Odelia Schwartz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Miami, College of Arts and Sciences. She also serves as Director of Undergraduate Studies for Computer Science and holds a secondary faculty appointment in Biology. Her research focuses on computational neuroscience, machine learning applications in healthcare and biology, and the intersection of artificial intelligence with visual and neural processing systems. Key research areas include machine learning analysis of medical signals (e.g., ECG for atrial fibrillation prediction), computational modeling of biological systems (e.g., endosymbiont population dynamics via microscopy image analysis), and hierarchical neural network models for visual cortex understanding. Her work integrates statistical methods with deep learning to bridge computational models and biological/neurological phenomena. Publications highlight applications in cardiology, neurotrauma recovery prediction, and visual cortex modeling. While no specific awards are listed, her contributions span interdisciplinary fields at the university and collaborative research institutions. Advising no listed students, but actively engages in graduate training through her faculty roles. No specific labs/teams are mentioned, though collaborations with medical and biological departments are evident.
Yağız Aksoy is an Assistant Professor leading the Computational Photography Lab at Simon Fraser University's School of Computing Science. His research focuses on inverse rendering, physical modeling of image formation, and applications in computational photography, movie post-production, and image editing. He completed his PhD at ETH Zurich under Marc Pollefeys, with postdoctoral work at MIT CSAIL and Disney Research Zurich. His work is funded by NSERC, CFI, BC Government, Adobe Research, and Meta Reality Labs. Notable achievements include the Best Paper Award Honorable Mention at SIGGRAPH Asia 2024 for 'Colorful Diffuse Intrinsic Image Decomposition in the Wild' and contributions to projects like physically controllable relighting and high-resolution depth estimation. His lab combines academic research with active production environments, emphasizing collaboration with filmmakers and industry partners. Key research themes include mid-level vision, intrinsic image decomposition, HDR reconstruction, and illumination-aware compositing. Ongoing projects explore RGB+NIR editing, semantic segmentation, and computational flash photography. Students supervised include Obumneme Stanley Dukor (MSc 2024) and Chris Careaga (lead author on multiple papers).
Sven Dickinson is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto, where he has held roles such as Chair (2010-2015) and Acting Chair (2008-2009). He also served as Vice President and inaugural Head of the Samsung Artificial Intelligence Research Center in Toronto (2018-2024). His academic journey includes positions at Rutgers University and affiliations with MIT, University of Maryland, and others. Education: B.A.Sc. in Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo (1983) M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science, University of Maryland (1988, 1991) Research Interests: Focuses on object recognition, shape perception, and the integration of human and computer vision. Key areas include generic object recognition, shape abstraction, symmetry detection, and multiscale part-based representations. His work bridges low-level image features and high-level shape models, emphasizing mid-level shape priors and perceptual grouping. Awards and Honors: NSF CAREER Award (1996) Ontario Premiere's Research Excellence Award (2002) Lifetime Research Achievement Award from CIPPRS (2012) Fellow of IEEE and IAPR Contributions: Co-edited influential volumes like Object Categorization: Computer and Human Vision Perspectives (2009) and Shape Perception in Human and Computer Vision (2013). Served as Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence (2017–2021), and on multiple editorial boards. Active in organizing workshops and conferences, including CVPR 2014 and WACV 2019. Labs and Collaborations: Involved with the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and has collaborated on projects in artificial intelligence, robotics, and vision-based applications for accessibility and navigation.
Yojiro Ishii is a Professor at the College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, where he has been a faculty member since 1994. He currently serves as Executive Vice President in charge of education and university evaluation, playing a central role in shaping the university's educational reforms and mid-term strategic planning. His leadership spans both academic scholarship and high-level administration. His research specializes in French literature and philosophy, with a focus on figures such as Comte de Lautréamont, Pierre Bourdieu, and Charles Fourier—thinkers associated with radical intellectual and social transformation. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Tokyo (2009), following earlier degrees in Law and Humanities and Sociology. Professor Ishii is a passionate advocate for the humanities and liberal arts education. He has publicly challenged government directives to downsize humanities programs, emphasizing the long-term cultural value of diverse academic disciplines. His recent book, My Thoughts on Reading , reflects on formative literary experiences and promotes deep, critical engagement with texts. Executive leadership in educational reform Champion of interdisciplinary and liberal arts education Advocate for the societal value of humanities He is actively involved in institutional strategy, including the development of the university’s mid-term goals and the implementation of the four-term academic calendar. His vision centers on maintaining the University of Tokyo as a comprehensive research university that values excellence through diversity across all fields of knowledge.
Rita Shea-Van Fossen, Ph.D. , is a Professor of Management at Nova Southeastern University’s H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business & Entrepreneurship. Her faculty role includes teaching courses in Human Resource Management, Organizational Behavior, and Change Management, and she previously served as Assistant Dean of Assurance of Learning and Undergraduate Affairs from 2017 to 2019. Education: Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, Baruch College & Graduate Center at CUNY M.B.A. in General & Strategic Management, Temple University B.S. in Accounting, Rutgers University Her research focuses on change and challenge dynamics at individual and organizational levels, with secondary interests in higher education issues and women’s leadership. Analysis of her recent publications reveals trends in pedagogical innovation , organizational adaptability , and leadership development through experiential learning frameworks. Scientific Awards 2013 Excellence in the Business School Classroom award from New Jersey Policy Research Organization Foundation and New Jersey Business Magazine Dr. Shea-Van Fossen has presented at numerous national and international conferences, including Academy of Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Society events. Her work has been cited in prominent media outlets such as The New York Times and The Atlantic.
Carolyn Ee is an Associate Professor at Western Sydney University, serving as Principal Fellow and Translation Platform Lead at the NICM Health Research Institute. She was promoted to Level D (Associate Professor) in December 2022 and has established the Western Sydney Integrative Health initiative, a co-designed academic medical center that embeds research into practice. Dr. Ee is also a practicing GP who joined Chris O'Brien Lifehouse comprehensive cancer center as a Supportive Care and Integrative Oncology Specialist GP in 2022. Dr. Ee's research vision focuses on improving the experience of living with chronic disease, with particular emphasis on the intersection between metabolic health, women's health, and cancer survivorship. Her research expertise spans co-design and qualitative methods, feasibility studies, randomized controlled trials, evidence synthesis, guideline development, and translation of guidelines into practice. She has strong international leadership roles including as a Guideline Development Group member for international PCOS guidelines and ESHRE guidelines on premature ovarian insufficiency. Her primary research interests include: Primary care Metabolic health Integrative therapies Health services research Guideline development and translation Cancer survivorship Excess weight management Polycystic ovary syndrome Women's health Dr. Ee's recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate a strong focus on women's health conditions, particularly polycystic ovary syndrome and premature ovarian insufficiency, as well as cancer survivorship and integrative approaches to chronic disease management. Her work spans multiple methodologies including systematic reviews, qualitative studies, and guideline development, with a consistent emphasis on translating research into practice. Dr. Ee has received several notable awards: Western Sydney University Vice Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Research as an Early Career Researcher (2021) Women's Health Research and Translation Network Early/Mid Career Researcher Award (2023) Barbara Gross award for best overall research presentation at Australasian Menopause Society congress (2015) Winner of Best Research Presentation at Australian Integrative Medicine Association conference (2015) As a supervisor, Dr. Ee leads a team of three PhD candidates (as Primary Supervisor), six research assistants, and two early/mid career researchers. Her research has directly informed national and international guidelines, medical education resources, and popular consumer websites, and has led to the establishment of new health services and models of care, a postgraduate microcredential, and development of a new Post Fellowship Recognition of extended skills in general practice with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Dr. Ee established and leads the Western Sydney Integrative Health initiative, a co-designed academic medical center that embeds research into practice. This initiative represents her commitment to translating research findings directly into clinical practice to improve patient outcomes.
