Hanna Schwander is a Full Professor and Chair of Political Sociology and Social Policy at Humboldt University of Berlin. She leads the Einstein Research Unit ‘Coping with Affective Polarization’ and directs the Berlin Polarization Monitor, a large-scale panel study tracking polarization dynamics. Her research intersects comparative politics, political sociology, and political economy, focusing on welfare state transformations, labor market inequality, and climate policy. Previously, she held professorships at the Hertie School of Governance and the University of Zurich, with prior roles at institutions like the European University Institute and University of Oxford. Education includes a PhD from the University of Zurich (2012) and a Licentiate in Political Science from the same institution (2008). Research projects include exploring the political feasibility of climate policies, the rise of Green parties, and the role of Universal Basic Income. She has been funded by the Einstein Foundation and the Berlin University Alliance. Key research areas include affective polarization, distributive politics, and the societal impacts of economic inequality. Her work examines how structural challenges like climate change and welfare reforms influence political processes. Teaching focuses on comparative political economy, party politics, and inequality studies.
Rebecca M Ryan is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Georgetown University, holding a primary appointment in the College. Her research bridges developmental psychology and public policy, focusing on the impact of socioeconomic disadvantage on children’s environments and well-being. She co-developed interventions like Connect to Baby and evaluates programs such as the Power Packs food assistance initiative. Her work emphasizes parent-child interactions and economic disparities affecting family dynamics. Educations: Columbia University – Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology (2006) Harvard University – M.Ed. (Year unspecified) Princeton University – B.A. (Year unspecified) Research Interests: Socioeconomic disadvantage and child development Parenting practices in at-risk contexts Food insecurity and public policy Intergenerational inequality Her lab, the Context, Development & Social Policy Lab, aims to identify strategies supporting equitable child development through research, practice, and policy. Grants & Funding: Continuously supported by NIH, NSF, Russell Sage Foundation, and W.T. Grant Foundation. Recent work explores interventions addressing poverty, education, and family well-being. Labs & Teams: Leads the Context, Development & Social Policy Lab, focused on equity-driven research to improve outcomes for marginalized youth. Current projects include mixed-methods evaluations of food assistance programs and parenting interventions.
Dr. Mike Molesworth is an Associate Professor in Marketing at the Department of Marketing, Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham. He has been teaching marketing communications and digital marketing since 1999 and is actively engaged in research, supervision, and academic publishing. His educational background includes a PhD in Consumer Culture, a CIM Diploma, a PGCTHE, and a BA(Hons) in Advertising Management. Mike Molesworth's research centers on critical and qualitative approaches to marketing, with a focus on digital consumption, consumer culture, and ethical dimensions of digital media. He employs psychoanalytic and interpretive methods to explore consumer behavior, particularly in relation to digital possessions, online platforms, and corporate responsibility. His work often challenges dominant narratives in marketing and examines the emotional, symbolic, and institutional complexities of contemporary consumption. His recent publications reveal a strong trend in examining the paradoxes of digital life, including human-AI relationships, digital ownership, consumer resistance, and the emotional dynamics of corporate responsibility. He frequently collaborates with scholars such as Grigore, Denegri-Knott, and Jenkins, contributing to leading journals in marketing and management. He teaches modules such as Marketing Communications, International Brand Management, and Consumer Behaviour, and is an experienced PhD supervisor interested in critical marketing, consumer culture, psychoanalytic approaches, and corporate responsibility in digital contexts. Mike Molesworth has not received any explicitly mentioned scientific awards in the provided text. He supervises PhD students in areas related to critical marketing and consumer culture, though specific student names are not listed. He is involved in research projects exploring digital goods, platform economies, and ethical consumption, often using qualitative and interpretive methodologies. There is no mention of specific labs or research teams led by him, but his collaborative work suggests active participation in research networks within the Department of Marketing and beyond.
Judit Vall Castelló is a Full Professor in the Department of Economics at the Universitat de Barcelona and a key researcher at the Institut d’Economia de Barcelona (IEB-UB), where she serves as Director of the Public Policies Research Program. She is also an external affiliated researcher at CRES-UPF and a Research Fellow at IZA. Her academic affiliations reflect a strong commitment to interdisciplinary research in public policy and applied economics. Her research focuses on the evaluation of public policies, particularly in Health Economics and Labour Economics . She employs advanced econometric methods to assess the causal impact of policy interventions on health outcomes, labor market dynamics, and social inequalities. Her work often uses quasi-experimental designs and natural experiments to draw robust conclusions. The trends in her recent publications reveal a consistent engagement with pressing societal issues such as healthcare access, aging populations, unemployment, mental health, and policy reforms. Her studies span multiple countries and leverage large administrative datasets, contributing significantly to both academic literature and evidence-based policymaking. Scientific Awards: ICREA Academia (2022) Fulbright-Schuman Grant Robert Solow Postdoctoral Fellowship Pre-doctoral Marie Curie Research Fellow Judit Vall Castelló has advised numerous PhD and Master’s students in economics and public policy, though specific names are not listed. She has secured competitive research funding through national and international programs, including collaborations with NBER, UNICEF, and Cambridge University. Her research has informed policy debates in Europe and beyond. She is actively involved in research teams at IEB and CRES-UPF, contributing to collaborative projects on health systems, labor markets, and fiscal federalism. Her leadership in the Public Policies Research Program fosters interdisciplinary dialogue and innovation in policy evaluation.
Gabriella Berloffa is a Full Professor in the Department of Economics and Management at the University of Trento, where she has served since 2005. She directs the department and participates in university governance as a member of the University Council. PhD in Economics, University of York (1997) MSc in Economics (Distinction), University of York (1994) BA in Economia Politica (Cum Laude), University of Trento (1993) Her research focuses on household economic decisions (consumption, savings, labor supply) and their impacts on welfare and inequality , spanning both developed and developing nations. Key contributions include analyzing European economic inequality , youth unemployment dynamics , and household risk-coping strategies . Recent publications emphasize labor market quality , gender disparities , and microeconomic modeling , employing advanced econometric techniques and qualitative methods. She led the STYLE EU FP7 project (2014–2017) on youth transitions and contributed to national research on labor policies and poverty analysis . Sir Austin Robinson Memorial Prize (1997) Berloffa has advised doctoral programs since 2005, chaired institutional committees, and served as referee for journals including Economic Journal and Journal of Development Studies . Her policy work includes presentations at the European Commission and Italian institutions.
Dr. Renata Casado is a Lecturer in the Management and Organisations department at the UWA Business School, University of Western Australia. She holds a PhD (2017), MBA in Organizational Studies (2008), and MBA in Marketing (2007). Her research focuses on labour market dynamics of minority groups, including migrants and women, with specialties in skilled migration, psychological contracts, and domestic violence leave policies. She teaches courses on Strategic HRM, Employment Relations, and Diversity & Inclusion, currently coordinating the Master's in Human Resources and Employment Relations. Education: PhD in Management & Organisations, University of Western Australia (2017) Masters in Organizational Studies, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (2008) MBA in Marketing, IBMEC (2007) Research Interests: Brazilian migration patterns, ethnic entrepreneurship, career sustainability, and policy impacts on marginalized groups. Current projects include Brazilian entrepreneurship collaboration with Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil. Awards: UWA Business School Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2024) UWA Responsible Business Fellow (2024) Heneman Prize in Industrial Relations (2017) Her work bridges migration studies with organizational behavior, emphasizing qualitative methodologies. She also contributes to policy research on domestic violence leave and gendered violence prevention through an active grant (2025-2026).
Rachel Dwyer is a Professor of Sociology and Vice Chair at The Ohio State University (OSU). She is affiliated with the OSU Institute for Population Research and the Translational Data Analytics Institute. Her research focuses on social inequality, wealth disparities, and financial strain, examining how economic structures impact employment, housing, and health outcomes. Ph.D. in Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2003) Dwyer’s work explores job polarization, credit/debt dynamics, and neighborhood segregation. Her recent studies highlight how middle-wage job stagnation exacerbates income inequality and how financial systems disproportionately affect marginalized populations. Her article trends reveal interdisciplinary engagement with economic sociology, policy analysis, and health disparities. She investigates systemic factors like state regulations, labor market shifts, and social safety nets in shaping financial insecurity.
Camille Peugny is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), where he has been teaching since September 2018. He serves as the Director of the PRINTEMPS laboratory and is a Co-manager of SOSI DEMAIN. Additionally, he acts as a Scientific Advisor to France Stratégie. His academic journey includes being a Lecturer at Paris 8 University and researcher at CRESPPA-CSU from 2009 to 2018, and he completed his Sociology thesis at Sciences Po in 2007 under the direction of Alain Chenu. Professor Peugny teaches several courses including "Ages and Generations in Europe" (Master 1 Sociology), "Sociology of Education" (L2), and "Questionnaire survey" (L2). His research primarily focuses on social stratification and inequality, work and social classes, and youth and generations. He has directed special journal issues including "Emploi, travail, environnement : l'heure des transitions" (Travail et Emploi, 2023) and "Repenser les inégalités entre les générations" (Revue française de sociologie, 2013). His research output demonstrates a consistent focus on social inequality, with particular attention to intergenerational mobility, employment polarization in Europe, and the social conditions of marginalized workers. Recent work has increasingly addressed environmental concerns among different age groups and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth. His publications reveal methodological diversity spanning quantitative analysis of European datasets, qualitative fieldwork among cleaning women, and theoretical contributions to understanding social reproduction. Director of PRINTEMPS laboratory Scientific Advisor to France Stratégie Co-manager of SOSI DEMAIN Professor Peugny's academic leadership extends to directing significant research projects on employment polarization across European countries and conducting field studies on the working conditions of cleaning women employed by personal services companies. He has supervised numerous research initiatives examining social stratification, political participation among working classes, and intergenerational inequality. As Director of the PRINTEMPS laboratory, Professor Peugny oversees a research environment focused on social inequality, stratification, and mobility.
Maxim Bolt is an Associate Professor of Development Studies at the University of Oxford's Department of International Development (ODID). He also holds positions as a Research Associate at the Wits Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of the Witwatersrand, and a Senior Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of African Studies and Anthropology at the University of Birmingham. Previously, he worked at the University of Birmingham and the British Museum, where he conducted fieldwork for the 'Money in Africa' project. Bolt's research focuses on economic anthropology in southern Africa, particularly examining labor, migration, borders, money, property inheritance, class, and the state. His early work investigated South Africa's border with Zimbabwe, focusing on commercial agriculture, black workforces, and white landowners during Zimbabwe's economic and political crisis. His current research explores property inheritance, state institutions, and class reproduction in Johannesburg, analyzing how inheritance processes connect to kinship, property, and legal systems in post-apartheid South Africa. Bolt's publication record reveals a consistent focus on economic anthropology with growing emphasis on legal anthropology and urban studies. His earlier works centered on border studies, farm labor, and migration patterns, while recent publications increasingly address property law, inheritance systems, and urban governance in South Africa. His research shows a clear trajectory from examining labor relations in rural border contexts to analyzing how legal frameworks shape urban property relations and class formation. Scientific Awards Recipient of the 2016 British Sociological Association / BBC Thinking Allowed Ethnography Award for 'Zimbabwe's Migrants and South Africa's Border Farms: The Roots of Impermanence' Shortlisted for the 2016 Herskovits Prize (African Studies Association, USA) Shortlisted for the 2016 biennial Fage and Oliver Prize (African Studies Association of the UK) Delivered the prestigious Malinowski Memorial Lecture in 2018 Bolt serves as a doctoral supervisor for DPhil projects taking ethnographic approaches to economic life, state institutions, and formal/informal institutions, primarily focused on African contexts. His research has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK. He has previously held editorial positions as Editor of AFRICA: Journal of the International African Institute and the Journal of Southern African Studies , and currently serves on the editorial boards of these journals plus African Studies Review . Bolt's scholarly work demonstrates strong institutional connections across British and South African academic networks, with particular emphasis on how legal frameworks intersect with everyday economic practices in urban South Africa, especially regarding property inheritance and class reproduction in the post-apartheid context.
Professor Ruth Patrick is a Professor of Social Policy at the University of York, currently holding a part-time role in the School for Business and Society. She joined York in 2018 and previously served as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Liverpool. Her doctoral work at the University of Leeds explored the lived experiences of welfare reform. Beyond academia, she has extensive experience in practice-oriented roles, including work with Shelter and Foundation (housing support for offenders) and think tanks like the Fabian Society and IPPR. Her academic background includes a BA, MA, and PhD from Leeds. Her research focuses on bridging the gap between political narratives on poverty and the lived realities of those relying on social security. Key areas include welfare conditionality, participatory methodologies, and the impact of austerity policies on larger families. She leads major projects like Covid Realities and its successor Changing Realities , which engage low-income families in participatory research to drive policy change. Another project, largerfamilies.study , investigates the effects of the two-child limit and benefit cap. Publications highlight her critical analysis of welfare systems, devolution, and family policies. Recent works emphasize participatory research’s role in policy advocacy, particularly during the cost-of-living crisis. She advocates for inclusive policy-making that prioritizes lived experiences. Professor Patrick combines academic leadership with grants from ESRC and the British Academy. She supervises PhD students in areas like poverty representations, co-produced methodologies, and social citizenship. She serves on Oxfam’s UK Poverty Policy Advisory Group and editorial boards of prominent journals. Her collaborative work includes partnerships with groups such as the Dole Animators and ATD Fourth World, emphasizing participatory solutions to poverty. She actively contributes to public discourse through media articles and blogs, challenging stigmatizing narratives and advocating for systemic reforms.
Nikos Drosos serves as Assistant Professor at the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Humanities, Social and Education Sciences, European University Cyprus, where he coordinates the MA programme in Career Guidance and Counselling. His academic career spans over a decade with significant contributions to career counseling theory and practice, particularly in vulnerable populations and crisis contexts. Dr. Drosos' educational background includes: PhD in Psychology (2011), National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, thesis: 'Career Maturity and Career Decision-Making of adolescents from diverse cultural background' MSc in Counselling and Career Guidance (2006), National & Kapodistrian University of Athens BA in Psychology (2007), National & Kapodistrian University of Athens BA in Philosophy, Pedagogy & Psychology (2002), National & Kapodistrian University of Athens His research focuses on career decision-making mechanisms, career adaptability in volatile labor markets, and psychosocial interventions for migrants, refugees, and mental health service users. He investigates how economic crises impact career development trajectories and develops culturally adapted assessment tools like the NADINE Soft Skills Tests. His work bridges vocational psychology with social inclusion policy, emphasizing evidence-based career counseling practices in multicultural contexts. Analysis of his 2021-2024 publications reveals a strong thematic cluster around career resilience in post-pandemic and economic crisis scenarios, with growing emphasis on digital assessment tools for vulnerable populations. His research consistently addresses methodological innovation in cross-cultural psychometrics while maintaining practical applicability for career counselors. Key recognitions include: Wiley’s Research Headlines selection (2021) for career services innovation International award for innovative social inclusion work (2017) Sylff Fellowship for academic excellence (2002) Multiple national distinctions for academic achievements As MA programme coordinator, he mentors graduate students in career counseling methodologies. He has secured over €2M in EU research funding through ERASMUS+ and Creative Europe projects including Work4Psy (supporting mental health NEETs), ART4PSY (art-based social inclusion), and Learn4Carers (caregiver training). His grants consistently target marginalized groups through interdisciplinary collaborations across 12 European countries. Dr. Drosos co-leads the NADINE research consortium developing migrant assessment tools and serves on the Scientific Committee of the European Doctoral Programme in Career Guidance and Counselling (ECADOC). He actively contributes to PEPSAEE (as Treasurer) and ELETYPE, shaping national policies for psychosocial rehabilitation and supported employment in Greece.
Moses Kansanga is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at George Washington University, holding a PhD from the University of Western Ontario. His research focuses on agriculture and sustainable food systems, political ecology, natural resource management, environment and health, and Sub-Saharan Africa. He teaches GEOG 3195/6293: Agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems. Research Interests: Prof. Kansanga explores how climate change, policy frameworks, and socio-cultural dynamics intersect with food security, natural resource governance, and gender equity in African contexts. His work emphasizes community-led solutions, agroecological practices, and the political dimensions of environmental conservation. Recent studies investigate smallholder farmers' adaptation strategies, the impact of mechanization on gender roles, and the role of social capital in climate resilience. Key Contributions: His research spans Ghana, Malawi, and Canada, addressing topics like charcoal trade governance, migrant women's food insecurity, and solar-powered food preservation technologies. He critiques conventional conservation models and advocates for participatory approaches to agricultural policy. Affiliations: Full-time faculty member at GWU's Department of Geography. Engaged in interdisciplinary collaborations on climate resilience and food systems. Grants & Projects: No specific grants mentioned in provided texts. Active in publishing peer-reviewed articles focusing on Sub-Saharan Africa's environmental and socio-economic challenges.
Professor KK Tang is a faculty member in the School of Economics at The University of Queensland (UQ), holding the rank of Professor. His research focuses on Health Economics, Development Economics, and International Economics, with an emphasis on mental health, health inequality, income insecurity, and trade liberalization. He holds a PhD from the Australian National University, complemented by prior degrees including a Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced) from the University of Hong Kong. His research projects include studies on inequality of opportunity in Australia, the use of public hospitals by private patients, and lifelong education’s impact on health and policy. He has authored over 60 journal articles, contributing to leading journals such as Economics and Human Biology and Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization . Professor Tang is available for student supervision and actively engages in collaborative research initiatives. His work frequently intersects with policy analysis, addressing issues like housing insecurity, financial hardship, and global economic dynamics. He has contributed to interdisciplinary studies on topics ranging from university rankings to supercomputing impacts on high-tech industries.
Sade Bonilla is an Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE) and Senior Research Specialist at the Consortium for Policy Research in Education. Her work focuses on education policies' transformative potential for marginalized youth, particularly in high school-to-college transitions and labor market readiness. She leads research-practitioner partnerships to generate actionable insights for schools and policymakers. Key research projects include the 'Cost-of-Living Grant Pilot on Community College Student Success' (funded by Arnold Ventures), examining financial aid's impact on completion rates and well-being, and a multi-site study on ethnic studies' effects on academic and social-emotional outcomes (funded by the Hewlett Foundation). She has held prestigious fellowships, including the 2019 Outstanding Predoctoral Fellow from IES and Spencer/NAEd Dissertation Fellowship (2018). Her recent work highlights barriers to postsecondary success, emphasizing mental health, financial stability, and structural inequities. Collaborations with institutions like Massachusetts community colleges and Bay Area districts demonstrate her commitment to real-world policy impact. Grants & Leadership: Principal Investigator for Arnold Ventures' financial aid study, Co-PI on Hewlett Foundation's ethnic studies research Community Engagement: Named inaugural Faculty Research Director for Penn GSE's Office of School and Community Engagement (2024) Her research teams utilize mixed methods, combining longitudinal data with student-centered qualitative insights to address systemic challenges in education equity.
Petra Lindfors is a Professor of Psychology, specializing in work and organizational psychology, at the Department of Psychology, Stockholm University. She has held this position since December 2013 and is actively involved in multiple research projects focusing on stress, health, and well-being across various contexts including workplaces, educational settings, and home environments. Her academic journey began with her thesis defense in 2002, which focused on stress, health, and well-being among teleworking women and men as part of the Boundless Work project. She was accepted as an associate professor in psychology at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Stockholm University, in September 2006, and was hired as a lecturer at the Department of Psychology in July 2007. Throughout her career, she has maintained active research collaborations at both the Department of Psychology and the Centre for Health Equity Studies (CHESS) at Stockholm University/Karolinska Institutet. Lindfors' research interests span multiple dimensions of work and organizational psychology. Her primary focus is on self-reported and objective aspects of stress, health, and well-being among adults and young people across various contexts. She has developed significant expertise in workplace interventions related to harmful substance use, work-life balance, gender differences in work environments, and mental health promotion. Her work often examines how organizational structures and policies affect individual health outcomes, with particular attention to vulnerable populations and gender differences. Analysis of her recent publications reveals strong thematic consistency centered on occupational health psychology. Her research employs both variable-oriented and person-oriented approaches to examine job insecurity, work-home interference, stress responses, and health outcomes. A notable trend is her increasing focus on methodological innovation, particularly in studying workplace interventions and mental health among young adults. Her work bridges theoretical organizational psychology with practical workplace applications, often resulting in concrete recommendations for employers and policymakers. Two-year post-doc scholarship from the Anna Ahlström and Ellen Terserus Foundation (2005) Associate editor for the Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies (since 2021) Member of the Quality Council for the Swedish Work Environment Authority (2019-2022) As an academic supervisor, Lindfors has mentored an impressive number of doctoral students, with completions spanning from 2008 to the projected 2025 graduation of Anna S Tanimoto. She has served as main supervisor for numerous successful academics who have gone on to professorial positions, including Ulrica von Thiele Schwarz at Mälardalen University College. Her supervisory approach appears comprehensive, extending beyond thesis completion to postdoctoral mentorship and career development. Regarding research funding, she has secured significant grants from AFA Försäkring for projects examining organizational interventions for health-promoting work, and has been involved with Stockholm Stress Center, a FORTE-financed interdisciplinary research center. Her work demonstrates sustained success in attracting competitive research funding across multiple domains of occupational health. Lindfors leads the research group 'Harmful use in the workplace – prevention and intervention,' which addresses critical issues related to alcohol, drug, and gambling problems in professional settings. She has also been instrumental in shaping the Department of Psychology's strategic direction, serving as chairman of the board of the Stockholm University Department of Psychology (SUPK) from 2016-2024 and currently as a regular member of the Department's board for 2024-2026. Her collaborative approach is evident in her involvement with multiple interdisciplinary projects, including those examining natural environments, cognitive abilities in military contexts, and school environments' impact on youth mental health.
