Kotaro Hara is a Full-time Faculty Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Singapore Management University's School of Computing and Information Systems. His research focuses on Human-Computer Interaction, Human-Machine Collaborative Systems, and Accessibility Design, with applications in urban mobility, digital transformation, and aging population support. He holds a PhD from the University of Maryland (2016). Research Areas: Accessibility, Crowdsourcing, Future of Work, Urban Sustainability Recent publications explore Augmented Reality for low-vision runners, conversational agents for dementia care, and novel tactile data visualization methods. His work integrates natural language processing, multimodal interfaces, and AI ethics frameworks across diverse domains. Academic collaborations include advising PhD candidate Sheshadri Smitha. Contact: kotarohara@smu.edu.sg
Belen Masia is a tenured Associate Professor in the Computer Science Department at Universidad de Zaragoza , Spain. She is affiliated with the Graphics & Imaging Lab (part of the I3A Institute ) and the Vision, Image and Neurodevelopment Group (within the IIS Aragon Institute ). Her research bridges computational imaging , applied perception , and virtual reality , focusing on modeling human visual behavior and improving graphics/vision algorithms through perceptual insights. Education : Ph.D. in Computer Science (Eurographics PhD Award 2015), postdoctoral work at Max Planck Institute for Informatics . Research Highlights : Virtual Reality : Studying user behavior, saliency prediction, multimodal perception, and cinematography in VR. Appearance Modeling : Developing intuitive material representations and metrics for editing. Applied Perception : Leveraging human vision insights to diagnose defects in non-verbal patients. Computational Displays : Exploring HDR imaging and display optimization. Scientific Awards : Eurographics Young Researcher Award 2017 Eurographics PhD Award 2015 MIT Technology Review Top Ten Innovators Below 35 in Spain 2014 NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship 2012 Leonardo Fellowship from BBVA Foundation 2020 Leadership & Editorial Roles : Co-chair of Full Papers track at Eurographics 2026 Associate Editor for ACM Transactions on Graphics, Computers and Graphics, and ACM Transactions on Applied Perception Co-founder of DIVE Medical , a startup for automated visual function diagnosis PhD Students : Dario Lanza (2025, Modeling, Perception and Editing of Volumetric Materials ) Daniel Martin (2024, Computational Models of Visual Attention in VR , Best PhD Thesis Award EGSE) Julia Guerrero-Viu (2023, WiGRAPH Rising Star) Sandra Malpica (2023, VR Gaze Behavior ) Manuel Lagunas (2021, BBVA/SCIE Young Researcher Award) Ana Serrano (2019, Eurographics PhD Award & Unizar Outstanding Thesis) Collaborations & Grants : Involved in the EU-funded PRIME Innovative Training Network (predictive rendering and appearance reproduction) and leading projects on deep learning for pediatric visual diagnosis.
Leah Shafer is an Associate Professor of Media and Society at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, where she has been a faculty member since 2008. She earned her A.B., M.A., and Ph.D. from Cornell University, establishing a strong academic foundation in media and cultural studies. She is affiliated with the Media and Society Program, contributing to interdisciplinary scholarship and pedagogy. Joined faculty: 2008 Academic rank: Associate Professor Program: Media and Society Her research and teaching focus on critical media analysis, with core interests in television history, advertising, visual culture, digital media, film aesthetics, interactive documentary, and media literacy. She emphasizes historical context and creative production in her pedagogy, designing courses to challenge students’ perceptions of popular culture. Leah Shafer’s recent publications reflect a strong engagement with digital culture, feminist media, and pedagogical innovation. Her work spans experimental documentaries, peer-reviewed journal articles, and book chapters, appearing in outlets such as Film Criticism , Flow , Cinema Journal , and Routledge Handbook of Medicine and Media . Her scholarship often intersects with digital humanities, exploring how new media forms reshape cultural expression and learning. Current project: Co-editing Fifty Years of Women Media Makers: from New Hollywood to YouTube Professional affiliations: Society for Cinema and Media Studies, National Association for Media Literacy Education She is also a practicing filmmaker and media artist, producing experimental documentaries and video essays that have been exhibited at festivals and cultural institutions, including the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival and the National Women’s Rights Historical Park. Her creative work often centers on feminist themes and historical memory, particularly around the Seneca Falls Convention.
Valeria Minucciani is an Associate Professor in the Department of Architecture and Design (DAD) at the Polytechnic University of Turin, where she has been a faculty member since 2001. She is a member of the Master's and Continuing Education School and serves as the Coordinator of the Level I Master's Program in Interior, Exhibit & Retail Design. Her academic and professional roles include leadership in research, teaching, and institutional governance, such as being an elected member of the Academic Senate and the Council of the Master's School. University: Polytechnic University of Turin School: School of Architecture Department: Department of Architecture and Design Position: Associate Professor Research Focus: Interior Architecture, Exhibition Design, Museography, Well-being in Interiors Her research interests revolve around the interplay between architecture and human experience, particularly in cultural and interior spaces. She investigates how museography can enhance cultural inclusion and how interior design impacts well-being. A significant focus is on the disciplinary contamination between architecture and neuroscience, especially in museum environments, examining emotional responses and spatial cognition. She also explores the musealization of religious and archaeological heritage and accessibility in cultural heritage. The recent publications reflect a strong trend toward integrating neuroscience and technology into architectural and museological practice. There is a clear emphasis on emotional engagement, inclusivity, and accessibility in museum and heritage settings, often using neuroaesthetic and human factors approaches. Her work increasingly employs digital tools like virtual reality and neuropsychological detection to study visitor behavior and design more inclusive spaces. Scientific Awards and Recognition: President of the Scientific Committee, APM National Association of Small Museums Scientific Director, APM (2022–present) European Commission Reviewer for Horizon 2020 and 7th Framework Program Member, Scientific Committee for the new Diocesan Museum of Fossano (2019) Coordinator, Master in Interior, Exhibit & Retail Design (2019–present) She actively mentors PhD students, including Daniel John Mangano and Gianluca D'Agostino, and leads major research projects such as META-MUSEUM and NEURO-MUSEUM, which are funded by competitive EU and national grants. Her collaborative work spans institutions and disciplines, reflecting a strong commitment to interdisciplinary research. She is involved in numerous research agreements with museums and municipalities, demonstrating applied impact. Her leadership in the Interuniversity Research Center on Heterotopia in Architecture (RHeA) underscores her role in fostering academic collaboration. Labs and Research Teams: Lead researcher in projects involving neuroaesthetics and spatial cognition Member of research groups focused on accessibility and inclusion in museums Scientific Director for collaborative agreements with the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia and the Municipality of Chiomonte Coordinator of the RHeA - Centre of Research on Heterotopia and Architecture
Wolfgang Stammer is a PostDoc researcher in the Machine Learning Group at TU Darmstadt's Computer Science Department. His work focuses on making AI models more interpretable and interactive, particularly in explainable AI (XAI), neuro-symbolic architectures, and systematic compositionality challenges in neural networks. He completed his Ph.D. in Machine Learning at TU Darmstadt (2019–2025), an M.Sc. in Computer Science at Goethe University Frankfurt (2016–2018), and a B.Sc. in Cognitive Science at the University of Osnabrück (2011–2015). Research Interests : Stammer's research bridges gaps between human understanding and AI capabilities. Key areas include: Explainable AI (XAI) and interactive machine learning (XIL) Neuro-symbolic integration for logical reasoning and visual concepts Mitigating shortcut learning and confounding factors in datasets Concept discovery and program synthesis for interpretable models Publications : His work spans foundational contributions to AI benchmarks (e.g., V-LoL, SLR-Bench) and frameworks (Neural Concept Binder, Revision Transformers). Recent studies highlight AI's limitations in systematic generalization and propose solutions for aligning reinforcement learning agents with human values. Grants & Labs : He contributes to the Machine Learning Lab at TU Darmstadt and co-organized workshops like the Interactive Machine Learning Workshop @ AAAI 2022. His research bridges theoretical advances with practical applications in healthcare and ethical AI systems.
Professor Binhua Wang is Chair and Professor of Interpreting and Translation Studies at the Centre for Translation and Interpreting Studies, School of Languages, Cultures and Societies, University of Leeds, where he has been a faculty member since 2017. He previously held academic positions at Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, where he served as Associate Professor and Head of Department. He is an elected member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Linguists. His educational background includes a PhD in Interpreting and Translation Studies and a Certificate of Training in Public Administration from Oxford University. He also holds a Training for Trainers Certificate from the European Commission’s DG Interpretation. Professor Wang’s research focuses on interpreting and translation studies with interdisciplinary extensions into digital humanities, human-AI interactions, and cross-cultural studies of Chinese literature and culture. He has published extensively in top-tier SSCI/A&HCI/CSSCI journals and with leading publishers such as Routledge, Springer, and John Benjamins. His recent work explores metaverse interpreting, AI-assisted translation, and the sociocultural dimensions of interpreting norms. His recent publications reveal a strong trend toward digital transformation in translation and interpreting, with increasing emphasis on technology integration, cognitive processes, and interdisciplinary methodologies. Keywords across his articles highlight core themes in translation theory, discourse analysis, and digital scholarship, with subfields ranging from AI-augmented interpretation to historical translation movements and cognitive load in simultaneous interpreting. Elected Member, European Academy of Sciences and Arts Fellow, Chartered Institute of Linguists First Prize, China Ministry of Education Research Award (2024) AHC Partnership Award for Academic Supervision (2022) National-level Excellence Course Tutor (2007) Member, National-level Teaching Team (2010) Professor Wang actively supervises PhD candidates and has co-supervised multiple graduates who have published in top journals such as Meta , Perspectives , and The Translator . He has served as external examiner at institutions including UCL, SOAS, Durham, and Beijing Foreign Studies University. He leads major funded projects, including a UK government-funded initiative on computational linguistics and an EU-funded platform for conference interpreter training. His research has been supported by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council and China’s Ministry of Education. He is deeply involved in academic service, serving as Co-Editor of Interpreting and Society , Associate Editor of Frontiers in Psychology , and Founding Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Chinese and English Translation & Interpreting . He sits on the editorial boards of numerous international journals and book series, and regularly acts as a reviewer for top publishers and academic rankings.
Professor Fintan Walsh is Head of the School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication at Birkbeck, University of London, and holds the title of Professor of Performing Arts and Humanities. He leads the Birkbeck Creative Practice Lab and directs the Birkbeck Centre for Contemporary Theatre. His research focuses on contemporary theatre and performance, with an emphasis on queer performance, grief in pandemic contexts, digital performance, and Irish drama. Walsh earned his MPhil and PhD at Trinity College Dublin (2007) and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2012). He has held visiting roles at institutions like Freie Universität Berlin and Helsinki University. His editorial roles include Senior Editor of Theatre Research International and founder of the Cambridge Elements in Contemporary Performance Texts series. His recent publications include Performing Grief in Pandemic Theatres (2024) and Performing the Queer Past: Public Possessions (2023). He has received the 2023 Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Walsh supervises doctoral research in areas such as chemsex narratives, mental health in theatre, and neurodiversity. He has examined PhDs at institutions including the University of Sydney, Royal Holloway, and University of Helsinki. His work is funded by grants from the Wellcome Trust ISSF, CHASE AHRC, and OSUN. He oversees initiatives like the Birkbeck Gender and Sexuality (BiGS) group and has collaborated with artists globally. His research bridges performance studies, medical humanities, and queer theory, emphasizing marginalized communities and cultural interventions.
Jignesh M. Patel is a Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA , with over 25 years of contributions to database systems, data analytics, and hardware-aware query processing. His work bridges theoretical advancements with practical systems engineering. Research Interests span: Database systems optimization (query processing, transaction management) Hardware acceleration for analytics (eBPF, PIM, GPUs) Machine learning integration in databases (feature selection, model optimization) Efficient data structures (hashing, encoding, indexing) Multi-tenant and cloud database management Recent Work focuses on kernel-embedded databases (BPF-DB, 2025), memory-efficient dataframe processing (SplitDF, 2024), and algorithmic-hardware co-design for dense retrieval (DReX, 2025). He has pioneered techniques for adapting to data skew (VIP Hashing, 2022), leveraging static analysis in R optimization (ROSA, 2017), and rethinking benchmarking paradigms. Collaborations include key partnerships with: Systems researchers (Andrew Pavlo, José F. Martínez) Machine learning experts (Arun Kumar, Kevin Skadron) Education-focused colleagues (Adalbert Gerald Soosai Raj, Richard Halverson) Industry leaders (David J. DeWitt, Microsoft Research)
Dr. Crystal Fausett is an Assistant Professor in the School of Information at San José State University. Her academic work bridges human factors, cybersecurity, and human-computer interaction, with a strong focus on how individuals and teams interact with technology in high-stakes environments such as healthcare, emergency services, and cyber operations. She teaches courses including ISDA 121 – Human Centered Cybersecurity and ISDA 130 – User Centered Interface Architecture and Prototyping, reflecting her interdisciplinary expertise. Ph.D. in Human Factors, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (2024) M.S. in Human Factors, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (2022) B.A. in Psychology, San José State University (2020) A.A. in Social and Behavioral Sciences, Santa Barbara City College (2018) Her research interests include human-centered cybersecurity, human-computer interaction, usability and UX design, teamwork and transactive memory systems, training methodologies (particularly simulation-based), and information behavior across diverse user groups such as healthcare providers, cyber defenders, and naval personnel. She applies both qualitative and quantitative methods, including expert interviews, board game simulations, and meta-analytic techniques. The recent publications highlight a strong trend in applying human factors principles to cybersecurity team performance, adaptive training, and healthcare safety. Her work increasingly explores innovative methods such as gamified simulations to study team dynamics and cognitive load in complex operational environments. There is a consistent emphasis on improving system efficiency, safety, and collaboration through human-centered design. Dr. Fausett has no listed scientific awards in the provided text. She has served as an Instructor of Record in Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (2023–2024) prior to her current role. There is no mention of current grant funding or student advising in the provided materials. Her research often involves collaboration with experts in human factors and healthcare, particularly Dr. Joseph R. Keebler and Dr. E. Salas, suggesting active participation in research teams focused on team performance and safety-critical systems. She is involved in research labs or teams centered on human factors in cybersecurity and healthcare, particularly through collaborative projects involving simulation-based training and team cognition studies. Her use of board games like [d0x3d!] as experimental testbeds indicates innovative lab-based methodologies for studying real-world team interactions in controlled environments.
Dr. Heather Allen is an Associate Professor of Spanish in the Department of Modern Languages at the University of Mississippi, affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts. Her research focuses on early modern Spanish American and Peninsular literature, with particular emphasis on Nahuatl studies, conquest historiography, and the cultural history of manuscript and print. Education: B.A. in Literature, University of Iowa (2001) M.A. in Spanish, University of Iowa (2005) Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures, University of Chicago (2011) Her work explores intersections of textual materiality, affect theory, and digital humanities. She has published extensively in journals like Colonial Latin American Review and La corónica , and co-edited Latin American Textualities: History, Materiality, and Digital Media (University of Arizona Press, 2018), nominated for the Society of Textual Scholarship’s Finneran Award. Scientific Awards: Fulbright-Hays Seminar Fellowship (2021) Newberry Library Fellow (2019-20) Outstanding Academic Title, American Library Association (2017) Dr. Allen has received multiple grants, including a Course Development Grant for Open Educational Resources (2015), a Mini-Grant from the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (2018), and Travel Grants from the University of Mississippi (2016-2018). She advises Spanish majors and minors and teaches courses ranging from Spanish composition to Golden Age literature.
Róisín O'Gorman is a Lecturer in the Department of Theatre at University College Cork , where her work bridges embodied performance practices and critical scholarship . She holds a PhD from the University of Minnesota (2007), a Somatic Movement Educator certification (2010), and a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning from UCC (2013). Research Interests: Contemporary performance, corporeality, feminist praxis, somatic practices, and medical humanities. Key Collaborations: Co-edited special editions on “Performance & Bodie(s) Politic” (2018) and “On Failure” (2012) with Margaret Werry; ongoing work with Women's Studies and the Irish World Academy, UL. Publications span interdisciplinary themes in Performance Research , Performance Matters , and Transformations , focusing on somatic epistemologies , gendered embodiment , and ecological performance . Her Living Well with the Dead project (Wellcome-funded) explores ethical engagements with human remains. Scientific Awards: UCC Teaching and Learning Enhancement Award (2018), ASTR David Keller Travel Grant (2008). Grants: Irish Research Council (2015-18), Enterprise Ireland (2021-22, 2017-18). Advising includes doctoral supervision, while lab and team activities involve transdisciplinary workshops like Modes of Capture (2019-2022) and the Living Well with the Dead network.
Kevin S. LaBar is Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University's Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. He serves as Associate Director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and maintains affiliations with the Duke Initiative for Science & Society, the Center for Brain Imaging and Analysis, and the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience. His academic journey began with a B.A. from Lafayette College in 1990, followed by a Ph.D. from New York University in 1996. Dr. LaBar's research focuses on understanding how emotional events modulate cognitive processes in the human brain. His laboratory aims to identify brain regions that encode the emotional properties of sensory stimuli and demonstrate how these regions interact with neural systems supporting social cognition, executive control, and learning and memory. His integrative approach utilizes psychophysiological monitoring, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), machine learning, and behavioral studies in both healthy adults and psychiatric patients. His work spans multiple domains including fear conditioning, emotional memory, emotion regulation, and the neural basis of emotional experience. His recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on emotional memory mechanisms, emotion regulation strategies across the lifespan, neural correlates of anxiety and fear, and developing neuroscience-informed interventions for emotional dysregulation. His research increasingly incorporates advanced neuroimaging techniques, computational approaches, and translational applications for clinical populations. Fellow, Association for Psychological Science (2010) Young Investigator Award, Cognitive Neuroscience Society (2005) CAREER Award, National Science Foundation (2003) Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (2001) Young Investigator Award, National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (2000) Scholar of the Year Award, Lafayette College Alumni Association (1990) Dr. LaBar has secured substantial research funding, including multiple NIH grants and VA awards, with projects spanning from basic emotion research to clinical applications for conditions like PTSD, depression, and misophonia. His laboratory has trained numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who have gone on to successful careers in academia and research. His work bridges cognitive neuroscience with clinical applications, particularly in developing neurostimulation-enhanced behavioral interventions for emotion dysregulation.
Maurizio Mancini is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Sapienza University of Rome. His research focuses on Human-Computer Interaction, Affective Computing, and Multimodal Interaction, with applications in Virtual Reality, Embodied Conversational Agents, and Digital Commensality. He has contributed to understanding expressive movement analysis, social robotics, and adaptive systems in gaming and mindfulness contexts. 2024 : 8 publications on VR mindfulness, reinforcement learning, digital commensality, and multimodal interaction 2023 : 4 studies on human-food interaction, gait recognition, and AI human-likeness 2022 : 5 papers on social robots, collaborative dining, and anomaly detection His work spans topics like nonverbal leadership in full-body improvisation, transactive memory systems in group interactions, and computational models for human-food interaction. Teaching includes courses on Human-Machine Interaction and Programming.
Anika Marschall is Assistant Professor in Media and Performance Studies at Utrecht University, Netherlands. She previously held a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Aarhus University (2020-2022) and worked as Assistant Lecturer at Queen Margaret University Edinburgh. She received her PhD from the University of Glasgow with an AHRC fellowship. Current affiliations Utrecht University: Assistant Professor (Department of Media and Culture Studies) Co-coordinates MA Contemporary Theatre, Dance and Dramaturgy Teaches BA Media and Culture program Her research focuses on theatre's role in addressing migration, asylum, and human rights through socially engaged artistic practices. Key areas include: Racial, gender, and class intersections in European performance Institutional diversity and representation Decolonial knowledge production Collaborative networks like Critical Race Performance Studies (PSi) and Political Performances (IFTR) 2023 monograph Performing Human Rights analyzes works by Tania Bruguera, Centre for Political Beauty, and Jonas Staal. Her article trends examine: Refugee crisis interventions Decolonial archival practices Urban solidarity through performance Forensic aesthetics Postmigrant theatre Academic institutional critique Scientific contributions: AHRC Fellowship (PhD level) Co-editor of Class Acts: Material Relations in Theatre and Performance (Methuen 2023) Co-author of Intersectional Theatre Practices textbook (Cambridge UP 2023) As educator, she advocates: bell hooks/Paolo Freire-inspired pedagogy Critical analysis of 'whiteness' in theatre Somatic and cognitive learning integration Dramaturgical sensitivity development Network leadership: Co-founder of New Critical Theatre Studies network Developing peer-reviewed Intersectional Theatre Review journal Provides intersectional tools/tutorials for institutions
Valerie San Juan is an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at Bradley University's College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. With a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology and Education from the University of Toronto, she completed postdoctoral research at both the University of Toronto (under Dr. Patricia Ganea) and the University of Calgary (with Drs. Susan Graham and Suzanne Curtin), supported by the Eyes High Fellowship and SSHRC grants. Education: Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology and Education, University of Toronto Her research focuses on children's social cognitive development and language acquisition, particularly how children understand others' mental states and integrate this knowledge into social interactions. Using innovative methods like computer-based games and eye-tracking technology, she investigates perspective taking, desire reasoning, and false-belief understanding in children aged 2-6 years. Recent publications demonstrate her expertise in referential communication, epistemic verb development, and social category inference. Her work appears in top journals including Journal of Experimental Child Psychology , Cognitive Development , and Journal of Child Language . These studies consistently examine how children's cognitive control, language development, and social understanding interact. Scientific Awards: Eyes High Fellowship program (University of Calgary) Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) grant As director of the Social Minds and Language Lab (S.M.A.L.L.), she mentors undergraduate researchers and collaborates with local families to conduct community-based developmental studies. Her teaching portfolio includes Principles of Psychology, Experimental Psychology, and Developmental Psychology courses.
