James Newman, PhD, is a Research Professor in Media and University Teaching Fellow at Bath Spa University. He specializes in videogame studies, game sound/music, and media histories. As Senior Curator at the National Videogame Museum and co-founder of the Videogame Heritage Society, he focuses on preservation and digital heritage. His work spans academic research, public engagement, and creative practice. Education: Holds a PhD in Media Studies. Research: Explores game spectatorship, early game sound, and ludomusicology. Grants: Supported by ESRC, Wellcome Trust, AHRC, and others. Awards: Includes fellowships from Stanford University and ICHEG. Contributions: Co-authored White Papers, directed the All Your Bass festival, and collaborates with institutions like the British Library on the Game Sound Archive. Public Engagement: Regular media contributor (BBC, The Guardian) and international adviser on game studies. Creative Work: Composes electronic music using obsolete synthesis systems and game hardware.
Andrea Vedaldi is a Professor of Computer Vision and Machine Learning at the University of Oxford's Department of Engineering Science, affiliated with the Visual Geometry Group (VGG). He specializes in unsupervised methods for understanding images and videos, focusing on 3D geometry and semantics. His research bridges foundational AI and practical applications, with contributions to generative models, neural fields, and self-supervised learning. Education: PhD in Computer Science (2008), University of California, Los Angeles MSc in Computer Science (2005), UCLA BSc in Information Engineering (2003), University of Padua Research Interests: Unsupervised learning, 3D perception, generative AI, neural rendering, and scalable vision systems. His work emphasizes ethical, responsible AI aligned with ERC-funded projects like UNION (ERC Consolidator Grant). Key Contributions: Co-developer of VLFeat and MatConvNet libraries Leader in 3D reconstruction and diffusion models (e.g., CatFree3D) Recipient of the PAMI Thomas S. Huang Prize and multiple best paper awards Grants & Service: Principal Investigator on £2.3M ERC Consolidator Grant (UNION) Co-organizer of major conferences (ECCV 2020 Program Chair, CVPR 2023 Area Chair) Reviewer for top journals/conferences (PAMI, CVPR, NeurIPS) Labs & Teams: VGG Group at Oxford, collaborating on projects like Meta 3D Gen and Common Objects in 3D (CO3D).
Min Yen Kan is an Associate Professor and Vice Dean of Undergraduate Studies at the National University of Singapore's School of Computing, Department of Computer Science. With a PhD from Columbia University (2002), he leads the Web Information Retrieval / Natural Language Processing Group (WING.NUS) and serves as ACL Ethics Committee co-chair. His research spans Natural Language Processing , Large Language Models , Digital Libraries , and Information Retrieval , with specific focus on scientific discourse analysis, fact verification, and multimodal systems. Current projects include Scholarly Document Information Extraction (TRL 6), Task-Oriented Dialogue Systems (TRL 4), and Recommendation Systems (TRL 5). Recent publications reveal strong trends in LLM limitations (bias, hallucination, evaluation), conversational recommendation systems , and misinformation detection . His work consistently bridges theoretical NLP with real-world applications in digital libraries and scientific communication. Award highlights include: CIKM 2019 Best Paper Award ACL Distinguished Service Awards Vannevar Bush Best Paper Award (JCDL 2012) ACM Distinguished Speaker designation Kan mentors PhD students with placements at Google and USTC, and serves as associate editor for Information Retrieval and survey editor for Journal of AI Research . His lab WING.NUS develops practical tools like SciWING for scientific document processing and FANG for fake news detection. Media engagements include commentary on AI regulations in Southeast Asia and workforce implications in the AI era.
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.
Dr. James D. Foley is a Professor in the College of Computing and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. He holds the Stephen Fleming Chair in Telecommunications. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Information and Control Engineering from the University of Michigan and a BSEE from Lehigh University, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, Tau Beta Pi, and Eta Kappa Nu. Founded the Graphics, Visualization & Usability (GVU) Center at Georgia Tech, ranked #1 in graphics and user interaction. Directed Mitsubishi Electric Research Lab and later served as CEO of Mitsubishi Electric ITA. Executive Director of Yamacraw, Georgia's broadband development initiative. His research focuses on computer graphics, human-computer interaction (HCI), visualization, and user interface design. He co-authored foundational textbooks like Interactive Computer Graphics , translated into multiple languages. Professional leadership includes Chair of the Computing Research Association (CRA), Fellowships with ACM and IEEE, and the ACM/SIGGRAPH Stephen Coons Award. He advised over 30 graduate students and led numerous conferences, panels, and editorial roles in top journals. Contributions span academia and industry, including roles in NSF workshops, JTEC studies on HCI in Japan, and advisory boards for institutions like MIT and Lehigh University.
Olle Sköld is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of ABM (Archives, Libraries, and Museums) at Uppsala University. He is also the Head of the Department of ABM and holds an Associate Professor position in Library and Information Science. His research spans digital humanities, documentation practices, knowledge production, and digital preservation, with a particular focus on archaeological data processes and virtual world communities. Archaeological data documentation and reuse Digital game preservation Paradata theory and applications Information practices in social media His recent publications explore paradata in data papers, literacy challenges in research data management, and trust technologies like blockchain in digital archives. Olle is involved in the CAPTURE project, investigating documentation workflows for archaeological data. He has contributed to the Master's Programme in Digital Humanities at Uppsala University, blending digital humanities with library and information science education.
Xiang Ji is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Tulane University, affiliated with the School of Science & Engineering. His research focuses on statistical phylogenetics, computational biology, and bioinformatics, particularly in viral evolution and genomic epidemiology. He collaborates with Dr. Wu-Min Deng on cancer biology research from a bioinformatics perspective. Education: Ph.D., 2017: Bioinformatics and Statistics (Co-Major), North Carolina State University M.S., 2013: Material Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University B.S., 2011: Economics (Double Major) and Physics, Peking University Research Interests: Dr. Ji develops statistical models and computational tools for phylogenetic analysis, including scalable algorithms for large-scale genomic data. His work spans viral evolution, zoonotic disease surveillance, and parallel computing libraries for Bayesian inference. He emphasizes practical implementations such as Torchtree and TreeFlow . Articles Trends: Recent publications emphasize viral evolution dynamics (e.g., SARS-CoV-2, avian influenza), genomic surveillance strategies, and computational methods for phylogenetic inference. His work often bridges statistical theory with real-world applications in public health and epidemiology. Advising & Grants: While specific grant details are not listed, his active research program indicates involvement in funding initiatives related to computational biology and viral evolution. He teaches advanced courses in data analysis, linear models, and probability theory. Labs & Teams: Collaborates with Tulane’s Cancer Biology group and maintains partnerships with institutions globally, focusing on genomic epidemiology and phylogenetic software development.
Ian Horrocks is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Oriel College. His research focuses on knowledge representation, description logics, automated reasoning, and semantic web technologies. He has held academic positions at the University of Manchester (2003–2007) and served as Chief Scientist at Cerebra Inc. (2001–2006). Horrocks earned his BSc (1st class), MSc, and PhD in Computer Science from the University of Manchester (1981–1997). His work includes foundational contributions to ontology languages (e.g., OWL) and reasoning systems such as HermiT and ELK. He has supervised over twenty doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers. His honors include Fellowships from the Royal Society (2011), ECCAI (2009), and the British Computer Society (2005). He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Transactions on Graph Data and Knowledge and leads initiatives in semantic web standards and knowledge graph applications. Key Roles: Editor-in-Chief (Journal of Web Semantics), Co-Chair (W3C OWL Working Group) Grants: EPSRC Senior Research Fellowship (2005), numerous international collaborations Labs: Oxford Semantic Technologies, involvement in projects like RDFox and PAGOdA
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.
Richard McKay is a part-time Research Fellow in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge and serves as Director of Studies for History and Philosophy of Science at Magdalene College. He has held prestigious fellowships from the Wellcome Trust and the ESRC, and he divides his professional life between academic research and private practice as an International Coach Federation-certified career, academic and life coach. Research Interests: Twentieth-century history of medicine and public health History of sexuality and sexually transmitted infections History of HIV/AIDS Use of visual sources in medical history His current Wellcome-supported project, ‘Before HIV: Homosex and Venereal Disease, c.1939–1984’ , explores how healthcare workers and gay men in Canada, the United States and England came to understand the role of men who have sex with men in STI transmission during the mid-twentieth century. Publications & Scholarly Impact: Across monographs, peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, McKay interrogates the social construction of the “Patient Zero” myth, the pre-history of HIV, and the visual cultures surrounding AIDS-related illnesses such as Kaposi’s sarcoma. His 2017 monograph Patient Zero and the Making of the AIDS Epidemic has become a key reference in HIV historiography. Awards & Fellowships: Wellcome Trust Research Fellowship (current) ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship, King’s College London Teaching & Advising: As Director of Studies at Magdalene College, McKay guides undergraduate students in History and Philosophy of Science. He has also contributed pedagogical modules to the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s online exhibition Surviving and Thriving: AIDS, Politics, and Culture . Professional Activities: Aside from his academic appointments, McKay maintains an active coaching practice accredited by the International Coach Federation, supporting academic and professional clients worldwide.
Professor Isto Huvila is a leading scholar at Uppsala University's Department of ABM (Archives, Libraries, and Museums) within the Faculty of Humanities. His academic profile spans information science, digital humanities, and cultural heritage studies with a distinctive focus on documentation practices and information management across diverse contexts. His research interests encompass: Information and knowledge management Social and participatory information practices Documentation and paradata theory Digital humanities and archaeological information systems Health information and e-health services Open data and research data management Recent scholarly output reveals a strong trajectory toward understanding information practices across multiple domains. A significant portion of his work examines paradata in archaeological contexts through the CAPTURE project, investigating how documentation of data creation processes can enhance research transparency and data reuse. He also conducts extensive research on digital inclusion among older adults and immigrant populations regarding e-health services, analyzing both experiences and expectations of these user groups. Professor Huvila publishes in high-impact journals including Journal of Documentation, Information Research, Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, and Journal of Medical Internet Research. His interdisciplinary approach connects information science with archaeology, health informatics, and digital humanities, yielding practical insights for improving documentation standards, research data management, and e-health service design. His 2025 book 'Paradata: Documenting Data Creation, Curation and Use' represents a major contribution to the field, alongside influential review articles like 'Trends in information behavior research, 2016-2022' in the Annual Review of Information Science and Technology. His work bridges theoretical and practical concerns in information science, making substantive contributions to both academic knowledge and real-world applications in cultural heritage institutions and healthcare information systems.
Durba Mitra is the Richard B. Wolf Associate Professor in the Department of Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality at Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences. She is a leading scholar at the intersection of feminist and queer studies, global intellectual history, and the history of sexuality in the colonial and postcolonial world, particularly South Asia. Education: PhD, Emory University Research Interests: Her work critically examines how sexuality, gender, and racial difference have shaped modern social thought. She is especially known for her intellectual history of deviant female sexuality in colonial India and its foundational role in social sciences. Her research spans feminist theory, queer studies, histories of science and epistemology, and transnational feminist networks in the Global South. Recent Publications Trends: Her recent articles reflect a deep engagement with Third World feminism, feminist rage, decolonial knowledge production, and the politics of sexuality. She frequently publishes in top journals such as Signs , GLQ , and South Atlantic Quarterly , often in collaborative or roundtable formats, highlighting her role in shaping feminist intellectual discourse. Scientific Awards: Bernard S. Cohn Book Prize Walter Channing Cabot Fellow Award (Harvard) Roslyn Abramson Award for Teaching Excellence Star Family Prize for Faculty Advising Multiple 'Favorite Professor' honors from Harvard undergraduates Fulbright-Nehru and Mellon fellowships Advising and Grants: Mitra has received numerous research grants from Harvard, the Weatherhead Center, and external foundations. She has been recognized for excellence in faculty advising and undergraduate teaching. She has served as Acting Faculty Director of the Schlesinger Library and is active on editorial boards, indicating strong institutional and scholarly leadership. Labs and Teams: She is a faculty associate of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, a member of the Asia Center Council, and part of the Mittal South Asia Institute at Harvard. She curated the multimedia exhibit 'Solidarity! Transnational Feminisms Then and Now,' demonstrating her commitment to public scholarship and collaborative knowledge creation.
Professor Jeanne Moskal holds a faculty position in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She specializes in 18th- and 19th-century British literature, critical theory, and the intersection of literature with religion, medicine, and science fiction. Her research includes seminal works on Mary Shelley, including editing Shelley’s travel writings for the definitive edition of her works, and co-editing Teaching British Women Writers, 1750-1900 . Education: 1984 PhD English, University of Washington, Seattle 1982 MA English, University of Washington, Seattle 1978 BA English, Santa Clara University Her current research project, Secularization & Jane Eyre, 1930-2000 , explores how adaptations of Charlotte Brontë’s novel reflect 20th-century secularization debates. She has curated notable exhibitions, including the 2018 Reconstructing Frankenstein’s Monster at UNC’s Wilson Library. Teaching and Mentoring: A屡获殊荣的导师，她指导了13名博士生，其中9人获得终身教职或终身教职轨道职位。 Her teaching portfolio includes courses on Jane Austen, science fiction, Romanticism, and post-secularism theory. Research Grants: 2005/06 NEH Fellowship for University Teachers 2007 ACLS Course Development Grant 2014 Mellon Foundation Book Manuscript Workshop Awards: 2016 UNC最高教学奖终身成就奖 2013 Carolina Women’s Leadership Council研究生指导奖
France Bouthillier is an Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at McGill University's School of Information Studies. She holds a PhD from the University of Toronto and multiple advanced degrees in library science, administration, and education from Quebec institutions. Her research focuses on competitive intelligence, healthcare information systems, and small business information needs. She has led major grants including a SSHRC-funded study on children’s cyber-safety and CIHR projects on evidence dissemination in healthcare. Education: PhD, Faculty of Information Studies, University of Toronto MBSI, École de bibliothéconomie et des sciences de l'information, Université de Montréal C. Admin, Département des sciences de l'administration, UQAM BEd, Département des sciences de l'éducation, UQAM Research Interests: Dr. Bouthillier investigates digital resource assessment in healthcare, cross-cultural competitive intelligence practices, and information needs of marginalized communities. She emphasizes collaborative information monitoring and user-centered design in information systems. Her work bridges theory and practice, addressing gaps in evidence-based decision-making. Grants & Awards: Competia Award (2003) for co-authored book on CI software assessment SSHRC Standard Research Grant (2005-2008) on CI technology use CIHR grants for healthcare evidence dissemination (2006, 2008) Professional Involvement: Editorial Board member of the Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice, ASIST member, and SSHRC grant reviewer. She co-developed the eSRAP system for patient-oriented research monitoring. Her lab focuses on interdisciplinary projects in information visualization and collaborative tools.
Thomas Herron is a Professor in the English Department at East Carolina University (ECU). His research focuses on early modern poet Edmund Spenser, Irish plantation history, and connections to figures like Sir Walter Raleigh and Thomas Harriot. He also specializes in Shakespeare, medieval and early modern Irish history, archaeology, and literature surveys. Herron earned a B.A. from Carleton College, followed by an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His publications include the monograph Spenser’s Irish Work: Poetry, Plantation and Colonial Reformation (2007), co-edited volumes on Ireland in the Renaissance, and articles in journals such as Spenser Review and South Atlantic Review . He co-curated the Folger Shakespeare Library exhibit Nobility and Newcomers in Renaissance Ireland (2013) and edited the journal Explorations in Renaissance Culture . Teaching interests span Spenser, Shakespeare, Milton, Joyce, and Irish literature. He has developed courses on Renaissance literature, literary surveys, and digital humanities projects like Centering Spenser , a resource reconstructing Kilcolman Castle. His work integrates historical archaeology with literary analysis, emphasizing colonial dynamics and cultural memory.
