Agustín Zaballos Diego is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Engineering at University Ramon Llull (URL), Barcelona, Spain, since 1999. He serves as Research Coordinator in the Department of Engineering at La Salle Campus Barcelona and leads the R&D Networking and Security Area since 2002. His academic background includes a PhD in Data Networks and Internet Technologies (2012), an International MBA (2014), and an M.S. in Electronic Engineering (2000). University: University Ramon Llull (URL) Department: Department of Computer Engineering Research Group: GRITS Research Focus: Real-time QoS-aware routing protocols in Smart Grids, Ubiquitous Sensor Networks, and IoT communications. His work bridges telecommunications, computer science, and energy systems through projects like OPERA (FP6), INTEGRIS (FP7), and FINESCE (FP7). Publication Trends: Recent articles highlight advancements in HF communications for Antarctic research, hybrid genetic algorithms for traffic engineering, IPv6 testing, and Industry 4.0-related networking solutions. Keywords span Smart Grids, IoT, Sensor Networks, and QoS optimization. Collaborative Projects: Key initiatives include the Antarctica Project , ATHIKA (ICT in healthcare), ENVISERA (environmental sensor networks), HOTSUP (online teaching innovation), PLANET4 (AI/ML in industry), and XIoT (IoT scalability challenges).
Pradeep Lall is the MacFarlane Endowed Distinguished Professor and Alumni Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Auburn University’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. He serves as Director of the Auburn University Electronics Packaging Research Institute (EPRI) and holds a joint courtesy appointment in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. A leader in flexible hybrid electronics and harsh environment systems, Dr. Lall has built a world-renowned research program focused on additive manufacturing, electronics reliability, and sustainable materials. Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland M.B.A. in Finance and Strategy, Northwestern University M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland B.E. in Mechanical Engineering, Delhi College of Engineering Dr. Lall’s research centers on Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE) , Harsh Environment Electronics , Semiconductor Packaging , and Prognostics Health Management . His work leverages additive manufacturing techniques such as Aerosol-Jet, InkJet, and screen printing to develop conformal, robust, and sustainable electronic systems. His innovations include the Flexible Biometric Band for monitoring workers in hazardous environments and additively printed antennas for aerospace applications. His recent focus includes eliminating PFAS from electronics and developing water-based inks for eco-friendly manufacturing. The 15 most recent publications reflect a strong trend toward sustainability , additive manufacturing , and real-world applications in defense, aerospace, automotive, and healthcare. His work bridges fundamental research with industrial realization, particularly through partnerships with NextFlex and federal agencies. Themes include reliability under shock and vibration, sensor development for extreme environments, and workforce training in advanced manufacturing. Dr. Lall has received numerous scientific honors, including: SMTA Founder’s Award (2024) SEMI FlexTech R&D Achievements Award (2023) ASME Avram Bar-Cohen Memorial Medal (2022) IEEE Biedenbach Outstanding Engineering Educator Award (2020) IEEE Sustained Technical Contributions Award (2018) NSF Alex Schwarzkopf Prize (2016) Fellow of ASME, IEEE, NextFlex, and Alabama Academy of Science Dr. Lall has secured over $2 million in annual research funding from SRC, NSF, and NextFlex, leading large-scale projects on sustainable electronics and workforce development. He mentors numerous graduate and undergraduate students and leads the NSF-CAVE3 Center. As founding faculty advisor of the SMTA student chapter, he promotes student engagement in electronics manufacturing. His lab, EPRI, features a full prototyping line for additive electronics and collaborates with industry and government to advance domestic manufacturing capabilities. EPRI, under Dr. Lall’s leadership, partners with the Auburn University Research and Technology Park, the Office of Economic Development, and multiple colleges to drive technology commercialization and workforce education in electronic packaging. The institute is at the forefront of the national effort to reestablish U.S. leadership in semiconductor packaging and advanced electronics manufacturing.
Marco Pirola is a Full Professor at the Department of Electronics and Telecommunications (DET) of the Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy. He is a member of the Interdepartmental Center 'CleanWaterCenter@PoliTo' and actively contributes to research in high-frequency electronics and microwave engineering. His work focuses on power amplifiers, device characterization, and advanced microwave circuit design. Research Interests: Microwave power devices, GaN technology, 5G/mm-Wave applications, space communications, and smart pipeline monitoring systems. Awards: IEEE Fellow (since 2019), IEEE Senior Member. Recent Publications address topics like Ka-band MMIC amplifiers for SAR systems, broadband Doherty amplifiers using GaN, and harmonic analysis of current-mode power stages. His projects include STARGATE (European GaAs power architectures) and Millimetre-Wave GaN Radar for UAV detection. Teaching: He leads courses on 'Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits' and 'Advanced Devices for High Frequency Applications' at the Polytechnic University of Turin. Supervised PhD students include Wenjun Zhang and Abbas Nasri, who worked on III-V HEMT circuits and GaN power amplifiers.
Lingxi Li is a Professor at the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University's Indianapolis campus. His research focuses on modeling complex systems, connected and automated vehicles, intelligent transportation systems, and parallel intelligence. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2008), and master's and bachelor's degrees from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2003) and Tsinghua University (2000). Research Interests: Dr. Li's work bridges control systems, transportation engineering, and AI, with emphasis on human-machine interaction, autonomous vehicle systems, and scenario-based traffic modeling. His projects include developing frameworks for Industry 5.0 collaboration, enhancing traffic flow prediction through parallel learning, and advancing safety in micro-mobility systems like e-scooters. Recent Publications: Over 15+ articles (2023-2025) explore topics such as game-theoretic vehicle interaction modeling, vision-language systems for autonomous driving, and acoustic SLAM technologies. These studies reflect a focus on real-world validation and system integration in smart transportation. Labs & Initiatives: Leads research in autonomous mining systems and scenario engineering for intelligent vehicles, leveraging parallel intelligence concepts. Collaborates on projects like ParallelWorkforce (Industry 5.0 frameworks) and SceNDD++ (naturalistic driving datasets).
Summary Luis A. Duffaut Espinosa is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Vermont (UVM), affiliated with the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences. His research focuses on control theory, estimation, robotics, and nonlinear systems with applications in autonomy, quantum control, and environmental monitoring. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Old Dominion University (2009) and has held academic positions at George Mason University and postdoctoral roles at Johns Hopkins University and the University of New South Wales. Education: Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering (2009), Old Dominion University M.S. in Mathematics (2005), Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú B.S. in Physics (2003), Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería, Peru Research Interests: His work emphasizes data-driven control and estimation methodologies, including model-free approaches for power systems, environmental monitoring, and quantum control. Current projects include real-time data assimilation in harsh environments, resilient robotics in GPS-denied conditions, and SAR with small satellites. He co-directs the Autonomous and Intelligent Systems Research Laboratory (AIRLab) and is part of the CREATE center. Recognition: 2024 NSF CAREER Award for work on safety-aware data-driven control frameworks Teaching & Advising: He teaches courses in estimation theory, control systems, and signal processing. Advises a team of graduate and undergraduate students focusing on autonomy, robotics, and control systems. Notable students include Danial Waleed (Ph.D. 2024), Jacob Friz-Trillo (M.S. 2025), and Farnaz Boudaghi (Ph.D. candidate). Labs & Collaborations: AIRLab: Focuses on data-driven control for autonomy in robotics and engineered systems CREATE: Research on resilient energy and autonomous technologies
Xin Ning is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), where he also holds appointments in the Materials Research Laboratory. Previously, he served as an Assistant Professor at Pennsylvania State University from 2018 to 2023. His academic journey includes postdoctoral research at UIUC and California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Educated at Caltech, he earned a Ph.D. in Aeronautics in 2015 and an M.S. in Aeronautics in 2010. His research focuses on soft electronics for aerospace engineering , bio-inspired aerospace structures , in-space manufacturing and assembly , and multifunctional space structures . These interests drive innovations in lightweight, adaptive, and multifunctional materials and systems for aerospace applications. For instance, his work explores bio-inspired cellular materials for aircraft wings and bistable composite booms for deployable structures. He has been recognized with several honors, including the 2022 Young Investigator Award from the Office of Naval Research, 2019 Haythornthwaite Foundation Research Initiation Award, 2015 William F. Ballhaus Prize from Caltech, and the 2012 Dow-Resnick Fellowship. In addition to research, Professor Ning teaches courses such as AE 323: Applied Aerospace Structures and AE 498: Space Structures . While specific grants are not detailed here, his work has been supported through awards like the ONR Young Investigator grant. He collaborates with the Materials Research Laboratory at UIUC and engages in interdisciplinary projects involving soft electronics and bio-inspired engineering.
Martin Nordal Petersen is an Associate Professor at the Department of Electrical and Photonics Engineering , Technical University of Denmark (DTU) . His work spans Internet of Things (IoT) , optical networking , and wireless communication systems, with notable contributions to LoRa , NB-IoT , and LPWAN technologies. He actively supervises PhD projects on topics such as machine learning in IoT edge devices , secure 5G communication , and smart community architectures . Active projects (2024–2027): Machine Learning in IoT Edge Devices , Deterministic and Secure 5G Communication Finished projects (2021–2024; 2018–2021; 2015–2018): Reliable M2M/IoT Communication , Smart Communities , IoT 100% , Network Slicing His research explores: IoT Reliability : Multi-RAT communication, backup systems, and signal propagation Optical Networks : Alien wavelength integration, SDN control, and network emulation platforms Wireless Innovation : GPS-free geolocation, maritime NB-IoT use cases, and multimode fiber distribution Current collaborations emphasize cross-disciplinary applications of IoT in healthcare , industrial ergonomics , and smart environments .
Prof. Dr. Gerald Urban is a distinguished Professor at the Institute for Microsystems Technology (IMTEK) within the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Freiburg, Germany. With over three decades of academic and research experience, he has established himself as a leading expert in biomedical microtechnology and sensor systems. His career spans prestigious institutions including the Vienna University of Technology and collaborations with major research centers worldwide. His educational journey includes: 1973: Graduated from Sigmund Freud Gymnasium in Vienna 1979: Completed studies in Technical Physics at Vienna University of Technology 1985: Earned Doctorate (Dr.-Ing.) with distinction (Summa cum Laude) from Vienna University of Technology 1994: Completed habilitation in Sensorics Prof. Urban's research focuses on the development and application of miniaturized integrated sensors for clinical and industrial applications. His work bridges the gap between fundamental materials science and practical medical devices, with particular emphasis on biomedical microtechnology , electrochemical biosensors , and organ-on-chip systems . His team has pioneered innovations in point-of-care diagnostics, therapeutic drug monitoring, and micro energy harvesting technologies. The research group maintains strong collaborations with clinical partners to ensure translational impact of their technological developments. Analysis of Prof. Urban's recent publications reveals a clear trajectory toward increasingly sophisticated multiplexed sensing platforms that integrate CRISPR-based diagnostics with electrochemical detection systems. His work demonstrates growing emphasis on point-of-care applications, with particular focus on making complex diagnostic capabilities accessible outside traditional laboratory settings. The integration of additive manufacturing techniques with sensor technology represents another significant trend in his recent work, enabling customized microreactor and organ-on-chip platforms. Among his notable scientific achievements: Stefan Schuy Prize for Biomedical Engineering (1990) AVL-List Prize (1993) Best Poster at Eurosensors (1993) Hoechst-Price (1994) Corresponding member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (2010) EAMBES-Fellow (2018) Prof. Urban has successfully secured substantial research funding throughout his career, with accumulated third-party funding reaching approximately 5 million euros between 1986-1995. He has established multiple spin-off companies including Otto Sensorenfabrikationsgesellschaft (1985), Biosensor GnbR (1994), and Jobst Technologies GmbH (2002), demonstrating his commitment to translating research into practical applications. His leadership extends to major research initiatives including the excellence initiative "µMAT" and the graduate school "PolyMIC". At the University of Freiburg, Prof. Urban leads a vibrant research group within the Institute for Microsystems Technology, which forms part of the larger BrainLinks-BrainTools and BIOSS research clusters. His laboratory maintains state-of-the-art facilities for microsensor fabrication, including cleanroom access through the WebFab service center. The research environment benefits from strong connections with the Freiburg Material Research Center (FMF) and the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS), where he served as an Internal Fellow (2008-2010).
Christopher Bailey is a Professor of Advanced Semiconductor Packaging and Director of the Centre for Advanced Semiconductor Packaging at Arizona State University (ASU). He previously served as Professor of Computational Mechanics & Reliability and Associate Dean for Research at the University of Greenwich, UK. At ASU, he leads research on advanced semiconductor packaging, including roles as Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-Investigator (Co-I) on major projects such as the SRC-funded Thermo-Mechanical Modelling and US Chips Act initiatives (e.g., SWAP-Hub, SHIELD, ITSI). His research focuses on semiconductor packaging reliability, thermal management, co-design methodologies, and multiphysics modeling. Education: MBA (Technology Management), Open University, UK PhD, Thames Polytechnic, UK Research Interests: Advanced Semiconductor Packaging Thermal Management Solutions Co-Design and Multiphysics Modeling Reliability of Electronic Components His work integrates computational mechanics, materials science, and engineering to address challenges in high-reliability electronics. Recent projects emphasize predictive modeling for semiconductor packaging failures under thermal-mechanical stress. Awards: IEEE Region 8 Europe Award (2024) IEEE David Feldman Award (2022) Visiting Professorships at IIT Kharagpur (2018/2022) and Hong Kong (2018) Service & Leadership: Former President of IEEE Electronics Packaging Society (2020–2021) Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging, and Manufacturing Technology Conference Leadership (e.g., Program Chair for IEEE PAINE 2024) He has secured over $40M in research funding and authored 400+ archival papers, with expertise spanning industry collaborations (e.g., BAe Systems, Rolls Royce) and government advisory roles (EPSRC Peer Review College, UK Research Excellence Framework).
Carl-Mikael Zetterling is a Professor and Head of Department at Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden, affiliated with the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (ICT) and the Electronics and Embedded Systems department. His research focuses on process technology and device design for high-temperature, high-power silicon carbide (SiC) electronics, expanding into SiC-based analog and integrated circuits. He has authored over 300 publications, including books on SiC process technology and plagiarism prevention. Dr. Zetterling has held leadership roles such as Vice Dean of the School of ICT (2013–2017) and teacher representative on KTH's faculty board. He has collaborated internationally at Stanford University, Kyoto University, and Kyoto Institute of Technology. His work addresses applications in extreme environments, including Venus exploration and fusion reactor monitoring, with a focus on radiation tolerance and thermal resilience. The 15 most recent publications highlight trends in wide bandgap semiconductors, gamma irradiation effects on SiC devices, and high-temperature integrated circuits. His articles span structural health monitoring with machine learning, novel SiC diode designs, and radiation-hardened electronics. Key contributions include advancements in self-aligned contacts, trench MOSFETs, and compact modeling for extreme conditions. While no formal awards are listed, his roles in technical program committees (TMS Electronic Materials Conference, IEEE SISC Conference) and editorial work demonstrate significant academic service. He teaches courses ranging from digital design to high-temperature electronics, overseeing degree projects in embedded systems, communication, and nanotechnology.
Luca Corradini is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. Previously, he held positions as an Assistant Professor (2011–2017) and Associate Professor (2017–2024) at the University of Padova, Italy. His research focuses on power electronics, including digital control of switched-mode converters, bidirectional converter modulation, and energy harvesting systems. Education: Laurea (Electronic Engineering), University of Padova, 2004 PhD (Industrial Electronics), University of Padova, 2008 Research Interests: Digital control strategies for power converters, modeling of switched-mode systems, efficient energy management solutions, and applications in automotive and renewable energy. Publications: Recent work emphasizes advancements in DC fast charging systems, flying-capacitor balancing techniques, and GaN-based resonant converters. His research trends reflect a focus on high-frequency, high-efficiency power conversion and adaptive control methodologies. Awards: Second 2008 Prize Paper Award from IEEE Industry Applications Society Professional Activities: Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics and Chair of IEEE PELS Technical Committee 1. Previously served as General Chair of IEEE COMPEL 2018. Labs & Teams: Affiliated with the Colorado Power Electronics Center (CoPEC) and collaborates on automotive and renewable energy projects.
Dr. Craig Hancock is a Research Professor in Geospatial Engineering with 15 years of research experience in Surveying and Geodesy. His expertise spans GNSS error mitigation, structural monitoring, and geospatial techniques for digital construction. He has supervised 10 PhD students and published over 80 academic papers. Education: BSc and PhD in Surveying/Geomatics Key Projects: Principal Investigator for projects on GNSS error mitigation, structural health monitoring, and marine economy technology. His research focuses on three core areas: GNSS error categorization and mitigation (particularly ionospheric effects), structural and environmental change monitoring, and geospatial data acquisition for BIM and digital construction. Recent work includes improving 3D modeling accuracy, UAV-based GNSS spoofing detection, and BIM-enabled facility management in healthcare infrastructure. His articles explore topics like sensor optimization, structural dynamics, and geospatial data fusion. Grants include £150k for bridge deformation studies and £9k for ionospheric error analysis. He actively contributes to teaching and enterprise initiatives, integrating geospatial technologies with industry needs.
Andrea Del Prete is an Associate Professor in the Industrial Engineering Department at the University of Trento (Italy) since 2022. His research focuses on robot control, reinforcement learning, trajectory optimization, and numerical algorithms for dynamic systems. He leads the Interdepartmental Robotics Lab (IDRA) and has previously held roles as a tenure-track assistant professor at the University of Trento (2019-2021), a research scientist at the Max-Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (2018), and an associated researcher at LAAS-CNRS (2014-2017) working with the HRP-2 humanoid robot. Earlier, he conducted PhD and post-doc research at the Italian Institute of Technology (2010-2013) on iCub robot control. PhD in Robotics (2013) - Italian Institute of Technology MEng in Computer Engineering (2009) - University of Bologna BSc in Computer Engineering (2006) - University of Bologna Dr. Del Prete specializes in merging learning and model-based techniques for safe robot control, particularly in legged systems. His work bridges trajectory optimization (TO) with reinforcement learning (RL) to overcome local minima challenges (CACTO/CACTO-SL algorithms) and develops robust controllers for humanoid and quadrupedal robots in unstructured environments. He explores viability kernels in MPC, safety certificates, and bi-level optimization for co-designing hardware/control policies. Key application areas include mountain rescue robotics (ALPINE platform), aerial maneuver recovery, and energy-efficient legged locomotion. His recent publications (2023-2025) emphasize numerical optimization algorithms, multi-contact locomotion, and hybrid control frameworks. Topics span from analytical integral optimization (2025) to climbing robots for mountain operations (2025), demonstrating a trajectory from theoretical algorithm development to real-world robotic applications. Research keywords include robotics, numerical optimization, and machine learning, with sub-fields like MPC for dynamic systems, humanoid control, and terrain adaptation. As an educator, he teaches advanced courses on: Optimization and Learning for Robot Control (48-hour master's course) Optimization-based Control of Legged Robots (12-hour PhD course) Task-Space Inverse Dynamics (3-hour PhD course) Current PhD advisees include Mohammad Hasan Yeganegi (generalization bounds for imitation learning), Pietro Noah Crestaz (numerically-efficient RL), Veronica Campana (ergodic control for defect detection), Elisa Alboni (data-efficient model-based RL), and Gianni Lunardi (MPC for legged locomotion).
Martin Henz is an Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore , affiliated with the School of Computing and its Department of Computer Science . His academic journey includes an M.Sc. in Computer Science from Stony Brook University (1993) and a Dr.rer.nat. in Computer Science from Saarland University (1997). He has also worked as a Research Scientist at the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence. Research Focus : Scalable Experiential Learning, Systems for Teaching/Learning, AI in Education, Programming Languages, Algorithms, and Constraint Programming. Key Projects : Source Academy (immersive programming environment), Deep Teaching (LMS enhancements), and NUS Seafarers (maritime experiential learning). Publications span education technology, programming languages, and sustainable engineering, with recent works focusing on JavaScript-based pedagogy, automated question generation, and electric vehicle conversions. He supervised Rahul Singhal 's PhD, leading to the educational startup Cerebry, and co-founded Workforce Optimizer Pte Ltd with Alan Sevugan. Awards : NUS Annual Digital Education Award (2021) NUS Annual Teaching Excellence Award (2016/17) Fulbright Scholarship (1990) Startup @ Singapore Champion (2001)
Joshua Marshall is a Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Queen’s University, Canada, and Director of the Offroad Robotics research group. He holds a PhD from the University of Toronto and has cross-appointments in Mechanical & Materials Engineering and the Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining. His expertise spans field robotics, autonomous systems, control engineering, and harsh-environment applications in mining, space, and marine domains. He led the Ingenuity Labs Research Institute (2018–2024) and served as a Visiting Professor at Örebro University (2016–17). Dr. Marshall’s work focuses on autonomous vehicle navigation, robotic excavation, and spatiotemporal mapping. He has received the 2025 OPEA Engineering Medal and has commercialized technologies through partnerships with companies like Epiroc and RockMass Technologies. Education: PhD, Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Toronto (2005) MSc(Eng), Mechanical Engineering, Queen’s University (2001) BSc (Hons), Engineering, (details not specified) Research Interests: Autonomous robotics in mining, space, and marine environments Data-driven control systems and model predictive control Proprioceptive sensing and terrain classification Multi-robot coordination and task planning Underground navigation and SLAM Professional Activities: Senior Member, IEEE Editorial roles: International Journal of Robotics Research , IEEE Transactions on Mechatronics Co-founded the NSERC Canadian Robotics Network (NCRN) Contributions to the IEEE Medal for Environmental & Safety Technologies Committee Labs/Teams: Offroad Robotics Group (Queen’s University) Ingenuity Labs Research Institute (founding Director) Advisor to Queen’s AutoDrive Challenge II Team and aQuatonomous ASV Design Club
