Simon McCallum is an Associate Professor at NTNU’s Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering. Born in New Zealand, he transitioned from commercial game development in Norway to academia in 2009. His research focuses on Serious Games, particularly in healthcare contexts, gamification, and virtual reality applications. He holds a PhD from the University of Otago (2007), where he studied Computer Science, Mathematics, Psychology, and Philosophy. McCallum has contributed to over 30 publications, including works on cognitive health gaming, software engineering education, and AR applications. He teaches courses such as IMT4307 (Serious Games Research) and IMT3603 (Game Programming). His key projects include the Smartkuber AR game for cognitive screening and the Traction Trebuchet historical engineering study. McCallum has collaborated with institutions like the University of Otago and has engaged in outreach through conferences and media appearances, promoting game technology in healthcare and education.
Dr. Mouhamad Shaker Ali Agha is a Senior Teaching Fellow (Associate Professor, Scholarship Track) in the Department of Management Science at the University of Strathclyde, where he earned his PhD and MSc. He specializes in operations management, enterprise resource planning (ERP), and technical risk management, serving as Programme Director for the MSc Business Analysis and Consulting and the International Master in Project Management (IMPM). A Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK) and a Certified Management & Business Educator, he focuses on supply chain risk and resilience, digital supply chains, Industry 4.0, and renewable energy sector challenges. His research has been recognized through awards like the Strathclyde Business School Excellence Teaching Award (2022) and the 2024 Supply Chain and Logistics Competition Second Place Award. He actively supervises six PhD students, emphasizing real-world applications of research. His work includes collaborative projects on Industry 4.0 adoption barriers for SMEs and virtual reality in education, supported by grants such as the EPSRC-funded DTP 2224 project (2025–2028). He also contributes to professional activities like peer reviewing for journals and conferences. Education: PhD and MSc in Management Science from the University of Strathclyde. Research Interests: Supply chain resilience, digital transformation in supply chains, renewable energy sector logistics, and operational innovation. His work intersects with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG 9) and climate action (SDG 13). Grants & Projects: Co-investigator in the EPSRC DTP 2224 project (2025–2028) and principal investigator in the Virtual and Physical Reality in Operations Management project (2023–2024). Collaborates with institutions like the FUTO Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Procurement. Awards: Highlighted awards include the 2024 Certified Management & Business Educator, 2022 Teaching Excellence Award, and recognition as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2021).
Scot M. Miller is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University. He leads the Greenhouse Gas Research Group, focusing on quantifying emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants using satellite, aircraft, and tower observations. His research spans global scales, from Arctic ecosystems to urban and industrial sources in the U.S. and China. His research interests include atmospheric science, greenhouse gas emissions, inverse modeling, big data analytics, and climate policy. He integrates tools from statistics, high-performance computing, and satellite remote sensing to improve emission estimates and inform environmental regulations. Recent publications highlight trends in methane, ethane, and sulfuryl fluoride emissions, carbon cycle dynamics, and innovative methods for analyzing massive satellite datasets. His work increasingly leverages OCO-2 and OCO-3 satellite data to study carbon dioxide and methane fluxes across diverse ecosystems. Scientific awards include the NSF CAREER Award, JHU Catalyst Award, and the Carnegie Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship. He was also recognized with Harvard’s Certificate of Excellence in Teaching. Miller advises multiple PhD students, including Mingyang Zhang, Dylan Gaeta, and Leyang Feng, and has secured grants from NASA, NSF, NOAA, and JHU. He is a member of the NASA OCO Science Team and collaborates with institutions such as Northern Arizona University, Carnegie Institution, and NOAA. His lab is involved in urban environmental monitoring in Baltimore and interdisciplinary climate policy research.
Dr. Dipanwita Thakur serves as Assistant Professor at the Department of Computer Engineering, Modeling, Electronics and Systems (DIMES) at the University of Calabria, Italy since July 2023. She is an active member of the European Cooperation in Science & Technology (COST Action CA22104) focusing on cybersecurity and serves in the IEEE Future Networks Working Group for Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning. Previously, she held a 15-year Assistant Professor position at Banasthali University, Rajasthan, and has industry experience at TechMahindra and C-DAC. Education: Ph.D. in Smart Healthcare from West Bengal University of Technology, Kolkata M.Tech. in Software Engineering from Banasthali Vidyapith MCA from NIELIT, Government of India B.Sc. from University of Calcutta Her research pioneers Green Artificial Intelligence with emphasis on energy-efficient federated learning and smart healthcare applications. She develops privacy-preserving human activity recognition systems using multimodal data fusion, focusing on performance evaluation and environmental sustainability. Her work bridges theoretical machine learning with practical healthcare solutions, optimizing AI systems for reduced carbon footprint while maintaining clinical efficacy through hardware-algorithm co-design and quantization techniques. Recent publications reveal a strong trajectory toward sustainable AI, with increasing focus on energy-aware federated learning frameworks, multimodal medical segmentation, and non-IID data handling. Her work consistently addresses the critical balance between model accuracy, convergence speed, and energy consumption across edge devices, with growing emphasis on quantization techniques and hardware-algorithm co-design for real-world deployment. Scientific Awards: Elevated to IEEE Senior Member (2024) Dr. B.C. Roy Memorial Scholarship for outstanding 10th Board results (1992) Student Science Seminar Award by West Bengal Government (1990) Dr. Thakur actively mentors students as evidenced by her congratulations to advisee Farwa for paper acceptances. She serves as Associate Editor for Information Fusion (Elsevier) and IEEE Sensors Journal, and holds editorial roles at Scientific Reports. Her research is advanced through COST Action CA22104 and IEEE working groups, though specific grant details aren't listed in the source material. She has organized key workshops including Green-Aware AI 2024 and Green Federated Learning at IJCNN 2025. She leads research within the MONAI community on data quality and federated learning, and contributes to IEEE IoT and Future Networks initiatives. Her work with the COST Action CA22104 Behavioral Next Generation in Wireless Networks connects cybersecurity with sustainable AI development, while her Missouri S&T visiting scholar position focuses on energy optimization for federated learning systems.
Halvor Mehlum is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Oslo, specializing in macroeconomics, development economics, economics of conflict, and crime . He has held academic positions since 1994, including Research Fellow (1994–1998), Researcher at the Frisch Centre (1999–2002), and Associate Professor (2002–2006) before becoming a full Professor in 2006. He also serves as Deputy Head of the Department of Economics (2016–present) and Deputy Leader of the Centre of Equality, Social Organization, and Performance (ESOP). Education: Cand. oecon (1992), Dr. polit (1999) from the University of Oslo; Visiting Scholar at the New School of Social Research (1996). Research Focus: Macroeconomics with applications to conflict dynamics, crime, development, and political economy. Recent articles explore topics like social capital, land redistribution, crime-protection dynamics, and pandemic economics. Leadership Roles: Board member at the Frisch Centre, Center for Development and Environment (SUM), and Executive Committee of the European Development Research Network (EUDN). Co-editor of the Nordic Journal of Political Economy.
L. Thomas van Binsbergen is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science & Computer Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, affiliated with the College of Science & Health. His work focuses on language design, formal methods, and policy-based systems. His research explores Executable formal specifications of programming languages Modular meta-language frameworks (e.g., iCoLa+, eFLINT) Data-dependent grammars for network protocols Purpose-based access control derived from GDPR Functional parsing algorithms (GLL, Happy-GLL) Policy enforcement in distributed systems Recent publications (2020-2025) demonstrate trends in language parametric design, security policy formalization, and exploratory programming environments. Notable collaborations include Damian Frölich, Tim Müller, and Tom M. van Engers. Van Binsbergen earned his PhD from Royal Holloway, University of London (2019) and contributes to conferences like GPCE, SLE, and workshops on programming language theory and data security.
Dr Mahir Arzoky is a Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at Brunel University London's College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences. He holds a PhD from Brunel University London (2015) and has extensive research experience in artificial intelligence and software engineering. His research focuses on: Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Data Analysis Search Based Software Engineering (SBSE) Clustering algorithms and heuristic search methods Software refactoring and quality assessment Data mining applications in healthcare and education Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2018-2022) reveals strong interdisciplinary work bridging computer science with healthcare (diabetes patient modeling, medical imaging) and education (chatbot design, algorithm visualization). His technical focus centers on clustering optimization, refactoring impact analysis, and explainable AI, with frequent use of empirical validation methods. Key collaborations include researchers like Stephen Swift, Steve Counsell, and Giuseppe Destefanis. Dr Arzoky has secured significant research funding through EPSRC grants including: AQUATIC project (EP/M024083/1): Assessing Test Suite Quality in Industrial Code FIAR-NET (EP/N011627/1): Fault Analyses in Industry and Academic Research Network His professional network includes active collaborations across computer science, healthcare informatics, and educational technology domains, with recent work extending into transformer models for healthcare SQL conversion and graph partitioning for software modularization.
Prof. Yan Tina Luximon is a Full Professor and Associate Dean (Research) at the School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She chairs the School Research Committee, leads the Asian Ergonomics Design Lab, and serves as Deputy Discipline Leader for BA (Product Design). Her work bridges ergonomics, AI design tools, and 3D human modeling in cross-cultural contexts. Education: PhD in Ergonomics from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Research interests span Ergonomics in product design 3D digital human modeling for AI applications Anthropometry and cultural design differences Statistical modeling for head/face product development Human-computer interaction and AI visualization Recent publications focus on AI-enhanced 3D head modeling, ergonomic healthtech products, and cross-cultural design psychology, with applications in robotics, mobile technology, and medical devices. Scientific awards include: Gold Medal with jury congratulations at Geneva Inventions 2024 Silver Award at IDEA 2023 for adaptive eyewear design Best Innovation Award at ACED Japan 2017 She supervises postgraduate research and leads projects funded by the General Research Fund (RGC GRF) and Laboratory for AI in Design, including AI Powered Ergonomic Product Design (2025) and 4D Head Movement Prediction (2024).
Nichole Kelly is an Evergreen Associate Professor at the College of Education , University of Oregon. She is affiliated with multiple departments including Counseling Psychology, Couples and Family Therapy, Family and Human Services, and Prevention Science. Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Behavioral Health Psychology (2013-2016), Uniformed Services University and NIH PhD in Counseling Psychology (2013), Virginia Commonwealth University BA in Psychology (2004), University of Virginia Her research focuses on eating behaviors , body image , weight stigma , and chronic disease risk . She investigates cognitive and emotional mechanisms of eating behaviors linked to mental health and disease risk, using diverse methods such as test meals , ecological momentary assessments , and neuropsychological evaluations . Her work emphasizes understudied populations like men, rural communities, and ethnically/racially diverse groups. The 15 most recent articles reflect trends in health psychology , pediatric behavioral health , and culturally-informed interventions . Key subfields include disordered eating pathology , social media impacts , weight stigma reduction , and ecological frameworks . Her studies often integrate experimental designs , network analyses , and public health data . Labs & Teams : Leads The Renew Lab , focusing on health equity through psychological science. The lab develops interventions targeting systemic bias , health disparities , and culturally-sensitive practices .
Samarjit Chakraborty is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He previously held the Chair of Real-Time Computer Systems at the Technical University of Munich (2008–2019) and was an assistant professor at the National University of Singapore (2003–2008). His research spans real-time embedded systems, cyber-physical systems (CPS), and automotive security. Research Interests include distributed embedded systems, hardware/software co-design, low-power systems, energy storage, electromobility, and sensor network-based information processing. His work addresses challenges in scheduling algorithms for autonomous vehicles, timing predictability in automotive networks, and safety-critical controller implementations. Recent Publications highlight advancements in Timing analysis for automotive networks Energy modeling of Bluetooth Low Energy Autonomous vehicle perception computing Security in automotive systems Flexible manufacturing with process dynamics Scientific Awards include the ETH Medal, European DAAD Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award, multiple best paper awards at conferences (ISLPED, ICCD, RTCSA, etc.), the 2023 Humboldt Professorship, and IEEE Fellowship. Advising active PhD students: Clara Hobbs, Shengjie Xu, Sharmin Aktar, and postdoc Enrico Fraccaroli. His research is supported by NSF grants and industry partnerships with General Motors, Intel, Google, BMW, Audi, Siemens, and Bosch.
Prof. Dr. Kumru Didem Atalay is a distinguished academic at Başkent University, specializing in Industrial Engineering . With a PhD in Statistics from Ankara University (2007), she has made significant contributions to Operations Research , Fuzzy Logic , and Decision Support Systems . Her work bridges statistical analysis with real-world applications in healthcare logistics, pandemic response, and manufacturing optimization. Education: PhD (2007), MS (2000), BS (1998) in Statistics from Ankara University Current Role: Professor in Industrial Engineering at Başkent University Her research focuses on stochastic processes , fuzzy modeling , and healthcare operations , particularly in pandemic-era service quality and microchannel manufacturing. She has developed innovative methods for project scheduling , risk analysis , and multi-criteria decision-making . Recent publications examine Covid-19's impact on education quality and fuzzy linear programming for project scheduling . She applies intuitionistic fuzzy models to optimize manufacturing systems and hesitant fuzzy regression for pandemic death count estimation. Scientific recognition includes a Runner-up Prize at the 15th ICMSEM (2021) and a Bronze Medal at ISIF21 (1970). She supervises advanced research on topics like multi-trip home healthcare routing and fuzzy quality function deployment .
Ahmad Lotfi is a Professor of Computational Intelligence and Head of Department of Computer Science at Nottingham Trent University , with a Visiting Professor role at Tokyo Metropolitan University . He leads the Computational Intelligence and Applications (CIA) research group and has supervised over 30 PhD students to completion. PhD in Learning Fuzzy Systems (University of Queensland, 1995) MTech in Control Systems (Indian Institute of Technology, India) BSc in Control Systems (Isfahan University of Technology, Iran) His research spans computational intelligence , ambient intelligence , robotics , and machine learning , with applications in dementia monitoring , smart environments , and healthcare technology . Recent work focuses on using thermal sensor arrays for privacy-preserving human activity analysis. He has secured funding from Innovate UK , EPSRC , The Royal Society , and Horizon 2020 , with projects like iCarer (assistive living), SmartBerry (agricultural AI), and BigSpark (financial data augmentation). His 15 most recent articles demonstrate expertise in Wi-Fi-based activity recognition , EEG fall detection , and thermal sensor fusion . Senior Member IEEE Member of British Computer Society (MBCS) Editorial roles in Soft Computing and Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Smart Environments He has served as Program Chair for conferences like PETRA and ICCRT , and as Keynote Speaker at PETRA 2023 . His 28+ years of academic leadership include organizing UKCI and UKRAS conferences.
Dr. Fariba Mostajeran is a Researcher at the Human-Computer Interaction research group within the Department of Informatics at the University of Hamburg. Her interdisciplinary work bridges computer science, psychology, and environmental science to investigate the psycho- and physiological effects of immersive media on users across different age groups, with particular focus on therapeutic applications of virtual and augmented realities. Her educational background includes: B.Sc. in Computer Engineering-Software from the University of Isfahan (Iran) M.Sc. in Digital Media from the Universität Bremen Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction at the Universität Hamburg Dr. Mostajeran's research centers on Medical Mixed Reality , Digital Health , and Human-Computer Interaction , with emphasis on how virtual environments can enhance cognitive performance, psychological well-being, and therapeutic outcomes. She systematically investigates the impact of virtual nature exposure on memory, attention, and mood, developing applications for mental health treatment, rehabilitation, and workplace design. Her methodological approach combines controlled experiments with user-centered design to create effective immersive interventions. Analysis of her recent publications reveals three major research thrusts: (1) the therapeutic applications of virtual nature for mental health and cognitive enhancement, (2) the development and evaluation of intelligent virtual agents for healthcare applications, and (3) understanding the cognitive and physiological mechanisms underlying user responses to immersive environments. Her work increasingly focuses on multimodal interaction with virtual agents and their implementation in clinical settings. Her scholarly contributions have been recognized through: Ideas and Venture Fund (IVF), Universität Hamburg, 2024-2025 EXIST-Gründerstipendium (EXIST Founder Scholarship), 2014-2015 Deutschlandstipendium (German Scholarship), 2012-2013 Dr. Mostajeran has supervised over 30 master's and bachelor's theses focusing on virtual reality applications across diverse domains including mental health interventions, cognitive training, and therapeutic environments. Her research has received support from university innovation funds and national scholarship programs. She serves on multiple academic committees including professorship selection committees and examination boards, contributing significantly to institutional governance. Her active participation in major conferences as program committee member and reviewer demonstrates her standing in the HCI and VR research communities. She works within the Human-Computer Interaction research group at the University of Hamburg led by Prof. Dr. Steinicke, which maintains strong connections with clinical partners and industry collaborators to translate research findings into practical healthcare applications. The group's facilities include state-of-the-art VR laboratories equipped for comprehensive user studies measuring both behavioral and physiological responses.
Sarah Kaufman serves as Director of the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation and Assistant Clinical Professor of Public Service at New York University's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. Her work bridges academic research and practical policy solutions for urban transportation systems, with emphasis on equity, technology, and resilience. Her research spans transportation policy, urban planning, emergency management, and climate change adaptation. Key focus areas include mobility equity (notably the "pink tax" on transportation), micromobility systems, autonomous vehicle governance, and disaster response protocols. She investigates how technology and policy can create more inclusive and resilient urban mobility networks, with particular attention to gender disparities and climate vulnerabilities. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals consistent themes in transportation equity, emerging technologies, and crisis management. Her work demonstrates methodological diversity—from agent-based modeling (MATSim-NYC) to policy analysis of scooter sharing—and maintains strong practical relevance through partnerships with transportation agencies. Notable trends include the evolution of micro-mobility regulation, gender-based mobility disparities, and transportation's critical role in pandemic and extreme weather response. As Director of the Rudin Center, she leads a multidisciplinary research team that produces policy-influential reports on congestion pricing, transit innovation, and sustainable mobility. The center serves as a hub for collaboration between government agencies, industry stakeholders, and community organizations, translating academic research into actionable transportation solutions for New York City and beyond.
