Ana Paula Da Silva is a Research Fellow at the University of Sydney's Faculty of Science, specializing in coastal oceanography and eco-morphodynamics. Her work focuses on wave climate changes, sediment transport dynamics, coastal adaptation strategies, and Arctic coastal processes. She holds a Ph.D. from Griffith University (Australia) and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Quebec (Canada), studying High Arctic coastal erosion. Currently, she investigates the Great Barrier Reef's eco-morphodynamics and projected coastal changes through 2100. Education Ph.D. in Coastal Oceanography, Griffith University, Australia (Focus: Fingal Headland sediment bypassing) MSc in Coastal Dynamics, UFSC, Brazil Bachelor (Hons) in Oceanography, UFSC, Brazil Research Interests Ana's research bridges climate science and coastal management, emphasizing: Climate-driven changes in wave regimes and sediment transport Headland bypassing mechanisms and coastal connectivity Arctic coastal morphodynamics impacted by glacier retreat Long-term coastal vulnerability assessments Media Engagement She has participated in science communications through: ABC Radio interviews (2021) explaining Fingal Head sand bypassing impacts Conversation article (2020) on disappearing Australian beaches Lab/Affiliation Affiliated with Sydney Southeast Asia Centre, contributing to interdisciplinary coastal research initiatives.
Professor Sabine Dittmann is a leading expert in coastal ecosystem ecology and marine sciences at Flinders University, Australia. As a Professor of Marine Biology in the College of Science and Engineering, her work bridges research and environmental management, focusing on hypersaline estuaries, blue carbon restoration, and invasive species control. She holds a Habilitation in Ecology from the University of Bremen (2001), PhD from the University of Göttingen (1987), and MSc from the same institution (1984). Her research interests include coastal ecosystem health, mangrove and saltmarsh restoration, and decision support frameworks for marine conservation. She has advised government agencies on marine parks, Commonwealth Marine Reserves, and the Coorong ecosystem. Key roles include national president of the Australian Marine Sciences Association (2012–2014), current president of the Royal Society of South Australia, and member of the Australian Antarctic Science Council since 2019. Her recent work emphasizes the global challenges of hypersaline wetland restoration, invasive species impact, and blue carbon methodologies. Over 112 publications span estuarine dynamics, benthic macrofauna, and policy-relevant ecosystem assessments. Projects like the Coorong benthic surveys highlight her commitment to translating science into conservation action.
Kerry Taylor is an Associate Professor (Data Science) at the School of Computing, Australian National University (ANU). She holds visiting roles at the University of Surrey (UK) and University of Melbourne. Her career spans 20 years at CSIRO, UN big data projects with ABS, and interdisciplinary research in data management, IoT, and semantic technologies. She lectures in data mining and convenes ANU's postgraduate applied data analytics programs. Education includes a BSc (Hons 1) in Computer Science from UNSW (1983) and a PhD in Computer Science and Technology from ANU (1996). She co-chaired the W3C/OGC Spatial Data on the Web working group (2015-2017) and serves on editorial boards for Knowledge-Based Systems and International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks . Research focuses on ontologies, semantic web, machine learning in IoT, and spatial data systems. Active projects include government information frameworks, distributed IoT facilities, and sensor data integration. Her work emphasizes interdisciplinary applications of logic-based and semantic approaches to data challenges.
Juan Alvarez is a Teaching Assistant Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), where he has held roles since 2013. He also served as a Visiting Lecturer at institutions like Zhejiang University and Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology. His academic journey includes postdoctoral fellowships at York University (Canada), University of Toronto, and University of Saskatchewan, alongside sessional lecturing roles in Canada. **Education**: Ph.D., M.S., and B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from UIUC and ITESM-CCM, respectively. **Research Interests**: Focus on applied probability, polymer physics (e.g., self-avoiding walks, copolymer localization), biophysical systems, and engineering education. He explores student success strategies, metacognition, and pedagogical approaches to improve learning outcomes. **Recent Publications**: Over 15 articles in journals like Journal of Statistical Mechanics and conferences like ASEE, covering topics from polymer models to student learning profiles. Recent work emphasizes undergraduate education innovations. **Teaching**: Courses include ECE 210 (Analog Signal Processing), ECE 313 (Probability), and ECE 398MA (Modern Communications with Python).
Rong Pan is a Professor at the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, Arizona State University (ASU). He holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Pennsylvania State University (2002), an M.S. from Florida A&M University (1999), and a B.S. in Materials Science from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (1995). His research focuses on quality and reliability engineering, design of experiments, time series analysis, and statistical learning theory. Key projects involve NSF-funded research on reliability prediction, accelerated life testing, and degradation modeling. He serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Quality Technology and has authored over 80 publications. Courses taught include Reliability Engineering, Design of Experiments, and Statistics for Data Analysts. His academic service includes roles as a referee for IEEE Transactions and IIE journals. Research interests emphasize statistical methods for reliability improvement, with recent work on Bayesian inference models, optimal experimental design, and machine learning applications in industrial systems. Grants include collaborations with the NSF, Arizona Department of Transportation, and Science Foundation Arizona. His work bridges theoretical advancements and practical applications in manufacturing, energy systems, and semiconductor reliability. Education: Ph.D. (2002), M.S. (1999), B.S. (1995) Key Research Areas: Reliability Engineering, Bayesian Methods, Time Series, DOE Active Grants: NSF CMMI, SUNY IT Visiting Scholar Program Teaching: IEE 573 Reliability Engineering, DSE 501 Statistics Service: Journal of Quality Technology (Associate Editor), IEEE Transactions (Referee)
Dr Yong Lin is an Associate Professor in Operations and Supply Chain Management at the Department of Management, Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham. He joined the university in September 2021, having previously held academic positions at the University of Greenwich and Huazhong University of Science & Technology. He has also served as a visiting researcher at the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), University of Cambridge, and as a research assistant at the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology. PhD in Management Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, 2002 MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, 1999 Dr Lin’s research focuses on digital transformation and sustainability strategies in operations and supply chains. His key interests include supply chain risk and resilience, digital logistics platforms, business ecosystems, and manufacturing strategies. He explores how digital technologies such as blockchain and RFID can enhance transparency, efficiency, and sustainability across supply networks. His recent publications reflect a strong trend toward digitalization, resilience, and sustainability in supply chains, with studies on modular resilience in multinational platforms, blockchain in remanufacturing, and digitalization in healthcare logistics. His work frequently appears in top-tier journals such as International Journal of Operations and Production Management , Journal of Cleaner Production , and Technological Forecasting and Social Change . Senior Fellow of the Advance HE (Higher Education Academy) Certified Management and Business Educator, Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS) Chartered Fellow, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Dr Lin has led and coordinated several research projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the 863 Program, and the European Regional Development Fund. He actively engages in industry consulting to transfer research outcomes into practical business solutions. He welcomes PhD applicants interested in digital transformation, sustainability, logistics platforms, and business ecosystems. He is also involved in advising and mentoring graduate researchers in these domains. Dr Lin is affiliated with the Department of Management at Birmingham Business School, where he contributes to research, teaching, and knowledge exchange in operations and supply chain management. His work bridges academic rigor with real-world application, particularly in digital and sustainable supply chain innovation.
Sam Pizelo is an Assistant Professor of Game Studies at the Institute for Communication, Culture, Information & Technology (ICCIT), University of Toronto. His research investigates the role of games as modeling technologies in the development of computing, artificial intelligence, and neoliberal capitalism. He is actively engaged in both scholarly and creative practices, integrating media art, data science, and game design into his academic work. Research Interests: Sam's work spans game studies, digital humanities, media theory, and critical computing. He explores how games function as epistemic tools that shape knowledge production, particularly in technoscientific domains. His research connects historical analysis with contemporary digital methods to examine the cultural and philosophical implications of games. The recent publications reflect a strong focus on the historical and systemic roles of games in shaping modern computing and thought. Themes include the modeling revolution, systems thinking, and the deep cultural roots of game logic. His work bridges humanities scholarship with computational practice. Scientific Contributions: Co-creator of Project Quintessence , a corpus exploration framework combining machine learning and dynamic visualizations for archival research. Founding member of the Degrowth Game Design Project (DeGDP) , a multi-campus initiative exploring games for post-growth futures. Sam Pizelo is an active researcher and media practitioner without listed advisees or awards in the provided text. He maintains academic affiliations with the University of Toronto and previously held a visiting position at NYU.
Bruno Palier is a CNRS Research Director at Sciences Po, affiliated with the Centre d'études européennes et de politique comparée (CEE) and a key member of the Laboratoire interdisciplinaire d’évaluation des politiques publiques (LIEPP). He is a leading scholar in comparative politics and public policy, focusing on the reform of social protection and pension systems in France and Europe. University: Sciences Po School: Centre d'études européennes et de politique comparée Academic Rank: Researcher (CNRS) His research interests lie at the intersection of political science, sociology, and public policy. He is a foremost expert on the political economy of welfare state reform, social investment strategies, and the dynamics of pension reforms. His work examines how political institutions, economic pressures, and social actors shape the evolution of social policies across advanced democracies. Palier's recent projects center on the contemporary crisis of work in France. He coordinated the 2023 collective work What Do We Know About Work? , which brought together 60 social scientists to document the realities of working conditions, management practices, digitalization, and inequalities. This project has sparked a major public and academic debate, leading to a follow-up initiative, Working Better , which aims to translate research findings into concrete policy proposals for improving the quality of work. Major Works: What do we know about work? (2023) Working Better (2025, forthcoming) The World Politics of Social Investment (2022, 2 vols.) Refonder le système de protection sociale (2014) Réformer les retraites (2021) Throughout his career, Palier has led major research initiatives, including serving as the director of LIEPP (2014-2020) and coordinating the European Network of Excellence RECWOWE. He has also held visiting professorships at Harvard, Tokyo, and Stockholm universities, demonstrating his international academic standing. His work is highly influential in both academic circles and public policy debates, particularly in France. He has a strong record of scientific mediation, actively engaging with the media and policymakers to bridge the gap between academic research and public discourse. His current work on the future of work and social investment represents a significant contribution to understanding and addressing some of the most pressing social challenges of our time.
Joakim Nivre is a Professor at Uppsala University's Department of Linguistics and Philology. He is a leading researcher in computational linguistics, with a focus on dependency parsing, Universal Dependencies (UD) framework development, and multilingual NLP applications. His recent work explores LLMs in climate change discourse analysis, pharmacovigilance explainability, and historical text processing. Key research areas: Dependency parsing theory, Universal Dependencies standardization, LLM evaluation Collaborations: SweSAT-1.0 benchmark development, ClimateEval project, PARSEME integration His 2025-2023 publications demonstrate expertise in explainable AI for healthcare, synthetic data generation for idioms, and multilingual benchmark design. Notably, he co-developed SweSAT-1.0 to evaluate Swedish LLMs and contributed to typology-informed UD revisions. Despite extensive work in NLP, no scientific awards are mentioned in available texts.
Kees Dorst is a Professor of Transdisciplinary Innovation at the TD School of the University of Technology Sydney. He bridges philosophical understandings of design with practical applications, focusing on tackling complex societal challenges through designerly thinking. His research develops methodologies for strategic transformation and networked problem-solving in public sectors. Professor of Transdisciplinary Innovation, UTS Director, Designing Out Crime Research Centre International keynote speaker and advisor on design thinking Research Interests Dorst specializes in: Transdisciplinary innovation for societal challenges Design thinking and co-evolutionary processes Reframing complex problems in public policy Design cognition and metacognition Urban environment design for safety Recent Research Trends show increasing focus on: Hypercomplex problem-solving frameworks Strategic transformation through design Cognitive models in design processes Public sector innovation methodologies Teaching & Leadership includes: Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation Master of Creative Intelligence and Strategic Innovation Founding the Designing Out Crime Research Centre International design research symposium leadership
Zeynep K. Korkman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Gender Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), with a research focus on gendered intersections of affect, labor, religion, and feminist politics in Turkey and the Muslim Middle East. Her forthcoming book Gendered Fortunes: Divination, Precarity, and Affect in Postsecular Turkey (Duke University Press, 2023) examines fortunetelling economies as windows into neoliberal and authoritarian contradictions. Her educational background includes: Ph.D. in Sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2011 B.A. in Sociology, Bosphorus University, Istanbul, Turkey, 2000 Dr. Korkman's research centers on Transnational feminisms , gender-labor-affect dynamics , religion/secularism in public spheres , and Turkey/Middle Eastern studies . She investigates how women and LGBTIQ individuals navigate heteropatriarchy, neoliberal capitalism, and anti-Muslim racism through affective labor and political resistance, critically engaging postsecular complexities in millennial Turkey. Her 14 recent publications (2014-2023) reveal consistent thematic evolution: early work analyzed commodified intimacy and divination in Turkey's political economy, while recent scholarship critically examines anti-Muslim racism, transnational feminist solidarities, and secularism's gendered politics. Methodologically grounded in ethnography and cultural analysis, her work bridges Gender Studies, Sociology, and Middle Eastern Studies with urgent interventions in global feminist discourse. Her awards include: Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship, American Association of University Women (2019) Hellman Fellows Award, UCLA (2019) Research Fellowship, NEH/American Research Institute in Turkey (2016) Faculty Career Development Award, UCLA (2017) Research Professorship, University of Arizona (2015) Dr. Korkman's grant portfolio demonstrates sustained support for transnational feminist research, including National Endowment for the Humanities funding and multi-institutional fellowships. Her editorial leadership in Meridians journal's special issue on anti-Muslim racism reflects active mentorship in emerging scholarly conversations, though specific student advising details remain undisclosed in available materials.
Martina Beate Geissler is an Associate Professor of Art at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She collaborates with Oliver Sann, focusing on the intersections of knowledge, power, and technology in Western culture, particularly how humans are transformed through technological systems. Their work critically examines the boundaries between factual documentation and constructed realities, engaging with media and technology's inherent biases. At the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG), Department I, they are developing the project Hopium Economy , which contextualizes the opioid crisis in the Midwestern USA within broader socio-political frameworks, including public health systems, pharmaceutical industries, racial tensions, and de-industrialization. The project redefines addiction as a core existential mode linked to the Anthropocene's challenges. They have received notable awards such as the Videonale Award and Herman-Claasen-Award, alongside grants from the Graham Foundation and Humanities without Walls. Their artistic work has been exhibited internationally in institutions like the Museum of Contemporary Photography (Chicago), Fotomuseum Antwerp, and the German Pavilion at the Photography Biennial Dubai, UAE. Scientific Awards & Grants Videonale Award, Bonn, Germany Herman-Claasen-Award, Cologne, Germany Graham Foundation Production Grant, Chicago Humanities without Walls Grant
Jeff Sayer is a Professor in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Faculty of Forestry . His research focuses on applied conservation science and the human dimensions of environmental change , with fieldwork spanning Indonesia, West and Central Africa, and Southeast Asia. Current projects include sustainable landscapes in Indonesia (since 2010), forest transitions in Ghana and the Congo Basin (since 2000), and new approaches to conservation science (since 2000). Research emphasizes integrated natural resource management, landscape-scale decision-making, and reconciling agriculture with biodiversity conservation. Key research themes: Integrated landscape approaches for multifunctional landscapes Forest governance and tenure conflicts Policy coherence for Sustainable Development Goals Human-environment interactions in tropical regions Recent publication trends show interdisciplinary focus on deforestation-free trade policies, agroforestry systems, forest governance challenges, and transdisciplinary science applications across tropical Asia, Africa, and Canada.
Zhe Zeng is an incoming Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Virginia starting July 2025. Currently, she serves as a Faculty Fellow in the Computer Science Department at New York University. She earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science from UCLA in 2024 under Professor Guy Van den Broeck, and her B.S. in Mathematics from Zhejiang University in 2018. Research Focus: Dr. Zeng specializes in neurosymbolic AI and probabilistic machine learning, developing methods that integrate symbolic knowledge (logical constraints, graph structures) with probabilistic uncertainty. Her work spans three core areas: Reasoning: Probabilistic inference, tractable probabilistic models Learning: Constrained deep learning, graph ML, weakly supervised learning Trustworthiness: Explainability, uncertainty quantification, domain-knowledge integration Awards & Honors: Rising Star in EECS (2023) Amazon Doctoral Fellowship (2022) NEC Research Fellowship (2021) ICML Travel Award (2018) Outstanding Graduate, Zhejiang University (2018) Advising & Mentoring: Has supervised six students including PhD candidates and undergraduates at UCLA, Tsinghua, and CAS, with placements at Princeton and UT Austin. Academic Service: Regularly reviews for NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, UAI; served as UAI 2023 discussant; active in WiML mentorship programs.
Lilly Irani is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of California, San Diego. She holds multiple interdisciplinary affiliations including Science Studies, the Design Lab, the Institute for Practical Ethics, and Critical Gender Studies. As Faculty Director of the UC San Diego Labor Center and co-director of the Just Transitions Initiative, she plays a significant role in shaping labor and technology policy discussions at the university and beyond. Dr. Irani's educational background includes a Ph.D. in Informatics (with Feminist Emphasis) from UC Irvine, and both an M.S. and B.S. in Computer Science from Stanford University, with a focus on Human-Computer Interaction. Her unique combination of technical training and social science expertise informs her research approach, bridging practical design work with critical analysis of technology systems. Her research investigates the cultural politics of high-tech work practices with a focus on how actors produce "innovation" cultures. She specializes in the cultural politics of high-tech work in the context of South Asian development and global AI economies. As an ethnographer of work, she analyzes interactional, organizational, and cultural dynamics as mediated by technology. Her work draws on and contributes to Science and Technology Studies, Human-Computer Interaction, and South Asia studies, with particular attention to how technological systems create and reinforce hierarchies of value, gender, race, and cultural positioning. Dr. Irani's publications reveal consistent engagement with issues of digital labor, platform economies, and the politics of innovation. Her work shows a trajectory from examining specific platforms like Amazon Mechanical Turk to broader critiques of innovation culture and entrepreneurial citizenship, with recurring themes of worker power, surveillance, and democratic control of technology. 2020 International Communication Association Outstanding Book Award 2019 Diana Forsythe Prize Honorable mention at CHI 2019 Dr. Irani has received research funding from prestigious organizations including the Ford Foundation, Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Fellowship, Open Society Foundation, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, and NSF Virtual Organizations as Sociotechnical Systems Program. She serves on the editorial advisory boards of Design and Culture, New Technology, Work, and Employment, and Catalyst: Feminism, Theory, Technoscience, and is part of the editorial collective of Public Culture. Collaboratively, she has designed software tools like Turkopticon and Dynamo that intervene in and demonstrate alternatives to existing platforms, with Turkopticon evolving into a worker-run advocacy organization. Her research group and collaborations span multiple disciplines, working closely with scholars in Science and Technology Studies, Human-Computer Interaction, and labor studies. The Just Transitions Initiative she co-directs represents a significant ongoing project focused on democratic control of technology and worker power in the digital economy.
