Robert W. Brown serves as President, CEO, and COO of the University of West Los Angeles (UWLA), leading its School of Law and School of Business. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State University, Los Angeles (1974) and a Juris Doctor from UCLA (1977). A licensed attorney since 1977, he has 43 years of expertise in real estate and banking law, advising Fortune 100 institutions on transactions exceeding $10 billion. His career spans roles as General Counsel at Sears Savings Bank, Vice President at City National Bank, and arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association. He has handled major transactions, including a $2.2 billion sale of Sears Savings Bank assets and the transition of Security Pacific National Bank’s real estate portfolio to Bank of America. Brown also serves as a Probate Referee in Orange County and contributes to CEB publications on commercial leasing. Brown’s leadership at UWLA has driven its growth into one of the largest State Bar-accredited law schools, expanding into international partnerships with institutions in China, India, Mexico, and Africa. He is a frequent lecturer on real estate and banking, and his accolades include multiple Hall of Fame inductions.
Dr. Alfred Chong is an Associate Professor in the Department of Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics at Heriot-Watt University (HWU). Previously, he served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and co-founded the Illinois Risk Lab. His research focuses on Actuarial Science, Financial Mathematics, and Quantitative Risk Management, addressing emerging risks like cyber, pandemic, and climate risks, leveraging machine learning, optimization, and stochastic control. He holds a PhD from The University of Hong Kong and King's College London, and is an Associate of the Society of Actuaries. Chong actively contributes to academic governance, including roles in the EPSRC Mathematical Sciences Early Career Forum and the Maxwell Institute's Data and Decisions research theme. Education: PhD in Actuarial Science, University of Hong Kong & King's College London Research Interests: Chong explores risk sharing mechanisms, forward preferences in insurance, and mitigation strategies for large-scale risks. His work integrates data analytics and machine learning to solve decision-making challenges, such as cybersecurity risk assessment, pandemic resource allocation, and climate risk modeling. Recent projects include incident-specific cyber insurance design and delegated investment strategies for retirement savings. Awards: Michael V. Colla Prize for Mathematics Related to Medicine (2022) Best of 2020 in the Annual Meeting of the Casualty Actuarial Society (2021) Advising & Grants: Chong supervises PhD students in holistic risk management, forward preferences, and reinforcement learning applications. He has secured grants supporting interdisciplinary research in risk modeling and insurance innovation. Labs & Teams: Co-founder of the Illinois Risk Lab (UIUC), now leading research at HWU's Actuarial Mathematics & Statistics department. Engaged with the International Centre for Mathematical Sciences for knowledge exchange initiatives.
Ezra Golberstein, PhD, is a Professor in the Division of Health Policy & Management at the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health. His academic journey includes a PhD in Health Services Organization and Policy from the University of Michigan (2008) and a BA from Brandeis University (2001). His research focuses on the intersection of health services and policy research with health economics, particularly in mental health services and policy. Golberstein's research interests span health economics , health care policy , mental health , quantitative methods , health insurance , human capital , and non-medical determinants of health . His work examines how health insurance changes, provider incentives, and practice innovations affect healthcare use and outcomes for people with mental health problems. He has published extensively on mental health services utilization, insurance coverage effects, and policy interventions aimed at improving mental healthcare access and quality. His publication record shows consistent scholarly output from 2007 through 2023, with recent work focusing on healthcare delivery innovations, mental health economics, and the impact of policy changes on vulnerable populations. His research demonstrates methodological rigor using quantitative approaches to address pressing questions in health policy. Member, Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health Golberstein's research has significant implications for health policy development, particularly in mental healthcare financing and delivery systems. His work on geographic variations in mental health services, insurance parity effects, and innovative service delivery models provides evidence to inform policymakers and healthcare administrators. His studies on college student mental health have contributed to understanding barriers to care and developing more effective campus mental health programs.
Benjamin Vatter is the Class of 1943 Career Development Assistant Professor and an Assistant Professor of Applied Economics at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on market competition and regulation, particularly in healthcare markets. He earned his PhD in Economics from Northwestern University (2021) and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford University (2022). His work examines topics such as Medicare Advantage scoring design, vertical integration in healthcare markets, and the effects of hospital mergers. Recent publications include studies on quality disclosure regulations and price effects of healthcare market consolidations. No scientific awards are explicitly listed. He has no listed advisees or grants detailed in the provided materials. His affiliation with MIT Sloan's Applied Economics group underscores his contributions to Economics, Finance, and Accounting research areas.
Prof. Dr. Oliver Crönertz serves as Dean and Professor of Business Administration and IT-Supported Business Processes at the Faculty of Digital Transformation , HTWK Leipzig. His work bridges digital transformation with business management, focusing on interdisciplinary project management, digital business models, and sustainability. Current roles: Dean, supervising professor for HTWK Robots/nao Team Research areas: Digital Transformation, Business Analytics, Industry 4.0, Stoffstrommanagement Research Trends : Recent publications emphasize digital solutions for environmental management, business process optimization, and smart urban logistics. His work connects Industry 4.0 with financial sustainability and societal impacts of digitalization. Projects : Leads Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Leipzig-Halle, involved in EXIST-Potentiale, Future Parking, and FAssMII (Feedback-based E-Assessment in STEM).
Lawton R. Burns is the James Joo-Jin Kim Professor of Health Care Management and Professor of Management at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He serves as Co-Director of the Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management and Chairperson of the Health Care Systems Department since 2008. Dr. Burns holds a PhD in sociology and an MBA in health administration from the University of Chicago, along with a BA from Haverford College. PhD, University of Chicago (1981) MBA, University of Chicago (1984) MA, University of Chicago (1976) BA, Haverford College (1973) His research focuses on healthcare supply chains, organizational innovation, and strategic management in health systems. He has authored or co-authored 15+ books, including analyses of integrated healthcare, pharmaceutical and medical device sectors, and global health systems in India and China. Recent works examine evidence-based healthcare innovation and the role of GPOs/PBMs in drug pricing. Dr. Burns advises on healthcare policy, including Senate testimony on pharmacy benefit managers and antitrust implications of physician-hospital organizations. His teaching covers healthcare strategy, managed care, integrated delivery networks, and the U.S. healthcare ecosystem, with courses requiring competitive analysis of producer, purchaser, and provider organizations. Board of Institute of Medicine, Health Services Research Section (2003) Arthur Anderson Distinguished Visitor, University of Cambridge (2001) Teacher of the Year, Administrative Medicine Program (1999) Edwin Crosby Memorial Fellowship (1992-93) Udall Fellowship (1990-91) Invited Lecture Series, Catholic University of Rome (1997)
Chris Speed is a Professor of Design for Regenerative Futures at RMIT University, Australia, and Director of Regenerative Futures. Previously, he held academic roles at the University of Edinburgh, including leading the Institute for Design Informatics and co-designing the Edinburgh Futures Institute. His research focuses on design-driven solutions for social, environmental, and economic challenges, leveraging data and emerging technologies. Key areas include blockchain applications, sustainable design, and regenerative systems. Affiliations: RMIT University (Current), University of Edinburgh (2012–2024) Grants: £7.4m Creative Informatics (UK), £5m DECaDE (Digital Economy) Publications: Over 50 peer-reviewed articles on design informatics, regenerative futures, and blockchain ethics. Research interests span Design Informatics, Human-Computer Interaction, and Sustainable Design. He has supervised 23 PhD/MPhil students and pioneered projects like OxChain (blockchain for charitable giving) and Creative Informatics (data-driven creative industries). Awards: Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (2020), Chancellor’s Award for Research (University of Edinburgh, 2020). Collaborations include BBC, Oxfam, and the Digital Catapult. His work emphasizes co-creation with communities to address systemic challenges, such as climate action and cultural value measurement.
Mark Skidmore is a tenured Professor and Morris Chair in State and Local Government Finance and Policy at Michigan State University (MSU), with a joint appointment in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics and the Economics Department. He serves as a Resident Fellow and Interim Director of MSU Extension's Center for Local Government Finance and Policy. His research focuses on public finance, regional economics, and the economics of natural disasters, with particular emphasis on property taxation, fiscal decentralization, and disaster vulnerability. Educations: Ph.D., M.A., and B.A. in Economics from the University of Colorado and University of Washington, respectively. Roles: Tenured Professor, Morris Chair, and Interim Director of the MSU Extension Center. His research explores the interplay between government policies and economic development, including studies on property tax reforms, regional development strategies, and the societal impacts of natural disasters. Notable projects include analyses of Detroit's property tax challenges and Michigan's drinking water infrastructure needs. He has also contributed to policy discussions on tax increment financing, fiscal stress in municipalities, and the economic effects of climate change. Skidmore has received the 2017-18 AFRE Excellence Awards and has led grant-funded research, such as the USDA grant on rural price inflation. His work bridges academic research with practical policy solutions, emphasizing equitable taxation and resilient urban planning. He teaches courses on public sector budgeting and applied microeconomics at the graduate level. He has advised numerous students on theses and dissertations, though specific advisee names are not listed here. His collaborations include projects with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Sustainable Michigan Endowed Project.
James M. Carson is the Daniel P. Amos Distinguished Professor of Insurance and Head of the Department of Insurance, Legal Studies, and Real Estate at the Terry College of Business, University of Georgia. He also serves as Director of the C. Herman Terry RMI Program, teaching courses at undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels. Previously, he held the Midyette Eminent Scholar and Department Head roles at Florida State University (2001-2011) and the Katie Research Professor position at Illinois State University (1993-2001). PhD in Risk Management and Insurance, University of Georgia (1993) MA in Finance/Insurance, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (1989) BSBA in Finance/Insurance, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (1986) His research emphasizes the economics of risk and insurance, market discipline, insurer pricing, solvency, regulatory and ethical issues, and financial planning. He has extensively studied corporate risk management, internal capital markets, and the interplay between housing price declines and property insurance fraud. Professor Carson’s publications span journals such as the Journal of Risk and Insurance, Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, and the North American Actuarial Journal. His work explores themes in actuarial modeling, financial ethics, and insurance market efficiency. Past-President of the American Risk and Insurance Association (2004-2005) President of the Western Risk and Insurance Association (2000-2001) Awarded Midyette Eminent Scholar and Katie Research Professor titles He has co-authored seminal texts like Principles of Risk Management and Insurance and a forthcoming volume on Warren Buffett’s risk management principles. His prior roles include leadership in academic insurance programs and editorial contributions to journals such as the Journal of Risk and Insurance.
Krystale Littlejohn is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Oregon’s College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on race, gender, and reproduction, examining how cultural categories shape intimate relationships and health outcomes. She employs mixed methods across disciplines such as reproductive justice, health and medicine, social cognition, and intersectionality. B.A. in Sociology and Spanish Language and Culture, Occidental College (2007) Ph.D. in Sociology, Stanford University (2013) Her work interrogates the social underpinnings of reproductive processes, including projects on contraceptive use, abortion access, and the embodiment of biomedical technologies. She has secured grants from the Society of Family Planning, American Association of University Women, and NIH, including a K01 award for research on risk tolerance in contraceptive use among couples. Recent publications explore themes like mental and emotional health in reproductive care (2025), gendered heterosexuality and mixed feelings about sex (2024), and disparities in contraceptive dissatisfaction by race and education (2012). These works span subfields including reproductive justice, intersectionality, and social cognition. ASA Minority Fellowship Program American Association of University Women Fellowship Society of Family Planning Funding NIH K01 Award Professor Littlejohn mentors graduate and undergraduate researchers, though specific advisees are not listed. She also provides productivity consulting and performance coaching to academics, reflecting her commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and public health advocacy.
John Harry Evans is the III Katz Alumni Professor of Accounting at the Department of Accounting, Katz School of Business, University of Pittsburgh. His research focuses on economic perspectives of accounting phenomena, analytical models of incentives, experimental studies in managerial and tax reporting, and empirical investigations of healthcare incentives. He teaches courses in Financial Accounting, Financial Statement Analysis, Managerial Accounting, and Strategic Cost Management. Research spans incentive design, corporate governance, healthcare accounting, and empirical methodologies. Recent publications address CEO turnover, physician compensation, tax reporting ethics, and organizational incentive structures. Awarded multiple honors including the Outstanding Management Accounting Paper Award (2012), Provost Award for Excellence in Mentoring (2011), and multiple Best Paper Awards across journals. Active in professional service as a financial consultant to the Department of Defense and expert witness in legal cases. Designed financial analysis training programs for healthcare managers at University of Pittsburgh Physicians and Highmark Insurance Company.
Sherry Glied serves as Professor of Public Service at New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, having stepped down as Dean on July 31, 2025 after leading the institution since 2013. Previously, she was Professor and Chair of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health (1989-2013), and held significant federal roles including Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2010-2012). Her academic credentials include a B.A. in economics from Yale University, an M.A. in economics from the University of Toronto, and a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University. Glied's research centers on systemic health policy challenges, with seminal contributions to mental health care reform and economic analysis of healthcare systems. Her influential publications include Chronic Condition (1998), Better But Not Well: Mental Health Policy in the U.S. since 1950 (2006), and The Oxford Handbook of Health Economics (2011). Her work critically examines U.S. healthcare financing, insurance structures, and policy implementation through economic and social science frameworks. Her distinguished honors include election to the National Academy of Medicine and National Academy of Social Insurance, the 2021 William B. Graham Prize for Health Services Research, and 2022 fellowship in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She also served on the national Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking. Glied's government service spans presidential administrations, including roles on the President's Council of Economic Advisers (1992-1993) and the Clinton Health Care Task Force. Her expertise bridges academic research, federal policymaking, and institutional leadership in public service education.
John Z. Ayanian serves as the Alice Hamilton Distinguished University Professor of Medicine and Healthcare Policy at the University of Michigan, holding joint appointments as Professor of Internal Medicine in the Medical School, Professor of Health Management and Policy in the School of Public Health, and Professor of Public Policy in the Gerald R Ford School of Public Policy. As inaugural Director of the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation (IHPI), he leads a consortium of 700 faculty members across 15 schools and maintains clinical practice as a general internist at Michigan Medicine. His academic foundation includes a Bachelor of Arts in history and political science from Duke University (1982), medical degree from Harvard Medical School (1987), and master's in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School (1987), followed by residency and fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and post-doctoral training in health services research at Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Ayanian's research program investigates health equity, access to care, and quality of care with particular attention to social determinants including race/ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and insurance coverage. His work critically examines Medicaid expansion impacts, Medicare Advantage disparities, and policy responses to health inequities, often utilizing large-scale claims databases and cross-institutional collaborations. Current projects include the federally-authorized evaluation of Michigan's Medicaid expansion program serving over 700,000 adults. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2025) reveals three dominant research thrusts: (1) Medicare Advantage vs Traditional Medicare comparisons across diverse clinical conditions, (2) Medicaid policy evaluation including unwinding impacts and expansion effects, and (3) innovative measurement of health equity through new indices and AI applications. His work consistently emphasizes methodological rigor in health services research while maintaining strong policy relevance. His scientific honors include: Election to the National Academy of Medicine Master status in the American College of Physicians John Eisenberg National Award for Career Achievement in Research Distinguished Investigator Award from AcademyHealth Election to Alpha Omega Alpha and Association of American Physicians Dr. Ayanian leads the federally-funded Healthy Michigan Plan evaluation team of 15 faculty members and serves as founding Editor-in-Chief of JAMA Health Forum, previously holding editorial positions at the New England Journal of Medicine. His research receives substantial federal support focused on health policy evaluation, with particular emphasis on vulnerable populations. He actively mentors students and junior faculty across multiple disciplines. As Director of IHPI, he fosters interdisciplinary collaboration across 15 schools at the University of Michigan. His leadership extends to center memberships in AI and Digital Health Innovation, Caswell Diabetes Institute, and Center for Global Health Equity, where he promotes data-driven solutions to health disparities through cross-campus partnerships and innovative research methodologies.
Dr. Daniel Allen is a Lecturer in Human Geography at Keele University's School of Life Sciences, specializing in human-animal relations. An IUCN/SSC otter specialist, his research on otter conservation and dog theft informs policy and advocacy. He led an Environment Agency project on otter predation perceptions and founded the 'Pet Theft Reform' campaign, influencing UK legislation (Pet Abduction Act 2024). His research examines human-animal bonds, including dog theft impacts and mental health benefits. Current projects include 'No pets! Young people’s transitions to campus living,' funded by the Society for Companion Animals Studies. Teaching includes modules on Nature Conservation, Space and Society, More-than-human Geographies, and Animals and Society. He supervises PhD student Emma Randall on eco-therapy. Awards include the Daily Mirror’s Peoples Pet Awards Special Recognition (2021) and the PM’s Points of Light Award (2022). Publications emphasize spatial justice, animal advocacy, and policy impacts, with recent work on pet theft trends and human-animal bonds in crises.
Lisa M. Lynch is the Maurice B. Hexter Professor of Social and Economic Policy at Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management. She currently serves as the Stone Visiting Scholar/Visiting Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School’s Malcom Wiener Center for Social Policy (2025-2026). Lynch has held leadership roles including Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs at Brandeis (2014-2020), Interim President of Brandeis (2015-2016), and Dean of the Heller School (2008-2014). She leads the Institute for Economic and Racial Equity and directs the Heller School’s PhD program. Her education includes a BA in Economics and Political Science from Wellesley College, and an MSc and PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics. She has taught at Tufts University, MIT, Ohio State University, and the University of Bristol. Lynch’s research focuses on labor economics, organizational innovation’s impact on productivity and wages, racial and gender disparities in labor markets, youth unemployment, and school-to-work transitions. Her work often bridges academic research with policy-making, particularly in training, workplace practices, and economic equity. Her articles highlight trends in labor market adaptations to technological changes, pandemic effects on employment, and historical shifts in women’s roles in economics. She has received numerous awards, including MIT’s Teaching Award (1988), Tufts’ Outstanding Faculty Award (2000), and the Susan C. Eaton Scholar Practitioner Award (2007). Notably, she was elected to the National Academy of Social Insurance in 2023. Lynch advises through institutional roles like Director of the Retirement and Disability Research Center (UMBC, 2023-2025). She collaborates with labs/teams such as the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and IZA (Institute for Labor Economics), contributing to interdisciplinary policy research.
