Cate Almon is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at Temple University's College of Liberal Arts , where she has taught since 2014. She also serves as the Associate Director of the First Year Writing Program. Her research focuses on student retention , plagiarism , and language assessment for English Language Learners (ELLs). Expertise : First Year Writing, Plagiarism, Retention, Linguistics Contact : calmon@temple.edu Her work explores intersections of academic integrity, linguistic diversity, and institutional support systems. Notably, she has published on topics like textual borrowing ethics, ELL college persistence, and linguistic factors in academic engagement, with presentations at conferences such as the Symposium on Second Language Writing and Interactions and Interfaces Linguistics Conference.
Elena Katok is a Professor of Supply Chain Management at the University of Texas at Dallas, Naveen Jindal School of Management. She serves as Co-Director of the Center and Laboratory for Behavioral Operations and Economics (LBOE) and holds editorial positions as Department Editor for Management Science (Operations Department) and Associate Editor for Manufacturing and Service Operations Management. Her research focuses on Behavioral Operations Management (BOM), Behavioral Market Design, and Auctions, with particular emphasis on using laboratory experiments to understand human behavior in operational contexts. Her work bridges the gap between traditional analytical operations models and actual human decision-making in supply chain and procurement settings. The analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent research trajectory examining how psychological and behavioral factors influence operational decisions. Her work spans auction design, contract theory, trust mechanisms, and behavioral aspects of supply chain coordination. A notable pattern is her focus on the intersection of behavioral economics and traditional operations management problems, particularly how fairness concerns, risk perception, and trust impact procurement and supply chain decisions. Professor Katok has developed and implemented numerous classroom games to teach supply chain management concepts, demonstrating her commitment to translating research into practical pedagogy. She has created simulation tools through the SoPHIE platform to enhance experiential learning in operations management courses. Her teaching portfolio includes OPRE 6371: Purchasing, Sourcing and Contract Management for SCM MS and MBA students, OPRE 7309: Behavioral Operations Management at the PhD level, and OPRE/MECO 6355: Deal Making Strategies. She has also authored several case studies including eBay sniping, Winter Gear, Sears Logistics, Spectrum, and General Hospital to facilitate hands-on learning. As co-editor of The Handbook of Behavioral Operations published by Wiley, she has helped establish Behavioral Operations Management as a significant subfield that incorporates insights from psychology and behavioral economics to study how individuals make decisions in operational contexts.
Prof. Dr. Johanna Heitzer is a University Professor for Mathematics Education at RWTH Aachen University since 2011. She leads the Teaching and Research Area of Mathematics Education within the university's mathematics department. Her office is located in Room 352 of the Kreuzherrenstraße 2 building in Aachen. She serves as co-editor of the journal 'mathematik lehren,' co-author of the 'Mathematics - New Ways' textbook series, and holds numerous committee positions including membership in the Faculty Advisory Board and Structural Commission of the Center Council. 1989: High school diploma 1989-1994: Mathematics and Physics Teacher Training at RWTH Aachen 1994-1996: Traineeship at Aachen Teacher Training College 1997: Research assistant at University of Münster 1998-2007: Mathematics and Physics teacher at Korschenbroich Gymnasium 2007-2010: Scientific assistant and doctorate at RWTH Aachen 2011-present: University Professor at RWTH Aachen Professor Heitzer's research focuses on the training and further education of mathematics teachers, development of contemporary teaching materials, applied and interdisciplinary mathematics, and the transition from school to university. Her work emphasizes concept formation, linguistic communication in mathematics, and the historical development of mathematical ideas as teaching resources. She investigates mathematics-specific learning and cognitive processes through multiple research projects including the Aachen school-university project iMPACt. Her recent scholarly output demonstrates a strong trend toward integrating digital technologies in mathematics education, particularly 3D printing and e-learning tools. She has increasingly focused on the social relevance of mathematics, exploring concepts of fairness, sustainability, and citizen empowerment through mathematical modeling. Her work bridges theoretical mathematics education with practical classroom applications, maintaining a strong connection to both historical perspectives and contemporary educational challenges. Special prize from Sparkasse Bad Hersfeld-Rotenburg for best mathematics Abitur (1989) Borchers Plaque for doctoral examinations passed with distinction (2011) DMV honor as Mathemaker of the Month (2013) Brigitte Gilles Prize 2013 for the MINT-L4 Center Professor Heitzer has supervised numerous doctoral students, serving as primary or secondary advisor for at least nine PhD dissertations between 2016-2021. Her research projects include the School-University Project MathePlus Aachen (iMPACt), e-Learning 'Mathematics for Civil Engineers,' and the development of mathematics items for StudiChecks NRW. She has secured funding through the Quality Initiative for Teacher Education (both phases) and participates in the ComeIn project focused on digitalization in teacher training. Her grants consistently emphasize practical applications of mathematics education research with direct impact on classroom practice. As a founding member of the MINT-L4@RWTH center and initiator of the working group Mathematical Education for Sustainable Development, Professor Heitzer has established significant collaborative structures. She participates in the Subject Didactics Forum at the Teacher Training Center of RWTH Aachen and has served in leadership roles including Chair of the Center Council (2014-2016) and Board member of the Teacher Training Center (2014-2017). Her work connects with national and international networks through her membership in the Society for Mathematics Education (GDM), the German Association for Mathematics and Science Education (MNU), and the German Mathematical Society (DMV).
Marta Molinas is a Professor at the Department of Engineering Cybernetics within the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Her research spans multiple interdisciplinary domains with a focus on EEG technology and brain-computer interfaces. She actively supervises numerous Master's projects and maintains extensive international collaborations with institutions including Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, University of Tsukuba, Juntendo University, and several European universities. Professor Molinas' research interests center on developing innovative EEG technologies, particularly her FlexEEG concept for reduced-channel EEG systems with brain imaging capabilities. Her work integrates signal processing, artificial intelligence, and neuroscience to create practical applications in mental health, sleep research, neurorehabilitation, and human-computer interaction. She specializes in EEG source imaging, machine learning for brain signal analysis, and the development of brain-computer interfaces for various applications including locked-in syndrome communication, ADHD treatment, and driver monitoring systems. Her publication portfolio demonstrates strong trends in interdisciplinary research combining neuroscience with electrical engineering and artificial intelligence. The work shows particular emphasis on developing practical EEG-based systems that minimize invasiveness while maintaining analytical power, with applications spanning healthcare, rehabilitation, and human augmentation. Her research bridges theoretical signal processing with real-world implementations through numerous student projects and international collaborations. Professor Molinas actively supervises a large team of Master's and PhD students across multiple projects, with each project typically requiring two students working collaboratively. Her research is supported through numerous international collaborations with institutions in Japan, India, and Europe, indicating substantial research funding and project leadership. She has developed a pipeline of student projects that build upon previous work, creating a cumulative knowledge base within her research group. She leads the EEG ITK research team at NTNU, which focuses on developing the FlexEEG headset prototype featuring flexible, wireless, dry electrodes designed to move across the scalp. This team works at the intersection of neuroscience, electrical engineering, and computer science, developing applications for sleep research, mental health monitoring, neurorehabilitation, and brain-computer interfaces. The team collaborates extensively with international partners including the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, the International Institute of Integrative Sleep Medicine at University of Tsukuba, and several engineering departments across Europe and Asia.
Cristian Danescu-Niculescu-Mizil is an Associate Professor at the Department of Information Science , Cornell University . His research focuses on computational frameworks for social behavior analysis through large-scale natural language data , particularly in online communities and crisis counseling contexts. Recipient of WWW Best Paper Award (2013) and Yahoo! Key Scientific Challenges Award Co-developer of ConvoKit , a comprehensive conversational analysis toolkit Principal investigator in NLP for mental health , antisocial behavior detection , and linguistic coordination studies His work spans computational social science and human-centered AI , with recent publications in EMNLP 2025 , ACL 2025 , and CSCW 2025 focusing on conversation dynamics modeling , pivotal moment detection , and talk-time equity analysis . He has advised multiple PhD students who became faculty at Harvey Mudd , University of Michigan , and Thompson Reuters . Key scientific contributions : 2013 : WWW Best Paper - Power dynamics through linguistic coordination 2016 : IJCAI NLP & Journalism Best Paper - Gender bias quantification 2017 : ICWSM Best Paper - Trolling behavior analysis He teaches NLP and Social Interaction (INFO/CS 6742) and Language and Information (INFO/CS 4300) , with teaching resources including the Politeness Web App and ConvoWizard interactive tool featured in NPR's Weekend Edition . His work has been covered by New Scientist , NBC Today Show , and New York Times .
Anindita Banerjee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Comparative Literature at Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences, with cross-appointments in the Environment & Sustainability Program, History of Art and Visual Studies, Literatures in English, and Romance Studies. She serves as SAP Core Faculty for the South Asia Program and has been instrumental in establishing Cornell's Environmental and Sustainability Program, where she built and chaired the environmental humanities concentration for four years. Her research explores the relationship between imagining and making futures across diverse contexts, focusing on the evolving interfaces between science, technology, and culture; natural and built environments; media and information systems; and the migration of people, things, ideas, and images. Spanning Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and Latin and African Americas, her work examines networks of exchange, innovation, production, and consumption that emerge outside conventional coordinates of the modern world. Her scholarship has been featured in BBC Culture, Radio Free Europe, Medium, and Meduza. She has authored multiple books including the award-winning We Modern People: Science Fiction and the Making of Russian Modernity (2013), which won the Science Fiction and Technoculture Studies book prize, and is currently working on Reactionary Worldbuilding (MIT Press, 2026) and Border Environments (Cornell, 2026). Her research demonstrates consistent engagement with science fiction as a critical lens for examining global environmental, technological, and social transformations. Science Fiction and Technoculture Studies book prize Ivy+ Mellon Leadership Fellow (2024-25) Academic Venture Fund grant from Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability Social Sciences and Humanities Research Fellowship Banerjee serves as a faculty fellow of the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability and is a participating member of cross-college programs in Biology and Society, Media Studies, and Visual Studies. She co-led a workshop series and engaged-learning course on border spaces and environmental justice supported by a grant from the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies. As an Ivy+ Mellon Leadership Fellow, she serves as Special Assistant to the Dean of the Cornell School of Continuing Education, focusing on academic leadership and governance with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion.
Michael Feig serves as Professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at Michigan State University, leading the Feig Lab within the BioMolecular Science Gateway initiative. His research bridges computational modeling and molecular biology to investigate protein behavior in cellular contexts, with particular emphasis on molecular dynamics simulations and machine learning applications. His academic background includes: Ph.D. (1999) from the University of Houston M.S. (1994) from Technical University of Berlin Feig's research program focuses on computational biophysics of protein systems, specializing in molecular dynamics simulations of crowded cellular environments, bacterial microcompartments, and intrinsically disordered proteins. His lab develops advanced modeling techniques including coarse-grained approaches (COCOMO2) and machine learning frameworks to predict protein properties and conformational landscapes. Current work explores temperature-dependent structural ensembles, enzyme cargo loading mechanisms in engineered microcompartments, and biomolecular condensate physics under shear flow. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2024-2025) reveals three dominant research thrusts: (1) integration of deep learning with molecular dynamics for protein structure prediction, (2) engineering of bacterial microcompartments for synthetic biology applications, and (3) fundamental studies of macromolecular crowding effects on diffusion and phase separation. His work consistently emphasizes methodological innovation with biological relevance, notably through enhancements to the CHARMM simulation platform. His scientific recognition includes: Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship (2005) As principal investigator of the Feig Lab, he directs research teams in computational biophysics projects supported by active funding mechanisms. While specific grant details aren't provided, his continuous publication pipeline and lab infrastructure indicate sustained research support. His mentorship spans graduate students in the Cell & Molecular Biology Program, with recent work involving multi-institutional collaborations on bacterial microcompartment engineering and protein phase separation. The Feig Lab operates at the intersection of high-performance computing and molecular biology, maintaining strong connections with experimental groups for method validation. Current initiatives include developing generative models for temperature-dependent protein conformations and investigating cytoplasmic protein capture mechanisms in microcompartments, with potential applications in metabolic engineering and nanobiotechnology.
Desmond Elliott is an Associate Professor in the Natural Language Processing section at the Department of Computer Science, University of Copenhagen (UCPH). His research focuses on multimodal and multilingual models with specific emphasis on vision-language integration and tokenization-free NLP approaches. He teaches Bachelor and Master's level courses including Advanced Topics in Natural Language Processing (since 2019), Grundlæggende Data Science (since 2023), and previously Data Science (2021-2023). His research interests center on building and understanding multimodal and multilingual models , particularly exploring vision and language interactions through billion-parameter systems. Current work investigates cultural representation disparities in vision-language models, parameter-efficient captioning, and multimodal distributional semantics across diverse domains including food culture and medical imaging. His methodology emphasizes real-world applicability in non-English contexts and ethical considerations in multimodal systems. Elliott's recent publications (2025) demonstrate leadership in multimodal NLP, with significant contributions to vision-language pretraining, multilingual evaluation frameworks, and clinical NLP applications. His work spans theoretical advancements in model architectures and practical implementations addressing challenges in low-resource languages and domain adaptation. Best Long Paper Award at EMNLP 2021 Best Poster Award at COLING 2019 As an active educator, Elliott contributes to courses on Fair and Transparent Machine Learning and previously taught Information Retrieval. His research collaborations span international institutions with particular focus on European and non-English language contexts, reflecting UCPH's recognition as Europe's #1 institution for HCI research over the past decade.
Jari Murto serves as Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki, where he specializes in Labour and Social Law. With over two decades of academic and practical experience, he contributes significantly to Finnish and European labour law discourse through publications, policy analysis, and academic leadership. His educational qualifications include a Doctor of Laws (LL.D), Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration, and Master of Laws (LL.M). Murto's doctoral dissertation Ryhmänormit yrityksessä (Group Norms in Companies, 2015) established foundational research on workplace norm systems. Murto's research examines labour law doctrines, norm systems, working conditions determination, and transition-phase labour market issues. He analyzes EU policy impacts on national frameworks, lifelong learning integration into labour law, and psychosocial workplace safety. Recent work addresses digital workplace challenges, parental employment policies, and just transitions in green/digital economies. His scholarship bridges theoretical legal frameworks with practical industrial relations through frequent commentary on Supreme Court decisions. As Doctoral Programme Supervisor, Murto mentors emerging legal scholars while maintaining active peer review roles. He serves on Finland's Board for Strengthening General Applicability of Collective Agreements and participates in European labour law networks including the Labour Law Research Network and Nordic Network of Labour Law Scholars. His conference activities span topics from social packages in income policy agreements to lifelong learning's role in modern labour law. Murto maintains strong engagement with practical legal applications through Supreme Court commentary series ( KKO:n ratkaisut kommentein ) and regular contributions to Lakimies journal. His research methodology combines doctrinal analysis with empirical studies of workplace practices and policy implementation.
Dr. Koustuv Saha is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), leading the OnCARE lab. He holds a PhD from Georgia Tech and a B.Tech from IIT Kharagpur. His research focuses on computational social science, social computing, and ethical AI applications in mental health and wellbeing. His work bridges computer science with psychology, sociology, and public policy to address societal challenges. Education: PhD in Computer Science (Georgia Tech, 2021), B.Tech in CSE (IIT Kharagpur, 2012). Previous roles include Senior Researcher at Microsoft Research Montreal (FATE group) and industry research experience in Silicon Valley. Research interests include wellbeing sensing technologies, algorithmic fairness, and large language models’ societal impacts. Recent work examines caregiver mental health, deceptive wellness apps, and AI ethics in content moderation. His studies combine causal inference, NLP, and multimodal data analysis. Publications span top venues like CHI, CSCW, ICWSM, and JMIR. Notable awards include Georgia Tech’s Outstanding Dissertation Award (2022) and Snap Research Fellowship (2020). He advises on AI governance and collaborates with policymakers, clinicians, and industry. OnCARE lab explores human-centered AI for societal good, with projects on mental health support systems, ethical tech design, and algorithmic transparency in health contexts. Current focus includes caregiver AI tools, LLM-based empathetic systems, and workplace wellbeing interventions.
Imad L. Al-Qadi is the Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering and Director of the Illinois Center for Transportation (ICT) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). He holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Penn State and has held faculty positions at Virginia Tech and Penn State. His research focuses on sustainable transportation infrastructure, pavement mechanics, and advanced materials. Al-Qadi leads initiatives like the Illinois Autonomous and Connected Track (I-ACT), a high-speed test facility for autonomous vehicles and energy harvesting systems. Key roles include: Director of ICT, advancing multimodal transportation infrastructure Pioneer of the Smart Road and full-scale pavement testing Founder of the Academy of Pavement Science and Engineering Research interests span: Highway/airfield sustainability Tire-pavement interaction Energy harvesting Electric vehicles' infrastructure impact Leadership roles include past presidency of ASCE's Transportation and Development Institute and editorship of the International Journal of Pavement Engineering. He has authored over 1,000 publications, including 390 refereed papers, and secured over 180 research grants from federal agencies and industry. Awards include NSF Young Investigator Award (1994), TRB Crum Award (2023), and 2024 Executive Leadership Fellow. His work is internationally recognized, with honorary professorships at institutions in China, Sweden, and the UK.
Tom Dhaene is a Full Professor at Ghent University, affiliated with the Department of Information Technology (INTEC-IDLab) within the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture (FEA). He also holds a position at imec, a research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies. Research Unit: Internet Technology and Data Science Lab (IDLab) Academic Rank: Full Professor Affiliations: Ghent University, imec His research focuses on data-efficient machine learning, surrogate modeling, Gaussian processes, Bayesian optimization, and system identification. He has developed widely used software tools such as the SUMO toolbox and ooDACE, and holds 5 U.S. patents. His work bridges theoretical advancements with practical applications in engineering and biomedical domains. Recent publications highlight his contributions to physics-informed machine learning, antenna design, microwave optimization, and healthcare applications. Notably, he explores Bayesian active learning, multi-objective optimization under uncertainty, and efficient modeling techniques for complex systems. Prof. Dhaene's research has been recognized through over 500 peer-reviewed publications and collaborations across academia, industry, and government sectors globally.
Dr. Han Du is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He holds a PhD from the University of Notre Dame and leads the Du Research Lab. His methodological expertise includes Bayesian statistics, longitudinal data analysis, structural equation modeling, meta-analysis techniques, and machine learning applications in psychological research. Dr. Du's substantive research applies quantitative methods to developmental, clinical, cognitive, educational, and health psychology. His recent publications focus on transgender adolescent stress assessment, LGBTQ+ mental health in military contexts, social network interventions for HIV prevention, and minority stress theory applications. He teaches advanced statistical methods and supervises graduate students in quantitative psychology.
Dr. Liyi Zhou is a Lecturer in the School of Computer Science at the University of Sydney, specializing in systems security, blockchain, and AI. His research focuses on developing automated and adaptive security tools using machine learning and reinforcement learning. He co-founded D23E.ch, a platform addressing blockchain security and privacy challenges. Research interests include AI-driven vulnerability detection, large security models, real-time intrusion prevention, advanced program analysis (fuzzing/symbolic execution), and privacy-preserving systems. He actively recruits PhD students for projects advancing AI in cybersecurity. Notable achievements include pioneering 'sandwich attacks' discovery in DeFi protocols, contributing to Ethereum Foundation grants, and receiving bug bounties from Flashbots and Ethereum Foundation for vulnerability disclosures. His work has been published in venues like IEEE S&P, USENIX Security, and SIGMETRICS. Teaching includes the course INFO2222. He seeks collaborations and funding to bridge academic research with real-world industry problems, emphasizing practical impact.
Gergely Baics is an Associate Professor of History and Urban Studies at Barnard College, serving as Helman Endowed Faculty Chair of Urban Studies and Faculty Co-Director of the Barnard Empirical Reasoning Center. He holds a joint appointment between the History Department and Urban Studies Program, with collaborative ties to Columbia University's History Department and the Center for Spatial Research at GSAPP. His research focuses on spatial and urban history, digital public history, and 19th-century U.S. economic and social dynamics. Notable projects include the Envisioning Seneca Village 3D digital model and the Mapping Historical New York spatial atlas. Education: B.A. (2002) and M.A. (2003) from ELTE University and Central European University in Budapest; M.A. and Ph.D. (2009) in History from Northwestern University. His work has been supported by grants from the American Council of Learned Societies, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Max Weber Fellowship. Research interests emphasize urban food systems, spatial analysis of historical patterns, and digital methods. His book Feeding Gotham (2016) was recognized as one of the Financial Times' Best History Books. Current projects explore 19th-century urban peripheries and Indigenous urban systems in colonial Spanish America. Awards include Barnard's Gladys Brooks Teaching Award and a CaGIS Map Design Competition win. Courses taught include transnational urban history, New York City history, and spatial history methodologies. Collaborative efforts involve multidisciplinary teams across institutions, focusing on public-facing digital history projects.
