Dr. Ina Säumel is a scientific collaborator at the Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences at Humboldt University of Berlin. Her work bridges urban ecology, biodiversity conservation, and socio-cultural dimensions of sustainability through participatory approaches. Research Focus : Urban sustainability transitions, nature-based solutions, medicinal plants, and climate change adaptation. Key Projects : Edible City Solutions, biochar conversion from agro-residues, and biodiversity assessments in urban cemeteries. Geographic Scope : Uruguay, Andes, South Tyrol, and Berlin. Emphasis on post-industrial and water-sensitive cities. Her recent publications highlight interdisciplinary methods in co-creation, land-use impacts on metacommunity structures, and health-promoting urban green spaces. Contact: ina.saeumel@hu-berlin.de
Patrick Wiseman is a Professor at Georgia State University College of Law, where he has taught since 1984. His courses include Real Property, Constitutional Law, Legislation, and Law and the Internet—a pioneering course for which he received the Instructional Innovation Award. He holds a B.A. from the University of Kent, a J.D. from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Colorado. Previously, he clerked for Judge Frank J. Battisti and served as a visiting professor at Santa Clara Law School. Wiseman's research focuses on Constitutional Law and Legal Education Technology . He is recognized for integrating web-based tools into legal pedagogy since 1995, fundamentally reshaping how law is taught. His scholarship examines judicial politics, property rights, and ethical jurisprudence, with recent work critiquing Supreme Court nomination processes and democratic representation. His publications demonstrate consistent engagement with constitutional interpretation, judicial decision-making, and legal pedagogy. Over 40% of his recent articles (2016-2017) analyze Supreme Court dynamics, reflecting a focus on institutional integrity during political transitions. Earlier works explore technology's role in legal education and philosophical foundations of law. Awards & Honors: Instructional Innovation Award (Georgia State University) Tom Creed Compassionate Pioneer Award (American Association for Higher Education) CALI Excellence in Service Award
Mathias Lerch serves as Lecturer and Head of the Urban Demography Laboratory (URBDEMO) at the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC) of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL). With expertise spanning population dynamics, urbanization, and demographic estimation, he bridges demography with urban planning and environmental science through interdisciplinary research on mortality, fertility, and migration patterns. His research centers on Population and Development, International Demography, and Urban Demography, examining how socioeconomic and environmental factors interact with demographic change. Methodologically, Lerch specializes in data collection, linkage, quality assessment, and advanced statistical modeling for demographic estimation and multi-regional projection, with particular focus on migration systems, fertility transitions, and mortality disparities in urban contexts. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2017-2025) reveals consistent investigation into migration patterns across rural-urban continua, fertility transitions in developing regions, and mortality outcomes in urban environments. His work demonstrates methodological innovation through multi-regional projection techniques and large-scale dataset integration, significantly advancing demographic estimation practices and policy-relevant insights for urban population growth. Dr. Lerch currently advises PhD students Beckendorff Dorothee and Du Wenxiu while teaching courses including Urban Demography and Border Forensics at EPFL. His advisory work focuses on training the next generation of demographers in quantitative methods and urban population analysis. As head of URBDEMO, Lerch leads a research team developing systemic frameworks for understanding urban population dynamics. The laboratory's work integrates demographic methods with urban studies to address contemporary challenges in urbanization, migration flows, and sustainable city development through innovative data linkage and modeling approaches.
Ajay Parasram is an Associate Professor cross-appointed to the Department of International Development Studies, Department of History, and Department of Political Science at Dalhousie University in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. His work critically examines the colonial present through the lens of structural violence related to race, caste, class, and patriarchy. Dr. Parasram's educational background includes a BA (Honours) from Dalhousie University, an MA from Carleton University, and a PhD from Carleton University. His transnational, multigenerational experience as a byproduct of empire deeply informs his research and teaching approach. Parasram's research focuses on three primary interconnected areas: pluriversal sovereignty with particular attention to 19th century Sri Lanka's entanglements in the British empire; settler-colonial studies and decolonial options grounded in his experience as an immigrant to Mi'kma'ki; and a SSHRC-funded project examining the racialization of Asian international students to Canadian universities. His scholarship challenges conventional narratives of development, sovereignty, and citizenship, arguing that many contemporary structural forms of violence have roots in imperial encounters that have been sanitized of their colonial histories. His extensive publication record demonstrates consistent engagement with themes of coloniality, sovereignty, and racialization. Recent work shows an increasing focus on pluriversal approaches to sovereignty, settler-colonial critique, and the application of decolonial theory to contemporary political challenges. His scholarship bridges historical analysis with urgent contemporary concerns about racial justice, Indigenous sovereignty, and alternative political imaginaries. Among his notable recognitions are: SSHRC Insight Grant as Co-Investigator and project lead for the Halifax case study on racialization of Asian international students Founding Fellow at the MacEachen Institute of Public Policy and Governance (2019-2021) Chair and Program Chair of the Global Development Section of the International Studies Association (2019-2020) Parasram actively mentors graduate students interested in colonial, postcolonial, anti-colonial, and decolonial studies. His teaching includes courses on the colonial foundations of development studies, M.K. Gandhi, postcolonial politics, and activism. He has received research funding through competitive grants like the SSHRC Insight Grant, which supports his work on racialization experiences of Asian international students in Canadian universities. As a scholar-activist, Parasram engages with public discourse through media commentary, podcasts, and public speaking on issues of racial justice, colonial legacies, and decolonial possibilities. His work bridges academic scholarship with public engagement, challenging dominant narratives while offering alternative frameworks for understanding sovereignty, citizenship, and justice.
Jason Hackworth is a Professor in the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Toronto. His work centers on urban political economy, with a focus on North American cities, racial discrimination, and neoliberalism. He has authored two influential books— The Neoliberal City (2007) and Faith-Based (2012)—and numerous journal articles. Research Interests: Urban political economy frameworks Racial capitalism and systemic inequality Neoliberal urban policy critiques Land abandonment and population shrinkage in Rust Belt cities Intersection of religion and economic development Recent Publications (2021–2025): His work explores racialized dimensions of urban decline, gentrification in low-demand environments, and critiques of conservative economic rhetoric. Articles like "Racial Capitalism in Urban Studies" (2025) and "W.E.B. Du Bois and the Urban Political Economy Tradition" (2021) highlight his focus on systemic racism and historical urban analysis.
Dr. Qian Zhang serves as Assistant Professor in the Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining at Queen's University's Smith Engineering, leading the Green Mining Value Chain (GreeMVC) Lab. His research develops strategic frameworks for sustainability and resilience throughout mining value chains, with emphasis on climate change mitigation and resource efficiency in global mineral systems. His academic foundation includes a Ph.D. in Urban Engineering from the University of Tokyo (awarded Japanese Government MEXT Scholarship), complemented by MSc and BSc degrees in Environmental Science plus a Minor in Economics from Peking University. Prior to his current role, he conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Victoria and University of Tokyo while consulting for the World Resources Institute on climate-energy initiatives. Dr. Zhang's expertise spans carbon footprint analysis , life-cycle assessment , and industrial ecology applied to mining systems. He employs advanced methodologies including input-output analysis and material flow accounting to model environmental pressures across urban infrastructure and mineral supply chains. His work specifically addresses greenhouse gas accounting, water-energy nexus challenges, and circular economy implementation in resource-intensive sectors. Recent publications reveal strong methodological convergence between artificial intelligence and environmental assessment, particularly in optimizing mining operations through reinforcement learning and geospatial analysis. Key thematic clusters include carbon accounting standardization, critical mineral sustainability, and policy-oriented modeling of environmental pressures throughout mineral value chains. His research program is supported by major competitive grants: NSERC Discovery Grant (2022-2027) SSHRC Institutional Grant (2023, 2025) NSERC Alliance Missions Grant (2023, 2024) Mitacs Accelerate Grant (2023, 2025) NFRF Exploration Grant (2025-2027) NRCan Energy Innovation Program (2025) Dr. Zhang actively mentors a dynamic research group comprising 10+ graduate students and postdocs, securing collaborative funding through institutional and federal channels. His GreeMVC Lab maintains active partnerships with industry leaders and government agencies to translate research into practical sustainability solutions for the mining sector, with current projects focusing on AI-driven fleet management and life-cycle assessment of mineral supply chains. The GreeMVC Lab operates as a multidisciplinary hub with structured mentorship programs, regular industry engagement events, and international collaborations including the COM symposium on sustainable circularity. The lab's physical space in Goodwin Hall supports advanced computational analysis of mining value chains while fostering innovation in green mining technologies through student-led research initiatives.
Prof. Dr. Hannes Taubenböck holds the Chair of Global Urbanization and Remote Sensing at the Julius-Maximilians University of Würzburg (Faculty of Philosophy, Institute of Geography and Geology) since 2022 and collaborates with the German Aerospace Center (DLR). His research bridges remote sensing with urban geography, focusing on: Global urbanization patterns and structural analysis Informal settlements (slums/refugee camps) Climate change and natural hazard vulnerability Migration dynamics via remote sensing and social media He obtained his PhD (2008) and habilitation (2019) at JMU Würzburg, preceded by geography studies at LMU Munich (1999-2004). His recent publications analyze: Climate impacts on African agriculture Urban permeability and walkability Border region disparities Heat exposure modeling Methodologically, he specializes in: Deep learning for earth observation Multi-modal data fusion Urban pattern classification Building stock analysis His work informs policy applications in: EU cohesion programs Disaster risk reduction Environmental justice Urban sustainability
Prof. Dr. Kirsten Jung is a faculty member at the Department of Microbiology , Faculty of Biology , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich . Her research focuses on bacterial signal transduction, stress response mechanisms, and systems biology approaches to understand microbial regulatory networks. Key research areas include stress-dependent gene expression in bacterial populations Structural and functional analysis of membrane-integrated receptors Metabolism-based chemical communication in bacteria Integration of experimental and computational systems biology Recent publications highlight her lab's work on Escherichia coli epitranscriptomic modifications under heat stress, m 5 C rRNA dynamics, and the role of RNA methylation in host-pathogen interactions. Collaborative studies address bacterial acid stress responses and their implications for antibiotic tolerance. Her interdisciplinary work bridges microbiology with ecological studies, as evidenced by research on biodiversity conservation in forest and urban ecosystems. Publications also demonstrate expertise in advanced imaging techniques (e.g., arterial spin labeling for glioma analysis) and bioinformatics approaches. Current advisees include Gloria Gessinger and Tania P. Gonzalez-Terrazas . She can be contacted at jung@lmu.de .
Jaimejuan Mar Cabeza is a Senior University Lecturer at the University of Helsinki, affiliated with the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, and the Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS). She leads the Global Change and Conservation Lab and serves as a supervisor for the Doctoral Programme in Interdisciplinary Environmental Sciences and the Doctoral Programme in Wildlife Biology. University of Helsinki: Senior University Lecturer Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS) Global Change and Conservation Lab (Principal Investigator) Dr. Cabeza's research focuses on ecology, evolutionary biology, and conservation science with particular emphasis on human-wildlife conflicts, climate change impacts on biodiversity, and sustainable pastoral systems. Her work spans multiple continents with significant field research in Madagascar and Kenya. She employs interdisciplinary approaches that integrate ecological, social, and cultural dimensions of conservation. Her recent publications reveal strong trends in bat ecology and pest suppression services, human-carnivore coexistence, and the role of traditional ecological knowledge in conservation. The research demonstrates increasing integration of social science perspectives with ecological studies, particularly examining how cultural practices and governance systems affect conservation outcomes. Best International Teacher (2010) Commendation for good thesis supervision (2009, 2011) Best Talk, Student Conference on Conservation Science (2000) Dr. Cabeza actively supervises 4 PhD students and 3 MSc students, with a strong commitment to education at multiple levels from school children to advanced doctoral candidates. She coordinates the RESPECT field course in Madagascar and has developed novel pedagogical approaches for conservation education. Her research is supported by multiple active projects including 'Thinking like an elephant' (2025-2028), 'Conservation trade-offs' (2024-present), and 'Pastoralism as a global herbivory socio-ecosystem' (2023-2026). She leads the Global Change and Conservation Lab, which brings together researchers from diverse disciplines to address complex conservation challenges at the intersection of ecology, social science, and policy. The lab maintains strong international collaborations, particularly with institutions in Africa where much of their field research takes place.
Jean Daudelin serves as an Associate Professor at Carleton University's Norman Paterson School of International Affairs in Ottawa, specializing in Latin American political dynamics with concentrated expertise on Brazil and Central America. His academic profile integrates conflict studies, development theory, and security policy through extensive field research on armed insurgencies, indigenous mobilizations, and urban violence. His research program critically examines property rights frameworks, illegal market governance, and the political economy of violence, with recent fieldwork focused on drug markets in Recife, Brazil. He investigates how inequality shapes deterrence mechanisms and homicide reduction policies, notably analyzing Pernambuco's "Pact for Life" initiative. His scholarship bridges theoretical contributions in tenure regimes with empirical studies of land conflicts and religious movements across the Global South. Analysis of his 2017-2023 publications reveals dominant thematic clusters around Brazilian urban violence (particularly crack markets in Recife), hemispheric security policy, and foreign policy analysis of Canada-Brazil relations. The work demonstrates methodological innovation in studying illegal economies while maintaining policy relevance for security governance in Latin America.
Christopher Bronk Ramsey is Professor in Archaeological Science and Head of the School of Archaeology at the University of Oxford, affiliated with Merton College. As chair of the INTCAL committee, he oversees global radiocarbon calibration. His expertise spans archaeological science, Quaternary environmental research, and nuclear instrumentation development. Research focuses on radiocarbon dating, Bayesian chronological modeling, and AMS techniques. Key areas include Quaternary chronology, human evolution, climate change impacts, and archaeological applications in the eastern Mediterranean, Amazonia, and Anglo-Saxon England. He develops the OxCal software for statistical chronology analysis. Recent publications emphasize radiocarbon calibration advancements, pre-Columbian land-use in Amazonia, European Neolithic chronologies, and high-precision dating methods. His work integrates archaeology, environmental science, and data science to address chronological challenges across diverse temporal and spatial scales. No specific scientific awards were detailed in the source material. He supervises numerous doctoral students on topics ranging from dendrochronology to digital archaeology and Middle Stone Age chronology. Major projects include FeedSax (Anglo-Saxon agriculture) and HERCA (Amazonian human-environment interactions), securing research grants for interdisciplinary teams. Professor Ramsey directs the OxCal project and co-leads IntCal, IntChron, FeedSax, and HERCA initiatives. These teams develop calibration standards, integrate chronological data, and investigate past human adaptations to environmental change, particularly in Amazonia and Europe.
Konrad Burchardi is Professor of Economics at the Institute for International Economic Studies (IIES) at Stockholm University. His academic work focuses on understanding economic development processes and the social foundations of economic behavior, with significant contributions to development economics and migration studies. Professor Burchardi obtained his PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics (LSE), with prior studies conducted in Munich, Aix-en-Provence, and at LSE. His educational background reflects a strong international foundation in economic theory and development perspectives. His research primarily centers on productivity growth at early stages of economic development and the social underpinnings of economic interactions. Key contributions include field experiments on sharecropping contracts in developing countries, demonstrating how output-sharing rules affect agricultural productivity, and research showing how migration ancestry influences foreign direct investment patterns. His work spans agricultural economics, migration studies, experimental economics, and economic networks, often employing rigorous field and natural experimental designs to establish causal relationships. Analysis of Professor Burchardi's publication record reveals consistent contributions to top economics journals with a focus on development and labor economics. His work shows an evolution from examining micro-level economic behaviors in developing countries to broader questions about migration networks and their economic impacts. His recent publications indicate increasing attention to historical economic data and financial inclusion, with work scheduled through 2025.
Hermann Lotze-Campen is an agricultural economist and Head of Research Department 2 'Climate Resilience' at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). He holds a professorship in Sustainable Land Use and Climate Change at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin within the Faculty of Life Science, Department of Agricultural Economics. His work bridges climate science, agricultural economics, and food systems research with significant policy implications. Lotze-Campen's research focuses on the interplay between climate change, food systems, land use, and economic modeling. His expertise spans agricultural economics, climate change impacts, land use modeling, food systems transformation, sustainable development pathways, and bioeconomy transitions. He has developed global land use modeling frameworks for assessing climate impacts, food and bioenergy demand, agricultural land and water use, trade, and environmental consequences. His research investigates economic model inter-comparisons, lifestyle impacts on food systems, and monitoring land use change and biodiversity transitions. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on food system transformations, dietary shifts, and their environmental and economic implications. His work increasingly examines China's food system, planetary boundaries, and the integration of climate mitigation with sustainable development goals. Lotze-Campen frequently employs economic modeling approaches including Applied General Equilibrium (AGE) modeling of agricultural policies and trade. His research demonstrates growing attention to equity considerations in bioeconomy transitions and the connections between food systems and climate targets. Lotze-Campen is actively involved in major international research initiatives including the Food System Economics Commission (FSEC), the FABLE initiative (Food, Agriculture, Biodiversity, Land-Use, and Energy), and the World in 2050 initiative. He has contributed to significant policy reports including 'The Economics of the Food System Transformation: Global Policy Report' and 'Transformations to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.' His work has substantial policy relevance for climate mitigation strategies, food security, and sustainable land management. At PIK, Lotze-Campen leads the Climate Resilience research department and has been instrumental in developing integrated assessment models that connect climate science with economic and social dimensions. His work frequently appears in high-impact journals including Nature Sustainability, Nature Communications, and The Lancet Planetary Health, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature and policy relevance of his research.
Gerard Francisco Sandoval is a Professor in the School of Planning, Public Policy and Management at the University of Oregon, where he also serves as Associate Director of the Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies. He actively contributes to Oregon's public policy landscape as a Commissioner on the Land Conservation and Development Commission (term 2019-2023) and as a councilmember on the State's Housing Stability Council. Dr. Sandoval's educational background includes: PhD in City and Regional Planning, University of California, Berkeley (2007) MCP in City and Regional Planning, University of California, Berkeley (2002) BS in Community and Regional Development, University of California, Davis (2000) His scholarly research focuses on the intersection of city planning, immigration, and sustainable neighborhood revitalization. Sandoval employs detailed narrative case studies to explore ethnic identity, equity, and bioregionalism, with particular attention to how planning can achieve equitable outcomes through environmental ethics, affordable housing access, inclusive land-use policies, and transparent public participation mechanisms. His work often centers on immigrant communities, examining gentrification, displacement, infrastructure, and the socio-economic implications of development in marginalized neighborhoods. Born in Guatemala, Sandoval's personal connection to immigration issues stems from his family's experience leaving Guatemala during its civil war. Analysis of Sandoval's publications reveals a consistent focus on urban equity, with particular emphasis on how immigrant communities navigate and shape urban spaces. His research trajectory shows an evolution from studying transnational networks of undocumented workers to broader examinations of racial equity in planning, gentrification, and sustainable neighborhood revitalization. The geographic scope of his work spans from specific case studies in places like MacArthur Park in Los Angeles and Postville, Iowa, to theoretical explorations of planning ethics and practices across the Galápagos Islands and Oregon's forest communities. Dr. Sandoval's significant contributions to the field have been recognized with several prestigious awards: Chester Rapkin Award (2014) for best planning article Paul Davidoff Book Award honorable mention (2013) Barclay Gibbs Jones Award for best dissertation in planning (2009) Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award from the University of Oregon for promoting diversity, social justice, and equity As an academic leader, Sandoval serves as the Dean's Fellow for Diversity at the College of Design and leads the college's Diversity and Inclusion Committee. His public service extends beyond academia through his appointments to state commissions where he applies his expertise to address Oregon's housing and land use challenges. His research has attracted media attention, with coverage in Newsweek, Los Angeles Times, and Oregon Quarterly. Sandoval's work bridges academic research with practical planning applications, particularly in the context of immigrant integration and sustainable community development. Dr. Sandoval maintains active research connections with communities in Oregon, Guatemala, and the Galápagos Islands, where he studies bioregional revitalization. His current research examines equitable planning outcomes achieved through integrating environmental ethics, providing access to affordable housing, supporting inclusive land-use policies, recognizing generative economic development, and designing transparent public participation mechanisms to revitalize urban cities and rural towns.
Prof. Dr. Endriatmo Soetarto is a faculty member at IPB University , affiliated with the Faculty of Human Ecology and the Department of Communication & Community Development . He is based in Gedung FEMA, L5 W1, Jalan Kamper Kampus IPB Darmaga, Bogor, Indonesia. His research focuses on social transformation processes and sustainable resource use in rural Indonesia, particularly in Jambi. His work addresses critical intersections of land transfer, social vulnerability, and economic development policy, aiming to enhance understanding of sustainable resource governance in agrarian societies.
