Amir Ahmadi Arian is an Iranian-American writer and Assistant Professor in the Department of English, General Literature and Rhetoric at Binghamton University (College of Arts and Sciences). He holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Queensland, Australia, an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University, and a BSc in Metallurgy Engineering from the University of Tehran, Iran. His research and teaching focus on creative writing, world literature, postcolonial novels, and Persian poetry. He has published two novels, a story collection, and a nonfiction book in Persian, and translated works by E.L. Doctorow, Paul Auster, P.D. James, and Cormac McCarthy into Persian. His English-language publications include fiction in Harper’s , The Paris Review , The New York Times , and other prestigious venues. His debut English novel Then the Fish Swallowed Him (HarperVia/HarperCollins, 2020) received critical acclaim from The New Yorker , Publishers Weekly , and Kirkus Reviews for its political themes and interior portrayal of oppression.
Farzad Mashayek is a Professor and Department Head of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Arizona, College of Engineering. He is a member of the Graduate Faculty and leads the Computational Multiphase Transport Laboratory. His research integrates high-fidelity simulations, machine learning, and experimental validation across diverse domains in fluid dynamics and energy systems. Educational Background: PhD in Mechanical Engineering, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY MS in Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran BS in Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran His research interests include turbulent reacting flows, plasma dynamics, electrostatic atomization, solid-ion and lithium batteries, computational fluid dynamics, and machine learning applications in engineering. He employs high-order spectral element methods, phase-field modeling, and deep neural networks to study complex multiphysics phenomena such as drop impact, battery degradation, and turbulence modeling. The recent publications reflect a strong trend toward integrating machine learning with multiphysics simulations, particularly in battery safety (thermal runaway prediction), materials characterization (STEM image analysis), and fluid dynamics (modal analysis of turbulence). His work often involves collaboration with experimental groups to validate models, especially in dental aerosol suppression and electrohydrodynamics. Scientific Awards: Sustained Service Award, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Spring 2022 Best Presentation Award, The 20th International Conference on Computational Mathematics, Parallel and Distributed Computing, Summer I 2018 Dr. Mashayek has secured funding from NSF (GOALI program) for controlled coating via charged droplet deposition. He advises graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in computational mechanics and energy systems, fostering interdisciplinary research. He has contributed to engineering education, particularly during the pandemic, with active learning strategies in online instruction. He leads a dynamic research team focused on advancing simulation tools and applying them to real-world challenges in energy, manufacturing, and public health.
Maryam Alemzadeh is Associate Professor in History and Politics of Iran at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA), University of Oxford, and a Middle East Centre Fellow. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Chicago (2018) and previously held postdoctoral positions at Brandeis University and Princeton University. Education Ph.D. in Sociology, University of Chicago (2018) Research Interests Dr. Alemzadeh specializes in revolutions, state-building, militias, and modern Iran, examining how individual actions shape political structures through micro-level analysis. Her work integrates sociological theory with Middle Eastern studies to explore the interplay of religion, military institutions, and everyday practice in revolutionary contexts, with a current focus on the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Publication Trends Her recent publications analyze Iran's regional dynamics following Soleimani's assassination and review scholarly works on Iranian history. These demonstrate consistent expertise in military institutions, gender dynamics, and post-revolutionary state consolidation, bridging sociology and Middle Eastern studies while emphasizing micro-foundations of political phenomena.
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and ArtUnited States
Henry Colburn is an Adjunct Assistant Professor specializing in classical art and archaeology, with degrees from the University of Michigan (PhD), University of Colorado, and University of St. Andrews. His research focuses on ancient Iran and interconnected regions including the Near East, Eastern Mediterranean, and Central Asia. Research interests span art historiography, cultural identity, globalization, and material culture studies of seals, coins, and drinking vessels. He serves on the Metropolitan Museum of Art's advisory committee for Ancient Near Eastern galleries reinstallation and is a research associate at the University of Michigan's Kelsey Museum of Archaeology. Major projects include publishing seals from the Persepolis Fortification Archive and studying a 19th-century Persian manuscript documenting Achaemenid and Sasanian sites. His book Archaeology of Empire in Achaemenid Egypt was published in 2020.
Dr. Herb Lin is the Hank J. Holland Fellow in Cyber Policy and Security at the Hoover Institution and Senior Research Scholar for Cyber Policy and Security at the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), both at Stanford University. He also serves as Chief Scientist, Emeritus for the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board of the National Academies, where he worked from 1990 to 2014, and as Adjunct Senior Research Scholar and Senior Fellow in Cybersecurity at Columbia University's Saltzman Institute for War and Peace Studies. Dr. Lin received his doctorate in physics from MIT, providing him with a strong technical foundation that informs his policy work at the intersection of technology and national security. His academic background bridges the gap between deep technical understanding and policy application in the cybersecurity domain. Dr. Lin's research focuses on the policy dimensions of cybersecurity and cyberspace, with particular emphasis on offensive cyber operations as instruments of national policy, information warfare, and influence operations affecting national security. His work addresses critical challenges at the intersection of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and their implications for nuclear security, election integrity, and democratic processes. He has been instrumental in analyzing how cyber capabilities are transforming traditional security paradigms and how policy frameworks must adapt to these changes. His extensive publication record reveals a consistent focus on the evolving relationship between cyber capabilities and national security strategy. Lin's work demonstrates increasing attention to the implications of artificial intelligence for warfare, the vulnerabilities created by quantum computing for current cryptographic systems, and the growing threat of cyber-enabled information warfare to democratic institutions. His research trajectory shows a progression from traditional cybersecurity issues toward the broader implications of digital technologies for national and international security. Member of Science and Security Board of Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Served on President Obama's Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity (2016) Regular congressional testimony on cybersecurity matters Contributor to Stanford Emerging Technology Review As a mentor and collaborator, Dr. Lin works extensively with policymakers, military officials, and technology experts to translate complex cybersecurity concepts into actionable policy recommendations. His approach emphasizes practical solutions to emerging threats while recognizing the technical limitations and policy constraints that shape real-world security outcomes. Dr. Lin is associated with multiple research initiatives including Stanford's Center for International Security and Cooperation and the Stanford Emerging Technology Review, which aim to connect technological advances with policy considerations for national security decision-makers.
Dr. Nima Naghibi is a Professor of English at Toronto Metropolitan University, specializing in postcolonial and diasporic studies with a focus on Iran. She holds a PhD from the University of Alberta. Education: PhD in English, University of Alberta Research Interests: Explores postcolonial theory, diasporic literatures, trauma narratives, and human rights through the lens of immigrant/refugee experiences. Her work emphasizes Middle Eastern studies, particularly Iranian contexts, and the intersections of social justice with literary forms. Publications: Authored two monographs and contributed to journals like English Studies in Canada and Radical History Review . Her 2016 work Women Write Iran examines diasporic Iranian women's narratives, while earlier scholarship interrogates Western feminist frameworks in relation to Iran. Awards: No awards explicitly mentioned in the text. Advisees/Grants: No current advisees or grant details listed. She teaches courses related to life narratives and exile literature.
Prof. Dr. Kianoosh Rezania is a Professor of West Asian Religious History and Director of the Käte Hamburger Kolleg Dynamics of Religious History at Ruhr University Bochum. His research focuses on Zoroastrianism, Iranian religions, and the history of religions, with a particular emphasis on ancient Iranian languages and interreligious dynamics. He holds a Ph.D. from Georg-August University Göttingen and has conducted extensive research on topics such as Zoroastrian cosmology, Sasanian-Zoroastrian interactions, and the transmission of religious texts. His work combines philological analysis with historical and cultural studies approaches. Rezania's academic career includes roles as a research associate at Göttingen University and his habilitation project on spatial concepts in early Zoroastrianism. He has directed major research initiatives like the Graduate School of Metaphor and Religion (GSMR) and the Käte Hamburger Kolleg. His publications span monographs, edited volumes, and peer-reviewed articles exploring themes such as religious economics, Middle Persian lexicography, and cross-cultural exchanges between the Safavid and Mughal empires. His current projects include the 'Zoroastrian Middle Persian: Digital Corpus and Dictionary' initiative and studies on Pahlavi literature's interreligious context. He collaborates internationally, leading interdisciplinary teams and contributing to digital humanities efforts in religious studies.
Cumrun Vafa is an Iranian-American theoretical physicist and the Hollis Professor of Mathematicks and Natural Philosophy at Harvard University. His research spans string theory, quantum gravity, and the interplay between geometry and quantum field theories. Born in Tehran, Iran (1960) BS in Mathematics and Physics from MIT (1981) PhD in Physics from Princeton University (1985) under Edward Witten His work includes foundational contributions to F-theory, black hole entropy via solitonic states, and geometric engineering of quantum field theories. He has published over 300 articles with collaborators like Robbert Dijkgraaf and Hirosi Ooguri. Recent research focuses on string dualities, mirror symmetry, and applications to unresolved particle physics problems. His articles emphasize connections between Toda theories, matrix models, and supersymmetric gauge systems. Notable awards include: ICTP Dirac Medal (2008) Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics (2016) Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics (2017) Mustafa Prize (2021) Election to American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2005) Election to National Academy of Sciences (2009) He has advised prominent students such as Freddy Cachazo and Daniel Jafferis. Vafa is also a trustee of the Network of Iranians for Knowledge and Innovation (NIKI).
Amir AghaKouchak is a Chancellor’s Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Samueli School of Engineering, University of California, Irvine (UCI). He directs the Center for Hydrometeorology and Remote Sensing (CHRS) and focuses on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of hydrology, climatology, statistics, and remote sensing. B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Civil Engineering (Water Resources), K.N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran (2001, 2005) Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Germany (2010) His research aims to leverage satellite data and ground observations to advance modeling of hydrologic extremes (droughts, floods, landslides) and develop decision-support systems for water resources management. Key areas include climate change impacts , stochastic modeling , and the water-energy nexus . Recent publications highlight his work on multi-hazard analysis, groundwater decline, wildfire resilience, and climate projections. Tools like MhAST and MvCAT demonstrate his methodological contributions to copula-based and multi-hazard modeling.
Roghayeh (Leila) Barmaki is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer & Information Sciences at the University of Delaware, where she leads the Human-Computer Interaction Lab (HCI@UD) and is affiliated with the Data Science Institute. Her research centers on Human-Centered Computing with applications in healthcare and medical education. Education: Postdoctoral Fellowship (2018): Johns Hopkins University, Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics, Whiting School of Engineering PhD (2016): University of Central Florida, Computer Science MSc (2012): Iran University of Science and Technology, Artificial Intelligence BSc: Kharazmi University, Software Engineering Her research spans Multimodal Machine Learning, Virtual and Augmented Reality, and Embodied Interface Design, focusing on innovative applications in healthcare delivery and science education. She teaches core courses including Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction (CISC 482/682) and Introduction to Data Mining (CISC 483/683), emphasizing hands-on project development and theoretical foundations. Dr. Barmaki directs the HCI@UD laboratory, which develops cutting-edge interfaces for medical training and patient care through interdisciplinary collaboration between computer science, engineering, and healthcare domains.
Prof. Dr. Christoph U. Werner is the Chair of Iranian Studies at Otto-Friedrich-University Bamberg since 2019, following his 12-year professorship at Marburg University (2007-2019) and previous academic roles. He specializes in Iranian Studies with focus areas in social history , legal institutions , Shiite religious structures , and Persophone literary history . As a Research Dean of Humanities and Cultural Studies (2023-2025) Managing Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies (2021-2025) President of Societas Iranologica Europaea (2019-2023) , he leads major academic initiatives. His research spans Qajar-era legal contracts Waqf (endowment) systems Persian-Ottoman-Georgian historical interconnections Manuscript studies of Persian documents , often combining archival analysis with interdisciplinary approaches. Recent publications focus on 20th-century Persian cultural politics, early modern Persian-Ottoman interactions, and legal epigraphy. He collaborates extensively with institutions like the University of Oxford's Invisible East and DFG Priority Programme Transottomanica . His editorial work includes Orientalistische Literaturzeitung (2022-) Persimone blog (2022-) Bamberg University Press publications and multiple Iranian academic journals.
Salim ROSTAMI is an Associate Professor at the IÉSEG School of Management in France, specializing in Operations Management. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics and Mathematics Sciences from KU Leuven (2019) and a Master’s in Engineering from KU Leuven (2013), alongside a Bachelor’s in Industrial Engineering from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (2012). His research focuses on scheduling under uncertainty, project planning, combinatorial optimization, and healthcare logistics. Notable achievements include the 2016 2nd Best Conference Paper Award from the University of Valencia. Education: Ph.D., Economics and Mathematics Sciences, Operations Management, KU Leuven, Belgium (2019) Master, Engineering, Operations Research, KU Leuven, Belgium (2013) Bachelor, Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran (2012) His work spans stochastic resource-constrained project scheduling, sequential testing of systems, and chemotherapy appointment scheduling. He has published widely in journals like the European Journal of Operational Research and Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal. Teaching roles include courses on operations management and project management across undergraduate and graduate programs. Awards: 2016: 2nd Best Conference Paper Award, University of Valencia His research emphasizes practical applications in healthcare and project management, leveraging dynamic programming and metaheuristic algorithms. Collaborations include work with institutions like École des Mines de Saint-Étienne and KU Leuven.
University of California, Los AngelesUnited States
Ali Mousavi is Assistant Professor of Iranian Archaeology in UCLA’s Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures and a core faculty member of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology. A Berkeley PhD and former fellow of the Smithsonian, Maison de l’Orient and Global Heritage Fund, he has directed excavations and UNESCO World-Heritage projects at Pasargadae, Bam, Susa, Sultaniyeh and Turang Tepe and authored prize-winning volumes Ancient Iran from the Air and Persepolis: Discovery and Afterlife of a World Wonder . Education PhD, Near Eastern Studies (Archaeology), University of California, Berkeley (2005) MA, Archaeology, History and Languages of Old World Civilizations, Université Lyon II, France (1997) BA, Archaeology and Art History of Europe and the East Mediterranean, Université Lyon II, France (1996) Research interests span the archaeology and art history of Iran from the Neolithic to the early-20th century, with particular focus on Achaemenid and Sasanian monumental architecture, ancient irrigation (qanats), landscape archaeology, digital heritage, and the modern historiography of Iranian archaeology. His field projects integrate remote sensing, epigraphy, GIS and conservation science to investigate imperial capitals, rock-cut monuments and water-management systems across the Iranian plateau. Across more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, Mousavi has re-examined dating criteria for Achaemenid stone monuments, analysed royal inscriptions as visual displays, traced medieval Persian pilgrims’ graffiti at ancient sites, and produced synthetic archaeological surveys of the Sasanian empire and the Central Alborz Iron-Age cultures. The corpus reflects a sustained engagement with primary field data, archival research and critical historiography of 19th- and 20th-century excavations. Selected honours Ehsan Yarshater Book Award (2014) Iranian Ministry of Culture World Book Award (2014) Leon Levy – Shelby White publication grant (2008) UNESCO award for World-Heritage nomination files (2003) Iran Heritage Foundation field-work award (2003) Guitty Azarpay Fellowship, UC Berkeley (2000-2003) IFRI Fellowship, Paris (1998) At UCLA he offers undergraduate courses “Archaeology of Iran” and “Ancient Cities of Iran (4000 BC-AD 1900)” and mentors graduate researchers in the Cotsen Institute. His grants and fellowships from NSF-equivalent European and American agencies underwrite both field seasons and publication of critical archaeological corpora, while his service on Iranian, UNESCO and international heritage boards continues to link scholarly output with heritage-management policy.
Jason Brownlee is a Professor in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on comparative politics, democracy, and authoritarianism, with a regional emphasis on the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Ph.D., Princeton University Contact: brownlee@austin.utexas.edu Research Interests : Brownlee investigates the persistence of authoritarian regimes, the political economy of repression, and the impact of foreign intervention on domestic politics. His work often analyzes Egypt, Iran, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Key Publications : Authoritarianism in an Age of Democratization (Cambridge, 2007) Democracy Prevention: The Politics of the U.S.-Egyptian Alliance (Cambridge, 2012) The Arab Spring: Pathways of Repression and Reform (Oxford, 2012, co-authored with Tarek Masoud and Andrew Reynolds) Teaching : Brownlee offers courses such as "War/Freedom in South Asia/Middle East" and "Issues & Policies in American Government," delivered both in-person and online.
University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignUnited States
Asef Bayat is Professor of Sociology and the Catherine and Bruce Bastian Professor of Global and Transnational Studies at the Department of Sociology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He has held previous academic positions at the American University in Cairo, Leiden University (where he held the Chair of Society and Culture of the Modern Middle East), and visiting appointments at UC Berkeley, Columbia University, Oxford, and Brown University. His research interests include: Political Sociology Collective Behavior and Social Movements Sociology of Religion Urban Life and Politics Islam and Modernity Contemporary Middle East Bayat's research focuses on the role of ordinary people and subaltern classes in social and political transformations, particularly in the context of the Arab Spring and Middle Eastern urban movements. His work bridges comparative and historical sociology with global and transnational perspectives, emphasizing everyday forms of resistance and the reconfiguration of political Islam. He has extensively explored the sociological dimensions of revolution, modernity, migration, and loss of home. His recent publications, including articles in International Journal of Urban and Regional Research and Journal of Democracy , reflect a sustained engagement with urban politics, revolutionary dynamics, and youth activism in the Global South. The recurring themes across his work include the agency of marginalized populations, the transformation of public space, and the evolving nature of political engagement in non-Western contexts. Bayat has received numerous honors and fellowships: Guggenheim Fellow Ford Foundation Fellow MacArthur Fellow Open Society Fellow Wissenschaftskolleg Fellow, Berlin He has been actively involved in academic leadership, having served as director of the International Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World (ISIM) and elected to the Board of the UN Research Institute for Social Development. He has taught key courses such as Global Social Movements, Global Religion and Politics, and Middle Eastern Societies. Though specific students are not listed, his role as a full professor and author of major works indicates extensive mentorship and academic advising. He is affiliated with multiple interdisciplinary centers, including the Center for African Studies, Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, European Union Center, and Center for Global Studies.
