Riccardo Tommasini is an Associate Professor at INSA Lyon , a leading engineering institution in France. He leads the Stream Processing and Knowledge Graphs research within the DB Team at LIRIS laboratory under Professor Angela Bonifati. His academic journey began with a PhD in Computer Science from Politecnico di Milano under Emanuele Della Valle, with a dissertation titled Velocity on the Web to be published as a Springer book. Research Interests : Advancing stream processing for real-time data systems Extending knowledge graphs with dynamic data Designing graph databases for big data applications Creating query languages for heterogeneous data environments Building data engineering pipelines with Apache Airflow Enabling big graph processing in distributed settings Key Contributions : Developed Zodiac framework for Datalog reasoning under rule amendments (ICDE 2025) Co-authored foundational Streaming Linked Data book with Springer (2023) Created RSP4J API for RDF stream processing (ESWC 2021) Designed challenge-based learning curriculum for Data Engineering courses Scientific Recognition : Received ANR JCJC grant for POLYFLOW project (2024) Awarded Best Resource at ESWC 2021 Managed industrial collaborations with Neo4j, InfluxData, and Confluent Advising & Teaching : Supervises Mohamed Ragab (PhD candidate at University of Tartu) Course Leadership : Foundational Data Engineering course at INSA Lyon and University of Tartu Structured around Apache Airflow , Docker, and graph databases
Arash Asadpour Rahimabadi is an Associate Professor at the N. P. Loomba Department of Management within the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College, CUNY . His research bridges Operations Research and Management Science , focusing on algorithmic design, dynamic pricing, and optimization in gig economy platforms. Education: Ph.D. in Operations Research, Stanford University (2010) BSc in Computer Engineering, Sharif University of Technology (2004) His research interests include stochastic optimization , submodular maximization , marketplace stability , and fair allocation . Recent work explores dynamic pricing in extreme value regimes , shared ride sustainability , and regulation of gig economy platforms . His scientific contributions span algorithmic game theory, combinatorial optimization, and resource allocation, with key publications in Management Science and Operations Research . Current projects analyze escrow payment mechanisms , shared mobility efficiency , and hotel reservation systems . Scientific Awards Best Paper Award, ACM-SIAM Symposium on Discrete Algorithms (SODA), 2010 1st Rank in Iran’s National Graduate Entrance Exam in Computer Engineering, 2004 Silver Medals in Iranian National Olympiads in Informatics, 1999–2000 He serves on graduate and PhD committees at CUNY and has reviewed for journals including Management Science and Operations Research . His teaching includes courses like Decision Models and Analytics and Advanced Discrete Optimization .
Maryellen L. Giger, Ph.D. is the A.N. Pritzker Distinguished Service Professor of Radiology, Committee on Medical Physics, and the College at the University of Chicago. She serves as Vice-Chair of Radiology (Basic Science Research) and was the immediate past Director of the CAMPEP-accredited Graduate Programs in Medical Physics/Chair of the Committee on Medical Physics. Her career spans over 30 years of pioneering research in computer-aided diagnosis, machine learning, and deep learning applications in medical imaging. Dr. Giger's research focuses on computational image-based analyses for cancer risk assessment, diagnosis, prognosis, and response to therapy, particularly in breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, lupus, bone diseases, and more recently, COVID-19. Her work has evolved from developing computer-aided diagnosis systems to utilizing 'virtual biopsies' in imaging genomics association studies for discovery. She has made significant contributions to quantitative imaging, radiomics, and AI applications in medical imaging, with emphasis on translating research into clinical practice. Her publication record shows a clear trajectory from foundational work in computer vision for medical imaging to cutting-edge AI and deep learning applications. The recent publications demonstrate her leadership in large-scale collaborative efforts like the Medical Imaging and Data Resource Center (MIDRC), focus on health equity through AI analysis, and expansion into diverse applications including gynecological imaging, lung cancer screening, and trauma assessment. Her work consistently bridges technical innovation with clinical relevance. Dr. Giger has received numerous prestigious honors including membership in the National Academy of Engineering, the William D. Coolidge Gold Medal (the highest award from AAPM), and being named one of the 50 most impactful medical physicists in the last 50 years. She is a Fellow of multiple professional societies including AAPM, AIMBE, SPIE, SBMR, and IEEE. Her 2019 TIME magazine recognition for QuantX, the first FDA-cleared machine-learning-driven system for cancer diagnosis, highlights her translational impact. As an educator and mentor, Dr. Giger has guided over 100 graduate students, residents, and medical students throughout her career. She has secured substantial research funding including NIH R01 grants and serves as contact PI for the NIH NIBIB-funded & ARPA-H-funded Medical Imaging and Data Resource Center (MIDRC). Her leadership extends to former presidencies of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine and SPIE, and she was the inaugural Editor-in-Chief of the SPIE Journal of Medical Imaging. Dr. Giger co-founded Quantitative Insights, Inc. through the University of Chicago's New Venture Challenge, which developed QuantX - the first FDA-cleared AI system for cancer diagnosis. She leads the Medical Imaging and Data Resource Center (MIDRC), a critical resource for AI development in medical imaging that received the 2023 DataWorks Prize. Her research laboratory bridges engineering, physics, and clinical medicine to develop and validate quantitative imaging biomarkers and AI tools for precision medicine.
Daehyeok Kim is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at The University of Texas at Austin, where he co-leads the UT Networked Systems Research Group and participates in the Wireless Networking and Communications Group and 6G@UT. He serves as co-PI for the LDOS NSF Expeditions in Computing project, a major initiative rethinking operating systems through AI. His educational background includes a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University under advisors Vyas Sekar and Srinivasan Seshan, where his dissertation introduced abstractions for elastic in-network computing. He also earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Computer Science and Engineering from POSTECH, South Korea, followed by research scientist work at KAIST prior to his Ph.D. Kim's research centers on hardware-software co-design for cloud and edge data centers, targeting speed, efficiency, and resilience. Key projects include resource management for programmable infrastructure, robust cellular network design, end-to-end network transport frameworks, and learning-directed operating systems. His work bridges computer networks, operating systems, distributed systems, and 5G/6G technologies, with emphasis on virtualized radio access networks (vRAN) and edge computing challenges. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a dominant focus on enhancing 5G/6G infrastructure reliability—particularly in virtualized RANs—through innovations in failover mechanisms, integrity protection, and latency-sensitive resource allocation. His research consistently addresses critical industry pain points like sub-second availability requirements, fronthaul security vulnerabilities, and end-to-end service-level objective (SLO) guarantees for mobile-edge applications. Notable scientific awards include: NSF CAREER Award (2025) for advancing cloud hardware efficiency Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship (2019) Bronze Award at Samsung HumanTech Paper Awards (2018) Qualcomm Innovation Awards (2016) His grant portfolio features leadership in the $10M+ LDOS NSF Expeditions project and the NSF CAREER award, both driving transformative work in AI-integrated operating systems and resilient network infrastructure. These projects demonstrate strong industry-academia collaboration with Microsoft Research, wireless vendors, and cloud providers. Kim co-leads the UT Networked Systems Research Group, which operates within the Wireless Networking and Communications Group and 6G@UT consortium. These labs maintain a 5G/6G testbed for Open RAN validation and focus on solving real-world problems in cellular infrastructure, edge computing, and network security through close partnerships with industry leaders.
Thomas W. Malone is the Patrick J. McGovern Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He holds joint appointments as Professor of Information Technology and Professor of Work and Organizational Studies. As founding director of the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence, he leads pioneering research on how people and computers can connect intelligently. Previously, he founded the MIT Center for Coordination Science and co-directed the MIT Initiative on 'Inventing the Organizations of the 21st Century'. His teaching focuses on organizational design, IT, and leadership. His research examines how new organizations leverage information technology, with groundbreaking predictions about electronic business in 1987. Major works include the influential books The Future of Work (2004) and Superminds (2018). Research areas span: Collective Intelligence: Designing systems combining human and machine intelligence Organizational Structure: Decentralization, coordination, and future work models Climate Solutions: Crowdsourcing through Climate CoLab AI Implications: Human-AI collaboration in business strategy His publications demonstrate consistent focus on collective problem-solving, with recent emphasis on AI-workforce integration, remote team intelligence, and computational group metrics. Key research projects include the Collective Intelligence Design Lab, Minglr, Climate CoLab, and Measuring Collective Intelligence. Honors include an honorary doctorate from the University of Zurich . He co-founded four software companies and holds 11 patents in collaboration systems and organizational modeling. He directs the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence, leading interdisciplinary teams on global challenges. Current initiatives explore AI-enhanced prediction markets, collective intelligence genomes, and hybrid human-machine systems for organizational design.
Luo Mai is an Assistant Professor at the University of Edinburgh's School of Informatics , with an upcoming promotion to Associate Professor (UK Reader) in August 2025. He leads the Large-Scale Machine Learning Systems Group and co-leads the UK EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Machine Learning Systems and an ARIA Project on Scaling AI Compute by 1000X . PhD in Computer Science (Imperial College London, 2018) MRes in Advanced Computing (Imperial College London, 2012) His research focuses on the intersection of computer systems , machine learning , and data management . Key contributions include award-winning systems like WaferLLM (wafer-scale LLM inference), Tenplex (elastic ML), and ServerlessLLM (serverless LLM serving), published at top venues (OSDI, SOSP, ICML, NeurIPS, JMLR). Recent publications demonstrate trends in GPU-based distributed systems , LLM optimization , and adaptive machine learning . His team has developed groundbreaking open-source projects including TensorLayer , TorchOpt , and ServerlessLLM . Awarded Microsoft Research StarTrack Scholar (2024) , secured ARIA grant (2024) with Imperial College & Cambridge University, and received Google Fellowship during PhD (2012-2016). As an educator, he designed Edinburgh's popular Machine Learning Systems course (150+ students). His group supervises multiple PhD students including Yao Fu (recognized as 2024 Rising Star in ML & Systems) and Leyang Xue .
Leonardo Becchetti is a Full Professor at the University of Rome Tor Vergata's Department of Economics and Finance, teaching Microeconomics and Topics in Applied Economics for the 2025-2026 academic year. Based in room P2 S55, he maintains an active research profile with email contact becchetti@economia.uniroma2.it. His research centers on Corporate Finance, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Happiness Economics, extending to Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition. He investigates how economic structures influence well-being through relational goods, generativity, and sustainability frameworks, employing game-theoretic and empirical methodologies to analyze climate action, AI impacts, and cooperative behavior. Analysis of his 2024-2025 publications reveals intensifying focus on ecological transition mechanisms, including renewable energy communities, circular economy governance, and sustainable investment models. His work increasingly integrates climate economics with behavioral insights, examining conditional cooperation in environmental actions and AI's disruption of labor markets. No scientific awards or student advising information is publicly documented. He participates in departmental research initiatives including DEF Seminars and ROBO Seminars, contributing to the university's research centers on economic and social impact.
Margaret Garcia is an Associate Professor at the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment , Arizona State University (ASU). She is affiliated with multiple research centers, including the Center for Behavior, Institutions and the Environment (CBIE) , Central Arizona-Phoenix Long Term Ecological Research , Earth Systems Science for the Anthropocene , Water Institute , and Global Futures Scientists and Scholars . Education: Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University (2017) M.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California-Los Angeles B.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering and B.A., International Studies, Lafayette College (2004) Her research focuses on the sustainability and resilience of urban water systems , using systems analysis to study feedbacks in coupled human-hydrological systems . Key themes include reservoir operations , adaptive infrastructure , water policy , and real-time flood monitoring . Recent work explores equity in water management , institutional dynamics , and green infrastructure optimization . Her 15 most recent publications span topics in socio-hydrology , water policy analysis , climate change adaptation , and urban flood modeling , with applications to the Western Water Network , Colorado River Basin , and transboundary regions like Ambos Nogales. Collaborative projects include NSF-funded initiatives on adaptive reservoir operations , cross-scale interactions , and community-based flood awareness . Scientific Awards: NSF CAREER Grant 1942370 (2020) She mentors students in Ph.D. programs (e.g., Ashish Shrestha , Behshad Mohajer ) and Master’s programs (e.g., Dillon Nys , Krista Lawless ). Her teaching includes graduate courses on research, reading, and thesis advising, alongside undergraduate hydrology classes.
Jens Kattge is an Independent Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Jena, Germany, specializing in Functional Biogeography. His career spans roles from Research Associate (2002–2005) to Senior Scientist (2010–2012) and current group leadership since 2013. He focuses on plant functional traits, their role in terrestrial ecosystems, and their integration into Earth system models. He coordinates the global TRY Initiative , a plant trait database for biodiversity research, and contributes to the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv). His research spans functional biogeography, trait-climate relationships, ecosystem modeling, and biodiversity-ecosystem functioning. Key projects include developing the rtry R package for trait data preprocessing and analyzing global datasets like CoRRE Trait Data and sPlotOpen. Recent publications investigate leaf cuticle thickness, drought responses in tree species, trait controls on biomass, global biodiversity patterns, and the integration of citizen science with Earth observation data. His work emphasizes trait data representativeness and future-proofing ecological science.
Bern Klein is a Professor at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Applied Science, specifically within the Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering. His career spans over three decades, beginning with extensive industry experience from 1990 to 1998, followed by his academic role at UBC since 1997. He has held leadership positions including Graduate Advisor (1999-2008) and Department Head (2008-2014), and has been instrumental in establishing research centers like the Centre for Industrial Minerals Innovations and the Canadian International Resources and Development Institute. Education: PhD in Mineral Process Engineering, University of British Columbia (1992) BASc in Mining and Mineral Process Engineering, University of British Columbia (1985) Research Interests: Professor Klein's research is centered on mineral processing technologies , with a strong emphasis on energy efficiency and environmental sustainability in mining operations. His work encompasses: Comminution processes and energy optimization Rheology of mineral suspensions Sensor-based ore sorting technologies Water and energy conservation in mining Development of innovative mineral processing flowsheets His research has led to the creation of Mine Sense Technologies Ltd , a startup company that has developed novel sensor-based sorting systems for the mining industry. Scientific Awards: Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Transactions Best Paper Award (2008) Canadian Institute of Mining Distinguished Lecturer Award (2011) CEEC Medal for Best Paper (2013, 2016) CEEC Honorable Mention for Best Paper (2022) Mitacs Award for Exceptional Leadership for a Professor (2023) Teaching and Supervision: Professor Klein teaches courses including MINE 201 Mineral Resources Engineering II , MINE 434/524 Processing of Precious Metal Ores , MINE 508 Integrated Mining and Processing Systems , and MINE 579 Rheology of Mineral Suspensions . He has supervised numerous graduate students, with Uuganbadrakh Oyunkhishig being one of his Master's students. Research Teams and Labs: His research involves interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly through the Quantum Matter Institute and the Centre for Industrial Minerals Innovations. He is open to collaborations with undergraduate students and other researchers, fostering a collaborative research environment.
Victoria Veguilla Del Moral is an Associate Professor in Public Law at Universidad Pablo de Olavide, specializing in Political and Administrative Science with a focus on Western Sahara politics. Her research examines the complex interplay between territorial administration, political mobilization, and identity in contested spaces, particularly in Dakhla, Western Sahara. She earned her PhD from the University of Granada in 2011 with a thesis titled Policies of the Octopus in Dakhla: Public Action, Halieutic Resources and Social Dynamics , supervised by Dr. Bernard Botiveau and Dr. Juan Montabes Pereira. Her academic journey reflects deep engagement with both theoretical political science frameworks and extensive fieldwork in North Africa. Veguilla Del Moral's research interests span International Politics of the Middle East, MENA region studies, political ethnography, and electoral processes in occupied territories. Her work particularly focuses on Sahrawi youth movements, Moroccan territorial policies in Western Sahara, and the dynamics of political mobilization in contested spaces. She approaches these topics through a lens that combines political science, anthropology, and postcolonial studies, revealing the complex ways local populations navigate occupation and political control. Her publication record shows consistent scholarly output with significant recent contributions including Regionalization under Occupation: Western Saharan Parliamentary Elites and the Moroccan Regionalization Strategy (2011-16) (2024) and Do Electoral Processes in Western Sahara Produce Representation Beyond the Context of Occupation? (2023). These works demonstrate her ongoing commitment to analyzing the political realities of Western Sahara through empirical research on governance structures, electoral participation, and resistance movements. While no specific scientific awards are mentioned in the available materials, her extensive publication record in reputable academic venues and her contributions to edited volumes like Arab Youths: From Morocco to Yemen: Leisure, Cultures and Politics indicate significant scholarly recognition. Her research methodology combines political ethnography with institutional analysis, often working across linguistic boundaries (publishing in English, French, and Spanish). She has established herself as a leading expert on Western Sahara politics, with particular expertise in the social dynamics of Dakhla and the political mobilization of Sahrawi youth. Her work contributes to broader discussions about governance in contested territories and the relationship between state administration and local populations in postcolonial contexts.
Tyler Custis serves as an Associate Professor at the University of South Dakota's Beacom School of Business, specializing in Business Law and the Legal Environment. His academic appointments reflect deep engagement with contemporary legal challenges in sports, finance, and corporate governance. His educational background includes: JD from University of South Dakota (2013) MBA from University of South Dakota (2012) BS from Texas A&M University (2007) Custis' research focuses on high-impact legal intersections, particularly NCAA regulations, corporate fraud mechanisms, and healthcare compliance failures. His work bridges theoretical legal frameworks with real-world economic consequences, examining how regulatory gaps enable systemic misconduct in sports leagues and financial institutions. Key themes include Title IX implications for athlete compensation, internal control failures in banking scandals, and antitrust considerations in collegiate athletics. His publication portfolio reveals strong emphasis on sports law evolution (2016-2025), corporate ethics case studies (2018-2022), and financial regulation analysis (2019-2024). The research demonstrates methodological diversity spanning empirical analysis of NCAA labor models, forensic accounting of banking fraud, and policy evaluation of legislative responses to corporate misconduct. Award recognition includes: Beacom School of Business Faculty Excellence Teaching Award (2023) Excellence in Teaching Award Nominee (2023) Best Paper Award at ICTO International Conference (2019) Custis actively disseminates research through scholarly presentations at venues including ASHE Annual Conferences, Academy of Legal Studies meetings, and Beacom Scholar Series. His work engages directly with policymakers on NCAA reform and corporate compliance frameworks, demonstrating applied impact beyond academic circles.
Guillaume Pierre is a Professor and research leader at Univ Rennes, affiliated with Inria, CNRS, and IRISA, where he leads the Magellan research team. He is based at the Institute of Science and Technology of Information and Communication (ISTIC), Department of Computer Science and Electronics. His research focuses on fog computing, cloud computing, and large-scale distributed systems, with applications in scalable web hosting and edge intelligence. Research Interests: Fog and Edge Computing Cloud Computing and Resource Management Scalable Web Application Hosting Peer-to-Peer and Decentralized Systems Stream Processing and Kubernetes Orchestration Elasticity and Energy Efficiency in Distributed Environments His recent publications highlight a strong trend in geo-distributed systems, particularly focusing on Kubernetes cluster federation, fog-based environmental monitoring, and elasticity in stream processing. His work bridges theoretical advances with practical implementations in real-world fog and cloud infrastructures. Scientific Awards: Best Paper Award, IEEE International Symposium on Applications and the Internet (2005) Best Paper Award, IEEE International Conference on Cloud Engineering (IC2E 2014) Guillaume Pierre has advised numerous PhD students, many of whom now hold positions at Google, Amazon, Ericsson, and Ansys. He has coordinated major research projects such as the H2020 FogGuru initiative and the DiPET project on distributed data stream processing. His work is supported by EU funding and institutional collaborations. Labs and Teams: He leads the Magellan research team at the INRIA/IRISA lab, which is at the forefront of innovation in fog and cloud computing technologies.
Professor Jo Smith is a Personal Chair at the University of Aberdeen ’s School of Biological Sciences , specializing in systems modelling, soil organic matter dynamics, and nutrient management. With over two decades at Aberdeen and prior roles at Rothamsted Research and British Petroleum, Smith focuses on carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions, and agricultural sustainability. Research interests include: Soil organic matter and nutrient dynamics in tropical, temperate, and nutrient-depleted soils Climate-smart agriculture across global regions Decision support systems for nitrogen fertilizer optimization Impact of organic resource use on poverty alleviation in Sub-Saharan Africa Machine learning applications in predicting soil nutrient losses Recent publications highlight trends in: Stable isotope analysis for agricultural water management Modelling carbon-nitrogen interactions in data-limited agroforestry systems Policy frameworks for regenerative agriculture and net-zero transitions Tropical peatland emissions and exclosure-based soil restoration High-lignin biofuel byproduct utilization for soil sustainability Collaborations span institutions including: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (nitrogen cycles, GHG measurements) Nanjing Agricultural University (biochar applications in China) Addis Ababa University (nutrient recycling in Ethiopia) Scottish Government (wind farm carbon calculator development) Makerere University (biogas impact studies in Uganda) Teaching responsibilities include coordinating the Honours Essay course (BI4017/BI4517) and contributing to modules in ecology, environmental science, and risk assessment.
Mohammad Reza Farzanegan is Professor of Economics of the Middle East and Chair of the Research Group at the Center for Near and Middle Eastern Studies (CNMS) of the Philipps-University of Marburg in Germany. He serves as program director for the International Master's program in Economics of the Middle East, shaping academic pathways for students specializing in Middle Eastern economic studies. Professor Farzanegan's research spans the political economy of oil, demographic transitions, political economy of sanctions and conflict, and empirical institutional economics. His work examines how resource rents, political institutions, and external sanctions shape economic outcomes in the Middle East, with special attention to Iran's unique historical and institutional context. His methodological approach combines rigorous quantitative analysis with deep contextual understanding of Middle Eastern political economies, frequently employing advanced econometric techniques including Vector Autoregression models, synthetic control methods, and panel data analysis. Analysis of Professor Farzanegan's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on the political economy of the Middle East, particularly Iran. His research spans multiple dimensions including energy economics, conflict studies, development economics, and institutional analysis. A notable trend is his application of innovative methodologies to study the impact of sanctions, resource rents, and political institutions on economic outcomes in the region, often using novel data sources such as newspaper coverage to construct indices of corruption and internal conflict. Alexander von Humboldt Georg Forster Research Fellowship (2010-2012) Professor Farzanegan has secured research funding from prestigious organizations including DAAD, which currently supports his project on the Political Economy of Natural Resources at CNMS in collaboration with Iranian institutions. Through his leadership at CNMS, he fosters interdisciplinary research on the Middle East and maintains active collaborations with academic and research institutions across the region, particularly in Iran. His scholarly contributions have established him as a leading expert on Iran's political economy and the broader economic dynamics of the Middle East. As an educator, he directs the International Master's program in Economics of the Middle East, shaping the next generation of scholars and policymakers with specialized knowledge of the region's economic challenges and opportunities. His work bridges academic research and policy relevance, contributing to understanding of critical issues affecting the Middle East's economic development.
