Dominique Unruh is a Professor at RWTH Aachen University , leading the Chair for Quantum Information Systems . Additionally, they hold a Professorship in Cryptography at the Institute of Computer Science of the University of Tartu , Estonia. Their research spans quantum computing , quantum cryptography , post-quantum cryptography , and formal verification of cryptographic protocols and programs. Research Focus : Quantum programs, zero-knowledge proofs, lattice-based cryptography, and quantum random oracle model. Key Contributions : Advancements in NTRU encryption efficiency, quantum Hoare logic, and rewinding techniques for security proofs. Tools : Active development in the EasyCrypt framework for cryptographic verification. Email : unruh@cs.rwth-aachen.de
Benjamin Lucien Kaminski is a Professor at Saarland University and a Lecturer at University College London . He specializes in quantitative aspects of formal program verification , with a focus on probabilistic and quantum programs , incorrectness logic , and non-classical computation models . His research includes semantics , probabilistic program verification , expected runtimes , and explainable verification . He leads the Examination Board for B.Sc. Computer Science (English) and actively mentors PhD, Master’s, and Bachelor’s students in logic and verification. 2025 : A Taxonomy of Hoare-Like Logics (POPL), Partial Incorrectness Logic (TPSA) 2024 : Quantitative Weakest Hyper Pre (OOPSLA), Caesar: A Verifier for Probabilistic Programs (Dafny), Hoare-Like Triples (Incorrectness-track) 2023 : A Deductive Verification Infrastructure (OOPSLA), Lower Bounds (OOPSLA), A Calculus for Amortized Expected Runtimes (POPL) He has received notable awards including the Ackermann Award (2020), Best Paper at LOPSTR 2020 , and EATCS Best Paper Award at ETAPS 2016 . He has also served on program committees for leading conferences like CAV , POPL , and LICS , and reviewed for prestigious journals such as Journal of the ACM and TOCL .
Val Tannen is a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in database systems, provenance analysis, and programming languages. His research focuses on data management, query languages, and systems like DBSP and ORCHESTRA. Collaborations include work with co-authors such as Zachary Ives, Susan Davidson, and Todd Green. Key research interests include provenance for databases, incremental view maintenance, and data integration. His work bridges theoretical foundations and practical applications in systems like DBSP for stream processing and ORCHESTRA for collaborative data sharing. Publications span provenance frameworks, query optimization, and distributed systems. While no awards are explicitly listed, his contributions to database theory and systems are widely recognized.
Jasmin Blanchette is a Professor of Theoretical Computer Science and Theorem Proving at the Institute for Informatics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), where he also serves as Dean of Studies for Computer Science since January 2024. He is additionally affiliated as a guest researcher with the VeriDis group at Loria in Nancy, France. His research lies at the intersection of automated and interactive theorem proving, with a focus on higher-order logic and proof automation. Key projects include the development of tools like Sledgehammer, Nitpick, and Zipperposition, and foundational work on (co)datatypes and higher-order superposition. His recent publications reflect a strong trend in formalizing and verifying automated reasoning techniques, especially in higher-order logic, with applications in proof automation, SMT solving, and logical verification. Articles frequently appear in top venues such as CADE, ITP, and the Journal of Automated Reasoning. CADE 2023 Best Paper Award for 'Verified given clause procedures' FroCoS 2023 Best Paper Award (with Visa Nummelin and Sander Dahmen) IPA Dissertation Award (awarded to his student Petar Vukmirović) Dutch 'cum laude' distinction (awarded to his student Anne Baanen) Dutch Prize for ICT Research 2022 Blanchette has advised numerous PhD and postdoctoral researchers, many of whom are now active contributors to the formal methods community. He has received significant research grants through projects like Matryoshka and Nekoka. He is also the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Automated Reasoning and plays a central role in organizing key conferences such as ITP, CADE, and CPP. He leads an active research group at LMU, consisting of postdocs and PhD students working on topics such as higher-order superposition, formalization of voting systems, categorical logic, and proof search heuristics. The team collaborates closely with international groups, including those at Inria and TU Wien.
L. Thomas van Binsbergen is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science & Computer Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, affiliated with the College of Science & Health. His work focuses on language design, formal methods, and policy-based systems. His research explores Executable formal specifications of programming languages Modular meta-language frameworks (e.g., iCoLa+, eFLINT) Data-dependent grammars for network protocols Purpose-based access control derived from GDPR Functional parsing algorithms (GLL, Happy-GLL) Policy enforcement in distributed systems Recent publications (2020-2025) demonstrate trends in language parametric design, security policy formalization, and exploratory programming environments. Notable collaborations include Damian Frölich, Tim Müller, and Tom M. van Engers. Van Binsbergen earned his PhD from Royal Holloway, University of London (2019) and contributes to conferences like GPCE, SLE, and workshops on programming language theory and data security.
Alin Deutsch is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), specializing in database systems, graph databases, and formal verification. He has contributed significantly to research areas including query optimization, data integration, and privacy-preserving systems. His work spans theoretical foundations and practical implementations, such as the Linked Data Benchmark Council (LDBC) and the TigerGraph database system. He co-authored over 100 papers and has been involved in major conferences like SIGMOD and VLDB. Research interests include graph query processing, parallel computing, data-centric business processes, and automated system verification. Recent work focuses on scalable hybrid analytics and graph databases. Deutsch is also active in database education, co-authoring a paper on UCSD's database curriculum. He has led projects in privacy-aware systems, such as policy-aware location-based services, and contributed to tools like CLIDE for interactive query formulation in service-oriented architectures. His collaborations involve industry partners like TigerGraph and academic institutions globally.
Nicolai Kraus is a Professor of Theoretical Computer Science and Royal Society University Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham, working in the Functional Programming Lab. He was previously a member of the Birmingham Theory Group and at Eötvös Loránd University. He earned his PhD in 2015 from the University of Nottingham under the supervision of Thorsten Altenkirch, with his thesis titled "Truncation Levels in Homotopy Type Theory," for which he won the Ackermann award. His examiners were Julie Greemsmith (internal) and Steve Awodey (external). Kraus works primarily in dependent type theory (with Agda as his favorite proof assistant), with a main focus on homotopy type theory and higher categories. His research extends to constructive and non-constructive mathematics more broadly, exploring the connections between different mathematical structures within type theory frameworks. He has made significant contributions to the understanding of higher inductive types, set quotients, and the implementation of type theory in proof assistants. His recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on homotopy type theory and its applications. His work explores the connections between type theory and classical mathematics, particularly in areas like ordinal arithmetic, higher categorical structures, and formal verification. He has developed novel approaches to coherence theorems, set-theoretic constructions in type theory, and the implementation of higher-dimensional structures. He was awarded the Ackermann award for his PhD thesis on "Truncation Levels in Homotopy Type Theory." Kraus currently supervises several PhD students and postdocs, including Aref Mohammadzadeh, Tom de Jong, Stiéphen Pradal, and Joshua Chen. He also serves as a second supervisor for Johannes Schipp von Branitz and Stefania Damato. Starting in 2025, he will lead an ERC (European Research Council) project in dependent type theory. He is a member of the Functional Programming Lab at the University of Nottingham and has organized several academic events including the "Types, Thorsten and Theories" workshop, Midlands Graduate School events, and Agda Implementors' Meetings.
Jürgen Giesl is a Professor at the Teaching and Research Area Computer Science 2 within the Department of Computer Science at RWTH Aachen University , Germany. He leads research in programming languages, formal verification, automated deduction, and term rewriting systems. Research Interests: Automated Termination and Complexity Analysis of Programs Dependency Pairs and Term Rewriting Systems Verification of Probabilistic and Integer Programs Static Analysis and Symbolic Execution Model Checking and Constrained Horn Clauses Development of Automated Tools (AProVE, LoAT) His recent research, reflected in the latest publications, focuses on termination and complexity analysis for probabilistic programs, polynomial loops, and integer programs, using advanced techniques such as dependency pairs, loop acceleration, and semiring semantics. He also contributes to SMT solving and transitive relation learning for infinite-state model checking. Scientific Awards: Best Tool Paper Award at iFM 2017 Silver Medal (Second Best Paper) at SEFM '16 Best Paper Honourable Mention at IJCAR 2024 Best Student Paper Honourable Mention at IJCAR 2024 Advising and Grants: Giesl has supervised numerous PhD and Master’s students, including prominent researchers such as Fabian Frohn, Jens Hensel, Nils Lommen, and Marcel Hark. He leads a large research group focused on automated verification and has contributed extensively to international verification competitions. His work is supported by ongoing research grants and collaborations with leading institutions in formal methods. Labs and Teams: He leads the Programming Languages and Verification research group at RWTH Aachen, which develops and maintains the AProVE and LoAT tools. These tools are central to automated termination and complexity analysis and are regularly submitted to international competitions such as TERMCOMP and VBS.
Wolfgang Stammer is a PostDoc researcher in the Machine Learning Group at TU Darmstadt's Computer Science Department. His work focuses on making AI models more interpretable and interactive, particularly in explainable AI (XAI), neuro-symbolic architectures, and systematic compositionality challenges in neural networks. He completed his Ph.D. in Machine Learning at TU Darmstadt (2019–2025), an M.Sc. in Computer Science at Goethe University Frankfurt (2016–2018), and a B.Sc. in Cognitive Science at the University of Osnabrück (2011–2015). Research Interests : Stammer's research bridges gaps between human understanding and AI capabilities. Key areas include: Explainable AI (XAI) and interactive machine learning (XIL) Neuro-symbolic integration for logical reasoning and visual concepts Mitigating shortcut learning and confounding factors in datasets Concept discovery and program synthesis for interpretable models Publications : His work spans foundational contributions to AI benchmarks (e.g., V-LoL, SLR-Bench) and frameworks (Neural Concept Binder, Revision Transformers). Recent studies highlight AI's limitations in systematic generalization and propose solutions for aligning reinforcement learning agents with human values. Grants & Labs : He contributes to the Machine Learning Lab at TU Darmstadt and co-organized workshops like the Interactive Machine Learning Workshop @ AAAI 2022. His research bridges theoretical advances with practical applications in healthcare and ethical AI systems.
Giles Reger is a Senior Lecturer in the Formal Methods Group of the School of Computer Science at the University of Manchester. He completed his BA in Computer Science at the University of Cambridge in 2009, followed by an MSc in Advanced Computer Science at the University of Manchester in 2010 (awarded Highest Achiever of the Year), and earned his PhD from the University of Manchester in 2014 with a thesis titled "Automata based monitoring and mining of execution traces". His research spans several key areas within computer science: Automated Theorem Proving (first-order) Saturation-based techniques Reasoning with theories and quantifiers Finite Model finding Collaborative and Concurrent proof attempts Runtime Monitoring/Verification Temporal specification languages Specification Mining/Inference Dr. Reger leads multiple EPSRC-funded research projects including SCorCH (Secure Code for Capability Hardware), CAPS (Collaborative Architectures for Proof Search), and QuTie (reasoning with Quantifiers and Theories). His work on the Vampire theorem prover and MarQ monitoring tool demonstrates his bridge between theoretical computer science and practical applications. Recent publications show strong focus on runtime verification, theorem proving, and program analysis with applications to security and performance monitoring. Notable awards: Highest Achiever of the Year Award for MSc studies Dr. Reger collaborates extensively with institutions including the University of Oxford, Arm, Amazon Web Services, and CERN (CMS Experiment). As Manchester lead on the SCorCH project, he develops formal analysis tools for security-aware hardware chips. His work on the VyPR framework enables developers to analyze Python program performance through temporal specification languages and monitoring algorithms.
Daye Nam is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine, where they design, build, and evaluate AI tools for developers using natural language processing techniques. Their work sits at the intersection of software engineering, artificial intelligence, and human-computer interaction, with a strong focus on creating useful and usable tools that make software development more accessible, efficient, and enjoyable. Education PhD in Software Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University (2018-2024) MS in Computer Science, University of Southern California (2016-2018) BS in Computer Science, Yonsei University (2012-2016) Research Interests Dr. Nam's research focuses on designing, building, and evaluating AI tools for programmers at all levels, with an emphasis on making these tools both useful and usable. Their work spans several key areas including machine learning for software engineering (ML4SE), developer experience, and human-AI interaction. They employ a user-centered approach that involves conducting empirical studies to understand programmers' needs, building and training machine learning models based on those insights, creating tools for programmers, and evaluating them using human-computer interaction methods. Their research has particular relevance to AI-powered developer tools, API documentation and discovery, and educational applications of AI for programming students. Publications and Research Trends Dr. Nam's recent publications demonstrate a clear trajectory toward understanding and improving how developers interact with AI systems. Their work increasingly focuses on empirical studies of developer-AI interaction, particularly with large language models for code generation and understanding. There's a strong emphasis on understanding trust in AI systems among developers, measuring the actual impact of AI on development speed, and designing tools that balance automation with user control. Their research methodology often combines log analysis, user studies, and the development of novel AI-powered tools that address specific developer pain points. Scientific Awards and Honors Best Tool Paper Award at ASE ACM Student Research Competition 2nd Place SIGSOFT CAPS Student Travel Award for FSE ACM SIGSOFT NSF Travel Award NSF Travel Award for ICSE SIGSOFT Best Research Award from University of Southern California Teaching and Service Dr. Nam teaches SWE 233: Intelligent User Interfaces at UC Irvine, guiding students through the design and evaluation of AI-powered interfaces for software development. They have previously served as a Teaching Assistant and Co-Instructor for Foundations of Software Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. In terms of service, they've been on program committees for major software engineering conferences including ICSE, ASE, and FSE, and have reviewed papers for journals like TOSEM and Empirical Software Engineering. They've also been active in student support programs, organizing and mentoring for graduate applicant support initiatives.
Ingrid Hotz-Davies is Professor of English Literature and Gender Studies at the English Seminar, Philosophische Fakultät, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen. She has held this position since 2001 and leads a dynamic research environment focused on gender, queer theory, early modern literature, and cultural narratives. She is actively involved in multiple academic programs and leadership roles, including co-directing the Tübingen Center for Gender and Diversity Studies and serving as the Gender Equality Representative for academic staff and students. Her academic journey includes a PhD from Dalhousie University (Canada), an MA/State Examination from the University of Munich, and a habilitation completed in Munich in 2000. Her research interests include Gender/Queer Studies, Women’s Literature from the Renaissance to the present, Early Modern Prose, and the dynamics of censorship and identity formation. She has organized numerous seminars on topics such as queer theory, camp aesthetics, postmodern realism, and the cultural construction of heterosexuality. Her work bridges literary analysis with philosophical, psychoanalytic, and sociopolitical inquiry. The recent publications analyzed reflect a consistent engagement with gender performativity, camp aesthetics, closet narratives, and the intersections of literature with psychoanalysis, religion, and political power. Her scholarship spans from Renaissance texts to contemporary science fiction, demonstrating a broad and interdisciplinary reach. Gender Equality Representative, University of Tübingen (since Nov. 2023) Academic Coordinator, Erasmus Mundus MA Program 'Crossway in Cultural Narratives' (since 2017) Co-Director, Tübingen Center for Gender and Diversity Studies (since 2013) Equal Opportunities Officer, University of Tübingen (2014–present; also 2002–2006) Academic Coordinator, Erasmus Mundus Doctoral Program 'Cultural Studies in Literary Interzones' (2010–2018) She supervises a diverse group of PhD candidates working on topics such as precariousness in Jean Rhys, polymigrant imagination, feminist speculative fiction, posthuman weird fiction, and the representation of subaltern female workers. Her mentorship extends into interdisciplinary research involving affect theory, postcolonial studies, and identity politics. While no direct mention of funding grants is made, her leadership in international Erasmus Mundus programs implies significant grant acquisition and project management experience. She is affiliated with the English Seminar's research environment and contributes to collaborative projects such as the 'Dark Side of Camp Aesthetics' and 'Naturalization of Gender'. Her work fosters transnational academic exchange and critical inquiry into marginalized voices and cultural border zones.
Georg Gottlob is a Professor at the University of Oxford's Department of Computer Science, with additional affiliation at TU Vienna's Faculty of Informatics. He has maintained an exceptionally productive research career spanning over four decades, with 494 publications documented in the DBLP database from 1983 to the present. His research interests focus on Database Theory , Logic Programming , and Knowledge Graphs , with particular expertise in hypertree decompositions, Datalog systems, and existential rules. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications, as evidenced by his development of the Vadalog system for knowledge graph reasoning. Gottlob's recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate continued innovation in query optimization, rule-based reasoning, and the integration of large language models with database systems. His work shows a consistent trend toward making theoretical advances in database theory practically applicable, particularly in the context of knowledge graphs and semantic web technologies. Scientific Awards: 2020 ACM PODS Alberto O. Mendelzon Test-of-Time Award for influential contributions to database theory Gottlob maintains extensive research collaborations with scholars including Reinhard Pichler, Andreas Pieris, and Matthias Lanzinger. His work has significant practical impact through systems like Vadalog, which combines machine learning with logical reasoning for knowledge graph applications. He has supervised numerous PhD students (though specific names aren't listed in the DBLP record) and has been instrumental in advancing the field of database theory from theoretical foundations to real-world applications. His research group focuses on the intersection of database theory, knowledge representation, and artificial intelligence, with particular emphasis on developing efficient algorithms for complex query processing and reasoning tasks over large knowledge graphs.
Ana Lucic is an Assistant Professor in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Amsterdam , with a joint appointment between the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation and the Informatics Institute . Her research focuses on interpretable machine learning applications for scientific discovery and societal impact. Formerly at Microsoft Research AI for Science and Partnership on AI PhD in Explainable Machine Learning from University of Amsterdam (2022) BSc/MSc in Mathematics from McMaster University Research Highlights: Develops mechanistic interpretability methods for deep learning architectures. Created Aurora , a foundation model for Earth system forecasting outperforming traditional operational models in air quality prediction and tropical cyclone tracking. Pioneers Clifford-Steerable CNNs for geophysical data analysis. Actively hiring PhD students for AI transparency research . Collaborative Networks: Contributions to ELLIS Summer School and ICML workshops . Collaborates with Microsoft Research AI for Science team on climate-related ML projects. Involved in organizing TerraBytes workshop at ICML 2025. Recent Advancements: Key role in publishing Aurora model in Nature (2025), demonstrating superior performance in Earth system forecasting. Supervises Ege Erdogan , new PhD student focused on mechanistic interpretability. Actively contributes to open-source AI development through GitHub repositories and technical discussions.
Prof. Wolfgang Ecker is a Professor at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), affiliated with the Chair of Design Automation within the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology . His research focuses on Electronic Design Automation (EDA), RISC-V processor architectures, and hardware-software co-design. He leads projects advancing EDA tools for embedded systems, neural network acceleration, and formal verification methodologies. Ecker's work bridges machine learning techniques with traditional EDA challenges, addressing topics like energy-efficient AI inference and automated documentation generation. His contributions span compiler optimization, FPGA implementations, and fault analysis in digital systems. Recent research highlights include contributions to the TRISTAN project for RISC-V ecosystem development, model-driven architecture frameworks, and AI-driven timing analysis. He actively collaborates on open-source EDA tools and explores Rust-based embedded systems development. Ecker’s lab emphasizes practical applications in edge computing and automotive microcontroller safety, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration across TUM’s CIT School. His publications (15 most recent listed) reflect a focus on EDA tool innovation, processor design, and leveraging machine learning for hardware optimization. While no specific awards are mentioned, his involvement in ERC-funded projects and leadership in international collaborations underscores his academic impact.