Elden Elmanto is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Toronto, affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Science. His research focuses on advanced areas of algebraic geometry and homotopy theory, particularly through a motivic perspective. He investigates algebraic cycles, vector bundles, and motivic cohomology, often leveraging techniques from derived algebraic geometry and p-adic geometry. Recently, he co-developed a motivic cohomology theory for singular schemes with Matthew Morrow. His work spans topics like algebraic K-theory, motivic homotopy theory, and the interplay between topology and arithmetic geometry. He actively participates in seminars such as the Toronto Algebraic Geometry Seminar and has led research on topological cyclic homology, equivariant algebraic K-theory, and motivic infinite loop spaces. Elmanto collaborates widely, contributing to fields like étale motivic spectra, Voevodsky’s convergence conjecture, and the Quillen-Lichtenbaum dimension. His research emphasizes foundational questions in modern algebraic geometry, with applications to arithmetic and geometric contexts.
Richard Jochelson serves as Dean of Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba (Robson Hall), a position he has held since July 1, 2016. Previously, he taught criminal law for 10 years at the University of Winnipeg. Dr. Jochelson holds a Ph.D. in Law from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University, an LLM from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, an LL.B. with Gold Medal from the University of Calgary Faculty of Law, and a B.Sc. in Zoology with Distinction from the same institution. He completed his legal training as a clerk at the Alberta Court of Appeal and Court of Queen's Bench before working at a major Canadian law firm. Dr. Jochelson's research program centers on critical issues in criminal justice and constitutional law, with primary interests in police powers jurisprudence, sexual regulation (particularly obscenity and indecency law), jury systems and representativeness, and legal pedagogy. His interdisciplinary approach bridges law with sociology and psychology, bringing empirical and theoretical rigor to legal scholarship. His work consistently addresses social justice concerns, examining how vulnerable populations interact with the justice system and how concepts like risk, precaution, and visibility shape legal decision-making. He has developed a distinctive methodology combining doctrinal analysis with empirical research on judicial behavior and jury decision-making. His recent publications reveal evolving scholarly priorities that respond to contemporary legal challenges. The 2025 article "Morbid Matters" addresses medical assistance in dying within federal corrections, while his 2024 works on youth terrorism cases and agnotology demonstrate expansion into new interdisciplinary territories. His longstanding commitment to police powers scholarship continues with "Ancillary Police Powers in Canada" (2024). The pandemic period saw significant contributions to understanding digital justice, mental health in legal education, and remote court proceedings. His criminal law scholarship maintains focus on jury representativeness, particularly regarding Indigenous inclusion following Bill C-75's elimination of peremptory challenges. Students' Teacher Recognition Award (CATL) - 2018 Dr. Jochelson has secured multiple SSHRC Insight Grants as both Principal and Co-investigator, demonstrating his ability to lead interdisciplinary research teams. His mentorship extends to junior academics and students, with several publications co-authored with emerging scholars. He has built significant research infrastructure, notably assembling nearly 40 interdisciplinary scholars across Canada for Robsoncrim.com, which has elevated the Criminal Law Edition of the Manitoba Law Journal to prominence as one of Canada's preeminent criminal law publications. As Dean of Law, Dr. Jochelson provides leadership in academic governance and legal education innovation. His service includes extensive committee work on academic affairs, workload policy, and hiring/tenure committees. His commitment to universal design principles informs both his teaching approach and administrative leadership, emphasizing accessibility and student-centered pedagogy that allows flexible evaluation methods tailored to individual learning preferences.
Teresa Scassa is a Full Professor in the Common Law Section of the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Law and holds the Canada Research Chair in Information Law and Policy. She is affiliated with the Centre for Law, Technology and Society and cross-appointed to the School of Information Studies. Dr. Scassa earned her LL.B. from McGill University and LL.M. and SJD from the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on law and technology intersections, including AI regulation, data governance, privacy law, and intellectual property. She has authored influential books like Artificial Intelligence and the Law in Canada and Canadian Trademark Law . Scassa advises Canadian government bodies, including the Advisory Council on Artificial Intelligence and Ontario’s Law Commission. She has contributed to privacy law debates through high-profile cases like Clearview AI litigation and public sector data governance challenges. Her work bridges legal frameworks with emerging technologies, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches. Recent publications address facial recognition surveillance, data privacy enforcement, and ethical challenges in AI. Scassa’s academic leadership includes roles on data policy working groups and international collaborations, reflecting her role as a leading voice in information law policy.
Catherine Anne Brown is a Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Calgary with extensive international experience, having held visiting professorships at Stanford University (as a Fulbright Fellow), University of Toronto, UCLA, McGeorge School of Law, and Whittier Law School. Her expertise spans taxation, international trade law, and estate planning across multiple jurisdictions. Her research focuses on the critical intersection of tax and trade agreements, particularly how non-discrimination principles operate within services trade frameworks. Current work examines tax treaty mechanisms for addressing discriminatory practices in cross-border commerce, building on her 2017 monograph "Tax Discrimination and Trade in Services". She actively explores evolving regulatory challenges in digital services taxation and international compliance. Professor Brown's scholarship demonstrates consistent engagement with practical legal applications, bridging academic theory and professional practice through textbooks, treatises, and policy-oriented analyses. Her publications reveal progressive specialization in tax-trade interfaces while maintaining foundational contributions to estate planning education. Her distinguished career has been recognized through: Lifetime Achievement Award (Canadian Tax Foundation, 2017) Doug Sherbaniuk Award for Distinguished Writing (Canadian Tax Foundation, 2014) Award for Distinguished Service in Legal Scholarship (Law Society of Alberta/Canadian Bar Association, 2011) Widdifield Award for estate planning scholarship (2006, 2012) Induction into the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law (2012) As an educator, she directed the Business Clinical program until 2014, providing practical training in business law applications. She maintains active professional engagement through appointments to the NAFTA Chapter 19 roster (2018), STEP Canada's Public Policy Committee (2016), and the Canada Revenue Agency's Offshore Compliance Advisory Committee (2016), while serving on the Legal Education Society of Alberta's Board of Directors.
Abdi Aidid is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law , teaching Civil Procedure and First Year: Tort Law . He is also a Visiting Associate Professor at Yale Law School (2024–2025) and a Faculty Affiliate at the Centre for Ethics and the Future of Law Lab, focusing on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of law and artificial intelligence. Education: LL.M, University of Toronto J.D., Yale Law School B.A., University of Toronto His research explores access to justice , legal ethics , and the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning in legal systems. He has published extensively on topics including AI regulation, procedural fairness, and the ethical challenges of integrating technology into legal practice. Recent publications span juridification , human-computer labor division , and generative AI in legal contexts, reflecting his focus on the convergence of law, ethics, and technology. His work has been recognized with awards such as the PROSE Award and a Donner Prize nomination. Scientific Awards: PROSE Award (Association of American Publishers) The Donner Prize (finalist)
Laura Spitz is Dean and Professor at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law, with a concurrent Visiting Professorship at Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne Law School. Her academic and professional journey spans multiple institutions, including Seattle University, University of New Mexico, Cornell University, and Thompson Rivers University. Educational Background: JSD, Cornell University JD, University of British Columbia BA, University of Toronto Spitz's research interrogates the legal construction of borders and identities, blending contracts, commercial law, and critical analyses of personhood in corporate and environmental contexts. Her work explores the limits of subject-object dichotomies in law and society. Notable awards include multiple Graduation Hooding Professor distinctions at the University of New Mexico and Colorado Law School, alongside teaching accolades. She contributes to constitutional pluralism debates and has co-authored influential works on legal personhood. A nonpracticing member of the Law Society of British Columbia, Spitz serves as a legal expert in contracts and business law, with experience in First Nations economic development and nonprofit law. She has advised on Supreme Court cases and held leadership roles in global engagement and international affairs.
Suzie Dunn is an Assistant Professor at Dalhousie University's Schulich School of Law and Acting Director of the Law & Technology Institute. She teaches Contracts, Judicial Decision-Making, Law and Technology, Intellectual Property, and Legal Ethics. Her research focuses on the intersection of gender, equality, technology, and law, particularly technology-facilitated violence, deepfakes, and digital privacy. Education: PhD candidate at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, with JD, LLM, and BA degrees. She previously served as a part-time professor at the University of Ottawa, where she taught Contracts and Law of Images, earning a 2021 teaching excellence award. Awards include the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Scholarship for PhD research and the Greenberg Prize for Feminist Research. Professional roles include advising the G7 and UN on gender-based violence in digital contexts, contributing to CIPPIC interventions in landmark Supreme Court cases (R v Jarvis, R v Downes), and serving on advisory boards for organizations like the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund. She is a Senior Fellow at CIGI, working on global projects against online gender-based violence, and co-authored a UN resolution on digital violence prevention. Her work extends to tech safety toolkits for domestic violence shelters, policy development, and international collaborations. She was called to the Ontario bar in 2016 and actively engages in public discourse on AI ethics and digital rights.
Gautam Kamath is an Assistant Professor at the University of Waterloo's Cheriton School of Computer Science, a Faculty Member at the Vector Institute, and a Canada CIFAR AI Chair. He leads The Salon, a research group focused on statistics, algorithms, machine learning, and optimization. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications in data privacy and robustness, contributing to both academic research and real-world deployments that impact millions of users. Dr. Kamath earned his PhD and SM degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT, where he was advised by Costis Daskalakis. Prior to MIT, he graduated from Cornell University in May 2012 with a degree in Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering, where he worked with Bobby Kleinberg. His academic journey reflects a strong foundation in both theoretical computer science and practical applications. His research focuses on developing solutions for trustworthy and reliable machine learning and statistics, with particular emphasis on data privacy and robustness. He addresses fundamental problems in these areas, revitalizing statistical toolkits for the modern data era where privacy preservation is paramount. His work spans theoretical foundations of differential privacy to practical applications that have been deployed at scale, including contributions to systems that protect the sensitive information of hundreds of millions of individuals. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong trend toward addressing the interplay between privacy, robustness, and machine learning performance. His work increasingly examines practical deployment challenges while maintaining theoretical rigor, with growing emphasis on diffusion models, generative AI, and the legal implications of AI systems. There's a clear trajectory from foundational privacy theory toward addressing real-world implementation challenges across diverse application domains. Canada CIFAR AI Chair Ontario Early Researcher Award 2024 Caspar Bowden Award for Outstanding Research in Privacy Enhancing Technologies STOC Best Student Presentation Award ICML 2024 Best Paper Award Microsoft Research Fellow at the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing Dr. Kamath actively mentors students, with notable successes including Valentio Iverson winning the Germain-Erdős Undergraduate Award and Chris Trevisan receiving the CRA Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award. His service to the research community is extensive, serving as Editor-in-Chief of TMLR, on the Executive Committee of the Learning Theory Alliance, and on steering committees for major conferences including ICML, COLT, and ALT. He has organized numerous workshops focused on privacy-preserving machine learning and differential privacy. Through The Salon research group, Dr. Kamath fosters a collaborative environment where postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduates work together on cutting-edge problems at the intersection of statistics, algorithms, machine learning, and optimization. The group maintains strong connections with industry partners and participates in major research initiatives, including the Vector Institute's privacy and security research efforts. Looking forward, Dr. Kamath will be moving to the Computer Science department at NYU's Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences in September 2026, where he plans to expand his research program.
Simon Stern is a Professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, where he has taught since 2007, holding progressively senior positions from Assistant to full Professor since 2019. He serves as Chair in Innovation Law (2020-present) and Director of the Center for Innovation Law & Policy (2012-present). His research bridges legal doctrines with literary/intellectual history, focusing on legal fictions, the "reasonable man" standard, and intersections between law and sexuality. Ph.D. in English (UC Berkeley), J.D. (Yale), B.A. in English (Yale, magna cum laude) Editor-in-Chief of Yale Journal of Law & Humanities during law school Research interests include: law and literature, legal history, sexuality and the law, criminal law, and intellectual property. His work examines narrative techniques in legal reasoning, evidentiary standards, and historical evolution of legal concepts through literary frameworks. Recent publications analyze legal fictions, reasonable person standard evolution, and 19th-century tort law narratives. He co-edits Oxford University Press' Law and Literature series and the New Rambler Review. 2012 SLS Partnership Award for student advocacy 2023-2026 President of academic organization Serves on SSHRC Insight Grants Committee and multiple editorial boards
Lisa Austin is a Professor of Law at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, holding the Chair in Law and Technology. She serves as Associate Director at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society and is a Faculty Associate at Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center. Previously, she co-founded the IT3 Lab at the University of Toronto, which conducted interdisciplinary research on privacy and transparency issues. Professor Austin earned her BA &Sc from McMaster University (1994), MA from the University of Toronto (1995), LLB from the University of Toronto (1998), and PhD from the University of Toronto (2005). She was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2006 and previously served as law clerk to Mr. Justice Frank Iacobucci of the Supreme Court of Canada. Her research spans data governance, privacy law, property law, and legal theory. Professor Austin has published in prestigious journals including Legal Theory , Law and Philosophy , Theoretical Inquiries in Law , and Canadian Journal of Law and Society . She co-edited Private Law and the Rule of Law (Oxford University Press, 2015), challenging the conventional understanding that the rule of law applies only to public law. Professor Austin's scholarship consistently emphasizes the relationship between privacy, power dynamics, and legal frameworks, arguing that privacy is fundamentally about power rather than mere consent or harm prevention. Her recent work addresses pressing issues including the data governance gap during the COVID-19 pandemic, digital rethinking of constitutional privacy protections, and smart city data governance. 2017 President's Impact Award from the University of Toronto Professor Austin actively engages in policy discussions, having submitted testimony before parliamentary committees on privacy legislation reform, including the Privacy Act and the Security of Canada Information Sharing Act. Her work bridges academic scholarship with practical policy impact, making her a leading voice in Canadian privacy law and technology governance.
Florian Martin-Bariteau is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law - Common Law Section of the University of Ottawa . He serves as Director of the Centre for Law, Technology and Society and holds the LR Wilson Chair in Information Technology and e-Commerce Law as an Affiliate Scholar. His work spans cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, smart contracts, and intellectual property law. Research Focus : Cybersecurity, AI governance, and digital democracy. Leadership : Director of Centre for Law, Technology and Society (2016–present). Education : LL.D. in Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law from Université de Montréal; multiple degrees in law from Université d'Aix-Marseilles III. His recent scholarship addresses AI's impact on elections, human-centric cybersecurity, and regulatory challenges for quantum technologies. Work includes comparative analyses of intellectual property law, smart contracts, and data protection frameworks. He collaborates with institutions across Canada and Europe, including Université de Montréal, McGill University, and Université Laval, and has contributed to policy agendas for a digitally connected Canada.
Dr. Arno Berger is a Professor in the Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences at the University of Alberta. He holds a Dipl.Ing. (ME) and Dipl.Ing. (MSc) in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mathematics from TU Wien (Vienna University of Technology), followed by a Dr. techn (PhD) and Habilitation in Applied Mathematics from the same institution. His research focuses on dynamical systems, ergodic theory, Benford's Law, nonautonomous dynamics, bifurcation theory, applied probability, and dimensional analysis. He has held visiting positions at prestigious institutions including Georgia Tech, University of Warwick, Goethe University Frankfurt, and University of Canterbury. His recent work includes studies on Saint-Venant-Polya inequalities, planar curves with position-dependent curvature, and distributions of logarithmic functions. He co-authored the seminal book An Introduction to Benford's Law (2015), and maintains the Benford Online Bibliography. His teaching spans courses like Differential Equations and Real Variables. Dr. Berger’s research has explored Benford’s Law in diverse contexts, from stochastic processes to finite-time dynamics. His articles often bridge theoretical insights with practical applications, emphasizing the ubiquity of Benford’s Law in mathematical systems.
Ariel Katz is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto, where he teaches intellectual property, constitutional law, cyberlaw, and the intersection of competition law and intellectual property. He holds an SJD from the University of Toronto and prior degrees from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His research focuses on the economic analysis of competition law and intellectual property, with additional interests in digital trade, pharmaceutical regulation, and constitutional issues. LL.B., Hebrew University (1997) LL.M., Hebrew University (2001) S.J.D., University of Toronto (2005) Professor Katz’s research interests lie at the intersection of law, economics, and innovation policy. He explores how intellectual property and competition laws shape markets, innovation, and access to knowledge. His work critically examines doctrines such as fair dealing, copyright exhaustion, and collective administration of rights, often from a comparative and transatlantic perspective. He investigates the economic rationales behind legal rules and their implications for digital platforms, libraries, and global research. His recent publications demonstrate a sustained engagement with copyright and antitrust policy, particularly in digital environments. Themes include text and data mining, fair use evolution, data governance, and the impact of trade agreements on domestic law. His scholarship frequently bridges legal theory and practical policy, influencing academic and public discourse. Notable recognition includes: The Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) Award of Merit (2022) Professor Katz has advised on policy matters, including submissions on copyright term extension under CUSMA. He was Director of the Centre for Innovation Law and Policy (2009–2012) and has collaborated with scholars across North America. He maintains an active blog and has written op-eds in major Canadian newspapers. His work appears in leading journals such as the University of Chicago Law Review , Antitrust Law Journal , and BYU Law Review . He is affiliated with the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law and contributes to SSRN and public intellectual forums. Professor Katz has been involved in digital scholarship initiatives and has written on the role of libraries in knowledge ecosystems. His work connects legal doctrine with broader societal challenges, including access to medicines, digital rights, and constitutional integrity, particularly in the context of Canada and Israel.
Stephen D. Hart is a Full Professor in the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University, with expertise in clinical-forensic psychology. His work focuses on assessment in criminal and civil settings, particularly violence risk and psychopathic personality disorder. He has also served as a Visiting Professor at the University of Bergen since 2000 and provides violence risk assessment and management services through Protect International Risk and Safety Services. Dr. Hart completed his education at the University of British Columbia, obtaining a BA in 1984, MA in 1987, and PhD in 1993. He began teaching at Simon Fraser University in 1990 and was appointed a regular faculty member in 1994. His primary research interest is clinical-forensic assessment, with specific focus on violence risk (including intimate partner violence, sexual violence, stalking, workplace violence, and terrorism) and psychopathic personality disorder. He co-developed the Structured Professional Judgment (SPJ) approach to violence risk assessment and has co-authored numerous SPJ violence risk assessment guides including HCR-20, RSVP, SVR-20, SARA, B-SAFER, SAM, PATRIARCH, MLG, and EARLI. He also developed the Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality (CAPP) concept map with colleagues at Glasgow Caledonian University and the University of Liverpool. His publication record shows consistent output with significant contributions to understanding violence risk assessment across cultures and settings, as evidenced by his work on cases like Ewert v. Canada. His recent publications focus on economic analysis of crime costs associated with psychopathic personality disorder, stalking recidivism, and online stalking behaviors. Distinguished Contributions Award, American Academy of Forensic Psychology (2019) Distinguished Achievement Award, Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (2009) Career Achievement Award, Section on Clinical Emergencies and Crises (Section VII) of the Society of Clinical Psychology (2003) Jerome Fisher Memorial Lecture Award (2001) Saleem Shah Award for Early Career Research Excellence (1995) Dr. Hart has supervised numerous graduate and undergraduate students at Simon Fraser University and other institutions, and has acted as external examiner for graduate students worldwide. His research has received substantial funding, enabling the development and validation of multiple assessment instruments that have become standards in forensic practice. He has also served as Editor of the Journal of Threat Assessment and Management, further demonstrating his leadership in the field. Dr. Hart leads or significantly contributes to research teams focused on violence risk assessment and psychopathy assessment, collaborating with international colleagues across multiple disciplines including psychology, psychiatry, criminology, and law. His work bridges academic research and practical application in forensic settings globally.
Bonar Buffam is an Associate Professor in the Department of History and Sociology at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. He is affiliated with the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and serves as a graduate student supervisor in the Power, Conflict and Ideas theme of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies program. His work focuses on race, empire, socio-legal studies, religion, and urban geographies. Buffam holds a PhD from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver), an MA from the University of Alberta, and a BA from Simon Fraser University. His research explores intersections of law, race, and state power, including projects such as the SSHRC-funded study on religious minorities in Western Canada (2018–2021). His publications analyze topics like legal regulation of Sikh gurdwaras, racial dynamics in criminal justice systems, and the sociological implications of public celebrations like Vaisakhi. He teaches courses such as Foundations of Sociological Thought, True Crime Sociology, and the Sociology of Religion, with a focus on critical theory and empirical case studies. Buffam supervises graduate research on themes including religion and secularism, cultural criminology, and social theory. His collaborative projects include work on 'Aesthetic Sociologies' with Heidi Bickis and Ondine Park. His interdisciplinary approach bridges historical analysis with contemporary socio-legal challenges.
