Amanda Phillips is an Associate Professor at Georgetown University, affiliated with the Departments of English, Film and Media Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies, and American Studies. Their research focuses on feminist and queer theory in digital media, with a particular emphasis on critical game studies and digital humanities. Selected publications include Gamer Trouble: Feminist Confrontations in Digital Culture and co-editing the Queer/Trans/Digital book series. Their scholarship appears in journals such as ROMchip , Feminist Media Histories , and Games and Culture . Research Interests: Digital media and gender politics Queer theory in gaming contexts Decolonial and anti-racist digital humanities Critical analysis of game mechanics Digital labor and precarity Affective histories of gaming Scientific Awards: Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellow Academic Leadership: Former chair of the American Studies Association Digital Humanities Caucus Co-founder of the #transformDH Collective Editorial work on special issues of Game Studies and Antares: Letras e Humanidades Previous Institutions: IMMERSe Postdoctoral Fellow at University of California, Davis Ph.D. recipient from University of California, Santa Barbara with emphasis in Feminist Studies
Scott D. Landes is a Professor in the Sociology Department at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He holds affiliations with the Aging Studies Institute, Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion, and Center for Aging and Policy Studies. Landes earned his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Florida in 2014. His research focuses on disability mortality disparities, veteran health outcomes, and the intersection of disability with medical and social theory. Education: Ph.D. in Sociology, University of Florida, 2014 Research Interests: Landes investigates mortality trends for disabled adults and veterans, disability theory integration with life course frameworks, and data equity in disability measurement. His work addresses systemic undercounting of disability in federal surveys and explores racial/ethnic disparities in lifespan outcomes for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD). Recent Research Trends: His publications analyze pandemic impacts on IDD populations, combat veteran longevity, and diagnostic overshadowing in mortality reporting. Recent work critiques Washington Group disability measures' limitations and advocates for improved data collection methods. Awards: 2025 Excellence in Graduate Education Faculty Recognition Award O’Hanley Faculty Scholar (Syracuse University) NIH-funded research projects on aging policy and mortality disparities Advising & Grants: Recipient of multiple National Institutes of Health grants. Advises on disability data equity initiatives and participates in interdisciplinary teams addressing veteran health disparities. Supervises graduate research on IDD lifespan trajectories and pandemic vulnerability. Labs/Teams: Core member of Syracuse’s Aging Studies Institute and Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion. Collaborates with the Center for Aging and Policy Studies on federal health data projects. Engages with national disability advocacy groups through research briefs and policy consultations.
Marcela Echeverri Muñoz is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Yale University, affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Her scholarship bridges history, anthropology, and political theory, with a focus on Latin America, the Atlantic World, and the Spanish Empire. She is recognized for her interdisciplinary approach to understanding political subjectivities, state formation, and social transformation during the Age of Revolutions. PhD in Latin American and Caribbean History, New York University, 2008 MA in History of the Hispanic World, Fundación MAPFRE-Tavera and CSIC, Madrid, 2006 MA in Social and Political Theory, The New School for Social Research, 2001 BA in Anthropology, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, 1997 Her research centers on the interplay of race, gender, law, and political theory in colonial and 19th-century Latin America. She investigates how enslaved and Indigenous peoples navigated imperial and republican transitions, particularly through royalist affiliations. Her work challenges peripheral narratives of Spanish America in Atlantic slavery studies, positioning the region as a central site of abolitionist and constitutional experimentation. The trends in her recent publications reveal a sustained focus on slavery, abolition, and political transformation in the Spanish American mainland. She analyzes how anti-slavery movements were intertwined with republicanism, citizenship, and state formation, especially in Gran Colombia. Her scholarship spans legal history, Atlantic processes, and transimperial dynamics, often highlighting marginalized voices in revolutionary contexts. She frequently contributes to major reference works and edited volumes on Atlantic revolutions and Latin American independence. Her scientific awards and fellowships reflect her standing in the field: James Alexander Robertson Prize Michael Jiménez Prize Bolton-Johnson Prize Honorable Mention Yale Heyman Prize for Outstanding Scholarly Publication Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship MacMillan Research Fellow, Yale Mellon Residential Fellow, CUNY NEH Summer Institute Participant, Johns Hopkins Fellowships from John Carter Brown Library, CSIC, Fundación Mapfre, and Instituto Colombiano de Antropología e Historia Echeverri has secured significant research grants from Harvard’s Atlantic History Seminar, CUNY Research Foundation, and Yale. She has co-edited special issues on Gran Colombian history and Spanish American abolition, and led key academic initiatives including the Race and Slavery in the Atlantic World Working Group and the Early Modern Empires Workshop at Yale. Though student advising is not explicitly detailed, her role as a senior scholar implies mentorship of graduate students. She is affiliated with several research networks and has been a visiting scholar at institutions such as Freie Universität Berlin. Her ongoing book project on Gran Colombian slavery underscores her commitment to redefining the hemispheric significance of Latin American abolition. She remains an active contributor to both scholarly and pedagogical conversations in Atlantic and Latin American history.
Dr. Carola Weil serves as Dean of McGill University's School of Continuing Studies and Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science since July 2018, following leadership roles as founding Dean at American University and Senior Associate Dean at USC's Annenberg School. Her educational background includes: Post-Doctoral Fellowship, University of Southern California School of International Service Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government Belfer Center Ph.D. and M.A. in Political Science, University of Maryland Master of Public Management, University of Maryland B.A. in History (Minor in Politics), Bryn Mawr College Dr. Weil's research centers on human security, migration, and conflict transformation with specialized expertise in gender dynamics in international relations and public diplomacy . Her work bridges policy analysis and practical applications in humanitarian intervention, while her recent focus explores lifelong learning systems and the impact of digital technologies on adult education , addressing evolving workforce demands through innovative educational frameworks. Her publication trajectory reveals a strategic evolution from foundational work on women in international security (1990s) to contemporary analyses of digital media diversity and global communication challenges in higher education. Early scholarship examined military intervention dilemmas in humanitarian crises, later pivoting toward systemic analyses of information ecosystems and educational accessibility in the digital age. Dr. Weil co-founded Women In International Security (WIIS) and serves on multiple non-profit boards, leveraging her dual German-American citizenship and multilingual capabilities to advance organizational development initiatives. Her peacebuilding consultancy spans Pakistan, Afghanistan, Darfur, Colombia, and the African Great Lakes region with specific attention to gender-inclusive journalism practices. Her leadership extends to advising on global strategy for technology-enhanced education and future workforce development, though no formal student advisement lists or grant details appear in the source material.
Gerd Bruder is an Associate Professor at the University of Central Florida , affiliated with the Department of Computer Science . He previously held positions as a Research Associate Professor at UCF's Institute for Simulation and Training (2016-2022), Post-Doc at University of Hamburg (2014-2016), and Post-Doc at University of Würzburg (2011-2014). Habilitation : Computer Science, University of Hamburg (2017) Ph.D. : Computer Science, University of Münster (2011) M.Sc. : Computer Science (minor in Mathematics), University of Münster (2009) Research Interests : Gerd Bruder's work focuses on Extended Reality (XR) systems, spanning Virtual Reality (VR) , Augmented Reality (AR) , and Mixed Reality (MR) . Key areas include human factors , digital twins , 3D user interfaces , and perceptual modeling , with applications in healthcare, military operations, architecture, and smart environments. Recent Publications highlight innovations in XR locomotion , trust calibration with autonomous agents, spatial cognition , and haptic-visual integration . His 2025 articles address task-switching efficiency in XR and collaborative mixed reality design. Scientific Awards : Best Paper at ACM VRST 2023 2021 TechConnect Innovation Award Best Demo at ACM SUI 2021 Multiple Best Paper Awards (2016-2023) Best Poster & Demo Awards (2015-2020) Patents include systems for medical simulation , smart environment interruption management , and adaptive AR interfaces . His work bridges academic research and practical applications across VR, AR, and MR domains.
Tong Lam is an Associate Professor in the Department of Historical Studies and the Graduate Department of History at the University of Toronto, where he also directs the Dr. David Chu Program in Asia-Pacific Studies at the Asian Institute. His research sits at the intersection of media studies, environmental history, and science and technology studies (STS), focusing on the politics and aesthetics of mobilization in China’s special zones across socialist and postsocialist eras. Employing interdisciplinary methodologies, his work explores themes such as state-precipitated violence, industrial ruination, and the socio-political implications of technology. He is a visual artist whose lens-based projects interrogate military violence, surveillance, and postindustrial landscapes. His recent scholarship analyzes postsocialist urbanism, digital governance, and the temporalities of infrastructure. While the absence of explicit scientific awards or student advisement records in the provided text precludes their inclusion here, his publications and creative practice reflect a sustained engagement with critical historical inquiry and contemporary socio-technological challenges.
Dr. Kelsey A. Bonfils is a Nina Bell Suggs Endowed Professor and Assistant Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi, where she directs the Social Cognition & Recovery in Schizophrenia (SCORS) Lab. Her academic journey includes a PhD and MS in Clinical Psychology from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, and a BS from the same institution. Dr. Bonfils' research focuses on social cognition mechanisms in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, examining contributing factors like sleep disturbance and developing interventions to improve recovery outcomes. Her work spans clinical psychology applications for adults with serious mental illness, psychosis risk, and emotion regulation processes. She maintains active professional affiliations with the American Psychological Association, Society for Research in Psychopathology, and International Society of Interpersonal Psychotherapy. Her publication portfolio demonstrates strong research trends in: Social cognition and metacognition in psychotic disorders Sleep-psychopathology relationships Innovative psychotherapies for serious mental illness Mental health disparities and treatment accessibility Veterans' mental health services Dr. Bonfils has received the distinguished Nina Bell Suggs Endowed Professorship recognizing her contributions to clinical psychology research. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses including Abnormal Psychology, Clinical Psychology Practicum, and Adult Psychotherapy. At the SCORS Lab, Dr. Bonfils leads research on social cognitive processes and recovery-oriented interventions for individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, with current projects investigating sleep-social cognition interactions and metacognitive therapies.
Professor Cati Connell is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Boston University and former Director of the BU Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program. She holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Texas at Austin (2010). Her research focuses on LGBTQ+ rights, military inclusion, gender dynamics, and workplace experiences. Key themes include queer identity formation, policy impacts on marginalized communities, and the intersection of labor practices with gender and sexuality. Education: PhD in Sociology from the University of Texas at Austin, 2010 Her research interests center on military integration post-DADT repeal, generational solidarities in LGBTQ+ communities, and the evolving meanings of self-identification terms like “lesbian.” She explores how institutions shape queer narratives, analyzing topics such as homonormativity, gendered compromises, and aesthetic labor in retail environments. Her work combines qualitative methodologies with theoretical frameworks like Bourdieu’s sociology of the body. In her recent publications (2015–2024), Connell examines the paradoxes of queer visibility in professional spaces, the tensions between civil rights and institutional policies, and digital platforms’ role in fostering LGBTQ+ solidarity. Her analysis often critiques how equality reforms can inadvertently reinforce exclusionary norms. Scientific awards: No awards explicitly mentioned in the provided texts. Advising and grants: While no specific advisees or grants are listed, Connell’s research trajectory suggests active mentorship in LGBTQ+ studies and sociology. Her work likely involves collaborative projects, though funding details remain undocumented. Labs/teams: Affiliated with Boston University’s Sociology Department and previously led the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program. No specific lab or team affiliations are noted in the texts, but her interdisciplinary focus implies potential collaborations across gender studies, queer theory, and military sociology initiatives.
Julia DiBenigno is a Professor of Organizational Behavior at Yale School of Management, where she has been faculty since 2016 and was promoted to full professor in 2023. She holds a courtesy appointment in Sociology and is an organizational ethnographer whose research focuses on the sociology of work, professional collaboration, upward influence, and organizational change. Her research interests include understanding how professional groups collaborate across boundaries, how frontline workers can effectively voice concerns upward in organizational hierarchies, and how organizations navigate change during crises. She specializes in qualitative, ethnographic methodologies, immersing herself in organizational settings ranging from hospitals to the U.S. Army to uncover the social dynamics that shape workplace behavior. DiBenigno's publication record includes multiple articles in top journals like Administrative Science Quarterly and Organization Science, with her most recent work examining how crises create opportunities for implementing long-resisted changes. Her research demonstrates patterns where frontline staff can successfully push through organizational resistance when they move quickly and demonstrate both short- and long-term value of their proposals. Ned Smith Rising Star Award, Organization & Management Theory Division of the Academy of Management, 2023 Thinkers50 Radar List, Class of 2022 Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Research Award, NYU Wagner, 2021 Grigor McClelland Best Dissertation Award, EGOS, 2017 W. Richard Scott Outstanding Paper Award, American Sociological Association, 2016 As an educator, DiBenigno teaches Managing Groups & Teams and Power & Politics at Yale SOM. Her research on team dynamics has revealed insights about coordination loss, the common knowledge problem in group decision-making, and how hierarchical structures can both help and hinder effective teamwork. Her work with healthcare providers during the pandemic demonstrated how team identification reduces stress and burnout among frontline workers.
Professor Philip Birch is a distinguished academic in Criminology at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Faculty of Design & Society, School of International Studies & Education. With over 15 years of academic experience across British, American, and Australian university systems, he has established himself as a leading expert in policing, community safety, and criminal justice. His extensive practical background in criminology, including roles as a Specialist Crime Team Manager, Community Safety Research Manager, and Through Care Worker in UK correctional facilities, informs his applied research approach. Professor Birch's educational background includes a BSocSci. (Hons) in Social Policy (Crime & Justice) from the University of Manchester, multiple postgraduate qualifications from the Open University (including an MSc. in Social & Criminological Research Methods), a Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Practice from the University of Huddersfield, and a PhD in Criminology from the University of New South Wales. He also holds a Fellowship with the Higher Education Academy. His research centers on six key areas: Police & Policing; Community Safety & Crime Prevention; Prisons, Probation & Parole Policy & Practice; Assessment, Treatment & Management of Offenders; Gender & sexuality inclusive Domestic and Family Violence; and Sex Work, Sex Workers and Procurement. His work emphasizes the practical application of criminological research to real-world justice issues, with strong industry engagement across law enforcement and correctional services. Recent publications reveal a clear trend toward police mental health, aging in policing, hate crime identification, trauma-informed policing approaches, and digital community safety initiatives. His research employs diverse methodologies including qualitative case studies, Delphi methods, rapid evidence assessments, and comparative analyses across multiple jurisdictions. Teaching award (2019) from Australian College of Educators for outstanding contribution to education Literati Award (2019) for published work Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy Professor Birch has supervised numerous Honours, Masters by Coursework, Masters by Research and PhD students in Criminology, Criminal Justice and Policing, with several completions to date. He has secured over $1.3 million in research funding, including an ARC Linkage grant, and has acted as an external assessor for domestic and international funding bodies. His research projects address critical issues in criminology and policing, often with direct policy implications. He established the Crime & Security Science (CaSS) Research Group at UTS in 2022, a cross-faculty initiative connecting academia with industry to advance evidence-based criminology, criminal justice, policing, and community safety research. This group serves as a hub for collaborative projects addressing contemporary security challenges through translational research.
Patrick Flynn is the Matthew and Soogi Hong Fellow and Assistant Professor of Management at North Carolina State University's Poole College of Management, Department of Management, Innovation & Entrepreneurship. He holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources from the University of South Carolina and a B.S. in Supply Chain Management from the University of Maryland. His research focuses on dynamic individual and group processes, including event-based adaptation, team citizenship behaviors, and resilience. He teaches courses in people analytics, management consulting practicum, and leadership consulting. Dr. Flynn’s work has been published in top journals such as Journal of Management , Journal of Applied Psychology , and Annual Review of Organizational Psychology . He serves on the editorial board of Group & Organization Management . His research explores transitions, sustainability, and organizational change, with media features in CNBC, MSN, and the Raleigh News & Observer . His academic contributions emphasize practical applications of organizational behavior theories, particularly in post-pandemic workplace dynamics, remote work adaptations, and employee well-being strategies. His recent work addresses collective turnover, trust dynamics, and proactive sustainability approaches in volatile environments.
Kevin O'Brien is the Jack M. Forcey Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He specializes in Chinese politics, particularly focusing on contentious politics, protest dynamics, and state-society relations in rural China. His research examines mechanisms of protest control, authoritarian governance, and institutional reforms. O'Brien holds a B.A. from Grinnell College (1979) and a Ph.D. from Yale University (1987). Education: B.A., Grinnell College; Ph.D., Yale University Affiliations: Institute of East Asian Studies, UC Berkeley Research interests include rightful resistance, relational repression, and adaptation strategies under autocratic regimes. He has authored/co-authored influential books such as Rightful Resistance in Rural China and edited volumes on popular protest and grassroots elections in China. Books: Reform Without Liberalization , Popular Protest in China , Grassroots Elections in China Awards include the Sage Award for Best Paper in Comparative Politics (2004). His work integrates fieldwork insights with theoretical frameworks, addressing topics like land expropriation, migrant worker rights, and NGO operational challenges in China's evolving political landscape.
Melissa Landers-Potts is an Interim Assistant Dean for Academic Programs and Principal Lecturer at the University of Georgia's College of Family and Consumer Sciences (Department of Human Development and Family Science). She focuses on active and universal design for teaching and learning, emphasizing inclusive excellence. Her roles include overseeing undergraduate programs, aligning with the college's 2025 Strategic Plan, and fostering teaching excellence. She earned a Ph.D. (1998), M.A. (1994), and B.A. (1990) in Sociology/Anthropology from the University of Georgia and Carleton College. Her research explores socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, and technology's impact on human development, with a focus on marginalized populations. She designs inclusive curricula and integrates service-learning, partnering with private-sector mental health companies for global adolescent mentorship programs. Recent studies include effects of economic stress on children, racism/classism, and technology's role in military youth well-being. Recipient of numerous awards, including the UGA Teaching Excellence Award (2022), she mentors faculty in active learning and service-learning initiatives. She chairs multiple committees (e.g., College Curriculum, Scholarships) and advises Phi Upsilon Omicron. Her outreach emphasizes experiential learning and inclusive educational practices.
Professor David Sarpong is a leading academic in Strategy and Organisation at Aston Business School, part of Aston University's College of Business and Social Sciences. He currently serves as Head of the Marketing and Entrepreneurship Department and Director of Research for the Marketing and Strategy Subject Group. His research focuses on strategy-as-practice, relationalism, innovation management, and temporality in organizational processes. He holds adjunct roles at KNUST Business School and Bristol Business School, and is actively involved in professional organizations like EURAM and CABS. His work employs qualitative methods including ethnographic interviews and microstoria approaches. Professional Activities: He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Strategy and Leadership, and on editorial boards for Technology Analysis & Strategic Management and European Management Journal. His external roles include UK Country Representative for EURAM and Board Membership at The Milestones Trust. He has held prior academic leadership positions at Brunel University London and visiting roles at HSE Moscow and University of KwaZulu-Natal. Research Interests: Prioritizes cross-level management problems using Heideggerian-Wittgensteinian frameworks. Key themes include second-order technology management, business tournament rituals, strategic foresight, and discursive practices in European cosmopolitan marketplaces. Methodologically innovative in combining narratives, digital datasets, and performative routines analysis. Collaborations: Active in global research networks with scholars across Africa, Europe, and Asia. Recent work addresses mining-industry partnerships, gender dynamics in extractive economies, and ethical dimensions of corporate governance. His research outputs number over 110 publications in top journals like Technovation and Journal of Business Research. Awards/Affiliations: Recognized through editorial leadership roles and visiting professorships. His research has policy implications for sustainable development, innovation ecosystems, and organizational resilience in global contexts.
Crytal Lee is an Assistant Professor in Computational Media and Design at MIT, with a joint appointment in the Schwarzman College of Computing and Comparative Media Studies/Writing. She is also a Faculty Associate at Harvard's Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, co-leading the Ethical Tech Working Group, and a Senior Fellow at Mozilla's Responsible Computing Challenge. Her research focuses on data visualization, disability studies, and ethical technology, emphasizing the 'life-cycle of data representations.' Education: PhD in History, Anthropology, Science, Technology, and Society from MIT (2022); MA and BA (High Honors) in History of Science from Stanford University (2016 and 2015). Research Interests : Crystal examines how data is curated, visualized, and contested, with a particular lens on disability justice and accessible design. Her work bridges STS, HCI, and critical data studies, addressing issues like misinformation, algorithmic bias, and inclusive technology. Awards & Grants : Honorable Mentions at EuroVis 2022 and CHI 2021; NSF Dissertation Improvement Grant; SSRC Social Data Fellowship. Advising & Mentorship : Advised projects on accessible visualization, participatory AI, and disability inclusion. Current book project: Crip Computation . Labs & Teams : Co-leads Ethical Tech Working Group at Berkman Klein; involved in MIT's Data + Feminism Lab and Accessible Interactions projects.
