Kevin J. Kircher is an Assistant Professor at Purdue University in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and (by courtesy) Electrical and Computer Engineering. He works in Herrick Laboratories and the Institute for Control, Optimization and Networks, focusing on optimization and control strategies for distributed energy resources (DERs) to address climate change, pollution, and energy equity issues. Education: PhD in Mechanical Engineering (Cornell University), Postdoctoral Research in Electrical Engineering (MIT) His research spans DERs like electric vehicles, solar PV, and heat pumps, with a focus on grid interaction and energy system modeling for business/government decisions. He co-developed EDGIE, an open-source MATLAB/Python tool for electrification impact simulation. Recent publications analyze methane emissions in energy infrastructure, predictive HVAC control systems, and grid capacity challenges for residential electrification. His team has secured multiple ASHRAE grants and fellowships, with field studies on thermal storage and grid protection protocols. Mentorship priorities include diversity in energy research, with active recruitment of graduate students skilled in optimization, control theory, and thermal sciences. He leads a course on DERs with open-access materials.
Dr. Mohsin Malik is an Associate Professor of Project Management at Swinburne University of Technology (since 2023) in Melbourne, Australia. Previously, he held roles as Senior Lecturer (2018–2022) at Swinburne and Lecturer (2016–2018) at the University of Melbourne. He earned his PhD in Technology Management from the University of Western Australia (2012). His research focuses on organizational dynamics for innovative outcomes in digital contexts, sustainability in supply chains, and project management practices aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-9, SDG-12, SDG-3). Key areas include digital transformation, lean management, agile project management, and supply chain resilience. Dr. Malik’s work has been published in top-tier journals like the International Journal of Project Management, Information & Management, and IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management. He currently serves as Senior Associate Editor of the International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management and has secured grants totaling over AUD 1M, including a 2025–2028 project on digital transformation in Indian/Australian organizations funded by DFAT. His research explores topics such as socio-cognitive dynamics in digital transformation, lean socio-technical systems, and agency theory in international development projects. Recent projects include analyzing digital platform interactions for Australian artists and evaluating virtual healthcare barriers during the pandemic. He actively supervises doctoral and master’s students focusing on digital governance, social sustainability, and project monitoring frameworks. Dr. Malik is a globally recognized scholar, with over 23 years of academic and industry experience. He collaborates with organizations like the Victorian Music Development Office and the Australian Academy of Science, emphasizing real-world impact through research.
Vanessa Bowden is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychological Science at The University of Western Australia. She serves as Graduate Research Coordinator for the School, Deputy Director of the Master of Industrial and Organisational Psychology program, and Co-Director of the Human Factors and Applied Cognition Laboratory. Her academic credentials include a PhD from The University of Western Australia and a Graduate Diploma in Human Factors and Safety Management Systems from the University of South Australia. Dr. Bowden's research expertise spans multiple domains within human factors and cognitive psychology. Her primary research interests include: Human interaction with technological systems Automation design and human-automation interaction Driver distraction and transportation safety Cognitive processes in complex work settings Situation awareness and workload management Prospective memory in applied contexts Her recent research has focused on understanding how humans interact with automated systems across various domains, from driving to air traffic control. Dr. Bowden has developed computational models of human decision-making with automated advice and has investigated the impact of automation transparency on operator performance. Her work has important implications for designing safer technological systems that optimize human performance. Dr. Bowden has received significant research funding, including an Australian Research Council Discovery grant (2024) for $924,198 for "A Unified Computational Model of How Humans Use Automated Advice" and multiple Department of Defence grants. Her research has been published extensively in top-tier journals in human factors and cognitive psychology. She has supervised numerous research students and currently accepts PhD and other Higher Degree by Research students. Dr. Bowden teaches several courses including Psychology of Training (PSYC5573), Industrial and Organisational Psychology (PSYC3309), and Perception and Sensory Neuropsychology (PSYC3318).
Kevin Vinsen is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia, working in the Data Intensive Astronomy (DIA) Program of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) since 2009. He is also affiliated with the UWA Defence and Security Institute and holds an ORCID ID of 0000-0001-5332-3784. His work focuses on translating ICRAR software capabilities into practical industry applications across diverse domains. His research interests include: Peta-scale systems High-performance Computing Machine Learning applications in multiple fields Wave and weather forecasting Digital Assistive Technologies Agricultural applications of ML Large language models Vinsen heads the Translation and Impact work of the DIA team and leads the development of Machine Learning systems. His current projects include ML for wave forecasting on the NW shelf, wind and temperature forecasting, honey traceability and provenance, and digital assistive technology for people with disabilities. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to industry, oceans, agriculture, food, disability, and defense. His research output demonstrates a strong trend toward applying machine learning techniques to solve real-world problems across astronomy, environmental science, agriculture, and disability support. This interdisciplinary approach showcases the versatility of his computational expertise across scientific and social domains. Vinsen has an h-index of 11 with 621 citations across 33 research outputs. As the ICRAR/UWA Summer Studentship Co-ordinator, he mentors emerging researchers and contributes to building research capacity. His collaborative network spans multiple institutions and research areas, reflecting his ability to bridge academic research with practical applications.
Valerie Good serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Marketing and Transportation at the Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas, where she contributes to academic research and teaching in marketing disciplines. Her research spans critical domains including: Sales Management : Investigating salesperson well-being, motivation, and digital transformation impacts Retail Marketing : Analyzing online retail formats and product sales dynamics B2B Marketing : Exploring brand leverage and end-user engagement strategies Corporate Social Responsibility : Examining CSR's role during economic recessions Analysis of her 15 recent publications (2021-2025) reveals three dominant trajectories: (1) Human elements in sales processes, including resilience, loneliness, and purpose-driven motivation; (2) Digital transformation effects on retail formats, lead quality, and sales arrangements; (3) Strategic applications of corporate social responsibility during economic volatility. Her work consistently bridges theoretical rigor with practical sales and marketing applications, demonstrating increasing focus on psychological factors within commercial contexts.
Waël Jaafar is a Professor in the Department of Software Engineering and IT at École de technologie supérieure (ETS), a constituent school of the Université du Québec system in Montreal, Canada. His research spans multiple critical domains in modern communications and computing infrastructure, with a particular focus on next-generation wireless networks and intelligent systems. Dr. Jaafar holds a B.Eng. from Sup'Com Tunisie, and both M.Sc.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Polytechnique Montréal. His academic background provides a strong foundation for his interdisciplinary research that bridges theoretical concepts with practical engineering solutions. His research interests center around wireless communications systems, with particular emphasis on 5G/6G networks, UAV communications, space telecommunications, and machine learning applications for networking. He has developed significant expertise in federated learning techniques for distributed networks, cybersecurity applications for next-generation mobile systems, and edge computing architectures. His work frequently explores the intersection of communication theory, artificial intelligence, and network security, with applications ranging from industrial IoT to public safety communications. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong trend toward integrating artificial intelligence with wireless networking infrastructure, particularly focusing on UAV-assisted communications, federated learning approaches for distributed networks, and security enhancements for 5G/6G systems. His research demonstrates increasing emphasis on practical implementation challenges including energy efficiency, communication overhead reduction, and reliability in non-ideal network conditions. As an academic supervisor, Dr. Jaafar actively mentors numerous graduate students across various projects. He currently supervises doctoral candidates working on blockchain-enhanced security for 5G networks, green network slice orchestration, and federated learning approaches for Open RAN architecture. His master's students are engaged in diverse topics including LiDAR-based power line monitoring, multimodal behavioral authentication, and 5G/6G security using AI techniques. Dr. Jaafar is affiliated with two prominent research laboratories at ETS: LASI (Computer System Architecture Research Laboratory) and LACIME (Communications and Microelectronic Integration Laboratory). At LASI, he contributes to research in AI-based systems engineering, resource orchestration in edge/cloud environments, and intelligent network design. Through LACIME, he engages with broader communications research spanning from microelectronic components to complex communication systems, with particular focus on wireless networks and signal processing applications.
Varkey Titus Jr. serves as the Amy and J. E. Van Horne Jr Chair and Associate Professor of Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's College of Business, where he has been a faculty member since 2012. His research bridges entrepreneurship and strategic management within organizational contexts. His educational credentials include: Ph.D. in Strategic Management and Organizational Theory (Minor in Entrepreneurship), Indiana University (2012) M.B.A., University of Texas at Arlington (2007) B.B.A., Baylor University (2005) Dr. Titus specializes in corporate entrepreneurship and social evaluations , with particular focus on gender bias in entrepreneurial perception, strategic responses to institutional constraints, and corporate venturing dynamics. His work examines how firms navigate public scrutiny, political activity, and growth trajectories through behavioral and strategic lenses, often incorporating real options theory and institutional frameworks. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2020-2025) reveals three dominant research streams: (1) gender bias mitigation through strategic positioning in entrepreneurship, (2) corporate political activity as a constraint on entrepreneurial orientation, and (3) expectation management through strategic negativity. His work consistently appears in premier outlets like Strategic Management Journal and Academy of Management Journal , demonstrating interdisciplinary impact. As a dedicated mentor, Dr. Titus has chaired three doctoral dissertations and served on six dissertation committees, with three co-authored publications emerging from these collaborations. His teaching portfolio spans PhD seminars on entrepreneurship theory, MBA courses on corporate venturing, and undergraduate instruction in opportunity identification.
Meike Wagner serves as a Professor in Theatre Studies at Stockholm University, where she is affiliated with the Department of Culture and Aesthetics. She previously held a position in Theatre Studies at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich before joining Stockholm University. Professor Wagner also holds the distinguished position of Secretary General of the International Federation for Theatre Research (IFTR), demonstrating her significant standing in the international academic community. Her research expertise spans multiple interconnected domains within theatre studies, with particular emphasis on mediality and theatre, performative bodies, performance art and contemporary theatre practices. She has made substantial contributions to reception theories, theatre theories, and the historical analysis of 19th century theatre. Her work frequently examines the relationship between theatre and revolution, exploring how theatrical practices both reflect and shape political consciousness and social transformation. Professor Wagner's interdisciplinary approach bridges historical scholarship with contemporary theoretical concerns, making her work relevant across multiple humanities disciplines. Professor Wagner has secured significant research funding, most notably an ERC Advanced Grant in 2020 for her project "Performing Citizenship. Social and Political Agency in Non-Professional Theatre Practice in Germany, France, Britain, Sweden and Switzerland (1780-1850)." This project investigates how amateur theatre around 1800 helped individuals develop their understanding of citizenship in emerging democracies. She previously led the "Performing Premodernity. Exploring Cultural Heritage through the Drottningholm Court Theatre" research project from 2013 to 2017, demonstrating her sustained commitment to historical theatre practices and their contemporary relevance. ERC Advanced Grant 2020 for "Performing Citizenship" research project Project leader for "Performing Premodernity" (2013-2017) Secretary General of the International Federation for Theatre Research (IFTR) As Secretary General of IFTR, Professor Wagner plays a pivotal role in shaping international theatre research agendas and facilitating global scholarly exchange. Her ERC-funded project represents a significant contribution to understanding the relationship between theatrical practice and civic identity formation during a critical historical period. Her leadership in these substantial research initiatives demonstrates her capacity to direct complex, multinational scholarly collaborations that bridge historical and contemporary concerns in theatre studies.
Clay Dibrell is a Professor of Management and Chair of Entrepreneurial Excellence at the University of Mississippi’s School of Business Administration. He also serves as Co-Director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and is a U.S. Fulbright Scholar. His expertise spans entrepreneurship, family businesses, innovation, strategic management, and international business. Education includes a B.S. from Lambuth College (1990), an M.B.A. from the University of Memphis (1992), and a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Memphis (2000). He teaches courses such as Family Business Management, Strategic Planning, and Entrepreneurship at undergraduate, MBA, doctoral, and EMBA levels globally, including in the U.S., Europe, and Australia. Research focuses on family firm innovativeness, governance, and socioemotional wealth. His work explores strategic change, exit strategies, and the interplay between family commitment and innovation. He has published in leading journals like Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice and Family Business Review. Awarded the U.S. Fulbright Scholarship, he contributes to editorial boards and special issue curation. His advisory work includes innovation strategies for high-tech and natural resource industries. He emphasizes integrating family dynamics with business strategy, balancing institutional environments and firm performance.
Stefan Haefliger is Professor of Strategic Management & Innovation at Bayes Business School, City, University of London. His research focuses on business model innovation, open strategy, and organization theory in technology-driven environments. Key research streams: Business model portfolios and corporate strategy diversification Organization theory and technology-mediated regulation Open strategy and innovation ecosystems His work examines how technology transforms organizational practices, with empirical studies on compliance systems in investment banks and digital infrastructure governance. Recent projects explore modularity in R&D teams, digital resilience, and human-AI interaction in organizations.
Dennis Nickson is Professor in Service Work and Employment at the Department of Work, Employment and Organisation, University of Strathclyde, where he has been a faculty member since 1996. He previously served as Head of Department (2008–2014) and co-directed the Scottish Centre for Employment Research (2004–2008). He is Editor-in-Chief of Employee Relations and a leading figure in research on service sector employment. PhD in Internationalization Strategies of Hotel Companies, University of Strathclyde (1999) BA in Humanities, University of Kent (1991) His research centers on aesthetic and emotional labour , skills, employability, and human resource management in interactive service work, particularly in retail and hospitality. He is a co-developer of the influential concept of aesthetic labour with Professors Chris Warhurst and the late Anne Witz. His work explores labour market dynamics, gender inequalities, fair work, and workplace harassment, especially in low-paid service roles. His recent publications focus on fair work frameworks, intersectional inequalities in global education sectors, and the impact of the pandemic on hospitality workers. These works reflect trends in critical HRM, service work ethics, and policy-oriented labour research. Scientific Awards: Academic Fellow, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), 2013 He has supervised multiple research students and led externally funded projects on topics including equal pay, recruitment in the voluntary sector, and customer abuse in hospitality. His research has influenced employment relations policy and practice, particularly in Scotland’s public and third sectors. He has also contributed to major journal editorial work and professional conferences. He is actively involved in the Global Hospitality Research Alliance and collaborates internationally on fair work and hospitality employment issues. His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to decent work and economic growth.
Phillip B. Levine serves as the Katharine Coman and A. Barton Hepburn Professor of Economics at Wellesley College, with active affiliations as a Nonresident Fellow at the Brookings Institution and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). His academic home is firmly within Wellesley's Department of Economics, where he teaches core statistics and econometrics courses alongside specialized policy-focused seminars. Levine's research spans critical social policy domains including fertility economics, college pricing systems, and childhood poverty interventions. His methodological signature involves rigorous statistical analysis of real-world policy impacts, particularly regarding disadvantaged youth. Key contributions include seminal work on abortion policy effects, retirement behavior during economic crises, and the disconnect between college sticker prices and actual affordability. His influential publications include the books Sex and Consequences: Abortion, Public Policy, and the Economics of Fertility , Targeting Investments in Children (co-edited), and A Problem of Fit: How the Complexity of College Pricing Hurts Students . Recent scholarship (2022-2025) reveals intensifying focus on declining US fertility rates, racial wealth gaps in college access, and post-pandemic birth trends, with frequent appearances in top economics journals. As founder and CEO of MyinTuition Corp., Levine bridges academic research and practical application through a simplified financial aid calculator now adopted by dozens of institutions. His policy commentary reaches broader audiences via New York Times , Washington Post , and major broadcast networks, demonstrating exceptional translation of complex economics into public discourse.
Eija Vinnari is a Professor at the Faculty of Management and Business , Tampere University. Her work bridges Accounting , Financial Management , and Sustainability , with a unique focus on non-human animals in corporate and public contexts. Research Interests: Critical accounting, sustainability, corporate social responsibility, actor-network theory applications, and animal ethics in accounting systems. Key Collaborations: EU Horizon 2020 projects, Agenda2030 implementation in Finland, and Nordic CSR research networks. Article Trends span nonprofit accountability , cultural sustainability , animal inclusion in CSR , Finnish public sector performance , and critical theory in accounting . Her work often integrates ORCID profiles with interdisciplinary approaches. Grants & Projects include contributions to the EU Horizon 2020 MULTI-ACT initiative and Agenda2030 sustainability frameworks. She co-leads the Research Group on Sustainability and Critical Accounting and the Research Group on Public Financial Management .
Alejandro J. Ganimian is an Associate Professor of Applied Psychology and Economics (with tenure) at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, and a Visiting Associate Professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His interdisciplinary research bridges economics, psychology, and education policy to address critical challenges in educational systems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, with a focus on transitioning from providing schooling to ensuring learning for all. Education: Doctorate in Quantitative Policy Analysis in Education (with concentration in economics) from Harvard University, where he was a fellow in the Multidisciplinary Program in Inequality and Social Policy Master's in Educational Research from the University of Cambridge, where he was a Gates Scholar Bachelor's in International Politics from Georgetown University Postdoctoral fellow at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) Ganimian's research centers on addressing educational challenges for "first-generation learners" in low- and middle-income countries. His methodology combines cutting-edge experimental designs from economics with innovative measures from education and psychology to evaluate causal effects of policies at scale. He specifically investigates how to prepare children for educational transitions, support teachers in large heterogeneous classrooms, and encourage principals to allocate resources to students who need them most. His work spans educational assessment, technology in education, teacher policies, and school management, with fieldwork conducted primarily in Latin America and South Asia. His research has been published in top journals including Nature , American Economic Review , Journal of Political Economy , and Review of Educational Research . Scientific Awards and Affiliations: Jacobs Foundation Research Fellow National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellow Gates Scholar Advisory-Board member at the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science, and Culture (OEI) Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution Invited Researcher at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT Member of the CESifo Network on Economics of Education Ganimian actively mentors doctoral students at NYU, with primary advisee Verónica Mesalles and secondary or co-advisees including Sorana Acris, Berta Bartoli, Arja Dayal, Trenel Francis-Porter, and Jessica Siegel. His former advisees have secured prestigious positions at institutions including Oxford University, UC Irvine, Duke University, and Stanford University. He has consulted for major international organizations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, World Bank, and Inter-American Development Bank, and co-founded educational initiatives "Enseñá por Argentina" and "Educar y Crecer" in Argentina.
Frank T. Rothaermel is Regents' Professor and Russell B. and Nancy H. McDonough Chair in Business at the Scheller College of Business , Georgia Institute of Technology. He is also an Alfred P. Sloan Industry Studies Fellow and recipient of the NSF CAREER Award. Named among the world's top 2% most-cited researchers by Stanford's Meta-Research Innovation Center, his work focuses on strategy, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Ph.D. in Strategic Management, University of Washington MBA, Marriott School of Management, Brigham Young University Diplom-Volkswirt (M.Sc. equivalent), University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany Rothaermel's research examines dynamic capabilities , technological discontinuities , and university entrepreneurship . His empirical studies span biotech/pharma industries, high-tech startups, and interfirm alliances, with particular emphasis on knowledge networks , appropriability strategies , and innovation ecosystems . His 15 most recent publications analyze topics like academic startup performance, coopetition dynamics, disruption processes, and alliance management. Key themes include technology transfer mechanisms , complementary assets , and knowledge flow optimization in innovation contexts. NSF CAREER Award Sloan Industry Studies Best Paper Award Byars Faculty Excellence Award Thomson Reuters World's Most Influential Scientific Minds Poets & Quants Favorite MBA Professor (multiple times) As educator, he authored a leading Strategic Management textbook (6th ed., 2023), translated into four languages, and 70 Harvard Business Publishing case studies (27 bestsellers). His industry collaborations include Amgen, Microsoft, and Mercedes-Benz, while holding visiting professorships at institutions in Germany, Singapore, and Switzerland.
