Matthew Kay is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University's School of Communication, with a secondary appointment in Computer Science. He serves as Co-Director of Graduate Studies for the PhD in Technology and Social Behavior program. His research focuses on human-computer interaction and information visualization, specializing in uncertainty communication, usable statistics, and personal informatics. He employs mixed-method approaches including behavioral analysis, interactive system development, and visualization technique evaluation to address real-world data interpretation challenges. Analysis of his recent publications reveals dominant themes in visualization literacy development, uncertainty representation for decision-making, and health informatics applications. His work consistently bridges theoretical frameworks with practical implementations, particularly in educational assessment tools and election forecast visualizations. Professor Kay co-directs the Midwest Uncertainty Collective (MU collective), a research group advancing uncertainty communication methodologies. Previously faculty at the University of Michigan School of Information, he maintains active contributions to visualization tool development including the ggdist R package for uncertainty visualization.
Sanjit A. Seshia is the Cadence Founders Chair Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley . He is affiliated with the Group in Logic and the Methodology of Science and participates in centers like the Industrial Cyber-Physical Systems Center , Berkeley AI Research , and the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing . Research interests include formal methods for automated verification and synthesis of dependable systems, with applications to cyber-physical systems , AI-based autonomy , and computer security . His work spans SMT solving, model counting, syntax-guided synthesis, and algorithmic improvisation, with tools like UCLID5 , VerifAI , and Scenic for verifying autonomous systems and educational platforms like CPSGrader . Students and collaborators include notable researchers such as Dorsa Sadigh (Stanford), Daniel Fremont (UC Santa Cruz), and Hazem Torfah (Chalmers). He has co-founded startups like Decyphir and 20ⁿ Labs based on his research.
Dr. Muhammad Rashed is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington, within the College of Engineering. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from the University of Central Florida (2024) and a B.S. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (2015). Ph.D. : Computer Engineering, University of Central Florida, 2024 B.S. : Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, 2015 His research focuses on electronic design automation (EDA), in-memory computing, AI acceleration, and sustainable computing. He explores novel computing paradigms to overcome the limitations of traditional architectures, particularly in data-intensive applications such as AI and scientific computing. His work emphasizes hardware-software co-design and leveraging emerging non-volatile memories for energy-efficient processing. The 15 most recent publications highlight a consistent focus on in-memory computing, particularly in path-based and flow-based architectures, logic synthesis, and AI acceleration. Key themes include optimization, fault tolerance, verification, and the use of advanced data structures like sentential decision diagrams. His work is published in top-tier venues such as DAC, ICCAD, ASP-DAC, and IEEE/ACM journals. Scientific Awards: UTA CARES Grant for OER Creation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Grant Alireza Seyedi Doctoral Research Innovation Endowed Scholarship David T. & Jane M. Donaldson Memorial Scholarship IEEE/ACM William J. McCalla ICCAD Best Paper Award Nomination Best Research Video Award, Design Automation Conference (DAC) Dr. Rashed advises several graduate and undergraduate students in the NextGen Computing Lab and is involved in research grants including the UTA CARES Grant and REU funding. He actively contributes to academic service through roles such as conference TPC member, journal reviewer (e.g., IEEE TCAD, ACM TODAES), and committee participation in the department and college. His lab, the NextGen Computing Lab, is dedicated to building scalable, energy-efficient computing systems for next-generation AI and scientific workloads, aligning with national initiatives in advanced computing.
Julie Anne Legate is Professor and Chair of Linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Linguistics. She earned her PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2002. Legate co-directs the Penn Syntax Lab and served as Editor-in-Chief of Natural Language & Linguistic Theory for 10 years. Her research focuses on syntactic theory, morphosyntax, and syntax-semantics interfaces, with specialization in endangered/understudied languages. Key interests include passives, impersonals, causatives, null subjects, case theory, and locality domains. She maintains secondary research interests in language acquisition. Legate's publications demonstrate extensive work on voice systems (especially passives), ergativity, case theory, recursion, and cross-linguistic analysis of languages including Acehnese, Warlpiri, and Lithuanian. Her research frequently combines theoretical innovation with empirical fieldwork. Awards include the LSA’s Best Paper in Language Award (2020) for On Passives of Passives . She has advised multiple PhD students including Faruk Akkuş (2021), Milena Šereikaitė (2020), Ava Irani (2019), Helen Jeoung (2018), and Einar Freyr Sigurðsson (2017). Current projects include: syntactic islands (with Charles Yang), Mandarin bridge verbs (with Jiayi Lu and Charles Yang), null subjects in Brazilian Portuguese (with Gesoel Mendes), and passive agent binding.
Alastair F. Donaldson is a Professor and Director of Research in the Department of Computing at Imperial College London, where he leads the FastPL research group. His work bridges formal methods, software testing, and programming languages, with a focus on enhancing the reliability of high-performance and parallel software systems. He has held key roles including Director of Research (since 2023) and previously served as Lecturer (2011–2014), Senior Lecturer (2014–2017), and Reader (2017–2020) before being promoted to Professor in 2020. His research interests include formal verification, compiler testing, GPU programming, concurrency, and fuzzing. He has made significant contributions to the verification of GPU kernels, metamorphic testing of graphics drivers, and the development of tools like GPUVerify and GraphicsFuzz. His work combines theoretical rigor with practical impact, demonstrated by the acquisition of his startup GraphicsFuzz by Google in 2018 and his subsequent roles as Senior Software Engineer and Visiting Researcher at Google. His recent publications reflect a sustained focus on compiler and system reliability, with trends in fuzzing, formal specification, and automated testing of complex systems such as WebGPU, CXL cache coherence, and large language models for code generation. His work increasingly integrates empirical validation with formal techniques to uncover subtle bugs in real-world systems. Scientific awards and recognitions include: 2017 BCS Roger Needham Award EPSRC Early Career Fellowship Fellow of the British Computer Society Best Paper awards at EuroSys 2024, MET 2021, IISWC 2019, IWOCL 2019, and ICST 2016 Best Industry Paper at ICST 2024 ACM SIGSOFT Distinguished Paper at ISSTA 2023 ACM SIGPLAN Most Influential OOPSLA Paper Award (2012 paper), awarded in 2022 Best Student Paper at PPoPP 2014 He has advised numerous PhD students and leads a vibrant research group. He has secured significant research funding and collaborates extensively with industry and academia. His service includes leadership roles such as General Chair of PLDI 2020, PC Chair of ECOOP 2019, and Steering Committee Chair of PLDI (2022–2025). He also serves on the advisory board of PACM-PL and on program committees for top venues including POPL, OOPSLA, PLDI, ICSE, and ISSTA. He leads the FastPL research group, which focuses on the design and implementation of programming tools and techniques for reliable software. The group conducts cutting-edge research in compiler testing, formal methods, and high-performance systems, fostering collaboration across academia and industry.
Zhendong Su is a full professor in the Department of Computer Science at ETH Zurich since August 2018. Previously, he held a full professorship at UC Davis from 2003 until June 2019. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from UC Berkeley and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics from UT Austin in 1995. Affiliations: ETH Zurich: Full Professor (since 2018) UC Davis: Full Professor and Chancellor’s Fellow (2003–2019) IEEE Fellow, ACM Fellow, and Member of Academia Europaea His research focuses on programming languages, compilers, software engineering, computer security, and education technologies . Key contributions include compiler validation (e.g., Project Yin-Yang for SMT solvers and DBMS testing), testing tools like SQLancer, and educational innovations such as the Algot visual programming language. Recent work emphasizes secure AI (e.g., CipherSteal for TEE-shielded models) and compiler reliability (e.g., Artemis/Apollo for JIT validation). He has pioneered techniques like metamorphic testing and equivalence modulo inputs (EMI) for compiler validation, uncovering thousands of bugs in GCC/LLVM and SMT solvers. Awards: ICSE MIP Award (2022), ACM SIGSOFT Impact Paper (2018), NSF CAREER Award, and multiple industrial awards. His students have won IEEE TCSE Rising Star and SIGSOFT Impact Paper awards, securing roles at top universities and companies like Google and NVIDIA. Service: Steering committee member of ISSTA and ESEC/FSE, ACM Distinguished Speaker, and Associate Editor for ACM TOSEM. Program chaired ISSTA 2012 and co-chaired FSE 2016. Labs/Teams: Leads research groups on compiler validation, secure AI, and education technologies. Projects include Yin-Yang (SMT testing), SQLancer (DBMS fuzzing), and Algot (visual programming for education).
Paul Boersma is a Professor of Phonetic Sciences at the University of Amsterdam within the Faculty of Humanities. His research explores how phonetic, phonological, and morphological phenomena emerge through computational modeling using artificial neural networks and Optimality Theory, with a focus on multi-level constraint interactions and distributional learning. University of Amsterdam Faculty of Humanities Phonetic Sciences Key research areas include: Computational Modeling : Simulations of phonological category emergence from phonetic data Optimality Theory : Gradual Learning Algorithm applications BiPhon Framework : Parallel bidirectional phonology/phonetics models Statistical Learning : Cross-situational and distributional learning mechanisms Recent publications emphasize: 2025: Inclusive speech recognition systems using Whisper model 2025: F0 ratio analysis for creaky voice diagnostics 2024: Prosodic clitics in child speech and checked tones in Shanghai Chinese 2023: Distributional learning in developmental language disorder contexts 2022: Substance-free phonological features and ghost segment phenomena He has also contributed extensively to the Praat software for phonetic analysis, with continuous updates since 1993.
Neelakantan R. Krishnaswami is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Cambridge's Computer Laboratory , and a Fellow of Trinity College . His research focuses on the intersection of program verification, programming language design, and foundational topics like type theory and semantics. His work spans areas such as refinement types, parser design, separation logic for systems software, and the semantics of reactive programming. Notable contributions include the Datafun language for higher-order Datalog and the λert type theory for explicit refinement types. He has also developed foundational frameworks for verifying imperative programs using advanced type systems and logical relations. Key publications include 'Explicit Refinement Types' (ICFP 2023), 'flap: A Deterministic Parser with Fused Lexing' (PLDI 2023), and 'CN: Verifying Systems C Code' (POPL 2023). His work frequently addresses challenges in efficiency, correctness, and modularity for both functional and imperative systems. His awards include Distinguished Paper Awards at PLDI 2019 and POPL 2020. His research integrates theoretical rigor with practical tooling, exemplified by contributions to languages like Coq, Lean, and Haskell.
Véronique Hoste is Senior Full Professor of Computational Linguistics at Ghent University's Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, where she serves as Department Head of Translation, Interpreting and Communication and Director of the LT3 language technology research team. She also holds the position of Research Director for the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy. Her educational background includes a PhD in Computational Linguistics from the University of Antwerp (2005) focused on optimization in machine learning for coreference resolution. Key research areas encompass machine learning for natural language processing, semantic and discourse modeling, including specialized work in event detection, entity/event coreference resolution, irony detection, and emotion analysis. Hoste's publication trends reveal strong interdisciplinary focus, with recent work bridging NLP with crisis communication, digital humanities, and ethical AI. Her team develops high-quality datasets (e.g., EmoTwiCS for emotion trajectories) and collaborates extensively with commercial partners on projects like SentEMO for aspect-based sentiment analysis. Current research emphasizes multimodal emotion analysis, fuzzy rough set methods for sentiment detection, and cross-document event coreference. Elected member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts (KVAB) Francqui Chair appointment by Université Libre de Bruxelles (2023-2024) Co-founded LT3 spin-off AlfaSent (2024) for customer feedback analysis Authored first Dutch-language book on NLP: "Taaltechnologie ontrafeld" She actively supervises multiple PhD students on projects including Common-sense knowledge in irony detection (Common-sense), cross-document event coreference (Encore), and empathy modeling in conversational agents (FlandersAI). Her team secures funding through interdisciplinary collaborations like NewsDNA for news recommendation and METRICS for emotion trajectory analysis. Hoste also engages in public outreach through the "AI at school" initiative and advises on language technology integration in high school curricula. The LT3 laboratory under her leadership maintains strong industry partnerships and develops practical NLP tools including EmotioNL and Automatic Term Extraction systems, while advancing core research through projects like CLARIAH-VL for data curation.
Jeff MacSwan is a Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education at the University of Maryland's College of Education, with affiliations in the Department of Linguistics and the Maryland Language Science Center. He also holds a joint appointment in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science. His research focuses on bilingualism, codeswitching, and their implications for educational policy, particularly for multilingual students. MacSwan has authored and edited seminal works, including Grammatical Theory and Bilingual Codeswitching and Codeswitching in the Classroom . He serves as editor of the International Multilingual Research Journal and has contributed to national committees such as the National Academies' study on Dual Language Learners. MacSwan received the 2021 AERA Lifetime Achievement Award and Leadership through Scholarship Award for his transformative work in bilingual education theory and practice. His advocacy challenges language-deficit perspectives, emphasizing translanguaging as a pedagogical asset. MacSwan's interdisciplinary approach bridges linguistics, education, and cognitive science. His lab addresses policy-relevant research on language assessment validity and equitable educational practices for linguistic minorities. He collaborates with institutions like the National Education Policy Center, advancing evidence-based policies for multilingual learners.
Shujun Li is a Professor of Cyber Security and Head of the Cyber Security Research Group at the School of Computing, University of Kent. He also holds a Visiting Professorship at the Department of Computer Science, University of Surrey. His research focuses on cyber security, privacy, AI applications, and human-centric computing. He leads the Institute of Cyber Security for Society (iCSS), a university-wide interdisciplinary research centre. Education: PhD in Information and Communication Engineering (Xi'an Jiaotong University, 2003), followed by postdoctoral research at City University of Hong Kong, Humboldt Research Fellowship at FernUniversität in Hagen, and a 5-year Zukunftskolleg Research Fellowship at Universität Konstanz. Research interests include cyber security (usable security, digital forensics, misinformation), AI safety, human factors, and socio-technical systems. He has published over 100 papers, with awards including the IEEE Guillemin-Cauer Best Paper Award and EPSRC recognition. Awards: Includes IEEE Transactions Best Paper Awards, EPSRC peer review recognition, and multiple conference best paper awards. Active in interdisciplinary projects like MACRO (cyber risks in mobility systems) and ACCEPT (reducing human-related cyber risks). Labs/Teams: Directs iCSS, co-founded Kent & Medway Cyber Cluster, and leads the Kent Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Cyber Security (KirCCS). Collaborates with industry and government agencies on cyber resilience and AI ethics.
Professor Julia Schlüter is a distinguished academic in the Chair of English Linguistics within the Humanities Faculty at the University of Bamberg, Germany. She has served as Senior Lecturer at the Chair of English Linguistics and Language History under Prof. Manfred Krug since June 2008, holding the title of Professor following her habilitation in 2008. Her institutional profile demonstrates deep commitment to both research and teaching innovation, particularly through her leadership of the KorPLUS project and development of open educational resources for corpus linguistics. Her research interests span corpus linguistics for English language learners, empirical methods for studying language variation and change, and the application of corpus methods to teaching. She specializes in examining grammatical, phonological, and lexical differences between British and American English across historical periods from Middle English to present-day usage. Her work investigates phonological variation (particularly phonotactically controlled alternations), morphological change, and syntactic variation through corpus analysis, with special attention to functional grammar and grammaticalization theory. Professor Schlüter's recent publications (2022-2025) reveal a strategic evolution in her research focus, with increasing emphasis on the intersection of corpus linguistics and digital education. While maintaining her foundational work in historical English linguistics, she has developed significant expertise in applying corpus methods to language teacher education and evaluating AI writing tools. Her work demonstrates consistent methodological innovation, moving from traditional corpus analysis to blended learning approaches and digital educational resource development. Her scientific recognition includes: Winner of the 2025 Teaching Innovation Prize from the International Society for the Linguistics of English for the KorPLUS project University of Bamberg Prize for outstanding habilitation (2009) Lise Meitner Programme post-doctoral scholarship (2005-2006) Rectorate Prize from University of Paderborn for outstanding Ph.D. thesis (2005) Multiple DAAD scholarships for international study Professor Schlüter actively supervises doctoral research, currently guiding three Ph.D. candidates (Katharina Deckert, Aklima Nahar, and Nikolai Beland) while having successfully completed supervision for several others. She leads the KorPLUS project (2021-2025), funded by the Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre, which develops open educational resources for corpus linguistics. Her research has been consistently supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and other funding bodies throughout her career. She heads the KorPLUS team (with Carina Großmann and Katharina Deckert) which develops the interactive Open Educational Resource platform for corpus linguistics. Her YouTube channel offers video tutorials on corpus basics, and she has created the Video Podcast Series "How to Update your Grammar" for English teachers. She regularly organizes in-service teacher trainings and collaborates with the Virtual Linguistics Campus at RWTH Aachen University to deliver her educational materials globally.
Professor Tobias Nipkow is a leading researcher in formal methods and interactive theorem proving at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), affiliated with the School of Computation, Information and Technology and the Department of Computer Science. He is a core developer of the Isabelle proof assistant and leads the Theorem Proving Group. His work has profoundly influenced program verification, semantics, and formalized mathematics. University: Technical University of Munich School: School of Computation, Information and Technology Department: Department of Computer Science Research Group: Theorem Proving Group Key Projects: Isabelle, Archive of Formal Proofs, Concrete Semantics His research focuses on formal verification, higher-order logic, semantics of programming languages, and verified algorithms. He has pioneered the formalization of textbook algorithms, data structures like B+-trees and quadtrees, and logical systems. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical tools for software correctness. The most recent publications show a strong trend in verifying classical algorithms (e.g., Gale-Shapley, Earley parser), data structures (B+-trees, deques), and decision procedures, primarily using Isabelle/HOL. His contributions span foundational logic, program analysis, and educational approaches to formal methods. Best Paper Award at CADE 28 (2021) Tobias Nipkow has made extensive contributions to advising and collaborative research, co-authoring with numerous researchers and students. He has secured support for large-scale formalization efforts and contributed to major projects like the Flyspeck proof of the Kepler conjecture. His work is supported by ongoing development of the Isabelle framework and the Archive of Formal Proofs. He leads the Theorem Proving Group at TUM, which is central to the development and application of Isabelle. The group fosters international collaboration, contributes to the Archive of Formal Proofs, and advances research in automated reasoning, semantics, and verified systems.
Alastair F. Donaldson is a Professor and Director of Research in the Department of Computing at Imperial College London, where he leads the FastPL research group. His academic career spans over a decade at Imperial, progressing from Lecturer (2011-2014) to Senior Lecturer (2014-2017), Reader (2017-2020), and Professor (2020-present). He has also held significant industry positions, including Founder and Director of GraphicsFuzz Ltd. (acquired by Google in 2018), Senior Software Engineer at Google (2018-2021), and Visiting Researcher at both Google and Microsoft Research Redmond. Donaldson earned his PhD from the University of Glasgow under Alice Miller, following a BSc (hons, First Class) in Computing Science and Mathematics. His postdoctoral work included an EPSRC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Oxford and a Research Fellowship at Wolfson College Oxford. His research focuses on formal analysis, software testing and programming languages techniques for improving software reliability, with special emphasis on high-performance systems. Donaldson's work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications, particularly in compiler testing, GPU programming verification, and metamorphic testing. His research has significantly influenced both academia and industry, as evidenced by the acquisition of his startup GraphicsFuzz by Google. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on fuzz testing techniques applied across diverse domains including compilers, GPUs, cryptographic protocols, and large language models. His work consistently combines formal methods with practical testing approaches, addressing challenges in compiler correctness, memory models, and API verification across multiple platforms. 2017 BCS Roger Needham Award EPSRC Early Career Fellowship Best Paper Award, EuroSys 2024 Best Paper Award, MET 2021 Best Paper Award, IWOCL 2019 Best Paper Award, IISWC 2019 Best Paper Award, ICST 2016 ACM SIGSOFT Distinguished Paper Award, ISSTA 2023 ACM SIGSOFT Distinguished Paper Award, FSE 2017 ACM SIGPLAN Most Influential OOPSLA Paper Award, 2022 (for GPUVerify) As Director of Research in the Department of Computing, Donaldson oversees research strategy and development. His FastPL research group investigates novel techniques for programming, testing and reasoning about high performance systems. He has served on numerous program committees and held leadership roles including PLDI Steering Committee Chair (2022-2025) and PACM-PL Advisory Board member. His industry engagement includes testifying as an Expert Witness in the IBM UK Ltd v LzLabs GmbH & Ors case. The FastPL research group, which Donaldson leads, focuses on formal analysis, software testing and programming languages. The group has made significant contributions to compiler testing, GPU verification, and metamorphic testing techniques, with practical impact demonstrated by the acquisition of GraphicsFuzz. Current research directions include fuzzing for zero-knowledge proof circuits, randomized testing of decompilers, and systematic testing of large language models for code generation.
National and Kapodistrian University of AthensGreece
Fei He is an Associate Professor at Tsinghua University's School of Software, where he leads the THUFV research lab focused on formal verification and program analysis. His research spans formal methods, automated reasoning, and program verification, with applications in concurrent systems, networking (P4 programs), and probabilistic systems. Education & Employment: PhD from Tsinghua University (2008) Visiting Scholar at Carnegie Mellon University (2010-2011) and Politecnico di Milano (2006-2007) Faculty positions at Tsinghua since 2008 (Assistant Professor 2008-2011, Associate Professor 2011-present) Research: He's developed innovative techniques in SMT solving for concurrency verification, termination analysis, and regression verification. His tools like Deagle have won gold medals at SV-COMP. Current work focuses on probabilistic program verification and network program analysis. Publications: His 80+ publications demonstrate consistent contributions across formal methods (PLDI, OOPSLA, ICSE), networking (NSDI, INFOCOM), and software engineering (TSE, TOSEM), with recent emphasis on data-driven verification and automated invariant inference. Awards: Gold Medals in SV-COMP ConcurrencySafety (2022, 2023, 2025) Best Paper Awards at PPoPP 2022 and SETTA 2022 Advising: Mentors 13 PhD/Master's students in THUFV lab, with graduates joining Huawei, MPI-SP, and research institutions. Secured multiple NSF China grants for trustworthy software research. Service: Associate Editor for Theory of Computing Systems, program committees for PLDI/ICSE/OOPSLA, and former Local Chair for ISSTA 2019.
