Federico Demaria is a Researcher at the Environmental Science and Technology Institute, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. He focuses on ecological economics, political ecology, and environmental justice, advocating for socio-ecological transformation beyond economic growth. As a founding member of Research & Degrowth and a board member of the European Society for Ecological Economics, he bridges academic research with activism. His current role includes deputy coordination of the ERC-funded EnvJustice project, studying global environmental justice movements. Research emphasizes waste management conflicts, informal recyclers' roles, and degrowth alternatives. Key publications include Decrecimiento: Vocabulario para una nueva era and Pluriverse: A Post-Development Dictionary , translated into multiple languages. Research interests coalesce around dismantling growth-based paradigms, centering marginalized groups in environmental struggles, and redefining sustainability beyond capitalist modernity. His work critiques extractive systems while proposing pluriversal alternatives grounded in indigenous and communal knowledge. Key Projects: EnvJustice (ERC), Degrowth initiative Key Themes: Waste politics, environmental conflicts, post-development, degrowth economics
Tara M. Sinclair is Professor of Economics and International Affairs and Chair of the Department of Economics at the George Washington University. She is also affiliated with the Elliott School of International Affairs through the Institute for International Economic Policy and the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies. Additional affiliations include the GW Institute of Public Policy Research, the Regulatory Studies Center, and GW-CIBER. Sinclair has held influential public sector roles, including Deputy Assistant Secretary for Macroeconomics at the U.S. Department of the Treasury (2022–2024) and founding Chief Economist at Indeed Hiring Lab. PhD in Economics, Washington University in St. Louis (2005) AM in Economics, Washington University in St. Louis (2001) BA in Foreign Languages, Wheaton College (1996) Her research centers on macroeconomic fluctuations, labor market dynamics, forecasting, and the application of big data to economic analysis. She employs econometric and time series methods to model business cycles, evaluate forecast accuracy, and assess policy impacts. Her work connects academic research with real-world decision-making, particularly in labor markets and monetary policy. Sinclair frequently uses online job posting data to generate timely insights into employment trends. Her recent publications focus on post-pandemic labor market transformations, remote work persistence, forecast evaluation, and regulatory economics. She has published in top journals such as Labour Economics , Journal of Applied Econometrics , Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics , and International Journal of Forecasting . Her research leverages real-time data to analyze topics like unemployment insurance claims, job mismatch, and global hiring trends. Scientific recognition includes membership in the Conference on Research in Income and Wealth (CRIW), the Federal Forecasters Consortium Governing Board, and authorship at VoxEU. She has served as a Special Government Employee on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Technical Advisory Committee. She advises and collaborates with numerous researchers and institutions. Her leadership roles include directing the GW Center for Economic Research (former) and leading research initiatives at Indeed Hiring Lab. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in macroeconomics and econometrics, and is frequently cited in major media outlets including the New York Times , Wall Street Journal , and Financial Times , and appears on networks such as CNN, NPR, and Bloomberg. Her research team includes collaborators from Federal Reserve Banks, international organizations, and academic institutions. She leads projects funded by GW-CIBER and contributes to policy reports for the U.S. Treasury and Indeed Hiring Lab.
Julia Chang is an Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies at Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences, with affiliations in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and the Southeast Asia Program. Her interdisciplinary work bridges Spanish literature, feminist theory, and Philippine studies. PhD in Hispanic Language and Literatures with a Designated Emphasis in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (University of California, Berkeley) Previously taught at Brown University and San Quentin State Prison Research spans 19th-century Spanish realist novels , Philippine colonial literature , and contemporary Spanish visual arts , emphasizing race, disability, gender, and queer theory . Her 2022 book Blood Novels examines racial hierarchies in Spanish realism, while recent publications explore game studies, anti-racism, and decolonial frameworks. In 2024, her work on realism and race in the Hispanic Empire continues this trajectory. Awards include the 'Harriet S. Turner Beca' for scholarship and the Stephen and Margery Russell Distinguished Teaching Award (2021). She contributes to collective projects like the CIVIC Research Collaborative ('Interactive Media and Games') and the TRECE research group on race and ethnicity in Spain.
Neda Maghbouleh serves as Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), holding a cross-appointment to the graduate department at St. George campus. She holds the prestigious Canada Research Chair in Migration, Race, and Identity and received the Ontario Early Researcher Award. As Principal Investigator of the RISE (Refugee Integration, Stress, and Equity) Team, she leads a major SSHRC Insight Grant (2018-2023) examining refugee settlement experiences in Canada. Her research critically investigates racialization processes among Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian populations in North America, challenging the Black-White racial binary. She specializes in refugee integration dynamics, Iranian diaspora identity formation, and gendered migration experiences. Her methodological approach combines critical race theory with feminist and qualitative frameworks, particularly in refugee motherhood studies and digital activism among Muslim-American youth. Analysis of her publications reveals evolving thematic focus from Iranian-American identity politics (2009-2017) to contemporary refugee integration challenges. Her work consistently examines how structural inequalities manifest in everyday interactions, with increasing emphasis on Syrian refugee experiences in Canada since 2018. Key contributions include reframing MENA racial categorization and developing trauma-informed frameworks for refugee settlement. Her scientific recognition includes: Canada Research Chair in Migration, Race, and Identity Ontario Early Researcher Award Through the RISE Team, Maghbouleh directs community-engaged research on refugee health equity, collaborating with scholars like Melissa Milkie and Ito Peng. Her SSHRC grant supports interdisciplinary investigation of Syrian mothers' settlement stressors and resilience factors, informing Canadian integration policies. Current projects emphasize participatory methodologies that center refugee voices in knowledge production. She leads the RISE research collective, an interdisciplinary team developing evidence-based interventions for refugee health equity through mixed-methods investigation of settlement challenges and community support systems.
Professor Ivona Hideg holds dual roles as Professor of Organisation Studies at the Saïd Business School and Tutorial Fellow in Management at Jesus College, University of Oxford. She specializes in workplace equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), focusing on gender, race, ethnicity, and language/accent discrimination. Her research bridges organizational behavior and public policy, offering actionable insights for fostering inclusive workplaces. Education: PhD in Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto (Canada) MASc in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, University of Waterloo (Canada) B.A. (Honours) in Psychology and Business, University of Waterloo (Canada) Research Interests: Ivona’s work examines systemic barriers to equality, including benevolent sexism, accent discrimination, and the intersectionality of identities. Her studies highlight practical strategies for organizations to leverage diversity while addressing inequities. Recent projects explore the impact of parental leave policies, cognitive labor divisions during crises, and pandemic-era workplace incivility toward Asian workers. Awards & Recognition: Runner-up for Responsible Business Education: Academic Research with Impact (Financial Times, 2022) Responsible Research in Management Award (Academy of Management Fellows, 2019) Early Researcher Award (Ontario Ministry of Research, 2016) Teaching & Academic Service: She teaches Management/Organizational Behaviour at the undergraduate level and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) at the postgraduate level. She has served on editorial boards (e.g., Academy of Management Journal) and advisory panels (e.g., Administrative Science Quarterly), and held visiting roles at institutions including the University of Western Australia and Católica Lisbon School of Business. Lab & Outreach: Her research lab investigates contemporary EDI challenges. Personal interests include family life and cultural exploration, reflecting her commitment to balancing professional and personal spheres.
Dr. Maile Arvin is an Associate Professor of History and Gender Studies at the University of Utah, and the founding director of the Center for Pasifika Indigenous Knowledges. She specializes in histories of race, Pacific studies, gender history, and Indigenous methodologies. Her work critically examines settler colonialism, scientific racism, and Indigenous sovereignty, particularly in Hawaiʻi and Oceania. Arvin holds a BA in English from Swarthmore College, and an MA and PhD in Ethnic Studies from the University of California, San Diego. She is fluent in Hawaiian, reading, writing, and speaking the language. Her research includes the Nā Lei Poina ʻOle project, a community-engaged history initiative addressing reformatories and industrial schools in Hawaiʻi, supported by NEH and ACLS grants. She has authored Possessing Polynesians: The Science of Settler Colonial Whiteness and contributes to decolonizing frameworks in Pacific Studies. Arvin’s academic leadership includes directing the University of Utah’s Pacific Islands Studies and Gender Studies programs. Her work bridges Indigenous data sovereignty, youth studies, and feminist critiques of colonial systems.
Stephanie Torres is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). She leads the FLOR (Familias Overcoming stress with Resilience) Lab, which develops school- and community-based programs to promote mental health among Latinx families. Her research focuses on contexts of risk and resilience, particularly addressing immigration-related stress and structural racism through a trauma-informed lens. She collaborates with The Resurrection Project, a local community agency, to pilot the FIESTA intervention program for Latinx immigrant families. Her clinical expertise includes trauma-informed care for minoritized families, with specialization in bilingual Spanish-speaking populations. She teaches courses on child development (EPSY 255), child-family-community relationships (EPSY 382), and trauma-informed practices (EPSY 471). Her work emphasizes community-based participatory research (CBPR) and policy advocacy, aiming to bridge clinical practice with systemic change. Recent publications highlight her focus on immigration stress, trauma interventions, and structural oppression. While no scientific awards are listed, her professional memberships include the National Latinx Psychological Association (NLPA), Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA), American Psychological Association (APA), and Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD).
Dr Maria Dasli is a Senior Lecturer in Intercultural Education at the University of Edinburgh's Moray House School of Education and Sport, where she founded and led the Institute for Language Education (2020–2023). Her work focuses on intercultural communication pedagogy and contemporary race discourse, emphasizing ethical responsibility and critical analysis of cultural difference. She holds a PhD in Education from the University of Exeter and has served leadership roles in academic organizations like IALIC and CERES. Dr Dasli's research explores how discourse shapes cultural identities and perpetuates inequality, with a focus on deconstructing prejudiced narratives. She has published in journals like Language and Intercultural Communication and edited volumes such as The Critical Turn in Language and Intercultural Communication Pedagogy . Her teaching spans courses on intercultural citizenship, TESOL methodology, and critical intercultural communication. Education: BA English Language Teaching (University of Stirling) MSc TESOL (University of Stirling) MA Sociolinguistics (University of Essex) PhD Education (University of Exeter) PgCert Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (Edinburgh Napier University) Her awards include a Best Paper Award (2010) and Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (since 2011). She has supervised numerous PhD students on topics like race in higher education and neoliberalism in language teaching. Dr Dasli's leadership extends to organizing conferences on racial equality and intercultural education, including events funded by the University of Edinburgh and international partnerships. She advocates for pedagogies that foster cultural openness and combat systemic prejudice through education.
Jennifer Blair is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ottawa. She is currently on sabbatical from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024. Her research focuses on early Black writing in Canadian and transnational contexts, emphasizing non-print materials like letters and archival fragments. She also explores queer cultural production and Canadian literary history. Education: PhD in Canadian Literature (McMaster University, 2006); MA in English (University of Guelph, 2001); Honours Bachelor of Arts in English (University of Guelph, 1998). Postdoctoral research in Gender Studies at Rutgers University, New Jersey. Research interests include Settler colonial studies, Aboriginal Justice, Queer theory, Cultural Studies, and Black Geographies. Recent work includes an essay on David Eastham, the first English-language published author diagnosed with autism. Advising: Supervising Shannon Griffin-Merth. No grants or lab affiliations explicitly mentioned in available texts.
Dr. David Miranda-Barreiro is a Senior Lecturer in Hispanic Studies at Bangor University’s School of Language, Culture and the Arts. He serves as Undergraduate Course Director and Head of Hispanic Studies, teaching modules in Spanish language, literature, and cinema. His academic journey began with a BA in Hispanic Studies from the University of A Coruña, followed by an MA and PhD at Bangor University, where his thesis Spanish New York Narratives 1898–1936 won the 2012 AHGBI Publication Prize. Research Interests: Mobility (travel writing, migration, exile), Galician-US cultural connections, comics/graphic novels, national/transnational identities. Key Publications: Monograph on Spanish New York narratives (2014), co-editor of Galicia 21 journal, and articles on Galician migration, comics, and exile literature. Awards: AHGBI-Spanish Embassy Postgraduate Prize (2012), Santander Mobility Grant (2009-2010). Co-organizer of conferences on diaspora, comics, and Iberian mobility. Supervision: First supervisor for PhD projects on migrant literature, Galician diaspora, and transnational identities; second supervisor for completed theses on feminist TV series, translation, and women-authored narratives.
Rabih Geha, MD is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine. Based at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, he serves as the Director of Education for the Emergency Department, overseeing the education of Psychiatry, Emergency Medicine, and Internal Medicine residents. Clinically, Dr. Geha splits his time between the emergency room and the inpatient teaching wards, bringing practical experience to his educational roles. Dr. Geha completed his medical education at Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, RI (MD, 2014), followed by residency training at UCSF (2017) and a chief residency at UCSF (2018). His educational background has provided a strong foundation for his current roles in medical education and clinical practice. Dr. Geha's research and professional interests center on clinical reasoning, diagnosis, medical education, and diagnostic schema development. He is particularly focused on innovative approaches to teaching diagnostic reasoning and improving medical decision-making processes. His work addresses critical challenges in medical education, including developing tolerance for ambiguity among medical students, addressing cognitive biases in clinical reasoning, and creating effective frameworks for diagnostic problem-solving. Dr. Geha is passionate about anti-racism initiatives in medicine and promoting women in medicine through his educational platforms. Analysis of Dr. Geha's publication record reveals a consistent focus on clinical reasoning education and diagnostic challenges. His work spans various medical specialties including internal medicine, hospital medicine, dermatology, endocrinology, and infectious diseases, demonstrating his broad clinical expertise. A notable trend in his research is the development of innovative educational tools and frameworks for clinical reasoning, including the exploration of natural language processing applications for case library development. His publications frequently address cognitive aspects of medical decision-making, diagnostic errors, and strategies for improving diagnostic accuracy. Dr. Geha is the co-founder of Clinical Problem Solvers, a multimodal medical education venture run by a global and diverse team. This initiative hosts a weekly podcast covering topics such as diagnostic reasoning, anti-racism, and women in medicine, along with virtual morning reports and a clinical reasoning training academy. Through this platform, he has significantly impacted medical education beyond the UCSF campus, reaching a worldwide audience of medical learners and educators.
Christopher Lukasik is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at Purdue University, with affiliations in American Studies and the School of Interdisciplinary Studies (SIS). His research focuses on the intersection of American literature, visual culture, and illustration studies in the 18th and 19th centuries, with a particular interest in intermediality and cultural history. Ph.D., English, Johns Hopkins University, 2002 His scholarly work examines how visual practices shaped social and political identities, as seen in his monograph Discerning Characters: The Culture of Appearance in Early America (2011). Current research includes The Image in the Text: Intermediality, Illustration, and Nineteenth-Century American Literature , exploring literary annuals' role in developing mass visual culture. His publications span topics like biometric surveillance in early America, abolitionist visual media, and the pedagogy of drawing books. Articles highlight intermedial relationships between text and image, racial visuality, and the cultural capital of illustration. Scientific honors include: Rockwell Center Society of Fellows (2017-2019) Fulbright Specialist Grant (2018) NEH Summer Stipend (2016) Lillian Gary Taylor Fellowship (2013-14) Fulbright Scholar Grant (2009-10) NEH Long-Term Research Grant (2004-05) Lukasik actively participates in academic conferences, including upcoming presentations at SHARP 2025 and SEA 2025. He has also led Fulbright liaison training sessions and symposiums on illustration research.
Charles L. Leavitt IV is the William Payden Associate Professor of Italian and Film at the University of Notre Dame, serving as Director of Graduate Studies in Italian. His research focuses on modern and contemporary Italian literature and film, with specialties in post-war cultural history, Fascism/Resistance studies, and minoritized cultures. He co-directs the Primo Levi Digital Commentary project and holds affiliations with the Kellogg Institute for International Studies and the Nanovic Institute for European Studies. Leavitt’s work has been honored with major awards, including the 2020 AAIS Visual Studies Book Prize for Italian Neorealism: A Cultural History and the 2022 Society for Italian Studies Essay Prize. Education: Ph.D. (Literature), M.A. (Italian Studies), and B.A. (Comparative Literature) from the University of Notre Dame and University of Oregon. His teaching spans Italian literature, cinema, and comparative studies, with a focus on post-war and contemporary contexts. He organizes the Italian Research Seminar and Modern Roads to Rome lecture series, and serves on editorial boards for Italian Studies , Italianist , and Annali d'italianistica . Key research areas include Italian Jewish culture, African American-Italian cultural intersections, and the legacy of Fascism. His current book project examines African American soldiers’ roles in Allied-Occupied Italy. Leavitt’s scholarship bridges film, literature, and history, emphasizing transnational cultural flows and Italian contributions to global culture. Award-winning educator, Leavitt has received teaching excellence awards from the University of Reading and University of Notre Dame. His work integrates interdisciplinary approaches, combining close textual analysis with broader historical and cultural frameworks to explore identity, memory, and resistance in 20th-century Italy.
Mary Gallagher is Professor of French and Francophone Studies at University College Dublin, affiliated with the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics. She has held significant academic appointments at UCD since 1991, progressing from Lecturer to full Professor, and has served as a Visiting Professor in France, China, and Tunisia. Her scholarly leadership includes founding roles in the Association for the Study of Caribbean and African Literature in French (ASCALF) and the Irish Association of French and Francophone Studies (ADEFFI), where she was president from 2006 to 2008. She led the PRTLI-funded 'World Writing in French' research programme and has coordinated multiple Erasmus+ partnerships with institutions in the French Caribbean, Tunisia, and Vietnam. Education: BA in French and German, Trinity College Dublin DEA in French Literature, Université de Paris VII (Denis Diderot) Doctorat ès Lettres, Université de Paris VIII (Vincennes-Saint-Denis), supervised by Henri Meschonnic, viva chaired by Édouard Glissant Higher Diploma in Mediation and Diploma in Arbitration Law and Procedure, University College Dublin Her research focuses on postcolonial Francophone literature, Caribbean studies, Creole identity, migration, and ethical dimensions of writing. She has published extensively on Saint-John Perse, Lafcadio Hearn, and Paul Morand, with a recent emphasis on Holocaust testimony through her critical edition of Paul Léon’s letters from Drancy. Her work bridges literary scholarship, cultural critique, and historical recovery, often engaging with themes of displacement, memory, and transcultural dialogue. The 15 most recent publications illustrate a sustained engagement with global Francophone narratives, from Caribbean poetics and Creole hybridity to Shoah testimony and critiques of academic corporatism. Her scholarship reveals a trajectory from regional Caribbean studies to broader global and ethical concerns, emphasizing literary witness, intercultural translation, and the responsibilities of the intellectual in an age of globalization. Scientific Recognition and Editorial Roles: Editor of 22 issues of the biennial journal of ASCALF Editorial Board member, Journal of French and Francophone Philosophy (US) Editorial Board member, Forum Poetiki (Poland) Editorial committee roles for monograph series at Palgrave, Gallimard, Brill, and Peter Lang As an advisor and grant leader, she has supervised major research programmes and cross-institutional collaborations. She has not advised named students in the provided texts but has mentored through programme leadership and editorial guidance. She convened UCD’s Asia-Pacific Research Forum (2018–2022), now a formal Research Centre. Her work continues to shape interdisciplinary approaches to Francophone and postcolonial studies. Research Groups and Collaborations: Founder, Association of Francophone Postcolonial Studies (formerly ASCALF) President, Irish Association of French and Francophone Studies (ADEFFI, 2006–2008) Convenor, UCD Cross-College Asia-Pacific Research Forum (2018–2022) Initiator of Erasmus+ partnerships with Université des Antilles, Université de Tunis, and Université Nationale du Vietnam Developing an all-island Irish research group on Former French Island Colonies
Chisu Teresa Ko is Associate Professor and Department Chair of Modern Languages at Ursinus College. She holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University and teaches Spanish language courses at all levels alongside Latin American Studies courses in English, including SPAN 201 (Conversation and Composition), SPAN 340 (Racial Discourses in Argentina), LAS 200 (Introduction to Latin American Studies), and interdisciplinary offerings like CIE 200 (Common Intellectual Experience). Her research specializes in 19th- and 20th-century Latin American literary and cultural studies, with emphases on: Race, ethnicity, and multicultural identity formation Historical and contemporary racial discourses in Argentina Asian diaspora communities in Latin America Afro-Argentine cultural production Criollo Popular Theater traditions Her scholarship—including the forthcoming book Argentina: Race in a Raceless Nation —consistently examines intersections of national identity, racial representation, and transnational connections, with recent work expanding into Afro-Argentine historical documentation and Korean-Argentine cinematic narratives. Awards and fellowships include: 2020 ACLS Fellowship (American Council of Learned Societies) 2021 UMBC Inclusion Imperative Visiting Faculty Fellowship
