Dr. Amber West is a Lecturer in the Writing Programs at UCLA, part of the Humanities Division within UCLA College. She holds a B.A. in Literature & Creative Writing from UC Santa Cruz, an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from NYU, and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Connecticut. Her research interests span poetry and poetics, puppet theater, race and gender studies, performance studies, intersectionality, and service learning. West's scholarly work appears in journals like Journal of Research on Women & Gender and Puppetry International , alongside contributions to edited volumes such as Episodes from a History of Undoing and The Routledge Companion to Puppetry & Material Performance . Her creative works include poetry collections published by Finishing Line Press and The Word Works. She co-founded Alphabet Arts, a bi-coastal artist collective, and created/directed the Puppets & Poets festival in NYC (2011-2015). With nearly two decades of experience, she has taught writing, trained educators, and fundraised for programs in underserved communities, including roles with AmeriCorps VISTA, Brooklyn Public Library, and Girls Write Now.
Andrew Connor is a Senior Lecturer in Archaeology and Ancient History at Monash University. He specializes in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt, papyrology, and the social and religious history of ancient Egyptian communities. His research focuses on Egyptian temples during the Roman period, ancient economic practices, and the editing and publication of documentary papyri. Connor has particular expertise in the Fayum depression and Dakhleh Oasis regions. Connor's publications demonstrate a consistent focus on Egyptian religious institutions, economic systems, and textual evidence from archaeological sites. His recent work includes publications on temple administration, Greek papyri, and digital archaeology. He has received multiple teaching awards including the Faculty Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (2017), Faculty Citation for Overseas Programs (2018), and Vice Chancellor's Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (2018). Connor teaches courses on Greek and Roman history, archaeology, and ancient languages at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He serves as Honours Coordinator for the School of Philosophical, Historical, and International Studies.
Celestine Mendler-Dünner is a Principal Investigator at the ELLIS Institute in Tübingen, co-affiliated with the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and the Tübingen AI Center. She leads the Algorithms and Society research group, focusing on machine learning in social contexts and the role of prediction in digital economies. Her work bridges theoretical machine learning with practical societal impact, developing tools for safe, reliable, and equitable AI ecosystems. Her educational background includes a PhD from ETH Zurich in collaboration with IBM Research, followed by an SNSF postdoctoral fellowship at UC Berkeley hosted by Moritz Hardt. She was previously a group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems before joining the ELLIS Institute. Mendler-Dünner's research spans several interconnected themes including performative prediction (where predictions change the behavior they aim to predict), algorithmic collective action (how participants can steer AI systems toward common goals), and the role of LLMs in social science research. Her work combines theoretical foundations with practical implementations, addressing challenges in interactive machine learning, optimization in dynamic environments, and context-specific evaluation of AI systems. She particularly examines how algorithmic predictions mediate services and platforms at societal scale, exploring concepts of economic power in digital markets. Her publication record shows a clear evolution from system-aware machine learning algorithms (including foundational work on IBM Snap ML) toward increasingly sociotechnical questions at the intersection of machine learning, economics, and policy. Recent work focuses on measuring performative power in digital economies, evaluating LLMs as risk scores, and developing frameworks for algorithmic collective action in recommender systems and labor markets. Among her notable recognitions are the ETH Medal for her dissertation, the IBM Research Division Award, the Fritz Kutter Award, and the IBM Eminence and Excellence Award. She is an ELLIS Scholar, a fellow of the Elisabeth-Schiemann-Kolleg, and affiliated with several prestigious research programs including the International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems and the Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems. ETH Medal (dissertation award) IBM Research Division Award Fritz Kutter Award IBM Eminence and Excellence Award SNSF Early Postdoc Mobility Fellowship Mendler-Dünner actively mentors the next generation of researchers, advising PhD student Patrik Wolf and supervising research interns including Joachim Baumann, Haiqing Zhu, and Anna Badalyan, as well as Master's student Dorothee Sigg. She serves as core faculty for the International Max Planck Research School and associated faculty for the Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems. Her group has secured significant research funding through fellowships and institutional support, enabling work on projects like Powermeter (measuring search engine influence) and Snap ML (resource-efficient machine learning library with over 1 million PyPI downloads). She leads the Algorithms and Society research group, which examines machine learning as part of broader sociotechnical ecosystems. The group explores human-population interactions with algorithmic systems and incorporates these insights into learning system fundamentals. Current projects include investigating economic incentives in digital platforms, developing tools for systematic LLM evaluation in social science contexts, and creating frameworks for collective action in algorithmic systems. Mendler-Dünner also co-organizes the Algorithmic Collective Action workshop at NeurIPS 2025, demonstrating her leadership in emerging research directions at the AI-society interface.
Professor Sara Baker is a Professor of Developmental Psychology and Education at the University of Cambridge's Faculty of Education and a Fellow at Darwin College, where she served as Vice Master from 2021-2024. She is also a 2022 Senior Fellow in the Science of Learning with UNESCO-IBE/IBRO. Her work bridges cognitive science and educational practice, focusing on how children develop executive functions and self-regulation skills. Baker leads the Early Years Library project, co-founded the Research Centre for Play in Education, Development and Learning (PEDAL), and is a founding member of the Global Executive Functions Initiative. Sara Baker specializes in the science of learning, with research aimed at improving children's lives by identifying factors at home and school that support their agency over learning. Her work emphasizes developing executive functions and self-regulation through playful learning approaches. She uses lab-based experiments and collaborates with educators to translate cognitive science research into educational contexts. Her research spans multiple countries including the UK, USA, Mexico, Denmark, Slovakia, South Korea, Ghana, Rwanda, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and more, reflecting a strong commitment to culturally relevant and globally applicable educational practices. Analysis of Professor Baker's recent publications reveals a strong focus on executive functions, self-regulation, and playful learning across diverse cultural contexts. Her work increasingly addresses cultural adaptation of assessment tools and educational practices, particularly for Global Majority countries. There's a clear trajectory from basic cognitive research toward practical applications in educational settings, with growing emphasis on teacher training, culturally relevant assessment, and the role of play in early childhood development. Her interdisciplinary approach connects developmental psychology, educational theory, and practical classroom applications. 2022 Senior Fellow in the Science of Learning with UNESCO-IBE/IBRO Professor Baker leads the doctoral program in the Faculty of Education and serves as an Academic Project Director in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. She is the Cambridge academic lead on the Close the Gap partnership between Cambridge and Oxford, focused on postgraduate widening participation. Her research has been funded by prestigious organizations including the Newton Trust, Cambridge Humanities Research Grant, Economic and Social Research Council, LEGO Foundation, Nuffield Foundation, and Office for Students/Research England. She actively supervises doctoral students and seeks highly motivated candidates for October 2026 entry whose research aligns with her focus areas. Professor Baker co-founded and is actively involved with the Research Centre for Play in Education, Development and Learning (PEDAL), which investigates how children's play affects their development. She leads the Early Years Library project, a curated collection of evidence-based practices for early years educators, and is a founding member of the Global Executive Functions Initiative. Her work with the Connections international professional learning network focuses on self-regulation, while the Close the Gap project addresses widening participation in postgraduate education between Oxford and Cambridge.
Michelle Kuchera is the Keiser Family Associate Professor of Physics at Davidson College, with affiliations in both the Physics and Mathematics & Computer Science departments. She is a computational physicist specializing in machine learning, nuclear physics, and particle physics. Education: Ph.D., Florida State University M.S., Florida State University B.S., Florida State University Her research focuses on applying machine learning and algorithm development to analyze data from accelerator-based experiments at facilities like the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, and CERN. She leads the ALPhA (Algorithms for Learning in Physics Applications) research group, addressing computational challenges such as processing massive datasets from detectors like the AT-TPC, which generates data equivalent to the Library of Congress print collection in just two weeks. As an educator, she shares her deep learning expertise with undergraduates and international scientists, emphasizing collaboration as central to scientific progress. She has been involved in interdisciplinary research since her undergraduate work at the John D. Fox Laboratory in 2004.
Noah D. Gardiner serves as Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of South Carolina's College of Arts and Sciences. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Studies from the University of Michigan (2014), followed by positions as Lecturer in Islamic Studies at Michigan and a postdoctoral fellowship at Annemarie Schimmel Kolleg, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms Universität Bonn. Gardiner's scholarly focus centers on Islamic thought and culture with particular emphasis on Sufism, esotericism, occult sciences, and manuscript culture in the 12th-15th century Arabic-speaking Mediterranean. His research explores the 'science of letters and names' (ʿilm al-huruf wa-al-asmaʾ), religious cosmology, and apocalypticism, examining how mystical ideas move between religious margins and centers. His work reveals significant connections between Islamic occult traditions and other esoteric systems like Jewish Kabbalah. His extensive publication record includes the monograph Ibn Khaldūn versus the Occultists at Barqūq's Court (2020), co-editing the special issue Islamicate Occultism: New Perspectives (2017), and numerous articles in leading journals. His current research focuses on the 13th-century Sufi occultist Aḥmad al-Būnī and the broader occult renaissance in 14th-15th century Cairo. Gardiner actively contributes to the scholarly community through his role as co-organizer of the international online workshop 'Islamic Occult Studies on the Rise' and administrator of the scholarly resource site islamicoccult.org, which showcases emerging scholarship in Islamic esotericism. He teaches courses spanning foundational religion studies to specialized topics including Islam, Qur'an, Hadith, Islamic Theology, Sufism, and Religion and the Fantastic.
Gerhard Hirschfeld is an Honorary Professor at the Department of History, University of Stuttgart, and has served as Director of the Bibliothek für Zeitgeschichte since 1989. His research focuses on Social and Cultural History of World War I , Comparative Occupation History of World War II , 20th Century Netherlands History , and Academic Emigration post-1933 . He has been a Fellow of the Netherlands Institute of Advanced Studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences (1996/1997, 2006/2007) Fellow of the German Historical Institute London and held leadership roles including Chair of the German Committee for the History of WWII (1991–2000) and President of the International Committee for the History of WWII (2000–2010). His publications span monographs, edited volumes, and essays on occupation policies, collaboration, and exile studies. Recent works emphasize the media representation of WWI , continuity of nationalist rhetoric , and ethical dimensions of historical taboos . He contributes to journals like Zeithistorische Forschungen and Tijdschrift voor Geschiedenis . Scientific awards include Fellowships at NIAS and DHIL Editorial leadership in academic series like Zeit der Weltkriege and Schriften der Bibliothek für Zeitgeschichte and advocacy for interdisciplinary war studies.
Maria Adank is a Postdoctoral Fellow in History at the University of Chicago and a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Fellow. She holds dual affiliations with the University of Verona (Department of Cultures and Civilizations) and previously served as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Udine (2022-23). Her research focuses on gender history, material culture, and political agency in early modern European republics, particularly Venice and Genoa. Her current project, OSpaMa (2024-26), examines female political agency in Venetian and Genoese republics through objects, spaces, and material culture. This interdisciplinary work challenges traditional historiography by analyzing artworks, written texts, and domestic furnishings to trace women’s influence in republican governance. Recent publications explore Venetian patrician families, early modern libraries, and sartorial politics. Adank completed her Ph.D. in History at the University of Pisa (2021) with a dissertation on the Grimani di San Luca family’s material culture. An upcoming monograph, I Grimani di San Luca: Cultura materiale, genere e potere nella Venezia del Cinque e Seicento , will be published by Viella. Her work bridges art history, gender studies, and political history, emphasizing the interplay between material objects and social identity.
David Bawden is a Professor in the Department of Library and Information Science (CityLIS) at City, University of London. With a publication record spanning over two decades, he has established himself as a leading scholar in information science, particularly known for his work on the philosophical foundations of information, knowledge organization, and information behavior. His research frequently intersects with Luciano Floridi's Philosophy of Information, which he has applied to library and information science theory and practice. Bawden's research interests focus on the theoretical underpinnings of information science, including information behavior, information literacy, knowledge organization, and the philosophical dimensions of information. His work often explores the conceptual frameworks that shape how we understand information in both physical and digital environments. He has made significant contributions to understanding information privacy through a philosophical lens and has examined temporal aspects of information in contemporary society. His recent publications demonstrate a continued focus on theoretical developments in information science, with particular attention to the implications of Floridi's work for library and information practice. Bawden's scholarship shows a consistent trajectory from examining historical aspects of information to contemporary challenges in the digital age, maintaining a strong theoretical orientation throughout. As a frequent collaborator with Lyn Robinson (also at City, University of London), Bawden has co-authored numerous papers exploring transitions between concepts of information across different domains, information overload, and the philosophical foundations of information science. His work has appeared in leading journals including the Journal of Documentation, Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, and Information Research. Bawden has been actively involved in the CityLIS program, contributing to innovative approaches to information science education including the development of curricula addressing data librarianship and the 'onlife' nature of contemporary information experience. His scholarship reflects a deep commitment to advancing the theoretical foundations of the field while maintaining relevance to practical information challenges.
Elaine Treharne serves as the Roberta Bowman Denning Professor of Humanities at Stanford University, holding primary appointment in the Department of English with courtesy appointments in German Studies and Comparative Literature. She concurrently acts as Senior Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Director of Curriculum, while directing Stanford Text Technologies—a major initiative exploring textual transmission across historical periods. Her leadership extends to co-directing SILICON and spearheading NEH-funded projects that redefine digital approaches to manuscript studies. Her academic foundation includes a B.A. in English Language and Literature (First Class Honors) from the University of Manchester (1986), a Master of Archive Administration from the University of Liverpool (1987), and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Manchester (1992). This archival training underpins her dual expertise in traditional manuscript scholarship and digital innovation. Treharne's research pioneers intersections between medieval materiality and contemporary technology, investigating the haptic experience of medieval books, AI applications for manuscript analysis, and the long history of text technologies. She challenges conventional periodization through projects like 'Disrupting Categories, 1050-1250' while developing computational frameworks for fragmentology and textual distortion. Her work consistently bridges paleography with digital methodology to examine how writing systems shape cultural memory. Recent publications reveal a decisive shift from foundational medieval scholarship toward integrative digital-humanities frameworks, with increasing emphasis on phenomenological approaches to both physical and digital texts. This trajectory culminates in current projects applying machine learning to manuscript transmission patterns and developing ethical guidelines for digital archival tools. Her scientific recognition includes: Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries Fellow of the Royal Historical Society Honorary Lifetime Fellow of the English Association (former Chair and President) Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales American Philosophical Society Franklin Fellow Princeton Procter Fellow Fellow of the Stanford Clayman Institute for Gender Studies Treharne actively supervises graduate students in early literature, Book History, and Digital Humanities while securing major grants including NEH funding for Stanford Global Currents, AHRC support for the Production and Use of English Manuscripts project, and Stanford Impact Labs fellowship for archival tool development. She maintains commitment to ethical scholarly environments through her leadership in VPUE initiatives and digital pedagogy. She directs the Stanford Text Technologies initiative hosting the annual Collegium series, co-directs SILICON for internet longevity research, and leads specialized projects including 'Digital Ker' for Anglo-Saxon manuscript cataloging and 'Medieval Networks of Memory' analyzing mortuary rolls. These interconnected efforts form a comprehensive ecosystem for advancing textual scholarship across temporal and technological boundaries.
Dr Theodor Dunkelgrün is a Senior Postdoctoral Researcher at Trinity College, University of Cambridge , and Academic Co-Ordinator of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation-funded project Religious Diversity and the Secular University (2017–2022) at CRASSH. He was previously a postdoctoral fellow at St John’s College (2013–2018) and has taught across History, Divinity, and Classics at Cambridge, Bryn Mawr, UPenn, and the University of Antwerp. Education : Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet (The Hague), Leiden University, University of Chicago (PhD, 2012). Visiting graduate work at Princeton (2005–06) and Oxford (2008). Research Focus : Intersections of biblical scholarship, history of the book, and interfaith intellectual exchange (1450–1900), particularly in the Low Countries and Mediterranean World. Examines how Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scholars engaged with the Hebrew Bible through technological shifts (print to photography) and institutional contexts. Publications include edited volumes like The Jewish Bookshop of the World (2020) and Bastards and Believers (2020), alongside articles on topics ranging from the Antwerp Polyglot Bible to Jewish converts in early modern Europe. Collaborations span institutions in Taiwan, Oxford, and Leiden, with ongoing work on global philological practices and the Hebrew Bible’s material history. Professional Engagement : Co-founded the Cambridge Seminar in Early Modern Scholarship and Religion (2017), and actively promotes academic freedom through refugee scholar initiatives. Affiliated with the Cambridge Forum for Jewish Studies, Centre for Material Texts, and international networks like EMoDiR and Ideas in Motion.
Frédéric Kaplan serves as Director of the College of Humanities at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), where he holds the Chair of Digital Humanities. He also serves as President of the Time Machine Organisation, a nonprofit entity comprising over 600 institutions. His academic appointments span multiple departments including the Digital Humanities Laboratory (DHLAB), School of Architecture (SAR), and School of Humanities (SODH), demonstrating his interdisciplinary leadership across EPFL's academic structure. Dr. Kaplan's research focuses on the intersection of computational methods and humanities, particularly in historical urban analysis, cultural heritage digitization, and the development of the Mirror World concept. His work bridges computational techniques with historical scholarship, creating new methodologies for analyzing historical documents, maps, and urban structures through advanced digital tools. His research has significant implications for how we understand and reconstruct historical urban environments and cultural heritage. His publication record reveals a strong emphasis on computational approaches to historical data, with recent work focusing on LLM applications for historical cadastre navigation, historical map analysis through deformation patterns, 4D city modeling, and language technology applications for historical document processing. This research trajectory demonstrates an evolving focus from basic digitization toward sophisticated analytical frameworks that extract deeper historical insights from digital representations. Kaplan has supervised numerous doctoral students whose work spans digital heritage applications, historical document analysis, computational cartography, and language technology. His research has been supported through multiple institutional frameworks at EPFL and has resulted in practical applications demonstrated through exhibitions at major institutions including the Venice Architecture Biennale, Grand Palais, Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He leads the Digital Humanities Laboratory (DHLAB) which serves as a nexus for computational approaches to humanities research. The lab focuses on developing methodologies for historical data analysis, creating digital tools for cultural heritage institutions, and exploring the theoretical implications of computational approaches to historical scholarship. The lab's work with the Time Machine Organisation represents one of the most ambitious efforts to create comprehensive digital reconstructions of historical urban environments.
Dr. Michael Baym is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics at Harvard Medical School with affiliate appointments in Microbiology and the Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, and as an Associate Member of the Broad Institute. He leads the Baym Lab, which studies microbial evolutionary genomics and antibiotic resistance through a hybrid of experimental, computational, and theoretical approaches. His research focuses on: Antibiotic Resistance Evolution and practical interventions Mobile Genetic Elements (plasmids, phages, transposons) Computational Genomic Algorithms for big data analysis Synthetic Biology tools and technologies Key recent publications explore phage discovery systems , phylogenetic compression of microbial genomes, and RNA-guided gene drives in plasmids. His work is supported by multiple NIH/NIGMS and NSF grants including a MIRA award. Scientific honors include: Packard Fellowship (2018) Pew Biomedical Scholarship (2020) Sloan Research Fellowship (2020) A. Clifford Barger Excellence in Mentoring Award (2021) SSQBio Mentorship Award (2022) The lab actively trains PhD students and postdoctoral fellows with alumni occupying academic and industry positions globally. Current team members include researchers from interdisciplinary backgrounds working at the intersection of experiment, computation, and theory .
James Hooks is a Lecturer and Assistant Director at the Hamilton School of Classical and Civic Education, University of Florida. His roles include academic advising, course coordination, and overseeing operations for the School. He holds a D.Phil. in Theology and Religion from the University of Oxford (2023), an M.A. in Theological Studies from Regent College (2018), and a B.A. in Humanities from Athabasca University (2012). His research focuses on the intersection of religion and political thought after the Protestant Reformation, particularly examining how concepts like salvation and human nature shaped early modern European society. Central to his work is the study of Pierre Bayle’s justifications for religious toleration and their influence in 18th-century England. He also analyzes Bayle’s engagement with natural law and biblical scholarship, as well as the intellectual legacy of Mary Astell through her marginalia in the Pepys Library collection. His broader interests include secularism, Cartesian philosophy, and the history of toleration. James has taught courses such as The American Idea , (Un)Common Reads: The Case for Conscience , and Civil Discourse and the American Political Order across Canada, Japan, and the UK. Prior to his academic roles, he served as Finance Manager at the Canterbury Institute, managing operational budgets, administering the Barry Scholarship, and coordinating academic programming. He actively collaborates with faculty and students at Oxford and is involved in interdisciplinary projects at the Hamilton School. In his advising and grants work, James supports students through the Hamilton School’s programs and has experience administering scholarship funds. His current research on Astell’s engagement with French Cartesianism bridges early modern religious and philosophical thought.
Susan Smith-Peter is a Professor of History at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York, specializing in Russian history beyond Moscow and St. Petersburg. Her research focuses on regional identity, civil society development, and imperial governance in 19th-century Russia, with particular attention to Siberia and provincial dynamics. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a B.A. from Ohio University. Her work analyzes how Tsarist administrative frameworks fostered subnational identities through statistical bureaus, agricultural societies, and provincial newspapers. Notable contributions include *Imagining Russian Regions* (2018), which argues that autocracy’s civil society initiatives inadvertently fueled revolutionary movements. Her research has been supported by grants from the Fulbright Program, American Historical Association, and IREX. Professor Smith-Peter’s publications span journals like *Slavic Review* and *Kritika*, exploring topics from sugar beet industries to colonial Alaska. She has translated key texts into Russian and edited historical documents such as *The Great Republic Tested by the Touch of Truth*. She serves on campus committees and previously chaired Columbia University’s Seminar on Slavic History and Culture. Key Awards: Fulbright Fellowship, American Historical Association Grant, IREX Grant Grants: Fulbright-Hays Fellowship, University of Illinois Grant, CUNY Grant Her interdisciplinary approach bridges economic, cultural, and political history, emphasizing regional agency within imperial contexts. Ongoing projects explore Siberian historiography and the legacy of 19th-century provincial activism.
