Sharese King is the Neubauer Family Assistant Professor of Linguistics at the University of Chicago, where she has taught since 2018. She earned her Ph.D. and Master's in Linguistics from Stanford University, focusing on language variation across African American communities. Her research bridges sociolinguistics, critical race theory, and phonetics to examine how African American speech is constructed, racialized, and socially evaluated. Education: Ph.D., Linguistics, Stanford University (2018) M.A., Linguistics, Stanford University Research Interests: Sociolinguistics Language Variation & Change African American Language Critical Race Theory Phonetic and experimental analysis Dialect and judicial systems Notable Contributions: Interdisciplinary studies on raciolinguistics and courtroom bias Analysis of /s/ articulation in intersectional contexts Reconceptualization of AAVE as AAL to emphasize linguistic diversity Fieldwork in Bakersfield, Rochester, and Chicago Publications in American Speech , Journal of Sociolinguistics , Language , and Nature Scientific Awards: Provost's Postdoctoral Fellowship Neubauer Family Assistant Professorship Labs & Projects: Co-founder of the Chicagoland Language Project
Emily C. Bartels is a Professor of English at Rutgers University specializing in early modern literature and culture, with particular expertise in Shakespearean and non-Shakespearean drama. She has served as director, and is now dean, of the Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English since 2010, a summer Master's program designed for K-12 English teachers. Professor Bartels received her BA from Yale University and both her MA and PhD from Harvard University. Her academic background positioned her to become a leading scholar in Renaissance literature studies. Her research examines questions of race, cross-cultural relations, gender, genre, and performance in early modern English drama. Professor Bartels is renowned for her groundbreaking work on Shakespeare's Othello and Christopher Marlowe's plays, analyzing how these texts represent cultural and racial difference. She has significantly contributed to postcolonial approaches to early modern literature, revealing how English drama engaged with global encounters and representations of the 'other' during the Renaissance period. Her scholarship demonstrates how early modern writers both reflected and shaped contemporary attitudes toward difference, particularly regarding race, religion, and national identity. Professor Bartels' publications reveal a consistent scholarly trajectory examining racial and cultural representation in early modern England. Her work spans from detailed analyses of specific plays like Hamlet and Julius Caesar to broader studies of how England conceptualized Africa and non-Christian cultures during the Renaissance. A recurring theme throughout her career is the analysis of how early English drama both reflected and shaped contemporary attitudes toward difference, particularly regarding race, religion, and national identity. Roma Gill Prize for Best Work on Christopher Marlowe (1993-94) for Spectacles of Strangeness: Imperialism, Alienation, and Marlowe Board of Trustees Fellowship for Scholarly Excellence (1993) School of Arts and Sciences Award for Distinguished Contributors to Undergraduate Education (2008 & 1993) Warren I. Susman Award for Excellence in Teaching (2008) Solmsen Fellowship at the Institute of Research in the Humanities, University of Wisconsin (1995) Black Atlantic Project fellowship from the Rutgers Center for Historical Analysis Professor Bartels has demonstrated exceptional commitment to both research and teaching excellence. She has developed innovative courses exploring the intersections of literature, history, and cultural studies, including undergraduate seminars on Othello and Hamlet, and graduate courses on Shakespeare Page and Stage. Her administrative role as dean of the Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English demonstrates her commitment to education beyond traditional university settings. Her fellowships from prestigious institutions indicate successful grant acquisition throughout her distinguished career. Professor Bartels has been actively involved with the Shakespeare Association of America and has collaborated with international scholars like Emma Smith of the University of Oxford. Her work has positioned her at the forefront of conversations about early modern literature, race studies, and postcolonial approaches to Renaissance drama, influencing how scholars understand the intersections of literature, race, and cultural identity in the early modern period.
Steven Jackson is a Professor of Information Science and Science and Technology Studies at Cornell University's Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, with additional graduate field appointments in Communication and Public Affairs. Since July 2023, he has served as Vice-Provost for Academic Innovation at Cornell, and previously held leadership positions as Chair of Information Science and Dean of William Keeton House. His work bridges academic research with significant institutional leadership in higher education innovation. Dr. Jackson's research focuses on critical intersections of technology, society, and the environment, with three primary strands: technology ethics, law and policy; maintenance, repair and sustainability; and technology, inequality and global development. His work draws from American pragmatism, political economy, and science and technology studies, integrating methods from sociology, anthropology, philosophy, and media studies. He is particularly interested in how computing practices meet social and material worlds, with implications for infrastructure, collaboration, sustainability, and cultural practice. His recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on repair as both theoretical concept and practical methodology, exploring 'ordinary hope' as a framework for technological engagement and examining unmaking as a necessary counterpart to design. The research spans diverse geographical contexts from the global North to South, addressing caste dynamics in computing, digital authoritarianism, and infrastructure challenges in developing contexts. Dr. Jackson has received significant recognition including an NSF CAREER award and more than twenty paper awards at leading computing and information science venues. His research has been supported by major organizations including the U.S. National Science Foundation, Social Science Research Council, Ford Foundation, Sloan Foundation, World Bank, Intel Research, Atkinson Center for Sustainability, and the Canadian Social Science and Humanities Research Council. As an advisor, Dr. Jackson has mentored numerous graduate students who have gone on to prominent positions at institutions worldwide. He currently advises Jen Liu, Amy Cheatle, Daniel Mwesigwa, Johan Michalove, and Ritik Batra, while his former students include Palashi Vaghela (Assistant Professor at Simon Fraser University), Samir Passi (Responsible AI Researcher at Microsoft), Maggie Jack (Assistant Professor at NYU), and Ranjit Singh (Senior Researcher at Data and Society). Dr. Jackson convenes the Computing On Earth Lab, an experimental collaboration bringing together social scientists, humanists, artists, and engineers to rethink the material and planetary foundations of computing. The lab reflects his commitment to interdisciplinary approaches that address computing's environmental impacts and sustainability challenges.
Maile Arvin is a Kanaka Maoli feminist scholar and Assistant Professor at the Department of Ethnic Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her research and teaching focus on Indigenous relationships to land, histories of race and settler colonialism in Hawaiʻi, Oceania, and the United States. Previously, she was faculty in History and Gender Studies at the University of Utah and founding director of the Center for Pasifika Indigenous Knowledges. PhD in Ethnic Studies, University of California San Diego (2013) MA in Ethnic Studies, University of California San Diego (2009) BA in English, Swarthmore College (2005) Her research examines: Colonial production of racial categories, particularly Polynesians as an 'almost white race' in historical social science History of incarceration of Native Hawaiian children in government institutions (1865–1960s) Intersection of settler colonialism and Indigenous feminisms Critique of eugenics and genomic studies in the Pacific Community-engaged memorialization projects in Hawaiʻi Recent scholarly trends include analyses of Indigenous sovereignty, critiques of settler colonial whiteness, and interdisciplinary studies of race-gender dynamics. Arvin's publications explore Polynesian racialization, decolonial feminism, and the socioeconomic impacts of colonial institutions. NEH Chair's Grant for Nā Lei Poina ʻOle ACLS Digital Justice Seed Grant Arvin leads Nā Lei Poina ʻOle (Beloved Children Never Forgotten), a community history project about reformatories and industrial schools in Hawaiʻi. In collaboration with Kawela Farrant and the North Shore Community Land Trust, this project uses archival and oral histories to confront the legacy of child incarceration. She also critiques the nonprofit-industrial complex's role in limiting Indigenous sovereignty.
Patricia A. Banks is a Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Mount Holyoke College, with affiliations in Africana Studies and the Program in Entrepreneurship, Organizations, and Society. She holds a Ph.D. and A.M. from Harvard University and a B.A. (summa cum laude, valedictorian) from Spelman College. Her research explores intersections of culture, consumption, and race, focusing on African Diaspora dynamics. Key areas include cultural philanthropy, art collecting as identity practice, and corporate diversity capital. She authored Black Culture, Inc. (Stanford 2022), winning the Oliver Cromwell Cox Book Award, and Race, Ethnicity, and Consumption (Routledge 2020). Recent honors include ASA awards and fellowships from the CASBS (Stanford), Sheila Biddle Ford Foundation, and Harvard’s Hutchins Center. She co-edits Poetics and serves on ASA committees. Teaching awards include recognition from Harvard’s Derek Bok Center and Mount Holyoke’s Baccalaureate address. Her work spans books, peer-reviewed articles, and media engagements (NYT, Artnet). The African American Museums Database, her digital archive, catalogs over 300 institutions. Current projects address corporate diversity signaling, African art markets, and dress code discrimination.
Susan Fino is a Professor at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Wayne State University. Her research focuses on public law, American constitutional law, administrative law, and the role of state supreme courts. She holds a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University, an M.A. and Ph.D. from Rutgers University. She has received the President's Award for Excellence in Teaching. Her courses include American Government (PS1010) and Constitutional Law (PS5110/PS5120), taught across multiple terms from 2023 to 2025. Dr. Fino's research explores judicial federalism, state constitutional frameworks, and legal interpretations of rights. Her work analyzes topics like church-state relations, taxation provisions in state constitutions, and assisted suicide debates. She has written extensively on state supreme court dynamics, including landmark cases and institutional performance metrics. Her scholarship bridges legal theory with practical governance challenges at both state and federal levels. Her publications span over three decades, addressing evolving legal landscapes such as the Rehnquist Court’s federalism approach and technological impacts on criminal sentencing. She consistently engages with issues at the intersection of law, politics, and societal values.
Andrea Coladangelo is an Assistant Professor at the Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering , University of Washington , co-leading the Quantum group and contributing to the Theory and Crypto groups. He coordinates the NSF-funded Quantum@UW REU program , fostering undergraduate research in quantum information. Previously, he was a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley and the Simons Institute , advised by Umesh Vazirani , following a PhD in Computer Science at Caltech under Thomas Vidick . His academic journey began with a B.A. in Mathematics from Oxford and a Master in Mathematics from Cambridge . He co-founded qBraid , a platform for quantum computing education. Research Interests : Andrea explores the intersection of quantum computation and cryptography , focusing on foundational questions in entanglement , quantum correlations , and quantum learning theory . His work investigates quantum pseudorandomness , device-independent security , quantum algorithms , and quantum copy-protection , often leveraging computational assumptions to bridge quantum information theory with cryptographic applications. Scientific Awards : 2025 Google Research Scholar Program Award in Quantum Computing 2023 CSE Undergraduate Teaching Award for his course on quantum computation 2019 Best Student Paper Award at QIP Teaching & Outreach : Andrea designed and taught CSE 434: Intro to Quantum Computation (Spring 2023, 2024, 2025), CSE 534: Quantum Information and Computation (Autumn 2023), and CSE 599C: Quantum Learning Theory (Winter 2025). He also delivered lectures at the 22nd Bellairs Crypto Workshop (2024) and led a quantum programming tutorial using qBraid . Labs & Teams : As co-leader of the Quantum group at the Allen School, he collaborates with researchers in Theory and Crypto , advancing quantum computing through interdisciplinary projects and educational initiatives.
Rachel Arnett is an Assistant Professor of Management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in diversity, identity, inclusion, intergroup relations, and intersectionality within the Organizational Behavior subgroup. She received her Ph.D. from Harvard University's interdisciplinary Organizational Behavior program and holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. Education: Ph.D., Harvard University (Organizational Behavior) B.A., University of Pennsylvania Her research explores pathways to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) through identity-based interactions, including: Identity expression and concealment in workplace relationships Intergroup dynamics and social change Allyship behaviors and bias confrontation Intersectional influences of gender, race, and social class on leadership Psychological safety in DEI advancement Recent publications analyze cultural-identity expression as inclusion mechanisms, bias confrontation strategies, and longitudinal impacts of identity management. Her work combines lab experiments, surveys, and qualitative methods in collaboration with DEI-focused organizations. Key awards include the 2023-2024 Claude Marion Faculty Scholar designation, 2022 Poets & Quants Best 40-Under-40 MBA Professors, and four consecutive Wharton Teaching Excellence Awards (2018-2021).
Hernan Galperin is a Professor of Communication and Director of Doctoral Studies at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. His expertise lies in Internet policy, digital inequality, and the intersection of technology adoption with social stratification. He holds affiliations with institutions like the Annenberg Research Network on International Communication (ARNIC) and the USC Annenberg Innovation Lab. Galperin has authored four books and published in leading journals such as Telecommunications Policy and New Media & Society. His research, funded by organizations like the Pew Charitable Trust and the Inter-American Development Bank, focuses on broadband accessibility, digital inclusion, and policy impacts. Notable awards include membership in the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council and top paper awards from the International Communication Association (2020, 2022). Education background: While not explicitly detailed in the provided text, his academic roles and publications imply advanced training in communication studies, public policy, or related fields. His work integrates quantitative methods with policy analysis to address global challenges in technology access. Research highlights include studies on broadband’s role in poverty reduction (Ecuador), geographic discrimination in the gig economy, and the gender digital divide in Latin America. He has contributed policy briefs on the Affordable Connectivity Program and digital inclusion in public housing, demonstrating real-world policy impact. His affiliations with global institutions reflect a focus on international collaboration in addressing digital divides. Grants and awards: His funding sources include the Pew Charitable Trust, IDRC-Canada, and the Internet Society. Awards highlight his contributions to cyberpolicy and global media governance. His work often bridges academic research with actionable policy recommendations, particularly in underserved regions. Labs and teams: He directs ARNIC and collaborates with the USC Annenberg Innovation Lab and USC Price Center for Social Innovation, fostering interdisciplinary approaches to communication and technology challenges.
Peter Henderson is an Assistant Professor at Princeton University with joint appointments in the Department of Computer Science and the School of Public and International Affairs. He is affiliated with the Center for Information Technology Policy (CITP), Princeton Language and Intelligence Initiative (PLI), Center for Statistics and Machine Learning (CSML), and Program in Law & Public Policy (PLAW). J.D./Ph.D., Stanford University, 2023 M.Sc., McGill University and Montréal Institute for Learning Algorithms Henderson's research focuses on the critical intersection of artificial intelligence and law, with particular emphasis on AI safety, methods to improve reasoning in foundation models, interdisciplinary approaches to law and AI, and AI governance. His work spans language-grounded reinforcement learning, alignment techniques, strategic decision-making in legal contexts, and public interest artificial intelligence. He investigates how legal frameworks can guide the development of AI systems that benefit society while addressing potential harms. Henderson's recent publications reveal a strong trajectory toward addressing the safety, governance, and legal implications of foundation models. His work combines rigorous technical AI research with deep legal analysis, particularly examining how intellectual property law interacts with AI development, regulatory pathways that balance innovation with harm prevention, and the role of law in shaping responsible AI deployment. A significant thread throughout his research is the development of better evaluation methodologies for AI systems, especially in critical domains like law. SEAS Excellence in Teaching Award (2025) Henderson leads the Princeton Law+Language, AI, & Society (POLARIS) Lab, where he advises students and researchers working at the intersection of AI and legal studies. His research has been supported through collaborations with government agencies, including work with the IRS on audit selection algorithms. His findings have informed practical applications in government efficiency and equity, as well as legal system improvements. Henderson runs the POLARIS Lab at Princeton, which focuses on developing AI systems that work for the public interest, particularly in legal contexts. His team develops sequential decision-making systems for government efficiency, foundation models capable of reasoning about law, and improved safety evaluation frameworks for AI systems. The lab maintains strong connections with legal practitioners and policymakers to ensure research has real-world impact.
Dr. Oana Cocarascu is a Senior Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence at the Department of Informatics, Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences, King's College London. She holds a PhD and MEng in Computing (Artificial Intelligence) from Imperial College London and conducts applied research focusing on how artificial intelligence can be deployed to support real-world applications, with machine learning and natural language processing as core components of her work. Her research interests span argument mining, explainable AI, machine learning, natural language processing, and symbolic reasoning. She is particularly focused on developing AI systems that can provide transparent, accountable, and ethical decision-making processes. Her work addresses critical challenges in bias mitigation, fairness metrics, fact verification systems, and argumentation-based explanations for complex AI decisions. Analysis of her recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a strong focus on fairness in AI systems, with particular attention to individual fairness metrics and nuanced evaluation frameworks. She has made significant contributions to fact verification systems, especially in multimodal contexts involving charts and tabular data. Her work increasingly integrates argumentation theory with natural language processing to create explainable AI systems that can justify their decisions through structured reasoning. Dr. Cocarascu leads an EPSRC-funded project titled 'A framework for evaluating and explaining the robustness of NLP models' (2024-2027) and is actively involved in the Natural Language Processing Group at KCL. Her research fingerprint shows strong activity in argumentation (100%), decision-making (74%), artificial intelligence (50%), explainable AI (39%), and bias mitigation (35%). She has contributed to numerous high-impact publications in top venues including ACL, EMNLP, AAAI, and the Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research, with a particular focus on making AI systems more transparent, accountable, and aligned with human values. Her work intersects with UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to reducing inequality and building resilient infrastructure.
Gerald L. Neuman is the J. Sinclair Armstrong Professor of International, Foreign, and Comparative Law at Harvard Law School (HLS), where he serves as Director of the Human Rights Program. His expertise spans human rights, constitutional law, immigration law, and international legal frameworks. Previously, he taught at the University of Pennsylvania Law School (1984-1992) and Columbia Law School (1992-2006). Research Interests: Neuman's work focuses on: Human rights in populist and pandemic contexts Transnational constitutionalism Immigration law and extraterritorial constitutional rights Age discrimination as a human rights violation Impeachment's role in human rights protection Indirect discrimination analysis Selected Trends: His recent articles examine pandemic-era immigration policies ( Title 42 ), impeachment mechanisms for human rights violations, and age discrimination frameworks. Publications show consistent engagement with: Constitutional law intersections Comparative legal analysis Administrative law critiques Human rights treaty body applications Scientific Contributions: Neuman's work appears in leading journals like Harvard International Law Journal and Harvard Human Rights Journal . He has organized workshops on indirect discrimination related to: Sexual orientation/gender identity Chronological age Religious practice Disability rights Pandemic policy impacts He has served as a UN expert workshop organizer and contributed to international human rights literature through edited volumes and treaty analysis.
Ashley Montanaro is Professor of Quantum Computation in the School of Mathematics at the University of Bristol, and co-founder of the quantum software startup Phasecraft. He is a member of the Quantum Information Theory research group at Bristol. His research focuses on the theory of quantum computing, with particular interest in quantum algorithms, computational complexity, quantum query and communication complexity, and classical algorithms. His work spans both theoretical foundations and practical applications of quantum computing. Montanaro's research output shows significant trends toward quantum algorithms for optimization problems, quantum computational supremacy, and bridging theoretical advances with practical implementation challenges. His publications span foundational quantum information theory to applied quantum algorithms, demonstrating a versatile research program that connects computer science with quantum physics. Among his professional activities, Montanaro served on the QIP steering committee (2016-2018) and was an editor for the Quantum journal until 2019. He has been active in conference organization, serving on program committees for ITCS 2018, AQIS 2017 and 2015, QIP 2015, and TQC 2014 and 2013, reflecting his standing in the quantum computing research community. He has supervised numerous PhD students including Josh Blake, Jorja Kirk, Sheila Perez Garcia, Sami Boulebnane, Jan Lukas Bosse, Lana Mineh, Joao F. Doriguello, Chris Cade, Sam Pallister, and Stephen Piddock. His teaching includes Quantum Computation (MATHM0023) which he has taught since 2014 and Advanced Quantum Information Theory which he taught in 2015 and 2016. As co-founder of Phasecraft, Montanaro is actively translating theoretical quantum computing advances into practical software solutions, positioning him at the intersection of academic research and quantum technology commercialization.
Laverne Jacobs, PhD, is a Full Professor at the University of Windsor's Faculty of Law where she holds the Research Chair in Disability Equality & Administrative Justice. She serves as the founder and Director of the Law, Disability & Social Change Project, a research and public policy center dedicated to fostering inclusive communities. Notably, Professor Jacobs was elected to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2022, becoming the first Canadian to serve on this UN Human Rights Treaty Body. She also serves as Co-Director of the Disability Rights Working Group at Berkeley Law's Center for Comparative Equality & Anti-Discrimination Law and previously held the position of Associate Dean (Research & Graduate Studies) for the Faculty of Law from 2018-2021. B.A. (Honours), McGill University, 1994 LL.B., McGill University, 1999 B.C.L., McGill University, 1999 Ph.D., Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, 2009 Professor Jacobs' research sits at the intersection of disability equality law and administrative law and justice, characterized by an interest in the everyday work of the administrative justice system and the lived experiences of people who use it, particularly persons with disabilities. Her work spans disability rights, administrative justice, human rights law, socio-legal theory, and empirical research methodologies. She has made significant contributions to understanding accessibility legislation, transportation inequality, post-secondary education access for students with disabilities, and the implementation of disability equality principles in administrative decision-making. Her scholarship bridges theoretical legal frameworks with practical applications, emphasizing citizen participation in policy development and the importance of inclusive design in legal systems. Analysis of Professor Jacobs' recent publications reveals a consistent focus on how administrative law can better serve persons with disabilities through inclusive design and accessible processes. Her work demonstrates growing attention to intersectional issues, particularly how women with disabilities experience administrative systems, and increasingly examines the implementation challenges of accessibility legislation across Canadian jurisdictions. She frequently employs empirical research methods to ground her legal analysis in real-world experiences of marginalized communities. Scientific Awards and Honors: Canadian Bar Association Touchstone Award (2021) Canadian Association of Law Teachers (CALT) Academic Excellence Award (2022) Hummingbird Award from the Disabled Women's Network of Canada (DaWN), 2022 Election to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2022) Professor Jacobs has held significant leadership roles including service on the Board of Directors of the Income Security Advocacy Centre and the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice. Through her role as Director of the Law, Disability & Social Change Project, she has secured research funding to support policy-relevant scholarship on disability rights and administrative justice. Her work has influenced accessibility legislation development across Canada, particularly through her annotated version of the Accessible Canada Act. She provides expert consultation to government bodies and international organizations on disability rights implementation. The Law, Disability & Social Change Project serves as Professor Jacobs' primary research hub, bringing together interdisciplinary scholars, disability advocates, and policy makers to develop practical solutions for creating more inclusive legal and administrative systems. The project has produced numerous research reports, policy briefs, and public resources that translate academic research into actionable recommendations for improving accessibility and disability equality in Canadian society.
Haruka Nagao is an Assistant Professor at the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages within the University of Oregon . Their research focuses on health governance , Africa-China relations , gender dynamics , public opinion , soft power diplomacy , and East Asia . Recent publications highlight interdisciplinary trends: (1) Public Health and Health Governance (e.g., mental health in rural China, prenatal care, vaccine distribution), (2) Political Science and Policy Analysis (e.g., grassroots elections, women's leadership, immigration policy), and (3) International Relations and Diplomacy (e.g., China's global soft power, Africa-China collaborations). Their work integrates China studies with comparative analysis , addressing intersections between social networks , democratic understanding , and global health politics .
