Dr. Marcel Dettling is a Group Lead in Data Analysis and Statistics at the ZHAW School of Engineering , focusing on predictive analytics, applied statistics, and complex data analysis. He also serves as a Lecturer at ETH Zurich , teaching advanced statistical methods. Education : PhD in Mathematics (2000-2004), ETH Zurich Postdoc in Applied Statistics (2004-2006), Johns Hopkins University His research spans predictive analytics (regression, classification, time series), data mining, and applications in health economics, transportation safety, social sciences , and business analytics . Recent work includes pharmaceutical cost group analysis for Swiss healthcare and predictive maintenance for marine vessels. Selected publications highlight his expertise in flight trajectory modeling , deep learning error mitigation , and statistical frameworks for rehabilitation finance . His projects address diverse fields like crowdworking in nursing, energy optimization for shipping, and customer behavior prediction.
Heitor Pellegrina is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Notre Dame, specializing in trade and development economics with a particular focus on agriculture and environmental resources. He is affiliated with the Building Inclusive Growth (BIG) Lab and became a Kellogg faculty fellow in 2023. Prior to joining Notre Dame, Pellegrina spent six years as an assistant professor at New York University Abu Dhabi, where he coordinated DevLab seminars from 2021-2023 and co-organized the conference "The End of Globalization" in 2022. His research spans multiple countries including Brazil, India, Colombia, and parts of Africa, examining the intersection of trade policies, economic development, and environmental sustainability. Pellegrina holds a PhD in economics from Brown University (2017) and both bachelor's and master's degrees in economics from the University of São Paulo, Brazil (2009 and 2011 respectively). His research program addresses critical questions at the intersection of international trade, agricultural productivity, and environmental sustainability. Recent work examines how weather shocks affect farm size distribution, the relationship between economic development and greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, and the global impacts of trade policies on deforestation patterns. His publications appear in top journals including the Journal of Political Economy, Journal of Development Economics, and Journal of International Economics. PhD, Brown University, 2017 M.Sc., University of São Paulo, Brazil, 2011 B.Sc., University of São Paulo, Brazil, 2009 Pellegrina teaches undergraduate courses in Economic Growth and graduate courses in Quantitative International Trade and Development Economics. His research methodology combines empirical analysis of large datasets with theoretical modeling to address questions of economic development and trade policy. He has organized academic events including the Development Economics Working Group at Notre Dame and previously coordinated DevLab seminars at NYU Abu Dhabi.
Michael O. Wood is an Associate Professor in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED) at the University of Waterloo and currently serves as the Associate Dean of Work-Integrated Learning in the Faculty of Environment. He holds a Ph.D. in Strategy and Sustainability from the Ivey Business School at Western University, an M.A. in Environmental Studies in Sustainability Management from Western University, and a B.A. in Science from the University of Guelph. Ph.D. in Strategy and Sustainability, Ivey Business School, Western University M.A. in Environmental Studies in Sustainability Management, Western University B.A. in Science, University of Guelph Dr. Wood's research focuses on organizational responses to sustainability challenges through the lenses of space, time, scale, and social license to operate. His work spans industries like insurance, mining, carbon management, waste management, and global security, with a particular emphasis on the Blue Economy and climate change. He has contributed to frameworks for water risk assessment, sustainable packaging practices, and the role of governance in sustainability-financial performance linkages. His recent publications address transdisciplinary tools for water risk management, workforce practices' impact on sustainability, ETS policy effects, and disaster response patterns in multinational corporations. While no scientific awards are explicitly mentioned, his work has been published in journals such as the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction and Economic Systems Research . Dr. Wood teaches courses like Introduction to Environment and Business and Environment and Business Project , and he collaborates with researchers like Sandhu, Weber, and Bansal on sustainability-related projects. His studies often incorporate mixed-methods analysis and policy reviews for sustainable resource management in Ontario and Canada.
Javier Zamora is a Professor at IESE Business School , part of the University of Navarra. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University and an M.Sc. in Telecommunications Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. Education Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, Columbia University M.Sc., Telecommunications Engineering, Polytechnic University of Catalonia PDG, IESE Business School Research Interests : Zamora specializes in digital transformation, focusing on data-driven organizations and artificial intelligence. His work explores how new technologies reshape business models, organizational structures, and leadership strategies. Publications span topics from AI implementation in finance and sports management to cloud computing in crisis scenarios. His research emphasizes practical frameworks like the "Digital Density" concept and tools for assessing digital maturity. Professional Roles : He co-founded Inqbarna (AI-powered mobile solutions) and served as CEO of eNeo Labs (digital home products). Currently, he directs executive programs at IESE, including Digital Transformation: Senior Management Program and Navigating IT Architecture .
Dermot J Hayes is the Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture and Life Sciences and holds the Pioneer Hi-Bred International Chair in Agribusiness at Iowa State University's Department of Economics and Ivy School of Business. His expertise spans agricultural economics, financial economics, and international trade policy with a focus on commodity markets, farm policy, and China's agricultural impacts. Education: Ph.D. and M.S. in Agricultural Economics from the University of California, Berkeley (1986 and 1982). Research Interests: Includes U.S. farm policy, international trade dynamics, agribusiness strategies, crop insurance, financial derivatives, and China's role in global commodity markets. His work emphasizes policy analysis, market resilience, and emerging challenges like disease outbreaks (e.g., African Swine Fever). Awards: AAEA Fellow (2007), AAEA Enduring Quality Award (2006), and J.H. Ellis Teaching Award (2005). His research on food safety auctions remains influential. Consulting: Since 1995, he has advised the National Pork Producers Association on trade economics. His work informs policy debates on tariffs, trade deals, and market disruptions. Labs & Collaborations: Engaged with Iowa State's interdisciplinary initiatives on agriculture-environmental nexus and bioenergy systems.
Professor Francisco Gomes is a Professor of Finance at the London Business School , where he has been a faculty member since 2000. His research focuses on capital markets, asset allocation, household finance, and macroeconomics , with a particular emphasis on life-cycle investing, retirement policy, and risk-sharing mechanisms. BA - Universidade Nova de Lisboa MA/PhD - Harvard University His work has been published in top-tier journals like The Journal of Finance , The Review of Financial Studies , and The American Economic Review . Recent publications analyze automation's impact on wealth dispersion, yield-chasing behavior in household investments, and optimal target-date fund strategies for retirement planning. Professor Gomes is a Research Affiliate of the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) and co-founded the CEPR Network on Household Finance. His research bridges theoretical models with empirical analysis, often incorporating computational methods (e.g., Fortran/Matlab code for life-cycle models).
Mauricio Drelichman is a Professor at the University of British Columbia's Vancouver School of Economics within the Faculty of Arts. He serves as the Director of Undergraduate Studies and holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University. His research focuses on Economic History , particularly Early Modern Spain , with emphasis on sovereign debt, fiscal policy, and institutional development. Ph.D., Northwestern University Director of Undergraduate Studies, UBC Research: Economic History, Early Modern Spain Drelichman's work investigates historical financial mechanisms such as sovereign debt contracts under Philip II, demonstrating how risk-sharing and contingent debt allowed sustained market access despite defaults. He has also analyzed resource curses , Dutch disease effects, and social consequences of persecution in Spain. His recent article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2021) examines long-term impacts of the Spanish Inquisition , while earlier studies explored gender wage gaps and housing markets in Early Modern Toledo. His publications often focus on historical debt sustainability , financial repression , and institutional quality . Scientific Awards: AEHE 2021 Earl J. Hamilton Prize Explorations Prize (2005/06 and 2010/11)
Sunder Kekre is the Vasantrao Dempo Professor of Operations Management at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business , where he has held academic appointments since 1984. His research focuses on manufacturing systems, global supply chains, and healthcare operations management. Research Expertise : New product development structures, strategic costing, lean innovation, knowledge sharing in enterprise networks, and business analytics for coordinated supply chains. Key Publications : Contributions to journals like Management Science , Operations Research , and Production and Operations Management , with work on LNG storage valuation, RFID logistics, and healthcare disparities. Scientific Recognition : Dempo Chair Professorship Bosch Chair Professorship Best Paper Award (1995) Teaching : Courses in Operations Management, Strategic Management of the Enterprise, and Information Systems Project. Non-Academic Experience : Prior engineering roles at Tata Steel (1974-1980) and consulting engagements with Fortune 500 firms like Bosch, Caterpillar, and IBM.
Richard Hornbeck is the V. Duane Rath Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is an economic historian and applied-micro economist whose research focuses on the historical development of the American economy, examining why some places and people have become wealthier while others have remained poorer. Hornbeck is a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, affiliated with programs on the Development of the American Economy, Development Economics, and Environmental and Energy Economics. Hornbeck's research spans multiple critical areas of economic history, with particular emphasis on slavery and emancipation economics, environmental history (especially the Dust Bowl migration), gender dynamics in 19th-century manufacturing, railroad development, and agricultural economics related to the Ogallala Aquifer. His work frequently utilizes newly digitized historical data to provide fresh insights into longstanding economic questions, connecting historical events to contemporary economic issues of wealth distribution and regional disparities. His publication record shows strong trends in American economic development research, with recent work focusing on the economic impacts of emancipation, historical manufacturing patterns by gender, and urban economic development. Many of his papers have been published as lead articles in top journals including the Journal of Political Economy, American Economic Review, and Review of Economics and Statistics. Hornbeck has received several prestigious honors including the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship in 2014 and selection for the 2009 Review of Economic Studies Tour. His NBER affiliations demonstrate his standing in multiple subfields of economics research. Prior to joining Chicago Booth in 2015, Hornbeck was the Dunwalke Associate Professor of American History in the Economics Department at Harvard University. He received his PhD in economics from MIT in 2009 and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Chicago in 2004. His teaching includes courses on applied microeconomics in economic history and business in historical perspective, with course schedules extending through 2026.
Mariam Zachariah serves as a Research Fellow at the Centre for Environmental Policy within the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Imperial College London. She is a core contributor to World Weather Attribution (WWA), an international scientific collaboration conducting rapid climate change attribution analyses for extreme weather events globally. Her work bridges climate science, vulnerability assessment, and policy-relevant research. Her educational foundation includes a PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), where she investigated climate impacts on Indian agriculture. This research focused on drought and extreme temperature effects on crop yields in major agrarian regions, recognizing agriculture's critical role in India's climate-vulnerable economy. Zachariah's research centers on near-real-time attribution of extreme events to quantify human-induced climate change influences. Her expertise spans climate modeling, statistical analysis of extreme weather, and integrating vulnerability frameworks to assess compound impacts on communities. She examines how climate change interacts with socioeconomic factors to exacerbate disasters, particularly in agricultural systems and flood-prone regions worldwide. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a dominant focus on rapid attribution of droughts, floods, and heatwaves across diverse global contexts - from the Horn of Africa to Central Europe and South America. These studies consistently demonstrate climate change as a significant amplifier of event severity, while emphasizing how pre-existing vulnerabilities determine actual impacts. Her work increasingly addresses compound hazards and the intersection of climate change with infrastructure failures and land management. As a key member of the World Weather Attribution initiative, Zachariah collaborates with climate scientists, social scientists, and vulnerability experts in a unique operational framework that delivers scientific assessments within days of extreme events. This work directly informs policymakers, media, and affected communities about climate change's role in contemporary disasters.
Fritz Brugger is a Lecturer at the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences at ETH Zürich and serves as the executive director of NADEL (Network for African-Ethiopian Development Linkages). He holds a PhD in Development Studies from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. His research focuses on the developmental impacts of natural resource extraction, extractive industries' corporate roles, and governance challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa. Key areas include health impacts of mining, illicit financial flows, and policy interventions in resource-dependent economies. Prior to joining ETH Zürich, Brugger worked at Helvetas for eight years, later becoming a consultant on governance issues in water management, agriculture, and corporate responsibility. He designed an index-based agricultural insurance system and a mobile-tech platform for smallholder farmers' market access. His work spans diverse regions, with a focus on Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Mozambique. His publications emphasize interdisciplinary approaches, such as Q-methodology for policy engagement, and address topics like mercury use in artisanal mining, corporate due diligence, and the energy transition's impact on social licenses. He contributes to global debates on illicit financial flows, tax evasion, and sustainable development goals implementation through multilateral institutions. Brugger's advisory and grant work includes projects on health impact assessments in mining communities, policy coherence in development aid, and the nexus of extractive industries and conflict. He collaborates with NGOs, governments, and private sector entities to bridge research and policy, particularly in fragile contexts.
Professor Susan Thorp is a Finance academic at the University of Sydney Business School . With a PhD in Economics from UNSW and prior roles at University of Technology Sydney and the Reserve Bank of Australia, she focuses on household finance , retirement planning , and financial market behavior . BEc (Hons) - University of Sydney Dip. Ed. - University of New England PhD - University of New South Wales Her research interests include: Life-cycle financial decision-making Behavioral influences on savings and investments Superannuation policy and market integration Commodity market dynamics Economic impacts of financial literacy Crises-driven market contagion Recent publications analyze retirement decumulation , financial trust , and commodity-equity market correlations . She leads cross-disciplinary teams applying dynamic programming , econometric modeling , and experimental design to financial challenges. Her grants include ARC Linkage Projects and ASIC commissions for improving financial communication and regulatory frameworks . Media outlets frequently cite her expertise on superannuation policy , market volatility , and retirement savings behavior .
Lin Chen is the Chair Professor of Finance and Stelux Endowed Professor in Finance at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), serving as Associate Dean (Research and Knowledge Exchange) in the Faculty of Business and Economics. He holds a PhD from the University of Florida and has held academic leadership roles at HKU and Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). His research focuses on financial technology, banking systems, corporate finance, and economic development, with notable contributions to understanding financial resilience during crises and institutional reforms. Educations: PhD/MBA in Finance from University of Florida, B.E. in Engineering from South China University of Technology Leadership roles: Associate Dean (HKU), Board Member of HKU-Standard Chartered FinTech Academy, Currency Board Committee member Research interests span financial innovation , banking competition , corporate governance , and ESG integration . Key projects include RGC Theme-based grants on FinTech stability/inclusion and HK's financial center development. His work is published in top journals like Journal of Financial Economics and Review of Financial Studies . He has advised major institutions including Hong Kong Monetary Authority, World Bank, and China Construction Bank. Awards include the Jensen Prize (2011), Nobel nomination (2016), and honorary professorships from Edinburgh and Berkeley. Grants coordination includes HK$24.4 million FinTech project (2020-2025) and leadership roles in research centers like HKU’s Financial Innovation & Development Centre. Active in editorial roles for Management Science and policy advisory groups. Media engagements include BBC, Bloomberg, and Harvard Law School forums. Current initiatives focus on Web3.0 development in HK and financial inclusion strategies.
Susan Wachter is a Professor of Financial Management and Professor of Real Estate at the University of Pennsylvania's Stuart Weitzman School of Design and Wharton School. She has held academic positions since 1972, including roles as Chair of the Real Estate Department and Co-director of the Penn Institute for Urban Research. Her research focuses on urban economics, housing finance, climate risk, and public policy. She serves on editorial boards for journals like Journal of Housing Economics and has advised organizations such as the National Research Council and the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association. Wachter earned her academic credentials at Bryn Mawr College and held a visiting professorship at Singapore Management University. Her awards include the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching (1975) and the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Lifetime Achievement Award (2005). Her work explores topics like mortgage market stability, climate impacts on housing, and equitable housing finance systems. Research Highlights: Climate risk in mortgage markets, pandemic-era housing dynamics, foreign buyer tax impacts, and systemic financial stability. Policy Contributions: Advised on housing finance reforms, GSE viability, and fair housing policy modernization. Grants & Labs: Directed the Wharton Geographical Information Systems Lab since 1995, focusing on urban spatial analytics. Her publications span over four decades, addressing topics such as mortgage stress, urban competitiveness, and the legacy of the 2008 housing bubble. Wachter's interdisciplinary approach bridges real estate finance, public policy, and urban planning to inform sustainable housing solutions.
Andrew Plantinga is a Professor of Natural Resource Economics and Policy at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, UC Santa Barbara. He also serves as Director of the Productive Landscapes Group at the Environmental Markets Solution Lab (emLab). His academic journey includes faculty roles at Oregon State University and the University of Maine before joining UCSB in 2012. He holds a PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics from UC Berkeley, an MS in Forestry from the University of Wisconsin, and a BA in English from Grinnell College. Plantinga’s research focuses on the economics of land use, climate change, and forests. Key areas include econometric modeling of land-use decisions, environmental policy analysis, and wildfire risk management. A current NSF-funded project examines how wildfire salience influences public agency decisions. He emphasizes tradable property rights for groundwater management and has authored/co-authored over 80 journal articles, including high-impact publications in Journal of Environmental Economics and Management and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . His work frequently addresses policy implications of land-use changes, such as urban growth boundaries and agricultural intensification. Recent studies explore wildfire management effectiveness, stranded public lands’ economic impacts, and carbon sequestration costs. Plantinga advises PhD students focusing on economics, including Linus Blomqvist. Grants include NSF support for wildfire policy analysis. He teaches Bren School courses like Natural Resource Economics and Cost-Benefit Analysis. His labs and collaborations, such as emLab, aim to bridge economic and ecological approaches to environmental challenges.