Rebecca Herissone is Professor of Musicology at the University of Manchester and a leading scholar in early modern English music. She co-edits the peer-reviewed journal Music & Letters and serves on editorial boards for the Purcell Society, Musica Britannica, and the Complete Works of John Eccles. Her research focuses on seventeenth-century creativity, material culture, and the ontological dimensions of music notation. Key research areas: Early Modern Music, Creativity, Source Study, Notation, Reception Major awards: Diana McVeagh Prize (2015), Westrup Prize (2007) Her recent work includes digital humanities projects on music preservation and critical editions of Purcell's operas. She has pioneered interdisciplinary approaches connecting musicology with drama, art, and literature, and currently leads research on Purcell's posthumous reception in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Her teaching spans music historiography, performance practices, and advanced source analysis.
Bernard (Ben) Arps is Professor of Indonesian and Javanese Language and Culture at Leiden University's Institute for Area Studies within the Faculty of Humanities. His research focuses on the interface of humanities and humanistic social sciences, particularly examining how language, performance, texts, and media contribute to 'worldmaking' - the processes through which people and institutions shape realities for themselves and others. Geographically centered on Southeast Asia with a core focus on Indonesia and the Malay world, Arps specializes in Java and its diasporas. His scholarly interests include religious encounters (particularly between Islam and local vernacular traditions), philological theory as applied to performance and new media, narrativity in song and audio media, and the theoretical foundations of area studies. Arps has conducted extensive fieldwork in Indonesia since 1979, totaling over four years, primarily in Central and Eastern Java regions including Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Banyuwangi, and Cilacap. His current book projects explore the Quest narrative pattern across religious traditions (focusing on Dewa Ruci), the sociopolitical formation of languages through media and performance (using Osing in Banyuwangi as a case study), and the Asian Muslim epic of Amir Hamza. Arps teaches primarily in Leiden's BA programme in South and Southeast Asian Studies, BA in International Studies, and MA programme in Asian Studies. Former chair of the Department of Languages and Cultures of Southeast Asia and Oceania (1995, 1999/2000, 2003-2006, 2008) Previously taught at School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (1988-1993) Held visiting positions at NIAS (2001/02), ANU (2005), University of Michigan (2006/07), NUS/ARI (2011/12), UNS (2017), and IIAS (2018/19) Arps has supervised doctoral, Master's, and Bachelor's dissertations across Indonesian, Malay, Singapore, Cambodian, and Thai studies, with particular expertise in Javanese, Sundanese, Betawi, Balinese, Sasak, Mentawai, and Minangkabau cultures and languages. His work spans religion, performance, media, literature, sociolinguistics, lexicography, and education.
Laurie Shannon is the Franklyn Bliss Snyder Professor of English at Northwestern University, with a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. She studies English literature and culture in the long sixteenth century, focusing on the history of ideas in language, stakeholdership, embodiment, and cross-species relations. She serves as convener of The Anne Lister Society and is collaborating with Oxford University Press on a scholarly edition of Anne Lister’s Journal. Education: J.D., Harvard Law School; Ph.D., University of Chicago Shannon’s research explores the political imagination in early modern literature, particularly through friendship (Sovereign Amity: Figures of Friendship in Shakespearean Contexts) and animal studies (The Accommodated Animal: Cosmopolity in Shakespearean Locales). Her current monograph, 'Frailty’s Name: Shakespeare and the Natural History of Human Being,' examines human negative exceptionalism in Renaissance thought and its implications for climate crisis ethics. Her publications span Shakespeare studies, queer theory, environmental humanities, and textual editing. Notable awards include the Elizabeth Dietz Memorial Award, Robert B. Cox Teaching Award, and Dean’s Award for Graduate Mentoring. She has held NEH, ACLS, and Guggenheim fellowships. Scientific Awards: Elizabeth Dietz Memorial Award, Robert B. Cox Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award, Dean's Award for Graduate Mentoring, NEH Fellowship, ACLS Fellowship, Guggenheim Fellowship Shannon contributes to the Anne Lister Diary Transcription Project and has served as English Department Chair at Northwestern. Her recent articles focus on Shakespeare’s engagement with natural history, queer cosmology, and animal sovereignty, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach.
Timo Kaartinen serves as Professor of Social and Cultural Anthropology and Vice Dean for Research and Doctoral Education at the University of Helsinki 's Faculty of Political Science . Since 1992, he has conducted extensive research in Southeast Asia with a focus on Indonesia, exploring communicative practices, narratives, and cultural responses to uncertainty. His teaching spans social change in bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs, covering environmental anthropology, political anthropology, cosmologies, religions, and linguistic anthropology. PhD in Anthropology, University of Chicago (2001) Docent (Adjunct Professor), University of Helsinki (2011) Research interests center on ethical discourse in Indonesian Islamic universities, resource politics in oil palm estates, and linguistic anthropology with emphasis on storytelling, folk poetry, and minority language revitalization. His work combines ethnographic focus on Southeast Asia with theoretical contributions to frontier studies and postcolonial anthropology. Recent publications examine frontier temporalities (2020-2025), Islamic transformations (2019), and oral narrative structures (2017-2013). Key projects include ARCTIC Research Centre (2025-2029), Diversity in Society and Life (DIVSOL) (2025-2030), and Religious Movements in Ethical Life (2019-2023). Grants from the Academy of Finland and University Profiling Funding support these initiatives. Academic activities include keynote speeches at international conferences (e.g., Empowering Local Wisdom 2014, Labor Migration in Asia-Pacific 2013) and editorial roles. He has conducted fieldwork in Indonesia since 1992, focusing on Bandanese cultural heritage and Maluku religious dynamics . His methodological approach combines ethnographic fieldwork with historical document analysis .
James Grantham Turner is the James D. Hart Chair and Distinguished Professor of English at the University of California, Berkeley. He specializes in 18th-century British literature, gender and sexuality studies, Renaissance and Early Modern studies, narrative and the novel, poetry, and drama. His research bridges literature and art history, focusing on sexuality, gender, ecology, and classical antiquity. He holds degrees from Oxford University (B.A., 1968; M.A., Cert.Ed.; D.Phil., 1977) and has taught at institutions including Oxford, Sussex, Northwestern, and Michigan before joining Berkeley in 1990. Turner’s recent work includes The Villa Farnesina: Palace of Venus in Renaissance Rome (2022), winner of the PROSE Award in Art History, and Eros Visible: Art, Sexuality and Antiquity in Renaissance Italy (2017). His research explores interdisciplinary histories of sexuality, combining European literature, social history, and art. He has contributed to major exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery of Victoria, and the Getty Museum. Awarded fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, NEH, and ACLS, Turner’s scholarship spans over 100 articles and books. He has served on editorial boards for PMLA , Eighteenth-Century Studies , and others. His recent conference papers include discussions on Milton’s cosmology and Renaissance erotic art. He currently teaches at Berkeley and maintains office hours in Wheeler Hall. Turner’s research also intersects with global sexualities, food studies, and classical mythology. His work emphasizes cross-cultural analysis, from Italian Renaissance palaces to Enlightenment-era libertinism. He continues to explore intersections of art, literature, and sexuality across pre-modern Europe.
Rosa Andujar is a Senior Lecturer in Liberal Arts at King's College London, where she is affiliated with both the Department of Liberal Arts and the Department of Classics within the Faculty of Arts & Humanities. She serves as Editor of the American Journal of Philology and holds positions on the editorial boards of Brazilian journals Nuntius Antiquus and PhaoS - Revista de Estudos Clássicos. Dr. Andujar was elected to the Program Committee of the Society for Classical Studies for a three-year term (2022-2025), serving as Vice President for Program and Chair from 2023-2025. Her research focuses on two complementary areas: Ancient Greek tragedy, particularly the tragic chorus and its performance capabilities Global receptions of Greek drama, with special emphasis on Latin America and the Caribbean Dr. Andujar's work examines how engagements with Graeco-Roman antiquity intersect with questions of gender, race, class, and national identity. She has particular expertise in Cuban adaptations of Greek tragedy and Latinx receptions of classical drama, exploring how these cultural encounters create new narratives that challenge traditional understandings of classical reception. Her research has been recognized with prestigious awards including the 2020 London Hellenic Prize for 'The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro' and the 2022 AJP Best Article Prize. She has secured significant research funding from the Loeb Classical Library Foundation, British Academy, A. G. Leventis Foundation, Harvard Center for Hellenic Studies, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Fundación BBVA. Dr. Andujar's current research projects include 'The Cambridge Companion to Classics and Race' (edited volume), 'La Puerta Electra/The Electra Door' (critical bilingual anthology of Cuban rewritings), and 'Tragedy and Revolución' (monograph on Greek drama in Caribbean cultural history), supported by recent fellowships from the Loeb Classical Library Foundation and British Academy. She is actively involved in academic service as Editor of the American Journal of Philology, co-editor of the 'Classics and the Postcolonial' book series for Routledge, and Advisory Board member of 'Hesperides: Classics in the Luso-Hispanic World.' Her external examining work for the University of Birmingham (2018-2023) demonstrates her commitment to academic standards across institutions.
Jamie H. Ferguson is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at the University of Houston, with a cross-appointment to the Honors College. He specializes in Renaissance and early modern literature, focusing on intersections between biblical hermeneutics, literary poetics, and translation theory. Renaissance Literature Shakespeare Studies Biblical Translation Great Books Tradition His research explores how theological debates shaped vernacular literary production in Early Modern Europe, with particular attention to textual materiality and interconfessional dialogues. Ferguson's publication record spans Latin, Italian, French, Polish, and English contexts. Recent projects include the annotated translation of Joachim du Bellay's Deffence et illustration de la langue françoyse and a forthcoming book on European Biblical Poetics . He has received multiple Martha Gano Houstoun Research Grants and been recognized with Honors College lecture awards.
Bonnie Honig, Nancy Duke Lewis Professor at Brown University, holds joint appointments in Modern Culture and Media and Political Science , with courtesy roles in Religious Studies and Theater and Performance Studies . Her scholarly work intersects democratic theory , feminist critique , and cultural analysis , examining how inherited political narratives shape collective action. Education: PhD (Johns Hopkins, 1989), MSc (London School of Economics, 11981), BA (Concordia University, 1980) Central to her research is a reexamination of classical texts like Sophocles' Antigone and Euripides' Bacchae to develop agonistic democratic models . Her Antigone, Interrupted (2013) challenges heroic readings of Antigone, proposing instead a collective feminist politics rooted in textual counter-interpretations. Public Things: Democracy in Disrepair (2017) argues for shared objects as democratic orientation devices , while Emergency Politics (2009) analyzes crisis responses beyond Schmittian frameworks. The 2021 dual publications A Feminist Theory of Refusal and Shell Shocked: Feminist Criticism After Trump extend these themes through Trump-era analysis and queer theoretical lenses . Scientific Awards: 2023-24 Guggenheim Fellowship 2012 David Easton Prize 2012 Okin-Young Award 2007-08 American Philosophical Society Fellowship 1994 Scripps Prize Affiliated with the American Bar Foundation and Digital Democracy Group at Simon Fraser University, Honig's teaching spans feminist theory , Politics and Film , and advanced seminars on Arendt . Her Shell Shocked analysis of Trump-era disaster patriarchy connects classical feminist frameworks to contemporary political crises.
Bailey Sincox is a Lecturer in the Council of the Humanities, English and Humanistic Studies at Princeton University, and a Perkins-Cotsen Postdoctoral Fellow in the Society of Fellows. Her research focuses on early modern English drama, gender studies, and the history of the book. She is currently working on her first book project, Female Revenge on the Early Modern Stage , which explores intersections of gender and genre through comparative analysis with contemporary film. Education: PhD from Harvard University, MAs from Harvard and University of Oxford, BA from Duke University. Her work appears in journals such as Shakespeare Studies , Notes and Queries , and Borrowers and Lenders , with book reviews in Shakespeare Bulletin and Renaissance Quarterly . She has presented at major conferences including the Shakespeare Association of America and British Shakespeare Association. Teaching includes courses like Allegory: From Chaucer to Colson Whitehead in the English Department and co-teaching in Princeton’s Humanities Sequence. Her writing extends to non-academic outlets like Los Angeles Review of Books and Harvard Review .
Ellen Zegura is the Stephen Fleming Chair and Professor in the School of Computer Science at Georgia Tech's College of Computing. She holds multiple degrees from Washington University in St. Louis: BS in Computer Science, BS in Electrical Engineering, MS in Computer Science, and DSc in Computer Science. Her research focuses on computer networking, social responsibility in STEM education, and computing for development. She co-founded the Computing for Good initiative, emphasizing project-based learning to address societal challenges. Zegura is an IEEE and ACM Fellow, and serves on the Computing Research Association (CRA) Executive Board. Her education spans interdisciplinary fields at Washington University, combining computer science and electrical engineering. She has held leadership roles at NSF and CRA, advocating for equitable technology policies. Notable contributions include advancing QoE metrics for video conferencing, analyzing mobile broadband infrastructure disparities, and developing ethics education frameworks for computing curricula. Research interests include network measurement, community-empowered data practices, and bridging technical innovation with social impact. Recent work examines tribal mobility during pandemics, sensor co-design with Indigenous communities, and ethical pedagogy for teaching assistants. Her labs and collaborations, such as CERCS, emphasize interdisciplinary problem-solving. Zegura’s awards reflect her dual impact in technical innovation and societal engagement.
David De Roure is Professor of e-Research at the University of Oxford and Academic Director of both the Digital Scholarship initiative and the Laboratory for AI Security Research. He is also an Honorary Research Professor at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), where he serves as Technical Director of the Centre for Practice & Research in Science & Music (PRiSM). His work bridges computer science, digital humanities, cybersecurity, and music through his distinctive interdisciplinary approach. De Roure received his PhD in 1990 supervised by David W Barron and Peter Henderson, with research in Lisp and distributed systems. Prior to joining Oxford in 2010, he was Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton and Director of the Centre for Pervasive Computing in the Environment. His career spans multiple institutions and research domains, reflecting his commitment to interdisciplinary work. De Roure's research focuses on new methods of digital scholarship, innovation in knowledge infrastructure, cybersecurity, and computational approaches to music. His work uniquely combines humanities (digital musicology), social sciences (social machines and web science), engineering (Internet of Things), and computer science (distributed systems, AI). A key theme is empowering human creativity through technology rather than replacing humans with AI. He emphasizes co-creation between humans and machines, particularly in music composition where he explores how algorithms can generate fragments for human assembly. His recent publications reveal a strong focus on AI security in IoT systems, digital scholarship methods, and the intersection of music with computational approaches. There's a clear trajectory from foundational work in social machines and web science toward current applications in cybersecurity and music-AI co-creation. His publications consistently bridge technical domains with humanistic inquiry, demonstrating his commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship that addresses real-world challenges. Fellow of the British Computer Society (FBCS) Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (FIMA) Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) Chartered IT Professional (CITP) Turing Fellow at The Alan Turing Institute (2018-2024) De Roure has co-founded three major interdisciplinary initiatives: PETRAS National Centre of Excellence for IoT Systems Cybersecurity (the world's largest socio-technical research center focused on IoT security), the Software Sustainability Institute (dedicated to improving research software), and PRiSM at RNCM. He was Director of the Oxford e-Research Centre from 2012-17 and has led numerous research projects including SOCIAM (The Theory and Practice of Social Machines), FAST (Fusing Audio and Semantic Technologies), and Transforming Musicology. The Laboratory for AI Security Research, which he directs, took its first PhD students in 2024. At Oxford, De Roure chairs the Digital Research Cluster at Wolfson College and oversees the Laboratory for AI Security Research. The PRiSM team at RNCM has produced numerous musical works and performances, including six premieres in New York in 2024. He has been involved in designing gesture recognition software used in many performances and has collaborated on public engagement projects including the Science Together project which released a Hip Hop album. His current work includes exploring Chladni Plates for new musical instrument design and developing algorithmically enhanced instruments.
Aqsa Ijaz is an Assistant Professor (Teaching Stream) at the Department of Language Studies and teaches the popular course Being Human in South Asia in the Department of Historical Studies at the University of Toronto Mississauga. She is a literary scholar specializing in Persianate literatures and multilingualism, with a focus on classical Persian poetry reception in South Asia. Education: PhD in Islamic Studies (McGill University), MPhil in Translation Studies (G.C. University, Pakistan), BA Hons in English Literature and Philosophy (minor in French). Her research explores the transcultural and temporal resonance of Nizami Ganjavi's Khusrau u Shirin across Persian, Urdu, and Punjabi traditions. She is the architect of the Global Past Research Initiative and serves on the editorial board of The Marginalia Review of Books . Key publications include her monograph Shaping the Language of Love and annotated translations of the 18th-century Persian history The Gift of the Generous and the French graphic novel Majnun and Laila: Songs from Beyond the Grave . Her work intersects premodern manuscript studies, oral performances, lithographs, and modern graphic novels. She teaches Introductory Persian , Urdu , and Punjabi courses while actively translating and performing as a cellist.
Professor Paul Black is a distinguished academic at King's College London, affiliated with the School of Education, Communication & Society and the Centre for Research in Education in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (CRESTEM). His career has centered on advancing educational assessment and pedagogy, particularly in STEM disciplines. He is renowned for pioneering formative assessment strategies that integrate learning and evaluation to enhance student outcomes. Research Interests: Black's work explores how teacher-led assessments can drive classroom innovation, emphasizing the synergy between formative and summative methods. His contributions address global educational challenges, including standardization debates and the equitable implementation of assessment frameworks. Key Article Trends: His publications from 2013–2020 highlight themes like ethical assessment practices, the historical impact of formative assessment, and bridging theory-practice gaps in STEM education. Recent works underscore the adaptability of assessment strategies in diverse cultural and linguistic contexts. Professional Impact: The 2023 book 'Educational Assessment: The Influence of Paul Black on Research, Pedagogy and Practice' documents his legacy, noting his influence on scholars worldwide. His ideas have informed policy responses to crises like pandemic-related exam cancellations. Advising & Grants: While specific grants or advisees are not detailed here, his work reflects collaborative research with educators and policy experts. The CRESTEM centre serves as a hub for advancing his vision of holistic educational reform.
Prof. Dr. Kalina Stefanova is a Professor in the Department of Theatre Studies at the Faculty of Performing Arts . She is an internationally renowned scholar specializing in theatre criticism, Eastern European theatre, and cross-cultural dramaturgy. Her work bridges academic research with practical theatre practice, focusing on global theatre dynamics and cultural exchange. Her research interests include comparative theatre studies, the role of criticism in shaping theatrical canon, and the evolution of theatre post-political transitions. She has authored/co-authored 17 books, including seminal works like Eastern European Theatre After the Iron Curtain and 20 Ground-Breaking Directors of Eastern Europe , which are widely used in university curricula globally. Her books on Chinese theatre, such as Storm by Cao Yu , have expanded intercultural theatre dialogues. Prof. Stefanova has held visiting professorships at institutions like NYU, Wuhan University, and Shanghai Theatre Academy. She has been honored with titles like 'Distinguished Visiting Professor' (2016) and 'Distinguished Researcher' (2016). She served as Vice President of the International Association of Theatre Critics (2001-2006) and led symposia as their Director of Symposia (2006-2010). She currently sits on editorial boards of journals like Chinese Performing Arts and European Stages . Her recent projects include editing the first anthology of Chinese contemporary drama in Bulgarian and vice versa. She frequently lectures on theatre criticism and Eastern European theatre in countries like China, South Africa, and Poland. Her non-theatrical works, such as Ann's Dwarves , blend performance-inspired narratives with literary creativity. Prof. Stefanova’s awards include the SAB Criticism Award (1999) and recognition from the 'Idea for Theatre' Foundation. She remains active in international theatre festivals as a jury member and contributes expertise to the European Commission’s cultural evaluation panels.
Rui Pedro Figueiredo Marques is a Professor at the Higher Institute of Accounting and Administration, University of Aveiro, where he teaches Information Systems across technical, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs. He serves as course director for the Professional Higher Technical Course in Organizational Informatics and Communication and holds a board position at the Institute of Accounting and Administration, University of Aveiro. As a Full Researcher at GOVCOPP's Competitiveness, Innovation and Sustainability (CIS) group, his work focuses on Information Systems for Business, with recent emphasis on AI, Blockchain, and Business Intelligence applications in auditing and accounting contexts. Marques' academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Computer Science (2014, Universities of Minho/Aveiro/Porto), a Master's degree (2008), and a Bachelor's in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering (2005, University of Aveiro). He has authored/co-authored over 50 publications, including journal articles, conference papers, and book chapters on topics ranging from ERP systems in auditing to digital transformation in low-density territories. He is editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Business Innovation and actively participates in funded research projects addressing governance, competitiveness, and public policies. His research explores intersections between technology and business practices, with notable contributions to AI in auditing, blockchain's role in financial transparency, and sustainable development frameworks for social economy entities. Notable projects include evaluations of ERP systems' impact on internal audit maturity and frameworks promoting accountability in private social solidarity institutions. Marques' work frequently emphasizes practical applications of technology in audit processes, education, and public sector modernization. He collaborates with institutions like the Portuguese Social Solidarity Sector and has advised on digital transformation strategies for tourism and hospitality industries.
