Lillie Padilla is an Assistant Professor of Spanish Linguistics at Sam Houston State University's Department of World Languages and Cultures. Holding a Ph.D. and M.A. in Spanish Linguistics from Arizona State University alongside a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Ghana, her research explores interdisciplinary connections between: Afro-Latinx representation in educational materials Discourse analysis and language ideologies Sociolinguistic studies in Equatorial Guinea Critical race theory applications in language teaching Her work focuses on Spanish subject pronoun expression patterns in multilingual contexts and curriculum development for inclusive pedagogy. Recent publications examine: Representation gaps in Spanish language textbooks Methodological challenges in Equatorial Guinea research Critical discourse analysis of Netflix's Elite series Intersectional representation of Afro-Latinx women Scientific achievements include: Finalist for American Association of Linguistics 2025 award for co-edited volume Representation, Inclusion and Social Justice in World Language Teaching Padilla's research continues to shape conversations about linguistic diversity and marginalized voices in language education through both empirical studies and theoretical frameworks.
Sigrid Schmalzer is a Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, specializing in the history of science and modern China. She holds a Ph.D. in History and Science Studies from the University of California, San Diego (2004). Her research bridges the social, cultural, and political dimensions of science in China, with a focus on the intersections of agriculture, activism, and revolutionary movements. Schmalzer is the author of *Red Revolution, Green Revolution: Scientific Farming in Socialist China* (2016), winner of the Joseph Levenson Book Prize, and *The People's Peking Man: Popular Science and Human Identity in Twentieth-Century China* (2008), recipient of the Allan Sharlin Award. Her current projects include a book on agricultural heritage in the People’s Republic of China and leadership roles in organizations like the Critical China Scholars and Science for the People. She co-edits the *Activist Studies of Science and Technology* series for UMass Press, emphasizing socially engaged scholarship. Schmalzer also serves as Co-President of the MSP faculty union at UMass Amherst. Research interests span the history of science activism, transnational movements, and the legacy of Maoist science. Notable awards include the Freeman Book Award (2018) for her children’s book *Moth and Wasp, Soil and Ocean*, which integrates science education with historical narratives. Her work often critiques capitalist and authoritarian structures while advocating for science as a tool for justice and sustainability. Recent publications explore themes like agroecology, science policy, and the global dimensions of China’s scientific history. She teaches courses on modern China, science in society, and radical science movements, blending interdisciplinary approaches to engage students in critical analysis of historical and contemporary issues.
Professor David A Palmer is a distinguished academic jointly appointed by the Hong Kong Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences and the Department of Sociology at the University of Hong Kong, where he has been teaching since 2008. His interdisciplinary work bridges anthropology, sociology, religious studies, and Sinology, establishing him as a leading scholar in Chinese religious studies and transnational religious movements. Palmer's educational background includes a PhD in Anthropology of Religion from Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (Sorbonne, Paris), an MPhil in Clinical Psychology/Medical Anthropology from University of Paris-VIII, and a BA in Anthropology and East Asian Studies from McGill University. His scholarly contributions span multiple disciplines with particular emphasis on Chinese religious traditions and their global manifestations. His research interests focus on the anthropology and sociology of spirituality and religion, especially Daoism and Chinese religion; religion in modern and contemporary China; inter-Asian and transnational religious circulations; Baháʼí Faith; civil society, volunteering, philanthropy, community engagement; and cultural and religious interactions on the Belt and Road. His work examines how religious traditions navigate modernity, state power, and globalization, with particular attention to the Belt and Road Initiative's cultural dimensions. Palmer's publications reveal a consistent focus on understanding Chinese religious traditions within broader theoretical frameworks of social theory, civil society, and transnational religious networks. His articles demonstrate how Chinese religious practices and institutions both adapt to and shape contemporary social and political contexts, with particular attention to the intersections of spirituality, modernity, and state-society relations. Joseph Levenson Award of the Association for Asian Studies PROSE award of the American Publishers' Association Francis L.K. Hsu Award of the Society for East Asian Anthropology Edward Bruner Prize for the best book in Anthropology of Tourism HK Research Grants Council RGC Research Fellowship (2021-2025) HK Research Grants Council Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship (2019) Palmer currently leads multiple significant research projects including 'Global China, Local Cultures: Chinese Modernity and Soft Power on the Belt and Road' (RGC Research Fellowship, 2021-2025), 'Infrastructures of Faith: Religious Mobilities on the Belt and Road' (CRF, 2019-2023), 'Rituals and Manuscripts of the Lanten Yao (Laos)' (GRF, 2021-2024), and 'Religious Cosmopolitanism in China, 1895-1927' (GRF, 2021-2024). He leads the 'Asian Religious Connections' research cluster at HKIHSS, co-convenes the 'Culture, Community and Social Equity' research cluster in the HKU Faculty of Social Sciences, and serves as co-convenor of the HKU Anthropology Research Network. As President of the East Asian Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, he plays a key role in advancing scholarly understanding of religion in the region.
Sharese King is the Neubauer Family Assistant Professor of Linguistics at the University of Chicago, where she has taught since 2018. She earned her Ph.D. and Master's in Linguistics from Stanford University, focusing on language variation across African American communities. Her research bridges sociolinguistics, critical race theory, and phonetics to examine how African American speech is constructed, racialized, and socially evaluated. Education: Ph.D., Linguistics, Stanford University (2018) M.A., Linguistics, Stanford University Research Interests: Sociolinguistics Language Variation & Change African American Language Critical Race Theory Phonetic and experimental analysis Dialect and judicial systems Notable Contributions: Interdisciplinary studies on raciolinguistics and courtroom bias Analysis of /s/ articulation in intersectional contexts Reconceptualization of AAVE as AAL to emphasize linguistic diversity Fieldwork in Bakersfield, Rochester, and Chicago Publications in American Speech , Journal of Sociolinguistics , Language , and Nature Scientific Awards: Provost's Postdoctoral Fellowship Neubauer Family Assistant Professorship Labs & Projects: Co-founder of the Chicagoland Language Project
Esther Duflo is the Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she is affiliated with the Department of Economics within the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. She co-founded and co-directs the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) and holds the position of Chaire, Pauvreté et politiques publiques at the Collège de France. Duflo also serves as President of the Paris School of Economics, demonstrating her significant international influence in economic policy and research. Her educational background includes first degrees in history and economics from Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris, followed by a Ph.D. in Economics from MIT in 1999. This strong foundation has enabled her to become one of the most influential economists of her generation. Duflo's research focuses on understanding the economic lives of people living in poverty, with the explicit aim of informing effective social policy design and evaluation. Her work spans critical areas including health, education, financial inclusion, environmental sustainability, and governance. What distinguishes her approach is the rigorous application of randomized controlled trials to evaluate development interventions, bringing scientific precision to poverty alleviation efforts. Her research methodology has revolutionized how economists approach development questions, moving beyond theoretical models to evidence-based policy recommendations. Her scholarly output demonstrates remarkable breadth and impact, with publications spanning from technical academic papers to influential books for general audiences. Duflo's work consistently bridges the gap between academic research and practical policy applications, with recent publications addressing contemporary challenges including climate change adaptation, pandemic response, and economic policy for hard times. Her research trends reveal a deepening commitment to translating complex economic concepts for broader audiences while maintaining scholarly rigor. Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel (2019, with Abhijit Banerjee and Michael Kremer) Princess of Asturias Award for Social Sciences (2015) A.SK Social Science Award (2015) Infosys Prize (2014) John Bates Clark Medal (2010) MacArthur 'Genius Grant' Fellowship (2009) Member of the National Academy of Sciences (2017) Duflo has supervised numerous graduate students and collaborated extensively with researchers worldwide through J-PAL, which has grown into a global network conducting field experiments across multiple continents. Her grant portfolio includes substantial funding from major foundations and government agencies supporting large-scale development research. Beyond traditional academic advising, Duflo has mentored a generation of development economists through J-PAL's training programs and field research opportunities. Her primary institutional home is the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), which she co-founded at MIT. J-PAL has grown into a major research center with offices worldwide, connecting academic researchers with policymakers to ensure that program evaluations inform real-world decisions. Duflo also leads research teams at the Collège de France and the Paris School of Economics, creating a transatlantic network focused on evidence-based poverty reduction strategies.
Esther Duflo is the Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She is also co-founder and co-director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), holds the Chaire, Pauvreté et politiques publiques at the Collège de France, and serves as President of the Paris School of Economics. Her research focuses on understanding the economic lives of people living in poverty to help design and evaluate social policies. Her work spans multiple domains including: Development Economics Poverty Alleviation strategies Health interventions Educational programs Financial inclusion initiatives Environmental policy Governance improvements Duflo revolutionized developmental economics by pioneering the use of randomized controlled trials to test poverty reduction measures. Her empirical approach has challenged conventional opinions about development and has helped improve the efficient use of resources in poverty alleviation programs worldwide. She co-authored the influential books "Poor Economics" and "Good Economics for Hard Times" with Abhijit Banerjee, demonstrating through field experiments how specific interventions (like providing lentils to mothers for child immunization) can dramatically improve social outcomes. Her notable scientific achievements include: Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel (2019) Princess of Asturias Award for Social Sciences (2015) Infosys Prize (2014) John Bates Clark Medal (2010) MacArthur "Genius Grant" Fellowship (2009) A.SK Social Science Award (2015) Duflo has established J-PAL as a global network of over a hundred affiliated professors who use scientific evidence to inform policy decisions in the fight against poverty. J-PAL has offices across Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, and South and Southeast Asia. Her work has demonstrated the crucial importance of information in policymaking, with numerous field experiments showing how carefully designed interventions can have significant impacts on social outcomes across multiple domains including health, education, and economic opportunity.
Nicholas Evans is Distinguished Professor of Linguistics and Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language (CoEDL) at the Australian National University’s School of Culture, History & Language. His work bridges fieldwork-based language documentation with theoretical questions in typology, cultural evolution, and social cognition. Focus on endangered Australian and Papuan languages Director of ARC Laureate Project on 'The Wellsprings of Linguistic Diversity' Co-leader of SCOPIC (Social Cognition Parallax Corpus) study Collaborator in global linguistic diversity initiatives His research explores how micro-level community multilingualism shapes macro-level linguistic diversity, with fieldwork spanning seven years in remote Indigenous communities. Recent projects include PARABANK (paradigm syncretism analysis) and Southern New Guinea language studies, particularly Nen and Yam family languages. Scientific recognition includes the Ken Hale Award (Linguistic Society of America), Anneliese Maier Forschungspreis, and fellowships in the Australian Academy of Humanities, Australian Social Sciences Academy, and the British Academy.
Gierad Laput is a Senior Engineering Manager at Apple, leading the Perception and Interaction Engineering organization under Machine Intelligence Neural Design (MIND) at Apple AI/ML (AIML). He is also an Adjunct Professor at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science and Human-Computer Interaction Institute. His research sits at the intersection of sensing systems, interactive technologies, and machine learning, with applications in ambient intelligence, wearables, and AI-driven interactive experiences. Ph.D. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University Founding member of CMU's Future Interfaces Group Former Google Ph.D. Fellow, Disney Imagineer, and recipient of 10 Best Paper Awards/Nominations His research agenda at Apple leverages cutting-edge hardware to develop multimodal ML systems for vision, audio, and motion sensors, enabling features like head gesture detection for AirPods, Apple Intelligence integrations, and health monitoring tools. Recent collaborative projects include Vision Pro hand interaction systems and WatchOS updates for cycling/fall detection. Key research areas include human-computer interaction , machine learning for sensor fusion , and smart environment sensing . Over 35 publications cover transformative technologies like ViBand (bio-acoustic sensing), EM-Sense (touch recognition), SkinTrack (arm as touchpad), and ElectroDermis (stretchable electronics). Scientific honors include: Fast Company Innovation by Design Award (2017) Google PhD Fellowship (2018) Swartz Entrepreneurial Fellowship (2018) Best Paper Awards at ACM UIST (2016) and ACM CHI (2015) As an educator, he has taught courses at CMU and the University of Michigan on on-device machine learning , signal processing , and human-centered design . His lab has mentored numerous researchers now pursuing PhDs at MIT, UW, CMU, and Northwestern.
Dr. Corey T. Callaghan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida . Based at the Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center , his research focuses on global change ecology using big data from citizen science platforms like eBird and iNaturalist, combined with geospatial analyses and macroecological theory . Ph.D. (2019) from UNSW Sydney M.S. (2015) from Florida Atlantic University B.S. + B.S. (2013) from Canisius College His work examines urban ecology , including how species traits influence urban tolerance across birds, amphibians, and butterflies. He develops adaptive sampling frameworks to optimize citizen science data collection while addressing biases. Current projects analyze human-nature interactions through citizen science participation, secondary data in photographs, and machine learning for biodiversity monitoring. He actively contributes to conservation strategies for urban biodiversity and data-driven restoration efforts . Recent publications highlight his expertise in cross-taxa comparisons , continental-scale analyses , and ecosystem service quantification . He leads the Global Ecology Research Group at the University of Florida, emphasizing collaborative science and open-source methodologies .
Ejung Moon is a Group Leader in Radiation Biology and the Tumour Microenvironment at the Department of Oncology, University of Oxford's Medical Sciences Division. Her research focuses on hypoxia-driven tumor progression and radiation response mechanisms. Education: PhD in Pharmacology and Cancer Biology from Duke University Training: Postdoctoral work with Amato Giaccia at Stanford University Research Interests: Elucidating how hypoxia-induced MAFF protein regulates tumor cell invasion, metastasis, and radiation resistance through antioxidant response pathways. Current work explores MAFF dimerization dynamics and metabolic reprogramming in hypoxic tumors. Scientific Contributions: Identified MAFF's role in radiation-induced antioxidant gene regulation (2021, Nature Communications ). Recent studies investigate iron metabolism's impact on FLASH radiotherapy effects. Scientific Awards: Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) predoctoral fellowship Laboratory & Collaborations: Moon Lab collaborates with Oxford Cancer and NHS Cancer and Haematology Centre. Key partnerships include Stanford University's radiobiology research groups.
Wei Xu is an Associate Professor at Georgia Institute of Technology's College of Computing and School of Interactive Computing, with affiliations to the Machine Learning Center. Their research bridges machine learning, natural language processing, and social media with focus areas in large language models, cultural bias mitigation, multilingual capabilities, and human-AI collaboration in text evaluation. NSF CAREER and Google Academic Research Award recipient Director of NLP X Lab PhD from New York University, BSMS from Tsinghua University Research interests span: Multilingual Multicultural LLMs addressing representational gaps and cultural adaptation in language models (NAACL 2025, ACL 2024); Robustness and Reasoning through dynamic AGI evaluations (ACL 2024, EMNLP 2024); Interdisciplinary NLP applications in security, healthcare, and law (EMNLP 2024, ACL 2024). Recent publications focus on multilingual alignment (NAACL 2025), privacy risk estimation (arXiv 2025), cultural bias analysis (ACL 2024), and medical text simplification (EMNLP 2024). Key themes include bias mitigation, multimodal processing, and practical LLM evaluation. Scientific Awards : NSF CAREER, Google/Sony/Criteo research awards, ACL'24 Best Social Impact Award, COLING'18 Best Paper Advising 15 PhD/MS/BSMS students including Yao Dou (human-centered LLM evaluation), Tarek Naous (multilingual LLMs), and alumni like Chao Jiang (Apple AI/ML) and Yang Chen (NVIDIA research scientist). Teaches graduate courses on NLP and LLMs.
Jean Oh is a Researcher at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) , leading the interdisciplinary Bot Intelligence Group (BIG) . Her work focuses on developing persistent robots that co-exist and collaborate with humans in shared environments, emphasizing continuous improvement through training, exploration, and human interaction. Education: Ph.D. in Language and Information Technologies, CMU M.S. in Computer Science, Columbia University B.S. in Biotechnology, Yonsei University Oh's research integrates vision, language, and planning systems in robotics, with applications in human-robot teaming , self-driving cars , disaster response , eldercare , and creative robotics . She has pioneered projects like socially-compliant robot navigation in human crowds and AI-driven robotic painting systems. Recent publication trends highlight her work in vision-language planning , social navigation , computational creativity , and human-robot collaboration . Notable contributions include the StyleCLIPDraw algorithm for text-to-art generation and Social-PatteRNN for human-like trajectory prediction. Scientific Awards: Best Paper Award in Cognitive Robotics (ICRA'18, ICRA'15) Best Systems Paper Finalist (HRI'25) Best Oral Paper Finalist (Humanoids'24) Best Paper in Entertainment (IROS'24) Argoverse Challenge Winner (CVPR'24) Best Student Paper (AIAA'24) Best Demo Finalist (RoboSoft'24) Oh mentors a diverse team of PhD, MS, and undergraduate students from CMU departments including Robotics, Computer Science, and Mechanical Engineering. Her research is funded by US Army Research Lab , DiDi Chuxing , and DARPA , with collaborations across industry and academia .
Antoine Bosselut is a Tenure Track Assistant Professor at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in the School of Computer and Communication Sciences, where he leads the EPFL NLP group. His research focuses on developing AI reasoning agents that can model, represent, and reason about human and world knowledge, with applications in health, education, and global fairness. His research interests span multiple critical areas in modern AI: LLM Representations of Knowledge: Understanding what language models know and how they represent that knowledge internally Reasoning Algorithms: Developing methods to improve LLMs' reasoning capabilities through symbolic systems, neuroscience, and cognitive science Large-scale AI Development: Creating open-source foundation models with multilingual capabilities AI Democratization: Ensuring equitable access to AI technologies across different cultural and regulatory contexts His recent publications reveal a strong focus on the intersection of language models and cognitive science, with multiple studies examining how LLMs align with human cognition. He's also deeply engaged in practical applications of NLP technology, particularly in education and multilingual settings, as evidenced by his work on evaluating AI's impact on higher education and developing culturally-aware language models. His scientific achievements have been recognized with several prestigious awards: Outstanding Paper Award at NAACL 2025 ELLIS Scholar designation in 2024 Outstanding Paper Award at ACL 2023 Inclusion in Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Science & Healthcare in 2021 Bosselut actively mentors numerous PhD students across diverse NLP research areas and has secured significant recognition for his work in both academic and media circles. His lab has been featured in major publications including Communications of the ACM, The Atlantic, and Quanta Magazine, highlighting the societal impact of his research on commonsense reasoning and AI capabilities.
Ronald C. Lasky is a Professor of Engineering at Dartmouth College's Thayer School of Engineering and a Senior Technologist at the Indium Corporation. His academic roles include teaching courses such as ENGM 187: Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship and ENGS 155: Intermediate Thermodynamics . Dr. Lasky holds a BS in Engineering Physics from Cornell University (1970), an MS in Applied Mathematics from Binghamton University (1974), and a PhD in Materials Science from Cornell University (1986). His research focuses on process optimization, electronic assembly, materials science, and environmental compliance. Notable contributions include work on lead-free solder assembly and Lean Six Sigma methodologies. He received the Member of Technical Distinction Award from the SMTA in 2021. Dr. Lasky actively engages with industry, exemplified by his collaboration with Galanz in China, exploring modern manufacturing practices and infrastructure. His insights on global supply chains and technological advancements highlight his dual academic and professional expertise.
Carl Vondrick is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Columbia University. His research focuses on creating robust and versatile perception systems that leverage video and interaction with the natural world, with applications in 3D reconstruction, visual question answering, and robot manipulation. Former research scientist at Google Visiting researcher at Cruise Education: PhD (2017) from MIT, advised by Antonio Torralba BS (2011) from UC Irvine, advised by Deva Ramanan His research explores multimodal approaches for cross-task and cross-modal transfer, scene dynamics, audiovisual perception, interpretable models, and spatial awareness systems. The lab emphasizes zero-shot generalization and neuro-symbolic methods while addressing safety and robustness in AI systems. Key publication trends include: 2025: Video generation for robotics 2024: Differentiable rendering and cross-modal reasoning 2023: Robust perception and 3D modeling Scientific Awards: 2024 PAMI Young Researcher Award 2021 NSF CAREER Award Teaching Roles: Teaching Computer Vision II (2021-2025), Computer Vision I (2018-2019), and Representation Learning (2020-2022). Advising: Advises 8 current PhD students and has mentored 5 graduated students now at institutions like MBZUAI and UMD. The lab recruits 1-2 PhD students annually through Columbia’s PhD program. Grants and Collaborations: Funded by NSF, DARPA, Toyota Research Institute, Amazon Research, and Google.
