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara (1994) M.A. Urban Planning, University of California, Los Angeles (1989) B.SoSci. Geography, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (1985) Research Interests: Dr. Kwan’s work bridges health, transport, and environmental geography, leveraging cutting-edge GIS and mixed-methods approaches. Key themes include: Uncertain Geographic Context Problem (UGCoP) and Neighborhood Effect Averaging Problem (NEAP) GIS-based analysis of greenspace, air/noise pollution, and mobility Geospatial AI and real-time sensing technologies Health disparities in urban environments Grants & Awards: She has secured over $68 million in research funding, including recent grants from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council and Innovation and Technology Commission. Notable awards include Fellowships from the American Association of Geographers, Royal Geographical Society, and multiple Highly Cited Researcher recognitions (2019, 2021). Professional Service: Editor of Annals of the American Association of American Geographers , founder of the International Geospatial Health Research Network, and member of prestigious editorial boards and advisory councils. Labs & Teams: Leads the Institute of Space and Earth Information Science and collaborates on projects like the 15-minute city framework, carbon monitoring systems, and geospatial health analytics.
Jiawei Han is the Michael Aiken Chair Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), affiliated with the Siebel School of Computing and Data Science and the Department of Computer Science. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1985). His research focuses on Data Mining, Text Mining, and Intelligent Systems, with notable contributions to knowledge hypercubes, molecular discovery, and geospatial understanding. Key affiliations include leading the Data Mining Research Group (DMG) and the Data and Information Systems Research Laboratory (DAIS). He is also involved in major initiatives like the NSF AI Institute for Molecular Discovery (Molecule Maker Lab) and the DARPA INCAS project. Recent work emphasizes large language models (LLMs), scientific knowledge integration, and graph-based reasoning. Notable achievements include an ICLR 2024 Outstanding Paper Honorable Mention (co-authored with Suyu Ge) and mentoring Yu Meng, recipient of the ACM SIGKDD 2024 Dissertation Award. Teaching includes courses such as CS 412 (Data Mining), CS 512 (Data Mining Principles), and specialized topics like Text Mining with Large Language Models (Fall 2024). He has authored/co-authored numerous books, including editions of *Data Mining: Concepts and Techniques* and works on taxonomy discovery and text mining. His research spans interdisciplinary areas such as bioinformatics, geospatial analytics, and molecular innovation, with a focus on practical applications and foundational theory.
Stefano Galelli is a tenured Associate Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University, where he leads the Critical Infrastructure Systems Lab. He also holds an adjunct position as a Research Scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University. His career spans roles in Singapore, including a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at NUS (2011–2013) and faculty at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (2013–2023). Dr. Galelli earned his B.Sc. (2004), M.Sc. (2007), and Ph.D. (2011) in Environmental and Land Planning Engineering and Information Technology from Politecnico di Milano, Italy. His research focuses on the interactions between critical infrastructure systems and natural environments, emphasizing adaptive management solutions for water-energy systems. Techniques include process-based modeling, climatology, statistical learning, control theory, and optimization. He explores topics like hydro-climatic variability impacts, dam re-operation for environmental flows, and cyber-physical security in infrastructure. His contributions to journals such as Nature Sustainability, Earth’s Future, and Environmental Modelling & Software have earned him multiple awards, including the Early Career Research Excellence Award (2014) and SUTD Excellence in Research Award (2017). He has served as an editor for several journals and is recognized for advancing interdisciplinary approaches to water-energy nexus challenges. Teaching highlights include foundational mathematics courses and advanced topics in data analytics, optimization, and water-energy management. He is developing new courses on data-driven control of coupled human-natural systems and risk management for interconnected systems.
Luc Anselin is the Stein-Freiler Distinguished Service Professor of Sociology and the College at the University of Chicago. He serves as Director of the Center for Spatial Data Science and Senior Fellow at NORC, with affiliations in the Department of Sociology and the Committee on Quantitative Research Methods in Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences. B.S., Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1975 M.S., Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1976 M.A., Cornell University, 1979 Ph.D., Cornell University, 1980 Anselin is a pioneer in spatial data science, spatial econometrics, and computational social science. His work bridges quantitative geography, regional science, and computer science, with applications in urban studies, economic analysis, and health research. His recent publications focus on spatial regimes, software ecosystems like GeoDa and PySAL, stigma analysis in public health, and computational methods for urban equity. These reflect interdisciplinary trends in spatial statistical modeling, open-source development, and geospatial policy evaluation. Scientific recognition includes: Fellow, Regional Science Association International (2004) Walter Isard Prize (2005) William Alonso Memorial Prize (2006) National Academy of Sciences (2008) American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2011) Anselin has led major grants and directed institutions like the GeoDa Center for Geospatial Analysis and Computation at Arizona State University. He has mentored interdisciplinary collaborations across sociology, economics, and data science. His laboratories and teams include the Center for Spatial Data Science at the University of Chicago and the GeoDa Center at Arizona State University, fostering innovation in geospatial computation and open-source spatial analytics.
Camillo J. Taylor is the Raymond S. Markowitz President’s Distinguished Professor in the Department of Computer and Information Science at the University of Pennsylvania , where he has been a faculty member since 1997. He also serves as Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the School of Engineering and Applied Science. His research focuses on Computer Vision and Robotics , particularly in 3D reconstruction, semantic mapping, and autonomous navigation. Education: A.B. in Electrical Computer and Systems Engineering, Harvard College (1988) M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science, Yale University (1990, 1994) Research Interests: Dr. Taylor’s work bridges Computer Vision and Robotics to enable autonomous systems to perceive and navigate complex environments. Key themes include semantic SLAM, event camera applications, and meta-learning for adaptive controllers. His projects often integrate vision, physics, and multi-agent collaboration, as seen in systems like EvMAPPER and OCCAM . Recent Article Trends: His 2024–2025 publications focus on semantic mapping , event-based vision , and multi-agent LLM systems , reflecting his lab’s emphasis on real-time perception, physics-informed reconstruction, and rational decision-making in robotics. These works span applications from solar eclipse imaging to wildfire analysis and natural hazard resilience. Awards: NSF CAREER Award (1998) Lindback Minority Junior Faculty Award (2001) IEEE WACV Best Paper Award (2012) Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award (2012) Advising and Service: Dr. Taylor has advised numerous PhD students, including Jason Hughes and Bowen Jiang. He has served as a Program Chair for CVPR (2006, 2017) and General Chair for ICCV (2021). His contributions to the GRASP Laboratory have advanced autonomous micro-UAVs and semantic SLAM.
Cathy Wu is a distinguished academic holding the Unidel Edward G. Jefferson Chair in Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Delaware. She serves as Director of the Center for Bioinformatics & Computational Biology (CBCB), Data Science Institute (DSI), and Protein Information Resource (PIR). Her roles include professorships in the Departments of Computer & Information Sciences and Biological Sciences. Education: BS in Plant Pathology (National Taiwan University, 1978), MS and PhD in Plant Pathology (Purdue University, 1982–1984), and a second MS in Computer Science (University of Texas at Tyler, 1989). She completed postdoctoral training in Molecular Biology at Michigan State University (1985–1986). Research interests focus on computational biology, bioinformatics, and data science with emphasis on protein informatics, biological text mining, ontology development, gene-disease-drug networks, and machine learning applications. She leads initiatives in integrating FAIR principles into biological databases like UniProt and InterPro. Her work bridges computational methods with biomedical challenges, including cancer genomics, epigenetic regulation, and proteomic analyses. She has spearheaded educational programs such as the Online Graduate Certificates in Applied Bioinformatics and Biomedical Informatics and Data Science. Her contributions include over 290 peer-reviewed publications (48,000+ citations, h-index 71) and authored/co-authored four books on bioinformatics. She directs multidisciplinary research teams and collaborates internationally on projects like the HALO study on ovarian cancer genetics. Awards and recognition are implied through her leadership roles and academic appointments, though specific prizes are not listed here. Her grants and funding support large-scale initiatives in bioinformatics infrastructure and translational research.
Leysia Palen is a Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Information Science at the University of Colorado Boulder. She was the founding chair of the Department of Information Science, which launched in 2015, and maintains appointments in both the Department of Information Science and Computer Science. Palen is also a faculty fellow with the Institute of Cognitive Science and ATLAS Institute. She received her PhD from the University of California, Irvine in Information and Computer Science in 1998 and has been a faculty member at CU Boulder ever since. Her educational background includes: BS in Cognitive Science from University of California, San Diego MS and PhD in Information and Computer Science from University of California, Irvine Palen is a leader in crisis informatics, an area she forged with her graduate students and colleagues. Her research integrates human-computer interaction (HCI), computer-supported cooperative work, and social computing to address socio-technical issues of societal importance. She conducts empirical research in the interpretivist tradition while adapting quantitative techniques for analyzing large-scale online interactions during crisis events. Her work has earned her the ACM Computer Human Interaction Social Impact Award in 2015, and she was elected to the ACM CHI Academy in 2016. Palen's research examines how people use technology to communicate during emergencies and disasters. Her work spans hurricane response, earthquake recovery, terrorist attacks, and pandemic situations, analyzing social media usage, risk communication patterns, and emergent information infrastructures. She directs Project EPIC (Empowering the Public with Information during Crisis) and co-directs the Center for Software & Society at CU Boulder. Her publication record demonstrates consistent contributions to understanding human-technology interaction in critical situations, with over 90 articles spanning two decades. Palen has secured approximately $5 million in research funding as Principal Investigator from the National Science Foundation, including an NSF CAREER award in 2006. She serves as an Associate Editor for both the Human Computer Interaction Journal (Taylor and Francis) and the Computer-Supported Cooperative Work Journal (Springer), reflecting her leadership in these academic communities. Palen has held positions at Xerox PARC, Boeing Commercial, USWEST Advanced Technologies, and Microsoft Commercial, and has been a faculty member at the University of Aarhus in Denmark and University of Agder in Norway.
Guang Tian, Ph.D. , is an Assistant Professor of City and Metropolitan Planning at the University of Utah and a faculty member at the Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute . His research bridges land use-transportation planning , travel behavior , and urban data science , with a focus on sustainability , climate adaptation , and equitable transit-oriented development . He previously founded the Center for Equitable Transit-Oriented Communities at the University of New Orleans as an Associate Professor. Education : Ph.D. in City & Metropolitan Planning (University of Utah, 2016) Professional Affiliations : Faculty, Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute (2025–present) His research leverages machine learning and GIS to analyze VMT reduction , active transportation , and the built environment’s impact on mobility . Key findings include the superior performance of random forest models over traditional methods in predicting mode choice and the role of polycentric urban structures in reducing auto dependency. Scientific Awards : Rising Scholar Award (2024, Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning) Grants include funding from the US Department of Transportation for equitable transit communities and multiple Louisiana Transportation Research Center projects on VMT modeling, rail infrastructure, and truck parking efficiency. His teaching centers on GIS applications in urban planning and transportation analysis.
Filip Biljecki is an Assistant Professor jointly appointed at the Department of Architecture within the College of Design and Engineering and the Department of Real Estate at the NUS Business School, National University of Singapore. He is the founder and principal investigator of the NUS Urban Analytics Lab and was awarded the prestigious NUS Presidential Young Professorship in 2020. With over 150 peer-reviewed publications, his research bridges geomatic engineering, geospatial technologies, and urban data science to advance digital twins and data-driven urban planning. Dr. Biljecki's educational background includes: PhD in 3D GIS (cum laude), Delft University of Technology, Netherlands (2017) MSc in Geomatics, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands (2010) BSc in Geodesy and Geoinformatics, University of Zagreb, Croatia (2008) His research interests focus on emerging urban data sources, particularly urban imagery, and their application in 3D city modeling, digital twins, and GeoAI. He explores how crowdsourcing and open science can inform cutting-edge techniques for urban sensing and analytics at city-scale. His work significantly contributes to establishing smart cities through innovative methods that integrate recent advancements in computer science, geomatics, and urban data science. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on street view imagery applications for urban analytics, digital twin development, and geospatial AI. His research spans multiple domains including urban morphology, environmental assessment, public health applications, and urban comfort analysis. The interdisciplinary nature of his work is evident in collaborations with researchers from diverse fields, producing impactful studies that address complex urban challenges through innovative methodological approaches. His notable scientific achievements include: Annual Teaching Excellence Award (ATEA), 2025 College Educator Award AY2023/2024, 2025 Urban Informatics Paper of the Year Award, 2023 Top 2% scientists worldwide (Stanford University), 2021 Presidential Young Professorship (NUS), 2020 As an educator, Dr. Biljecki has supervised dozens of students leading to publications in leading journals and placements at top universities and organizations. He has delivered talks at over 120 universities and organizations worldwide including MIT, Stanford, Harvard, and ETH Zurich. His research is supported through various grants and affiliations including his role as Principal Investigator at the Future Cities Lab Global at the Singapore-ETH Centre. The NUS Urban Analytics Lab, which he established, brings together scholars from diverse disciplines to drive research on making cities smarter and more data-driven. The lab has developed innovative tools like ZenSVI for street view imagery analysis and has produced influential research on urban digital twins, urban morphology, and GeoAI applications. Through his leadership, the lab continues to pioneer methods that advance data-driven urban planning and smart city development.
Amanda Giang serves as Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Applied Science, Department of Mechanical Engineering, holding a Canada Research Chair in Environmental Modelling for Policy. She maintains a joint appointment with the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES). Her educational background includes a B.A.Sc. from the University of Toronto, followed by M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from MIT, with postdoctoral training at MIT and Harvard. Dr. Giang's research employs interdisciplinary approaches to develop modeling tools for environmental policy analysis, focusing on pollution assessment, environmental injustice, and the intersection of air quality, decarbonization, and equity. Her work emphasizes action-oriented partnerships with community organizations and government health/environment agencies. Current projects address freight transport decarbonization equity, cumulative impact assessment methodologies for overburdened communities, and holistic environmental impact evaluation in technology design. Her recent publications demonstrate expertise across environmental modeling, policy analysis, and justice frameworks, with significant contributions to understanding spatial inequities in environmental risk distribution and developing community-engaged research methodologies. UBC Killam Research Prize, 2023 Dr. Giang actively collaborates with community groups and government authorities through her LEAP (Learning, Environmental Assessment, and Policy) research group. Her work integrates technical modeling with real-world policy applications, particularly in urban environmental planning contexts where equity considerations are paramount. She has developed innovative frameworks for cumulative impact assessment and environmental justice analysis that directly inform regulatory decision-making processes. Her research laboratory focuses on developing open-source modeling tools for environmental policy analysis while maintaining strong community partnerships that ensure research addresses pressing local environmental justice concerns.
