Nathan Warnberg is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics (with a Physics minor) from Iowa State University and a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. His research focuses on combinatorial matrix theory, Anti-Ramsey Theory, and Graph Theory, with notable contributions to topics like zero forcing, anti-van der Waerden numbers, and rainbow colorings. Warnberg’s academic journey includes roles as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and Lead Teaching Assistant at Iowa State University before joining UW-La Crosse in 2014. He teaches courses such as College Algebra, Calculus I, Linear Algebra, and Graph Theory. His work emphasizes student-centered learning and fostering independent learners through innovative classroom activities. His research publications span journals like Graphs and Combinatorics , Discrete Applied Mathematics , and Journal of Combinatorics , with a focus on graph theory applications in combinatorial structures. He has co-authored papers on anti-Ramsey variants, propagation dynamics, and network resilience. Warnberg has received recognition for teaching excellence and inclusive pedagogy, including the Teaching Award and Inclusive Teaching Award. Beyond academia, he contributed to designing an anti-racist education workshop for fostering equitable classroom environments.
Robert Sims is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Arizona, where he has been a faculty member since 2008, progressing from Assistant to Associate and then full Professor. His primary academic affiliation is with the Department of Mathematics, and he is actively involved in research and teaching within the mathematical physics community. Education: Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics, University of Alabama at Birmingham (2001), advised by Gunter Stolz. Academic Positions: Professor (2021–present), Associate Professor (2013–2021), Assistant Professor (2008–2013), with prior postdoctoral roles at the University of Vienna, UC Davis, Princeton University, and UC Irvine. Robert Sims's research is centered on mathematical physics and analysis, with deep contributions to the understanding of quantum spin systems, disordered media, and quantum dynamics. His work particularly emphasizes Lieb-Robinson bounds, which quantify the speed of information propagation in quantum lattice systems, and their applications to entanglement, spectral theory, and many-body localization. He has made significant advances in the stability of spectral gaps, automorphic equivalence in gapped phases, and localization phenomena in disordered oscillator and spin systems. His research often involves rigorous analytical methods applied to problems in statistical mechanics and quantum theory. The recent publications of Robert Sims, spanning from 2019 to 2024, reveal a sustained focus on the structure and dynamics of quantum lattice systems. Key themes include quasi-locality, Lieb-Robinson bounds for fermionic and long-range systems, stability of topological order, and entanglement in disordered models. His work frequently involves collaborations with leading figures such as Bruno Nachtergaele and Gunter Stolz, and is published in prestigious journals like Communications in Mathematical Physics and Annales Henri Poincaré . Although no specific scientific awards are mentioned in the provided texts, his extensive publication record, leadership in organizing academic schools, and sustained research output reflect high recognition in his field. Robert Sims has been an active advisor and educator, teaching a wide range of courses from undergraduate Calculus II and Differential Equations to advanced graduate courses in Analysis and Probability. He has also advised students informally, though no formal list of advisees is provided. He has been involved in significant academic service, including organizing the Arizona School of Analysis and Mathematical Physics multiple times (2009, 2010, 2012, 2018), which demonstrates his role in fostering research communities and training young scientists. He is a key organizer of the Arizona School of Analysis and Mathematical Physics, a recurring event that brings together researchers to discuss cutting-edge topics. His research group and collaborations form an informal but active team focused on problems in quantum many-body physics and mathematical analysis.
Markus Pantsar is an Adjunct Professor (Docent) in Theoretical Philosophy at the University of Helsinki's Department of Philosophy, History and Art Studies within the Faculty of Arts. His research focuses on the philosophy of mathematics, cognitive science, and the foundations of logic. Central themes include the cognitive development of mathematical concepts, the role of notation systems in arithmetic understanding, and the philosophical implications of artificial intelligence in mathematical theorem proving. His work bridges interdisciplinary approaches, integrating insights from psychology, computer science, and formal logic. Notable projects include Digital Distraction: Philosophical Perspectives (2024–2026) and Dependence and Independence in Logic (2015–2019). He has delivered invited talks at institutions like VU University Amsterdam and contributed to international conferences. Pantsar's research emphasizes enculturation as a key mechanism for mathematical knowledge acquisition, arguing that cultural practices and symbolic systems shape arithmetical cognition. He critiques radical enactivist accounts and explores how computational complexity informs the cognitive foundations of mathematics. Key Collaborations: Collaborators include Kai Kärki (digital distraction studies), Gabriel Sandu (logic), and Behnam Assadian (cardinality research). Grants: Active in securing research funding, including the ongoing Digital Distraction project (€1.2M). Labs/Teams: Participates in interdisciplinary groups focused on mathematical cognition and AI ethics at the University of Helsinki.
Michael Winter is a composer, sound artist, and researcher currently working as a specialist for the Digital Humanities project 'Commoning Biomedicine: Networking Decentralised Collections of Oral Histories' at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin. He is also the co-founder and director of the nonprofit arts organization The Wulf, which hosts free experimental music performances in Los Angeles. His career bridges artistic practice with rigorous academic research in algorithmic information theory and digital humanities. Winter's research interests focus on the intersections of Algorithmic Information Theory, Music Theory, Digital Humanities, Sound Art, Phenomenology, Mathematics, and Epistemology. His work explores how algorithmic processes shape musical composition, perception, and social structures. He frequently examines the connections between music, mathematics, communication theory, and epistemology, with particular attention to how computational models can illuminate phenomenological experiences. His publications reveal a consistent interdisciplinary trajectory, with recent works like 'A simplicity bubble problem and zemblanity in digitally intermediated societies' (2024) demonstrating his ongoing exploration of how algorithmic information theory relates to social phenomena in the digital age. His research often investigates the emergence of complexity, consensus, echo chamber effects, and niche construction through mathematical models, with applications to understanding Big Data and algorithmization in contemporary society. Winter has extensive experience in digital humanities projects, having worked as a research programmer for Wolfram Alpha and the Brain Operation Database developed by the University of Southern California Brain Project. He was also an artist-in-residence at the Akademie Schloss Solitude in Stuttgart, Germany from 2018 to 2019, and co-founded the Los Angeles-based arts organization The Wulf in 2008, which has become a hub for experimental arts.
Lucian Olteanu is a researcher at the Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Technology, Linnaeus University. His work focuses on mathematics education, particularly on enhancing classroom communication and algebraic reasoning through variation theory, lesson study, and programming integration in teaching. He collaborates nationally and internationally with educators and researchers. Education: Doctoral Thesis (2016) from Linnaeus University Press. Research Groups: Mathematics Education, Vägar till matematikens värld – ämneskunskap i didaktisk belysning. His research projects include Programming and mathematics – sensemaking and communication and Rhizomatiskt tänkande och erfarande av matematiska uppgifter . He emphasizes task design, critical aspects, and the role of programming in reinforcing mathematical understanding across primary and secondary education. Recent publications (2024) explore critical aspects in algebraic communication and pre-service teachers’ reasoning. His work often applies variation theory to improve teaching practices and student engagement, particularly in algebra and rational expressions. He contributes to national educational frameworks through collaborations with Skolverket (Swedish National Agency for Education).
Dr. Silvia De Toffoli is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University School of Advanced Studies IUSS Pavia, Italy. She holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the Technical University of Berlin and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Stanford University. Her academic career includes a postdoctoral fellowship at Princeton University. Dr. De Toffoli specializes in the philosophy of mathematics and epistemology, with broader interests in general philosophy of science and philosophy of literature. Education: Ph.D. in Mathematics, Technical University of Berlin Ph.D. in Philosophy, Stanford University (2019) Current Position: Assistant Professor, IUSS Pavia Research Interests: Dr. De Toffoli explores the epistemic roles of diagrams in mathematical practice, the relationship between rigor and intuition in topology, and fallibilist accounts of mathematical justification. Her work challenges orthodox views by emphasizing the cognitive and social dimensions of mathematical reasoning, analyzing historical case studies like recalcitrant disagreements in Italian algebraic geometry, and redefining the criteria of mathematical objectivity. Recent Publications: Her articles focus on diagrammatic reasoning in topology and algebra, mathematical explanation, and the limits of proof-based justification. These works highlight the effectiveness and pitfalls of visual intuition, the dynamics of mathematical communities, and the historical evolution of rigor. Collaborative Work: Dr. De Toffoli has collaborated with scholars like Valeria Giardino, John P. Burgess, and Claudio Fontanari on topics spanning knot theory, commutative diagrams, and philosophical implications of mathematical practices.
Kristen Vroom is an Assistant Professor in the Program in Mathematics Education (PRIME) at Michigan State University. Her work centers on transforming undergraduate mathematics education through research and curriculum development, with a focus on enhancing student engagement in mathematical practices like defining, conjecturing, and proving. She teaches Calculus I (LB 118) and develops instructional support materials to promote fluency in formal mathematical language. Her research explores: Undergraduate cognition in mathematical practices Inquiry-oriented curriculum design Instructional scaffolding techniques Sociomathematical norms in classroom discourse Professional development for mathematics educators Recent publications (2021-2025) analyze student reasoning in advanced mathematics, curricular reforms in calculus sequences, and evidence-based teaching practices. Thematic trends include scaffolding strategies for proof-writing, student understanding of symbolic notation, and institutional collaborations to improve STEM education pathways.
Anurag Agarwal is an Associate Professor in the School of Mathematical Sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), College of Science. He holds a BS and MS from the Indian Institute of Technology (India) and a Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Dr. Agarwal's research spans multiple areas of mathematics with a focus on Number Theory , Cryptography , and Algebra . His specific interests include Diophantine equations and approximations, Continued Fractions, Finite Field Theory, Algebraic Number Theory, Abstract Algebra, and Combinatorial Mathematics. His work bridges theoretical mathematics with practical applications, particularly in the field of cryptography and mathematical information retrieval. Dr. Agarwal's publications demonstrate a strong focus on graph theory, geometric properties of mathematical objects, and mathematics education. His research combines theoretical rigor with practical applications, particularly in the areas of combinatorial mathematics and number theory. The interdisciplinary nature of his work connects pure mathematics with computer science applications, especially in cryptography. Dr. Agarwal has been actively involved in developing innovative educational tools, including MathDeck, an online search interface for mathematical formulas that allows users to create, edit and lookup sophisticated math formulas. Created by an interdisciplinary team of faculty and students at RIT, MathDeck aims to make math notation interactive and easily shareable. He teaches a variety of courses including Discrete Mathematics, Linear Algebra, Number Theory, Abstract Algebra, and Cryptography at both undergraduate and graduate levels. His teaching portfolio reflects his expertise across theoretical and applied mathematics, with courses ranging from foundational topics like Project Based Calculus to advanced subjects like Topics in Number Theory & Cryptography.
Hans Kristian Nilsen is an Associate Professor at the Department of Mathematical Sciences , University of Agder , Norway. His work focuses on mathematics education , particularly in tertiary education and engineering students' learning . He has held academic positions at University of Agder since 2014, previously at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (2007-2014), and has experience in secondary school and adult education. Education : PhD in Mathematics Education (University of Agder, 2014), Master in Mathematics (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 1999), Teacher Education (University of Stavanger, 1997) His research explores student interpretation of calculus concepts , active learning approaches , and constructive alignment in mathematics education. Key themes include self-efficacy , learning strategies , and performance analysis among engineering students. Recent publications analyze integration pedagogy , differentials , and student-active learning in mathematics. Collaborative works address Nordic mathematics education development and cross-cultural teacher satisfaction studies.
Mark Timmer is an Associate Professor at the University of Twente, affiliated with the ELAN Teacher Development department. He holds a PhD in Efficient Modelling, Generation and Analysis of Markov Automata (2013), an MSc in Science Education and Communication (2011), another MSc in Computer Science (2008), and a BSc in Telematics (2005), all from the University of Twente. His research spans computational thinking in mathematics education, formal methods in computer science, and curriculum development. He has received awards including the IPA Dissertation Award (2013) and Overijssel PhD Award (2014). His work emphasizes integrating computational thinking into secondary education, particularly through algorithmic concepts like Dijkstra’s algorithm and K-means clustering. He also explores formal verification techniques for probabilistic systems, contributing to the analysis of Markov automata. Timmer actively participates in international educational initiatives, such as the ICME-15 congress, and collaborates with educators to improve teaching methods. Publications highlight his dual focus on theoretical computer science (e.g., confluence reduction in Markov models) and practical educational applications (e.g., lesson study implementations). He has authored book reviews and contributed to educational journals, emphasizing pedagogical innovation and critical analysis of teaching materials.
Mark Colyvan is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Sydney, with honorary appointments at Australian National University and Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich. His research spans philosophy of logic, mathematics, decision theory, and environmental philosophy, establishing interdisciplinary connections between formal systems and scientific practice. Research explores foundational questions in mathematical explanation, environmental ethics, and formal epistemology. Recent work addresses non-causal explanation, mathematical modeling, and the interface between logic and law. Honors include: Senior Fellowship at Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz (2023-2024) Carl Friedrich von Siemens Research Award from Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (2017-2019) Current doctoral supervision includes Oscar Sannen's work on Vague Demonstrations. Research is supported by multiple Australian Research Council grants focused on legal reasoning, mathematical notation, and ecological models.
Prof. Dr. Anton Freund is a tenure-track professor and Emmy Noether group leader at the University of Würzburg’s Department of Mathematics (Mathematical Logic). He holds the Chair of Mathematics III and specializes in proof theory, reverse mathematics, and ordinal analysis. His research focuses on well-ordering principles, dilators, and the logical strength of combinatorial principles. Education & Career: Bachelor/Master (2008–2014): LMU Munich, with a gap year in Paris PhD (2014–2018): University of Leeds under Michael Rathjen Postdoc (2018–2021): TU Darmstadt with Ulrich Kohlenbach Emmy Noether Group Leader (2021–2023): TU Darmstadt Current: Tenure-track professor & Emmy Noether Group Leader at Würzburg Research Interests: Freund investigates foundational aspects of mathematics via proof-theoretic methods. Key themes include ordinal analysis of subsystems of arithmetic, combinatorial principles (e.g., Kruskal’s theorem, Higman’s lemma), and the interplay between computability and set-theoretic reflection principles. His work bridges constructive mathematics and impredicative systems, often employing dilators and ordinal notation systems. Publications: Freund’s recent work explores topics like provable dilators, Bachmann-Howard fixed points, and the logical strength of minimal bad arrays. These contributions advance understanding of reverse mathematics and computational aspects of proof theory. Awards & Grants: He leads an Emmy Noether Research Group funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), reflecting his role in advancing foundational mathematical research. Lab & Collaboration: His team includes Alexandra Fick and Davide Manca. Collaborations span institutions like Leeds, Darmstadt, and international journals in mathematical logic.
Nikolaus Korfhage is a Research Fellow at Philipps-Universität Marburg, affiliated with the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science within the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science. He is part of Prof. Bernd Freisleben's research group focusing on Distributed Systems and Intelligent Computing. His research emphasizes deep learning applications in image and video analysis, particularly visual similarity search and biomedical data analysis. Korfhage initiated his PhD in 2016 under Prof. Freisleben’s supervision, exploring computational methods for multimedia data processing. His work spans diverse domains including avian physiology analysis, automated music notation transcription, and historical video archive retrieval. Notable projects include the VIVA initiative for content-based video search and the DeepTab system for transcribing organ tablature music. Recent publications highlight advancements in cell segmentation, bat echolocation analysis, and transformer-based species recognition. Korfhage’s contributions bridge computer science and interdisciplinary fields like biology and musicology. He collaborates actively on tools like ElasticHash for semantic image search and MESA for synthetic DNA assessment. His research underscores innovation in both technical methodologies and real-world applications across multimedia, biomedical, and ecological domains.
Georgios Kritikos is a Researcher and member of the Laboratory Teaching Staff at the Learning Technology and Educational Engineering Laboratory (LTEE) within the University of the Aegean ’s School of Humanities. He holds a B.Sc. in Physics (2001) and M.Sc. in Electronic Physics from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, followed by a M.Ed. in Modeling & Educational Design and a Ph.D. in Physics Didactics using ICT (2013) from the University of the Aegean. His postdoctoral research (2020) focused on educational engineering and systemic approaches to interdisciplinary learning. Education: B.Sc. Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2001) M.Sc. Electronic Physics & Telecommunications, Aristotle University (2004) M.Ed. Modeling & Educational Design, Aegean University (2006) Ph.D. Physics Didactics with ICT, Aegean University (2013) Postdoc, Aegean University (2020) His research emphasizes interdisciplinary education , STEAM integration , metacognitive practices , and UN SDGs in schooling . He explores innovative tools like robotics , digital storytelling , and systemic pedagogical frameworks to bridge science/mathematics teaching across educational levels. Recent work includes designing gamified activities for early education and addressing climate change through citizen science projects. Articles focus on: Interdisciplinary teaching strategies (e.g., physics/mathematics synergy) Technology-enhanced learning environments (e.g., LEGO robotics, ModellingSpace) Metacognitive tools for conceptual understanding His lab, LTEE, develops educational engineering models to transform schools into adaptive learning systems. Past roles include secondary science teacher (2005–2017) and director of the Southern Dodecanese Science Lab.
Peter C.-H. Cheng is a Professor in the Department of Informatics at the University of Sussex, with a distinguished career spanning over three decades in the fields of diagrammatic reasoning, cognitive science, and visual representation systems. His research has significantly contributed to our understanding of how humans interpret and utilize visual representations for problem-solving and knowledge acquisition. Cheng's research interests focus on the cognitive aspects of visual representations, diagrammatic reasoning, representation systems theory, and mathematical knowledge representation. His work bridges cognitive science, computer science, and educational technology, exploring how different representational formats impact human cognition and problem-solving abilities. He has developed theoretical frameworks such as Representational Systems Theory (RST) and has investigated the cognitive properties of various diagrammatic notations including Feynman diagrams, truth diagrams, and algebra diagrams. His recent publications demonstrate a continued focus on the intersection of human cognition and machine intelligence, particularly in how humans and AI systems can collaboratively select and use appropriate representations for problem-solving. His work on Oruga, a system implementing Representational Systems Theory, shows his commitment to translating theoretical insights into practical applications. Expertise in diagrammatic reasoning and visual representation systems Development of theoretical frameworks like Representational Systems Theory Research on mathematical knowledge representation Investigations into cognitive aspects of visualization Applications in educational technology and AI systems Professor Cheng has maintained an active research program with consistent publications in top venues including CHI, CogSci, and Diagrams conferences. His work continues to influence both theoretical understanding of human cognition and practical applications in human-computer interaction and AI systems.
