Maria Fitzpatrick is Professor in Cornell University's Department of Policy Analysis and Management and Director of the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs. A Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, she holds a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia (2008) and specializes in child/family policy and education economics. Research examines early childhood education impacts, teacher compensation and retirement systems, child maltreatment reporting, and incarceration effects on families. Notable studies analyze universal pre-kindergarten programs, teacher pension reforms, and maternal incarceration's impact on birth outcomes. Current projects investigate child welfare decision-making algorithms and prison visitation policies. Fellowships include the Henry Luce Foundation/ACLS Early Career Fellowship and postdoctoral positions at Stanford's Institute for Economic Policy Research. She has advised government agencies including the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority and Queensland Rail.
Johannes Spinnewijn is a Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), affiliated with STICERD and multiple research centers. He holds a PhD in Economics from MIT (2009), following an M.A. from Université Libre de Bruxelles and B.A. from KU Leuven. His research focuses on Public Economics , Behavioral Economics , and Economic Theory , with emphasis on unemployment insurance design, tax compliance, health inequalities, and labor market policies. Notable contributions include analyzing optimal unemployment benefit timing, risk-based selection in insurance, and behavioral nudges in tax systems. Spinnewijn has received prestigious awards such as the ERC Starting Grant (2017-2022) , Wiley Prize (2015) , and Austin Robinson Memorial Prize (2013) . He serves as Director of the CEPR Public Economics Program and co-director of STICERD's Public Economics Program. His editorial roles include the American Economic Review , Review of Economic Studies , and Journal of Public Economics . He has advised over 15 PhD students, including those at top institutions like MIT, Chicago, and Edinburgh. His grants include €1.5 million from the ERC and £200K from the ESRC. Recent work explores health disparities, mental health determinants, and socioeconomic impacts of chronic diseases. Spinnewijn has held visiting roles at Columbia University, UC Berkeley, MIT, and KU Leuven. His teaching spans public economics, contract theory, and microeconomics at both undergraduate and graduate levels.
Steve Worthington is an Adjunct Professor at Swinburne University of Technology's School of Business, Law and Entrepreneurship in Melbourne, Australia. Previously, he held a Professorship in Marketing at Monash University until 2013. His research focuses on financial services distribution via electronic channels, payment systems regulation, and cross-cultural financial practices. He has contributed extensively to academic journals such as the International Journal of Bank Marketing and practitioner outlets like The Financial Times and ANZ's BlueNotes . His work includes analyses of payment card markets in China and Japan, regulatory interventions in Australia's payment system, and expert testimony on financial services marketing disputes. Worthington's research interests span payment systems innovation, consumer behavior in financial contexts, and the intersection of technology with financial services. Notable contributions include studies on cashless society debates, payment fraud dynamics, and the cultural dimensions influencing financial product adoption. He frequently engages with industry conferences and media, offering insights into emerging trends like digital payment adoption and regulatory challenges in the financial sector. His publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches, blending economic policy analysis with marketing strategy. Key themes include the societal implications of cash decline, fairness perceptions in financial services, and the ethical dimensions of payment technologies. Despite no explicit awards listed, his prolific media engagement and advisory roles reflect recognition of his expertise in payment systems and financial markets.
Benjamin Schoefer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at UC Berkeley , where he teaches courses in macroeconomic theory and labor economics. He serves as Director of the Macro Labor Center for the Study on Aggregate Labor Markets, Policies, and Institutions, collaborating with the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (IRLE) . Editorial Roles: Associate Editor, Journal of Monetary Economics Affiliated Institutions: NBER (Research Associate), IWH Halle (Senior Research Fellow), Bundesbank (Research Professor), CEPR (Research Affiliate), IZA (Research Fellow), CESifo (Affiliate Member) His research focuses on Labor Economics , Macroeconomics , and Public Economics , with recent work examining: Wage rigidity and efficiency wage models Labor market effects of employer subsidies Collective bargaining institutions across countries Firm growth through input substitution Employment protection policies Financial constraints in wage setting Key findings include documenting how market power and monopsony influence labor shares, and how decentralized wage setting affects employment dynamics. His collaborative work spans institutions in Norway , Finland , and Italy . As a NBER Working Paper author, he has published on topics like: Minimum wage impacts and misallocation Congestion theory in unemployment German industrial relations models Employer subsidies and hysteresis Payroll tax effects in Sweden
Sarah Woolf-King is an Assistant Adjunct Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine. She is a licensed clinical psychologist (CA PSY28178) whose research bridges psychology and health, with a strong focus on substance use, HIV, and mental health in families affected by congenital heart defects. Her educational background includes a B.S. in Psychology from Arizona State University (2002), an M.S./Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Syracuse University (2010), an M.P.H. in Epidemiology from UC Berkeley (2011), a clinical internship in Behavioral Medicine at VA Palo Alto (2010), and a T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship at UCSF’s Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (2013). Dr. Woolf-King’s research centers on two primary areas: (1) the impact of alcohol use on HIV treatment and prevention, particularly among HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) and in East African populations, and (2) the mental health needs of parents of children with critical congenital heart defects (CHD). Her work employs diverse methodologies, including daily data collection, qualitative interviews, randomized trials, and biomarker validation (e.g., PEth). She aims to develop integrated behavioral interventions to improve health outcomes for individuals and families coping with chronic illness. Her recent publications (2023–2025) reflect a consistent focus on alcohol use in the context of HIV, with studies on counseling interventions, digital screening, remote biomarker collection, and behavioral mechanisms. There is also growing attention to mental health in vulnerable populations, including college students and parents of children with genetic or cardiac conditions. Her work is increasingly interdisciplinary, combining psychology, epidemiology, public health, and global health. Scientific Awards: Hellman Fellow, Hellman Fellows Fund (2015–2017) Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01), NIH/NIAAA (2013–2018) Loan Repayment Program in Clinical Research, NIH/NIAAA (2011–2016) Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (F31), NIH/NIAAA (2008–2010) Mentored Scientist Award in HIV/AIDS, UCSF CFAR (2012–2014) Dr. Woolf-King has served as Principal Investigator on NIH-funded projects, including an R34 grant for a brief ACT intervention for HIV-positive hazardous drinkers and a K01 grant on alcohol and sexual risk behavior. She collaborates extensively with researchers at UCSF and in East Africa, particularly Uganda. While her adjunct title suggests a part-time or non-tenure-track role, she maintains an active research program with significant grant support and a robust publication record. There is no indication of retirement or former staff status.
Dr. Peter Edwards is an Adjunct Professor at RMIT University's School of Property, Construction and Project Management (PCPM). He retired in 2006 but continues to engage in research supervision and academic activities. His expertise spans project risk management, value management, public-private partnerships (PPP), sustainable development, and corporate social responsibility. Research Contributions: Focuses on construction industry challenges, including HIV/AIDS intervention management, workplace stress, and PPP procurement. Co-founded the Co-operative Network for Building Researchers (CNBR) in 1991, now a global network with 2,800+ members. Awards: UK Leverhulme Trust Visiting Fellowship (2003), ARC Small Grant (1998). Education: Extensive academic background in quantity surveying and construction economics, including roles as Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor at RMIT (1987–2006). His research bridges construction management, public health, and organizational behavior. Notable work includes studies on South African construction workers' mental health and the operational phase of PPP projects.
Wendy A. Rogers is a Professor of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with primary affiliation in the Department of Health and Kinesiology. She holds secondary appointments in Educational Psychology and is affiliated with the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology, Illinois Informatics Institute, Center for Social and Behavioral Science, Women and Gender in Global Perspectives, Discovery Partners Institute, and Coordinated Science Lab Robotics Group. Education: B.A. in Psychology, University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth (1985) M.S. in Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology (1989) Ph.D. in Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology (1991) Her research focuses on aging and human factors, particularly in design for aging, technology acceptance, human-automation/robot interaction, aging-in-place, cognitive aging, and skill acquisition. She leads the Human Factors and Aging Laboratory, McKechnie Family LIFE Home, and co-directs the CHART (Collaborations in Health, Aging, Research, and Technology) program. Scientific Awards: Fellow, American Psychological Association Fellow, Gerontological Society of America Fellow, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Paul M. Fitts Education Award APA Division 20 and Retirement Research Foundation Mentor Award HFES Woman Mentor of the Year Her research is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH/NIA), Department of Health and Human Services (NIDILRR), and associated with centers like CREATE, TechSAge, and ENHANCE. She is a Certified Human Factors Professional (BCPE Certificate #1539).
Dr. Alireza Nili is a Senior Lecturer in Service Science at QUT's School of Information Systems within the Faculty of Science. His expertise spans digitization of customer-centric services, AI/chatbots, IoT/IIoT, and sustainable technologies. He holds a PhD from Victoria University of Wellington and has coordinated large-scale courses like IT Systems Design (IFB103), achieving top teaching scores. Nili's research focuses on service ecosystems, trust in digital services, and public/retail sector innovations. He has secured over $1.4M in industry grants for projects involving Cisco, Amazon, and Services Australia. His awards include the 2023 Educator of the Year and multiple top conference paper recognitions. Nili supervises PhD students at Level 3 mentoring status and contributes to major conferences as track chair/associate editor. Research highlights include frameworks for chatbot governance, IOT in agriculture, and AI ethics. His work appears in IEEE Software , Communications of the ACM , and MIT Sloan Management Review . Current projects address consumer trust in AI technologies and spatial data systems. Nili's interdisciplinary approach combines design science with empirical methodologies to bridge theory and practice in digital service innovation.
Rebecca Diamond is the Class of 1988 Professor of Economics at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, a Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), and holds a courtesy appointment in the Economics Department. Her research focuses on urban economics, housing policy, economic inequality, and labor markets. Key areas include analyzing rent control effects, gig economy dynamics, nutritional disparities, and spatial sorting of workers by skill. She advises doctoral students on topics like urban economics and public policy. Her work has been published in top journals such as the American Economic Review, Quarterly Journal of Economics, and Review of Economic Studies. Teaching responsibilities include courses on applied econometrics, public economics, and social insurance. She has been involved in doctoral training through practicums and independent studies. Her research has influenced policy debates on housing affordability, racial disparities in housing returns, and the impacts of high-skilled immigration on innovation. Positions: Professor of Economics (GSB), SIEPR Senior Fellow, Courtesy Professor (Economics) Key Research Themes: Urban policy, labor market inequality, gig economy, food deserts, rent control
Jonathan Santo is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), where he serves as Director of the Graduate Developmental Psychology Program and as a faculty member in the Office of Latino/Latin-American Studies. His research explores peer relations, cultural differences in self-esteem, and classroom-level influences on child and adolescent development, with a focus on improving school environments and fostering positive social interactions. ORCA Faculty Fellow His research spans broad areas including Developmental Psychology , Social Support Systems , and Cross-Cultural Peer Dynamics , with specific attention to peer victimization , self-continuity , school climate , and developmental trajectories in Brazilian and Colombian youth . Recent publications analyze topics like hikikomori experiences , friendship security , and HPA axis dysregulation in adolescents. Scientific awards include the ORCA Faculty Fellow recognition. His work often involves longitudinal assessments of peer relationships cross-cultural comparisons (Brazil, Colombia, China, Nigeria, Singapore, U.S.) policy-focused blog posts on family separations and school interventions
Professor Philip Birch is a distinguished academic in Criminology at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Faculty of Design & Society, School of International Studies & Education. With over 15 years of academic experience across British, American, and Australian university systems, he has established himself as a leading expert in policing, community safety, and criminal justice. His extensive practical background in criminology, including roles as a Specialist Crime Team Manager, Community Safety Research Manager, and Through Care Worker in UK correctional facilities, informs his applied research approach. Professor Birch's educational background includes a BSocSci. (Hons) in Social Policy (Crime & Justice) from the University of Manchester, multiple postgraduate qualifications from the Open University (including an MSc. in Social & Criminological Research Methods), a Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Practice from the University of Huddersfield, and a PhD in Criminology from the University of New South Wales. He also holds a Fellowship with the Higher Education Academy. His research centers on six key areas: Police & Policing; Community Safety & Crime Prevention; Prisons, Probation & Parole Policy & Practice; Assessment, Treatment & Management of Offenders; Gender & sexuality inclusive Domestic and Family Violence; and Sex Work, Sex Workers and Procurement. His work emphasizes the practical application of criminological research to real-world justice issues, with strong industry engagement across law enforcement and correctional services. Recent publications reveal a clear trend toward police mental health, aging in policing, hate crime identification, trauma-informed policing approaches, and digital community safety initiatives. His research employs diverse methodologies including qualitative case studies, Delphi methods, rapid evidence assessments, and comparative analyses across multiple jurisdictions. Teaching award (2019) from Australian College of Educators for outstanding contribution to education Literati Award (2019) for published work Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy Professor Birch has supervised numerous Honours, Masters by Coursework, Masters by Research and PhD students in Criminology, Criminal Justice and Policing, with several completions to date. He has secured over $1.3 million in research funding, including an ARC Linkage grant, and has acted as an external assessor for domestic and international funding bodies. His research projects address critical issues in criminology and policing, often with direct policy implications. He established the Crime & Security Science (CaSS) Research Group at UTS in 2022, a cross-faculty initiative connecting academia with industry to advance evidence-based criminology, criminal justice, policing, and community safety research. This group serves as a hub for collaborative projects addressing contemporary security challenges through translational research.
Kevin O'Brien is the Jack M. Forcey Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He specializes in Chinese politics, particularly focusing on contentious politics, protest dynamics, and state-society relations in rural China. His research examines mechanisms of protest control, authoritarian governance, and institutional reforms. O'Brien holds a B.A. from Grinnell College (1979) and a Ph.D. from Yale University (1987). Education: B.A., Grinnell College; Ph.D., Yale University Affiliations: Institute of East Asian Studies, UC Berkeley Research interests include rightful resistance, relational repression, and adaptation strategies under autocratic regimes. He has authored/co-authored influential books such as Rightful Resistance in Rural China and edited volumes on popular protest and grassroots elections in China. Books: Reform Without Liberalization , Popular Protest in China , Grassroots Elections in China Awards include the Sage Award for Best Paper in Comparative Politics (2004). His work integrates fieldwork insights with theoretical frameworks, addressing topics like land expropriation, migrant worker rights, and NGO operational challenges in China's evolving political landscape.
Professor Francisco Gomes is a Professor of Finance at the London Business School , where he has been a faculty member since 2000. His research focuses on capital markets, asset allocation, household finance, and macroeconomics , with a particular emphasis on life-cycle investing, retirement policy, and risk-sharing mechanisms. BA - Universidade Nova de Lisboa MA/PhD - Harvard University His work has been published in top-tier journals like The Journal of Finance , The Review of Financial Studies , and The American Economic Review . Recent publications analyze automation's impact on wealth dispersion, yield-chasing behavior in household investments, and optimal target-date fund strategies for retirement planning. Professor Gomes is a Research Affiliate of the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) and co-founded the CEPR Network on Household Finance. His research bridges theoretical models with empirical analysis, often incorporating computational methods (e.g., Fortran/Matlab code for life-cycle models).
Vedat AKGİRAY is a Professor at Bogazici University's Department of Management. His academic journey began with a PhD from Syracuse University, and he has been a prominent figure in financial markets and mathematical finance research. Teaching Areas : Derivatives, Portfolio Management, Probability Research Focus : Financial Markets, Mathematical Finance, Corporate Governance, Emerging Markets Finance His work spans empirical finance, capital markets regulation, and institutional investment strategies. Recent publications analyze pension funds, bond risk premia, and corporate governance frameworks in emerging economies. Key trends in his publications include: Term structure estimation in developed/emerging markets Role of institutional investors in financial stability Policy implications for capital markets in Southeast Europe Responsible investment models via PPP frameworks Behavioral risk management in financial institutions Comparative analysis of pension fund systems
Aida Maria de Oliveira Cruz Mendes is a distinguished academic and researcher at the Coimbra School of Nursing, where she has maintained a continuous appointment since 1987. With over three decades of academic service, she has established herself as a leading expert in nursing science with particular specialization in mental health, occupational health, and sleep quality among healthcare professionals. She currently serves on the Scientific Council for Life and Health Sciences at the Foundation for Science and Technology, demonstrating her significant contribution to Portuguese scientific policy. Education background: PhD from University of Minho (1996-2000) Master's in Occupational Health and Hygiene from University of Coimbra Medical School (1992-1995) License in Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing (1990-1991) Bachelor's degree in Nursing (1977-1980) Multiple specialized certifications in psycho-oncology, cognitive therapy, and qualitative research Dr. Mendes' research program demonstrates remarkable consistency in addressing critical issues in nursing practice and healthcare delivery. Her work spans mental health services evaluation, occupational health challenges faced by nursing staff, sleep quality determinants in healthcare settings, and innovative programs for healthy aging and retirement transition. She has developed expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, with numerous systematic reviews and intervention studies to her credit. Her research bridges clinical practice with health promotion initiatives, creating tangible impacts on nursing education and healthcare policy. Analysis of her recent publication trajectory reveals a sophisticated evolution in research focus. While maintaining consistent attention to nursing staff wellbeing (particularly regarding sleep quality and stress biomarkers), she has expanded into developing and evaluating health promotion programs, most notably the REATIVA program for retirement transition. Her work increasingly incorporates international collaborations and demonstrates methodological sophistication, with publications appearing in multiple languages (Portuguese, English, and Spanish) across diverse healthcare contexts. Research funding highlights: Active Retirement: study of a healthy ageing promotor program (2013-2015) funded by Foundation for Science and Technology Mental Health Education and Sensibilization: A School-based Intervention Program for Adolescents and Young (2011-2014) funded by Foundation for Science and Technology Dr. Mendes has supervised numerous graduate students and collaborated extensively with international research teams, particularly in European nursing education contexts. Her work on nurse professional competence assessment among newly graduated nurses demonstrates her commitment to advancing nursing education standards. She maintains active research partnerships with institutions across Portugal and internationally, contributing to both clinical practice improvements and healthcare policy development.
