Maciej Zięba is an academic researcher affiliated with the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology at Wrocław University of Science and Technology, specifically within the Department of Artificial Intelligence . His work spans machine learning, deep learning, and computer vision, with a focus on hyperspectral imaging, autonomous systems, and 3D modeling. Recent research includes uncertainty-aware sensor deployment for autonomous vehicles, low-light image enhancement algorithms, and probabilistic regression frameworks for tabular data. He has co-authored publications on flow-based models, hypernetworks, and neural radiance fields (NeRF) applied to 3D face rendering. Contact: maciej.zieba@pwr.edu.pl
Harikesh S. Wong is an Assistant Professor of Biology and Core Member at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard. His research focuses on understanding how immune responses are controlled in tissues to balance host protection against threats like pathogens and tumors while avoiding excessive damage. He combines immunology, microscopy, computational methods, and gene manipulation to study immune response regulation in intact tissues. Education: PhD in 2016 from University of Toronto; BSc in Biochemistry from McMaster University (2010) His lab investigates mechanisms of immune homeostasis, including regulatory T cell feedback circuits and mesoscale T cell antigen discrimination. Recent work explores autoimmune disease susceptibility linked to IL-2 feedback circuit fragility and the role of commensal bacteria in liver immune zonation. Key findings include demonstrating how local regulatory T cells prune self-activated T cells and how interleukin 2 circuitry variations influence autoimmune risk. Articles highlight interdisciplinary approaches to dissect immune system control mechanisms. No scientific awards explicitly mentioned. Grants and advising details are not provided in the text. Labs/Teams: Wong Lab at the Ragon Institute focuses on immune system design principles and disease-related breakdowns in control mechanisms.
Edward L. Glaeser is the Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics at Harvard University, where he has taught since 1992. He leads the Urban Economics Working Group at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and co-leads the Cities Programme of the International Growth Centre (IGC). His research focuses on urban economics, public policy, and economic growth. He has held leadership roles, including Director of the Taubman Center for State and Local Government, the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston, and Chair of Harvard’s Economics Department. Education: A.B. in Economics from Princeton University (1988), Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago (1992). Research interests include urban development, housing policy, infrastructure, and the role of cities in economic growth. His work examines topics like housing affordability, construction productivity, and the social and economic impacts of urbanization. Notable publications include Triumph of the City and Survival of the City . Scientific awards include fellowships from the National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Econometric Society, along with the Albert O. Hirschman Prize. Advising and grants: Glaeser has directed major research centers and advised on urban policy. His work integrates empirical analysis with policy recommendations, addressing issues like zoning regulations, public procurement, and pandemic-era urban challenges. Labs/Teams: Active in the NBER Urban Economics Working Group and IGC Cities Programme, collaborating on global urban development strategies.
Xiaowen Zhang is a Professor of Computer Science at the College of Staten Island (CSI), City University of New York (CUNY), and a Doctoral Faculty Member at the CUNY Graduate Center. His academic work bridges theoretical and applied research in cybersecurity, information systems, and network technologies. Dr. Zhang holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the CUNY Graduate Center (2007) and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Northern Jiaotong University (1999), along with an M.A. from CUNY Queens College, an M.S. from Northern Jiaotong University, and a B.S. from Shanxi University. His research focuses on Cryptography, Information Security, Cybersecurity, Secure Biometrics, RFID Security & Privacy, Information Retrieval, and Wireless Sensor Networks . He explores both foundational cryptographic methods—such as secret sharing schemes and hash functions—and their practical implementations in secure systems, including RFID authentication protocols and data visualization platforms for sensor networks. The analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent focus on security mechanisms in distributed and wireless environments . His work frequently combines cryptographic theory with system-level implementations, particularly in RFID and sensor networks. There is a strong trend toward privacy-preserving protocols, efficient data retrieval, and secure information sharing , often leveraging mathematical structures like Latin squares and Bloom filters. Dr. Zhang has been actively involved in mentoring students, as evidenced by numerous co-authored publications with graduate and undergraduate researchers. His contributions span journals such as Security and Communication Networks , Journal of Applied Security Research , and International Journal of Security and Networks , as well as major conferences including IEEE LISAT, ACM CODASPY, and IEEE Sarnoff Symposium.
Heather Skipworth is a Professor of Supply Chain Management and Strategy at Cranfield University and Director of the Agile Supply Chain Research Club. Her work focuses on agile supply chains, geopolitical disruptions, and supply chain resilience. She has authored influential texts like Logistics Management and Strategy (2019), ranked among the top supply chain books globally. Her research bridges academia and industry, collaborating with firms like DHL, Nestlé, and VW Logistics to address real-world challenges. Research Interests: Agile and responsive supply chain design Geopolitical and environmental risk management Structural ambidexterity in global supply networks Circular economy practices in SMEs Recent Articles: Focus on geopolitical disruptions, crisis response agility, and supply chain redesign strategies. Key themes include balancing exploration/exploitation paradoxes and resource orchestration under extreme uncertainty. Awards: No specific honors listed, though her impactful publications and industry engagement reflect academic distinction. Labs/Teams: Leads the Agile Supply Chain Research Club, fostering collaboration between academia and industry to innovate supply chain practices.
Dr. Jose Luis SANCHEZ LOPEZ is a Research Scientist at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT) of the University of Luxembourg, leading the Aerial Robotics Lab (AeRoLab) within the Automation & Robotics Research Group (ARG). He joined SnT in 2017 as a Postdoc Research Associate, promoted to Research Scientist in 2021. His research focuses on autonomous robotics, particularly aerial systems, emphasizing situational awareness, SLAM, and trajectory planning. Education: Ph.D. in Robotics (2017), M.Sc. in Automation & Robotics (2012), and Engineering degree in Industrial Engineering (2010), all from the Technical University of Madrid. Visiting Research: Arizona State University (2012), LAAS-CNRS (2014–2016). Research Interests: Multi-agent robotic systems, sensor fusion, localization/mapping, computer vision, machine learning, and trajectory control. He has authored over 56 peer-reviewed publications, with an h-index of 18. Projects: Leads projects like DEUS (PI), NEDA, ÄerdFly (PI), and RoboSAUR. Contributions span European, Luxembourg, and Spain-funded initiatives, focusing on autonomous systems, 5G integration, and construction-site robotics. Teaching: Lectured in MICS, BiCS, BING (Uni.lu) and GITI (UPM). Actively involved in academic service as a reviewer, editor, and competition participant (e.g., IMAV, IARC). Outreach: National Coordinator for Luxembourg’s Robotics European Week, promotes robotics education in schools and public events.
Uwe Cantner is a Full Professor of Economics at Friedrich Schiller University Jena and holds a professorship at the University of Southern Denmark/Odense. He has held significant roles such as Vice President for Young Researchers and Diversity Management at FSU Jena (2014–2024), Chairman of the German Federal Government's Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation (EFI), and Spokesman of the DFG-GRK 1411 Research Training Group. His work focuses on the economics of innovation, evolutionary economics, industrial economics, productivity measurement, and public finance. Education : Dipl.oec. in Business Administration/Economics (1985) from University of Augsburg; MA in Economics (1984) from Wayne State University; Dr.oec.publ. (1990) and Dr.rer.pol.habil. (1996) from Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich. Cantner's research bridges theoretical and empirical analyses of innovation systems, technological sovereignty, and entrepreneurial ecosystems. He has contributed to debates on missions-oriented innovation policy, productivity dynamics in global value chains, and the role of institutional transparency in regional development. His recent publications analyze industrial policy frameworks (2023), digitalization challenges in European higher education (2022), and corruption-innovation linkages (2020). Articles span evolutionary economics, environmental economics, and policy analysis, with cross-cutting themes in sustainability, governance, and regional development. Cantner actively shapes academic discourse as President of the International Joseph A. Schumpeter Society (since 2015) and editorial roles in journals like the Journal of Evolutionary Economics . He has directed graduate programs and contributed to EU energy transition research through expert surveys.
Geraldien von Frijtag Drabbe Kunzel is an Associate Professor at the Department of History and Art History , Utrecht University. Her work focuses on Political History and International and Political History , with expertise in Holocaust Studies , Modern European History , and Colonialism . PhD in History (University of Amsterdam, 1999) on German criminal courts in occupied Netherlands Her research examines political violence , Nazi-occupied Europe , and perpetratorship , including works on Dutch participation in Holocaust by bullets, Dutch-Jewish communities, and local dynamics in occupied territories. She coordinates the Utrecht Seminar of Political History and Perpetratorship in the Context of Mass Violence research group. Key publication trends include: Dutch colonial projects in Nazi-occupied Europe Microhistories of Holocaust experiences Legal complicity in occupied Netherlands Urban resistance and social dynamics Scientific Awards : NWO Aspasia Grant (2015) Gerda Henkel Foundation Grant (2012-2013) Yad Vashem Research Fellowship (2011) USC Shoah Foundation Senior Fellow (2017-2018) She contributes to BMGN - The Low Countries Historical Review , Journal of Genocide Research , and Biografie Bulletin , with recent works on Holocaust in the Netherlands, Dutch East Indies Jewish communities, and postwar memory.
Albert S. Berahas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan's College of Engineering. He joined the university in 2020 after completing postdoctoral positions at Lehigh University (2018-2020) and Northwestern University (2018). He holds a PhD in Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics from Northwestern University (2018), an MS in Applied Mathematics from Northwestern (2012), and a BSE in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering from Cornell University (2009). His research focuses on designing, developing, analyzing, and implementing algorithms for solving large-scale nonlinear optimization problems. His work spans multiple sub-fields including constrained optimization, optimization for machine learning, stochastic optimization, derivative-free optimization, and decentralized optimization. He is affiliated with the Michigan Institute for Data Science (MIDAS), the Michigan Institute for Computational Discovery and Engineering (MICDE), and the Michigan Center for Applied and Interdisciplinary Mathematics (MCAIM). Berahas has received numerous honors including the Charles Broyden Prize (2025), the Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Program award (2025), the IISE Operations Research Division Teaching Award (2024), and the North Campus Dean's MLK Spirit Award for Community Building & Impact (2024). His recent publications demonstrate strong activity in developing novel optimization frameworks with theoretical guarantees for challenging problem settings. His research has been supported by significant grants including from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. He actively mentors PhD students and has successfully advised Jiahao Shi, who defended his dissertation in March 2025 and joined Amazon. Berahas is also engaged in community outreach, particularly through initiatives like Engage Detroit that aim to empower Detroit's next generation of engineers.
Magnus Linnarsson is a Professor of History at Stockholm University's Department of History, specializing in political history with a focus on early modern and modern Sweden. His research examines institutional change, public-private service organization, and the evolution of the welfare city. He leads undergraduate programs and supervises students at all levels. PhD in History (2010), Lund University Associate Professor (2017), Stockholm University His research spans four centuries of political conflicts over public services, state formation, and urban development. Key works include analyses of Sweden's postal, customs, and welfare systems, comparing hierarchical and contractual state organization models. Recent publications (2024) in Nordic Welfare Cities explore urban citizenship and inclusive welfare systems since 1850, challenging national narratives by emphasizing local governance. Earlier studies (2022–2018) dissected regime shifts, mercantile-state relations, and publicness concepts in tramway and telecom debates. Current projects include: Skiftande regimer (2021–2025): State formation and administrative reform (Vetenskapsrådet-funded) Olika vägar till välfärdsstaden (2021–2025): Nordic urban welfare debates (Riksbankens jubileumsfond-funded) He advocates for interdisciplinary analysis of political economy, institutional loyalty, and spatial dynamics, connecting historical debates to modern policy challenges.
Eduardo Mercado III is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University at Buffalo, College of Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on bioacoustics, cognitive psychology, and marine ecology, particularly the vocal behavior of humpback whales and its implications for understanding human impact on marine ecosystems. He is also known for his work in perceptual learning, autism spectrum disorder, and comparative cognition. Scientific Awards Guggenheim Fellowship Harvard Radcliffe Institute Fellowship Research Trends His recent publications emphasize bioacoustic analysis of humpback whale songs, including their spectral entropy, cyclical variations, and adaptive adjustments to anthropogenic noise. Additional work explores perceptual learning mechanisms in autism, neural network modeling for acoustic classification, and cognitive processes in canines and rodents. Projects Mercado’s “Singers as Sentinels” project combines acoustic analysis of humpback whale songs with public awareness initiatives about ocean noise pollution. The project will produce a book, Why Whales Sing and Dolphins Don’t , and a web-based interface for public engagement.
Toshiharu Sugawara is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Waseda University's Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Fundamental Science and Engineering, a position he has held since April 2007. With a Ph.D. in Engineering from Waseda University, his research spans multiple domains in artificial intelligence and multi-agent systems, maintaining active collaborations across international institutions and contributing significantly to the field through numerous publications and awards. Dr. Sugawara received his BS and MS degrees in Mathematics from Waseda University in 1980 and 1982, respectively, followed by his Ph.D. in 1992. Before joining Waseda University as faculty, he worked as a Research Scientist at NTT Laboratories from 1982 to 2007, with a visiting researcher position at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1992-1993. He also held part-time lecturer positions at University of Electro-Communications (2003-2007), Waseda University (2004-2006), and Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (1990-1991). His research interests focus on artificial intelligence with particular expertise in multi-agent systems, machine learning, cooperation and coordination mechanisms, soft computing, computational social science, and social informatics. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications in network management and information systems. Recent publications demonstrate a strong trajectory toward interpretable multi-agent reinforcement learning, efficient path planning algorithms, and modeling social behaviors in complex networks. His research group has made significant contributions to multi-agent path finding, cooperative task execution, and understanding virtual economies in social media platforms. Dr. Sugawara has received numerous prestigious awards including multiple Best Paper Awards at JAWS conferences (2014, 2015, 2018), ACM SAC 2015, and various research paper awards from Japanese academic societies. His work on multi-agent systems has been consistently recognized for its theoretical rigor and practical impact. As an advisor, Dr. Sugawara has mentored numerous students who have become prominent researchers in their own right, with many co-authoring papers that have received awards. His laboratory maintains strong collaborations with industry partners, particularly in the areas of network management and intelligent systems. Current research directions include developing interpretable multi-agent reinforcement learning frameworks, optimizing multi-agent coordination in constrained environments, and analyzing social dynamics in virtual economies.
Prof. Sander Bohte is a part-time full professor of Computational Neuroscience at the University of Amsterdam (Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences) and an honorary full professor of Bio-inspired Neural Networks at the University of Groningen. He serves as a Scientific Staff Member and Group Leader in the Machine Learning department at CWI, Amsterdam. His work bridges computational neuroscience and machine learning with a focus on continuous-time information processing. Key research interests include: Spiking Neural Networks with predictive coding and multi-compartment models Biologically Plausible Learning in recurrent and deep architectures Working Memory modeling via reinforcement learning Neuromorphic Computing for real-time systems and GPU acceleration His recent publications highlight trends in neural adaptation , predictive coding , and SNN hardware-software co-design . Awards include the Veni Innovational Research Grant (2004) and ERCIM grant (2013) . He actively supervises MSc theses and leads grants like the NWO KIC project 'Selfhealing Neuromorphic Systems' (2024).
Keith D. Koper is a Professor in the Department of Geology & Geophysics at the University of Utah and serves as Director of the University of Utah Seismograph Stations (UUSS). He is also the editor-in-chief of The Seismic Record . His work integrates academic research with operational seismic monitoring and public safety initiatives across Utah and the Intermountain West. Education: PhD in Geophysics, Washington University, 1998 BA in Math, Geology, and ISP, Northwestern University, 1993 Dr. Koper's research focuses on array seismology, forensic seismology, deep Earth structure (especially the inner core), earthquake rupture imaging, ambient seismic noise, and seismic hazards in the Intermountain West, including mining-induced and urban earthquakes. His work combines observational seismology with advanced signal processing and machine learning techniques to improve detection, discrimination, and imaging capabilities. He has led or contributed to major projects involving the Wasatch Front, Yellowstone, and regional seismic networks. His recent research emphasizes machine learning for earthquake detection, high-resolution relocation of aftershock sequences (e.g., Magna 2020, Bluffdale 2019), microseism generation in lakes, and fine-scale imaging of the Earth's inner core using seismic reflections. His studies often involve interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly with mining engineering and geodesy. Dr. Koper's research has been consistently funded by federal and state agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Department of Energy (DOE), Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and the Utah Department of Public Safety. His publications reflect a strong trend toward integrating computational methods with traditional seismological analysis to tackle complex problems in both natural and induced seismicity. Scientific Service and Leadership: Editor-in-Chief, The Seismic Record Director, University of Utah Seismograph Stations Secretary, U.S. Air Force Seismic Review Panel Former Chair and Vice-Chair, Utah Seismic Safety Commission Dr. Koper mentors graduate students in seismology and geophysics, including recent advisees Sean Hutchings and Alysha Armstrong. His research group actively engages in both fundamental and applied seismological research, with strong ties to national labs such as Sandia. The group is involved in deploying portable seismic arrays, analyzing large datasets, and developing new algorithms for event detection and classification. The University of Utah Seismograph Stations, under his leadership, plays a critical role in monitoring seismicity in Utah and Yellowstone, producing real-time earthquake information, ShakeMaps, and public outreach materials. The station also contributes to national and international efforts in nuclear test monitoring and volcanic hazard assessment.
Feng (Jack) Jiang is an Associate Professor of Finance at the Department of Finance, School of Management, University at Buffalo (SUNY). He holds a PhD and MS from the University of Iowa, and a BS from Fudan University, China. His research focuses on behavioral finance, corporate finance, and household finance, with emphasis on executive compensation, mergers & acquisitions, corporate governance, and network economics. He has published widely in top journals like the Journal of Financial Economics, Review of Financial Studies, and Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis. His work explores topics such as racial disparities in financial complaints, local IPO impacts on household investments, and the role of directors' personal experiences in corporate environmental policies. He serves on the editorial boards of several finance journals and is a member of the American Finance Association and Western Finance Association. Dr. Jiang's research often bridges theoretical frameworks with real-world applications, such as analyzing how corporate social attitudes mitigate racial financial disparities and how disaster risk affects loan pricing. His recent studies investigate the interplay between managerial behavior, firm information environments, and market dynamics. He collaborates frequently with institutions like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to study regulatory impacts on consumer behaviors. He teaches courses in investment management and corporate finance, integrating cutting-edge research into pedagogy. His work has been cited in prominent media outlets for its insights into corporate governance and environmental finance.
