Ronald C. Lasky is a Professor of Engineering at Dartmouth College's Thayer School of Engineering and a Senior Technologist at the Indium Corporation. His academic roles include teaching courses such as ENGM 187: Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship and ENGS 155: Intermediate Thermodynamics . Dr. Lasky holds a BS in Engineering Physics from Cornell University (1970), an MS in Applied Mathematics from Binghamton University (1974), and a PhD in Materials Science from Cornell University (1986). His research focuses on process optimization, electronic assembly, materials science, and environmental compliance. Notable contributions include work on lead-free solder assembly and Lean Six Sigma methodologies. He received the Member of Technical Distinction Award from the SMTA in 2021. Dr. Lasky actively engages with industry, exemplified by his collaboration with Galanz in China, exploring modern manufacturing practices and infrastructure. His insights on global supply chains and technological advancements highlight his dual academic and professional expertise.
Claire Bowern is Professor of Linguistics at Yale University specializing in historical linguistics, language documentation, and Australian Indigenous languages. Her research employs computational phylogenetics to study language evolution and supports language revitalization through digital archives and fieldwork methodologies. Recent publications address: Phylogenetic signal in lexical evolution across language families Digital infrastructure for endangered language documentation (FLEx software analysis) Decolonizing linguistics pedagogy and research practices Her work consistently integrates linguistic, anthropological, and computational approaches to analyze language diversity and change. She contributes to global databases including Grambank and D-PLACE, examining links between linguistic, cultural, and environmental patterns.
Monica Berlin was the Richard & Sophie D. Henke Distinguished Professor of English at Knox College, serving from 1998 until her passing in 2022. She held leadership roles as Chair of the Department of English and Associate Director of the Program in Creative Writing. Her academic background includes a B.A. in English Writing (1995, Knox College), M.A. in Literature and Composition (1998, Western Illinois University), and M.F.A. in Poetry (2002, Vermont College). Her research focuses on creative writing (poetry, nonfiction, fiction) and modern/contemporary American literature. She has published extensively in literary journals and anthologies, earning major awards like the Crab Orchard Poetry Series Open (2018) and New Measure Poetry Prize (2013). Her collaborative work with Beth Marzoni has been widely recognized in literary circles. Beyond academia, Berlin directed The Space (a literary center) and spearheaded digital archives like A Map of Voices: The Knox Writers' House . She contributed to campus governance as a member of the Faculty Personnel Committee and engaged with the community through roles at the Galesburg Public Library and literary festivals. Students praise her ability to guide them in refining their craft, emphasizing the 'elusive mechanics of writing.' Her legacy includes fostering literary innovation and accessibility in education and public spaces.
Carl Vondrick is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Columbia University. His research focuses on creating robust and versatile perception systems that leverage video and interaction with the natural world, with applications in 3D reconstruction, visual question answering, and robot manipulation. Former research scientist at Google Visiting researcher at Cruise Education: PhD (2017) from MIT, advised by Antonio Torralba BS (2011) from UC Irvine, advised by Deva Ramanan His research explores multimodal approaches for cross-task and cross-modal transfer, scene dynamics, audiovisual perception, interpretable models, and spatial awareness systems. The lab emphasizes zero-shot generalization and neuro-symbolic methods while addressing safety and robustness in AI systems. Key publication trends include: 2025: Video generation for robotics 2024: Differentiable rendering and cross-modal reasoning 2023: Robust perception and 3D modeling Scientific Awards: 2024 PAMI Young Researcher Award 2021 NSF CAREER Award Teaching Roles: Teaching Computer Vision II (2021-2025), Computer Vision I (2018-2019), and Representation Learning (2020-2022). Advising: Advises 8 current PhD students and has mentored 5 graduated students now at institutions like MBZUAI and UMD. The lab recruits 1-2 PhD students annually through Columbia’s PhD program. Grants and Collaborations: Funded by NSF, DARPA, Toyota Research Institute, Amazon Research, and Google.
Eric Van Young is a distinguished Professor of History at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), specializing in colonial and 19th-century Latin American history, particularly Mexico. He has held significant roles, including Chair of the Department of History (2000-2004) and Interim Dean of the Division of Arts and Humanities (2007-2008). His research focuses on rural history, peasant movements, cultural history, and biographical studies of key figures like Lucas Alaman. He earned his B.A. from the University of Chicago (1967), M.A. and Ph.D. from UC Berkeley (1968, 1978). Education: B.A. (University of Chicago), M.A. & Ph.D. (UC Berkeley) Roles: Professor of History, Department Chair, Interim Dean His research explores Mexico’s colonial and early national periods, emphasizing rural economic structures, popular rebellions, and the intersections of culture and politics. Current projects include a biography of Lucas Alaman and a synthetic history of Mexico (1750-1850). He has authored numerous books, including Writing Mexican History (2012) and The Other Rebellion (2001), alongside over 100 articles. His work bridges economic and cultural historiography, offering critical insights into regional dynamics and the construction of national identity. Van Young’s scholarly contributions include editorial roles for journals and book series, as well as extensive peer review for academic publishers. His interdisciplinary approach addresses themes like messianic movements, state formation, and the legacy of colonial institutions in modern Mexico.
H. Samy Alim is a Professor and David O. Sears Presidential Endowed Chair in the Division of Social Sciences at UCLA, holding a joint appointment in the Department of Anthropology. He serves as Associate Director of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies and leads the UCLA Hip Hop Initiative. Alim’s research focuses on Hip Hop Culture, Black Language, and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies, with over 25 years of scholarship in these areas. His work bridges academia and activism, emphasizing Hip Hop’s transformative role in global social justice movements. Alim earned his PhD in Anthropology from Stanford University (2003), following MA (2002) and BA (1999) degrees. His academic contributions include twelve authored/edited books, such as Freedom Moves (2023) and Articulate While Black (2012). His research spans Hip Hop’s linguistic innovations, racialized language politics, and its pedagogical potential in education. Key projects include ethnographic studies in Cape Town, South Africa, and collaborative initiatives like the UC Press Hip Hop Studies Book Series. He co-edits the Oxford Handbook of Language and Race and directs the Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Language. Alim has engaged with global Hip Hop artists (e.g., Chuck D of Public Enemy) to co-produce knowledge, emphasizing Hip Hop as a site of theorizing and activism. His teaching and research highlight intersections of language, race, and power, advocating for pedagogies that sustain cultural identities while fostering equity. Collaborations with organizations like Heal the Hood in South Africa reflect his commitment to community-driven scholarship.
Prof. Christian Holz is an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Deputy Head of the Institute of Intelligent Interactive Systems at ETH Zürich. His work focuses on advancing human-computer interaction through innovations in wearable technologies, mixed reality systems, and sensor-driven applications. Key research areas include motion capture, physiological signal processing, and adaptive user interfaces. Holz leads the SIPLab (siplab.ethz.ch), producing influential work at the intersection of computer science and biomedical engineering. His research explores cutting-edge topics such as egocentric vision systems, wearable health monitoring devices, and VR/AR applications. Recent studies investigate cybersickness detection via EEG, heart rate estimation from eye-tracking cameras, and scalable motion capture using inertial/UWB sensors. Holz's work emphasizes practical applications in healthcare, education, and human-centered computing. Publications reflect a strong focus on interdisciplinary solutions, combining machine learning with sensor data analysis. Notable contributions include the EgoSim multi-view simulator, WildPPG biomedical dataset, and MiBOT cardiovascular modulation device. His research bridges theoretical advancements with real-world usability in domains like emergency response training, chronic disease monitoring, and immersive education.
Amanda Phillips is an Associate Professor at Georgetown University, affiliated with the Departments of English, Film and Media Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies, and American Studies. Their research focuses on feminist and queer theory in digital media, with a particular emphasis on critical game studies and digital humanities. Selected publications include Gamer Trouble: Feminist Confrontations in Digital Culture and co-editing the Queer/Trans/Digital book series. Their scholarship appears in journals such as ROMchip , Feminist Media Histories , and Games and Culture . Research Interests: Digital media and gender politics Queer theory in gaming contexts Decolonial and anti-racist digital humanities Critical analysis of game mechanics Digital labor and precarity Affective histories of gaming Scientific Awards: Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellow Academic Leadership: Former chair of the American Studies Association Digital Humanities Caucus Co-founder of the #transformDH Collective Editorial work on special issues of Game Studies and Antares: Letras e Humanidades Previous Institutions: IMMERSe Postdoctoral Fellow at University of California, Davis Ph.D. recipient from University of California, Santa Barbara with emphasis in Feminist Studies
Prof. Dr. Sakibe Nalan BÜYÜKKANTARCIOĞLU is a Professor at Çankaya University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Translation and Interpreting Studies (English). She previously served as Professor (2007–2019), Associate Professor (2000–2007), and Assistant Professor (1997–2000) at Hacettepe University, Department of English Linguistics. PhD in English Linguistics (Hacettepe University, 1991) MA in English Language Teaching (Middle East Technical University, 1985) BA in English Teaching (Istanbul University, 1978) Her research spans Linguistics, Cognitive Linguistics, Discourse Analysis, Psycholinguistics, Sociolinguistics, Translation Studies , with a focus on figurative language, interjections, political discourse, and endangered languages. She received the European Language Award (2011) and has supervised numerous PhD and MA theses, including work on Turkish idioms, gender representation, and language awareness. A prolific editor and conference participant, she has contributed to interdisciplinary projects and publications on Turkish sociolinguistics.
Amir Zamir is a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) in the School of Computer & Communication Sciences. Previously, he worked at UC Berkeley, Stanford, and UCF with prominent researchers including Silvio Savarese, Jitendra Malik, Mubarak Shah, Rahul Sukthankar, and Leonidas Guibas. He currently leads the Visual Intelligence & Learning Lab at EPFL and serves as chief scientist of Duranta, having previously been the CVML chief scientist of Aurora Solar (a Forbes AI 50 company valued at $4B in 2022) from 2015 to 2022. Dr. Zamir's research spans computer vision, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, with a focus on developing general multi-modal/multi-task vision systems that operate as active agents in the real world. His work emphasizes slow science principles, seeking fundamental understanding over quick publications. Key research areas include embodied vision, multimodal foundation models, computational imaging, and vision-language integration. His notable projects include 4M, Taskonomy, Gibson Environment, Omnidata, and MultiMAE, which have significantly influenced the field of computer vision and embodied AI. Zamir has made substantial contributions to the computer vision community through numerous high-impact publications and leadership roles. His work demonstrates a consistent focus on creating vision systems that go beyond narrow and passive methods toward more general, active, and embodied approaches. The trajectory of his research shows increasing sophistication in handling multiple modalities and tasks within unified frameworks, culminating in recent work on multimodal foundation models that can handle diverse vision tasks. Dr. Zamir has received numerous prestigious awards including the Young Researcher Award 2022 from ECCV, the PAMI Mark Everingham Prize 2022, SIGGRAPH 2022 Best Paper Award for CLIPasso, CVPR 2018 Best Paper Award for Taskonomy, and CVPR 2016 Best Student Paper Award. He is also an ELLIS Faculty Scholar and received the NVIDIA Pioneering Research Award in 2018 for the Gibson Environment. As an advisor, Dr. Zamir has mentored numerous PhD students including Roman Bachmann, Andrei Atanov, Rishubh Singh, Jason Toskov, Kunal Pratap Singh, Zhitong Gao, Mingqiao Ye, and Muhammad Uzair Khattak. His former PhD students include Oguzhan Kar (now at Apple), Alexander Sasha Sax (co-advised with Jitendra Malik, now at Meta FAIR), and Teresa Yeo (now at MIT-Singapore Alliance). Dr. Zamir teaches several advanced courses including CS-503 Visual Intelligence, CS-500 AI Product Management, COM-304 Intelligent Systems, and ENG-615 Topics in Autonomous Robotics. Dr. Zamir leads the Visual Intelligence & Learning Lab at EPFL, which focuses on developing fundamental methods for visual intelligence that can operate effectively in real-world environments. The lab takes an interdisciplinary approach combining computer vision, machine learning, robotics, and cognitive science to create systems that can perceive, understand, and interact with the world. Current research directions include multimodal foundation models, computational imaging, embodied vision, and personalization of generative models.
Aamir R. Mufti serves as Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of California, Los Angeles, with affiliations at the Asia Pacific Center. His scholarly work bridges literary studies, anthropology, and area studies focused on South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Jewish diaspora communities. His research centers on: Global colonialism and decolonization processes Postcolonial reconfigurations of Western humanities concepts (secular, minor, cosmopolitan) Migrant/refugee experiences in European unification projects Palestine as historical experience of homeland loss Critical examinations of world literature frameworks Analysis of his publications reveals consistent engagement with suppressed narratives in colonial and postcolonial contexts, particularly examining how enforced immobility contradicts world literature's mobility discourse and how minority experiences in Europe were disseminated globally through colonial nation-state formations. His work systematically interrogates Orientalism's legacy in contemporary humanistic practice. Mufti maintains a long-standing editorial role with the journal boundary 2 , where he has curated special collections advancing critical postcolonial discourse. His current research trajectory emphasizes migrant subjectivity within European political crises and reimagining humanities frameworks from colonized perspectives. Academic foundations include doctoral training under Edward Said at Columbia University, with formative influences from South Asian literary traditions (notably Faiz Ahmed Faiz) and European critical theory (Heinrich Heine). His institutional work positions Comparative Literature as a discipline uniquely equipped to address contemporary global political rightward shifts through interdisciplinary humanistic analysis.
Jennifer Olsen, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of San Diego since 2020. She holds a PhD, MS, and BS in Human-Computer Interaction and Cognitive Science from Carnegie Mellon University, followed by postdoctoral research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland. Her research focuses on the intersection of human-computer interaction, cognition, and education, emphasizing collaborative learning and educational technology design from both learner and instructor perspectives. Education: PhD in Human-Computer Interaction, Carnegie Mellon University MS in Human-Computer Interaction, Carnegie Mellon University BS in Cognitive Science, Carnegie Mellon University Research Interests: Dr. Olsen explores how collaboration supports learning, designs technologies to enhance educational practices, and investigates gaze-based metrics for understanding collaborative problem-solving. Her work spans gamified robotics, AI-driven orchestration systems, and virtual reality applications in vocational training. She emphasizes learner-centered design and the integration of social robots and virtual agents in pedagogical settings. Grants/Advising: While no specific grants or advisees are listed, her prolific publication record indicates active involvement in educational technology research and development. Her work addresses challenges in classroom orchestration, multimodal data analysis, and accessibility in educational robotics. Labs/Teams: Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams focused on educational technology, human-robot interaction, and adaptive learning systems. Her research leverages tools like FROG orchestration graphs and eye-tracking technologies to develop practical classroom solutions.
Sewoong Oh is a Professor at the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington, where he has been faculty since 2019. His research focuses on the foundations of machine learning with particular emphasis on differential privacy, secure and robust machine learning, and federated learning. Prior to joining UW, he was at the Department of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2012-2019. He is affiliated with multiple NSF AI Institutes including ACTION (Agent-based Cyber Threat Intelligence and Operation), AI-EDGE (Future Edge Networks and Distributed Intelligence), and IFML (Foundations of Machine Learning). Oh received his PhD in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 2011 under Andrea Montanari, followed by postdoctoral work at MIT's Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems under Devavrat Shah. His educational background spans top institutions in theoretical computer science and electrical engineering. His research spans the critical intersection of machine learning security, privacy, and robustness. Oh's work addresses fundamental challenges in making AI systems reliable and trustworthy, with particular focus on defending against backdoor attacks, developing privacy-preserving algorithms, and creating efficient tokenization methods for language models. His recent SuperBPE work demonstrates how moving beyond traditional subword tokenization can significantly improve language model efficiency and performance. His research consistently bridges theoretical foundations with practical implementations, as evidenced by numerous open-source repositories containing production-ready code. Oh's publications reveal a consistent trajectory toward addressing security and privacy concerns in increasingly complex machine learning systems, with recent work focusing on language model tokenization, data-centric AI, and federated learning frameworks. His research shows strong interdisciplinary connections between theoretical computer science, statistics, and practical machine learning systems. ACM SIGMETRICS best paper award (2015) NSF CAREER award (2016) ACM SIGMETRICS rising star award (2017) GOOGLE Faculty Research Awards (2017, 2020) 2024 ICML Best Paper Award (for work by advisee Jon Hayase) Professor Oh maintains an active research group with numerous PhD students, postdocs, and undergraduate researchers. His students have secured prestigious positions at leading tech companies including Amazon, Google, and Snap, as well as academic appointments at institutions like University of Wisconsin-Madison and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He has received substantial research funding through his participation in multiple NSF AI Institutes and industry research awards from Google. His lab maintains several active GitHub repositories implementing cutting-edge research in backdoor defense, robust statistics, and privacy-preserving machine learning.
Vincent J. Cheng is a Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Utah, holding appointments since July 2019. He previously served at the University of Southern California (1979–2019) in roles including Professor of English and Director of Asian American Studies. His academic leadership includes directing the Tanner Humanities Center (2003–2007). Cheng specializes in modernist literature, particularly James Joyce, with research focusing on cultural memory, national identity, and postcolonial studies. He has authored influential works like Amnesia and the Nation and edited volumes on Joyce’s legacy. Recognized for teaching excellence, he received the Calvin S. and JeNeal Hatch Prize in Teaching (2024) and the Distinguished Teaching Award (2014). Cheng’s research integrates philosophy, history, and literature, exploring themes like migration, empathy, and ethical remembrance. His recent work analyzes Joyce’s treatment of memory and history, connecting Irish and American Southern narratives. He also contributes to Joyce Studies Annual and serves on editorial boards for Western Humanities Review . Teaching-wise, he leads advanced seminars on literary studies and British writers, guiding Ph.D. thesis research. Award highlights include the Fulbright Scholar Award (2015) and the Carole & Gordon Segal Visiting Chair in Irish Studies (2014). He remains active in community outreach, such as presenting Joyce’s Dubliners to high school students. His interdisciplinary approach bridges literary analysis with cultural and ethical inquiry.
Robert JOLIET is an Associate Professor of Finance at IÉSEG School of Management in France. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics and Management from HEC-ULg Management School (Belgium) and has held various academic leadership roles, including Director of Academic Development and Academic Director of the PGE (MSc in Management). His research focuses on finance, portfolio management, SRI (Socially Responsible Investing), and corporate finance, with a particular emphasis on international expansion, capital structure, and sustainable investment strategies. Education: 2008: Ph.D. in Economics and Management, HEC-ULg Management School, Belgium 2004: Master of Advanced Studies (DEA), Management Sciences (Finance), University of Liège, Belgium 2002: Master of Science in Business Engineering (Finance), University of Liège, Belgium Research interests span SRI fund dynamics, corporate social responsibility valuation, international debt policies, and market liquidity. Notable contributions include analyzing the impact of SRI mutual funds on corporate governance and environmental practices, and exploring the stability of sovereign debt structures in the Eurozone. Awards include the 2005 FORTIS Award (Third Prize) and the 2003 E.G. de Barsy Doctoral Fellowship. He has published extensively in journals like Economics Letters and Journal of Banking & Finance . Academic leadership roles include directing programs and departments at IÉSEG, alongside coordinating the Finance Track and managing academic development initiatives. His teaching focuses on financial data analysis, active portfolio management, and investment strategies in capital markets. He is a member of the LEM (Laboratoire d'Économie Moderne) research group and contributes to interdisciplinary research in finance and economics.
