Kathryn Babayan is a Professor at the University of Michigan , affiliated with the Middle East Studies department. Her research focuses on the cultural, social, and political histories of the Persianate world, particularly Iran, Iraq, Anatolia, and Central Asia. Her work integrates gender and sexuality studies , Safavid dynasty analysis , and material culture approaches to explore historical narratives. She is currently researching literacy practices in early modern Isfahan through her book The City as Anthology , examining how anthologies (majmu'a/muraqqa') reshaped urban experience and individual sovereignty. Collaborations include co-authoring Slaves of the Shah with Susan Babaie, Massumeh Farhad, and Ena Baghdiantz-McCabe, and co-editing Islamicate Sexualities with Afsaneh Najmabadi. Her publications bridge historiography , religion , and visual culture .
Dr. Mel Marquis serves as Senior Lecturer and Deputy Associate Dean (Engagement) at Monash University's Faculty of Law. An internationally recognized scholar in competition law and policy, Dr. Marquis is also an Advance HE Fellow (FHEA) and actively contributes to global competition law discourse through research, teaching, and international collaborations. Dr. Marquis earned his educational qualifications from prestigious institutions: Doctorate from the Institute of International and European Law at the University of Macerata, Italy LL.M from the European University Institute (Florence) J.D. magna cum laude from Seton Hall University (Newark) B.A. in political science from the University of Washington (Seattle) Dr. Marquis's research focuses on competition law and policy across multiple jurisdictions, with particular expertise in Australian competition law, East Asian regulatory systems, and ASEAN competition frameworks. His work examines the intersection of cultural contexts and competition enforcement, especially Confucian influences on competition law in East Asia. He has made significant contributions to understanding vertical agreements in the ASEAN Economic Community and the evolution of merger control frameworks. Analysis of Dr. Marquis's recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on comparative competition law, with particular focus on Australia, East Asia, and the ASEAN region. His work bridges legal theory and practical enforcement challenges, addressing contemporary issues like digital markets, merger control reforms, and the cultural dimensions of competition enforcement. The publications demonstrate interdisciplinary approaches combining legal analysis with economic perspectives. Dr. Marquis has received numerous scientific awards and recognitions: Dean's Award for Excellence in Research, 2025 Advance HE Fellow (FHEA) since 2024 Grant recipient for Competition Law Principles for Vertical Agreements in the ASEAN Economic Community (2024) Grant recipient for Distribution Agreements research (2023) Antitrust Writing Awards - Named to Jury and Academic Steering Committee (2021-2022) Monash Teaching Award, 2020 academic year Dr. Marquis actively supervises PhD students in competition law and related fields, welcoming research with global, comparative, interdisciplinary, and Australian perspectives. His grant portfolio includes significant projects funded by the Australian Commonwealth and administered by the ACCC, focusing on competition law applications in ASEAN countries. He has served as an International Expert for the Trade Competition Commission of Thailand and worked with international organizations including the United Nations, Asian Development Bank, World Bank, and Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dr. Marquis is Convenor of the Monash High Academic Achievers Program and a member of the Executive Board of the Centre for Commercial Law and Regulatory Studies (CLARS). He co-organizes inter-faculty events with the Monash Business-Economics Faculty and serves as a University of Oxford Ambassador for the Value of Competition. Additionally, he is a member of the East Asia Academic Network on Competition Policy and Law and the Virtual ASEAN Competition Research Centre.
Professor Christian Deutscher is a prominent sports economist at Bielefeld University's Faculty of Psychology and Sport Science, specializing in the Department of Sport Science within Division V - Sport and Business. As both Research Officer and Internationalization Officer, he leads significant work in sports economics, particularly focusing on betting markets, match-fixing detection, and sports integrity. His research has attracted funding from major institutions including the German Research Foundation. Deutscher's research interests span sports economics, betting market efficiency, match-fixing detection, sports management, and the business aspects of professional sports. His work combines advanced statistical modeling with practical applications in sports integrity monitoring. He has extensively analyzed live betting markets, Bundesliga economics, and the impact of technological innovations like VAR in football. His research often examines the intersection of sports performance, economic incentives, and market behavior. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on empirical studies of sports betting markets, particularly live and in-play betting dynamics. His work demonstrates sophisticated use of state-space models and other advanced statistical techniques to detect market inefficiencies and potential integrity issues. Deutscher frequently collaborates with statisticians and economists to develop warning systems for match-fixing, with particular attention to German football leagues. His research bridges theoretical economics with practical applications in sports governance. Professor Deutscher actively contributes to the European Sport Economics Association (ESEA), having edited special issues of conference proceedings and serving in editorial capacities. His work has been published in leading journals including Journal of Sports Economics, Economic Inquiry, and Applied Stochastic Models in Business and Industry. As Research Officer for the Faculty of Psychology and Sport Science, Deutscher oversees research initiatives and international collaborations. His current projects include data-based fraud detection in live betting markets, funded by the German Research Foundation across multiple phases. He also serves on various university committees including the Quality Improvement Commission and Examination Board for the Department of Sport Science. Deutscher maintains strong connections with sports organizations and betting industry stakeholders, ensuring his research has practical relevance for sports integrity monitoring. His work on betting market inefficiencies has direct applications for regulatory bodies seeking to protect the integrity of sporting competitions.
Michael Cottingham is an Associate Professor of Sport Administration in the Department of Health and Human Performance at the University of Houston's College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. He serves as the Director of Adaptive Athletics at UH, leading a comprehensive disability sport program and research lab that has produced over 50 publications and secured more than $1.3 million in external funding. Dr. Cottingham teaches senior-level undergraduate classes and is involved in the Sport Administration graduate program. B.A. in Political Science, Minor in Sociology at The University of Arizona, 2002 M.S. in Recreation Administration at The University of Southern Mississippi, 2008 Ph.D. in Human Performance concentration Sport Management at The University of Southern Mississippi, 2012 Dr. Cottingham's research focuses on disability sport, particularly examining perceptions of athletes with disabilities, spectatorship and sponsorship in disability sport, and broader topics in sport consumer behavior. His work explores promotional strategies in sport and how these apply specifically to disability contexts. He has conducted extensive research on wheelchair rugby, power soccer, and wheelchair tennis, examining consumer motivations, marketing approaches, and the experiences of athletes and spectators in these sports. Analysis of Dr. Cottingham's recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on disability sport consumer behavior across multiple disciplines including sports marketing, psychology, rehabilitation science, and sociology. His research spans both theoretical frameworks and practical applications, with particular attention to how disability sport programming impacts Latinx populations with mobility impairments. The publications demonstrate interdisciplinary collaboration with researchers in community health, rehabilitation, and sport management fields. As Director of Adaptive Athletics at UH, Dr. Cottingham oversees a program that hosts large-scale disability sport events including the annual Cougar Open wheelchair tennis tournament. The program partners with The Institute for Research and Rehabilitation and runs the Community Healthcare Worker Model Study, which examines the impact of disability sport programming on Latinx with mobility impairments. Through Adaptive Athletics, Dr. Cottingham has developed programs for wheelchair rugby and adaptive tennis, with plans to expand to power soccer and wheelchair basketball. The program has received funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) and has established partnerships with organizations including Houston Parks and Recreation, United States Quad Rugby Association, United States Tennis Association, Halliburton Charitable Foundation, and One Step Closer Foundation.
Karisa Cloward is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Southern Methodist University (SMU), with affiliations at the John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies. Her research bridges international relations and comparative politics, focusing on NGOs, international norms, transnational activism, and Sub-Saharan African politics. She holds a Ph.D. from Yale University (2010). Education: Ph.D. in Political Science (Yale, 2010), M.Phil. (2007), M.A. (2005), B.A. in International Relations and Economics (University of the Pacific, 2003, summa cum laude). Research Interests: Explores how local communities respond to international norms, particularly regarding gender-based violence and FGM/C. Uses Kenya as a key case study, emphasizing NGO dynamics and policy implementation. Recent work includes analyzing civil society workers' transitions to political office and the NGO lifecycle in Kenya. Awards: Finalist for the Charles Grawemeyer Award (2018) and recipient of the Robert O. Keohane Award (2014). Over 10 grants and fellowships, including Tower Center fellowships and SMU research grants. Grants & Service: Extensive grants from institutions like the Tower Center and SMU. Serves as Undergraduate Advisor in the Political Science Department and on Tower Scholars Program committees. Engages in community service through gender rights initiatives and public lectures on harmful cultural practices. Books & Publications: Authored When Norms Collide (Oxford UP, 2016), a finalist for the Grawemeyer Award. Over 10 refereed articles in journals like Studies in Comparative International Development and International Organization .
Filip De Boeck is a full professor in Social and Cultural Anthropology at KU Leuven’s Faculty of Social Sciences. He is a member of the LUSI - KU Leuven Urban Studies Institute and serves on the Council of the Faculty of Social Sciences. His research focuses on urban anthropology, visual anthropology, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly Kinshasa. He leads projects such as ‘Colonial Graverobbing’ and ‘Dakar-Bamako: Waiting for a train ride back to the future.’ De Boeck’s work bridges ethnography and art, collaborating with visual artist Sammy Baloji on projects like Suturing the City . His recent publications include studies on Kinshasa’s urban futures, infrastructure politics, and decolonial knowledge frameworks. He has supervised PhD candidates such as Charlotte Veithen and Niels Van Doninck. His research highlights themes like urban marginality, postcolonial urbanism, and the interplay between art and anthropology. Key projects include the Frontier Files book and exhibition exploring Congo-Angola border dynamics. De Boeck’s work is supported by grants including KU Leuven’s Sabbatical Program and the Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds. He actively engages with global academic networks, presenting at institutions like the British Academy and University of Lisbon. His teaching includes courses on urban anthropology, power dynamics, and decolonizing anthropology. Current projects address infrastructure politics in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and the socio-spatial transformations of Kinshasa’s Malebo Pool wetlands.
Jonas Eliasson is a Visiting Professor at Linköping University's Department of Science and Technology (ITN), focusing on Communications and Transport Systems. He concurrently serves as Director of Transport Access at the Swedish National Transport Administration and chairs the Planning & Construction committee of the Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences. Previously, he was Director of the Stockholm City Transportation Administration (2016–2019) and a professor at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) from 2007 to 2016. His research emphasizes transport policy design and evaluation, including cost-benefit analysis, transport pricing, railway capacity allocation, and public acceptability of policies. He advises governments on sustainable transport planning, congestion pricing, and socio-economic appraisals. His work bridges theoretical frameworks and practical implementation, with a focus on accessibility, equity, and climate targets. Key research themes include infrastructure cost overruns, traffic demand reduction strategies, and the integration of passenger and freight transport systems. Recent publications analyze policy impacts, forecasting methods, and carbon-neutral transportation systems. His interdisciplinary approach addresses both technical and socio-political dimensions of transport challenges. Eliasson collaborates with research groups like Railway and Public Transport and contributes to initiatives like the 'Next Generation Smart Transportation Systems' project. Despite extensive professional roles, no formal student advisees are listed. His work is disseminated through journals like Transportation Research Part A and policy reports for national and regional governments.
Ming-Cheng Lo is a Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Davis. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Michigan, along with an M.A. in Comparative Literature and a B.A. in Foreign Languages and Literature from National Taiwan University. Her research focuses on health, immigration, civic engagement, and culture, particularly exploring how marginalized groups navigate challenging social environments through hybrid cultural strategies. She has conducted extensive studies on healthcare access for immigrants, disaster recovery in Taiwan, and the interplay of cultural codes in civil society. Her academic career includes co-editing the Routledge Handbook of Cultural Sociology (2010, 2019) and authoring Doctors within Borders: Profession, Ethnicity, and Modernity in Colonial Taiwan (2002). Her work bridges sociological theory with empirical studies, emphasizing themes like cultural capital, resistance, and transnationalism. She has received grants from institutions including the Pacific Rim Research Program and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, supporting projects on pandemic governance, immigrant healthcare, and civil society dynamics. Professor Lo teaches courses on immigration, health sociology, and social movements at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Her research has been recognized through fellowships such as the Davis Humanities Institute Fellowship and APRU Fellowship, and she has authored over 50 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals like Theory and Society and Sociological Perspectives . Her recent work examines Taiwan’s pandemic governance during the 2021–2025 period, linking public health responses to broader sociopolitical trends. She collaborates with global scholars to analyze cultural mechanisms in disaster recovery and populism resistance, reflecting her commitment to sociological inquiry with global relevance.
Professor Kurt Squire is a leading scholar in games research and development at the University of California Irvine, affiliated with the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. in Education from Indiana University (2004). His work focuses on leveraging computer games and augmented reality to enhance learning outcomes and social impact. Squire has pioneered platforms enabling students and teachers to co-create educational tools, fostering global grassroots communities through collaborative game design. Notable contributions include the Games + Learning + Society (GLS) center, which he co-founded with Constance Steinkuehler and has since relaunched at UCI. He currently explores AR applications, community-based AI design, and mitigating right-wing extremism in gaming ecosystems. Squire’s research has been funded by NSF, NIH, and major foundations, with over a dozen commercially launched games stemming from his projects. Education: Ph.D. in Education, Indiana University, 2004 Research Interests: Squire investigates how games and emerging technologies can address societal challenges through participatory design. His work spans educational equity, cognitive development via casual gaming, and ethical AI frameworks. He emphasizes translating academic innovations into market-ready solutions while aligning with institutional goals. Recent projects include wearable apps for youth self-regulation and trauma-informed GenAI design with marginalized communities. Notable Achievements: Recipient of the Inaugural Hasso Plattner Endowed Chair in Artificial Intelligence (2025) Co-founder of GLS, a globally influential research hub Authored Making Games for Impact (2021), a practitioner-focused guide Labs/Teams: Directs the Games + Learning + Society center at UCI, focusing on XR research, well-being technologies, and entrepreneurship in education. Collaborates with MIT on augmented reality initiatives.
Prof. Jerzy Bański is a retired Professor and former Head of the Department of Rural Geography and Local Development at the University of Warsaw's Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies. His academic career spans over three decades with a PhD (1996) and post-doctoral degree (2000) in Earth Sciences, specializing in economic and rural geography. He has led 48 research projects and supervised 5 PhD and 43 MSc students at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin. His research focuses on land use dynamics, rural development, spatial planning, and socioeconomic processes in Central and Eastern Europe. Notable contributions include analyzing post-socialist agricultural transformations, village decline, and pandemic spatial impacts. He authored 421 publications, including 151 in English, and received the Jan Olaf Chmielewski Science Award (2001) and Honorary Membership in the Bulgarian Scientific Society. Key projects include classifying rural areas for territorial policy, assessing pandemic geography, and evaluating agricultural land ownership changes. His work frequently intersects with policy design, institutional analysis, and interdisciplinary collaboration in academia. Awards: Jan Olaf Chmielewski Science Award (2001), Honorary Membership (Bulgarian Scientific Society) Grants: 48 projects led, including EU and national funding Education: MA (University of Warsaw), postgraduate studies in scientific photography
Professor Stephen Broad is a musicologist and educator serving as Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford and has extensive experience in historical musicology, music education, and policy development. His research focuses on Olivier Messiaen, 1930s French music culture, and music practice in Scotland. Broad has authored/co-authored influential reports like What’s Going On? , which informed the Scottish Youth Music Initiative, and chairs the European Platform for Artistic Research in Music (EPARM). Education: DPhil in Historical Musicology, University of Oxford (2001) MA in Music and Physics, University of Glasgow (1997) Research Interests: Historical Musicology: Messiaen’s early career, French musical traditions, and music historiography Music Education: Pedagogy in diverse contexts, policy development, and workforce training Practice-Based Research: Philosophical frameworks and interdisciplinary methodologies Awards & Roles: External Examiner at Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, and others Editorial boards for Music Education Research and Practice-Based Research Journal Recipient of grants including the Scottish Government’s £1m Musical Instrument Fund Advising & Grants: Supervised over 10 doctoral projects in musicology, performance, and education Contributed to policy initiatives like Creative Scotland’s music development programs Labs/Teams: Leads the Sciences, Humanities and Arts Research Exchange (SHARE) and chairs EPARM, fostering international collaboration in artistic research.
Carolyn Rouse is the Ritter Professor of Anthropology at Princeton University and an HMEI Associated Faculty member in the Grand Challenges Program. Her work interrogates the intersections of race, religion, healthcare disparities, and development through ethnographic and visual anthropological methods. Research Interests: Development, medical anthropology, visual anthropology, resistance, critical race theory, consciousness, North America, Ghana, environmental humanities, and environmental policy/ethics. Key Affiliations: Department of Anthropology, Princeton University; Environmental Humanities and Environmental Policy and Ethics through HMEI Grand Challenges Program. Her research critically examines how evidence shapes narratives of social inequality, particularly in healthcare access, racial disparities, and international development. She authored Engaged Surrender , Uncertain Suffering , and Televised Redemption , and created the Ethnographic Data Visualization Lab (VizE Lab) in 2016 to bridge biological and social scientific data. Recent publications explore necropolitics, liberal bias in the Trump era, and epistemological challenges in evidence-based policy. Her films include Chicks in White Satin (Academy Award-nominated), Purification to Prozac , and Listening as a Radical Act . Scientific Awards: 1995 American Anthropological Association Award for Excellence ( Tales from Arab Detroit ) Academy Award nomination for Chicks in White Satin
Peyvand Firouzeh is a Senior Lecturer in Islamic Art History at the University of Sydney, specializing in medieval and early modern Islamic art and architecture. She holds a BA and MA from the University of Art in Tehran and a MPhil/PhD from the University of Cambridge (Camb.). Her research focuses on Sufi material cultures, Indian Ocean artistic exchanges, and the intersection of art with politics and religion in the Islamic world. She is a member of the Vere Gordon Childe Centre and affiliated with the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Sydney Asian Art Series. Dr. Firouzeh’s current projects include a monograph on Ne’matullahi shrines (Indiana UP, 2025) and a DECRA-funded study on fifteenth-century Deccan art networks. Her teaching emphasizes object-based learning, addressing contemporary issues like cultural heritage restitution and Islamophobia. She has received major grants from the Australian Research Council, Getty Foundation, and British Museum. Key Awards: DECRA (2023–2026), Getty Scholar Grant (2022–2023), Sydney Teaching Excellence Award (2022) Research Groups: Association for the Study of Persianate Societies, Power Institute’s Sydney Asian Art Series
Prof. Dr. Andrea Sick is Professor of Cultural and Media History/Theory at the University of the Arts Bremen (HfK Bremen) where she leads the Digital Media study program. She founded the Binational Artistic PhD Program, collaborating with institutions including Leiden University, University of Groningen, and University of Gothenburg. Her research explores intersections between technology, art, and cultural production through both academic and curatorial work. Education includes studies in German Studies, Political Science, Cultural Studies, and Art History at Heidelberg, Bremen, and Hamburg universities, culminating in a 2001 PhD from Universität Hamburg on cartographic knowledge systems. She co-directs the art-science project thealit Frauen.Kultur.Labor , producing exhibitions, conferences, and publications. Research focuses span: Technological media's impact on artistic production Art-biology-information technology intersections Performance art history/theory Queer Studies frameworks Artistic research methodologies Generative AI in cultural analysis Her work critically examines how digital tools transform cultural documentation and archival practices. Recent projects include: Latent Museums (AI analysis of museum collections) The Dynamic Archive (ongoing digital archiving project) Re Capitulating.Queer (2024-2026 curatorial project) Administrative roles include: Dean of Art and Design (2012-2018) Co-Rector for Research & International Affairs (2018-2023) Lead of Binational Artistic PhD Program (since 2022) Awards include the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung doctoral scholarship (1998-2001). She mentors 12+ PhD students in artistic research, including projects on sonic archaeology, queer archives, and decolonial practices.
Prof. Dr. Lorenz Korn is a Professor of Islamic Art History and Archaeology at Otto-Friedrich University Bamberg since 2003. His academic journey includes studies at the University of Tübingen and Oxford, followed by postdoctoral research at Harvard University. He specializes in medieval Islamic architecture, focusing on Egypt, Syria, Iran, and Central Asia, with particular attention to religious symbolism, epigraphy, and material culture. His research spans projects funded by institutions such as the DFG and Gerda Henkel Foundation, including studies on Mongol migration routes in Iran, Seljuk mosque architecture, and the Rabʿ-i Rashidi in Tabriz. He has led archaeological expeditions in Iran, Oman, and Spain, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches combining art history with archaeology and scientific analysis. Key research interests include Islamic metalwork, stucco decoration techniques, and the role of inscriptions in architectural context. Korn has authored over 60 publications, including monographs on Ayyubid architecture and co-edited volumes on Islamic art and archaeology. His work bridges scholarly rigor with public engagement, evident in exhibitions and educational outreach. Recent projects include dendrochronological analysis of the Alhambra dome and field research in Spain’s Aljarafe region. He advises students in the Islamic Art History and Archaeology master’s program, fostering next-generation scholars through hands-on training in fieldwork and artifact analysis.
