Dr. Dirk Oudes is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Spatial Planning at Wageningen University. His research focuses on the intersection of renewable energy transitions and landscape transformation, particularly solar power plants and agrivoltaics in the Netherlands. He explores how solar energy systems interact with agricultural landscapes, urban planning, and policy frameworks, emphasizing sustainable land use and climate adaptation. Recent trends in his publications highlight spatial analysis of solar infrastructure, regulatory challenges in energy projects, and circular economy principles in agrivoltaics. His work often bridges academic research with practical implementation, as seen in reports and media engagements addressing landscape aesthetics, public acceptance, and policy-relevant findings. Dr. Oudes collaborates with researchers like Sven Stremke and actively participates in workshops, keynote speeches, and expert consultations. He supervises PhD projects on landscape-inclusive energy transitions and spatial quality frameworks, contributing to both academic discourse and professional practice in sustainable design.
Jose Antonio Gomez Hernandez is a Professor at the University of Murcia , affiliated with the Faculty of Communication and Documentation and the Department of Library and Documentation Science . He holds a Doctorate from the University of Murcia (2006), completing his thesis on the role of libraries in higher education. His research focuses on public libraries' societal roles, digital literacy, transparency in governance, and social inclusion. Key projects include the IRIS Program , which educates students on transparency and participatory governance. His work emphasizes libraries as hubs for digital empowerment, particularly for marginalized groups like migrant women and vulnerable populations. He has collaborated on projects funded by grants like OTRI 34820, addressing digital competencies and public library innovation. His publications explore topics such as public library functionality, citizen engagement, and the intersection of technology with civic rights. He is part of the Libraries, Archives and Information Culture research group. Recent articles highlight his contributions to understanding digital skills programs, social capital creation in libraries, and the alignment of libraries with UN Sustainable Development Goals. His work bridges academic research with practical initiatives, advocating for libraries as essential institutions in fostering equitable societies.
Dcn. Stephen Frezza is a Professor of Software Engineering and current Director of the Software Engineering Program at Franiscan University of Steubenville . Prior to this, he served as a professor and three-time chair of the Computer and Information Science Department at Gannon University for 26 years. His expertise spans requirements engineering, project management, software testing, and embedded systems . Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh Professional Software Engineering Master (PSEM) Active in industry-university partnerships His research bridges engineering with theology , focusing on philosophy of engineering, affective-domain assessment, competency modeling, and software engineering education . He has authored numerous scholarly works on virtue formation, educational frameworks, and the philosophical foundations of computing. Recent publications highlight his contributions to computing curricula (CC2020), virtue-based educational models , and Lonergan’s epistemology applied to engineering . His work integrates faith and reason in pedagogical contexts, emphasizing the ethical dimensions of engineering education . Senior Member of the IEEE Computer Society Volunteer for IEEE-CS Special Technical Committee on Education Professional member of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Dcn. Frezza’s leadership in curriculum design and industry collaboration has shaped software engineering programs globally. His teaching and research underscore the interplay between technical rigor and moral development , advocating for holistic engineering education.
Professor Paul Black is a distinguished academic at King's College London, affiliated with the School of Education, Communication & Society and the Centre for Research in Education in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (CRESTEM). His career has centered on advancing educational assessment and pedagogy, particularly in STEM disciplines. He is renowned for pioneering formative assessment strategies that integrate learning and evaluation to enhance student outcomes. Research Interests: Black's work explores how teacher-led assessments can drive classroom innovation, emphasizing the synergy between formative and summative methods. His contributions address global educational challenges, including standardization debates and the equitable implementation of assessment frameworks. Key Article Trends: His publications from 2013–2020 highlight themes like ethical assessment practices, the historical impact of formative assessment, and bridging theory-practice gaps in STEM education. Recent works underscore the adaptability of assessment strategies in diverse cultural and linguistic contexts. Professional Impact: The 2023 book 'Educational Assessment: The Influence of Paul Black on Research, Pedagogy and Practice' documents his legacy, noting his influence on scholars worldwide. His ideas have informed policy responses to crises like pandemic-related exam cancellations. Advising & Grants: While specific grants or advisees are not detailed here, his work reflects collaborative research with educators and policy experts. The CRESTEM centre serves as a hub for advancing his vision of holistic educational reform.
Ruth Currie is a Researcher and Visiting Lecturer at York St John University's School of the Arts, based in Glasgow. Her work focuses on community music's role in cultural policy and organizational learning. She leads the 'Music for Health in Morecambe' project, examining music-health partnerships, and co-investigates the MOVE project evaluating 12 years of intercultural collaboration. Her PhD (critical ethnography of a community music organization) explored tensions between institutionalization and participatory ideals. Education: Holds a PhD in community music and cultural policy from York St John University. Research Interests: Music leaders in cultural policy, organizational learning in arts partnerships, and the intersection of community music with healthcare. She employs Bourdieu’s field theory and Derrida’s hospitality concepts in analyzing institutional dynamics. Projects: Current initiatives include: Music for Health in Morecambe (More Music/Spirit 2012 funded) MOVE evaluation (intercultural volunteer exchange) Professional Activities: Freelance cultural researcher, international conference presenter (e.g., ISME World Conference), and guest lecturer (University of Aberdeen, Edinburgh College).
Hannelore Reicher serves as Associate Professor at the Institute of Educational Science within the Faculty of Environmental, Regional and Educational Sciences at the University of Graz, Austria. Her research is anchored in the university's "Heterogeneity and cohesion" research network, addressing critical intersections between social pedagogy, education, and societal challenges. Current affiliations include active roles in editorial boards and major longitudinal studies. Her research program centers on vulnerable populations and systemic interventions: Social Pedagogy frameworks for contemporary welfare systems Emotional health dynamics in educational settings Social-Emotional Learning as inclusion catalyst Foster care systems and biological family perspectives Parent education program development 2024 publications reveal concentrated focus on social work's adaptation to instability, demonstrating how professional practice drives social transformation through participatory approaches. Her chapter on family perspectives in out-of-home care exemplifies applied research bridging theory and child welfare practice. Reicher leads two significant funded projects: the STEILA longitudinal study on student engagement (2020-2026) with public institutional support, and a sexual abuse prevention program accompanying Styria's "My Body Belongs to Me" theatre project (2024-2026). These initiatives reflect her commitment to evidence-based educational interventions. Professional leadership includes editorial roles for "Austrian Yearbook of Social Work" (since 2019) and "Socio-educational impulses" (since 2022), alongside historical contributions to Austria's Parent Educator Quality Seal Commission (2006) and International Pedagogical Conference advisory board (2013). Her directorship of the MLG Innovation-Oriented Management in Education consortium (2011-2017) demonstrates sustained institutional impact.
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.
Hongbo Jiang is a Distinguished Professor and Vice Dean of the College of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering at Hunan University, China. He holds concurrent roles as Director of the Trusted Systems and Networking Key Laboratory of Hunan Province and Director of the Hunan International Technical Cooperation Base for High-Performance Computing and Distributed Systems. His academic journey includes tenures as a Professor at Huazhong University of Science and Technology and a Hong Kong Scholar Research Fellow at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Education: PhD in Computer Science (Case Western Reserve University, 2008), B.S./M.S. in Mathematics (Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 2002). Research Interests: Distributed systems, mobile computing, smart sensing, wireless networks, IoT, and edge computing. Ongoing projects include mobile/wireless applications, data science in IoT, and edge computing platforms. His work emphasizes practical implementations such as DriverSonar for driving safety and SmileAuth for biometric authentication. Key Achievements: Elected Member of Academia Europaea (2022), Fellow of AAIA, IET, and BCS. Notable awards include the Wu Wenjun Science and Technology Award (2020) and multiple best paper recognitions. Over 100+ publications in top venues like ACM MobiCom, IEEE/ACM Transactions. Professional Contributions: Editorial roles across 8+ journals including IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing and ACM Transactions on Sensor Networks. Conference leadership includes co-founding ACM TURC and EAI ICECI. Active in technical committees for INFOCOM, MOBIHOC, and ICDCS. Labs/Teams: Leads research groups focused on networking, IoT, and edge computing. Current openings for PhD/MSc students and PostDoc researchers with strong mathematical and systems backgrounds.
Lori Snyder Bennear is a Professor of Environmental Economics and Policy at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment, where she also serves as Interim Dean. She holds secondary appointments in the Sanford School of Public Policy and the Department of Economics (Trinity College of Arts & Sciences). Her work focuses on evaluating environmental policies, particularly their effectiveness, strategic responses, distributional impacts, and adaptability. Bennear earned a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Harvard University (2002), an M.A. in Economics from Yale (1996), and a B.A. in Economics and Environmental Studies from Occidental College (1995). Research & Grants Grants include NSF-funded studies on drinking water disclosure and NOAA-supported research on Gulf of Mexico fisheries. Explores energy justice, decarbonization, and the economic impacts of ecological disturbances like hypoxia. Professional Activities Leadership in Bass Connections projects addressing energy transitions and environmental justice. Service roles include Theme Leader for Energy & Environment at Duke and participation in National Academies committees on offshore drilling and pipeline safety. Awards & Recognition Recipient of multiple teaching awards (2010, 2010). Named Juli Plant Grainger Associate Professor (2018–2023) and appointed Stanback Dean (2025). Teaching Teaches graduate courses on energy economics and policy, including ENVIRON 635 and ECON 530.
Mark Haskins is a Professor of Mathematics at Duke University, affiliated with the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin (2000) and has held academic positions at institutions including the University of Bath and Imperial College London. His research focuses on differential geometry, special holonomy metrics, and geometric flows, particularly G₂-holonomy manifolds and Laplacian flow solitons. He is a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales (2014). Research interests include Riemannian geometry, Einstein manifolds, and geometric analysis. Notable contributions involve constructing G₂-manifolds from asymptotically conical Calabi-Yau 3-folds and studying solitons in Laplacian flow. He has led grants from the Simons Foundation (2016–2024) and organized programs like the 2024 Special Geometric Structures and Analysis at MSRI. Teaching includes courses like Real Analysis II and Smooth Manifolds. He mentors students, including Yijia Liu and Anuk Dayaprema, and collaborates with researchers like Nordström and Foscolo. Professional activities include roles as Director of Graduate Studies at Duke and service in academic leadership.
Andreas Wicenec is a Professor and Senior Principal Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia (UWA), leading the Data Intensive Astronomy Program (DIA) at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR). He specializes in data-intensive astronomy, high-performance computing, and large-scale data management systems. His work supports the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and other major observatories. Education: PhD in Astronomy from the University of Tübingen (1994), Physics Diploma (1989). Professional roles include Archive Scientist at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and leadership in the International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA). Research focuses on petascale data flows, reproducible science workflows, and next-generation archive systems like NGAS. Current projects include the DALiuGE engine, SKA data handling, and gravitational wave detection pipelines using deep learning. Key Projects: SKA Science Data Processing (7M AUD contract), Data Activated Flow Graph Engine (DALiuGE), and NGAS archive system Awards: ACM Gordon Bell Prize 2020 finalist Grants: Includes SKA Bridging Design (2019–2021), ICRAR IV (2025–2030) Labs/Teams: Active in ICRAR's Data Intensive Astronomy group, collaborating internationally on large-scale astronomy initiatives.
Gaston Bacquet is a Lecturer in Education Studies at the University of Glasgow's School of Education, specializing in Culture, Literacies, Inclusion & Pedagogy. A Chilean teacher trainer and educator based in Scotland, he also holds qualifications as a meditation and yoga instructor. With extensive international teaching experience across K-12 and higher education systems in Chile, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, the US, and UK, his work bridges practical pedagogy and theoretical innovation. His educational background includes a DipTESOL from Trinity College London, an MA in TESOL from the Institute of Education (UCL), and a PhD in Education from the University of Glasgow. Bacquet currently teaches in the MSc/MEd Education Studies program and leads the undergraduate Asian Religions course, while supervising dissertation students across the School of Education. Research interests center on nonviolence as transformative educational practice, with emphases on decolonial approaches, contemplative pedagogy, and inclusion of minoritized groups. His work integrates Buddhist philosophy, indigenous wisdom traditions, and international perspectives to challenge Western epistemological dominance. Key methodological commitments include participatory action research and qualitative approaches that prioritize community voices. Recent publications reveal evolving trajectories from language education toward decolonial nonviolence frameworks, with increasing focus on Global South contexts, indigenous knowledge systems, and teacher preparation. His 2024-2025 work shows intensified engagement with Buddhist-Christian dialogue, indigenous contributions to peace education, and practical applications of nonviolence in classroom power structures. As a supervisor, Bacquet mentors Master's students in inclusion, nonviolence, and educational ethics, welcoming PhD proposals aligned with his research interests. His professional activities span editorial roles with Cogent Arts and Humanities and SAGE Open , alongside active participation in international scholarly networks including the Comparative and International Educational Society and the European Network for Buddhist-Christian Studies. Professional affiliations reflect his interdisciplinary reach: British Educational Research Association (2021-present), American Educational Research Association (2022-present), International Society for Contemplative Research (2023-present), and the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (2025-present). His conference presentations consistently address nonviolence pedagogy, decolonial curriculum development, and participatory research ethics across global contexts from Chile to New Zealand.
Dr Dimitrios Tsarapatsanis is a Senior Lecturer at York Law School, University of York. Previously, he served as a Lecturer in Law at the University of Sheffield. He holds an LLB from the University of Athens, an LLM in EU and International Law, and a PhD from Université Paris X-Nanterre. His research focuses on legal theory, human rights, AI ethics, and European law. Education: LLB, University of Athens LLM in EU and International Law, University of Athens DEA in Legal Theory, Université Paris X-Nanterre PhD (summa cum laude), Université Paris X-Nanterre Research Interests: Legal realism, administrative law, judicial decision-making, AI ethics in law, human rights jurisprudence, and bioethical legal issues. His work bridges theoretical jurisprudence with practical legal challenges, particularly in European contexts. Recent work explores the application of natural language processing to predict judicial outcomes and the ethical implications of AI in legal systems. He has also contributed to debates on the European Court of Human Rights' strategies and the legal status of prenatal life. Recipient of the Paul Ricoeur Prize (2009) for his doctoral thesis on prenatal legal personhood. Collaborations: Active in interdisciplinary projects, including the 'AI Law and Ethics: The Challenge of AI Wrongdoing' initiative. His research often intersects with political theory and institutional analysis. Professional Contributions: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2018). Previously practiced law in Greece, focusing on EU law and human rights cases.
Professor Mindy Blaise is a Vice Chancellor’s Research Fellow and Director of the Centre for People, Place and Planet at Edith Cowan University (ECU), Western Australia. Her transdisciplinary research focuses on feminist knowledge production, anticolonial practices, and pedagogies addressing environmental crises and social inequities. Blaise holds a Doctor of Education (1999) from the United States and has held academic positions at institutions including the University of Texas, Austin, and The Education University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include experimental pedagogies for the Anthropocene, queer theory, postdevelopmentalism, and multi-species ethnography. She leads major projects like the ARC Discovery Project on 'Understanding and Addressing Everyday Sexisms in Australian Universities' and collaborates internationally through collectives such as #FEAS (Feminist Educators Against Sexism), which won the 2023-2025 AARE award. Blaise’s recent articles explore topics like regenerative sustainability education, feminist postdevelopmental lexicons, and ecological grief in childhood. Her work often bridges early childhood education with environmental humanities, emphasizing ethical relations with non-human worlds. Grants include funding from the ARC, Healthway, and philanthropic foundations for projects on climate justice, Indigenous knowledge transfer, and anti-sexism initiatives. Professional associations: AARE, AERA, Gender and Education Association Research supervision: Over 15 completed PhD/MEd projects focusing on gender, ecology, and pedagogy Labs/teams: Director of ECU’s strategic research centre; co-founder of Common Worlds Research Collective and The Ediths
Margaret Burnett is a Distinguished Professor at Oregon State University's School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS). She specializes in software engineering, human-computer interaction (HCI), and inclusive design. Her research focuses on end-user programming, gender-inclusive software (via the GenderMag method), and improving accessibility in AI systems. She leads the EUSES Consortium and the AgAID Institute, fostering collaboration between academia and industry. Education: Ph.D., Computer Science (with honors), University of Kansas (1987–1991) M.S., Computer Science, University of Kansas (1979–1981) B.A. Mathematics, Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Miami University (1967–1970) Research & Awards: Recipient of the 2023 AnitaB.org Technical Leadership Abie Award, ACM Fellow, IEEE Fellow, and numerous university awards. Her work has been recognized for advancing inclusive design methodologies and mentoring students in computing. Teaching & Mentorship: Teaches courses like Inclusive Design with Personas (CS 468/568). Mentored over 50 graduate students, many of whom became professors, researchers, or UX professionals. Current students include Sadia Afroz, Alec Busteed, and Fatima Moussaoui. Labs & Collaborations: Leads the EUSES Consortium (multi-institution collaboration on end-user software engineering) and the AgAID Institute (AI for agriculture). Active in developing the GenderMag and InclusiveMag methodologies to address gender and socioeconomic biases in software.
