Joshua J. Coon is a Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with appointments in the Department of Biomolecular Chemistry and the Department of Chemistry. He leads the Coon Group, focusing on advancing mass spectrometry technologies for proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics. His research addresses fundamental questions in cell biology, including stem cell differentiation, epigenetic regulation, and cancer biomarker discovery. Affiliations : Director of the NIGMS National Center for Quantitative Biology of Complex Systems. Research Emphasis : Instrumentation development, data analysis software, ion chemistry, and biological applications of proteomics. Laboratory : Located in the Genome Center of Wisconsin with a dozen hybrid mass spectrometers, including Orbitrap systems. Collaborations : Long-term partnership with Thermo Fisher Scientific and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) for technology commercialization. Training : Mentored 27 Ph.D. students since 2009, emphasizing interdisciplinary research and professional development.
Christos Gatzidis serves as Executive Dean of Bournemouth University's Faculty of Science and Technology since October 2023, overseeing six departments including Computing and Informatics, Creative Technology, and Psychology. Previously Deputy Dean (2021-2023) and Head of Creative Technology Department (2016-2021), he was appointed Professor in Creative Technology in November 2019. The Faculty leads five REF Units of Assessment and secures funding from AHRC, NIHR, and Innovate UK for research spanning digital healthcare, gaming technologies, and cultural heritage applications. His educational qualifications include: PhD in Information Science, City University London (2010) PG Cert in Research Degree Supervision, Bournemouth University (2010) MA in Computer Animation, Teesside University (2003) BSc (Hons) in Computer Studies (Visualisation), University of Derby (2002) Professor Gatzidis specializes in computer graphics with research spanning virtual reality, serious games, and digital healthcare applications. His work bridges technical innovation and practical implementation, particularly in mindfulness prototypes for healthcare and stroke rehabilitation systems. Current projects focus on the multidisciplinary application of gaming technologies in medical contexts, emphasizing user experience and therapeutic outcomes through collaborations with industry partners. His publication record (2014-2025) demonstrates evolving expertise from foundational computer graphics research in terrain generation and deformation to applied work in healthcare, cultural heritage, and music education. Key trends include virtual reality for therapeutic mindfulness, usability studies in mobile gaming, and digital cultural presentation techniques, reflecting a trajectory toward socially impactful technological solutions with strong industry translation. No scientific awards are documented in the provided information. He has supervised PhD students and secured competitive research funding, including two Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. His principal investigator role in a virtual reality mindfulness prototype project exemplifies his approach to translating academic research into practical industry solutions, with current focus on expanding knowledge exchange activities to support the University's civic engagement mission. As Executive Dean, he leads faculty-wide research strategy across six departments, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations particularly in digital healthcare and cultural heritage. His personal research integrates computer graphics expertise with clinical applications through partnerships with healthcare providers and technology companies, driving innovation in therapeutic VR systems and educational gaming platforms.
Associate Professor Dan Dongseong Kim is Deputy Director of UQ Cybersecurity and an Associate Professor at The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia. Previously, he held permanent academic positions at The University of Canterbury (UC), New Zealand (2011-2018) as a Senior Lecturer and Lecturer. His research focuses on Cybersecurity and Dependability for AI, IoT, Autonomous Vehicles, Cloud Computing, and Moving Target Defenses (MTD). Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Engineering from Korea Aerospace University Postdoctoral Research at Duke University (2008-2011) Visiting Scholar at University of Maryland (2007) Dan's work explores Graphical Security Models , Moving Target Defense for proactive resilience, and AI-Driven Cybersecurity with emphasis on adversarial robustness and interpretable models. His recent publications (2024-2025) span journals like IEEE Transactions on Dependable and Secure Computing and conferences such as DSN , addressing automated defense, evolving attacks, and hardware-aware security frameworks. He has advised 15 Ph.D. graduates, including researchers now at institutions like RMIT University, La Trobe University, and CSIRO's Data61. Current supervision includes projects on Automated Penetration Testing , AI-Based Intrusion Response , and Moving Target Defense . Dan's research is funded by agencies including the Republic of Korea's Agency for Defence Development and US Army Research Lab . His professional roles include Associate Editor for IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials and Steering Committee Chair for IEEE PRDC .
Robert M. Weikle, II is a Professor in the Charles L. Brown Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Virginia, with a courtesy appointment in the Department of Physics. He earned his B.S. from Rice University (1986), M.S. (1987), and Ph.D. (1992) in Electrical Engineering from Caltech, followed by postdoctoral work at Chalmers University of Technology (1992). His research focuses on millimeter-wave and terahertz electronics , applied electromagnetics, integrated antennas, low-noise sensors, and heterogeneous integration of compound semiconductors. His work bridges electronics and photonics for spectrum access, with applications in astronomy, spectroscopy, and metrology. He has published extensively on micromachined silicon substrates, superconducting materials, and emerging technologies. Scientific Awards: IEEE Microwave Prize (1993) David A. Harrison III Award (1999) University of Virginia All-University Outstanding Teaching Award (2000) Edlich-Henderson Innovator of the Year (2016) Fulbright Scholar (2001) As Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of Dominion Microprobes, Inc., he commercializes micromachined wafer probes for high-frequency metrology. His lab, located in E220 Thornton Hall and the Jesse W. Beams Physics Building, has produced 15+ recent publications on submillimeter-wave devices, THz probes, and calibration techniques.
Hamid Bagheri is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln , affiliated with the School of Computing and the Institute for Software Research (ISR) at UC Irvine. He co-directs the ESQuaReD Lab and focuses on software engineering, security, and formal methods. Research Interests span software reliability, mobile/IoT security, automated program repair, and cyber-physical systems. His work integrates lightweight formal methods, testing, and machine learning. Publications appear in top venues like IEEE TSE , ISSTA , and ICSE . Recipient of the EPSCoR FIRST Award and NSF CISE Career Award Advisor to PhD students (e.g., Clay Stevens, Mohannad Alhanahnah) now in tenure-track roles Active in program committees (IEEE TSE, ACM TOSEM) and research leadership
Parisa Hosseinzadeh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Oregon. Her research focuses on computational protein design and structure-guided rational protein/peptide engineering, with applications in enzyme design, biosensors, and biomedical solutions. She holds a B.Sc. from the University of Tehran, a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois (advisor: Yi Lu), and a postdoc at the University of Washington in David Baker's lab. Her lab emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches at the intersection of computer science, chemistry, and biology, prioritizing diversity and inclusion in STEM. Key projects include designing cyclic peptides as enzyme inhibitors, developing methods for tuning redox potentials in metalloproteins, and creating tools to combat biomedical challenges. Lab members include postdocs, graduate students (e.g., Noora Azadvari, Andrew Powers), and undergraduates. Notable achievements include NSF grants, the Baxter Foundation Award, and the Hans Horse Meyer Award. The lab also emphasizes mentorship, collaborative culture, and outreach initiatives.
Gayane Vardoyan is an Assistant Professor at the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst. She previously held a permanent Assistant Professor position at QuTech (Quantum Internet Division) and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, and Computer Science at TU Delft (2022–2024). Her research focuses on quantum networking, particularly developing protocols for entanglement distribution and optimizing quantum systems. Vardoyan earned her B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from UC Berkeley and her Ph.D. from UMass Amherst under Prof. Don Towsley. She has held postdoctoral and research roles at TU Delft, Inria, and Argonne National Lab. Education: Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Amherst (2017–2021) M.S., University of Massachusetts Amherst (2017) B.S., University of California, Berkeley (2013) Research Interests: Vardoyan’s work addresses challenges in distributed quantum systems, including entanglement distribution algorithms, quantum repeater architectures, and performance analysis of quantum networks. She integrates classical networking techniques with quantum principles to enhance protocol efficiency. Current projects emphasize utility maximization, resource allocation, and optimizing quantum network performance under hardware constraints. Awards: Best Paper Award, Performance 2021 Best-In-Session Presentation Award, INFOCOM 2018 Advising & Grants: Supervises PhD and Master’s students on quantum network design and optimization. Collaborates with industry and academic partners on projects funded by NSF and EU grants. Previously led initiatives at QuTech and co-organized events like the Quantum Software Consortium General Assembly. Labs & Teams: Leads the Distributed Quantum Systems group at UMass, focusing on theoretical and applied research in quantum networking. Engages in cross-disciplinary collaborations with computer science and electrical engineering teams.
Alvin NG Theng Haw is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Division of Information Technology and Operations Management, College of Business (Nanyang Business School), Nanyang Technological University (NTU). He combines over 20 years of global leadership experience in Sales and Product Management with academic roles, including serving as a Senior Career Fellow and executive coach for NTU’s Global Executive MBA and Full-Time MBA programmes. His work focuses on integrating Digital Transformation, Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence for Business into strategic frameworks. Research Interests : Alvin specializes in leveraging Digital Transformation and Advanced Technologies (IoT, AI) to drive business innovation. His publications in materials science demonstrate interdisciplinary applications of these technologies to fields like Soft Robotics, Self-Healing Materials, and Wearable Electronics. His expertise extends to Smart Cities, Sustainability Technology, and Industry 4.0, where he applies business strategies to technological challenges. Contributions : As a founding member of the World Economic Forum’s Digital ASEAN Skills Task Force, he advocates for digital literacy and skills development. His industry experience includes roles in networking, software, cloud platforms, and biorenewable materials, reflecting a bridge between business and engineering.
Ken Forbus is the Walter P. Murphy Professor of Computer Science and Professor of Education at Northwestern University. He earned his Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence from MIT in 1984, along with S.M. and S.B. degrees in Computer Science from the same institution. Current research focuses on qualitative reasoning , analogical reasoning , spatial reasoning , sketch understanding , and the Companion cognitive architecture . He has made foundational contributions to qualitative physics , compositional modeling , and cognitive simulation through systems like CyclePad and Companions . His work spans AI, cognitive science, and education technology with applications in intelligent tutoring systems , educational software , and interactive entertainment . Awards and Fellowships: Humboldt Research Award AAAI Fellow Cognitive Science Society Fellow ACM Fellow AAAS Fellow Herbert A. Simon Prize recipient Research trends in recent publications include analogical reasoning frameworks, normative modeling, pretense simulation, qualitative spatial representations, and applications in education and cognitive systems. Articles frequently address intersections between AI, cognitive science, and human-computer interaction. Teaching activities include core courses like Cognitive Science 207 , Design of Problem Solvers , and Conversational AI . He co-developed the open-source Freeciv game framework for AI research in strategy games.
Dr. Anne Ozdowska is a Research Fellow in the School of Computing at The Australian National University (ANU). Her work focuses on heuristic evaluation methods for design, inclusive technologies, and game design principles. She holds a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) awarded in 2019, alongside a BCompSc degree. Her research emphasizes applying Universal Design and game mechanics to create accessible technologies. She is registered to supervise research students in these areas. Key research interests include: Heuristic evaluation frameworks for early design validation Inclusive game design for diverse audiences Augmented Reality applications in health and education Assistive technologies for neurodiverse populations Publications span topics from cross-platform multiplayer game design (2025) to foundational studies on screen time effects in young children (2012). Her work bridges academic research with practical applications, including commercialized software from her doctoral research. Professional contributions include developing GameFlow heuristic frameworks and contributing to educational interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder. Details on grants and lab affiliations are not explicitly stated in available materials.
Keller Easterling is a Professor at the Yale School of Architecture and director of its Master of Environmental Design program. An architect, writer, and theorist, her work interrogates infrastructure space as a medium of political and social innovation. Key themes include global development , spatial justice , and climate resilience , with projects like ATTTNT (2023–2024), a reparations-focused land trust network, and Switch (2015), a mobility framework addressing urban sprawl. Books : Extrastatecraft (2014), Subtraction (2014), Medium Design (2021). Exhibitions : Featured in the Venice Biennale (2014), Architectural League (New York), and the Rotterdam Biennale . Research : Explores spatial products of capitalism , decolonial landholding , and non-extractive design . Engages with HBCUs and land activists to operationalize community economies and mutualist infrastructures . Select Articles : Contributions to Harvard Design Magazine , Domus , and e-flux , analyzing infrastructure as design and spatial counter-logics . Teaching & Collaborations : Leads design studios on medium design and infrastructural reprogramming . Collaborated with institutions like MIT , Guggenheim , and Prada , with recent talks at the European Graduate School (2025) and MoMA (2025).
Rocío Titiunik is a Professor of Politics at Princeton University and Director of the Data-Driven Social Science Initiative. She holds affiliations with the School of Public and International Affairs, the Department of Operations Research and Financial Engineering, the Center for Statistics and Machine Learning, the Program in Latin American Studies, the Center for the Study of Democratic Politics, and the Research Program in Political Economy. Her work bridges quantitative methodology, political economy, and statistical analysis, focusing on causal inference and program evaluation through regression discontinuity (RD) designs. She earned her undergraduate degree at the Universidad de Buenos Aires and a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from UC-Berkeley (2009). Before joining Princeton, she served as faculty at the University of Michigan’s Department of Political Science, where she was affiliated with the Center for Political Studies and the Michigan Institute for Data Science. Rocío’s research emphasizes the application of quasi-experimental methods to study political institutions, democratic accountability, and party systems in developing democracies. Her methodological contributions include advancements in RD designs, synthetic controls, and uncertainty quantification. Recent substantive work investigates charismatic leaders’ impact on democratic stability and the effects of voter registration reforms on public safety. Her scholarly achievements include the 2016 Emerging Scholar Award from the Society for Political Methodology and 2020 fellowship in the same society. She currently serves as an associate editor for Science Advances and a Board member for Science, while previously holding roles at the American Journal of Political Science and the NSF’s Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate. Rocío’s advising and grant activities include co-leading the EITM Summer Institute and securing federal research funding for projects on political methodology and democracy. She teaches advanced quantitative analysis courses and collaborates across disciplines to strengthen empirical research practices. Her work is anchored in collaborative initiatives like the Center for Statistics and Machine Learning, which integrates computational tools with social science inquiry, and the Program in Latin American Studies, reflecting her commitment to regional and methodological innovation.
Dr. Michel Chaaya is a Senior Lecturer in Civil Engineering at the University of Sydney, with expertise in project management, construction engineering, and sustainability. He holds a PhD from the University of Sydney and is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia and the College of Leadership and Management. His research focuses on innovative project management methodologies, sustainable construction practices, and BIM implementation. Education: BE, ME(Res), PhD in Project Management and IT from the University of Sydney. Research Interests: Enhancing project success through risk management, modular construction, and BIM adoption. He emphasizes communication, sustainability, and community wellbeing in construction projects. Recent projects include studies on net-zero steel production, BIM in SMEs, and NCC 2022 energy requirements. Awards: ARCHIBUS Excellence Awards (2017-2013), Best Residential Development Awards (2009-2010), and Australian Postgraduate Award (1997). Teaching: Courses include Project Planning, Professional Practice in Engineering Management, and Global Project Management. He has supervised over 250 theses since 2003. Industry Roles: Director of Business Development for multiple organizations, specializing in construction, IT systems, and real estate. He advises on complex project delivery and stakeholder management.
Andy McLennan is a Professor in the School of Economics at the University of Queensland since 2007, following roles at the University of Minnesota (1987–2005) and the University of Sydney. His research focuses on mathematical economics and game theory, with contributions to computational game theory, fixed point theory, and algebraic geometry. Notable collaborations include work with Richard McKelvey on the Gambit software package for game analysis. Education: B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Chicago (undergraduate), PhD in Economics from Princeton University (1982). Prior faculty positions included the University of Toronto and Cornell University. Research Interests: Explores intersections between pure mathematics and economics, including applications of topology (Vietoris-Begle theorem), differential geometry (Morse-Sard theorem), and computational complexity in markets. Recent work includes the 'Index +1 Principle' for equilibrium stability and fixed point index theory. Software & Tools: Co-developed Gambit , a widely used open-source toolkit for analyzing finite games. Authored technical software for solving systems of equations and 3D visualization tools for academic use. Books: Authored Advanced Fixed Point Theory for Economics (Springer, 2018), The Algebra of Coherent Algebraic Sheaves , and The Nature and Origins of Modern Mathematics . Personal: Lives in Brisbane with his partner Shino Takayama (also an economist) and their son Sean. Enjoys Japanese language, classical music, and strategic games like Go and chess.
Dr. John Hastings is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Dakota State University, part of the Beacom College of Computer & Cyber Sciences. With nearly 35 years of experience, he specializes in teaching and curriculum development in computer science, combining academic rigor with industry insights from his roles as an AI/ML engineer, team leader, and business owner. Education: Ph.D., Computer Science, University of Wyoming M.S., Computer Science, University of Wyoming B.S., Computer Science, University of Wyoming Research interests include machine learning, AI applications in natural language processing (LLMs), generative AI, computer vision, ecological/environmental AI, AI in games, and gamification in education. Recent publications focus on cybersecurity challenges, AI ethics, and insider threat detection. His work has been recognized with awards such as the AAAI’s Innovative Applications of Artificial Intelligence (IAAI) Award and an International IPM Award for Excellence related to the CARMA AI tool. Teaching emphasizes active learning and practical skills, including courses on programming, data structures, AI, and cybersecurity. He advocates for gamification in education to enhance student engagement and success.
