Natalia Nolde is a Professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Science. Her research focuses on multivariate extreme value theory , probabilistic modeling , and applications in quantitative risk management across finance, insurance, hydrology, and geosciences. Her work explores non-classical approaches to multivariate extremes, particularly through limit set geometry and asymptotic dependence structures , offering novel insights into tail dependence and risk assessment. Recent publications highlight her expertise in copula-based risk modeling , financial stress testing , and geohazard prediction . Current students include: Daniel Hadley Jonathan O.K. Agyeman
David J. Stensrud is a Professor of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science at Pennsylvania State University, where he has been a faculty member in the Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science within the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. His research focuses on advancing our understanding of severe weather phenomena and improving numerical weather prediction capabilities. Dr. Stensrud received his academic training at Penn State, earning his M.S. in Meteorology in 1985 and his Ph.D. in Meteorology in 1992. His educational background has provided the foundation for his extensive research career focused on atmospheric dynamics and prediction. Dr. Stensrud's research spans several critical areas in atmospheric science, with particular emphasis on mesoscale meteorology , numerical weather prediction , and synoptic meteorology . He is internationally recognized for his work on ensemble forecasting , where he explores how groups of numerical weather prediction models can provide probabilistic forecasts of severe weather events. His research on convective-scale data assimilation aims to improve how observations from radar and satellites are incorporated into high-resolution weather models. Additional research interests include the physical processes behind severe weather phenomena like derechos and heavy rainfall events, the predictability of convective-scale phenomena, and the dynamics of the North American monsoon system. He has made significant contributions to understanding how urban environments influence thunderstorms and how convective systems interact with their larger-scale environment. Analysis of Dr. Stensrud's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on improving severe weather prediction through advanced data assimilation techniques. His work primarily centers on integrating radar and satellite observations into convection-allowing models to enhance forecasting capabilities for thunderstorms and other severe weather phenomena. A notable trend in his research is the increasing sophistication of ensemble approaches to address uncertainties in both initial conditions and model physics. His publications demonstrate a progression from fundamental studies of mesoscale phenomena to increasingly operational applications with potential for real-world forecasting improvements. Dr. Stensrud has served in several important professional capacities that highlight his standing in the meteorological community: Chair, Storm-scale Radar Data Assimilation Workshop, Norman, Oklahoma, October 2011 Member, NOAA/NWS Functional Weather Radar Requirements Integrated Working Team, 2012-2013 Guest Editor, Advances in Meteorology, Special Issue on "Storm-scale data assimilation and NWP", 2013 Commissioner, Scientific and Technological Activities Commission, American Meteorological Society, 2016-2017 Dr. Stensrud has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications and a textbook entitled "Parameterization Schemes: Keys to Understanding Numerical Weather Models." He has been actively involved in mentoring graduate students, though specific names of advisees are not provided in the available information. In collaboration with colleagues at Penn State, he helped create a 20-station environmental monitoring network across Pennsylvania with plans to expand to 50+ stations. His research has been supported by various grants that have enabled field campaigns such as the Mesoscale Predictability Experiment (MPEX) in 2013, where his team intercepted severe thunderstorms to collect critical observational data. Dr. Stensrud is involved with several research teams and facilities at Penn State, including work with the Joel N. Myers Weather Center and the Bob and Charlotte Landis Broadcast Room. His research group focuses on analyzing data from dual-polarization radar systems and developing improved techniques for assimilating these observations into convection-allowing models. He collaborates extensively with other researchers at Penn State and beyond, particularly in studies involving the interactions between urban environments and thunderstorms, and the upscale effects of deep convection on larger-scale weather patterns.
Prof. Melanie Schienle is a Professor and Chair of Statistical Methods and Econometrics at the Department of Economics and Management, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). She also holds a professorship in the Department of Mathematics at KIT since 2021. Her expertise spans statistical methods, econometrics, financial risk analysis, and forecasting. She leads the HKMetrics Network and the RespiNow Hub for respiratory disease forecasting. She serves as a Senior Fellow at the Rimini Center for Economic Analysis (RCEA), a steering committee member of the German Economic Association, and a member of the University Research Council at KIT. Education: Ph.D. (Dr. rer. pol.) in Economics from Mannheim University (2008), summa cum laude; Diploma in Mathematics (University of Karlsruhe, 2003) with a minor in theoretical physics. She has held academic positions at Leibniz University Hannover (2012–2015) and Humboldt University of Berlin (2008–2012). Research interests focus on financial networks, systemic risk, time series analysis, and machine learning applications in economics. She co-leads projects on nowcasting and forecasting, including collaborative efforts during the pandemic to predict hospitalizations. Her work integrates advanced statistical techniques with real-world policy implications. Prof. Schienle is an Associate Editor for the International Journal of Forecasting and Journal of Time Series Analysis . She has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications and contributed to high-impact journals like Nature Communications and Journal of Business & Economic Statistics . She leads the Institute of Statistics at KIT and chairs the MathSEE initiative for interdisciplinary mathematical applications.
Babak Moaveni is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Tufts University, serving as the Associate Chair since September 2024. He also holds a joint appointment as a Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research focuses on structural health monitoring, Bayesian inference, earthquake engineering, and offshore wind energy systems. Moaveni earned his Ph.D. in Structural Engineering from the University of California San Diego (2007), following an M.S. (2001) and B.S. (1999) from Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, Iran. His research interests span probabilistic system identification, signal processing, uncertainty quantification, and verification/validation of computational models. Notable grants include leadership in the PIRE project on offshore wind energy digital twins and the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Pilot Project. He has supervised multiple Ph.D. and M.S. students, with current advisees including Mehdi Akhlaghi and Nasim Partovi-Mehr. Moaveni has received the Best Presentation Award at the 2022 EDGE Symposium and serves on editorial boards for journals like Structural Health Monitoring and Frontiers in Built Environment . His lab, the Structural Health Monitoring Lab, specializes in infrastructure management and offshore wind energy systems. Key professional activities include membership in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and roles on Tufts' Tenure and Promotion Committee. His teaching includes courses on structural health monitoring, numerical methods, and structural reliability.
Niels Richard Hansen is a Professor at the Department of Mathematical Sciences , University of Copenhagen, leading research at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Statistics . He co-founded the Copenhagen Causality Lab and focuses on automating causal explanation discovery from data using Bayesian networks, stochastic processes, predictive models, and machine learning. His work emphasizes creating interpretable and robust AI systems capable of generalizing across domains. His research has produced over 56 publications spanning causal inference , graphical modeling , stochastic processes , and machine learning . Recent work includes: Predictive and causal learning (2018 keynote) High-dimensional regression solutions (2016 lecture) Interdisciplinary applications in actuarial science , environmental statistics , and neuroscience He actively contributes to scientific communication through media appearances and public explanations of statistical concepts, including analyses of: Gaussian correlation inequality proofs Daylight saving time and blood clots Mathematical approaches to lotteries Climate change vs lunar effects
Professor Jing Meng is a leading academic at University College London's Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, holding the position since 2023 after progressing from Lecturer (2019-2021) to Associate Professor (2021-2023). She concurrently serves as a fellow at the Cambridge Centre for Environment, Energy and Natural Resource Governance and maintains active editorial roles as Executive Editor of the Journal of Cleaner Production and Associate Editor for Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. Her research spans three interconnected domains: Energy Transitions and Technology Innovation (examining cost forecasts and structural emission declines in China), Climate Change Policies (analyzing South-South trade effects and multinational enterprise emissions), and Emission-Health-Socioeconomics Nexus (assessing air pollution impacts and integrated co-mitigation strategies). This interdisciplinary approach is reflected in her publication record across Nature family journals and PNAS. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on global carbon accounting methodologies, with increasing attention to subnational (city-level) analyses, health co-benefits of climate policies, and technological innovation pathways for hard-to-abate sectors. Her work frequently employs multi-regional input-output modeling to trace emissions through complex supply chains. AGU Global Environmental Change Early Career Award (2023) MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 Asia Pacific (2022) Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (2020-2024) Nature Communications Top 50 Earth Sciences Article (2018) MDPI Emerging Sustainability Leader Award (2020) Environmental Research Letters Best Early Career Article (2017) Professor Meng has secured substantial funding from diverse sources including NERC, the British Council, Quadrature Climate Foundation, The Royal Society, and UCL internal grants. She leads an interdisciplinary research group focused on technology innovation and climate policy, with particular emphasis on China's role in global emissions systems. Her work directly supports Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action) through actionable policy insights.
Dr. Yongchao Huang is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in the School of Natural and Computing Sciences at the University of Aberdeen, where he has been employed since August 2023. He also holds affiliations with the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge through past postdoctoral and collaborative roles. He is actively involved in research, teaching, and academic service, and is currently accepting PhD students. His educational background includes: DPhil in Engineering Science, University of Oxford (2013–2017) Additional training in Machine Learning at Oxford (2015–2019) Dr. Huang's research focuses on fundamental and physics-informed machine learning, with core interests in Bayesian inference, variational methods, generative modeling (especially score-based), reinforcement learning, and interdisciplinary AI applications in mechanics, biology, energy, climate, and finance. A central theme of his work is the inference and sampling of probability densities, particularly through innovative particle-based and physics-inspired computational frameworks. He founded the Computational and Physical Learning (CPL) lab at Aberdeen in 2023. His recent publications (2020–2025) reflect a strong trend in probabilistic machine learning, with increasing focus on physics-based inference methods such as electrostatics, fluid dynamics, and material point methods. These works bridge machine learning with applied mathematics and physical simulation, demonstrating a unique interdisciplinary approach. Topics span Bayesian neural networks, acoustic wave propagation, mortality modeling, and adversarial cybersecurity. Dr. Huang has received academic recognition through invitations to serve on program committees and editorial roles: Program Committee Member, ECAI 2024 Organizing Committee, Bioinference 2024 Guest Editor, Journal of Theoretical Biology Senior Scientific Advisor to a UK firm He has supervised 57 MSc theses independently and currently supervises one PhD student. He has secured research engagement through collaborations with institutions including Oxford, Cambridge, and industry partners. His teaching includes courses such as Introduction to Software Engineering , Software Process and Management , and Computational Intelligence at Aberdeen, as well as practicals in inference at Cambridge. Dr. Huang leads the Computational and Physical Learning (CPL) lab at the University of Aberdeen, a curiosity-driven research group focused on foundational advances in machine intelligence. Though currently a solo researcher due to limited resources, the lab emphasizes end-to-end research and open collaboration. He encourages student mobility and interdisciplinary exploration.
Professor John W. O'Neill is a Professor of Hospitality Management at Pennsylvania State University's School of Hospitality Management. He serves as Director of the Hospitality Real Estate Strategy Group, focusing on real estate, asset management, and strategic management in the hotel industry. His research bridges financial analysis with operational strategies in hospitality. Education : B.S. in Hotel Administration from Cornell University M.S. in Real Estate from New York University Ph.D. in Business Administration from University of Rhode Island O'Neill's research explores hotel financial performance, debt servicing, brand affiliation, work-family dynamics, and market disruption from platforms like Airbnb. His work combines empirical analysis with strategic frameworks to address industry challenges. Leadership and Research Groups : Director, Hospitality Real Estate Strategy Group Active researcher in hotel valuation and operational risk
Roger Flage is a Professor of Risk Management at the University of Stavanger, affiliated with the Faculty of Science and Technology and the Department of Security, Economics and Planning. His research focuses on foundational and applied aspects of risk analysis, uncertainty quantification, and decision-making under uncertainty, with applications in critical infrastructure, environmental systems, and offshore energy. Roger Flage's research interests lie at the intersection of risk science, safety engineering, and decision theory. He investigates how uncertainty—especially epistemic uncertainty and assumptions—affects risk assessments, and advocates for more transparent and robust frameworks. His work spans theoretical advances, such as the treatment of 'black swan' events and the concept of 'real risk', as well as practical applications in offshore safety, power systems, and geohazards. He emphasizes the integration of data-driven methods, AI, and digital twins while critically assessing their limitations and associated security risks. His recent publications show a strong trend toward integrating dynamic, data-rich, and interdisciplinary approaches to risk analysis. Themes include the role of time in risk, AI applications, infrastructure interdependencies, and environmental risk in the oil and gas sector. He frequently publishes in top-tier journals like Risk Analysis , Reliability Engineering & System Safety , and Safety Science , often in collaboration with leading scholars such as Terje Aven and Seth Guikema. No scientific awards are mentioned in the provided text. Roger Flage has supervised or collaborated with several researchers, though no formal list of advisees is provided. His work is supported through academic collaborations and institutional affiliations rather than explicit grant mentions. He is actively involved in advancing risk science methodology, particularly in the treatment of assumptions and uncertainty, and contributes to both theoretical foundations and real-world applications in safety-critical domains. He is associated with research groups and collaborative networks at the University of Stavanger, particularly within the Department of Security, Economics and Planning. His work often involves interdisciplinary teams focusing on risk in complex engineered systems, including energy, transportation, and environmental systems.
Dan Sheldon is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, holding a Five College joint faculty position with Mount Holyoke College. His research focuses on developing algorithms to address environmental challenges using large datasets, emphasizing computational sustainability. Key areas include spatial optimization for endangered species conservation, continent-scale bird migration modeling, and interpreting weather radar data for ecological insights. Methodologically, his work leverages probabilistic inference, network modeling, and machine learning. Sheldon earned a PhD in Computer Science from Cornell University and an AB in Mathematics from Dartmouth College. His postdoctoral training at Oregon State University was supported by an NSF Bioinformatics Fellowship. He co-leads the BirdCast project, an NSF-funded initiative applying novel machine learning to avian migration studies. His research affiliations include the Center for Data Science and the Computational Social Science Institute. Research interests span computational biology, machine learning, and data privacy. Notable contributions include algorithms for ecological decision-making, differentially private synthetic data techniques, and Gaussian process applications in environmental forecasting. Awards include an NSF Fellowship in Bioinformatics. Current projects integrate radar data analysis, biodiversity tracking, and privacy-preserving statistical methods. Grants include the BirdCast NSF grant and collaborations in computational sustainability. His work bridges theoretical computer science with applied ecological challenges, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to global-scale environmental problems.
Professor Liz Stephens is a faculty member at the University of Reading's Department of Meteorology, specializing in flood forecasting, climate variability, and disaster risk management. Her work focuses on improving hydrological and meteorological models to enhance flood preparedness and climate adaptation strategies globally. Research Interests: Probabilistic flood forecasting Climate impacts on extreme events Enhancing forecast communication for decision-makers Applications in data-scarce regions like Kenya and Uganda Key Projects: Global Flood Awareness System (GloFAS) World Weather Attribution studies Probabilistic forecast evaluation frameworks Her research bridges academic analysis with practical implementation, collaborating with international organizations like ECMWF and humanitarian agencies to translate scientific insights into actionable disaster preparedness measures.
Gianni Franchi is an assistant professor at ENSTA Paris , affiliated with the Computer Science and Systems Engineering Unit (U2IS) . His work focuses on theoretical deep learning , with a strong emphasis on uncertainty quantification, robustness, and explainability in machine learning models. Current affiliation: ENSTA Paris (U2IS) Academic rank: Assistant Professor Key collaborators: David Filliat, Emanuel Aldea, Andrei Bursuc, Antoine Manzanera His research spans uncertainty quantification , explainable AI , and reliable machine learning . He investigates methods like Bayesian neural networks, ensemble approaches, and deterministic uncertainty models. His work also addresses domain adaptation , self-supervised learning , and autonomous systems , particularly in trajectory forecasting and semantic segmentation for autonomous driving. Recent publications analyze probabilistic modeling for robustness, symmetry-aware Bayesian methods , and multi-modal datasets like InfraParis. He develops frameworks like Torch-Uncertainty and benchmarks such as MUAD for uncertainty types in autonomous driving. Key themes: Uncertainty Quantification Deep Learning Theory Autonomous Systems Explainable AI Dataset Creation Bayesian Methods
Ziming Zhang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) , with additional affiliations in Data Science and Robotics Engineering. He previously held research roles at Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories (MERL) and Boston University. PhD in Computing (2013) from Oxford Brookes University , UK MS in Computing Science (2010) from Simon Fraser University , CA BS in Computer Science and Technology (2005) from Northeastern University , China Research interests span computer vision , machine learning , and their applications in point cloud processing , medical imaging , autonomous driving , and IoT . He leads the Vision, Intelligence, and System Laboratory (VISLab) at WPI. Recent publications focus on 3D reconstruction , hyperbolic learning , and robust classifiers . Awards include the R&D100 Award 2018 and NSF funding for data-efficient deep learning. PhD Students: Yecheng Lyu (co-supervised), Guojun Wu (co-supervised), Hangrui Zhang, Xuechu Yu Master's Students: Yun Yue, Yuping Shao Visiting Scholars: Fangzhou Lin His lab partners with industry and academic institutions, focusing on autonomous systems , robotics , and scientific imaging projects.
Wenzhong Li is a Professor at the School of Computer Science, Nanjing University, where he leads research at the State Key Laboratory for Novel Software and Technology. His academic career spans over 15 years with significant contributions to AI-empowered distributed systems, big data mining, and networking applications. He teaches Computer Networks and guides graduate students in Distributed Computing Research. Professor Li's research focuses on cutting-edge areas including AI-Empowered Distributed Systems and Applications (MultiModal Large Models, Embodied Intelligence, Edge Computing), Big Data Mining (Time Series Analysis, Graph Computing, Social Networks Analysis), and AI-Based Distributed Resource Scheduling. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical implementations in real-world systems. His recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward integrating deep learning with graph theory and time series analysis, with applications in human activity recognition, network optimization, and multimodal systems. The research spans multiple disciplines including artificial intelligence, computer vision, networking, and data mining, with a particular emphasis on practical implementations for real-world problems. Best Paper Runner Up at KSEM 2023 for 'Learning-based Dichotomy Graph Sketch for Summarizing Graph Streams with High Accuracy' Best Paper Award at APNet 2018 for 'Toward Effective and Fair RDMA Resource Sharing' Professor Li has advised numerous PhD and Master's students who have gone on to prominent positions at institutions like Nanjing University, Huawei, Alibaba, Microsoft, and various international universities. His research is supported by substantial grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, National Power Grid, and other major funding bodies, totaling multiple multi-year projects with significant budgets. He leads the AINet Group and is affiliated with the Sino-German Institute of Social Computing and MobileCloud research initiatives. His DISLAB provides the organizational framework for his research team, which includes dozens of graduate students and collaborators working on cutting-edge problems in AI, networking, and distributed systems.
Jason Ostanek is an Assistant Professor at Purdue University's School of Engineering Technology and Environmental and Ecological Engineering. He directs the Applied Thermofluids Laboratory and Powertrain Technology Laboratory, focusing on battery safety and thermal management systems. Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech His research explores energy storage systems, thermal runaway phenomena, heat transfer mechanisms in Li-ion batteries, fluid dynamics, and internal combustion engine thermal management. He has developed analytical models for battery degradation, thermal abuse simulations, and innovative cooling strategies for large-scale energy systems. Key publication trends show expertise in: Li-ion battery thermal runaway modeling Heat transfer in confined geometries Thermal management for energy storage systems Renewable energy forecasting Computational fluid dynamics applications Scientific awards include: 2020 Purdue Teaching Academy's Award for Exceptional Teaching and Instructional Support during the COVID-19 Pandemic 2020 SOET Outstanding Faculty in Engagement 2019 SOET Outstanding Faculty in Discovery 2015 NAVSEA Commander’s Award for Innovation 2013 ASME IGTI Young Engineer Travel Award 2007 DOD SMART Fellowship Recipient As director of Purdue's Applied Thermofluids Laboratory, he leads research on battery safety mechanisms, combustion dynamics, and thermal systems optimization. His work spans fundamental and applied research with industrial collaborators.
