Professor Mounim A. El Yacoubi holds positions at Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Institut Mines-Télécom, and Telecom SudParis. His research focuses on AI, machine learning, and deep learning applied to e-Health (neurodegenerative disease detection, diabetes management), biometrics (gait, vein, and handwriting recognition), and smart systems (agriculture, surveillance, robotics). He leads the SAMOVAR CNRS Lab and has supervised 17 PhDs and 30+ master's students. Education: PhD (1996, Université de Rennes 1), HDR (2014, Paris-Saclay University). Experience: Senior Researcher at Parascript (2001–2008), Visiting Scientist at CENPARMI (1997–1998), Associate Professor at PUCPR (1998–2001). Research Interests: AI applications in healthcare, biometrics, pattern recognition, and smart technologies. Recent work includes Alzheimer’s detection via handwriting analysis, diabetes prediction using PPG signals, and palm/vein recognition systems. Grants & Leadership: Program Chair of ICPRAI 2022, ICCPRA 2024. Editor of IEEE Access and journals on cyber-physical intelligence. Authored books on Pattern Recognition and AI.
Prof. Jose Such is a Professor of Computer Science at King's College London (KCL), affiliated with the KCL Cybersecurity Centre and the Informatics Security Hub. His research focuses on cybersecurity, AI ethics, privacy engineering, and conversational systems. He leads major projects such as REPHRAIN (Phase I & II) and SAIS, funded by EPSRC, addressing privacy, adversarial influence, and secure AI assistants. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to privacy and digital security. Key research areas include large language models (LLMs), smart home security, multi-user privacy conflicts, and ethical AI governance. Prof. Such has published over 80 peer-reviewed papers, with recent emphasis on mitigating privacy risks in conversational AI and developing safety benchmarks for LLMs. He oversees research projects involving multi-disciplinary teams, integrating technical solutions with legal and ethical frameworks. Notable outputs include the MalProtect malware defense system and the CASE-Bench evaluation framework for AI safety. His datasets and tools, such as SkillVet and ELVIRA, address privacy risks in voice assistants and cloud services. Prof. Such collaborates globally, with recent work exploring cross-cultural privacy practices in smart homes and the security challenges faced by marginalized groups. His research bridges technical innovation with societal impact, advocating for transparent and accountable AI systems.
Hasan Davulcu is a Professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence at Arizona State University (ASU). He holds a B.S. in Mathematics from Middle East Technical University (Turkey) and M.S./Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stony Brook University (NY). His research focuses on sociocultural modeling, AI, machine learning, and behavioral analytics for fraud detection. He leads the CIPS-AI Lab, developing data mining tools for semantic information extraction from social media and web data. Affiliations: Senior Global Futures Scientist (Global Futures Scientists and Scholars Program), Co-founder & CIO of ARTIS MAGI (AI-driven behavioral analysis startup). Education: Ph.D. Computer Science (Stony Brook, 2002), M.S. Computer Science (Stony Brook, 1995), B.S. Mathematics (METU, 1993). Research interests include: Sociocultural modeling and persuasive AI. Web/social media mining, information extraction, and database systems. Behavioral analytics for fraud detection and countering extremist influence. Key achievements: 2011 HSCB Focus Exceptional Scientific Achievement Award for work on sociocultural modeling in the DOD Minerva project. Principal Investigator on NSF and DoD grants, including behavioral analytics for financial fraud and social influence analysis of extremist groups. Grants & Projects: NSF PFI:BIC Grant (2014-2019): Behavioral analytics for fraud detection via visual analytics infrastructure. DoD Minerva (2015-2019): Measuring social influence of extremist groups. ONR Projects (2018-2021): Modeling polarization, adversarial framing, and disinformation tracking. Labs/Teams: Cognitive Information Processing Systems (CIPS-AI) Lab, which pioneers data mining techniques for unstructured social media data and semantic representation systems.
Dr. Jeremy Knox is an Associate Professor of Digital Education at the University of Oxford's Department of Education (since 2023). Previously, he served as Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh and co-directed its Centre for Research in Digital Education. His research critically examines interactions between education, data-driven technologies, and societal structures, with ESRC- and British Council-funded projects exploring AI ethics, digital inequality, and global educational policies. He co-convenes the Society for Research in Higher Education's Digital University network and teaches on the MSc in Education's Digital and Social Change pathway. Education: PhD and MSc from University of Edinburgh; PGCE from University of Reading (awarded ESRC scholarship for PhD). Key Works: Authored influential books including AI and Education in China (2023), Data Justice and the Right to the City (2022), and Artificial Intelligence and Inclusive Education (2019). Awards: ESRC PhD Scholarship (2014). Research interests focus on postdigital theory, AI ethics, data justice, and global educational technology dynamics. His work critiques algorithmic governance in education and advocates for participatory data practices. Recent projects analyze China's AI education policies and the socio-technical implications of datafied learning environments. Publications span topics like MOOCs, learning analytics, and the political economy of EdTech, emphasizing critical perspectives on technological determinism. His writing bridges philosophy, sociology, and education policy to address systemic inequities exacerbated by digital tools.
May Yuan is the Ashbel Smith Professor of Geospatial Information Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas (UT-Dallas), affiliated with the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences. She directs the Geospatial Analytics and Innovative Applications (GAIA) Lab. Her research focuses on space-time representation, GIS analytics, and environmental/social problem-solving (e.g., disaster risk, pollution, crime mapping). She holds a Ph.D. in Geography from SUNY Buffalo (1994) and B.S. from National Taiwan University (1987). Previously, she was Brandt Professor and Director of the Center for Spatial Analysis at the University of Oklahoma (1994–2014). Education: Ph.D. in Geography, State University of New York at Buffalo, 1994 M.A. in Geography, State University of New York at Buffalo, 1992 B.S. in Geography, National Taiwan University, 1987 Research Interests: Her work integrates space-time GIS databases with cognitive science, environmental modeling, and social dynamics. Key areas include: - Spatiotemporal query and analytics for geographic processes - GIS-based disaster risk assessment (wildfires, tornadoes) - Urban air quality modeling - Neurogeography and Alzheimer’s disease prediction using environmental complexity metrics - Deep mapping and spatial narratives. Grants & Partnerships: Supported by NSF, NASA, DoD, DHS, NOAA, EPA, and state agencies. Her GAIA Lab explores 'place' concepts in space-time analytics. Awards & Roles: Fellow, AAAS and AAG Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Geographical Information Science (2017–present) Former President, Cartography and Geographic Information Society (2020–2021) and UCGIS (2011–2012) Member, NOAA Environmental Information Services Working Group (2016–2022) Labs/Teams: Leads the GAIA Lab, collaborating on geospatial AI, environmental health, and urban analytics.
Vivek Srikumar is an Associate Professor in the Kahlert School of Computing at the University of Utah, co-leading the Utah NLP group and affiliated with the Utah Center for Data Science. His research focuses on Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing, particularly in structured prediction, bias mitigation, and healthcare NLP applications. He teaches Machine Learning (CS 6350/DS 4350) and has been supported by NSF, NIH, and corporate grants from Intel, Google, and others. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2013) Postdoctoral Researcher at Stanford University's NLP Group (2013-2014) Visiting Researcher at Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence (2022 sabbatical) Research Interests: Srikumar explores text understanding, structured learning, and robust AI systems. His work addresses challenges in table-based reasoning, adversarial robustness, and ethical AI. He develops methods to ensure models use appropriate evidence and mitigate biases in representations. Grants & Collaborations: Supported by NSF, NIH, BSF, and industry partnerships with Intel, Google, Verisk, Bloomberg, and Nvidia. Notable projects include table QA systems (TempTabQA), bias mitigation (OSCaR/VERB), and crisis counseling NLP tools (ClientBot). Advising: Supervised over 30 students, including 15+ Ph.D./M.S. alumni now in academia and industry (e.g., Google, Amazon, Microsoft). Current advisees focus on multimodal reasoning, healthcare NLP, and AI ethics. Labs/Teams: Utah NLP Group and Utah Center for Data Science. Active in reproducibility efforts (LogFlux) and open-source tools (CogCompNLP/Pylon frameworks).
Brad Hayes is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Colorado Boulder within the College of Engineering and Applied Science, where he directs the Collaborative AI and Robotics (CAIRO) Laboratory. He also serves as Chief Technology Officer at Circadence, leading efforts in developing AI-enabled products for cybersecurity training and assessment. Undergraduate degree from Boston College PhD in Computer Science from Yale University Postdoctoral Associate at MIT Professor Hayes' research focuses on developing techniques that enable autonomous agents and robots to learn from and collaborate with humans safely, reliably, and productively. His work occurs at the intersection of pervasive and personalized artificial intelligence, human-robot teaming, and decision support. He has made significant contributions to collaborative robotics, dependable explainable AI, and imitation learning, with applications spanning manufacturing, healthcare, disaster response, autonomous vehicles, and space exploration. His recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on human-robot interaction, with particular focus on improving predictability in collaborative tasks, developing explainable AI systems that build trust, leveraging augmented and virtual reality for enhanced collaboration, and creating more efficient learning algorithms from human demonstrations. His work increasingly integrates large language models and advanced neural network architectures while maintaining a strong human-centered design approach. Sustainability Recognition (2025) for computational efficiency in motion planning Best Student Paper Runner-up at AAMAS 2022 Nominated for Best Technical Paper at HRI 2024 Best Technical Paper Runner-up at HRI 2019 Hayes has successfully mentored numerous graduate students through the CAIRO Lab, including multiple PhD graduates in 2024 alone. His lab receives funding from various organizations supporting research in human-robot interaction and collaborative AI. He frequently collaborates with industry partners and has established connections with major technology companies through his research and speaking engagements. The CAIRO Lab, under Hayes' direction, is a vibrant research environment focused on turning theoretical concepts into practical applications through hands-on work with real robots and human participants. The lab's research spans multiple domains including manufacturing, disaster response, autonomous vehicles, and space exploration, with a consistent emphasis on safe and effective human-machine teaming.
Dominic Thibault is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Music, Université de Montréal . His research-creation explores human-machine interaction in musical contexts, focusing on embodied cognition through electroacoustic compositions, audiovisual performances, and musical software development. Co-director, Laboratoire Formes·Ondes Active member, CIRMMT (Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology) Research axis leader, Expanded Musical Practice (CIRMMT) Member, Québecor Millénium entrepreneurship committee Scientific committee member, ACFAS
Prof. Dr. Jeanette Hofmann is Professor of Internet Politics at Freie Universität Berlin since 2017 and Honorary Professor at Universität der Künste Berlin since 2014. She heads the Research Group 'Politics of Digitalization' at WZB Berlin Social Science Center and serves as Principal Investigator for 'Technology, Power and Domination' at the Weizenbaum-Institute. Her work bridges academic research and policy engagement through roles in NETmundial+10, International Observatory on Information and Democracy, and European Commission expert groups. Her research expertise spans Digitalization and Democracy , AI and society , Digital regulation , and Internet governance . Hofmann examines how digital infrastructures reshape political agency, democratic processes, and societal regulation through governance theory and science and technology studies lenses. Recent work analyzes disinformation ecosystems, platform power dynamics, and bureaucratic resistance to digital transformation in public administration. Hofmann's publication trajectory (2019-2024) reveals intensifying focus on AI's democratic implications, with 60% of recent work addressing algorithmic governance, digital sovereignty, and platform regulation. Her scholarship appears in Big Data & Society , Internet Policy Review , and interdisciplinary policy reports for European institutions. Scientific Awards: No formal awards documented in source material Hofmann leads major research initiatives including the Weizenbaum-Institute's 'Technology, Power and Domination' group and European Commission expert panels on platform economy regulation. Her grant portfolio emphasizes policy-relevant research on digital governance, with recent funding supporting comparative studies of digital transformation in Germany, Singapore, and Taiwan. She directs WZB's 'Politics of Digitalization' research group and co-leads the Weizenbaum-Institute's critical technology studies cluster. These teams employ interdisciplinary methods combining discourse analysis, comparative case studies, and policy ethnography to investigate power dynamics in digital ecosystems.
Jordi Perelló Muntan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Architecture at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Barcelona, Spain, where he is also affiliated with the Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyeria de Telecomunicació de Barcelona (ETSETB). He is a member of the Broadband Communications Systems and Architectures (CBA) and IDEAI-UPC research groups, focusing on advanced optical and future internet networking technologies. Research Interests: His research spans telecommunications networks, optical fiber and optical networking, resource optimization, network architectures, and the Future Internet. He investigates performance optimization in 5G transport networks, Spatial Division Multiplexing (SDM), Recursive Inter-Network Architecture (RINA), elastic optical networks, and cognitive networking. His work integrates SDN, network virtualization, and green networking principles for scalable and efficient infrastructures. Publication Trends: His recent publications focus on probabilistic constellation shaping in multicore fiber networks, cognitive strategies for optical margin reduction, RINA-based QoS assurance, and migration planning toward spectrally-spatially flexible optical networks. These reflect a strong trend toward intelligent, adaptive, and energy-efficient network design for future communication systems. Scientific Awards: Co-recipient of the 2020 Fabio Neri Best Paper Award Runner-up (Elsevier Journal of Optical Switching and Networking) Co-recipient of the ONDM 2021 Best Paper Award Co-recipient of the 2019 IEEE Communications Society Charles Kao Award Co-recipient of the ONDM 2012 Best Student Paper Award Advising and Grants: He has advised multiple PhD students on topics including RINA, optical network planning, and virtual provisioning. He has led or participated in major European (H2020, FP7) and national (PID, TEC) research projects such as SLICENET, PRISTINE, TRAINER, and ALLIANCE, focusing on 5G, RINA, and sustainable network infrastructures. Labs and Teams: He is an active member of the CBA research group at UPC, contributing to experimental and theoretical advancements in optical and programmable networks. His team collaborates internationally on testbed development and standardization efforts in next-generation networking.
Sam Pizelo is an Assistant Professor of Game Studies at the Institute for Communication, Culture, Information & Technology (ICCIT), University of Toronto. His research investigates the role of games as modeling technologies in the development of computing, artificial intelligence, and neoliberal capitalism. He is actively engaged in both scholarly and creative practices, integrating media art, data science, and game design into his academic work. Research Interests: Sam's work spans game studies, digital humanities, media theory, and critical computing. He explores how games function as epistemic tools that shape knowledge production, particularly in technoscientific domains. His research connects historical analysis with contemporary digital methods to examine the cultural and philosophical implications of games. The recent publications reflect a strong focus on the historical and systemic roles of games in shaping modern computing and thought. Themes include the modeling revolution, systems thinking, and the deep cultural roots of game logic. His work bridges humanities scholarship with computational practice. Scientific Contributions: Co-creator of Project Quintessence , a corpus exploration framework combining machine learning and dynamic visualizations for archival research. Founding member of the Degrowth Game Design Project (DeGDP) , a multi-campus initiative exploring games for post-growth futures. Sam Pizelo is an active researcher and media practitioner without listed advisees or awards in the provided text. He maintains academic affiliations with the University of Toronto and previously held a visiting position at NYU.
Graham Neubig is an Associate Professor at the Language Technologies Institute (LTI) within Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). His research focuses on advancing artificial intelligence, particularly in natural language processing (NLP), multimodal reasoning, and large language models (LLMs). He explores topics such as AI safety, generative AI, and human-AI interaction, with an emphasis on practical applications like machine translation and web-agent systems. His work often involves developing frameworks for evaluating AI systems, such as OpenAgentSafety and BehaviorBox, which assess real-world agent performance and model behavior. Neubig's research also delves into improving LLM capabilities through reasoning analysis, hallucination detection (e.g., ZINA), and culturally aware systems (e.g., CAIRe). He has contributed to open-source projects like Pangea (a multilingual LLM) and frameworks such as Cmulab for model deployment. His recent work addresses challenges in agentic tasks, self-improving agents (Skillweaver), and benchmarking across domains like visual reasoning (VisualPuzzles) and software engineering. Notable achievements include advancing evaluation methodologies for LLMs, developing tools for ethical AI, and creating benchmark suites that test systems under realistic conditions. His lab collaborates on projects like the BrowserGym ecosystem and OpenHands platform, which aim to standardize web-agent research and AI-driven software development. Neubig's contributions span theoretical advancements and practical implementations, bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world applications. He advises students such as Apurva Gandhi and actively publishes in top venues, addressing topics from instruction-following improvements to the societal impacts of AI. His work frequently emphasizes the importance of transparency, controllability, and cultural awareness in AI systems.
Panayiotis Kolios is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Computer Science, University of Cyprus (UCY). Previously, he served as a Research Assistant Professor at the KIOS Research and Innovation Centre of Excellence (2013–2024) and a Visiting Lecturer at UCY. He holds a BEng and PhD in Telecommunications Engineering from King’s College London (2008 and 2012, respectively). His research focuses on networked intelligent systems, emergency management using AI and UAV technologies, and cyber-physical systems. Education: BEng in Telecommunications Engineering, King’s College London, 2008 PhD in Telecommunications Engineering, King’s College London, 2012 Research Interests: His work centers on autonomous systems, intelligent transportation, and emergency management. Key areas include AI-driven disaster response, UAV-based surveillance, and algorithmic optimization for critical infrastructure. He develops solutions for real-time situational awareness and decision-support in emergencies. Recent work trends show a focus on multi-UAV coordination, disaster management platforms (like AIDERS), and AI applications in emergency response. His team’s 2023 win in the Cooperative Aerial Robots Inspection Challenge highlights advancements in UAV inspection algorithms. Scientific Awards: First Prize in Cooperative Aerial Robots Inspection Challenge (CDC 2023) Grants and Advising: He has secured over €40 million in EU and industrial grants, leading projects like PREDICATE, SWIFTERS, and AIDERS. His team advises on emergency response strategies and has trained first responders through EU-funded programs such as the Exchange of Experts training. Labs and Teams: He leads the Security and Emergency Response Group at KIOS CoE and established the Cyprus Civil Defence Aerial Observation Unit. His team collaborates with institutions like the Cyprus Police and Fire Service to operationalize UAV technologies in disaster scenarios.
Mark d'Inverno is a Professor in the Department of Computing at Goldsmiths, University of London, where he has established himself as a leading researcher at the intersection of artificial intelligence, multi-agent systems, and creative applications. His academic journey began with foundational work in formal methods and agent-based systems, culminating in his 1998 PhD thesis 'Agents, Agency and Autonomy: A Formal Computational Model' from University College London, and has evolved toward practical applications in music technology and ethical AI systems. Professor d'Inverno's research interests span multiple interconnected domains, with a particular focus on computational creativity, multi-agent systems, and the application of AI in musical contexts. His work explores how artificial intelligence can enhance creative processes, particularly in music composition and performance, while maintaining ethical considerations in social AI systems. He has made significant contributions to understanding how agents can interact meaningfully in social contexts, how ethical frameworks can be embedded in online systems, and how technology can support creative learning experiences. His recent scholarly output demonstrates a clear trajectory toward applied research with social impact, as evidenced by his 2021-2024 publications which increasingly address ethical considerations in AI, human-AI collaboration in creative domains, and educational applications of technology. These works reveal a researcher deeply engaged with both theoretical foundations and practical implementations, bridging the gap between abstract computational models and real-world creative and educational applications. Professor d'Inverno maintains an extensive collaborative network, frequently working with Matthew Yee-King on music technology applications, with Pablo Noriega on ethical AI frameworks, and with Jon McCormack on computational creativity. His research has been supported through various projects that connect theoretical computer science with practical creative applications, particularly in the development of systems that facilitate human-AI creative collaboration.
Ming-Hsuan Yang is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of California, Merced , where he also serves as the Graduate Chair for the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) graduate group. His research spans computer vision , machine learning , and pattern recognition , with a focus on image and video restoration, object tracking, and 3D scene understanding. Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2000) M.S., University of Texas at Austin (1994) M.S., University of Southern California (1992) B.S., National Tsing-Hua University, Taiwan (1991) His research interests include computer vision (object tracking, image deblurring, saliency detection), machine learning (transfer learning, sparse representation), and 3D reconstruction (Gaussian splatting, scene generation). He has pioneered methods in diffusion models , transformer architectures , and multi-modal vision-language systems . Recent publication trends show leadership in 3D mesh generation (ICCV 2025), video diffusion (CVPR 2025), and image restoration (PAMI 2025), with interdisciplinary applications in medical imaging (TMI 2024) and human motion analysis (WACV 2025). Scientific awards include Nvidia Fellowships and EECS Rising Stars recognitions for advisees, with Meta , Google DeepMind , and Adobe alumni placements. He has advised 18 PhD students and 13 MS students since 2009, with notable fellowships including Chancellor's Graduate Fellowship and GSOP Fellowship . His Visual Tracking and Learning Lab produces high-impact work in object tracking , image enhancement , and semantic segmentation , supported by NSF grants and industry collaborations . Lab alumni now lead R&D at top tech companies like Stability AI and Meta .
