Kirsikka Riekkinen is an Assistant Professor at Aalto University in the Built Environment domain, specializing in land administration , cadastral systems , and property rights . Her research bridges technological innovation with policy analysis, focusing on digitalization , security implications , and climate impacts of land governance frameworks. Research Focus Development of holistic cadastral frameworks for mature systems Land consolidation in Finland and Africa, including climate effects Security-based property restrictions in Northern Europe Integration of blockchain , text mining , and 3D modeling into land administration Comparative analysis of Nordic and African land policies Scientific Trends in Publications Her article corpus (2012-2025) reveals a sustained focus on land consolidation (with climate implications), cadastral modernization (digitalization, blockchain), and cross-national policy analysis (Finland, Nigeria, Rwanda). Recent works emphasize public value perspectives and security challenges in cadastral systems. Teaching & Professional Role As an Assistant Professor, she contributes to academic discourse in land governance. Contact: kirsikka.riekkinen@aalto.fi
Professor Gareth Taylor is a Professor of Power Systems and Director of the Brunel Interdisciplinary Power Systems (BIPS) Research Centre at Brunel University London's College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences. He serves as Module Leader for the MSc Sustainable Electrical Power program and has been actively involved with the university since May 2000, progressing from National Grid Post-doctoral Scholar to his current position as Professor (appointed in 2012). He previously served as Head of the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering from May 2019 to June 2023 and holds a Visiting Professor position at Imperial College London (2023-2026). Professor Taylor earned his BSc in Applied Physics from Royal Holloway College, University of London (1987), followed by an MSc in Scientific and Engineering Software Technology from the University of Greenwich (1992), and completed his PhD in Computational Solid Mechanics at the University of Greenwich in March 1997. His doctoral research focused on finite volume methods for material non-linearity within multi-physics frameworks. His research spans power systems engineering with particular emphasis on smart grid technologies, renewable energy integration, and advanced computational methods. Professor Taylor has contributed to over 250 research publications in areas including power system operation and management, reactive power control, voltage regulation, and high-performance computing applications in electrical power systems. His work addresses critical challenges in modern power systems, particularly those related to the integration of renewable energy sources and the development of more resilient grid infrastructure. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on addressing contemporary power system challenges, particularly the integration of renewable energy sources, smart grid technologies, and advanced computational methods. His work spans from fundamental power system analysis to practical applications in grid operation, with increasing emphasis on cybersecurity aspects of power system monitoring and the challenges posed by reduced system inertia in grids with high renewable penetration. Senior Member of IEEE Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (FIET) Chartered Engineer Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) UK Regular Member for CIGRE Study Committee D2 (2016-2022) Member of Strategic Advisory Group for CIGRE Study Committee D2 (2023) Professor Taylor has led numerous significant research projects including TDX-ASSIST (€5.2M), e-HIGHWAY2050 (€8.2M), and HiPerDNO (€5.4M), with funding from EPSRC, European Commission, National Grid, and other major organizations. His current research portfolio includes projects on novel decoupled active/reactive power oscillation response, digitalization of power systems operation, and examining net zero policy in European energy markets. He also directs the BIPS Research Centre, which focuses on interdisciplinary power systems research with strong industry connections.
Associate Professor Andrew Jackson is a faculty member at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Business School, School of Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, since 2005. He was awarded a Scientia Fellowship in 2019 and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Australian Journal of Management and President (Australia) of the Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand (AFAANZ) . Prior to UNSW, he taught at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Education: PhD, University of New South Wales (2010) MCA, Victoria University of Wellington (2004) BCA, Victoria University of Wellington (2002) AMusTCL, Trinity College London (1998) Andrew's research focuses on financial accounting and financial statement analysis , particularly earnings co-movements , decomposition of earnings into market-wide , industry , and firm-specific components , and implications for asset pricing models and earnings forecasting . His work also explores corporate disclosure practices , stock return volatility , and audit quality . He has published extensively in journals such as Australian Accounting Review , Abacus , and Review of Accounting Studies , with interdisciplinary contributions to Inorganic Chemistry and Nuclear Medicine and Biology . His recent publications (2023-2017) span topics from digital asset accounting to AI in education , regulatory compliance , and medical imaging . Notable trends include earnings decomposition , technology integration in accounting, and cross-disciplinary research in chemistry and medicine. Scientific Awards: 2018 UNSW Business School Research Achievement Award 2009 ABACUS Manuscript Award Scientia Fellowship (2019) Andrew supervises research students and has secured grants including an ARC Discovery Grant (DP210101354) (2021-23) for studying financial performance and corporate investment , and UNSW Business School Special Research Grant (2019) with Shane Dikolli and Marlene Plumlee. He also held an AFAANZ PhD Scholarship (2009).
Martin Mullins is Professor in Risk and Insurance at the Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, where he co-leads the Emerging Risk Group. He holds dual affiliations as Visiting Professor at Vicomtech Foundation (Basque Country, Spain) and member of both the Centre for Emerging Risk Studies and Lero – the Irish Research Centre for Software. His cross-institutional roles include serving as data ethicist for the Central Bank of Ireland and teaching risk/ethics modules for Ireland's national MSc in Artificial Intelligence. His research centers on the convergence of emerging technologies and risk governance, with specific expertise in AI ethics for insurance applications, cyber risk transfer mechanisms, and ethical implications of autonomous systems. Recent work examines trust deficiencies in generative AI for high-stakes insurance decisions, efficacy of cyber insurance markets, and gamified training for financial crime detection – consistently bridging theoretical frameworks with regulatory practice. Analysis of his 2024 publications reveals three dominant trends: (1) Critical examination of AI's role in insurance underwriting, particularly trust barriers in ChatGPT applications; (2) Structural analysis of cyber insurance markets with focus on German regulatory models and reinsurance solutions; (3) Innovation in financial crime detection through behavioral training methodologies. These outputs demonstrate his interdisciplinary approach spanning technology ethics, risk modeling, and regulatory policy. Professor Mullins has secured significant research funding through four EU Commission projects including VIDAS and Cloud-LSVA (funded under MG3.6 and ICT 16 calls), investigating risk metrics and privacy frameworks for assisted driving systems. His work actively contributes to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to responsible technology development and ethical innovation. He co-leads the Emerging Risk Group at University of Limerick, collaborating with Lero on software risk initiatives and with Vicomtech Foundation on Basque-region technology ethics projects. Current engagements include advising the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) as member of their Digital Ethics in Insurance Expert Group.
Marko Šarac is a Professor at Singidunum University in the Faculty of Informatics and Computer Science . He holds a Master's degree in Contemporary Information Technologies (2008) and a PhD in Advanced Protection Systems (2013) from the same institution. His research spans Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), Machine Learning, and Data Privacy . Education: Master: Contemporary Information Technologies, Singidunum University, 2008 PhD: Advanced Protection Systems, Singidunum University, 2013 Research Focus: SSL Traffic Security, Virtual Datacenters, Biometric Cryptography, and IoT Healthcare Systems Developed frameworks for Explainable AI in Metaverse Security , Blockchain-based IoT Security Gateways , and Machine Learning for Medical Diagnostics Notable Publications: 2025: CNN-enhanced attack detection for IoT-based Metaverse 2024: Modified Firefly Algorithm for medical dataset classification 2023: Space weather prediction using metaheuristics Projects: Co-author on 9+ books including Internet Marketing (2020) and Computer Network Security (2014) Contributed to 50+ peer-reviewed journals and conference papers on cybersecurity and AI Grants & Collaborations: Active in IEEE , ZINC , and Sinteza conference series Collaborated with researchers across Europe and Asia on IoT, Blockchain, and Cloud Security Contact: msarac@singidunum.ac.rs
Rafail Ostrovsky is a Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Mathematics (by courtesy) at UCLA's Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. He holds the Norman E. Friedman Chair in Knowledge Sciences and serves as Director of the Center for Information and Computation Security. With over 350 refereed publications and 15 issued USPTO patents, he is one of the most influential researchers in theoretical computer science and cryptography. Professor Ostrovsky's research spans cryptography, network algorithms, and search and classification of large-scale, high-dimensional data. His work focuses on foundational aspects of secure computation including zero-knowledge proofs, secure multi-party computation, private information retrieval, and privacy-preserving data analysis. His contributions to streaming algorithms, metric embedding, and clustering for high-dimensional data have established important theoretical frameworks with practical applications. He has pioneered techniques for secure computation that maintain privacy while enabling collaborative data analysis. His recent publications demonstrate continued leadership in advancing secure computation protocols, with emphasis on efficiency improvements, practical implementations, and novel applications in blockchain technology and distributed systems. His work consistently addresses fundamental theoretical challenges while maintaining relevance to real-world security problems, bridging the gap between theoretical cryptography and practical security solutions. Selected Honors: 1993 Henry Taub Prize 2017 IEEE Computer Society Edward J. McCluskey Technical Achievement Award 2018 RSA Award for Excellence in Mathematics 2022 W. Wallace McDowell Award (the highest award given by the IEEE Computer Society) Professor Ostrovsky has served in significant leadership roles including chair of the IEEE Technical Committee on Mathematical Foundations of Computing (2015-2018) and chair of the IEEE FOCS 2011 Program Committee. He has served on over 40 international conference program committees and currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of ACM and Algorithmica Journal. As a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, AAAS, ACM, IEEE, and IACR, and as a foreign member of Academia Europaea, his contributions have been widely recognized across multiple disciplines. He actively teaches advanced courses including Introduction to Cryptography (CS183), Foundations of Cryptography (CS282A/M209A), and Cryptographic Protocols (CS282B/M209B), mentoring the next generation of security researchers while continuing to push the boundaries of secure computation through his research.
Ramon Canal is a Professor at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), affiliated with the Barcelona School of Informatics and the Computer Architecture Department. He has served as Vice Dean of postgraduate studies and leads the VirtuOS (Virtualization and Operating Systems) research group. His academic background includes BSc, MSc, and PhD from UPC, with thesis supervision by Antonio González (UPC) and James E. Smith (University of Wisconsin-Madison). He completed sabbaticals at Harvard University (2006-2007) and University of Cyprus (2019-2020). Education: PhD, MSc, BSc in Computer Engineering (UPC) Research focus: Microarchitecture security, reliability across circuit/system levels, cloud optimization Recent publications address privacy in IoT, secure hardware accelerators, and safety-critical systems. His work contributes to the DRAC project (2019-2022), Red-RISCV network, and Horizon's Vitamin-V project. Awards include HiPEAC Paper Awards, IEEE Senior Member status, Fulbright recognition, and multiple education excellence accolades. Scientific Honors HiPEAC Paper Award (ISCA-44, 2017) IEEE Senior Member (2016) Best Paper Nominee (ICCD-32, 2014) UPC Outstanding PhD Award supervision (2011) He advises current MSc students and has mentored multiple PhD graduates. Professional activities span academic leadership, research collaborations with Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), and technical contributions to reliability analysis frameworks like RECIPE and FRACTAL.
Bo G Ekelund is a Professor of English Literature at Stockholm University's Department of English within the Faculty of Humanities. He received his PhD from Uppsala University in May 1995, served as a post-doctoral fellow at Uppsala's Department of English from 1996 to 2000, and has been at Stockholm University since summer 2000, where he was promoted to Professor in 2021. His office is located in Room E 854 at Universitetsvägen 10 E, 8th floor. Ekelund's research follows a tradition of critical social theory, heavily influenced by Pierre Bourdieu. His work spans several major projects including Literary Generations and Social Authority which analyzed 955 US prose fiction writers across 60 years, Studies in an Undead Culture: Scenes of Recognition in literature and politics 1980-2000 , and research on Caribbean Anglophone fiction funded by the Swedish Research Council. He has also conducted significant work on Swedish translations and the reception of international theory through projects funded by the Swedish Research Council. Ekelund's scholarly output demonstrates a consistent trajectory from his early work on John Gardner to his current focus on spatial theory, Caribbean literature, and geometric data analysis. His publications reveal a distinctive methodological approach that blends Bourdieusian sociology with innovative quantitative techniques like Geometric Data Analysis (GDA) to examine literary fields, spaces, and transnational knowledge flows. His work consistently interrogates the relationship between literature, place, and power across different geopolitical contexts. Ekelund has secured funding from prestigious sources including the National Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation, the Swedish Research Council, and the RJ-funded research program Cosmopolitan and Vernacular Dynamics in World Literature . His research has established him as a significant figure in Scandinavian literary scholarship with a distinctive transnational perspective that bridges European and Caribbean literary studies. His work demonstrates how peripheral national contexts like Sweden can productively engage with global literary fields through methodological innovation and theoretical sophistication.
Seraina Rüegger is the Scientific Director of the Population Research Center (PRC) at the University of Zurich since 2023. She has previously worked as a senior researcher in the International Conflict Research group at ETH Zurich and as an expert on Ukraine at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). At ETH Zurich and the Universities of Basel, Lucerne, and Zurich, she served as a lecturer in conflict research and forced migration. Education: PhD in Political Science, ETH Zurich (2013) Master's in Political Science, University of Zurich (2009) Research Interests: Seraina’s work focuses on the intersection of public health, forced migration, conflict dynamics, and ethnic power relations. She has developed datasets such as the CShapes 2.0 and Refugee-Related Security Incidence Dataset (RRSID) , emphasizing large-scale data collection and transdisciplinary approaches to sustainable development. Her recent studies explore mental health burdens among displaced populations and the role of ethnic power structures in conflict diffusion. Publications Trends: Her research spans geopolitical mapping, refugee security, pandemic vulnerabilities, and inequality-driven unrest. The majority of her work addresses conflict causality, migration patterns, and data-driven frameworks for analyzing ethnic and political tensions. Teams and Labs: Seraina leads the Healthcare Epidemiology team at the University of Zurich’s Population Research Center, contributing to tools for personalized, preference-sensitive healthcare and patient-centered care models.
Vijay Gupta is the Elmore Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Associate Head of Graduate and Professional Programs at Purdue University's College of Engineering. His research focuses on distributed decision-making systems, combining data-driven and model-driven approaches for infrastructure networks like power grids, transportation systems, and water distribution networks. Key areas include compositional control, cyber-physical security, and incentive design in distributed estimation and control. Education: B.Tech from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, M.S. and Ph.D. from California Institute of Technology, all in Electrical Engineering. Prior roles include faculty positions at Notre Dame and research roles at United Technologies Research Center. Research emphasizes resilient control strategies for large-scale systems, with recent work addressing secure estimation under adversarial attacks, model reduction techniques, and reinforcement learning frameworks for decentralized control. His publications span control theory, cyber-physical systems, and optimization algorithms. Grants and collaborations are not explicitly detailed here, but his work reflects significant engagement with foundational and applied research challenges in networked systems. No specific awards are listed in the provided texts.
Seyyed Abolfazl Hosseini is a Research Professor at the Bureau of Economic Geology within the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin. His expertise spans fluid flow in porous media, CO2 sequestration, reservoir modeling, and unconventional reservoir engineering. He holds a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Isfahan (2002), an M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering (Biotechnology) from Sharif University of Technology (2005), and a Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Tulsa (2008). Education: B.Sc., Chemical Engineering, University of Isfahan (2002) M.Sc., Chemical Engineering (Biotechnology), Sharif University of Technology (2005) Ph.D., Petroleum Engineering, University of Tulsa (2008) Professional History: Research Professor, Bureau of Economic Geology (2023–Present) Senior Research Scientist, Bureau of Economic Geology (2021–2023) Research Scientist, Bureau of Economic Geology (2016–2021) Research Associate, Bureau of Economic Geology (2010–2016) His research focuses on enhancing oil recovery, CO2 geological storage, upscaling techniques, and multiphase flow dynamics. Key areas include reservoir simulation, CO2 sequestration risk assessment, and machine learning applications in subsurface modeling. He has contributed to over 100 peer-reviewed publications and holds awards for his impactful work in carbon storage and reservoir engineering. Recent work emphasizes leveraging AI/ML for rapid CO2 plume prediction, optimizing site selection workflows for large-scale storage projects, and advancing understanding of hydrogen storage mechanisms in subsurface formations. Awards: 2024 Tinker Family BEG Publication Award Best Paper Award at 2013 COMSOL Conference Career-Development Publications Award (2011) Grants & Funding: Principal Investigator: Science-Informed Machine Learning for Real-time Decisions in Subsurface Applications (DOE) Co-PI: SECARB USA Regional CO2 Storage Project (2019–2024) He leads initiatives such as the SMART Initiative (Machine Learning for CCS) and serves on editorial boards and professional committees in petroleum engineering and geoscience.
Justin Lipman is a Professor in the School of Electrical and Data Engineering at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). He serves as Director of the Cyber Digital Centre and previously led the RF and Communications Technologies Lab. With over 12 years of industry experience at Intel and Alcatel, his expertise spans cybersecurity, IoT, 5G/O-RAN, digital agriculture, and smart cities. Lipman holds a PhD in Telecommunications Engineering from the University of Wollongong. Research & Funding Secured $35M+ in research grants, including projects like UTS Vault ($8M) and the Nokia 5G Futures Lab. Focus areas: Cybersecurity, IoT infrastructure, wireless communications, and smart agriculture. 24 U.S. patents granted, including innovations in IoT security and metamaterials. Education PhD in Telecommunications Engineering (University of Wollongong, 2004) Industry experience: Chief Architect at Intel (2006–2016), Program Manager at Alcatel-Lucent (2005). Awards & Recognition IEEE Senior Member (2012) Leadership roles: Deputy Chief Scientist (Food Agility CRC), Board Director (Internet of Things Alliance Australia). Teaching & Labs Supervises HDR/PhD students in areas like SDN and IoT. Labs: RF and Communications Lab, BlueSky initiative.
Damon L. Woodard is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Florida (UF) and serves as Director of the Florida Institute for National Security (FINS) and the Applied Artificial Intelligence (AAI) Group. His research focuses on applied artificial intelligence, hardware security, and biometrics, with particular emphasis on adversarial AI, AI-enabled hardware assurance, and explainable AI (XAI). He holds IEEE and ACM Senior Member status and is a Kavli Frontiers Fellow. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering, University of Notre Dame M.E. in Computer Science and Engineering, Penn State University B.S. in Computer Science and Computer Information Systems, Tulane University Research Interests: Dr. Woodard explores cutting-edge areas such as AI hardware acceleration, multi-modal AI systems, and counter-AI strategies. His work bridges cognitive science and technology through projects like text stylometry and psychological analysis frameworks. Key focus areas include semiconductor reverse engineering, hardware trojan detection via SEM imaging and machine learning, and secure IoT biometric systems. Highlighted Awards: National Academy of Science Kavli Frontiers Fellow IEEE Senior Member ACM Senior Member AAAI Membership Leadership & Contributions: As FINS Director, he oversees national security initiatives integrating AI and hardware assurance. His AAI Group develops resource-efficient AI solutions for constrained environments. Notable projects include the SECURE segmentation metric for IC reverse engineering and the MaGNIFIES GAN framework for electronic system inspection. Labs & Teams: Leads the Applied Artificial Intelligence Group and collaborates across disciplines through FINS, fostering innovation in AI-driven security and semiconductor integrity.
Dr. Abani Pradhan is a Professor and Director of the Graduate Program in Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Maryland's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. He leads the Center for Food Safety and Security Systems and advises student organizations like the Food Science Club and the Graduate Student Organization. His expertise spans food safety, microbial risk assessment, and AI-driven analytics. Educated at institutions including Cornell University and Indian Institute of Technology, he holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Food Engineering. Research focuses on foodborne pathogens (e.g., Listeria, Salmonella), predictive microbiology, and integrating genomics with risk assessment. He teaches courses like Food Safety Risk Assessment and Food Quality Control. Recognized with over 30 awards, including the Dean Gordon Cairns Award and Chauncey Starr Award, he also serves on national advisory committees and professional societies like the Society for Risk Analysis. His interdisciplinary work addresses global food safety challenges through machine learning and systems modeling.
Dr. Rob Brennan is an Assistant Professor in the School of Computer Science at University College Dublin. With 25 years of academic and industry experience, he specializes in data governance, AI ethics, and cybersecurity. His research integrates socio-technical systems analysis, data protection frameworks, and healthcare risk management. He leads the Value and Risk research challenge within the ADAPT Centre's Transparent Digital Governance initiative and coordinates projects like the ARK platform for risk governance. Education: BSc in Physics, Dublin City University MSc, Queen's University Belfast PhD in Governance, Dublin City University Professional Diploma in University Teaching and Learning, University College Dublin Research Interests: Data Governance & AI Accountability GDPR Compliance & Privacy Engineering Healthcare Risk Management Knowledge Graphs & Linked Data Cybersecurity & Incident Response Key Contributions: Co-PI of Science Foundation Ireland's Empower Data Governance project Coordinator of the €4M H2020 ALIGNED project on software/data engineering Developed the ARK platform for risk governance in healthcare and cybersecurity Grants & Awards: Best Paper Award at Extended Semantic Web Conference 2023 Principal Investigator for grants including the ARK-Virus platform (SFI-funded) Teaching & Mentorship: Coordinates courses on Cyber Risk Assessment, Incident Response, and Data Protection Supervises PhD students focusing on data governance and AI ethics Co-developed the MA in Data Protection and Privacy Law with Computing Professional Activities: Member of FAccT 2023 Program Committee Co-chair of the Irish Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science Contributor to international standards (OMG, IETF, 3GPP)
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