Dr. Rachel Player is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Information Security at Royal Holloway, University of London . Her research focuses on post-quantum cryptography, lattice-based cryptographic schemes, homomorphic encryption, and quantum algorithm applications in cryptanalysis. She holds a PhD in Information Security from Royal Holloway, supervised by Prof. Carlos Cid and Prof. Sean Murphy. Education: PhD in Information Security, Royal Holloway, University of London (supervisors: Prof. Cid & Prof. Murphy) Research Interests: Rachel explores cutting-edge areas in cryptography with a focus on privacy-preserving technologies. Her work bridges theoretical advancements and practical implementations, particularly in homomorphic encryption and post-quantum security protocols. Recent efforts emphasize applying quantum algorithms to cryptanalytic challenges. Professional Activities: Rachel actively contributes to standards development in cryptography, including organizing HomomorphicEncryption.org meetings and participating in ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 27/WG 2 (cybersecurity standards). She also serves as an editor for the Designs, Codes and Cryptography journal. Labs/Teams: Collaborations include the PolSys team at Sorbonne Université (Paris) and the EU H2020 PROMETHEUS project. Current research is anchored in Royal Holloway's Information Security Department.
Sandy Zabell is a Professor of Mathematics and Statistics and Data Science at Northwestern University, affiliated with the Department of Philosophy and the Science in Human Culture Program. He holds positions in CIERA (Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics) and serves as Director of Undergraduate Studies for Statistics. He earned his Ph.D. in 1974 from Harvard University. His research focuses on mathematical probability (e.g., large deviation theory), Bayesian statistics, and their historical/philosophical foundations. He is particularly known for work on exchangeability, DNA identification evidence, and the role of probability in legal contexts. His historical interests include WWII cryptography and the contributions of mathematicians during that era. Zabell’s publications span theoretical and applied domains, including influential works on statistical history and cryptography. His 2005 book Symmetry and its Discontents remains a key text in the philosophy of probability. Recent work includes analyses of Bletchley Park’s statistical methods and German wartime cryptology. Though no specific grants or awards are listed, his interdisciplinary contributions bridge mathematics, law, and history. No lab affiliations or teams are explicitly mentioned in the provided material.
Dr. Francisco Ruiz is Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology's Armour College of Engineering, specializing in thermal sciences and energy systems. Education: Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University (1987) M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University (1985) B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (1983) His research investigates fundamental mechanisms of fuel atomization, cavitation effects in injection systems, and advanced internal combustion concepts including regenerative cycles and natural gas engines. He pioneers computational modeling approaches for combustion optimization and has developed innovative curriculum frameworks for engineering innovation. Publications demonstrate enduring focus on adaptive thermodynamic cycles, combustion stability, and fluid atomization physics. Recent work examines novel engine architectures and combustion modeling techniques for efficiency improvement. Awards recognize research and educational innovation: Tanasawa Award for atomization research (1988) SAE Teetor Award (1990) Chicago Tribune All-Professor Team (1993) He leads the Invention Center pedagogy initiative transforming engineering education through design thinking methodologies. Professional memberships include SAE, Tau Beta Pi, and Pi Tau Sigma.
Laura S Lembeck is an Associate Instructor at the College of Arts and Sciences within Western Carolina University , specializing in Mathematics and Computer Science. With over two decades of experience in mathematics education, she has held various instructional roles at institutions including Georgia Perimeter College and Florida Atlantic University, focusing on curriculum development and student success in developmental mathematics. Education: MS in Mathematics, Florida Atlantic University (2006) BS in Computer Science, Western Carolina University (1983) BSED in Mathematics, Western Carolina University (1982) Research interests include mathematics education, cryptography, and the integration of educational technology into curriculum design. Her work emphasizes flipped classroom strategies, online learning platforms, and course redesign to enhance student engagement. Scientific awards and recognitions include multiple teaching excellence nominations, induction into Florida Atlantic University’s Parliament of Owls, and honors for curriculum innovation. She has also contributed to national forums on transforming math education through presentations on course redesign and student advising. Her scholarly presentations highlight trends in developmental mathematics, cryptography, and the use of technology in education, reflecting a commitment to pedagogical innovation and historical applications of mathematics.
Dr Jim Beach is a Senior Lecturer in 20th Century History at the University of Northampton, affiliated with the Culture Centre for Historical Studies. He began his academic journey at the University of Salford in 2006 and moved to Northampton in 2012, where he continues to teach and conduct research. His research centers on British military intelligence during the First World War, with a particular focus on signals intelligence (SIGINT), the role of interpreters, and the experiences of military officers. He has also explored the wartime activities of cultural figures such as Wyndham Lewis. His work combines archival depth with interdisciplinary insight, bridging military, cultural, and social history. Dr Beach’s recent publications reveal a sustained engagement with intelligence operations, soldier life, and battlefield logistics. His articles span topics from the Corps of Interpreters to food culture among Tommies, indicating a broad yet cohesive research agenda that integrates microhistory with macro-level military analysis. He frequently collaborates with scholars like Rosenquist and Duffett, enhancing the interdisciplinary reach of his work. Media Recognition: His study on the British Army’s Corps of Interpreters received press coverage in 2023 and 2024. Knowledge Exchange: Served as historical advisor for the BBC series Crimson Field (2014). Impact: His research has influenced curators and producers, contributing to cultural understanding of war history. He is actively involved in postgraduate supervision, currently accepting PhD students. His completed supervision includes Paul Stewart’s thesis on Medmenham photographic intelligence in WWII. He has also led research projects with cultural impact, aligned with UN SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Dr Beach is a member of scholarly networks and maintains an ORCID profile ( ORCID: 0000-0002-4782-6809 ), reflecting his active academic presence.
Tsichlas Kostas serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Engineering and Informatics at the University of Patras, Greece, within the Division of Applications and Foundations of Computer Science. His research spans fundamental and applied computing domains with active involvement in the ML@Cloud laboratory. His expertise centers on algorithmic innovation across multiple dimensions: Memory-optimized algorithms for primary/secondary storage systems Distributed environment data structures and computational geometry Physics-informed computing and complex network analysis Specialized domains including alphanumeric and graph algorithms Recent publication trends (2022-2025) demonstrate concentrated research in historical graph management systems, temporal network analysis, and physics-computing intersections. Key contributions include vertex-centric partitioning strategies, temporal community detection frameworks, and machine learning applications for energy data motif discovery. He maintains active laboratory affiliations with the LARGE-SCALE CLOUD DATA MACHINE LEARNING WORKSHOP (ML@Cloud lab), Combinatorial Algorithms Laboratory, and Distributed Systems and Telematics Laboratory, contributing to Greece's computational research infrastructure.
Beáta Megyesi is a Professor of Computational Linguistics at Uppsala University's Department of Linguistics and Philology, currently on leave from August 2023 to December 2025. She holds a PhD in Speech Communication from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and has been a prominent figure in computational linguistics research and education at Uppsala University since at least 2000. Her academic background includes: PhD in Speech Communication, Department of Speech, Music and Hearing, KTH (2002) BA in Computational Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, Stockholm University (2000) Megyesi's research focuses on the intersection of computational methods and humanities, particularly historical cryptology and digital philology. She develops innovative tools that enable humanists and social scientists to obtain quantitative analyses of historical texts, with special emphasis on automatically cracking historical ciphers. Her work bridges linguistic analysis, computer science, and historical research, creating methodologies for processing and analyzing encoded historical documents. She has pioneered approaches to automatic transcription, key structure extraction, and deciphering techniques for historical manuscripts, making significant contributions to both computational linguistics and historical research. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong trend toward interdisciplinary research combining historical cryptology with advanced computational methods. Her work demonstrates increasing sophistication in handling historical ciphers through machine learning, image processing, and language modeling techniques. The research spans multiple languages and historical periods, with particular focus on early modern European diplomatic correspondence. Her publications show consistent contributions to both theoretical frameworks and practical tools for historical document analysis, with growing attention to privacy concerns in language learner data. Megyesi has held significant leadership roles including: President of Northern European Association for Language Technology (NEALT, 2020-2021) Head of Department, Department of Linguistics and Philology (2009-2018) Director of English Park Campus, Uppsala University (2017-2018) Member of Swedish Research Council's preparatory group for Linguistics (2021-2023) As an educator, Megyesi has supervised graduate students including Eva Pettersson and Mojgan Seraji, and has taught courses on language technology, digital philology, and computational linguistics at both undergraduate and graduate levels. She has received research funding from Vetenskapsrådet (Swedish Research Council) for multiple projects including DECRYPT (2018-2024) and DECODE (2015-2017), demonstrating sustained research productivity and external recognition of her work's significance. Megyesi leads the DECRYPT project focused on developing methods to automatically crack historical ciphers, working with interdisciplinary teams of linguists, computer scientists, and historians. Her research group has developed specialized tools for transcription of encrypted manuscripts and created important resources like the DECODE Database of Historical Ciphers and Keys. She is an active participant in the international historical cryptology community, frequently organizing and contributing to conferences in this specialized field.
Craig Bauer is a Professor of Mathematics at York College of Pennsylvania, affiliated with the Kinsley School of Engineering, Sciences and Technology. His research and teaching focus on cryptology, historical codebreaking, and mathematical applications in security. Dr. Bauer holds a Ph.D. and M.S. from North Carolina State University and a B.A. from Franklin & Marshall College. His educational background forms the foundation for his extensive work in mathematical cryptography. His research interests span cryptology, historical cryptanalysis, enumerative combinatorics, and mathematical history. Bauer has made significant contributions to understanding historical ciphers, World War II codebreaking, and unsolved cryptographic mysteries. His work bridges pure mathematics with practical historical applications, particularly in intelligence history. Bauer's publications reveal a strong focus on historical cryptography, with particular attention to World War II codebreaking, unsolved ciphers, and the mathematical foundations of encryption. His recent work shows increasing interest in modern cryptographic challenges while maintaining strong connections to historical contexts. As Editor-in-Chief of The International Journal of Cryptologia and former Scholar-in-Residence at NSA's Center for Cryptologic History, Bauer has established himself as a leading academic in cryptologic studies. His book Secret History: The Story of Cryptology (2013, 2nd ed. 2021) is considered a seminal work in the field. Bauer has received significant recognition through media appearances, including History Channel's The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer and PBS's American Experience . His sabbatical was supported by the NSA's Center for Cryptologic History for completing Unsolved! (2017), demonstrating strong institutional support for his research. Through his extensive speaking engagements at institutions including West Point, NSA, and numerous universities, Bauer has become a prominent public educator on cryptographic history and techniques. His work connects academic research with public understanding of cryptography's vital role in history and modern security.
Dr. Daniel Larsen is a Lecturer in Intelligence and War Studies at the University of Glasgow's History Department. His research focuses on American and British foreign policy, intelligence practices, and wartime diplomacy in the early 20th century. He holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge and has held academic positions there, including roles at Trinity College. Education: BA, University of Nebraska-Lincoln MPhil and PhD, Christ's College, Cambridge (supervised by Prof. Christopher Andrew) Research interests include codebreaking's role in foreign policy, wartime economic strategies, cultures of governmental secrecy, and the intellectual history of foreign policy decision-making. His 2021 book Plotting for Peace re-examines WWI-era Anglo-American diplomacy, while recent articles analyze the Espionage Act of 1917 and British intelligence during the Easter Rising. Teaching: Offers courses on intelligence analysis, the US-UK 'special relationship,' and war termination strategies. His work bridges diplomatic, military, and intelligence history, emphasizing transatlantic dynamics and the interplay between secrecy and statecraft.
Joseph Dexter is a Data Science Fellow at Harvard University, affiliated with the Harvard Data Science Initiative and the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology. His work bridges computational methods with humanities and biomedical research, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration. He holds a Ph.D. in Systems Biology from Harvard (NSF Fellow) and an A.B. in Chemistry from Princeton. Previously, he served as a Neukom Fellow at Dartmouth College (2018–2020). Research focuses include digital humanities (Latin/Greek textual analysis, intertextuality), health communication equity, and systems biology modeling. He co-directs the Quantitative Criticism Lab (QCL), supported by NEH grants, which develops computational tools for classical and premodern texts. Notable projects involve stylometric analysis of Latin literature and addressing Anglophone bias in language technologies. Publications span health communication, computational literary criticism, and biochemical modeling. Awards include NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and NEH grants. He advocates for linguistic fairness, particularly in multilingual health information accessibility. Labs/Teams: Quantitative Criticism Lab (QCL) with Pramit Chaudhuri (UT Austin). Academic contributions include over 30 peer-reviewed articles across computational humanities, biochemistry, and public health. Current work emphasizes cross-disciplinary methods to address societal challenges through data-driven approaches.
Dr. Guang Gong is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo and a former University Research Chair. She is an IEEE Fellow with expertise in cryptography, security, and wireless communications. Her research focuses on lightweight cryptographic systems, IoT security, blockchain-based security, privacy-preserving machine learning, and signal design for CDMA/OFDM/MIMO systems. Notable contributions include the WG stream cipher family and submissions to NIST's Lightweight Cryptography competition. Education: Post-doctorate in Electrical Engineering, Fondazione Ugo Bordani, Italy (1992) Doctorate in Electrical Engineering, UESTC, China (1990) Master's in Applied Mathematics, Northwest Telecommunication Eng. Inst., China (1985) Bachelor's in Mathematics, Xiachang Normal College, China (1981) Research Interests: Lightweight cryptography, IoT security, blockchain, privacy-preserving machine learning, physical-layer security, and signal design for wireless systems. Her work bridges theoretical cryptography with practical implementations for embedded devices and RFID systems. Recent Trends in Publications: Focus on zero-knowledge proofs (zkSNARKs), secure blockchain frameworks, relay attack detection, and optimized cryptographic algorithms. Recent work explores privacy-preserving protocols for high-dimensional data and secure hardware implementations of lightweight ciphers. Awards: 2023 George Boole International Prize 2016 Research Excellence Award (UWaterloo) 2006 Outstanding Performance Award (UWaterloo) Multiple fellowships and recognitions in China and Italy Teaching & Mentorship: Teaches courses like ECE 409 (Cryptography), ECE 628 (Network Security), and ECE 614 (Communications). Actively supervises graduate students in cybersecurity and wireless systems. Current openings for graduate applications. Labs & Collaborations: Leads research on secure IoT systems, blockchain integration, and hardware-software co-design for cryptographic primitives. Collaborations include projects with NIST and industry partners for lightweight cipher implementations.
John F. Roddick is a Professor affiliated with Flinders University in South Australia. His research focuses on data mining, database systems, and temporal databases, with significant contributions to association rule mining, schema evolution, and privacy-preserving techniques. He has collaborated extensively with researchers like Shu-Chuan Chu and Jeng-Shyang Pan, producing over 138 publications across journals and conferences. Key contributions include work on schema versioning, temporal vacuuming in databases, and algorithms for wireless sensor networks. His research extends to image processing, biometrics, and swarm intelligence, with notable applications in traffic prediction and secure communication systems. He has edited conference proceedings and contributed to encyclopedic entries on database systems and data warehousing. Roddick's work often bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to data management challenges. His publications span venues such as IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering, Data & Knowledge Engineering, and the Journal of Network and Intelligence.
Eva Pettersson is a Researcher in computational linguistics at Uppsala University's Department of Linguistics and Philology. She is affiliated with the Swedish National Language Bank and collaborates with researchers across multiple institutions, including the University of Gothenburg where she works with Lars Borin on corpus linguistics projects. Her academic work bridges computational methods with historical language analysis. Dr. Pettersson's research focuses on the intersection of digital humanities and computational linguistics, specializing in the processing and analysis of historical texts. Her work spans multiple domains including natural language processing for historical documents, historical cryptology, corpus development, and linguistic analysis of diachronic language change. She has made significant contributions to Swedish historical linguistics through her development of specialized resources and tools. Her publication record demonstrates a consistent trajectory of innovation in historical text processing, with recent work focusing on medieval scribal habits, named entity recognition in 19th century Swedish, rhetorical structure analysis of historical petitions, and historical cryptanalysis. These publications reveal a progression from foundational work on spelling normalization to increasingly sophisticated applications of NLP techniques to historical documents across multiple centuries. Dr. Pettersson has developed significant linguistic resources including the Swedish Diachronic Corpus and the HistCorp collection of historical corpora and tools. These resources have become essential for researchers working on historical Swedish language and provide standardized datasets for computational analysis of language change over time. Her collaborative work extends to international projects like the DECRYPT initiative for historical manuscript decryption and the development of specialized databases for historical ciphers. Through these projects, she has established herself as a key figure in the application of computational methods to historical linguistic materials and cryptological challenges.
Ioanna Iordanou serves as a Reader in Human Resource Management at Oxford Brookes Business School, where she teaches Adult Learning and Development, Research Methods, and Coaching and Mentoring to Masters and Doctoral students. She actively contributes to the International Centre for Coaching and Mentoring Studies and leads significant research projects including SEE-ERA (Advancing Gender Equality & Inclusiveness in Research & Innovation Across South East Europe) and Intelligence Organisation in the Early Modern World. Her research spans two distinct but interconnected domains: coaching ethics and developmental practices, and pre-industrial organizational history with particular focus on early modern Venetian intelligence systems. Iordanou employs trans-methodological approaches to examine historical organizational development while applying these insights to contemporary management learning. Her work bridges historical analysis with practical coaching applications, demonstrating how historical organizational structures inform modern leadership development. Iordanou's publications reveal a consistent trajectory examining organizational structures across time periods, with recent work focusing on emotional labor in diplomatic contexts (2025) and the origins of preindustrial organizations (2023). Her research demonstrates methodological diversity, combining historical analysis, critical discourse analysis, and organizational theory to explore both ancient intelligence systems and modern coaching practices. Best Full Paper Award, Knowledge and Learning Stream (2016) Best Developmental Paper Award, Knowledge and Learning Stream (2013) Contributed to International Spy Museum's early modern intelligence exhibit Featured in 2021 Guinness World Records for research on early state intelligence organizations As a doctoral supervisor, Iordanou guides research on coaching ethics, AI coaching applications, and leadership development. Her current grants include European Commission funding for gender equality initiatives in South East Europe (2025-2027) and Institute of Coaching funding for research on pro-bono coaching in the third sector (2023-2024). She maintains active professional engagement through the British Academy of Management, Economic History Society, and Renaissance Society of America, regularly presenting at international conferences on both coaching methodologies and historical organizational studies. Iordanou contributes to the International Centre for Coaching and Mentoring Studies, where she collaborates on research examining coaching's role in management education and organizational development. Her work connects historical organizational analysis with contemporary coaching practice through interdisciplinary projects that bridge business history with modern leadership development.
Clare Kim is an Assistant Professor of History and Global Asian Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Her research focuses on the history of science, technology, and race, with emphases on computational sciences, US-East Asian relations, and critical race studies. Prior to UIC, she held a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. Education: Ph.D. in History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology, and Society (HASTS), MIT (2019) B.A. History with Honors, Brown University (2011) Certificate from Digital Traces Summer Laboratory, European University at St. Petersburg (2016) Research Interests: Kim examines how computational practices intersect with racial hierarchies, Cold War geopolitics, and sociotechnical systems. Her first book project analyzes post-WWII knowledge control through calculation practices and US-East Asian relations, while her second traces cryptanalysis’ evolution from WWI to the Cold War, linking it to military intelligence and security paradigms. Awards & Grants: National Science Foundation MIT Center for International Studies Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study Advising & Grants: Kim’s work bridges interdisciplinary scholarship, combining historical analysis with contemporary debates on technology and race. Her research has been published in Osiris , IEEE Annals of Computing , and featured in PRI’s The World .
