Lorraine van Blerk is a Professor of Human Geography at the University of Dundee's School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law. She serves as Chair of Human Geography and leads the Research Centre for Transformative Change: Educational & Life Transitions (TCELT) in Education and Society. Her work focuses on street children/youth, refugees, and global inequalities. Academy of Social Sciences Fellow (2021) Stephen Fry Awards - Public Engagement Project of the Year (2017) Market Research Society President’s Medal (2015) Research interests include: Street youth resilience mapping Intergenerational partnerships Transitions to adulthood in crises Policy development for marginalized groups Coastal socio-ecological systems Cultural geographies of homelessness Recent publications address global street youth resilience frameworks (2REST project) and cinema's role for Harare street youth. Key collaborations include universities in Pretoria, Cape Town, Makerere, and Ryerson University. Scientific contributions recognized through: 6 major research prizes 16 funded projects 149+ research outputs International visiting appointments (Toronto Metropolitan University, National University of Singapore)
Nina Vollenbroker serves as Associate Professor of Architecture and Director of the Architectural Design PhD programme at University College London's Bartlett School of Architecture. A registered architect in the UK (ARB) and Germany (Architektenkammer NRW), she also acts as editor for Architectural Research Quarterly since 2020 and serves on the Society of Architectural Historians’ advisory committee on accessibility. Her educational background includes a PhD in Architectural History from UCL, along with multiple UCL degrees: Master of Architecture (2005), Certificate (2004), Master of Science (2002), Diploma (2001), and Bachelor of Architecture from Oxford Brookes University (1997). Vollenbroker's research centers on the intersection of deafness, disability, and architectural design, challenging normative spatial paradigms through historical and contemporary lenses. Her current Paul Mellon Centre-funded project "Hide and Speak" examines the first purpose-built deaf schools in 19th-century Britain, revealing how architecture actively shaped cultural understandings of deafness. She extends this work through "Deafening Architectural Modernism," which re-evaluates Adolf Loos's contributions through the lens of his hearing loss, demonstrating how sensory experience fundamentally informs spatial design. Her broader research encompasses migration studies, gendered domestic spaces, and critical examinations of architectural exclusion. Her recent publications span architectural history, disability studies, and material culture, with significant contributions to edited volumes on deafness in architecture (University of Illinois Press, 2025), mobile home-making (Brill, 2025), and the American West (Routledge, 2025). These works consistently demonstrate her methodological approach of centering marginalized perspectives within architectural discourse. Wilhelm Award from Pioneer America Society for outstanding research in material cultures studies Paul Mellon Centre Mid-Career Fellowship Royal Institute of British Architects Research Award British Academy Research Fund Award Vollenbroker supervises doctoral students in architectural design while securing major research funding from bodies including the Arts and Humanities Research Council, British Academy, and Royal Institute of British Architects. Her international collaborations include work with the Lebanese NGO Biladi on migration studies and knowledge-exchange programs funded by The Council for British Research in the Levant. She regularly convenes major conference sessions, including at the Society of Architectural Historians and Architectural Humanities Research Association conferences, and presents at institutions worldwide including Columbia University, Yale University, and Heidelberg University. Her research group actively engages with disability advocacy organizations and architectural practitioners to translate historical insights into contemporary inclusive design practices, particularly through her editorial work on special journal issues addressing disability and architecture.
Chris-Mike Agbelie is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training at Northern Arizona University. His research focuses on health system access challenges faced by people with disabilities, particularly during the pandemic, and improving inclusion strategies for children with disabilities in pediatric obesity programs. His work addresses issues such as healthcare equity, pandemic impacts on vulnerable populations, and team science approaches in healthcare. Education: Details not explicitly provided in the text. Agbelie's research interests emphasize disability inclusion, public health policy, and pediatric obesity interventions. His studies explore systemic barriers to healthcare access and innovative solutions to enhance participation of marginalized groups in healthcare programs. Recent work highlights the exacerbation of health inequities during the pandemic and the role of multidisciplinary teams in overcoming these challenges. His publications analyze real-world impacts of policies like insurance and social security on health access, as well as the efficacy of inclusion-focused methodologies in pediatric care. Collaborations with researchers like Martino and Morelli underscore a focus on actionable, team-based solutions. Grants and Advising: No specific grants or student advisees are listed in the provided text. Labs/Teams: Affiliated with research networks focusing on disability inclusion and pediatric health, though specific lab names are not mentioned.
Alberto Diaz-Cayeros is a Senior Fellow at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) and Professor (by courtesy) in the Department of Political Science. He holds affiliations with the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) and served as Director of Stanford's Center for Latin American Studies (2016–2023). His academic journey includes roles at UC San Diego (2008–2013) and UCLA (2001–2008), alongside research at Mexico’s Centro de Investigación para el Desarrollo (CIDAC). Education: Ph.D. and M.A. in Political Science, Duke University (1997, 1993) Licenciatura in Economics, ITAM (1990) His research focuses on governance, federalism, poverty relief, and violence in Latin America, particularly Mexico. Key works include Federalism, Fiscal Authority and Centralization in Latin America (2007) and The Political Logic of Poverty Relief (2016). Recent projects explore colonial legacies in indigenous communities and the impact of globalization on marginalized groups. His articles analyze topics such as indigenous resilience, electoral strategies in social policy, and the dynamics of crime and policing in Mexico. Diaz-Cayeros collaborates with organizations like the City of Oakland’s Department of Violence Prevention to study community dynamics. He advises on policy-related grants and leads projects at CDDRL and FSI, focusing on democracy, development, and rule of law. His interdisciplinary approach bridges political science with historical and economic analysis, emphasizing Latin America’s socio-political challenges.
Ben Rampton is a Professor of Applied and Socio-Linguistics at King's College London, affiliated with the School of Education, Communication & Society and the Centre for Language, Discourse & Communication. He previously directed the Centre for Language Discourse & Communication (founded by him) and the King’s Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Centre (2011-2014). He is an Honorary Doctorate recipient from the University of Copenhagen and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and Royal Anthropological Institute. His research focuses on ethnographic and interactional discourse analysis, addressing topics such as urban multilingualism, youth culture, securitisation, language education, and research methodology. He has held editorial roles in journals like Journal of Sociolinguistics and Applied Linguistics , and edits the Working Papers in Urban Language & Literacies series. His work frequently intersects with anthropology, sociology, and cultural studies. Rampton supervises PhD students in areas including multilingualism, language policy, and sociolinguistic citizenship. His recent publications explore linguistic citizenship in England, securitisation discourse, and interdisciplinary approaches to memory studies. He has contributed to projects on language education coalitions and the methodological challenges of linguistic ethnography. Education: PhD (1987), MA (1978), and BA (1976) from the University of London, University of London, and University of York, respectively. Grants/Projects: Includes research on memory politics, language socialization in diasporas, and sociolinguistics and security funded by the British Academy and Leverhulme Trust. Rampton leads initiatives like the Hub for Education and Language Diversity (HELD), collaborating with academic and third-sector organizations. His teaching spans undergraduate and postgraduate courses in sociolinguistics, language and power, and research methodology.
Geoffrey Wodtke is a Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Chicago, where he also serves as Associate Director of the Stone Center for Research on Wealth Inequality and Mobility. He holds multiple committee appointments including the Committee on Quantitative Methods in the Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences, the Committee on Environment, Geography, and Urbanization, and the Committee on Education. Additionally, he is a Research Associate at the Population Research Center and a Faculty Affiliate with the Program in Computational Social Science. Wodtke earned his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Michigan in 2014, where he also completed an M.A. in Statistics in 2011. His undergraduate education began at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee before transferring to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he received his B.A. in Sociology with a concentration in analysis and research. His research program spans four interconnected areas: neighborhood effects and urban poverty, group conflict and racial attitudes, class structure and income inequality, and methods of causal inference in observational research. Wodtke's work on neighborhood effects has particularly focused on the temporal and developmental dimensions of how neighborhood poverty impacts child development, with findings suggesting more severe effects than previously documented, especially during adolescence for children from poor families. His recent publications reveal a clear trajectory from substantive neighborhood effects research toward increasingly sophisticated causal methodology development. This evolution includes integrating machine learning approaches with traditional causal inference frameworks, as seen in his forthcoming work on "Deep Learning with DAGs." His methodological contributions focus on handling treatment-induced confounding and developing regression-with-residuals approaches for causal mediation analysis. Leo Goodman Award for contributions to sociological methodology (2020) Reviewer Award, Sociology of Education (2016) Mark Chesler Award for best graduate student paper (2014) Student Paper Award honorable mention (2011) Jane Addams Award for best article (2011) Wodtke has secured significant research funding including a $300,264 NSF grant for "Why Neighborhoods Matter" (2020-2023) and an $87,819 SSHRC Canada grant for "Neighbourhoods, Schools, and Environmental Health Hazards" (2018-2022). He has advised numerous graduate students and developed specialized courses on causal mediation analysis. Wodtke co-hosts The Inequality Podcast produced by the Stone Center and has developed several software packages for causal inference including MedFlow, RcGNF, cGNF, and RWRMED.
Jeff Sahadeo is a Professor of Russian and Eurasian History at Carleton University, affiliated with the Department of History within the Faculty of Public and Global Affairs. He specializes in contemporary Central Asia and the Caucasus, with a strong focus on empire, migration, and nationalism. BA, Simon Fraser University MA, Carleton University PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign His research explores the intersections of empire and identity in Russia and Central Asia, with particular attention to diaspora, migration, and comparative colonialisms. He investigates how historical memory shapes ethnic relations, especially in post-Soviet contexts like Kyrgyzstan and the Ferghana Valley. His work often employs oral history and interdisciplinary methods to understand the lived experiences of marginalized groups in Soviet and imperial Russia. Jeff Sahadeo's recent scholarly output reflects a deep engagement with themes of race, urban life, and empire. His publications analyze the racialization of southern migrants in Soviet cities, the imperial administration of Tashkent, and the geopolitical dynamics of contemporary Central Asia. The articles span disciplines including history, sociology, political science, and memory studies, with recurring subfields such as postcolonial theory, urban marginality, and historical trauma. His current research projects—funded by SSHRC—include studies on rivers and societies in Soviet Georgia and the multinational character of Soviet cities like Moscow and Leningrad. Committee Member, Reginald Zelnik Prize for Best Book in History, ASEEES (2018–2019) He has advised various research initiatives and leads the Migration Research Laboratory at South Ural State University, Russia. His public engagement includes media appearances on CBC, CTV, ABC News, and CFRA, particularly during the Ukraine crisis and on issues related to Russian foreign policy. He has also contributed to policy discussions through the Global Centre for Pluralism and the Kyrgyz Presidential Commission on Historical Science. Jeff Sahadeo teaches core courses in European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies, including graduate seminars on research methodology, imperialism, and Soviet culture. He co-teaches a course on Nazism and Stalinism, reflecting his broader interest in totalitarian regimes and comparative history.
Atreyee Sen is Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Copenhagen , Faculty of Social Sciences, a position she assumed on 1 February 2025 after serving as Associate Professor since 2015. She holds a PhD in Social Anthropology from SOAS, University of London (2003), and previously held academic roles at the University of Sussex and the University of Manchester. BA in Sociology, University of Calcutta (1994) MA in Sociology, Jawaharlal Nehru University (1996) PhD in Social Anthropology, SOAS, University of London (2003) Her research centers on urban South Asia , particularly India, with a focus on gender, violence, political mobilization, and subaltern communities . She investigates how marginalized groups—such as women in Mumbai slums, Muslim youth in Hyderabad, and former Maoist guerrillas in Calcutta—navigate and resist structural violence through political activism and cultural production. Her ethnographic work explores themes of prisons, moral policing, custodial disappearances, and urban poverty , challenging reductive narratives about the 'poor' and 'violent' in non-Western contexts. The recent articles in her publication record reveal a sustained engagement with political violence, urban precarity, and resistance . Her work spans ethnographic studies of child vigilantes, anti-Romeo squads, and informal economies in Indian cities, often highlighting the intersection of gender, state power, and everyday survival . She employs comparative frameworks, such as between Chicago and Mumbai, to broaden anthropological theory. Her research is deeply interdisciplinary, drawing from political science, sociology, and gender studies. Sutasoma Award for Outstanding Research Towards a PhD (2002) NirmalChunder Basu Ray Memorial Award, University of Calcutta (1994) Atreyee Sen has been actively involved in public scholarship through media engagements, including interviews and documentaries with BBC Radio 4 on topics such as the Delhi rape case, women vigilantes, and Indian elections. She has also led major research projects, including an ERC Advanced Grant on global political anger and a project on cashless economies and urban debt. She is currently writing a monograph titled ‘Morgue tags and body bags’ -- Ethno-histories, custodial death/disappearances and state torture in urban India . She has served in leadership roles in international academic bodies, including the Association of Social Anthropologists (ASA) and the World Council of Anthropological Associations (WCAA). While no formal lab or team is specified, her collaborative research outputs and network suggest active engagement with global academic communities. She has not indicated any future work beyond her current monograph and ongoing projects.
Julie A. Dowling is an Associate Professor in the Department of Latina/Latino Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Texas at Austin (2004) and is also affiliated with the Department of Gender and Women's Studies. Her research examines racial identity construction, ethnic categorization, and sociocultural dynamics among Latino populations. Current projects focus on racial socialization in Mexican American families and gender identity negotiation among U.S.-born Latina women. She actively contributes to U.S. Census Bureau policy through her service on the National Advisory Committee (NAC). Dr. Dowling's scholarly work has received recognition, including: Distinguished Contribution to Research Award for 'Best Article' from the Latino/a Sociology Section of the American Sociological Association Honorable Mention for the 2009 Distinguished Contribution to Sociological Perspectives Award Her publications span interdisciplinary journals in sociology, linguistics, and ethnic studies, revealing a consistent focus on racial ideology, language politics, and immigrant experiences in triracial systems. Dr. Dowling's work also extends to policy-oriented research through edited volumes like Governing Immigration Through Crime .
Patrick C. Shih is an Associate Professor of Informatics in the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering at Indiana University Bloomington, where he also serves as the Director of Graduate Studies for Data Science and Co-Director of the Animal Informatics MS and PhD track. He directs the Societal Computing Lab (SoCo Lab) and is a core faculty member of the Health Informatics PhD track. Dr. Shih's research focuses on how to better support health and wellbeing, specifically that of underserved and vulnerable populations, through the design, development, and evaluation of sociotechnical systems and community-based mechanisms. His work also designs technologies to amplify human and animal capabilities in animal-assisted interventions, improve animal welfare, and cultivate empathy for others. His research spans human-computer interaction, social media, collective intelligence, crowdsourcing, and online and geographic communities, with a particular emphasis on leveraging awareness of individual and community activities embedded in social media for civic engagement platforms. His recent publications reveal a strong trend toward health equity research, particularly focused on African American/Black communities, Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, breast cancer survivorship, and autism spectrum disorder. His work increasingly integrates generative AI, mobile health applications, and community-based participatory design approaches to address health disparities in vulnerable populations. ACM Senior Member (2020) NSF CAREER Award recipient Indiana University Trustees Teaching Award (2018-19) IU Groups Scholars Program STEM Mentor of the Year (2018-19) Multiple best paper awards at top-tier conferences Dr. Shih has successfully secured significant funding for his research, including a $3.7 million award to investigate inequities in environmental stressors and cognitive decline in urban and rural older adults. He serves on numerous editorial boards and program committees for leading HCI and computing conferences. His teaching portfolio includes courses on usable AI, mobile and pervasive design, and social computing. He leads the Societal Computing Lab, which focuses on developing technologies that address societal challenges through community engagement and participatory design.
George Kesidis is a Professor in Computer Science and Engineering and Electrical Engineering at Penn State University. His research spans deep learning security, virtual reality optimization, and cloud computing. College of Engineering (Penn State University) Research Focus: Backdoor Attacks, DNN Robustness, Edge Caching Active in NSF and U.S. Navy-funded projects (2022-2026) His work addresses backdoor data poisoning , test-time evasion attacks , and DNN overfitting mitigation . He develops techniques like activation clipping, perturbation analysis, and statistical defense models. Recent projects include edge caching systems for VR and security-driven AI frameworks. Key article trends reveal expertise in adversarial deep learning, immersive media delivery, and cloud resource optimization. Current grants focus on multi-user VR, GPU scheduling, and serverless-cloud hybrid architectures. He collaborates extensively with researchers like David J. Miller and Xinyu Li, particularly on cloud-based adversarial defense mechanisms and VR streaming benchmarks.
Angela Boatman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership & Higher Education at Boston College specializing in higher education policy evaluation, with emphasis on improving access and success for underrepresented student populations through evidence-based interventions. Her educational credentials include: Ed.D. in Higher Education from Harvard University M.P.P. and M.A. in Higher Education from the University of Michigan B.A. from the University of Minnesota Dr. Boatman's research program systematically examines college access barriers and success pathways, focusing on remedial education reform (particularly mathematics), financial aid design, community college transfer policies, and behavioral interventions to reduce loan aversion. She employs rigorous quasi-experimental and experimental methodologies to evaluate policy impacts on student outcomes, with particular attention to equity implications for traditionally marginalized groups. Her work bridges academic research and practical policy implementation through sustained engagement with federal and state education agencies. Analysis of her recent publications (2019-2025) reveals consistent thematic focus on remediation models (corequisite vs. traditional, high school vs. college timing), behavioral economics applications in financial aid, and cross-institutional transfer policies. Her research spans diverse contexts including U.S. community colleges, technical institutions in Chile, and rural-serving universities, demonstrating methodological versatility through large-scale administrative data analysis, randomized trials, and comparative international studies. Dr. Boatman has secured substantial external research funding from the Institute for Education Sciences, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lumina Foundation, and Peabody College. She actively contributes to national discourse as a faculty affiliate of the Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness (CAPR) and the Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) at Harvard University, frequently presenting findings to policymakers and practitioners through congressional briefings, Federal Reserve conferences, and national education forums.
Shion Guha is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Information, cross-appointed to the Department of Computer Science. He directs the Human-Centered Data Science Lab and is affiliated with the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society and the Data Sciences Institute. His research focuses on integrating technical methodologies with critical social science approaches to address algorithmic biases in public sectors like child welfare, healthcare, and policing. Key roles include coordinating the Human-Centred Data Science concentration in the Master of Information program and advising national policies on AI ethics. Education: PhD in Information Science and Statistics, Cornell University (2016) MS in Information Science, Indian Statistical Institute (2010) Bachelor of Business Administration, Jadavpur University (India) Research Interests: Human-Centered Data Science, AI ethics, public policy, healthcare systems, algorithmic accountability, and marginalized communities' interaction with technology. His work emphasizes participatory design and real-world impact, addressing high-stakes decisions in public services. Recent Trends in Articles: Focus on participatory AI design in public sectors, algorithmic harms in child welfare, and cultural biases in NLP tools. His studies explore the intersection of technical systems and societal values, advocating for equity and transparency in algorithmic decision-making. Awards: Way-Klingler Early Career Award (2019) Connaught New Researcher Award (2021) Schwartz-Reisman Institute Faculty Fellowship (2023–2025) Grants & Advising: Secured funding from NSERC, CIFAR, and others for projects like the Responsible AI for Health Systems (RAIHS) framework. Advises PhD students through cross-departmental programs and collaborates with organizations like Parkview Health and the ACLU. Current supervisees include Ramaravind Kommiya Mothilal and Seh Young Moon. Labs & Initiatives: Leads the Human-Centered Data Science Lab, contributing to interdisciplinary research on AI ethics. Active in policy advocacy, including work with the Canadian government’s AI Policymakers Expert Group and the CIFAR AI Solutions Network.
Roles and Affiliations: Dibs Sarkar is a Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Ocean Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology. He serves as the Founding Director of the Stevens Center for Sustainability and the Sustainability Management MS and dual-degree MS-MBA programs. He is also an Adjunct Research Professor at Michigan Technological University and has held prior positions at Montclair State University and the University of Texas at San Antonio. Education: PhD (1997) in Geochemistry from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville MS (1991) and BS (1988) in Geology from the University of Calcutta Research Interests: Dr. Sarkar’s work focuses on environmental sustainability through a multidisciplinary lens, including soil/water chemistry, green technology development, and risk assessment. His research integrates geochemical, biological, and engineering principles to address environmental contamination, sustainable remediation of PFAS, phytoremediation, and stormwater management. He emphasizes holistic approaches to environmental problems, such as using vetiver grass for lead and TNT cleanup and developing biochar-based solutions. Grants and Funding: He has secured over $17 million in grants as PI/Co-PI for projects like PFAS remediation, sustainable stormwater management, and acid mine reclamation. Recent funding includes DOE projects on phytoextraction and NJDEP-supported studies on PFAS in wastewater. Awards and Recognition: Fellow of the Geological Society of America (2011) Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America (2019) Research Excellence Award (2022) Top 40 Under 40 San Antonio Rising Star Award (2004) Advisory and Editorial Roles: He chairs the Sustainability Minor at Stevens, edits multiple journals (e.g., Current Pollution Reports ), and serves on panels for NSF, NIH, and professional societies like SETAC and AGU. He is a founding member of SIROM Scientific Solutions, an environmental R&D firm. Labs and Teams: His research group collaborates on projects at the Stevens Center for Sustainability, focusing on green technologies, sustainable infrastructure, and environmental policy. The group emphasizes interdisciplinary innovation, from lab-scale studies to field demonstrations.
Maree Higgins is a Senior Lecturer at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) , affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the School of Social Work . She serves as the Social Work Honours Program Convenor and is an Associate of the Australian Institute of Human Rights , with links to the Forced Migration Research Network , Kaldor Centre , and Gendered Violence Research Network . Education : Doctor of Philosophy (Social Work), Australian Catholic University (ACU National) Bachelor of Social Work (Hons First Class), UNSW Research Interests : Maree’s work centers on social justice , human rights , and contextualized lived experience , with a focus on refugee and migrant populations , disability studies , aged care , criminal justice reform , and participatory research methods . Her recent publications emphasize lived experience-led knowledge , co-design practices , and trauma-informed approaches . Grants : She has secured funding for projects like Missing Girls: from childhood runaway to criminalised woman (2022–2025; $204,307) and Ethics and community-based participatory research in refugee studies (2019; $5,000). Supervision : Maree supervises PhD candidates in areas such as intellectual disability and support needs , intimate partner violence , and border policy impacts on asylum seekers . Her completions include honors and master’s theses on autonomy in eating disorder treatment , technology-facilitated abuse , and Aboriginal women in maternity care . Professional Engagement : She collaborates with organizations including STARTTS , Foundation House , Black Dog Institute , and Prince of Wales Hospital , while actively participating in Australian Heads of Schools of Social Work , National Field Educational Network , and African Studies Association of Australasia and the Pacific .
