Mélanie Ouvry is an Associate Professor and Dean of Faculty at MBS Education since 2017. With over 15 years of experience in higher education, she has held roles as program director for specialized master's programs, department head for marketing and interim management, and served as a communication strategy consultant at Publicis Group. Her research focuses on consumer behavior, retail dynamics, and cross-cultural marketing experiences. Her academic expertise includes strategic marketing, buyer behavior analysis, and advertising strategy. Key research themes explore multi-store shopping behaviors, consumer experience valuation, loyalty mechanisms, and the cognitive dimensions of retail environments. She has conducted extensive studies in retail distribution systems, communication strategies, and tourism-related consumer behavior in historical commercial districts like the Medina of Sousse. Her publications span topics from grocery shopping decision-making to television audience engagement, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach bridging marketing, cognitive science, and cultural studies. Teaching responsibilities include advanced marketing strategy courses and consumer behavior analysis modules.
Dr. Anna Bobak is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Stirling, UK. She holds a PhD from Bournemouth University (2016) and joined Stirling as a Research Assistant on an EPSRC project under Peter Hancock before transitioning to her current role. Her primary research focuses on individual differences in unfamiliar face recognition, particularly developmental prosopagnosia, and the reliability of face-processing assessments. She also investigates neurodiversity in women, emphasizing lived experiences of autism and ADHD, including camouflaging behaviors and societal awareness. Research Interests: Face Recognition: Examines perceptual strategies, diagnostic criteria (e.g., Balanced Integration Score), and technological applications in forensic contexts. Neurodiversity: Explores gender-specific manifestations of autism and ADHD, societal perceptions, and support mechanisms. Cognitive Methodology: Advances psychometric rigor in face-processing studies and critiques measurement validity. Her work bridges theoretical research and real-world applications, such as evaluating automated face recognition technology’s biases and collaborating on initiatives like #ScienceForUkraine to aid displaced academics. She is affiliated with the Cognition in Complex Environments research group and contributes to global security and resilience themes at Stirling.
Mike M. Mochizuki is an Associate Professor at the Elliott School of International Affairs , The George Washington University, specializing in Political Science and International Affairs . He holds the Japan-U.S. Relations Chair in Memory of Gaston Sigur and has directed the Sigur Center for Asian Studies (2001–2005). His research focuses on Japanese politics, U.S.-Japan relations, and East Asian security dynamics. Education: Ph.D. in Political Science from Harvard University Research Interests: Professor Mochizuki’s work explores the intersection of Japanese foreign policy, strategic alliances in the Asia-Pacific, and regional security challenges. His scholarship addresses historical reconciliation, military basing rights (notably in Okinawa), and the geopolitical implications of U.S.-Japan-China triangular relations. He co-directs the Memory and Reconciliation in the Asia-Pacific project and contributes to journals like Foreign Affairs and International Security . Publications: His notable works analyze the U.S.-Japan alliance’s role in East Asian security, including edited volumes on Okinawa, China-Taiwan relations, and nuclear proliferation on the Korean Peninsula. He is currently finalizing a book on the U.S.-Japan alliance and China’s rise, alongside a co-edited volume on historical reconciliation in East Asia.
Dr. Caoimhe Nic Lochlainn holds the rank of Professor at Dublin City University's Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge, the university's School of Irish and Celtic Studies. She earned her BA Joint Honours in Irish and French, MA in Irish, and PhD in Irish at Queen's University Belfast. Her research focuses on translation methodologies, children's literature, and cultural history with a particular emphasis on Irish-language texts. Her academic contributions include co-editing major volumes such as Laethanta Gréine & Oícheanta Sí (2013) and Thar an Tairseach (2014), as well as publishing extensively on children's literary culture and folklore adaptation. She has also authored children's books like Scéalta le hInsint don Ghealach (2018). Recent publications explore representation in Irish-language YA fiction (2025), Scottish cultural depictions in Irish prose (2023), and Gaelic translation challenges (2022). Awards include the 2025 Research Ally designation and 2019 IBBY Honour List recognition. Current supervision includes three PhD candidates: Dara De Poire, Eilis Neary, and Mohamed Yazjeen. She actively participates in academic committees such as the Irish Association for the Study of Children's Literature (EASCL) and serves on Rádio na Life's board.
William Collins Donahue is the Rev. John J. Cavanaugh, C.S.C., Professor of the Humanities at the University of Notre Dame. He holds concurrent appointments in the Department of European Studies (Keough School of Global Affairs), Film, Television & Theater, and German. As Director of the Initiative for Global Europe, he leads interdisciplinary research on contemporary European challenges. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. from Harvard University, an M.T.S. from Harvard Divinity School, an M.A. from Middlebury College, and a B.S.F.S. from Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service. His research focuses on German literature and film, Holocaust Studies, and the socio-economic dynamics of literary production. He co-directs an annual seminar exploring the intersection of German literature with market forces and institutional contexts, resulting in publications like Die große Mischkalkulation . His work also examines how art responds to societal issues like migration and populism, blending philological rigor with historical and sociological perspectives. Donahue’s scholarship includes analyses of Elias Canetti’s modernist works and Bernhard Schlink’s Holocaust narratives. He co-founded the Nexus: Essays in German Jewish Studies series and the andererseits journal. His teaching emphasizes literature’s role in fostering resilience and sociability, using grueling narratives to explore human challenges. While no specific grants or advisees are listed, his editorial roles and collaborative projects reflect ongoing academic engagement. He directs the Initiative for Global Europe, fostering transatlantic dialogue on European integration, migration, and political trends. His work bridges artistic analysis with broader societal contexts, advocating for literature’s role in understanding complex historical and cultural dynamics.
Jane Anna Gordon is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Connecticut with cross-disciplinary affiliations in American Studies, El Instituto, Global Affairs, Philosophy, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Her work bridges political theory with African diasporic, Caribbean, and decolonial frameworks. Research Focus: Specializing in modern and contemporary political theory, Gordon explores Africana political thought, theories of enslavement, political theories of education, and social science methodologies. Her scholarship emphasizes creolization, critical resistance, and interdisciplinary epistemologies. Recent Publications: Her recent works include Statelessness and Contemporary Enslavement (2020) and Creolizing Rosa Luxemburg (2021), alongside co-edited volumes on Caribbean thought and Richard Wright. These reflect her engagement with decolonial theory, radical democracy, and critical race studies. Leadership Roles: Former President (2014-2016) of the Caribbean Philosophical Association, she directs the CPA Summer School and co-edits the Creolizing the Canon and Global Critical Caribbean Thought book series. She also co-edits the open-access journal Philosophy and Global Affairs .
Professor Catherine Richardson serves as Professor of Early Modern Studies and Director of the Institute of Cultural and Creative Industries at the University of Kent. She joined the university in 2007 from The Shakespeare Institute and has held significant leadership positions including Associate Dean for Research and Innovation (Humanities) (2017-20), Deputy Head of School of English (2014-7), and Director of Research for the School of English (2012-7). Her research centers on the relationship between texts and material circumstances of production and consumption in early modern England, with particular focus on how material culture shaped social and cultural practices. Richardson examines the birth of creative industries in drama and performance cultures, skilled craft practices influenced by international migration patterns, and the evolution of cultural practices from the sixteenth century to present. She currently leads the AHRC-funded project 'The Cultural Lives of the Middling Sort, writing and material culture 1560-1660' in collaboration with The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and Weald and Downland Living Museum. Richardson's extensive publication record reveals consistent scholarly engagement with material culture studies, with recent works increasingly incorporating digital humanities approaches. Her scholarship spans monographs, edited collections, and numerous journal articles examining domestic life, object biographies, and the intersection of physical artifacts with cultural narratives in early modern England. Her notable recognitions include: Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (2018) AHRC Peer Review and Strategic Review College Member (2017-22) The Malone Society council member (2002-) and Orders Secretary (2002-22) Pasold Research Fund Governor (Expert Member since 2019, 2021-present) As a dedicated supervisor, Richardson welcomes graduate students working on interdisciplinary projects related to early modern dramatic, social and cultural history. Her current AHRC project represents significant grant activity, developing digital resources that explore inclusion/exclusion dynamics in early modern English writing practices. She also serves as General Editor for the Oxford Complete Works of Christopher Marlowe and Series Editor for Arden Studies in Early Modern Material Culture. Through her directorship of the Institute of Cultural and Creative Industries, Richardson fosters research that bridges historical material culture studies with contemporary creative industry practices, creating innovative pathways for engaging with historical materials through modern technological approaches.
Shira Robinson is an Associate Professor of History and International Affairs at The George Washington University, where she has taught since 2007. Her research centers on the social and cultural history of the Modern Middle East, with a particular focus on colonialism, citizenship, nationalism, and cultures of militarism after World War I. She is affiliated with GW's Institute for Middle East Studies and has previously taught at the University of Iowa and served as a Visiting Fellow at Princeton University's Davis Center for Historical Studies. Education: Ph.D. in Middle Eastern History, Stanford University (2005) Research Interests: Robinson's work critically examines the imposition of military rule on Palestinian Arabs who remained within Israel's borders after 1948. Her award-winning book Citizen Strangers: Palestinians and the Birth of Israel's Liberal Settler State (2013) explores how Israel used legal and military mechanisms to marginalize Palestinian citizens, drawing parallels with colonial practices in Algeria, South Africa, and North America. Her research highlights the continuity of colonial legal frameworks from the British Mandate period into Israeli law, particularly in land confiscation and citizenship legislation. Scientific Awards: Outstanding Academic Title Award (2014) - Choice Magazine Top 25 Academic Books of the Year (2014) - Choice Magazine Research Funding: Fulbright Institute Social Science Research Council Mellon Foundation Palestinian American Research Center Editorial Contributions: Robinson has served on the editorial committee of Middle East Report and co-edited its blog, contributing to scholarly discourse on Middle Eastern history and politics.
Dr. Catríona Clutterbuck is a Lecturer in the School of English, Drama and Film at University College Dublin (UCD), where she has been a core faculty member since 1996. Her academic work centers on modern and contemporary Irish poetry, with a strong emphasis on gender, ethics, faith, and aesthetics in literature. She has made significant contributions through publications, teaching, and academic service. Research Interests: Her research spans modern and contemporary Irish poetry , women’s poetry , gender and nation , subjectivity and ethics , memory and mourning , and creative writing . She explores the intersections of personal and national identity, particularly in the works of poets like Eavan Boland, Seamus Heaney, and Thomas Kinsella. The most recent articles (2021–2024) demonstrate a consistent focus on emotional and ethical dimensions in Irish poetry, especially themes of grief, vulnerability, faith, and the role of art in processing loss. Her work frequently engages with female poets and feminist reinterpretations of national narratives, employing close textual analysis and cultural criticism. Scientific Awards: College of Arts and Humanities Award for Teaching Excellence (2018) Foreign and Commonwealth Scholarship Award (1993) Graduate Scholarship (1993) Postgraduate Studentship (1992) Advising and Grants: While no specific PhD advisees are listed, she has coordinated postgraduate modules such as Dissertation Research Methods and Irish Poetry: Representing Self and Other , indicating active involvement in graduate supervision. She has served as an external examiner for PhD theses and undergraduate programs at multiple institutions, reflecting her recognized expertise. There is no mention of research grants in the provided text. Labs and Teams: No formal research labs are mentioned. However, she has been an active member of academic communities, including the Committee for the Study of Anglo-Irish Literature at the Royal Irish Academy and editorial boards for journals like Irish University Review .
Uzi Vishkin is a Professor at the University of Maryland's Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS) and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, with additional affiliation in the Department of Computer Science. His work focuses on parallel computing, including the PRAM-On-Chip vision to bridge parallel algorithms and hardware. He holds a D.Sc. from Technion (1981), M.Sc. and B.Sc. in Mathematics from Hebrew University (1975/1974). Research interests span parallel algorithms, PRAM (Parallel Random Access Machine) architecture, machine learning applications, and pattern matching. His PRAM-On-Chip project aims to create a coherent computing stack for many-core processors. Vishkin has contributed to theoretical foundations and practical implementations, including the XMT architecture and compiler. He has been recognized with ACM Fellow (1996), Highly Cited Researcher (2003), and National Academy of Inventors Fellow (2024). Awards highlight his pioneering work in parallel algorithms and computing systems. Teaching spans courses like Parallel Algorithms and Mathematical Foundations for Computer Engineering. He emphasizes parallel algorithmic thinking in education and has developed teaching materials for high school and university levels. Key projects include the XMT architecture, simulations, and tools for parallel programming. His work integrates algorithmic theory with hardware design to address programming challenges in many-core systems.
Olli Sotamaa is a Professor of Game Culture Studies at Tampere University's Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences, Department of Communication Sciences. He leads the Tampere University Game Research Lab alongside Professor Frans Mäyrä and serves as team leader in the Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies. Specializes in game cultural phenomena: online communities, fandom, modding, data-driven game development Co-edited Game Production Studies (Amsterdam University Press, 2021) His research focuses on game industry practices, data analytics impact, and player production cultures. Recent work examines game data labor, industry ethics, and digital preservation challenges. Key trends in his 15 most recent articles include: Game data work and algorithmic culture (2023-2025) Game modding and user-generated content (2021-2022) Game development practices (2019-2021) Game preservation and heritage (2020) Industry sustainability and ethics (2021-2025) Scientific awards: ERC-Advanced-Grant project 'Making Sense of Games (MSG)' Labs/teams: Tampere University Game Research Lab Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies
Prof. Dr. Henning Klöter is Professor of Modern Chinese Languages and Literatures at Humboldt University of Berlin (HU Berlin) and serves as Dean of the Faculty of Culture, Language and Education. He is affiliated with the Institute of Asian and African Studies and the Department of East Asian Studies. He has been a faculty member since 2015 and leads significant research in sociolinguistics, language planning, and Sinophone studies. His educational background includes studies in Sinology, German Studies, and Linguistics at the University of Trier, Capital Normal University (Beijing), Leiden University, and National Taiwan University. He earned his doctorate from Leiden University in 2003 and completed his habilitation at Ruhr University Bochum in 2010. Henning Klöter's research focuses on multilingualism, language planning, the history of Chinese linguistics in Europe—especially missionary and colonial linguistics—historical sociolinguistics, Overseas Chinese communities, and Taiwan Studies, with regional interests spanning the PRC, Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore, the Philippines, and Taiwan. His work often explores the ideological and political dimensions of language standardization and visibility in public space. Since 2023, he has been Chief Editor of the Journal of Asian Pacific Communication. His recent scholarly output reveals a strong trend in historical and sociopolitical aspects of Chinese language use, particularly across Sinophone regions. Themes include language policy divergence between Taiwan and the PRC, linguistic landscape analysis in Taipei, missionary lexicography, and the evolution of Chinese linguistic standards. His publications bridge historical documentation with contemporary sociolinguistic theory, emphasizing pluricentricity and ideological influences on language. Chief Editor, Journal of Asian Pacific Communication (since 2023) Principal Investigator, ChinGram (Erasmus+ project) Principal Investigator, EMHo (DFG Weave project) He has not received any explicitly mentioned scientific awards in the provided texts. Prof. Klöter is actively engaged in major research initiatives and editorial leadership, contributing significantly to the academic understanding of language in Chinese-speaking societies. He is involved in the Mori-Ōgai Memorial and contributes to the academic community through research projects, publications, and institutional leadership. His work often intersects with cultural memory, colonial history, and linguistic identity in East Asia.
Dr. Darren O'Byrne is a historian of modern Germany at the Department of German and Dutch , affiliated with Wolfson College at the University of Cambridge . His academic journey includes a PhD in History from Cambridge and prior degrees in History and Politics (BA) and International Relations (MA) from University College Dublin. Research focuses on German politics, administration, and bureaucracy from 1871 to the present Specializes in civil service under Weimar and Nazi regimes Co-edited Handbook Ideologies in National Socialism (2024) and a critical edition of sports journalist Willy Meisl’s writings Recent projects include a monograph on senior Nazi civil servants ( Hitler's Mandarins , forthcoming) and a biography of Willy Meisl. His publications span journal articles, book chapters, and interviews on topics like Nazi ideology, interwar sports journalism, and contemporary debates about memory. He is a Fellow at Wolfson College and teaches Modern German History.
Daniel Shanahan is an Associate Professor at the Bienen School of Music , Northwestern University , where he coordinates the Music Theory and Cognition program and directs the Music Cognition Lab. He holds a PhD from the University of Dublin, Trinity College. His research integrates music-analytic, computational, and experimental methodologies to investigate cognitive and communicative constraints in music. Key themes include corpus studies, music and emotion, oral transmission of musical traditions, computational analysis of jazz and folk music , and the application of machine learning and generative AI to musicology. Shanahan has served as co-editor of Empirical Musicology Review (2016–2022) and sits on editorial boards of multiple journals. His work appears in Music Perception , The Journal of New Music Research , Musicae Scientiae , and Frontiers in Psychology , with chapters in Routledge Companions and the Oxford Handbook of Music and Corpus Studies . Recent projects include an NSF grant studying sound's impact on learning (2023) and co-editing the Oxford Handbook . He currently serves as treasurer for the Society for Music Perception and Cognition . Mentorship Award (Society for Music Perception and Cognition, 2024) Outstanding Multi-Author Collection Award (Society for Music Theory, 2023) Distinguished Scholar Award (Ohio State University) Rising Faculty Research & Undergraduate Teaching Awards (Louisiana State University) His publications demonstrate expertise in music cognition, computational analysis, emotional expression, and oral/embodied transmission , with trends showing interdisciplinary applications of AI and cross-cultural studies. Shanahan's mentorship emphasizes student well-being, empathetic guidance, and fostering academic potential . He has hosted global open lab meetings during the pandemic and cultivated mentees who now contribute to service roles in academic committees.
Claire Mouflard is an Associate Professor of French at Hamilton College , specializing in contemporary French and francophone literature, culture, and film. Her teaching and research focus on immigrant identities, postcolonial theory, digital humanities, and intersectional feminism. Department: German, Russian, Italian, and Arabic Areas of Study Academic Rank: Associate Professor Email: cmouflar@hamilton.edu Research Interests include: Immigrant representation in French cinema and literature Digital humanities and new media Postcolonial feminisms Twentieth and twenty-first-century Francophone narratives Scientific Awards include the Dean’s Scholarly Achievement Award (Hamilton College, 2021) and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Grant (Union College, 2016). Selected Publications analyze intersectionality in French cinema, digital authority in Francophone texts, and postcolonial diasporic literature.
