Matt Ratto is a full Professor in the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto , where he also serves as Associate Dean, Research . He is a faculty affiliate of the Climate Positive Energy Institute , the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society , and an SDG Fellow with the Sustainable Development Goals Institute . His work bridges critical theory and digital innovation , focusing on the social production of knowledge through emerging technologies. His research explores critical making and socio-technical systems , with applications in 3D-printed prosthetics (deployed in Cambodia, Tanzania, and Uganda), AI-driven healthcare solutions , and climate justice in computing . He has received over $6 million in funding, including two Canada Grand Challenge grants , and founded organizations advancing equitable technology access. Ontario Minister of College and Universities’ Award of Excellence (2020) Bell Canada Usability Labs Chair in Human-Computer Interaction (2018–2023) He supervises students such as Olivia Doggett and Sarah Gram , with past advisees including Brian Sutherland and Dan Southwick . His Critical Making Lab fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, and he teaches courses like INF2241: Critical Making and INF351: Information Design Studio .
Kerri Kotta is a Professor of Music Theory and Head of Musicology at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. She holds a PhD in Musicology (2004) and an MA in Composition (1997) from the same institution. Her research focuses on music theory, tonal analysis, Estonian music history, and contemporary composition, with special expertise in the works of Eduard Tubin and Dmitri Shostakovich. She coordinates the International Eduard Tubin Society and edits the composer's complete works. Her research interests span music theory , compositional techniques , Estonian cultural heritage , and interdisciplinary performance studies . Recent publications explore modernism in Estonian art music, Beethoven's structural rhetoric, and socio-psychological dimensions of contemporary opera. Kotta received the Reet Neimar Criticism Award (2023) for her contributions to music scholarship. She leads the project How to share the ardor? Conveying complex musical structures through animated scores (2024-2025), funded by the Estonian Ministry of Culture. Administratively, she chairs the Estonian Musicological Society (2013–present) and the International Eduard Tubin Society (2015–present), while serving on the board of the Estonian Composers Union (2022–present).
Philippe Coulangeon is a CNRS Research Professor with HDR at the Centre for Research on Social Inequalities (CRIS) at Sciences Po. His research is situated at the intersection of cultural sociology and the sociology of social inequalities, focusing on cultural practices, tastes, and social stratification. His research interests include: Cultural Sociology and Inequalities Cultural Capital and Omnivorousness Social Stratification and Class Arts and Cultural Education Ecological Conversion and Lifestyles Quantitative Methods in Social Sciences His publications reveal a strong thematic continuity in understanding how culture functions as a marker of social distinction and inequality in France. Recent works increasingly integrate environmental concerns, showing evolving trends toward sustainable lifestyles and their social dimensions. His methodological focus on quantitative and geometric data analysis underpins a rigorous empirical approach to cultural sociology. Scientific awards and honors: No specific awards mentioned in the text. He has supervised PhD students, including Abel Aussant, and teaches graduate courses on the sociology of inequalities and quantitative methods. He has been involved in major funded projects, notably an ANR project on the social forces of ecological conversion. His editorial roles include membership on the editorial board of the journal Sociologie . He is affiliated with CRIS and collaborates with researchers across France on issues of inequality, particularly during the pandemic. His recent policy briefs highlight the impact of lockdowns on social life and inequality.
Erica Lehrer is an Associate Professor in the Departments of History and Sociology-Anthropology at Concordia University, where she also holds the Canada Research Chair in Museum & Heritage Studies. She is based in the Faculty of Arts and Science in Montreal and is a socio-cultural anthropologist and curator with a strong interdisciplinary profile. Her research centers on museum studies, heritage, memory, and Jewish cultural revival, particularly in post-Holocaust Poland. She explores how difficult knowledge—especially related to trauma, identity, and historical injustice—is curated and experienced in public spaces. Her work combines ethnographic fieldwork, curatorial practice, and critical theory. Lehrer's publications and exhibitions, such as Jewish Poland Revisited , Souvenir, Talisman, Toy , and Curating Difficult Knowledge , reflect a deep engagement with how heritage shapes identity and public understanding. Her recent projects often involve research-creation, blending academic scholarship with artistic and public-facing outputs. Her publications span themes including Jewish heritage tourism, curatorial innovation, material culture, and the emotional dimensions of museums. She has contributed significantly to debates on how museums frame human rights, memory, and social justice, as seen in her participation in conferences like ACHS 2016. Canada Research Chair in Museum & Heritage Studies Lehrer mentors emerging scholars and collaborates across disciplines, though specific advisees are not listed. She has been involved in major curatorial and research initiatives, including digital and physical exhibitions that explore urban heritage and collective memory. Her work at Concordia, particularly in relation to the Grey Nuns Motherhouse, demonstrates a commitment to community-engaged and place-based scholarship.
Jan Martin Nordbotten is a full-time Professor at the Department of Mathematics, University of Bergen (UiB), with adjunct positions at Princeton University and NORCE. His research focuses on applied mathematics, particularly in porous media, CO2 storage, fluid dynamics, and interdisciplinary applications in hydrology, biomedicine, and ecology. He completed his PhD at UiB in 2004 and became Norway's third youngest professor in 2007. His work emphasizes numerical methods, multiscale modeling, and experimental validation. Affiliations: UiB (full-time), Princeton (adjunct), NORCE (adjunct) Research Group: Center for Sustainable Subsurface Resources Research interests span mathematical modeling of subsurface processes, including flow in fractured media, geomechanics, and phase-field fracture. Notable contributions include analytical and numerical solutions for CO2 leakage, multiphase flow, and development of tools like DarSIA for image processing in porous media. Publications highlight advancements in mixed-dimensional models, finite element methods, and experimental validation of CO2 storage forecasts. His work bridges theoretical mathematics with practical applications in energy and environmental systems.
Dr. rer. nat. Thomas Hermann is a faculty member at Bielefeld University's Faculty of Engineering, leading the Ambient Intelligence Group and coordinating the Computer Science program. He specializes in sonification, auditory data science, and smart environments. Head of Ambient Intelligence Working Group Computer Science Program Coordinator Member of multiple academic advisory boards His research focuses on interactive sonification for biomedical applications, quantum systems, and smart environments. Key projects include ECG sonification for cardiac diagnosis, real-time auditory feedback in swimming, and sonic interfaces for AR cooperation. Recent publications span 2025 with Python-based sonification tools ( pya AGen ), quantum system sonification, and ST-elevation myocardial infarction monitoring. He contributes to open-access supplementary materials and interdisciplinary workshops. As a researcher , Hermann develops practical sonification frameworks like Panson for facial behavior analysis, CardioScope for portable ECG monitoring, and Base Cube One for smart environments. His work bridges academic research with industry applications.
Gianni Dal Maso is a Professor of Mathematical Analysis at the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) in Trieste, Italy. He has been a faculty member at SISSA since 1985, first as Associate Professor and then as Full Professor since 1987. He has held several leadership positions at SISSA including Head of the Sector of Functional Analysis and Applications (1993-1998, 2001-2010), Deputy Director (2010-2015), and Coordinator of the Mathematics Area (2016-2020). His educational background includes: 1973-1977: Undergraduate student in Mathematics at the University of Pisa and Scuola Normale Superiore 1977: Degree in Mathematics with honors at the University of Pisa (thesis: "Gamma-limits of set functions," advised by Ennio De Giorgi) 1977: "Diploma" in Mathematics from the Scuola Normale Superiore 1977-1981: Post-graduate Research Fellowship in Mathematics ("Perfezionamento") at the Scuola Normale Superiore Dal Maso's research focuses on the Calculus of Variations, with particular emphasis on semicontinuity and relaxation problems, Gamma-convergence, and more recently, free discontinuity problems and their applications to mechanics. His work bridges pure mathematical analysis with practical applications in material science, particularly in plasticity and fracture mechanics. He has developed mathematical frameworks for understanding crack propagation, material failure, and the behavior of solids under stress, contributing significantly to both theoretical foundations and practical modeling approaches in these areas. His extensive publication record shows a clear evolution from foundational work in Gamma-convergence (culminating in his influential book "An Introduction to Gamma-Convergence" in 1993) toward increasingly sophisticated models of material behavior, particularly in fracture mechanics and plasticity. Recent work demonstrates continued innovation in handling complex discontinuities, non-local effects, and multi-scale phenomena in material science applications. Among his notable scientific recognitions: 1982: Stampacchia Prize, awarded by the Scuola Normale Superiore 1990: Caccioppoli Prize, awarded by the Italian Mathematical Union 1996: Medaglia dei XL per la Matematica, awarded by the Accademia Nazionale delle Scienze detta dei XL 2003: Prize of the Minister for the Cultural Heritage for Mathematics and Mechanics, awarded by the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei 2005: Prize Luigi and Wanda Amerio, awarded by the Istituto Lombardo Accademia di Scienze e Lettere Dal Maso has supervised 42 PhD students at SISSA, demonstrating a strong commitment to academic mentorship. His research has been significantly supported by multiple National Research Projects (PRIN) in Italy, and notably by an ERC Advanced Grant "Quasistatic and Dynamic Evolution Problems in Plasticity and Fracture" (QuaDynEvoPro) from 2012-2017, where he served as Principal Investigator. This major project focused on nonlinear evolution problems in plasticity and fracture, with three main research directions: plasticity with hardening and softening, quasistatic crack growth, and dynamic fracture mechanics. His scholarly activities extend to editorial service, with membership on the boards of numerous prestigious journals including Archive for Rational Mechanics and Analysis, SIAM Journal on Mathematical Analysis, and Journal of Convex Analysis. He has also been active in the mathematical community through membership in scientific committees and academies, including the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei since 2014.
Anja Liekfeld serves as Adjunct Professor of Ophthalmic Optics/Optical Device Technology at Brandenburg University of Technology since 2018 while concurrently holding the position of Chief Physician at Klinikum Ernst von Bergmann's Department of Ophthalmology in Potsdam since 2009. Her dual roles bridge academic research in optical engineering with clinical ophthalmology practice, focusing on technological advancements for eye care delivery. Her educational foundation includes medical studies at Essen and Berlin Universities (1986-1992), state examination (1992), ophthalmology residency at Charité (1994-1997), specialist certification (1997), doctoral degree magna cum laude (1997), and habilitation on capsular bag models for cataract research (2007). Liekfeld's research centers on optical properties of intraocular lenses, clinical applications of medical devices in ophthalmology, refractive surgery techniques (laser and IOLs), cataract surgery technologies, glaucoma diagnostics/therapy, and gerontological ophthalmology. Her work emphasizes translating engineering principles into clinical solutions for complex vision correction challenges. Over 25 years of publications reveal evolving expertise from molecular glaucoma research to advanced IOL development. Recent work focuses on multifocal/toric lenses, dysphotopsia analysis, and visual outcomes measurement, demonstrating consistent innovation at the optics-clinical interface with practical applications for patient care. Her accolades include: DOG/SFO Travel Grant (2000) DGII Best Presentation Award (2008) DOC Gold Medal (2011) Focus Magazine Top Doctor (2013-2021) Stern Magazine Top Doctor (2022) As an educator, she trains surgical assistants, diet technicians, and operating room staff while teaching ophthalmology to visually impaired pedagogy students at Humboldt University. She conducts international wet labs for surgeons and optometrists, serves on editorial boards for Concept and Karger Kompass Ophthalmologie, and reviews for major ophthalmology journals. Active in professional societies including DGII, ESCRS, DOG, BBAG, and BDOC, she chairs Brandenburg's Ophthalmology Examination Board since 2021 and serves on the board of Die Augenchirurginnen e.V. Her research utilizes human capsular bag models for cataract studies and maintains focus on improving optical device performance in clinical settings.
Maksymilian Del Mar is Professor of Legal Theory and Legal Humanities in the Department of Law at Queen Mary University of London's School of Law. He has held this position since joining Queen Mary in 2011, contributing significantly to legal scholarship and education. His academic journey spans multiple disciplines and institutions, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach to legal studies. Professor Del Mar received his BA Hons/LLB Hons in philosophy, literature, and law from the University of Queensland, Australia (1999-2004), with an Honours dissertation in philosophy and literature on Italo Calvino. He then completed a Doctorate in Philosophy (PhD) at the University of Edinburgh (2006-2009), followed by a Doctorate in the Social Sciences (DSS) at the University of Lausanne (2009-2012). Prior to academia, he qualified as a lawyer in Brisbane, Australia, and worked as a Judge's Associate in the Supreme Court of Queensland. Professor Del Mar's research interests span the intersection of legal theory and legal humanities. His work explores the relations between legal theory and legal history, the history and historiography of politics and philosophy, and the theory and history of imagination, emotion, and related language arts. He has a particular focus on Scottish philosophers and jurists from the 18th to 20th centuries, including David Hume, Adam Smith, and Neil MacCormick. His current research projects examine the relations between character sketching and legal reasoning, and the imagination in eighteenth century Scotland. His scholarship reflects a commitment to building bridges across disciplines and articulating the essential role of arts and humanities in legal pedagogy and scholarship. His recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on cognitive legal humanities, imagination in law, and the historical dimensions of legal reasoning. There is a clear trend toward interdisciplinary approaches that integrate insights from literature, rhetoric, cognitive science, and history into legal analysis. His work increasingly explores the embodied and affective dimensions of legal reasoning, moving beyond purely textual analysis to consider kinesic intelligence, emotional dimensions, and the materiality of legal practice. Professor Del Mar has received recognition for his work, including the IVR's Commendation for Excellence for 'Artefacts of Legal Inquiry'. Professor Del Mar actively supervises doctoral students working in legal theory and legal humanities, with a focus on the theory and history of common law reasoning, relations between law and cultural theory and history, the history and historiography of legal philosophy, law in a global context, and Scottish jurisprudence. His current and recent students include Isa Bellati, Luiza Tavares da Motta, Gabrielle Schwarzmann, and Adela Halo. His editorial work demonstrates significant scholarly activity, including editing the Law in Context series at Cambridge University Press, the Cambridge Elements in Legal Humanities, and the Encounters with Books from Other Disciplines series for the International Journal of Law in Context. He serves on the Editorial Board of Law & Literature. Professor Del Mar convenes the interdisciplinary research network on 'Imagination' at the Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences at Queen Mary University of London. He previously founded and convened the Cotterrell Lectures in Sociological Jurisprudence (2015-2025) and the Centre for Law and Society in a Global Context (2013-18). He is also Co-Convenor of the Research Seminar series of the Queen Mary Centre for Eighteenth Century Studies and a Member of the Advisory Committee of the Centre for the History of Political Thought at Queen Mary.
Lawrence David is a part-time Professor at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Law , specializing in Constitutional Law , Administrative Law , and Criminal Law . He is a proudly bilingual public law scholar and lawyer with extensive federal experience in institutions like the Privy Council Office , Department of Justice Canada , and the Supreme Court of Canada , where he clerked for Justice Rosalie Abella (2015-2016). As founder and president of the Public Interest Litigation Institute , he advocates for the rule of law and public interest in high-profile appeals. LL.M , Harvard Law School (2018) B.C.L./LL.B , McGill University Faculty of Law (2014) BA , Concordia University (2010) His research focuses on stare decisis , judicial independence , and the rule of law , with a particular interest in bilingualism, religious institutionalism, and the intersection of governance and constitutional theory. His publications analyze the evolution of the Supreme Court of Canada's jurisprudence and the role of judges in modern society. His 2024 article on translating pre-1970 Supreme Court decisions highlights his commitment to judicial transparency , while his 2020 monograph on Stare Decisis, the Charter, and the Rule of Law has been cited in landmark rulings. He has also contributed to comparative constitutional law through the Max Planck Encyclopedia and explored the public role of judges in his 2017 I-CONnect article. As legal counsel, he has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada , Quebec Court of Appeal , and Federal Court of Appeal . He is a member of the Law Society of Ontario and a champion of open-access education, providing free course materials to students.
Laurajane Smith is a Professor and Head of the Centre for Heritage and Museum Studies at the Australian National University. Her work focuses on critical heritage studies, cultural narratives, and affective engagement in heritage contexts. Editor : International Journal of Heritage Studies Co-General Editor : Key Issues in Cultural Heritage book series (Routledge) Founder : Association of Critical Heritage Studies Her research explores memory, class politics, and empathy in heritage-making processes, drawing on over 10 years of fieldwork with visitors to heritage sites and museums. Current projects include a book analyzing emotional engagement in heritage practices. Recent publications address critiques of post-humanism and new materialism in heritage studies, affective dynamics in compassion for cultural preservation, and the interplay of nostalgia and class identity in heritage narratives. Key Themes : Critical analysis of theoretical frameworks Emotional and affective responses Memory and identity construction
John M. Nichol is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Rochester, where he has conducted experimental quantum research since 2016 following postdoctoral work at Harvard University. His work bridges fundamental quantum mechanics and applied quantum computing development. Education: B.A. in Physics, St. Olaf College (2006) Ph.D. in Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2013) Postdoctoral Associate, Harvard University Nichol's research centers on experimental quantum information processing using semiconductor nanostructures, with primary focus on electron spin qubits in quantum dots. His lab investigates quantum coherence mechanisms, develops noise-resilient control protocols for spin qubits, and explores quantum information transfer across spin chains. Key initiatives include engineering novel materials for extended qubit lifetimes, implementing dynamical decoupling techniques to combat decoherence, and studying many-body quantum phenomena in engineered spin systems. This work directly addresses scalability challenges in solid-state quantum computing. Analysis of Nichol's 2021-2025 publications reveals dominant themes in semiconductor spin qubit optimization, with 80% of papers addressing coherence preservation through charge noise mitigation and advanced control methods. His research increasingly integrates hybrid quantum systems, combining spin qubits with acoustic wave devices and superconducting resonators. Recurring subfields include Si/SiGe heterostructure engineering, quantum fluctuator characterization, and quantum simulation using spin chains - reflecting a strategic focus on overcoming material limitations in quantum hardware. Scientific Awards: National Science Foundation CAREER award Google Research Scholar Award Leonard Mandel Faculty Fellow Award Nichol's research program is supported by competitive grants including the NSF CAREER award (funding coherence enhancement research) and Google Research Scholar Award (supporting quantum control innovations). His laboratory trains graduate students in nanofabrication, cryogenic measurement techniques, and quantum device characterization, with emphasis on translating fundamental discoveries into practical quantum computing components. Current projects focus on long-distance quantum state transfer and error-corrected multi-qubit operations. The Nichol Lab operates specialized facilities for quantum dot device fabrication and millikelvin transport measurements at the University of Rochester. His team collaborates with materials scientists on heterostructure growth and theorists on quantum simulation protocols, maintaining strong ties with semiconductor industry partners for advanced material development. Recent expansions include acoustic wave integration platforms for hybrid quantum systems.
Jonas Kuhn is a professor at the Institute for Natural Language Processing (IMS) at University of Stuttgart. He is working at the interface between language and computers, combining linguistics and computer science. Kuhn's research interests span a wide range of computational linguistics topics including: Language models and spatial reasoning Analysis of large language models (LLMs) through linguistic theories Political text analysis and discourse networks Computational approaches to literature and cultural studies Retrieval-augmented language modeling Semantic change detection Dependency parsing and syntactic analysis His recent publications (2023-2025) focus on the intersection of neural language processing with fields as diverse as spatial reasoning, literary analysis, and political discourse. This reflects his interdisciplinary approach that bridges fundamental language research with practical technology development. As a faculty member at one of Germany's largest computational linguistics centers, Kuhn contributes to both fundamental research and technological development in language processing systems.
Jiyun Kang serves as an Associate Professor at Purdue University's White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management within the College of Health and Human Sciences. Her research examines consumer behavior, well-being, and sustainable practices across fashion, luxury, and retail sectors, with emphasis on artificial intelligence applications, crisis management, and corporate social responsibility initiatives. Her academic credentials include: PhD in Human Ecology from Louisiana State University (2010) MS in Business/Marketing from Seoul National University (2005) BA in English Language and Literature from Korea University (2002) Dr. Kang's research spans consumer psychology, sustainable consumption, and digital innovation in retail. She investigates decision fatigue in luxury contexts, AI-driven mitigation of purchase hesitation, and psychological ownership in fashion subscription models. Her work consistently employs quantitative methods including machine learning and causal modeling to analyze brand-consumer dynamics during ethical crises and sustainability transitions. Analysis of her 2022-2025 publications reveals three dominant trends: (1) blockchain/NFT applications for luxury authentication, (2) AI ethics in retail crisis management, and (3) intersectional approaches to sustainable fashion through psychological ownership frameworks. Methodologically, she increasingly integrates natural language processing with traditional consumer behavior models to examine corporate social responsibility perceptions. Scientific awards: No awards are documented in the provided materials. Advising and grants: The source text contains no information regarding graduate student mentorship or externally funded research projects.
Dr. Meera Sabaratnam is an Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford and a Tutorial Fellow in Politics at New College. She previously held positions at SOAS University of London, the University of Cambridge, and the London School of Economics (LSE), where she earned her MSc and PhD. Her work focuses on the colonial and postcolonial dimensions of world politics, challenging Eurocentric frameworks in International Relations (IR) theory and practice. Education MA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE), Balliol College, University of Oxford MSc and PhD in International Relations, London School of Economics (LSE) Her research examines how imperial histories shape contemporary international order, with a particular focus on structural violence , epistemic justice , and anti-colonial resistance . She is currently writing a book titled Complex Indebtedness , analyzing material and moral debts in the liberal international order. Scientific Awards and Grants : Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship RF-2021-235 Co-investigator for Czech Science Foundation grant (2025-2027) on postcolonial order Previous funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Dr. Sabaratnam co-founded the Colonial/Postcolonial/Decolonial Working Group at the British International Studies Association (BISA) and serves on editorial boards of International Studies Quarterly , Security Dialogue , and Cambridge Review of International Affairs . Her methodological innovations include contrapuntal analysis and histories from below , particularly in studying the Great War's impact on southeast Africa.
