Prof Justine Firnhaber-Baker is a Professor of History at the University of St Andrews' School of History, specializing in late medieval France focusing on power structures, violence, and legal systems. She holds a PhD from Harvard University and has authored landmark works like Violence and the State in Languedoc (2014), The Jacquerie Revolt of 1358 (2021), and House of Lilies (2024). Her research explores royal authority, peasant revolts, and medieval state formation, with particular expertise in the Capetian and Valois dynasties. She has led major projects including a digital map of medieval French roads and received the French History Article Prize (2013). Prof Firnhaber-Baker teaches undergraduate and postgraduate modules and actively supervises PhD candidates. Education: PhD in History, Harvard University MA in History, Harvard University BA in History, Wellesley College Key Projects: A Digital Map of Roads & Bridges in Medieval France (2020-2021) The Jacquerie and Late Medieval Revolts (AHRC Fellowship, 2013-2016) Awards: French History Article Prize (2013) Research Focus: Her work analyzes how power operated through institutions like royal courts and manifested in conflicts such as the Hundred Years' War and the Black Death. Recent media engagements include podcasts and documentaries on the Capetian dynasty and medieval revolts.
Stephen Lee is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Pittsburgh, affiliated with Pitt Cyber. His research focuses on distributed systems, cyber-physical systems, and sustainability, emphasizing energy efficiency and cost optimization. Dr. Lee holds a PhD from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a Master’s from Chennai Mathematical Institute, and a Bachelor’s from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. He actively seeks students for his research group. Education: PhD, Computer Science, University of Massachusetts Amherst Master’s, Chennai Mathematical Institute Bachelor’s, St. Stephen’s College, Delhi Research Interests: Dr. Lee’s work integrates distributed systems, machine learning, and optimization to enhance sustainability. Key areas include IoT-enabled energy systems, emission-aware computing, and privacy-preserving frameworks. He leads projects like GreenWhisk (serverless emission reduction) and Sat2map (3D building modeling from satellite imagery). Recent Achievements: Best Paper Award in IEEE TPS 2024 DOE-funded Cyber Energy Center (2024) MCSI Seed Grant for Pitt building sustainability (2024) NSF Grant on sustainable distributed infrastructures (2023) Grants & Advising: Secured over $2M in grants, including NSF and DOE funding. Advises on energy-efficient systems and IoT security. Teaches CS 2510 (Operating Systems) and CS 1699 (Systems & Sustainability). Labs & Teams: Directs the Sustainable Systems Research Group, focusing on decarbonizing IT and optimizing renewable energy systems. Collaborates with industry partners on smart grid solutions and edge-cloud systems.
Ehud Sharlin is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Science. His research focuses on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) with specializations in human-robot interaction, tangible interfaces, virtual/augmented reality, and autonomous vehicle interactions. He holds a Ph.D. in Computing Science from the University of Alberta (2003), and M.Sc. and B.Sc. degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (1997 and 1990). Teaches CPSC 481: Human-Computer Interaction I Recipient of the NSERC Discovery Accelerator Award (2019), ACM Creativity & Cognition Honourable Mention (2018), and multiple academic excellence awards Active in industry collaborations, particularly in medical simulation (e.g., VRSpineSim) and geosciences (e.g., PLANWELL) Research explores: Embodied interaction through robotics and wearables Autonomous vehicle-pedestrian communication systems Immersive tools for creative and professional domains Accessibility in human-technology interfaces Publications span over 100 peer-reviewed works, emphasizing design methodologies, user experience in XR systems, and ethical considerations in sociotechnical systems. His work bridges technical innovation with human-centered design principles.
Professor Peter Macreadie is a global leader in marine science and sustainability at RMIT University, where he serves as Director of the Centre for Nature Positive Solutions and founder of the Blue Carbon Lab. He holds a professorial appointment in the School of Science and has held prior roles at Deakin University (2016–2024). His research focuses on leveraging nature-based solutions to mitigate climate change, including blue carbon ecosystems (mangroves, seagrasses, tidal marshes) and teal carbon innovations. He leads interdisciplinary projects in ecosystem restoration, coastal protection, and natural capital accounting, collaborating with governments, industries, and communities. Macreadie’s work spans over 250 publications in top journals like Science and Nature Climate Change , and he has attracted over $35M in research funding. His awards include the 2023 Frontiers Planet Prize and 2020 Premier’s Sustainability Award. He emphasizes translating science into actionable policies and practices, addressing challenges like microplastics, offshore infrastructure decommissioning, and citizen science engagement. Research Themes: Blue Carbon, Climate Mitigation, Ecosystem Restoration Key Projects: Mangrove restoration cost-benefit analysis, ocean alkalinity enhancement, and hybrid green-grey infrastructure He actively supervises PhD and industry projects, such as investigating microplastic impacts on blue carbon systems and feasibility of ocean alkalinity projects. His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals 13 (Climate Action), 14 (Life Below Water), and 15 (Life on Land).
Xinyi Liu is a Professor of Archaeology and Associate Chair of the Department of Anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis. She holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on plant domestication, agricultural origins, and prehistoric food globalization, with a particular emphasis on millet and the prehistory of China. She leads fieldwork projects across the Tibetan Plateau, Hexi Corridor, Inner Mongolia, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe. Her work bridges archaeology with environmental science, using stable isotope analyses, archaeobotanical methods, and geospatial modeling. She is affiliated with the Laboratory for the Analysis of Early Food-Webs (LAEF), which examines nutrition-ecology interactions in diverse environments including the Tibetan Plateau and the Lower Yangtze region. Dr. Liu serves on editorial boards for journals like Environmental Archaeology and Archaeological Research in Asia and chairs the International Work Group for Paleoethnobotany. Her recent studies highlight millet's ecological significance and its role in achieving modern food security. Her publications (2020-2024) analyze prehistoric crop management strategies, animal domestication genetics, and the socio-environmental impacts of early food globalization. These works emphasize East Asian contributions to global prehistory and the interplay between ancient culinary practices and biodiversity. Dr. Liu's lab collaborates internationally, combining bioarchaeological data with modern ecological insights to address contemporary sustainability challenges. She has advised numerous graduate students and contributes to courses on environmental archaeology, bio-molecular approaches, and culinary globalization's deep history.
A. Stewart Fotheringham is a Regents' Professor of Computational Spatial Science and Director of the Spatial Analysis Research Center (SPARC) at Arizona State University’s School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning. He is also a Distinguished Sustainability Scientist at the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability. His research focuses on spatial data analysis using statistical, mathematical, and computational methods, with expertise in spatial interaction modeling and local statistical analysis, particularly multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR). He has conducted substantive research in health geography, crime patterns, retailing, migration, and transportation. Affiliations: ASU’s Institute for Social Science Research, National Academy of Sciences, Academia Europaea Education: Ph.D., M.A. (McMaster University), B.Sc. (Aberdeen University) Awards: Science Foundation Ireland Research Professorship (2004), over $15 million in funding His research interests include spatial statistics, geographic information science, and the development of methodologies to analyze spatial heterogeneity. He has authored 12 books and nearly 200 publications, emphasizing reproducibility in geospatial research and advancing computational tools like MGWR. Recent work examines spatial voting dynamics, housing valuation, and health disparities using local modeling techniques. He advises on grants, serves on the Transportation Research Board’s Executive Committee, and contributes to global sustainability initiatives.
Jonathan W. Chipman is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Dartmouth College and Director of the Citrin Family GIS/Applied Spatial Analysis Laboratory. He holds an A.B. from Dartmouth College and M.S./Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Specializing in geospatial science, his work integrates remote sensing, GIS, and spatial analysis to study environmental and social systems. Research focuses include lake optical properties via satellite imagery, land-use changes in Egypt/China, vegetation dynamics in southern Africa, and socio-spatial segregation patterns in the US. Education: A.B., Dartmouth College M.S., University of Wisconsin-Madison Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison Research Interests: Chipman applies geospatial tools to environmental challenges, including climate change impacts on glaciers, land-cover transformations, and socio-environmental linkages. His work bridges disciplines like hydrology, ecology, and public health through innovative GIS methods. Recent projects explore tropical glacier dynamics, greenspace health correlations, and malaria endemicity patterns. Key Article Trends: Publications emphasize remote sensing applications in glaciology, environmental toxicology, and socio-environmental systems. Themes include satellite-based monitoring of river systems, glacier classification in High Mountain Asia, and GIS-driven analysis of human health exposures tied to land cover. Lab & Collaborations: Leads the Citrin Lab, focusing on applied spatial analysis. Courses taught include GEOG 54 (Geovisualization) and EARS 77 (Environmental GIS). Active in 3D landscape modeling collaborations via SketchFab and Google Scholar.
Anders Koed Madsen is a Professor at the Department of Culture and Learning, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Aalborg University. He is affiliated with the Technoanthropological Laboratory and leads research initiatives including AI for the People and MASSHINE. His work centers on digital methods, urban belonging, smart cities, and citizen science, often integrating ethnographic and participatory approaches. His research interests lie at the intersection of technology and society, focusing on digital placemaking , urban sensing , pragmatist philosophy , and inclusive urban planning . He explores how digital tools can be used to understand lived experiences in cities, especially among marginalized communities. His methodological focus includes participatory digital methods, geospatial photovoice, and computational ethnography. The recent articles highlight a consistent trend toward using digital and ethnographic methods to study urban life, technology assessment, and democratic participation. Themes include generative AI , digital epistemology , friction in machine reasoning , and inclusive city planning . His work increasingly incorporates large language models and open-source toolkits to democratize research and planning processes. Scientific Awards: European Union Prize for Citizen Science (2023) World Summit Awards (WSA) shortlist, Urban Belonging Project (2024) Ziman Award 2020: TANTlab AAU Talent (2018) Videnskabsministeriets EliteForsk-rejsestipendium (2011) Anders Koed Madsen has been actively involved in research grants and collaborative projects such as the Urban Belonging Project , Digital Placemaking and Soft City Sensing Research Network , and GE-AI: Generative Ethnographic AI . He frequently collaborates with interdisciplinary teams and institutions like IT University of Copenhagen and Gehl Architects. He advises on public engagement and has contributed to national and international discourse on digitalization and urban futures. He is a core member of the Technoanthropological Laboratory , which fosters interdisciplinary research on technology and society. The lab supports initiatives in digital methods, citizen science, and urban innovation. Madsen also contributes to public understanding through media engagement and workshops, promoting humanistic perspectives in technological development.
Natalia Andrienko is a Professor of Computer Science at City University London and Lead Scientist in the Knowledge Discovery department at Fraunhofer-Institut für Intelligente Analyse- und Informationssysteme. Her work bridges visual analytics with mobility data science and machine learning, focusing on human-in-the-loop systems for pattern discovery and spatiotemporal data exploration. Professor, Computer Science, City University London (2013-present) Lead Scientist, Knowledge Discovery, Fraunhofer Institute (1997-present) Research interests center on visual analytics methodology for spatiotemporal data, human-centered machine learning, and mobility pattern analysis. She develops frameworks for interactive dashboards, trust visualization in ML, and semantic exploration of location-based data, with a focus on scalable and privacy-respecting techniques. Her recent publications investigate hybrid human-machine discovery of movement patterns, contextual visual analytics for multivariate events, and the integration of temporal periodization with spatial analysis. Articles emphasize applications in sports analytics, transportation systems, and collaborative visual analysis workflows. Key collaborations include work with Gennady Andrienko and Salvatore Rinzivillo. She has contributed to journals like Visual Informatics , IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics , and International Journal of Cartography , maintaining active research output across visual analytics, mobility science, and geospatial data modeling.
Brian M Deal serves as a Professor of Landscape Architecture within the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, holding additional appointments in Urban and Regional Planning, the European Union Center, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). His expertise bridges sustainable planning theory, energy systems, and spatial modeling to develop practical decision-support tools for community development and climate resilience. His educational foundation includes a PhD in Regional Planning (2002), Master of Architecture (1997), and BS in Architectural Studies (1983), all earned at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Prior academic experience encompasses a decade of professional architecture practice and senior research at the Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL), where he specialized in sustainable military facility design using spatial simulation. Deal's research centers on sustainable planning systems and climate adaptation, with current projects examining urbanization impacts on Korean rural amenities, advancing the University of Illinois' climate action plan (iCAP), and developing next-generation 'sentient' planning support systems. His work integrates land-use modeling, energy systems analysis, and decision-support technologies to address complex urban environmental challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration. Recent publications reveal a pronounced shift toward data-driven sustainability solutions, featuring AI applications for carbon-neutral planning, multi-scaled green infrastructure optimization, and socio-ecological modeling. Key themes include urban carbon sequestration, post-pandemic park dynamics, and climate-resilient coastal design, demonstrating consistent innovation in translating theoretical frameworks into actionable planning tools for real-world implementation. Professor Deal's scientific awards and honors were not detailed in the provided text. As faculty mentor to the Student Sustainability Committee and chair of campus sustainability planning efforts, Deal actively guides student development and institutional policy. His leadership of the LEAM Laboratory and SEDAC involves managing research grants focused on urban resilience, energy systems, and climate adaptation, fostering partnerships with government agencies and community organizations to deploy planning tools that directly impact community decision-making processes. Deal directs the Land Use Evolution and Impact Assessment Modeling (LEAM) Laboratory and Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC), leading interdisciplinary teams in developing spatial simulation models and decision-support systems. His operational leadership extends to authoring the university's climate action plan and chairing campus sustainability committees, positioning him at the nexus of academic research, institutional policy, and community engagement for sustainable urban futures.
Bernhard Jenny is an Associate Professor at Monash University's Faculty of Information Technology, specializing in immersive visualization and geospatial data. He holds a PhD in Cartography from ETH Zurich and has held previous roles at Oregon State University and RMIT University. His research focuses on virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and cartographic innovations for geospatial data representation. Education: Doctor of Sciences in Cartography, ETH Zurich (2010) Postgraduate Certificate in Computer Science, ETH Zurich (2005) Master of Science in Surveying, EPFL (2000) Research Interests: Combines cartography, computer graphics, and human-computer interaction to explore VR/AR applications for geospatial data. Current work includes immersive analytics, terrain visualization, adaptive map projections, and storytelling with geospatial data. Recent Articles: Focus on ambient occlusion for terrain shading, grammars for immersive visualization transitions, and AR/VR interfaces for spatial data. Awards: Henry Johns Award (2007, 2011, 2012) ETH Medal (2010) Best Paper Honorable Mentions (ACM CHI, DIS) Grants & Projects: Leads initiatives like the 'Immersive Analytics' extension and 'National Geographic Relief Shading' project. Collaborates on neural networks for cartographic relief shading and sustainable development goals (SDGs). Labs & Teams: Heads the Embodied Visualisation Lab at Monash, focusing on immersive analytics and geovisualization tools.
Daniel Kühbacher is a Tutor and researcher at the Chair of Environmental Sensing and Modeling at Technische Universität München (TUM). He specializes in developing high-resolution urban emission inventories for CO2, CH4, and co-emitted species, and leads the setup of a 100-sensor CO2 network in Munich to assess sector-specific emission factors. His work bridges environmental monitoring, sensor technology, and urban climate science. Teaching roles include tutoring the Environmental Sensing and Modeling lecture and advanced seminar, as well as the joint practical course Gemeinschaftspraktikum MST . Research focuses on integrating traffic simulation data, mobile measurement units, and flux footprint modeling to quantify urban greenhouse gas emissions. Education: M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering Affiliations: Member of the ICOS Cities project and contributor to the ICOS Science Network Publications emphasize urban GHG monitoring innovations, including sensor network optimization, flux measurement validation, and inventory intercomparison studies. His work supports policy-relevant insights into emission hotspots and mitigation strategies. Currently develops the SCOUT project for street-level carbon observatories and explores human respiration emissions using mobile network data.
Dr. Elisa Palazzo is a Senior Lecturer at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) within the Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture. With a PhD in urban design, regional and environmental planning, she has extensive international teaching experience at universities in Italy, China, and Australia. Her professional background includes over 20 years as a registered landscape architect, architect, and urbanist, with significant project experience across Europe, the Middle East, China, and Australia. Her research focuses on adaptive and regenerative urban design, particularly water-sensitive cities and flood adaptation strategies in urban and rural systems. She explores biocultural diversity, landscape ecology, and transdisciplinary approaches to address environmental change. Her work bridges landscape architecture with urban design to create more resilient and environmentally sound cities. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on practical applications of urban resilience, with particular attention to flood adaptation strategies, biocultural landscape assessment, and the implementation of water-sensitive urban design principles globally. Her research shows an increasing focus on transdisciplinary approaches that integrate community engagement with technical solutions. Banksia Sustainability Award 2020 (Academia and Research category) Place Leadership Award 2019 Learning & Teaching Award 2020 Executive Dean's award for excellence in teaching 2017 Peter Joseph Lenné Preis (1999) Multiple EUROPAN first prizes (1996, 1999) Dr. Palazzo has successfully supervised three PhD students and one Post-Doc to completion since 2015/2016 and currently supervises research in adaptive urban design, water resilience, and post-mining site regeneration. She has secured significant research funding including a $0.94 million MYER Foundation grant (2018-2020) and multiple Category 2 and 3 grants totaling $196,000 (2015-2024). She actively contributes to cultural landscape heritage work, serving as co-convenor of the Australia ICOMOS National Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes and Cultural Routes, and as co-author of the Burra Charter Practice Note on Cultural Landscapes. Her professional practice includes 38 built projects that have received 29 awards, including 11 first prizes.
Professor Angelika Krehl serves as Professor for Economics, regional and sectoral structural policy and Director of the NIERS Institute (Lower Rhine Institute for Regional and Structural Research) at Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences since 2020. Her academic leadership spans regional economics, urban spatial structure analysis, and sustainability research within the Department of Economics. Her research focuses on theoretical foundations and empirical analysis methods of urban spatial structures, regional economics, economic geography, and GIS-based regional research with emphasis on sustainability aspects. Key methodologies include polycentricity measurement, density pattern analysis, and integrated spatial modeling using remote sensing data. Her work bridges urban morphology with economic development processes. Recent publications reveal strong trends in polycentric urban systems analysis, corporate regional responsibility frameworks, and sustainable land use economics. Over 70% of her recent work examines German metropolitan regions through morphological polycentricity lenses, with increasing focus on sustainability transitions and social innovation mechanisms since 2020. Methodological innovation in GIS integration and spatial metrics development characterizes her publication trajectory. Professor Krehl leads multiple major research initiatives including RediStar (diversity-sensitive startup funding), AUFBRUCH (sustainable bioeconomy transformation), R(h)einTex (textile recycling innovation), and R³ (corporate regional responsibility). Her institutional leadership extends to directing NIERS Institute and serving on the university's Advisory Board for Research and Transfer. As Director of NIERS Institute, she oversees collaborative research teams focused on regional structural policy, with particular emphasis on lignite phase-out governance, sustainable learning projects, and regional innovation ecosystems. Her work integrates academic research with practical policy implementation through close partnerships with regional stakeholders.
Lina von Sydow is a Professor in Computational Science at Uppsala University's Department of Information Technology. She serves as Section Dean for the Mathematical-Computer Science Section since July 2023. Her academic journey includes becoming an Associate Professor in 2000, Senior Lecturer since 1997, and leading the Department of Information Technology from 2018 to 2023. PhD in Domain Decomposition Methods (1995, Uppsala University) Postdoctoral Fellow at Oxford University (1996-1997) Her research spans computational science with dual focuses on Computational Finance and Ice Sheet Modeling . In finance, she develops numerical methods for option pricing using PDEs, radial basis functions, and stochastic volatility models. In climate science, she contributes to ice sheet dynamics through full Stokes models and adaptive time-stepping approaches, particularly in simulating grounding line migration. Recent publications (2025) address gender disparities in IT education, including comparative analysis of admission trends and intervention studies to boost female enrollment. Earlier works (2020-2015) focus on high-order finite difference methods for financial derivatives, BENCHOP benchmarking projects, and preconditioning techniques for PDEs. Scientific awards include Excellent Teacher (2013) She actively collaborates on educational reforms, co-authoring studies like Gender-aware course reform in Scientific Computing (2013). Her leadership roles include Head of Department (2018-2023) and Section Dean (2023-present), influencing academic governance and interdisciplinary research. Labs and teams: Works with Uppsala University's Computational Science group, Elmer/ICE project collaborators (e.g., Per Lötstedt, Gong Cheng), and international partners in numerical finance and climate modeling.
