Prof. Dagmar Haase is a Full Professor in Landscape and Urban Ecology at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, serving as Deputy Director of the Geographical Institute. She holds affiliations with the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and has earned honorary professorships in Sweden and Romania. Her academic journey includes a PhD from the University of Leipzig (1999) and Habilitation from Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg (2009). Her research focuses on urban ecosystem services, social-ecological systems, and nature-based solutions to urban challenges. Key projects include EU-funded initiatives on green infrastructure (e.g., Horizon Europe’s NaturaConnect) and climate resilience. Awards include the AXA Research Fund Award (2014) and Honorary Wallenberg Professorship (2016). Haase’s work integrates remote sensing, citizen science, and participatory modeling to address urban sustainability. Over 250+ publications and an h-index of 77 reflect her prolific contributions. She advises numerous PhD candidates exploring urban dynamics, biodiversity, and governance. Current grants span climate adaptation, urban densification, and ecological networks.
Jan Eeckhout is an ICREA Research Professor at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) in Barcelona, specializing in macroeconomic theory, labor markets, and urban economics. His work focuses on market power dynamics, wage inequality, and technological impacts on labor and urban systems. He holds a PhD from the London School of Economics (LSE). Eeckhout has received a prestigious ERC Advanced Grant (€2.45M) for research on 'Macro Market Power and Distribution.' He authored the influential book The Profit Paradox (2021), exploring how dominant firms reshape labor markets and economies, translated into multiple languages. His research frequently appears in top journals like the Quarterly Journal of Economics and Review of Economic Studies. Research Interests: Macro-Labor Theory, Labor Markets, Urban Economics, Market Power, and Economic Inequality. Recent work examines technological origins of labor market stagnation, IT-driven urban polarization, and wealth effects on worker productivity. Advising and Grants: Supervises PhD students (e.g., Milena Djourelova, David Puig) and collaborates with institutions globally (CEMFI, EUI, Sciences Po). His team includes co-authors like Jan De Loecker and Philipp Kircher. Active in policy discussions via think tanks and media outlets like VoxEU and the NYT. Labs/Teams: Leads a diverse research group at UPF, with projects on market power, urban economics, and labor dynamics.
Elizabeth Bruch is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Complex Systems at the University of Michigan, serving as Associate Director of the Institute for Data and AI in Society. She holds External Faculty status at the Santa Fe Institute and is affiliated with the Center for Population Studies. With a Ph.D. from UCLA and an M.S. in Statistics, her research integrates choice modeling, network science, and agent-based simulations to study individual decisions in social environments. Key areas include residential segregation, dating markets, and higher education. Education: Ph.D. and M.S. in Sociology/Statistics (UCLA), B.A. in Sociology (Reed College) Affiliations: Santa Fe Institute, Institute for Advanced Study Berlin Her work has been published in Science , PNAS , and American Journal of Sociology , earning awards like the ASA Methodology Innovation Prize and the Merton Prize. Her upcoming book Date Like a Local (Princeton, 2026) explores urban influences on romantic behavior. Bruch’s research addresses societal challenges through computational methods, including pandemic modeling during the 2020 crisis and algorithmic analysis of dating markets. She serves on Santa Fe Institute’s Science Steering Committee and collaborates across disciplines to advance complexity science.
Jaline L Gerardin is an Associate Professor in Preventive Medicine (Epidemiology) and McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University. She is affiliated with the Center for Global Health, Institute for Public Health and Medicine (IPHAM), Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems, and Robert J. Havey, MD Institute for Global Health. Her career focuses on malaria modeling and public health interventions. Current affiliations: Northwestern University, IPHAM, NICO, Center for Global Health Prior role: Malaria lead at Institute for Disease Modeling Research Focus: Gerardin specializes in malaria transmission modeling and public health intervention optimization . Her work addresses subnational tailoring of malaria strategies, intervention mix analysis for elimination, and ethical modeling practices. She integrates multidisciplinary data (entomology, immunology, demography) into agent-based models to guide policy in resource-limited settings. Article Trends: Recent publications emphasize subnational malaria intervention prioritization (Guinea, Nigeria), diagnostic performance evaluation, human mobility impacts on transmission, and wastewater surveillance applications for disease modeling. Leadership Roles: Co-chair: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene symposia Member: WHO working groups, Malaria Modeling Consortium Advisor: WHO Malaria Multi-Model Comparison initiatives Education: PhD from University of California, San Francisco (2013)
Deborah Balk is a Professor at the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College, part of the City University of New York (CUNY). She also serves as Director of the CUNY Institute for Demographic Research and holds appointments in the CUNY Graduate Center's Sociology and Economics programs, as well as the CUNY School of Public Health's Epidemiology Program. Her expertise lies in spatial demography, integrating earth and social science data to address policy challenges related to urbanization, climate change, and population dynamics. Dr. Balk has led significant roles in climate assessments, including Co-Chair of the New York City Panel on Climate Change’s 4th Assessment (2019–2024) and membership in the U.S. National Climate Assessment’s 6th Health Chapter (2025). She holds a PhD in Demography from UC Berkeley and degrees from the University of Michigan (MPP and AB in International Relations). Her research focuses on urbanization, migration, poverty, health, and environmental interactions, particularly climate adaptation and equity. Notable projects include analyzing population vulnerability in coastal zones and developing spatial demographic tools for global health and policy. Awards include the Andrew Carnegie Fellowship (2016–2018) and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Fellowship (1991). Dr. Balk has secured grants exceeding $6 million from NSF, NASA, and others, supporting work on urbanization, climate justice, and demographic data integration. She advises multiple institutions, including the U.S. Census Bureau and National Academy of Sciences. Her teaching spans spatial demography, urban policy, and statistical methods, reflecting her commitment to bridging demographic science and real-world applications.
Philip J. Ethington is Professor of History, Political Science, and Spatial Sciences at the University of Southern California's Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. As Co-Director of the USC Center for Transformative Scholarship and Fellow of the Los Angeles Institute for the Humanities, he bridges historical scholarship with digital innovation through projects like HyperCities. Ethington's educational background includes: Ph.D. in History from Stanford University (1989) Postdoctoral Fellowship at Harvard University's Charles Warren Center (2007-2008) Getty Scholar at the Getty Research Institute (1996-1997) His research pioneers spatial theory of history through chronographs and digital cartography, examining urban evolution from Pleistocene times to present. Key interests include global metropolis studies , visual culture , and digital humanities , with focus on Los Angeles as a case study for transnational urban dynamics. Recent publications reveal consistent exploration of spatial dimensions in historical analysis, particularly through geographic institutionalism and deep historical regionalism. His work integrates cartographic innovation with theoretical frameworks to map urban change across millennia, emphasizing institutional ecology and transnational connections. Scientific recognition includes: Nomination for USC's Steven B. Sample Teaching Award (2010-2011) USC Interdisciplinary Faculty Fellowship (2004-2005) Award-winning documentary film Visual Acoustics (2009) Ethington mentors undergraduate researchers in urban history while leading major grants including MacArthur Foundation's HyperCities project ($238,000) and NEH's Digital Humanities initiative ($248,492). His funded work develops collaborative platforms for geohistorical research and digital publishing. He co-directs the USC History Lab and Center for Transformative Scholarship, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration through the Population Dynamics Lab and HyperCities consortium for participatory urban mapping.
Sir Paul Collier is Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, and serves as the Oxford Academic Director of the International Growth Centre, a collaboration between the LSE and Oxford Universities. He is also a member of the Natural Resource Governance Institute Board. His academic work spans decades of research focused on economic development challenges in the world's poorest regions, bridging theoretical economics with practical policy solutions, particularly in contexts of conflict, natural resource management, and regional economic decline. Professor Collier's research interests center on economic development, with specific focus areas including: Mitigating the challenges of migration and the refugee crisis Understanding urbanization processes in low-income countries Addressing the political economy of resource-rich but economically poor nations Exploring how cultural factors influence economic outcomes Developing frameworks for regional renewal in neglected places Analyzing the relationship between democracy and economic development in fragile states His recent publications reveal a consistent focus on the intersection of economic policy, social cohesion, and cultural dimensions in development contexts. Collier's work increasingly emphasizes the importance of collective learning, social capital, and local agency in reversing economic decline, moving beyond traditional market-centric approaches. Among his notable scientific contributions are: Handesblatt Prize for The Future of Capitalism Arthur Ross Prize for The Bottom Billion Adam Smith Prize by Glasgow's Philosophical Society (2023) Global Citizenship Award by Belgium's cooperative movement (2018) 2025 Axiom Business Book Award for Left Behind Professor Collier actively advises governments and international organizations on development policy, with particular emphasis on practical approaches to regional renewal. His current research project "Establishing state legitimacy and effectiveness in fragile and conflict-affected societies," funded by a British Academy Grant, examines how conflict-affected states can build functional governance capacity. He has also contributed to Oxford University's first MOOC "From poverty to prosperity: understanding economic development," making his expertise accessible globally.
Leah K VanWey is Professor of Environment and Society and Sociology at Brown University, where she also serves as Dean of the School of Professional Studies. She holds affiliations with the Department of Sociology, Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Population Studies and Training Center, Spatial Structures in the Social Sciences, and Department of Portuguese and Brazilian Studies. Previously, she served as Senior Deputy Director of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Associate Director of the Population Studies and Training Center, and Associate Provost for Academic Space. VanWey completed her education at the University of North Carolina, earning a BA (1996), MA (1999), and PhD (2001). Her research focuses on social demography and environmental social science, particularly examining household responses to reforestation programs in Brazil's Atlantic Forest and the social/environmental impacts of frontier settlement in the Amazon. Her research interests include agricultural intensification, land use change, migration patterns, population-environment interactions, household dynamics, intergenerational support systems, and remittance economies, with a geographic focus on Brazil. She employs interdisciplinary approaches, collaborating with anthropologists, geographers, ecologists, and other social scientists. VanWey has secured significant research funding including grants from NSF, NIH, and NASA totaling over $2.5 million. Major projects include studying agricultural expansion in Brazil, climate variability impacts, land use change dynamics, and population-environment linkages. She mentors graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, including Trina Vithayathil. She teaches courses on human-environment interactions and research methods, including: Feeding Ten Billion, Methods for Interdisciplinary Environmental Research, Multivariate Statistical Methods, Fields and Methods of Social Research, and Professional Development seminars.
Richard Hornbeck is the V. Duane Rath Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is an economic historian and applied-micro economist whose research focuses on the historical development of the American economy, examining why some places and people have become wealthier while others have remained poorer. Hornbeck is a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, affiliated with programs on the Development of the American Economy, Development Economics, and Environmental and Energy Economics. Hornbeck's research spans multiple critical areas of economic history, with particular emphasis on slavery and emancipation economics, environmental history (especially the Dust Bowl migration), gender dynamics in 19th-century manufacturing, railroad development, and agricultural economics related to the Ogallala Aquifer. His work frequently utilizes newly digitized historical data to provide fresh insights into longstanding economic questions, connecting historical events to contemporary economic issues of wealth distribution and regional disparities. His publication record shows strong trends in American economic development research, with recent work focusing on the economic impacts of emancipation, historical manufacturing patterns by gender, and urban economic development. Many of his papers have been published as lead articles in top journals including the Journal of Political Economy, American Economic Review, and Review of Economics and Statistics. Hornbeck has received several prestigious honors including the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship in 2014 and selection for the 2009 Review of Economic Studies Tour. His NBER affiliations demonstrate his standing in multiple subfields of economics research. Prior to joining Chicago Booth in 2015, Hornbeck was the Dunwalke Associate Professor of American History in the Economics Department at Harvard University. He received his PhD in economics from MIT in 2009 and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Chicago in 2004. His teaching includes courses on applied microeconomics in economic history and business in historical perspective, with course schedules extending through 2026.
Ryan Engstrom is a Professor and Director of Data Science in the Department of Geography at George Washington University (GW). He is affiliated with the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences and holds a Ph.D. from the joint program at San Diego State University and UC Santa Barbara. His research focuses on Remote Sensing, GIS applications, Climate Change impacts, Arctic environments, and Population Estimation, with an emphasis on poverty mapping and urban deprivation analysis. Engstrom has led major initiatives such as YouthMappers and IDEAMAPS, leveraging geospatial data and satellite imagery to address global development challenges. His work includes developing methodologies for georeferencing historical imagery, estimating non-monetary poverty, and mapping population density in regions like Sri Lanka and Ghana. He has published extensively in Remote Sensing , World Bank Economic Review , and Global Change Biology , among others. Key research trends in his publications involve integrating satellite-derived features with machine learning to model urban poverty, climate-driven land-use changes in Arctic regions, and applications of open-source geospatial tools for international development. Engstrom collaborates globally, contributing to projects like the World Bank’s welfare tracking in disaster-affected regions.
Philippe Christe is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Lausanne (UNIL), Faculty of Biology and Medicine. His research centers on host-parasite interactions, with a focus on bats, birds, and their ectoparasites, integrating behavioral, physiological, and genetic approaches. He leads the Christe Group, which investigates evolutionary and ecological dynamics in host-parasite systems, particularly avian malaria and bat-mite relationships. He is actively involved in conservation initiatives, including the Jorat Peri-Urban Nature Park, and collaborates with KORA on human-wildlife interactions. Bachelor's degree in biology, UNIL (1989) PhD in Zoology and Animal Ecology, UNIL (1994) Philippe Christe’s research interests lie at the intersection of parasitology, evolutionary ecology, and conservation biology. He investigates how host defenses evolve in response to parasitic pressures, examining trade-offs between immunity and life history traits such as reproduction and survival. His work often integrates field studies with experimental and molecular techniques. Key model systems include Parus major (great tit) and Culex pipiens in avian malaria, and bat species with their ectoparasitic mites. He also explores broader ecological interactions, including predator-prey dynamics and wildlife conservation in human-modified landscapes. His recent publications reflect a strong emphasis on disease ecology, wildlife conservation, and molecular methods. Articles span topics such as avian malaria transmission, lynx population dynamics, snow leopard behavior, and habitat fragmentation effects on insects. These works employ advanced techniques like DNA metabarcoding, spatial modeling, and long-term monitoring, demonstrating a trend toward interdisciplinary, data-driven ecological research with direct conservation applications. Dubois Foundation Prize for an educational CD-Rom on bats (2004) Communication Award from the Faculty of Biology and Medicine of UNIL (2017) Philippe Christe has supervised numerous PhD and Master’s students, contributing significantly to training the next generation of ecologists and evolutionary biologists. His group collaborates widely with institutions such as the Museum of Zoology in Lausanne and KORA, and participates in large-scale conservation projects involving snow leopards, lynx, and bats. He has been involved in research grants related to host-parasite coevolution, wildlife monitoring, and conservation strategies. His leadership in establishing the Jorat Peri-Urban Nature Park and involvement in the UNIL Interdisciplinary Center for Mountain Research highlight his commitment to applied science and environmental stewardship. He leads the Christe Group, which conducts research on host-parasite coevolution, with a focus on bats and their ectoparasites, and birds affected by avian malaria. The group combines fieldwork, laboratory experiments, and molecular analyses, and includes post-docs, PhD students, and technical staff. Collaborations extend to researchers in Bern, Paris, and Spain, fostering an international and interdisciplinary research environment.
Andrew Francis-Tan serves as Assistant Dean (Student Affairs) and Senior Lecturer at the LKY School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. Previously, he was associate professor of economics at Emory University. His academic journey spans prestigious institutions including the University of Chicago where he earned his Ph.D. in economics, establishing his foundation in quantitative research methods. Francis-Tan's research program focuses on education, labor economics, and demography, with particular emphasis on patterns of inequality and public policies designed to empower vulnerable populations. His work explores how factors such as race, gender, and religion influence social identities and outcomes across diverse contexts, especially in Asia and Latin America. His interdisciplinary approach bridges economics, sociology, and public policy to address complex social challenges. His extensive publication record shows a clear research trajectory examining ethnic identity formation, religious dynamics under restrictive regulation, gender empowerment effects, and affirmative action policies. The publications span multiple high-impact journals across disciplines including Political Science, Sociology, Public Health, and Economics, demonstrating the cross-cutting relevance of his work. As an educator, Francis-Tan teaches advanced quantitative methods courses for PhD students (PP6706), education economics and policy (PP5196), and principles of economics for policy (PP5001). His teaching portfolio reflects his expertise in applying economic frameworks to policy analysis and his commitment to training the next generation of policy professionals with rigorous analytical skills.
Nora Waitkus is a Professor of Sociology at Heidelberg University's Max-Weber Institute of Sociology and an Assistant Professorial Research Fellow at the London School of Economics' International Inequalities Institute. Her research focuses on socio-economic stratification, wealth inequality, class dynamics, housing inequalities, and economic elites. She holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Bremen, an M.A. in Political Science from Freie Universität Berlin, and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Hamburg. Key research areas include: wealth concentration mechanisms, institutional drivers of inequality, cross-national comparative analysis, and media portrayals of economic elites. She employs methods like longitudinal household surveys, media data analysis, and survey experiments. Her recent work emphasizes how redistribution policies moderate income-wealth linkages, the role of inheritance in wealth legitimacy, and gender disparities in wealth accumulation across occupational classes. Awards: RC28 Significant Scholarship Award, Aleida Hagenaars Memorial Award, NWO Talent Grant (VENI) Grants: VENI project on Varieties of Wealth , Wealth Conflicts within Families (TiU Grant) She leads the Chair of Comparative Social Stratification at Heidelberg University and maintains active collaborations with institutions like Tilburg University and the University of Michigan.
Claire Zalc is a CNRS Research Director and Director of Studies at École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS), with affiliations to the Institute of Modern and Contemporary History (IHMC), the Centre de Recherches Historiques (CRH), and the GLOBAL department at the Institut Convergence des Migrations. Her work bridges migration history, Holocaust studies, and quantitative methodologies. Her research focuses on the intersection of migration and persecution in the 20th century, particularly through prosopographical studies like Face à la persecution (2010) and Dénaturalisés (2016), which examine administrative interactions under the Vichy regime. She also explores the use of quantitative methods in historical research, co-authoring Quantitative Methods. An Introduction (2019). Recent projects, such as the ERC Consolidator LUBARTWORLD (2019–2025), analyze transnational mobilities and persecution through case studies in Lubartów and other locations. Key themes in her publications include Vichy-era denaturalization , Polish Jewish migrations , and microhistories of the Holocaust . Her work often integrates spatial analysis and relational data frameworks, as seen in contributions to sequence analysis and social network studies. Scientific Distinctions : Bronze Medal of the CNRS (2013) Prix Malesherbes d’histoire de la Justice (2017) Finalist, Eugen Weber Book Prize (2022) Prix André Conquet for Melting Shops (2010) She co-edits the journal Revue d’histoire de la Shoah and previously co-directed the Histoire-Repères collection at La Découverte (2008–2021). Her methodological expertise has shaped training programs at EHESS and collaborative research initiatives like PERSI (Internet Social Networks Study Program) and relational data analysis.
Dr. Jennifer Evans is a Senior Lecturer in History within the School of Creative Arts at the University of Hertfordshire. Her academic career spans over a decade since completing her PhD at the University of Exeter in 2011, followed by two years of teaching there before joining Hertfordshire. She serves as the founding editor of the Early Modern Medicine blog and co-directs the Perceptions of Pregnancy research network with colleagues Leanne Calvert, Sarah Fox, and Chelsea Phillips. Her research focuses on the history of the body, medicine, and gender during 1550-1750, with particular emphasis on reproductive health, infertility, and miscarriage. Her scholarly work demonstrates deep engagement with both male and female experiences of health and sexuality in early modern England. Current projects include 'Wounded Wombs and Empty Cradles: Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss in Early Modern England c.1600-1780' (Folger Shakespeare Library, 2025-2026) and 'Foraging for Early Modern Medicines 1600-1750' (AHRC-funded). Analysis of her recent publications reveals consistent thematic concentration on bodily experiences, particularly reproductive health across genders. Her work bridges medical history with gender studies, examining how bodily functions and dysfunctions intersected with social structures. The scholarship shows increasing attention to male experiences of reproductive health alongside traditional focus on women's histories, reflecting broader historiographical shifts toward more inclusive medical history. Dr. Evans actively supervises postgraduate students including Kiran Seera (PhD: 'Domestic Disorder: Crime, Kinship, and Space in Bedfordshire, c. 1650-1790') and has completed supervision of three PhD and two MA students. Her research has received substantial external funding including AHRC Early Stage Impact Accelerator Award funding for her foraging project that explores historical medicinal plant knowledge. She directs the Perceptions of Pregnancy researchers' network which has published two major collections and hosted multiple conferences. The network brings together scholars examining all aspects of fertility, pregnancy, childbirth and early parenthood from the seventeenth to twentieth century. Her public engagement includes numerous media appearances including BBC Radio 4's 'The Food Programme' (February 2024), BBC World Service's 'The Food Chain', and multiple television appearances.
