Giorgia Alù is an Associate Professor at the University of Sydney, affiliated with the Department of Italian Studies within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. She holds a PhD from the University of Warwick and has taught at institutions including the University of Reading. Her research focuses on intersections between literature, photography, and cultural history, with a specialization in modern Italian studies and women's writing. Education: PhD (Warwick), MA (Warwick), BA (Catania). Research Interests: Travel writing and photographic culture Italian cultural history and visual studies Photography's ethical and aesthetic dimensions WWII Italian detainees' cultural production Recent Projects: Leading an ARC Discovery Project on WWII Italian detainees' creativity and co-investigating multilingual archives in Australia. Her book projects include Sicilian mining's global impacts and Italian female photographers' roles in cultural preservation. Awards: Excellence in Teaching (2013), Senior Fellowship at Freiburg Institute (2022-2023), and multiple research grants from the University of Sydney and ARC. Teaching: Courses on Italian language, literature, and visual culture including ITLN3688 (Advanced Italian Translation) and IC LS2626 (Words & Pictures Across Cultures). Labs/Teams: Member of Sydney Environment Institute and Vere Gordon Childe Centre. Collaborates internationally on digitizing cultural heritage and migrant archives.
Henry F. (Hank) Korth is a Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Lehigh University, with a courtesy appointment in the Department of Decision and Technology Analytics in the College of Business. He serves as Director of the Blockchain Lab in the Center for Financial Services and Co-Director of the Computer Science and Business Program. Korth is a Fellow of the ACM and IEEE, and a recipient of the VLDB 10-Year Award and Bell Labs President's Silver Award for contributions to database technologies. PhD in Computer Science from Princeton University MA, MSE in Computer Science from Princeton University BA in Mathematics from Williams College Korth's research spans database systems, blockchain systems, distributed systems, and real-time systems. He has pioneered transaction management in parallel and distributed systems, query processing, and the impact of modern computing architectures on database performance. His recent work focuses on blockchain applications in enterprise databases, including acceleration of zero-knowledge proofs, benchmarking frameworks, central-bank digital currencies, and private-yet-provable accounting systems. His contributions are rooted in both theoretical advancements and practical implementations, such as the QTM™ aggregation engine and the DataBlitz™ main-memory storage manager. Scientific awards include: ACM Fellow IEEE Fellow 10-Year Award at the VLDB Conference Bell Labs President's Silver Award Korth actively supervises research within the Blockchain Lab and is affiliated with the Scalable Software Systems Research Group at Lehigh. His scholarly output reflects a deep engagement with blockchain benchmarking, concurrency control, verifiable databases, and the evolution of database systems in response to technological shifts.
Laura Ascenzi-Moreno serves as Professor of Bilingual Education and Bilingual Program Coordinator in the Childhood, Bilingual and Special Education Department at Brooklyn College, City University of New York (CUNY), School of Education. Her academic leadership focuses on developing educators capable of serving linguistically diverse student populations through equity-centered pedagogical frameworks. Her educational foundation includes a B.A. in Anthropology and Education from Swarthmore College (1994), an M.A. in Individualized Studies in Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education (1999), New York State Permanent Certification for PreK-6 (2002), a Bilingual ESL and Teacher Leadership Program from Bank Street College (2004), and a Ph.D. in Urban Education from CUNY Graduate Center (2012). Dr. Ascenzi-Moreno's research pioneers translanguaging applications across literacy instruction, assessment, and computational learning environments. She investigates how emergent bilinguals' linguistic repertoires can transform reading development, teacher knowledge construction, and multimodal assessment practices. Her work consistently centers equity through frameworks like syncretic reasoning and accompáñamiento, challenging deficit ideologies while promoting asset-based approaches to multilingual education. Analysis of her 2020-2024 publications reveals an accelerating interdisciplinary trajectory where translanguaging principles increasingly intersect with computer science education. This evolution demonstrates strategic expansion from foundational literacy research into computational literacies, with growing emphasis on co-design methodologies and teacher agency in developing multilingual CS curricula. Her scientific recognition includes the 2024 NCTE Outstanding Elementary Educator Award, Language Arts Distinguished Article Award, and major NSF grants totaling $1.3 million for computational literacy projects. Additional honors encompass Fulbright Scholarship work in Colombia, PSC-CUNY research awards, and Westinghouse Science Talent Search distinction. As Principal Investigator of NSF-funded PiLa-CS and former CUNY-NYSIEB Associate Investigator, she secures substantial grant support while mentoring teacher candidates. Her service includes NCTE Elementary Steering Committee leadership (2022-2026), journal reviewing, and Brooklyn's New York Teacher Table participation addressing educator recruitment/retention. Dr. Ascenzi-Moreno co-directs the Participating in Literacies in Computer Science project and maintains active collaboration with NYC schools through translanguaging professional development initiatives. Her work with the CUNY-NYSIEB project established foundational frameworks now implemented across New York bilingual programs.
Jia-Yan Mi serves as Associate Professor of Chinese and English in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at The College of New Jersey's School of Humanities and Social Sciences, where she has held key roles since 2002 including Director of the Chinese Program and Faculty Advisor for the Chinese Students Association. Her academic foundation includes a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and Film Studies from the University of California at Davis (2002). Mi's research critically intersects Comparative Literature, Asian American Studies, Critical Theory, and Film Studies with specialized focus on Chinese poetry, diaspora narratives, and cultural identity. Her work examines embodied experience in modern Chinese literature, border theory in global contexts, and pandemic-era poetic responses, consistently bridging literary analysis with visual culture and postcolonial frameworks. Recent scholarly output reveals an escalating engagement with viral optics, diasporic consciousness, and therapeutic nation-building in Chinese literary traditions, evolving from foundational studies of modern poetry to contemporary analyses of global Chinese-language expressions during crisis. Her scientific recognition includes: Outstanding Research on Modern and Contemporary Poetics, Jianghan University, PRC (2018) Support of Scholarly Activities (SOSA) Award, The College of New Jersey (2023) Mi maintains extensive institutional engagement through committee leadership including: Director of Chinese Program (2002–present) Chair of Minor in Comparative Literature Committee (2023–present) Roebling Committee and Art on Campus Committee membership (2021–present) Department Promotion Committee service (2018–present)
Dr. Martha Sidury Christiansen is a Professor of Applied Linguistics/TESOL at the University of Texas at San Antonio , where she serves in the College of Education and Human Development . She is the Principal Investigator of Project RESPETO , a NSF-funded initiative exploring racial equity in engineering education. Her work spans sociolinguistics, digital literacies, and raciolinguistic analysis, with a focus on transnational multilingual communities. Born in Veracruz, Mexico Ph.D. in Foreign/Second Language Education (Ohio State University, 2013) M.A. in English Composition (Indiana University, 2007) B.A. in English Language Teaching (Universidad Veracruzana, 2002) Her research examines how transnational youth navigate digital spaces through multiliteracies , challenges Western academic writing norms via Mexican decolonial methodologies , and investigates raciolinguistic intersections in identity formation. The 15 most recent publications reveal a strong focus on digital communication , transnationalism , and critical pedagogy across journals like TESOL Quarterly and Language@Internet . 2023-2025: Expanding raciolinguistic frameworks in digital contexts 2021-2022: Analyzing multimodal identity construction 2019-2020: Exploring Mexican bilinguals' online language use She has received multiple honors including ACUE Fellow (2023), Fulbright Scholar (2017), and Faculty Leadership Fellow (2021-2022). Her presentations at conferences like ICOLLITE and DDVM Lab highlight her expertise in critical sociolinguistic awareness and digital discourse analysis . Dr. Christiansen actively consults for nonprofits on linguistic equity and multilingual education .
Auritro Majumder is Associate Professor of English at the University of Houston's College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, holding a courtesy appointment in the India Studies Program. His academic profile spans literary scholarship, critical theory, and intellectual history with a focus on non-Western perspectives. His educational background includes a Ph.D. in English from Syracuse University (2014), a Certificate in Critical Theory from Cornell University (2012), an M.A. (First Class) in English from Jadavpur University (2009), and a B.A. (First Class Honours) in English from Jadavpur University (2007). Majumder's research centers on peripheral internationalism and decolonial knowledge production , examining literary traditions across India, the Soviet Union, China, Latin America, and the United States. His work bridges literary theory , critical race studies , and global political movements , with particular emphasis on Bengali literature, caste-race intersections, and South-South cultural networks. His monograph Insurgent Imaginations: World Literature and the Periphery (Cambridge University Press, 2020) redefines world literature through non-Western frameworks. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals consistent engagement with decolonial aesthetics , transnational solidarity , and subaltern epistemologies . His scholarship demonstrates interdisciplinary reach spanning literary studies, political theory, film criticism, and comparative intellectual history, with increasing focus on contemporary debates around planetary consciousness and peripheral modernities. His scientific recognition includes: Project Completion Grant, CLASS (2019) William Lee Pryor College Professorship (2018-2019) Research Progress Grant (2017) CLASS Research Funds (2016) New Faculty Summer Research Grant (2015) Majumder actively contributes to academic service as Executive Committee member of the Modern Language Association’s South Asian and South Asian Diasporic Language, Literature and Culture Forum, editorial board member for Mediations , jurist for the National Endowment for the Humanities, and reviewer for multiple international journals. He has lectured globally across North America, South Asia, Europe, and Brazil. His teaching portfolio includes courses on postcolonial literature, modern Indian literature, and graduate seminars in postcolonial theory. Current projects include a monograph titled The Global South in Literature and Theory and a co-edited anthology Cultures of the Cold War in South Asia .
Audrey Truschke is Professor of South Asian History and Director of Asian Studies at Rutgers University–Newark, within the Department of History, Faculty of Arts and Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University and specializes in the cultural, imperial, and intellectual history of early modern and modern India (c. 1500–present). Her scholarship bridges deep historical inquiry with urgent contemporary debates, particularly around religious identity, nationalism, and decolonization. Truschke earned her B.A. in Religious Studies from the University of Chicago (2004) and her Ph.D. in Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies from Columbia University (2012). Her academic journey includes prestigious fellowships at Stanford University, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris III. Her research centers on South Asian history, with a focus on the Mughal Empire, Indo-Muslim rule, Sanskrit-Persian cultural exchanges, and the historical construction of Hindu identity. She critically examines how premodern histories are mobilized in modern political projects, especially Hindu nationalism (Hindutva). Her work spans cultural, intellectual, and religious history, emphasizing philology, translation, and the politics of historical memory. Truschke’s recent publications reveal a consistent trajectory: analyzing the evolution of religious and ethnic identities, particularly 'Hindu' and 'Han', through longue durée historical lenses. Her articles explore how empires, religions, and languages interacted in South Asia, and how these pasts are weaponized in the present. She frequently engages with themes of hegemony, identity formation, and the dangers of historical falsification, especially in the context of Hindutva ideology and its global manifestations. Scientific Awards and Honors: Karwaan Book Award (2022) National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholars Fellowship (2021) Rutgers Board of Trustees Research Fellowship for Scholarly Excellence (2020) John F. Richards Prize in South Asian History, American Historical Association (2017) Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship (2013–2016) Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship (2009–2010) Truschke is an active advisor and mentor, though specific student names are not listed in the provided texts. She has secured significant research funding, including grants from the NEH and Princeton University Press. Her public scholarship includes contributions to the South Asia Scholar Activist Collective , the Hindutva Harassment Field Manual , and the Reporting Guide on Hindu Nationalism . She is currently writing a single-volume history of India for Princeton University Press, forthcoming in 2025. She is affiliated with several research initiatives, including the South Asia Scholar Activist Collective (SASAC), and maintains an active public presence through her personal website, media appearances, and public writings. Her work bridges the academy and public discourse, challenging dominant narratives and promoting historical accuracy in understanding South Asia.
David Peeters is an Associate Professor at Tilburg University's Department of Communication and Cognition, part of the Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences. His research focuses on multimodal communication, multilingualism, and digital communication, leveraging immersive virtual reality (VR) technologies combined with EEG, eye-tracking, and fMRI. He explores neurobiological underpinnings of language, including neuropragmatics, non-verbal communication, and multilingualism. His work is supported by grants such as the NWO Veni and Tilburg University Fund. Peeters teaches courses on virtual reality, language psychology, and digital literature integration in education. He is a Research Fellow at the Donders Institute and President of the Tilburg Young Academy. Key research interests include the role of gesture and iconicity in second language acquisition, bilingual language switching in immersive environments, and the impact of dataism on academic publishing. He collaborates with libraries and schools to integrate digital literature into curricula and public collections. His scientific awards include the NWO Veni Grant and a Fellowship from the International Max Planck Research School for Language Sciences. His research bridges cognitive science, linguistics, and technology, emphasizing ecologically valid experimental paradigms.
Dr. Vera J. Lee is Clinical Professor and Department Chair of Teaching Learning and Curriculum at Drexel University. Her scholarship examines literacy development, educational equity, and family engagement in multilingual communities. Research encompasses: Cultural brokering in school-family communication Critical literacy practices in K-12 education Digital/information literacy frameworks Technology-mediated language learning Publications develop models like the I-LEARN framework for information literacy instruction and 'Three Bridges' approach for culturally responsive family engagement. Recent collaborations investigate civic education policy in international contexts and multimodal writing in urban preschools. As co-editor of 'Advancing Culturally Responsive and Socially Just Approaches to Multilingual Family-School Partnerships' (2023), she advances equity-focused engagement frameworks.
Steven G. Kellman is a Professor of English at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), where he has taught since 1976. A leading scholar in comparative literature and literary translingualism, he was UTSA's first Ashbel Smith Professor (1995-2000) and has received numerous accolades including the National Book Critics Circle Balakian Citation and the New York Society Library Award for Biography. His academic foundation includes: Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, University of California at Berkeley (1972) M.A. in Comparative Literature, University of California at Berkeley (1969) B.A. in English & General Literature, State University of New York at Binghamton (1967) Kellman's research focuses on comparative literature, modern and contemporary literature, prose fiction, literary translingualism, film, and biography. He pioneered the study of writers who create in non-native languages, examining how linguistic displacement fuels creativity and shapes identity across cultural boundaries. His work bridges literary analysis with cultural history, particularly in American literature and biography. His recent publications demonstrate sustained engagement with translingualism, pandemic-era literary interpretation, and biographical recovery of marginalized voices. Articles from 2022-2025 reveal consistent thematic threads: re-examining classic texts like Camus' The Plague through contemporary crises, analyzing translingual writing as spiritual practice, and recovering erased narratives in literary partnerships. Honors include the National Book Critics Circle Nona Balakian Citation (2006), New York Society Library Award for Biography (2006), and Gemini Ink Literary Excellence Award (2008). Additional distinctions: UTSA COLFA Researcher of the Year Award (2019-2020) McGinnis-Ritchie Award for Nonfiction (2008) San Antonio Public Library Foundation Arts and Letters Award (2005) Two UTSA President's Distinguished Achievement Awards in Research Excellence (1990-91, 2005-2006) Kellman has secured prestigious fellowships including the Fulbright Distinguished Chair at Sofia University and Harvard's John E. Sawyer Fellowship. He served four terms on the National Book Critics Circle board and edits Brill's Literary Multilingualism series, demonstrating sustained commitment to advancing literary scholarship through editorial leadership and institutional service.
Claire Robins serves as Professor of Museology and Art at University College London's Institute of Education, leading the Art, Design & Museology Academic Group and acting as Department Graduate Tutor for the Department of Culture, Communication and Media. Her work critically bridges art practice, museum studies, and educational theory to advance democratic engagement in cultural institutions. Education: PhD in Museum Education, University of London (2009) Master's degree in Gallery/Museum Education, University of London Bachelor's degree in Fine Art, St Martins School of Art (now University of the Arts London) Research Focus: Robins investigates the intersection of artists' practices with critical pedagogy, emphasizing progressive education and avant-gardist strategies in twentieth-century knowledge production. Her scholarship examines how contextual forces shape learning definitions in museums, with particular attention to materialities, pedagogic forms, and democratic potential within institutional frameworks. This work consistently challenges conventional museum narratives through artist-led interventions. Publication Trends: Her 15 most recent publications (2012-2025) reveal sustained exploration of museology-art education synergies, highlighting pedagogic innovation through artists' interventions, critical assessment frameworks, and democratic museum practices. Key thematic threads include narrative disruption in galleries, sustainability in art education assessment, and the transformative role of fiction in reimagining museum epistemologies. Advising & Leadership: Robins has supervised PhD/EdD students since 2010 and directed the MA Art Education, Culture and Practice program (2011-2023). She currently teaches MA modules in Museums and Galleries in Education and leads the Education and Curation component, while mentoring MA dissertations. Her leadership extends to developing gallery-based short courses with Engage. Professional Engagement: As editorial board member for Arts & Communication and Engage , and active participant in ICOM and NSEAD, Robins shapes global discourse through international keynotes (e.g., Korean Society for Education in the Arts, 2019) and curated seminars like Soft Subjects: Material Practice in Gallery Education (2024). Her review work for Routledge and Intellect Books further demonstrates scholarly stewardship.
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.
Joël Thibeault is a Professor at the Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa and Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Education, University of Regina . His research focuses on the teaching and learning of French grammar in Francophone minority contexts, the integrated instruction of French and English, and the use of children’s literature in linguistic education. He has secured major funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for studies on bilingual grammar pedagogy. Research Themes: Francophone minority education, plurilingual approaches, drama-based pedagogy, and curriculum innovation. Awards: Received the Prix du nouveau chercheur (2024) from the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Education. Recent Publications emphasize inductive grammar strategies, plurilingual vocabulary instruction, and drama/literature integration in minority language classrooms. His work bridges policy, practice, and technology in Canadian French-language education. Scientific Awards: SSHRC Grant (2024) Prix du nouveau chercheur (2024)
Dr. Hongxuan Lin serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Southeast Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. His academic work centers on the complex relationship between Islam and Marxism in Indonesia, with broader interests in progressive Islamic discourses across the Muslim world. As a faculty member at one of Asia's premier research universities, Dr. Lin contributes significantly to Southeast Asian studies through his research, teaching, and publications. Dr. Lin earned his Doctor of Philosophy in History from the University of Washington, Seattle, between 2015 and 2020. His doctoral research focused on Indonesian intellectual history, examining how Muslim identity and Marxist analytical frameworks coexisted in the minds of Indonesian nationalists during the anti-colonial struggle and early republic period. His supervisors were Laurie J. Sears, Christoph Giebel, and Vicente L. Rafael, all prominent scholars in Southeast Asian studies. Dr. Lin's research primarily investigates the intersection of Islam and Marxism in Indonesia from 1915 to 1965, exploring conciliatory discourses where Marxist ideas were theorized as compatible with Islam within frameworks of anti-colonial resistance. He examines how Indonesian intellectuals adapted global political currents to local contexts, challenging state-driven narratives that position Islam and Marxism as mutually exclusive. His work also considers women's contributions to these discourses and is expanding to study the circulation of progressive Islamic ideas across the Indian Ocean region connecting Egypt, Arabia, Iran, South Asia, and the Malay Archipelago. His research reveals how progressive Islamic thinkers addressed socio-economic inequity, women's rights, intercommunal tolerance, and religious governance. Dr. Lin's publications demonstrate a consistent focus on Southeast Asian political history, particularly Indonesia's intellectual landscape during the colonial and post-colonial periods. His scholarship reveals patterns of creative adaptation where Indonesian thinkers engaged with global political currents while transforming them for local contexts. A notable trend across his work is the examination of transnational intellectual networks that connected Southeast Asia with broader global movements, showing how ideas traveled and were transformed across borders. His research challenges simplistic narratives about religious and political identity, revealing instead complex intellectual traditions that defy easy categorization. Dr. Lin is multilingual with proficiency in Indonesian (reading, writing, speaking, and understanding), Chinese (Mandarin) (reading, writing, speaking, and understanding), Dutch (reading), and French (reading). This linguistic capability supports his research across multiple archives and sources in different languages, enhancing the depth and authenticity of his historical analysis. His work bridges multiple disciplinary approaches including history, political science, religious studies, and post-colonial theory.
Georgios Neokleous is a Professor of English in the Department of Teacher Education at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), within the Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences. He holds a PhD in Education from Saint Louis University (2014), focusing on home language use in EAL classrooms. His career began as an EFL/ESL teacher, with extensive experience across Europe and the U.S., and he has developed specialized courses for diverse learner groups. Neokleous’ research emphasizes multilingualism, translanguaging pedagogy, and inclusive literacy practices in linguistically diverse classrooms. Education: PhD in Education, Saint Louis University, 2014 Masters and Bachelor’s degrees (implied, not explicitly stated) Research Interests: Neokleous explores the integration of students’ home languages in EAL settings, translanguaging as a pedagogical tool, and assessment strategies in multilingual environments. His work bridges theory and practice, addressing challenges in teacher education and classroom diversity. Recent trends in his publications highlight cross-national comparisons (e.g., Norway-Cyprus studies), innovative teaching methodologies, and the role of technology in modern classrooms. Advising & Grants: Supervises students at BA, MA, and PhD levels. Collaborates with international researchers like Anna Krulatz and Sviatlana Karpava. Active in organizing academic events, including TESOL International and ECER conferences. Labs/Teams: Engaged in collaborative research groups focused on multilingual education, such as the ‘Learning and Teaching English in the Multilingual Classroom’ initiative. His work often intersects with institutions like the University of Cyprus and Multilingual Matters publishing.
