Rashmi Vinayak is an Associate Professor in the Computer Science Department at Carnegie Mellon University, with a courtesy appointment in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. She is a member of both the Systems group and Theory group at CMU and leads TheSys research group. She is also affiliated with the Parallel Data Lab (PDL). Her educational background includes a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley in 2016, followed by postdoctoral studies at the same institution. Rashmi's research spans the intersection of computer/networked systems and information/coding theory. Her current focus is on robustness and resource efficiency in data systems across storage, communication, and computation. Key thrusts include storage systems, caching systems, and systems for machine learning. Her work on SIEVE, a cache eviction algorithm, has been widely adopted by industry including VMware, Google, Redpanda, and numerous open source libraries. Her recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward practical systems research with theoretical foundations, particularly in caching algorithms, storage systems, and machine learning infrastructure. Many of her papers have received best paper awards and industry adoption. Notable awards include: Sloan Research Fellowship (2023) IEEE Information Theory Society Goldsmith Lecturer (2023) NSF CAREER Award (2020) Multiple USENIX NSDI Community (Best Paper) Awards VMware Systems Research Award (2021) Facebook and Google Research Awards Rashmi has supervised numerous PhD, Master's, and undergraduate students, many of whom have gone on to prestigious positions at Harvard, Google, Meta, and other leading institutions. Her research has been generously funded by NSF, Sloan Foundation, Open Compute Project, Google, Facebook/Meta, VMware, and Amazon Web Services. She actively collaborates with industry partners including Google, Microsoft, NetApp, Facebook, Cisco, Intel and Cloudera. She leads TheSys research group which focuses on designing next-generation data systems that are robust, efficient, and performant. The group takes a multi-disciplinary approach spanning computer systems, information theory, and machine learning.
Prof. April Wang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at ETH Zurich. Her work focuses on Educational Technology, Human-Computer Interaction, and AI-driven tools for programming education. She is affiliated with the Professur Educational Technology group and teaches courses such as Human Computer Interaction and Ethics in Computing. Her research explores interactive learning environments, collaborative data science workflows, and AI-augmented educational systems. Her research interests span computational notebooks, live coding interfaces, and human-AI collaboration in software development. Notable contributions include frameworks like DBox for algorithm learning and EDBooks for interactive programming narratives. She also investigates challenges in real-time collaboration tools and automated documentation systems for data scientists. Recent work emphasizes understanding user needs in automated copilot systems and resolving conflicts in collaborative notebook environments. Her projects often bridge theoretical HCI principles with practical educational tools, aiming to enhance both instructor efficacy and student engagement. Prof. Wang’s teaching portfolio includes courses on user-centered interface design and ethical scientific practices. She actively contributes to advancing interdisciplinary computational literacy through initiatives like datAR, which uses everyday objects to teach data concepts.
Dr. Theophilus A. Benson is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, with additional responsibilities at Carnegie Mellon University-Africa. His research group focuses on improving network performance and availability through models, algorithms, and frameworks that manage network state semantics. Key application areas include addressing the digital divide, optimizing microservices/cloud systems, software-defined networks, and CDN designs. Education: Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison (2012) M.S., University of Wisconsin, Madison (2008) B.S., Tufts University (2004) Research Focus: Professor Benson's work spans three core domains: Democratizing Web Performance (measurements and optimizations for developing regions), Systems Abstractions for Programmable Infrastructures (eBPF/P4 frameworks), and Self-Managing Networks (ML-driven configurations). His African Internet Observatory initiative analyzes Africa's internet ecosystem to address digital inequity through assessment probes and statistical methods. Publication Trends: Recent works (2021-2024) demonstrate a strong focus on programmable networks (eBPF/P4 management), web performance in developing regions, and data-driven cloud/CDN optimizations. Earlier foundational work established expertise in SDN fault tolerance, network updates, and video streaming characterization. Awards & Honors: SIGCOMM Test of Time Award NSF CAREER Award NEC Faculty Award Google Faculty Award Facebook Faculty Award (2x) DARPA ISAT Study Group Member Grants & Advising: Secured funding from NSF (CAREER, NeTS), Google, Facebook, and Yahoo. Current advisees include 4 PhD/MS students working on programmable networks and web performance. Actively recruiting post-docs and students for African connectivity and eBPF projects. Leadership: Co-chairs NSDI'25 and ApNet'24 conferences. Leads the NetLab research group developing deployable systems adopted by web-scale companies and open-source communities.
Umakishore Ramachandran is a Professor in the School of Computer Science within the College of Computing at Georgia Institute of Technology. His research spans edge computing, distributed systems, and real-time video analytics, with significant contributions to fog computing infrastructure, mobile systems, and sensor networks. Over a prolific 38-year career, he has authored 142 publications with major contributions in 2022-2025. His research interests focus on bridging the gap between cloud and edge computing, with pioneering work in video analytics systems like EVA and MicroEdge. He investigates resource optimization for latency-sensitive applications, developing novel approaches for load shedding, data management, and container runtime efficiency at the network edge. His work addresses fundamental challenges in distributed camera networks, autonomous vehicle systems, and real-time stream processing. Ramachandran's recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on practical edge computing solutions, with 75% of his 2021-2025 work focusing on video analytics and infrastructure optimization. His research shows increasing collaboration with industry partners while maintaining academic rigor, with publications appearing in top venues like SIGMOD, Middleware, and DEBS. The work consistently addresses real-world constraints of resource-constrained edge environments. Ramachandran has mentored numerous researchers who have become principal investigators on edge computing projects, with notable collaborators including Harshit Gupta, Enrique Saurez, and Zhuangdi Xu appearing as first authors on multiple papers. His work has received significant grant support for projects related to mobile fog computing and distributed video analytics. He leads research in the Edge Computing Laboratory at Georgia Tech, focusing on the development of practical frameworks for real-world deployment of edge infrastructure. Current projects include eCAV for connected autonomous vehicles and MicroEdge for multi-tenant camera processing systems.
Jiro Katto is a Professor at Waseda University's School of Fundamental Science and Engineering, where he has been conducting research and teaching since 1999. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo and has established himself as a leading researcher in multimedia signal processing and computer networks. His academic journey includes positions as Associate Professor (1999-2004), Professor (2004-present), and Director at NEDO (2004-2008), along with research experience at NEC C&C Laboratories (1992-1999) and a Visiting Scholar position at Princeton University (1996-1997). Professor Katto's research interests focus on Multimedia Signal Processing and Computer Networks, with particular expertise in video compression, 5G network performance, and learned image compression techniques. His work bridges theoretical advancements with practical implementations, as evidenced by his extensive publications in top-tier conferences and journals. His research group has made significant contributions to point cloud compression, latency compensation in remote systems, and hardware-accelerated video encoding for UHD streaming. His publication record is impressive, with 276 papers cited 3,323 times in Scopus and 6,169 times in Google Scholar, reflecting his substantial impact in the field. His recent work shows a strong trend toward applying deep learning techniques to traditional signal processing problems, particularly in the areas of image and video compression, where his team has developed novel approaches to improve compression efficiency while reducing computational complexity. Electric Telecommunications Promotion Foundation Telecommunications System Technology Award (2023) Takayanagi Kenjiro Foundation Takayanagi Kenjiro Achievement Award (2020) Institute of Image Information and Television Engineers Fellow (2020) Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers Fellow (2015) IEICE Communications Society Activity Contribution Award (2006) IEICE Academic Encouragement Award (1995) SPIE VCIP 1991, Best Student Paper Award (1991) Professor Katto has served on numerous prestigious committees including IEEE ComSoC Tech News Editorial Board, IEEE Technical Program Committees for major conferences (Globecom, ICC, ICIP), and editorial boards for several academic journals. His leadership in the academic community extends to chairing conferences like IWAIT 2011 and serving as Editor-in-Chief for journals in his field. His research has practical applications in commercial 5G networks, video streaming services, and remote monitoring systems, demonstrating the real-world impact of his work.
Dr. Natalie Simpson is Professor and Associate Dean for Graduate Programs at the University at Buffalo's School of Management, Department of Operations Management and Strategy. She holds a PhD and MBA from the University of Florida, and a BFA from North Carolina School of the Arts. Her research explores emergency response systems , supply chain logistics , and educational technology , with particular focus on operational challenges in crisis management. She investigates hyper-project coordination in emergency contexts and resource allocation frameworks for incident commanders. Simpson's scholarly contributions show strong emphasis on: Modeling emergency response operations and supply chain vulnerabilities Developing pedagogical innovations for operations management education Analyzing healthcare workflow efficiency and disaster management systems Her extensive recognition includes: Decision Sciences Institute's Best Case Studies Award (2005) National Instructional Innovation Award (2004) SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching (2002) Grinter Fellowship and Matherly Scholarship As Academic Director of Digital Access Education, she leads technology-enhanced learning initiatives and advises graduate programs. Administrative responsibilities include heading the Digital Access Working Group and serving on editorial boards for Decision Sciences.
Stuart Hargreaves is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law , The Chinese University of Hong Kong . His research focuses on information and privacy law and constitutional law and legal theory , reflecting his prior legal practice and academic background. Education: SJD, University of Toronto (2013) BCL, Oxford University (2008) JD, Osgoode Hall Law School (2006) BA in Politics & Sociology, McGill University (2000) His work examines the intersection of artificial intelligence and legal education , with projects like “Teaching Avatars” using AI for educational content creation. He also investigates surveillance technologies , privacy law , and constitutional rights in the context of Hong Kong’s political and legal environment. Scientific Awards and Grants: CUHK Teaching Excellence Award (2017) CUHK Direct Grant for Research University Grants Committee Teaching Development Grant Research Grants Council General Research Fund Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship Google Policy Fellowship He has contributed to AI in legal pedagogy through multiple conference presentations (e.g., “Teaching Avatars” at the 2024 CUHK Teaching & Learning Innovation Expo) and serves on the Board of Advisors for Teach for Hong Kong . His external roles include journal reviewing and LAWASIA membership.
David Lindlbauer is an Assistant Professor at the Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) within Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science. He leads the Augmented Perception Lab and co-directs the CMU Extended Reality Technology Center (XRTC) . His research bridges Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Graphics, and Computer Vision to create adaptive interfaces that enhance human-digital interaction. Education : PhD (summa cum laude) from Technische Universität Berlin , MSc and BSc from University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria Previous Affiliation : Postdoctoral Researcher at ETH Zurich (2018-2020) David's research focuses on understanding human perception of digital information and developing computational approaches to optimize AR/VR interface usability. Key areas include: Context-aware adaptive interfaces Visual saliency and attention modeling Spatial audio-haptic systems Optimal placement algorithms Object manipulation in Remixed Reality Diminished/ambient MR interfaces His 15 most recent publications (2024-2025) span topics in adaptive XR interfaces, multimodal notifications, haptic systems, and spatial cognition. These works appear at venues like ACM CHI, ACM UIST, IEEE VR, and Frontiers in VR. Common themes include: Machine learning for interface adaptation Human factors in XR design Real-time environment analysis Privacy-aware display systems Collaborative MR interfaces Accessibility enhancements Scientific Recognition : Best Paper Honorable Mention Award (ACM CHI 2024) Best Paper Award (ACM ISS 2023) ETH Zurich Postdoctoral Fellowship Multiple best paper recognitions at CHI, UIST, and IEEE VR Teaching & Leadership : Course developer for CMU's "Interactive Extended Reality" Mentor for NASA SUITS Challenge team Co-chair roles at CHI and UIST Overseeing PhD students and research interns
Anup Basu is a Professor in the Department of Computing Science at the University of Alberta. His research focuses on computer graphics, computer vision, and multimedia communications. He holds an B.S. in Math & Statistics from the Indian Statistical Institute (1980), an M.E. in Computer Science from the Indian Statistical Institute (1983), and a Ph.D. in Computing Science from the University of Maryland (1990). His work emphasizes Quality of Service (QoS) in multimedia delivery for e-commerce and telelearning, adaptive bandwidth monitoring, and 3D visualization tools. He pioneered foveated image compression and stereo visualization techniques, contributing to MPEG-4 coding standards. He leads major initiatives like the ASRA/TelePhotogenics/IBM 3D Medical Imaging project ($2M+ funding) and developed patented SHR Stereo/3D scanning technologies. Awards include the American Neurological Association Fellowship. He has held leadership roles as General Chair for IEEE International Conferences on SMC (2017), Multimedia & Expo (2013), and SMC (2014). His research integrates interdisciplinary collaborations across universities and industry partners, leveraging advanced equipment like the CAVE system for immersive visualization.
Professor David Taubman is a distinguished academic serving as Professor and Deputy Head of School (Research) at the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications (EE&T) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia. He is also co-director of Kakadu Software Pty. Ltd. and its affiliates Kakadu R&D and Kakadu GPU. With a career spanning over three decades, Professor Taubman has made significant contributions to the field of image and video compression, most notably as the author of the EBCOT coding algorithm adopted in the JPEG2000 international standard. Professor Taubman earned his B.Sc. in Mathematics and Computer Science (1986) and B.E. (Medal) in Electrical Engineering (1988) from the University of Sydney, followed by an M.Sc. (1992) and Ph.D. (1994) in Electrical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. His professional journey includes engineering work at the Electricity Commission of N.S.W. (1988-1990), research positions at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories in Palo Alto (1994-1998), and an academic career at UNSW where he progressed from Senior Lecturer (1998-2003) to Associate Professor (2004-2009) and finally to Professor (2009-present). He has held various leadership roles including Head of the EE&T Telecommunications Research Group (2003-2014), Head of the EE&T Signal Processing Research Group (2014-present), Director of Research for the School of EE&T (2011-2016), and Deputy Head of School (Research) since 2017. Professor Taubman's research interests center on image and video compression, with particular expertise in JPEG2000 standards and implementations. His work spans signal processing, wavelet transforms, scalable video coding, motion modeling, and multimedia systems. He has pioneered numerous compression algorithms and frameworks, including the EBCOT coding algorithm that became central to the JPEG2000 standard. His recent research focuses on efficient motion modeling with cuboidal partitioning, learned lifting-based transform structures, and high-throughput implementations of JPEG2000 for video applications. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical implementations, as evidenced by the commercially successful Kakadu Software tools that have garnered around 500 commercial licensees. Analysis of Professor Taubman's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on advancing compression technologies with particular emphasis on scalability, efficiency, and adaptability. His work spans traditional image compression (JPEG2000 extensions), video coding (cuboid-based partitioning for UHD/360-degree video), and emerging applications (nanopore sequencing data compression). A notable trend is the integration of machine learning techniques with traditional compression frameworks, as seen in his work on learned lifting-based transform structures. His research maintains strong connections to real-world applications across diverse domains including medical imaging, astronomical data processing, and genomic sequencing. IEEE Fellow Engineers Australia Fellow (by invitation) Professor Taubman has served as Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Image Processing for two four-year appointments (2003-2005 and 2010-2013). He has been actively involved in numerous research grants focused on image and video compression technologies, particularly those related to the JPEG2000 standard and its extensions. His work has received significant industry support, reflected in his consultancy with various U.S., Japanese, and Australian corporations. He has also contributed to international standards development as a member of Standards Australia Technical Committee MS-065 (mirroring ISO TC42 on Digital Photography) and as a constitutional member of Standards Australia Technical Committee IT-029 (Coded Representation of Picture, Audio and Multimedia/Hypermedia Information). Professor Taubman co-directs Kakadu Software Pty. Ltd. and its research affiliates Kakadu R&D and Kakadu GPU, which have developed the commercially successful Kakadu Software tools for JPEG2000. His research group at UNSW focuses on advanced image and video compression techniques, with particular expertise in wavelet-based methods, scalable coding, and motion modeling. The group maintains strong industry connections and has contributed significantly to the development and standardization of image compression technologies worldwide.
Joseph Johnson is an Associate Professor in the Marketing department at the Miami Herbert Business School, University of Miami. His research spans multiple domains of marketing with a particular focus on the intersection of artificial intelligence and marketing strategy, demonstrating significant scholarly productivity with publications from 2017 through 2023. Professor Johnson's research interests include: Marketing Strategy and Business Turnaround Artificial Intelligence Applications in Marketing Healthcare Service Quality and Patient Satisfaction International Business Expansion Strategies Mutual Fund Advertising and Consumer Perception Organizational Process Optimization Social Media and Multimedia Content Analysis His publication record reveals a consistent trajectory toward integrating advanced analytical methods with traditional marketing challenges. Johnson has published extensively on applying predictive analytics to email marketing effectiveness, healthcare service quality improvement, and organizational process efficiency. His work bridges theoretical marketing concepts with practical business applications across diverse industries including finance, healthcare, and international business, with several publications appearing in top-tier journals such as Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science and Marketing Science. Johnson's research has garnered attention across academic and professional platforms, with his publications being referenced in patents and discussed on social media and news outlets. His collaborative approach is evident through co-authorship with researchers from healthcare, computer science, and neuroscience fields.
George Kesidis is a Professor in Computer Science and Engineering and Electrical Engineering at Penn State University. His research spans deep learning security, virtual reality optimization, and cloud computing. College of Engineering (Penn State University) Research Focus: Backdoor Attacks, DNN Robustness, Edge Caching Active in NSF and U.S. Navy-funded projects (2022-2026) His work addresses backdoor data poisoning , test-time evasion attacks , and DNN overfitting mitigation . He develops techniques like activation clipping, perturbation analysis, and statistical defense models. Recent projects include edge caching systems for VR and security-driven AI frameworks. Key article trends reveal expertise in adversarial deep learning, immersive media delivery, and cloud resource optimization. Current grants focus on multi-user VR, GPU scheduling, and serverless-cloud hybrid architectures. He collaborates extensively with researchers like David J. Miller and Xinyu Li, particularly on cloud-based adversarial defense mechanisms and VR streaming benchmarks.
Mohamed Hefeeda is a Professor in the School of Computing Science at Simon Fraser University (SFU), Canada. He leads the Network and Multimedia Systems Lab (NMSL) and previously served as Director of the School from 2018 to 2023. His research focuses on multimedia networking, mobile computing, cloud systems, and hyperspectral imaging. He holds an ACM Distinguished Member designation and has received prestigious awards including the NSERC Discovery Accelerator Supplements (2011) and multiple best paper awards at top conferences like ACM MM and IEEE Infocom. Education: Ph.D., Purdue University, 2004 M.Sc., University of Connecticut, 2001 B.Sc., Mansoura University, Egypt, 1994 Research Interests: Design of efficient multimedia systems and protocols for wired/wireless networks Cloud gaming optimization and video encoding techniques Hyperspectral imaging for healthcare and mobile applications AI-driven multimedia systems and mobile computing innovations Grants & Industry Collaborations: Funded by NSERC, CFI, and companies like AMD, Huawei, and CBC Co-founded Video Semantics (acquired by tech firm) Partnered with CBC on peer-assisted content distribution systems Awards Highlights: 2025: ACM Distinguished Member 2019: Best Student Paper Award at ACM MMSys 2015: NSERC Discovery Accelerator Supplements Labs & Leadership: Network and Multimedia Systems Lab (NMSL) at SFU Contributed to creation of Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI)
Stephen Alstrup is a Professor in the Algorithms and Complexity section at the Department of Computer Science (DIKU), University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Science. His research bridges theoretical computer science with practical applications in modern computational challenges. His primary research interests include: Algorithm design and analysis Graph algorithms and data structures Big Data processing techniques Streaming algorithms and Internet distribution Theoretical foundations with practical implementations Alstrup's work demonstrates how theoretical algorithm research can lead to real-world applications, as evidenced by his development of Octoshape technology for large-scale Internet streaming. His research spans from fundamental theoretical problems to applications in Big Data, cloud computing, and information retrieval systems. He has published extensively with 93 research outputs including journal articles, conference proceedings, and books. His recent work focuses on graph spanners, semantic hashing, recommendation systems, and universal graph structures, showing continued productivity in theoretical computer science. Alstrup actively engages with industry and media, contributing to discussions about Big Data applications, technology innovation, and how businesses can collaborate with universities to access cutting-edge knowledge and funding opportunities. His work has been featured in 10 media contributions discussing practical applications of algorithms in education, municipal IT projects, and business innovation.
Beichuan Zhang serves as Associate Department Head and Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Arizona, maintaining office GS 723 with contact details 520-621-4817 and bzhang@cs.arizona.edu. His academic leadership spans network architecture research and departmental administration within the university's computing ecosystem. Zhang holds a Ph.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles (2003), establishing his foundation in advanced networking systems. His doctoral work catalyzed a career focused on internet infrastructure evolution. Research centers on computer networks with specific expertise in Internet routing architecture, protocols, topology, and multicast systems. Zhang is a principal investigator in Named Data Networking (NDN), driving innovations in stateful forwarding planes, in-network caching (e.g., Nb-cache, BLEnD), and congestion control mechanisms. His work bridges theoretical networking models with practical implementations for wireless, satellite, and live-streaming environments. Analysis of 2021-2025 publications reveals strategic expansion into Low Earth Orbit satellite networks, where Zhang pioneers NDN adaptations for handover resilience and outage detection. Concurrently, his group optimizes video streaming protocols and wireless performance through interest bundling techniques. This dual trajectory demonstrates systematic progression from terrestrial networking to space-ground integrated architectures.
