Vernon Valentine Palmer is the Thomas Pickles Chair and Co-Director of the Eason Weinmann Center for Comparative Law at Tulane Law School. With over 50 years of academic experience across global institutions, his work focuses on comparative law, European civil law, and mixed jurisdictions. DPhil (1985), Pembroke College, Oxford University LLM (1966), Yale University LLB (1965), Tulane University BA (1962), Tulane University His research examines the comparative law of obligations, code revision, legal history, delictual liability, and third-party beneficiary contracts. He has extensively studied Louisiana law's French and Spanish roots, pure economic loss, and judicial equity. Palmer's publications include Mixed Jurisdictions Worldwide and Through the Codes Darkly: Slave Law and Civil Law in Louisiana . His recent work analyzes mixed jurisdictions' evolution and cross-cultural legal harmonization challenges. World's Greatest Comparativist (2022) Docteur Honoris Causa, Paris-Dauphine University (2012) Chevalier, French Legion of Honor (2006) Palmes Académiques Sumter Marks Award (2000, 2001) Provost’s Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarship (2005) Titulary member, International Academy of Comparative Law at the Hague (2003) As founder and President of the World Society of Mixed Jurisdiction Jurists, Palmer has shaped global discourse on mixed legal systems through conferences, publications, and collaborations with international institutions.
Paul Rothemund is a Visiting Associate in Computing and Mathematical Sciences and Computation & Neural Systems at the California Institute of Technology . His research focuses on expanding the toolkit of DNA nanotechnology , particularly through the development of DNA origami and its integration into fields like biological engineering and translational research . He is part of the Biology and Biological Engineering divisions and collaborates with the Winfree and Qian labs. B.S., Caltech (1994) Ph.D., University of Southern California (2001) Research Interests Rothemund’s work centers on programmable molecular systems , with a focus on DNA origami for creating nanoscale shapes, RNA nanostructures , and lipid nanodiscs . His lab develops methods for molecular self-assembly , nanophotonic architectures , and single-molecule assays . Key applications include hybrid nanodevices , precision biomolecular placement , and dynamic DNA/RNA systems . Publication Trends Over 15 recent articles, Rothemund’s research spans DNA/RNA origami , lipid bilayer engineering , nanoarray fabrication , and biomolecular sensing . Themes include modular design , co-transcriptional folding , and programmable nanoscale materials . Scientific Recognition Beckman Senior Research Fellow (2001-04) Bryan R. Coles Prize (2017) Advising & Collaborations Rothemund has advised doctoral students and postdocs such as Anya Mitskovets (now at KLA) and Tyler Ross (MIT/Harvard). His lab forms a DNA nanotechnology supergroup and engages in interdisciplinary collaborations.
Dr. Amarjeet Bassi is a Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering at Western University. He holds a Ph.D. and is a Professional Engineer (P.Eng). His research group has made significant contributions to environmental engineering, particularly in developing the world's first circulating fluidized bed ion exchange chromatography system. Dr. Bassi has established strong industry partnerships, including with Renix Inc. for commercializing his UIX technology and with Stanton Farms for phycoremediation research. Dr. Bassi's research interests focus on innovative environmental and bio-separation technologies. His work spans micro-algal applications for clean water and value recovery, integrated technologies for water refining and nutrient and energy recovery using biological systems, bio-separations, and biosensors. His research group pioneered the circulating fluidized bed ion exchange chromatography system (UIX), which is now being commercialized by Renix Inc. He has also developed significant expertise in phycoremediation, particularly for treating wastewater from dairy farms and greenhouse industries. Dr. Bassi's publication record demonstrates a strong focus on sustainable water treatment technologies, bioenergy production, and biodegradation of plastics. His recent work shows increasing attention to microplastic pollution, hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgae for bio-crude oil production, and innovative approaches to wastewater treatment using microbial systems and phycoremediation. Distinguished Speaker Award from IChE (2007) Engineering Science Prize for Outstanding Teaching at Western University (2000) SPIE Optics East Best Paper Award (2006) Dr. Bassi has graduated over 45 highly qualified personnel (PhDs, M.E.Sc and PDFs/Research Associates) and supervised more than 50 undergraduate research students. His research has been supported by significant grants from Canada Foundation for Innovation, NSERC Strategic Project grants, OMAFRA New Directions, and other funding agencies. He has served in leadership roles including President of the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering (2014-2015) and as Associate Editor for the Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering. Dr. Bassi leads an active research group focusing on innovative environmental technologies. His lab has developed the world's first circulating fluidized bed ion exchange chromatography system and has established successful industry partnerships, particularly with Renix Inc. for commercializing the UIX technology. His research group maintains strong collaborations with Stanton Farms for phycoremediation research and works with various industry partners on wastewater treatment and bioenergy projects.
Omid Mahian is a professor at Ningbo University, Ningbo, China, with significant contributions to thermal engineering, renewable energy, and nanotechnology. His research focuses on optimizing heat transfer mechanisms in systems like supercritical CO 2 cycles, printed circuit heat exchangers, and photovoltaic thermal modules. He has over 14,597 documents cited, with an h-index of 81 and 287 publications on Scopus. Key research areas: Thermal Load, Surface Roughness, Microchannel Flow, Exergy Destruction, Renewable Energy, Forced Convection. Recent work explores advanced cooling techniques (e.g., wicked heat pipes, grooved copper foam) and nanofluid applications for atmospheric water harvesting and CO 2 absorption. His studies address energy efficiency in off-grid systems, including predictive dispatch strategies for hybrid renewable energy, supersonic separation for carbon capture, and thermal management in electric vehicle motors. Omid Mahian has authored 180 articles on ScienceDirect, with a focus on improving energy systems through innovative designs and materials. His collaborations span numerous disciplines, emphasizing sustainability and technological feasibility.
Raman Kashyap is a Full Professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Department of Engineering Physics at Polytechnique Montréal . He serves as a researcher at the Centre d’optique, photonique et laser (COPL) and a member of the Advanced Research Centre in Microwaves and Space Electronics (POLY-GRAMES) . His work spans multiple domains in photonics and laser technology. B.Sc. (King's College), Ph.D. (Essex) Research Interests : Professor Kashyap's research focuses on optical fibers , laser cooling , Bragg gratings , optoelectronics , nonlinear optics , and periodically poled crystals . His work explores stimulated Brillouin scattering , optical sensors , and material modification via lasers , contributing to advancements in quantum photonics and microwave engineering . Recent Research Trends : His latest publications emphasize Anti-Stokes fluorescence cooling in silica and oxide glasses, elastic optical network optimization , and femtosecond laser writing for photonic devices. These works bridge material science , quantum computing , and telecommunications , showcasing innovative applications in temperature sensing , optical delay systems , and 3D integrated optics . Scientific Awards : 2016 - Québec Science's 10 Discoveries of the Year 2014 - Royal Society of Canada (RSC) Fellow 2013 - SPIE Fellow 2012 - Killam Fellowship (Canada Council for the Arts) 2011 - Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC) Fellow 2010 - Institute of Physics Fellow 2004 - Optical Society of America (OSA) Fellow Academic Supervision : Professor Kashyap has supervised 36 students , including 24 Ph.D. candidates and 12 Master’s students . His supervised projects cover spherical Bragg resonators , laser-induced cooling , optical frequency domain reflectometry , and femtosecond laser writing . Labs & Collaborations : He leads research at the Fabulas laboratory and collaborates with the POLY-GRAMES center. His work involves partnerships with institutions like INRS and Québec Science , influencing quantum computing and optical fiber communication technologies.
Professor Cem Evrendilek is a faculty member in the Department of Computer Engineering at Izmir University of Economics, Turkey, holding the rank of Professor with current active status. His institutional email is cem.evrendilek@ieu.edu.tr. His research spans algorithmic complexity and geometric computation, with primary focus areas including: Computational Geometry (specializing in orthogonal polygon covering problems) Wireless Sensor Network Localization (energy-efficient methods and trilateration) NP-hard Problem Analysis (proving complexity for geometric and network problems) Approximation Algorithms for combinatorial optimization Analysis of his 2008-2018 publications reveals consistent work on geometric covering problems and sensor network localization. Key trends include proving NP-completeness for orthogonal polygon covering variants, developing energy-efficient mobile beacon localization techniques, and analyzing trilateration with noisy measurements. His work frequently intersects computational geometry with practical wireless network applications, demonstrating strong theoretical foundations applied to real-world constraints. Collaborative patterns show frequent co-authorship with Hüseyin Akcan (on localization algorithms), Burkay Genç, and Brahim Hnich (on computational geometry problems).
Heidi Ottevaere is a Professor at the Faculty of Engineering of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) since October 1, 2009. She serves as the head of the Instrumentation and Metrology platform at the Photonics Innovation Center and leads the 'biophotonics' research unit of the Brussels Photonics Team (B-PHOT), which is chaired by Prof. Hugo Thienpont. Her work focuses on the design, fabrication, and characterization of photonic components and systems for diverse applications in medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and industrial processes. Dr. Ottevaere earned her Electrotechnical Engineering degree with majors in Photonics from Vrije Universiteit Brussel in 1997 and completed her PhD in Applied Sciences at the same institution in 2003. Her doctoral research focused on 'Refractive microlenses and micro-optical structures for multi-parameter sensing: a touch of micro-photonics.' Professor Ottevaere's research spans multiple cutting-edge areas of photonics with particular emphasis on biophotonics, micro-optics, and optical metrology . Her work bridges fundamental science with practical applications, developing novel photonic components and systems that address real-world challenges. She has pioneered research in miniaturized optical systems for medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and industrial applications. Her current research focuses on advancing lab-on-a-chip technologies, microfluidic optical sensors, and novel optical fiber systems for biomedical applications. She has developed microminiaturized, integrated plastic detection units for absorbance and laser-induced fluorescence measurements in microfluidic channels, enabling portable, robust, and disposable diagnostic systems. Her recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward integrated optical sensing systems with applications in medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring. There's a clear progression from fundamental optical component design to complete system integration, with increasing emphasis on artificial intelligence for data analysis and computational imaging techniques. Her work bridges photonics with biomedical engineering, materials science, and data science, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of modern photonics research. Dr. Ottevaere has been recognized with several prestigious awards: Best Application award (2008) Educational award - Bronze (2019) MOC09 Contribution Award Winners (2009) As an educator and mentor, Professor Ottevaere has promoted 9 PhD students and supervised numerous master's theses. She has secured substantial research funding from diverse sources including the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO), the Institute for the Promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders (IWT), and multiple European Framework Programs. Her current portfolio includes projects on miniaturized biosensors for drinking water screening, precision manufacturing, and photonics education initiatives in Uzbekistan. She has coordinated multiple strategic research and networking projects with regional, national, and international funding bodies. Professor Ottevaere leads the biophotonics research unit within the Brussels Photonics Team (B-PHOT), one of Europe's leading photonics research groups. Her team includes researchers working on optical metrology, micro-optics fabrication, and biophotonic applications. She collaborates extensively with industry partners including Melexis, Umicore, and Anteryon, as well as academic institutions across Europe through various EU-funded projects. She has been instrumental in developing the interuniversity engineering curriculum 'Master in Photonics' which received the EC Erasmus Mundus quality label in 2006, and continues to be the driving force behind photonics education at VUB.
Lars Davidson is a Professor in the Department of Fluid Dynamics at Chalmers University of Technology. His research focuses on numerical simulations of fluid flow and heat transfer, with an emphasis on turbulence modeling for Large Eddy Simulation (LES) and hybrid LES/RANS methods. He has developed computational codes CALC-BFC and CALC-LES based on finite-volume techniques, and recently integrated machine learning to enhance wall functions and turbulence models. Key projects include Hybrid LES/RANS for wall-bounded flows Machine learning applications in fluid dynamics Aeroacoustic noise reduction in automotive and aerospace systems Wind turbine load analysis in forested regions . His publications span 302 articles in journals and conferences, with recent work on Neural networks for turbulence closure Plasma actuators for drag reduction Lattice Boltzmann wall-modeled LES . Collaborations include teams at Volvo, Siemens, and international research groups.
Tiina Sikanen is an Associate Professor at the University of Helsinki within the Faculty of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology . She leads the Chemical Microsystems Lab and serves as a supervisor for doctoral programmes in Drug Research, Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, and Materials Research and Nanosciences. Her research focuses on microfluidic systems, polymer microfabrication, and mass spectrometry applications in drug metabolism studies. Education : MSc in Chemical Technology (Aalto University, 2010), PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry (University of Helsinki, 2007) Her research integrates microfluidic total analysis systems with digital microfluidics to create 3D liver and cardiac cell culture models for studying extracellular vesicle activity and cytochrome P450 metabolism. Key projects include PREMIER (risk evaluation of medicines in environment) and CardioEV (cardiotoxicity biomarker discovery). Her recent publications highlight advancements in microdevice-based extracellular vesicle quantitation, Staphylococcus biofilm modeling, and sustainable pharmaceutical life-cycle analysis. Scientific awards include the Academy of Finland Award for Scientific Courage (2019) , Research Fellow (2017) , and Postdoctoral Researcher (2011) . She has supervised numerous Master's and doctoral theses, including Elina Kyllönen's MSc(Pharm) work on microfluidic sustainability challenges and Laura Sirviö's BSc research. Her lab employs 3D printing for cleanroom-free microdevice fabrication and participates in EU-funded initiatives like IMI2-RIA PREMIER.
Päivi Leino-Sandberg is a Professor of Transnational European Law at the University of Helsinki's Faculty of Law, where she also serves as Deputy Director of the Erik Castrén Institute of International Law and Human Rights. She has established herself as a leading scholar in EU constitutional and institutional law, with extensive experience bridging academic research and practical policy work. Professor Leino-Sandberg specializes in EU constitutional and institutional law, with particular focus on: Legal expertise in EU policymaking processes Transparency and accountability in EU governance The dynamics of powers within the European Union EU integration models and constitutional development The intersection of national and EU legal systems Her recent research demonstrates a consistent pattern of examining the political dimensions of EU law through empirical and interdisciplinary approaches. Recent work has focused on the Next Generation EU recovery framework, EU transparency practices, and the evolving constitutional architecture of European integration. She frequently employs empirical methodologies to uncover the practical workings of EU legal institutions beyond formal legal texts, with publications analyzing confidential EU documents, recovery funds governance, and the language of EU legal reasoning. Professor Leino-Sandberg's scholarly contributions have been recognized with significant honors including membership in the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters (2025) and the Best referee article published in 2024 in Lakimies. Her work has been cited by the EU Court of Justice and the German Federal Constitutional Court, demonstrating its impact on legal practice. She actively supervises doctoral students and has served as an opponent for doctoral dissertations at institutions including the University of Amsterdam and University of Utrecht. Professor Leino-Sandberg has secured substantial research funding, including multiple projects from the Research Council of Finland's Strategic Research Council and foundation grants totaling over €500,000 in the past five years. Professor Leino-Sandberg leads the Erik Castrén Institute's research on EU governance and is principal investigator for major projects including '2035Legitimacy' and '(In)security and Democracy.' She frequently collaborates with international research networks and has established the University of Helsinki as a hub for critical EU constitutional scholarship.
Younis Abiedalla serves as an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Drug Discovery and Development at Auburn University's Harrison School of Pharmacy, where he conducts cutting-edge research in forensic drug chemistry and analytical methodologies for novel psychoactive substances. Education: B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Omar Al-Mukhtar University (Libya), 2007 M.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Auburn University, 2012 Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Medicinal Chemistry) from Auburn University, 2018 Dr. Abiedalla's research program focuses on separation science and forensic drug chemistry, with particular expertise in analyzing regioisomeric compounds in synthetic novel psychoactive substances (NPS). His laboratory employs advanced hyphenated chromatographic techniques including Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), Gas Chromatography-Infrared Spectroscopy (GC-IR), and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS) to differentiate between closely related drug compounds that pose challenges for forensic identification. His publication record demonstrates a consistent research trajectory focused on forensic analysis of designer drugs, particularly synthetic cannabinoids and cathinone derivatives. Recent work has expanded into electron ionization fragmentation studies of various substituted compounds, with publications spanning from 2012 through the present, including a 2025 publication currently in press. Dr. Abiedalla collaborates extensively with researchers including Jack DeRuiter and C. Randall Clark, and his work contributes significantly to the forensic science community's ability to identify and characterize emerging designer drugs that present public health challenges.
Aurora del Carmen Munguía-López is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University at Buffalo, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. She leads the Sustainable Systems Engineering Laboratory, focusing on computational tools for sustainable product and technology design. Education: PhD, Chemical Engineering (Process Systems Engineering), University of Michoacan, Mexico (2021) MSc, Chemical Engineering, Technological Institute of Celaya, Mexico (2017) BSc, Chemical Engineering, Technological Institute of Celaya, Mexico (2014) Research interests span four methodological areas: (1) multi-scale process design, (2) technology pathway analysis, (3) sustainable supply chains, and (4) environmental/social justice. Applications include plastics recycling, waste management, clean energy technologies, and sustainable manufacturing in food, pharmaceuticals, and textiles. Recent publications emphasize plastics sustainability, solvent-based recycling, techno-economic analysis, and circular economy frameworks. Notable works include Process Systems Engineering Approaches for Sustainable Plastics Management and A Fast Computational Framework for Solvent-Based Plastic Recycling . News highlights include her 2025 lab welcoming undergraduate researchers and speaking engagements at SPE Flexible Packaging Division conferences.
Dr. Jeffrey Crouch serves as an associate professor of American politics at American University, specializing in federal executive clemency and the presidential pardon power. He is widely recognized as a leading expert in this niche field, frequently contributing commentary to major media outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, Atlantic, Los Angeles Times, Politico, NBC News, and Newsweek. Dr. Crouch holds multiple prestigious editorial positions, serving as Editor of Congress & the Presidency journal and Co-Editor of the Congressional Leaders book series for the University Press of Kansas. He is also a Fellow at the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies (CCPS). B.A. from Hope College J.D. from University of Michigan Law School Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America Dr. Crouch's research centers on the constitutional and practical dimensions of presidential clemency, with particular focus on historical patterns, contemporary applications, and the evolving relationship between executive power and the justice system. His work examines how presidents from different eras have utilized pardon authority, the political implications of high-profile clemency decisions, and the institutional mechanisms surrounding the pardon process. He has extensively analyzed pardon practices across presidential administrations, with special attention to modern controversies involving Trump, Obama, and other recent presidents. His scholarship bridges legal theory, political history, and contemporary political analysis. Dr. Crouch's publication record demonstrates consistent scholarly output focused on executive power and presidential authority. His work shows a clear evolution from foundational research on the pardon power's theoretical framework toward increasingly applied analyses of contemporary presidential actions. While maintaining rigorous academic standards, his recent publications have become more engaged with current political debates, reflecting his dual role as scholar and public commentator. His interdisciplinary approach combines legal analysis, historical research, and political science methodology to examine presidential power through multiple lenses. As an educator, Dr. Crouch teaches courses directly related to his research expertise, including The U.S. Presidency, The Presidency and the Executive Branch, and Presidential Scandals. His Spring 2025 and Fall 2025 course schedule indicates active teaching responsibilities. His role as Editor of Congress & the Presidency provides him with significant influence in shaping scholarly discourse in his field. Dr. Crouch's affiliation with the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies (CCPS) positions him within a major research hub focused on American political institutions. This center serves as an intellectual home for his work and provides opportunities for collaborative research with other scholars examining the interplay between different branches of government. His ongoing media presence demonstrates how his academic expertise translates into public discourse on critical constitutional issues.
Dr. Armin Mustafa is an Associate Professor in Computer Vision and AI at the University of Surrey, where he holds a prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow position. He is affiliated with the Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing (CVSSP), the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, and the Surrey Institute for People-Centred Artificial Intelligence (PAI). His research focuses on developing AI systems for visual understanding of complex dynamic scenes, with applications in entertainment, autonomous systems, and augmented/virtual reality. Dr. Mustafa completed his PhD in general dynamic scene reconstruction from multi-view videos in 2016 from the University of Surrey under the supervision of Prof. Adrian Hilton. Prior to his doctoral studies, he worked for three years (2010-2013) at Samsung Research Institute in Bangalore, India, in the field of Computer Vision. His research expertise spans Computer Vision, Scene Understanding, 3D/4D Vision, Virtual Reality, Light Fields, Machine Learning, Video Captioning, Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence, and Audio-visual Video Understanding. Dr. Mustafa has pioneered advances in 4D vision, NLP, and Scene Understanding over the past decade, with a particular focus on enabling machines to model and interpret real-world environments for socially beneficial applications. His work bridges theoretical advances in computer vision with practical applications in media production, virtual reality, and autonomous systems. Analysis of Dr. Mustafa's recent publications reveals a strong focus on multimodal learning, particularly the integration of audio and visual information for scene understanding. His work spans diverse areas including shadow detection and removal, audio event classification, video captioning, person image generation, and dynamic scene reconstruction. A notable trend is his exploration of transformer architectures for both vision and audio tasks, as well as the application of self-supervised learning techniques to reduce dependency on labeled data. Dr. Mustafa has received numerous prestigious awards: 2018 - Research Fellowship, The Royal Academy of Engineering, UK 2017 - Young Researcher award, CVPR 2016 - Doctoral Consortium grant, CVPR 2015 - BMVA travel grant for ICCV 2014 - Set-Squared Research to Innovator grant 2013 - Overseas Research Scholarship, FEPS, The University of Surrey 2010 - Cadence Silver Medal, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur As a dedicated mentor, Dr. Mustafa supervises several PhD students working on cutting-edge topics including multi-person reconstruction, audio-visual scene understanding, and automatic storyboard generation. His research is supported by significant grants including a £15 million UKRI Prosperity Partnership with the BBC (AI4ME), a 5-year Royal Academy of Engineering fellowship (4D Vision for Perceptive Machines), and multiple projects with industry partners such as Figment Productions and Foundry. Dr. Mustafa is an active member of the Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing (CVSSP), one of the world's leading research centers in vision, speech, and signal processing. He also contributes to the Surrey Institute for People-Centred Artificial Intelligence (PAI), where he serves as a Surrey AI Fellow. His work often involves collaboration with industry partners and other academic institutions across Europe.
Johanna Thoma is a Professor of Ethics at the University of Bayreuth and holds positions as Chair of Ethics, President of the International Network for Economic Method, and External Member of the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy. Previously, she was an Associate Professor at the London School of Economics (LSE) and a Visiting Professor there. Her research bridges philosophy, economics, and public policy, focusing on decision theory, moral and political questions, and avoiding paternalism in collective decisions. She holds a PhD from the University of Toronto (2017) and has been recognized with the 2024 Elizabeth D. Rockwell Prize. Thoma’s work explores methodological rigor in economics, ethical implications of public policy, and decision-making under uncertainty. Key themes include the ethics of artificial agents, behavioral welfare economics, and the dangers of single-metric policy frameworks. Her publications span journals like Philosophy and Public Affairs , Ethics , and Economics and Philosophy . Education : PhD in Philosophy, University of Toronto (2017); Visiting Student at Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy. Her awards reflect recognition of her contributions to ethics and policy analysis. Research interests emphasize democratic legitimacy in decision processes and the intersection of philosophy with social sciences. Thoma’s current work addresses challenges in risk imposition by artificial systems and the epistemic foundations of collective decision-making.
