Dominik Schörkhuber is a PreDoc Researcher at the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) in the Computer Vision department. With a background in Informatics (BSc, Dipl.-Ing.), he focuses on computer vision applications for autonomous driving, robotics, and human-machine interaction. His work spans driver action recognition, pedestrian prediction, and adaptive lighting systems. Current projects: Empathic Vehicle (2024–2026), SyntheticCabin (2021–2025), SmartProtect (2020–2025) Research themes: Video transformers, synthetic data transfer learning, multi-task learning, and sensor-lighting integration Specializes in 3D sensing, nighttime driving analysis, and mobile video creation tools
Claudia Lehmann is a University Professor of Film Art & Visual Communication at the Institute for Open Arts, Department of Scenography at Mozarteum University Salzburg. She has been a professor at Mozarteum University since 2019 and previously served as a visiting professor at the Berlin Weissensee Art Academy. As a faculty member, she contributes to the Institute management, teaches as a Teacher, and serves on the Curricular Commission. Dr. Lehmann holds a doctorate in physics (Dr. rer. nat.) with her dissertation "GAUGE COVARIANT MULTISCALE ANALYSIS OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS" published through DESY-Publications in 2004. Her academic journey reflects a unique interdisciplinary trajectory from scientific research to artistic practice. Claudia Lehmann's research interests center around the intersection of art and science, with particular focus on perception, reality, and systemic phenomena. Her work spans documentaries, feature films, music videos, art videos, installations, and performances, constantly searching for new forms and formats. She develops visual concepts, video stage sets, and unique live video performances, often in collaboration with Nicolas Stemann. Through her work, she explores diverse possibilities for new structures, especially in the form of artistic collaboration. Her recent artistic output shows a consistent trend toward interdisciplinary work that blends theater, film, and digital media. Lehmann frequently collaborates with Nicolas Stemann and Konrad Hempel, creating innovative performances that integrate video technology with traditional stagecraft. Her work often addresses social and political themes while experimenting with form and presentation. The Institute for Experimental Affairs (IXA), which she co-founded with Konrad Hempel, serves as a platform for exploring the interfaces between science and art through various projects and research initiatives. Dr. Lehmann has received several prestigious awards for her work: Samsung Smartfilm Award 2013 Shocking Shorts Award 2007 Nomination for German Documentary Film Music Prize 2013 Nomination for Studio Hamburg Young Talent Prize for Best Screenplay As an educator and researcher, Lehmann has developed numerous collaborative projects and performances that have been featured at major international festivals including the Berlin International Film Festival, Leipzig Documentary Film Festival, and various theater festivals. Her work with IXA represents a significant research initiative at the intersection of science and art. Lehmann co-founded the Institute for Experimental Affairs (IXA) with visual artist and composer Konrad Hempel. Through IXA, she conducts research and realizes projects at the interfaces between science and art. Her collaborative work spans theater productions, film projects, and interactive installations that have been presented at venues including the Schauspielhaus Zürich, Münchner Kammerspiele, Opéra Comique Paris, and various international festivals.
Hui Pan is a distinguished academic holding dual positions as Nokia Chair in Data Science and Professor of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki, and Chair Professor of Computational Media and Arts at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). His research spans networking, mobile computing, augmented reality, and computational social science. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Cambridge in 2007. His work bridges social networks with mobile systems, pioneering fields like mobile social networks and opportunistic forwarding algorithms. Research interests include data science, complex networks, and innovative applications of augmented reality. His recent publications focus on low-latency AR frameworks, blockchain for computation offloading, and mobile web visualization. He has received prestigious awards, including IEEE Fellow (2018), ACM Distinguished Scientist (2016), and the Nokia Chair Endowment (2017). He has supervised over 15 PhD and 12 MPhil graduates, with 13 current Ph.D. students and 2 MPhil students. His editorial roles include Associate Editorships at IEEE Transactions journals and guest editorships at top venues like IEEE JSAC and ACM Transactions. He has organized conferences such as WWW Track Chair and ExtremeCom General Chair.
Wolfgang Klas is a Professor at the Faculty of Computer Science, leading the Research Group Multimedia Information Systems. His research focuses on multimedia systems, data management, and information retrieval, with significant contributions to multimedia content analysis and database systems. He has been actively involved in multiple research projects, including TP2 PRECIOUS (2013-2016), SciLink (2011-2014), and OptFI (2010-2013). His work intersects with emerging technologies like blockchain, as seen in his public engagements and talks on topics such as 'From Blockchain to Web' and IT4S Forum presentations. His research interests span multimedia systems, database design, and the application of declarative programming for security and data integrity. Recent projects emphasize fake review detection and sentiment analysis using advanced algorithms and neural models. He has collaborated internationally, contributing to workshops like SMAP 2020 and publishing in journals like Algorithms and Applied Sciences . Grants/Projects: TP2 PRECIOUS (2013-2016), SciLink (2011-2014), OptFI (2010-2013) Activities: Speaker at IT4S Forum (2024), Blockchain-related talks (2020–present) Labs/Teams: Research Group Multimedia Information Systems
Armin Kirchknopf serves as a Junior Researcher at the Media Computing Research Group within the Institute of Creative Media/Technologies, Department of Media and Digital Technologies at the University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten. His interdisciplinary work bridges artificial intelligence, computer vision, and social media analysis, with significant contributions to misinformation detection and disaster response systems. Based at Campus-Platz 1 in St. Pölten, Austria, he actively collaborates on EU-funded projects and publishes in top-tier AI venues. His educational journey spans humanities and technology: a Bachelor of Arts in Egyptology and Master of Arts in Classical Archaeology from the University of Vienna (including fieldwork at excavation sites across Austria, Germany, and Egypt), followed by a Bachelor of Science in Media Technology from FH St. Pölten. This unique background informs his human-centered AI research approach. Kirchknopf's research centers on explainable multimodal AI systems for real-world challenges. His recent work demonstrates expertise in transformer-based architectures for cross-lingual fake news detection, sexism identification, and flood monitoring through social media imagery. He pioneers techniques like Grad-CAM for object detection explainability and develops visualization tools for complex data interpretation, emphasizing transparency and social impact in AI deployment. Analysis of his 13 publications (2017-2022) reveals a strategic shift toward applied AI in societal contexts , particularly using social media data for disaster management and combating online toxicity. His projects consistently integrate computer vision with natural language processing, showing increasing sophistication in multilingual capabilities and model interpretability frameworks. His scientific recognition includes: Creative Business Award for co-developing the Tenjin learning quiz application No documented student advisement or grant leadership appears in current records, though he actively mentors through project-based collaborations. His work with the Media Computing Research Group drives innovation in educational technology and public safety applications. Kirchknopf contributes to the Media Computing Research Group's portfolio including Fake News Detection, SAiEX (Safe AI with explainable integrity), InfraBase (building footprint segmentation), and Ressel Center music therapy projects. His cross-disciplinary collaborations span computer scientists, archaeologists, and social scientists, reflecting the group's commitment to human-centric technological solutions .
Ivan Viola is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Computer Graphics and Algorithms, part of the Faculty of Informatics at TU Wien, Austria. He holds a leave of absence until December 2024 while also being affiliated with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) as an Associate Professor funded by the Vienna Research Groups program. His research focuses on visualization techniques in medicine, biological sciences, and earth sciences, with a specialty in illustrative visualization and DNA-nanotechnology applications. Viola has contributed over 100 scientific works and serves as a reviewer and panelist for major conferences in computer graphics and visualization. Education: M.Sc. (2002) and Ph.D. (2005) in Computer Graphics from TU Wien. Postdoctoral research at the University of Bergen (2006-2011), where he became Full Professor before returning to TU Wien. Research Interests: Whole-cell visualization Molecular modeling Interactive 3D environments Biomedical visualization Data-driven colormap techniques Awards: IEEE VIS 2017 Best Paper Honorable Mention, 'Best Overall Concept' for CellView, and multiple visualization awards. Active in EuroVis and IEEE VIS organizing roles. Grants & Supervision: Leads the Visualization Group at TU Wien, supervising student projects and master’s theses. Involved in grants like the Vienna Research Groups program. Labs/Teams: Visualization Group at TU Wien, collaborating on projects like CellView and Molecumentary.
Professor Dong Xu is a Tenured Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), part of the School of Computing and Data Science. He holds a B.Eng. and Ph.D. from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). His career includes tenured roles at Nanyang Technological University and the University of Sydney, alongside postdoctoral research at Columbia University. His research focuses on Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision, Multimedia, and Machine Learning , with applications in autonomous driving, AR/VR, medical image analysis, and video surveillance. Xu has authored over 150 papers in top journals and conferences, including CVPR, ICCV, and IEEE Transactions. He actively contributes to the academic community as an editorial board member for journals like ACM Computing Surveys and IEEE Transactions, and through leadership roles in conferences such as ACM Multimedia and ICME. Notable awards include Fellowships from IEEE and IAPR, and the IEEE Signal Processing Society Distinguished Lecturer title (2021–2022). Education: B.Eng. (USTC, 2001), Ph.D. (USTC, 2005) Professional Service: Program Coordinator of ACM Multimedia 2024, Guest Editor of over ten special issues.
Shah Nawaz is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Computational Perception , Johannes Kepler University Linz. His research focuses on multimodal systems, deep learning applications in healthcare, and cross-modal learning frameworks. He leads projects addressing challenges like missing modalities in machine learning, face-voice association, and medical image analysis. Key research interests include machine learning for medical diagnostics (e.g., breast cancer detection, skin lesion segmentation), speech recognition, and adaptive neural network architectures. He has contributed to frameworks like Chameleon for robust multimodal learning and the FAME challenge for face-voice association in multilingual environments. Publications emphasize practical applications, such as bilingual healthcare chatbots for pregnant women and light-weight speech recognition models for resource-constrained systems. His work bridges theoretical advancements and real-world deployment in healthcare and security domains. Shaw Nawaz actively participates in academic communities through workshops like DaQuaMRec@RecSys2025 and has developed open-source frameworks for image restoration and multimodal fusion. His lab focuses on scalable solutions for multimodal data challenges in both technical and clinical contexts.
Christian Timmerer is a Professor at the Institute of Information Technology, Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt. His research focuses on adaptive video streaming , energy efficiency , MPEG standardization , and quality of experience (QoE) , with significant contributions to HTTP Adaptive Streaming (HAS), multi-codec optimization, and immersive media systems. Email: christian.timmerer@aau.at Office Hours: Monday 3:00-4:00 PM (by appointment) Projects: CD-Labor ATHENA, GAIA, SPIRIT His research integrates machine learning and generative AI to enhance video encoding, super-resolution, and voice dubbing, while prioritizing sustainability through energy-aware algorithms and open-source tools like GREEM and VEED. Current work emphasizes latency reduction and dynamic bitrate adaptation in live streaming environments. Recent publications address VVC optimization , multi-resolution encoding , and perceptual quality modeling , reflecting interdisciplinary efforts in networking , computer vision , and human-computer interaction . Awards include leading funded projects on adaptive streaming and green video systems.
Mostafa Ammar is a Regents' Professor and Interim Chair of the School of Computer Science at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He has held leadership roles including Associate Chair (2006–2012) and has been a faculty member since 1985. His research focuses on network architectures, protocols, and services, with contributions to mobile cloud computing, network virtualization, and disruption-tolerant networks. He has advised 39 Ph.D. students and secured funding from agencies like NSF, DARPA, and industry partners such as Cisco and IBM. Education : S.B. and S.M. from MIT, Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo. Research Interests : Network architectures, mobile cloud computing, overlay networks, video streaming, and network simulation. His work bridges theoretical advancements with practical implementations, emphasizing scalable and efficient network solutions. Publications : Over 214 publications with a focus on network virtualization, mobile edge computing, and distributed systems. Recent work explores encrypted traffic analysis and femto-cloud resource sharing. Awards : ACM/IEEE Fellowships (2002–2003), Best Paper Awards (2012, 2018), and multiple teaching excellence recognitions. Service : Editor-in-Chief of IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking (1999–2003), conference co-chair roles, and steering committee memberships. Advising & Grants : Mentored 39 Ph.D. students and secured multi-million-dollar grants. His research has influenced industry standards and academic curricula. Labs/Teams : Active in Georgia Tech’s networking research groups, contributing to open-source network simulators and collaborative projects with global institutions.
Prof. Hermann Hellwagner is a Full Professor at the Department of Information Technology, University of Klagenfurt. He has held roles such as Vice President (Natural and Technical Sciences) at the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) and Vice Dean of the Faculty of Technical Sciences. His research focuses on multimedia communication, network engineering, and future internet architectures. Notable projects include work on adaptive streaming, edge computing, and drone networks. He holds a Ph.D. in Systolic Architectures from the University of Linz (1988). Research interests span distributed multimedia systems, information-centric networking (ICN), and optimizing video streaming quality-of-experience (QoE). Recent work emphasizes edge computing solutions for low-latency streaming and dynamic codec adaptation. His contributions include frameworks like ALPHAS and MEDUSA for bitrate optimization, and studies on point cloud streaming in augmented reality. Publications (2021–2025) highlight advancements in edge-assisted streaming, hybrid P2P-CDN architectures, and transcoding techniques. His work often bridges theoretical models with real-world implementations, addressing challenges in latency, cost, and device adaptability. Current projects involve 6DoF video streaming and multi-robot system optimization. Labs/Teams: Part of the Institute of Information Technology (ITEC), Klagenfurt. Collaborates on EU-funded projects and industry partnerships in 5G edge computing and drone networks. Active in standards groups for HTTP adaptive streaming protocols.
Borivoje Furht is a Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton, Florida, a position he has held since 1992. He maintains dual affiliations with FAU and the Mathematical Institute of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. At FAU, he serves as Director of the NSF-sponsored Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Advanced Knowledge Enablement since 2009. His academic leadership includes serving as Chair of the Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (2009-2013) and Chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (2002-2009). He earned his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Belgrade, following early career positions at the Institute Boris Kidric-Vinca in Yugoslavia and Modcomp (a computer division of Daimler Benz). Dr. Furht's research spans multiple areas in computer science with a strong focus on multimedia technologies. His current research interests include multimedia systems, video coding and compression, cloud computing, big data, mobile multimedia, and wireless multimedia applications. Over his career, he has secured approximately $15 million in research funding from government agencies including NSF, NIH, Department of Navy, DoD, and NASA, as well as private industries such as IBM, Google, Apple, LexisNexis, Motorola, and Emerson. His scholarly contributions include founding and serving as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Multimedia Tools and Applications (Springer) and co-founding the Journal of Big Data (Springer). His work has been recognized with numerous awards including multiple FAU Researcher of the Year Awards (2019, 2013), a Distinguished Engineering Education Award from The Engineer's Council (2019), and various technical achievement awards throughout his career spanning from 1982 to 2019. Dr. Furht has also served as a consultant to various companies, colleges, and universities, leveraging his expertise in multimedia systems and computer engineering across both academic and industrial settings.
Ahmet Tekalp is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Koc University's College of Engineering since 2001. He holds dual citizenship in Turkey and the USA, with prior academic roles at the University of Rochester (1986-2005) and research positions at Eastman Kodak (1984-1987) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1981-1984). He chairs the Electronics and Informatics Group at TUBITAK since 2004 as a part-time position. B.S. (1980) in Electrical Engineering & Mathematics, Bogaziçi University M.S. (1982) and Ph.D. (1984) in Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute His research focuses on digital image and video processing, including video compression, motion-compensated filtering for high-resolution applications, video segmentation, object tracking, content-based video analysis, multi-camera surveillance processing, and digital content protection. He has led numerous European and U.S. grants, including FP7 STREP projects and NSF awards, emphasizing applications in sensor networks, visual databases, and medical imaging. His scholarly work spans diverse areas such as superresolution reconstruction, head gesture animation, 3DTV streaming, and reversible data hiding. He has played pivotal roles in editorial boards, including serving as Editor-in-Chief of Signal Processing: Image Communication, and has contributed to major standards bodies like ISO MPEG and ANSI NCITS. Member, Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA) Fellow, IEEE Fulbright Senior Scholarship (1999) TUBITAK Science Award (2004) IEEE Signal Processing Society Distinguished Lecturer (1998) He has led multiple international research collaborations and projects, including European FP6/FP7 networks and NATO programs, with substantial grant funding from NSF, NYSTAR, and industry partners like Eastman Kodak, Xerox, and Siemens.
Ahmet M. Tekalp is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Koc University , Istanbul, Turkey, since 2001. Previously, he held a full-time professorship at the University of Rochester (1986-2005) and part-time roles such as Chair of the Electronics and Informatics Group at TUBITAK, Turkey. His work bridges academic and industrial research, with affiliations to institutions like Eastman Kodak Company and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Education: BS (1980), Electrical Engineering & Mathematics (High Honors), Bogaziçi University MS (1982) & PhD (1984), Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Research Interests: Digital image and video processing Video compression and streaming Motion-compensated video filtering for high-resolution Video segmentation and object tracking Content-based video analysis and summarization Multi-camera surveillance video processing Digital content protection Scientific Awards: Member, Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA) Fellow, IEEE Fulbright Senior Scholarship (1999) TUBITAK Science Award (2004), Turkey's highest science award Grants and Contracts: FP6 Network of Excellence, SIMILAR (2003-2007), Euro 6 Million FP6 Network of Excellence, 3DTV (2004-2008), Euro 6 Million FP7 STREP projects (DIOMEDES, SARACEN) with Euro 3 Million budgets NSF grants spanning wireless sensor networks, visual databases, and MRI motion artifact suppression Industry partnerships with Eastman Kodak, Xerox, Siemens Corporate Research Professional Activities: Editor-in-Chief, Signal Processing: Image Communication (Elsevier) Member, ERC-Advanced Panel on Informatics Editorial roles in IEEE journals and other publications Active in ISO/IEC and ANSI standards committees
Wenwu Zhu is a Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Computer Science and Technology at Tsinghua University. He has held prominent positions at Microsoft Research Asia, Intel Research China, and Bell Labs, establishing himself as a leading figure in multimedia computing and networking with international recognition as a FOREIGN member of the Academy of Europe (elected 2018). His educational background includes: Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from New York University (1996) Professor Zhu's research focuses on the intersection of multimedia systems, networking, and big data. His work has pioneered advancements in internet video streaming, multimedia cloud computing, and social-aware content distribution. He has made significant contributions to understanding how multimedia content can be efficiently delivered across diverse network environments, from traditional wired networks to modern mobile and social platforms. His research bridges theoretical computer science with practical applications, with his work on social-aware video content distribution being transferred to Tencent company. His publication record shows a clear evolution from foundational work on internet video streaming in the early 2000s, through multimedia cloud computing in the early 2010s, to more recent work on social-aware multimedia and network embedding using deep learning approaches. This progression reflects the changing landscape of multimedia computing from infrastructure-focused to socially-aware and AI-driven systems. Professor Zhu has received numerous prestigious honors: AAAS Fellow (2016) SPIE Fellow (2013) IEEE Fellow (2010) Minister of Education's Natural Science Award, 1st prize (2017) Chinese Institution of Electronics's Natural Science Award, 1st prize (2015, 2012) National Natural Science Award, 2nd prize (2012) Chief Scientist for NSFC Major Project (2016) Chief Scientist for Ministry of Science and Technology's 973 Project (2014) Multiple Best Paper Awards including ACM Multimedia 2012 As Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on Multimedia since 2017 and through leadership roles as General Co-Chair for ACM CIKM 2019 and ACM Multimedia 2018, Professor Zhu has significantly shaped the multimedia research community. His research has been supported by major grants including NSFC Major Projects and Ministry of Science and Technology's 973 Projects, demonstrating both academic and national strategic importance. He has published over 300 referred papers with an H-Index of 55, including 6 Best Paper Awards and 7 books or book chapters. Professor Zhu leads a research group at Tsinghua University focused on multimedia big data computing, with strong industry connections. His team has made pioneering contributions to structural network embedding using deep learning and social contextual recommendation systems, bridging theoretical advances with practical applications in social media platforms.
