Professor John David Rhodes is a faculty member at the University of Cambridge's Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics, specializing in Italian cinema and film studies. His research explores intersections between cinema, architecture, aesthetics, and political economy, with a focus on urban environments and theoretical approaches to media. Key Publications: Spectacle of Property: The House in American Film (2017), Meshes of the Afternoon (2011), and Stupendous, Miserable City: Pasolini's Rome (2007) Current Projects: Disembowelled Vision (Roman urban modernity), Belaboured (film labor and style), and experimental work on Pier Paolo Pasolini Rhodes co-edits World Picture , an online journal for theoretical media analysis, and supervises graduate students in interdisciplinary film topics, including queer theory, modernism, and the relationship between cinema and built environments. The articles by Rhodes demonstrate expertise in: Historical analysis of European/American cinema Critical theory applications (Marxism, psychoanalysis) Queer and gender studies in film Architectural symbolism in media Political economy of cinematic production Modernist and avant-garde film traditions
Dr. Amber Reed is an Assistant Professor in the International Studies program at Spelman College, where she has been a faculty member since 2021 and serves on the Institutional Review Board. Her educational background includes a Ph.D. and M.A. in Anthropology from UCLA and a B.A. in Anthropology from Barnard College. As a cultural anthropologist specializing in South Africa, Dr. Reed's research explores post-apartheid democracy, political education, human rights, and the politics of culture. Her work critically examines race, internal movement, suburbia, and visual media including ethnographic film and representations of Africa. Her recent publications analyze nostalgia and memory in democratic education, spatial dynamics of race, and social consequences of fieldwork assistance in South African contexts. Dr. Reed has not been noted to have received any scientific awards in the available information. Dr. Reed teaches Introduction to International Studies, Interdisciplinary Research Methods, and Democracy in Africa. She currently leads research on rural-to-suburban Black migration in South Africa and representations of Africa in Atlanta middle schools, and recently completed a pandemic impact study with apartheid activists in East London.
Daniel Scheller serves as Associate Professor of Public Administration and Director of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program within the Department of Political Science at Texas Tech University. Holding a Ph.D. in Political Science from Florida State University, he maintains active scholarly contributions across urban governance, neighborhood development, and public administration pedagogy, with publications spanning Urban Affairs Review and Journal of Urban Affairs. His research program critically examines neighborhood governance structures including homeowners associations (HOAs) and their impacts on civic participation, racial dynamics, housing markets, and public goods provision. Scheller investigates how local institutions shape community development while advancing statistical methodologies for public affairs education, particularly through innovative applications of R programming in hybrid and asynchronous learning environments. Scholarly output from 2014-2024 reveals consistent engagement with urban policy challenges, including pandemic-era impacts on urban design and voter behavior, fire department operational efficiency, and walkability economics. His work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical governance solutions, emphasizing neighborhood-level democracy and data-driven decision-making in public administration. No scientific awards were documented in available materials. As MPA Director, Scheller oversees graduate program administration and student advising, though specific mentorship details and grant funding mechanisms remain unspecified in current documentation. His leadership role underscores commitment to developing public service professionals through curriculum innovation in statistical analysis and policy implementation.
David D Ginty is the Edward R. and Anne G. Lefler Professor of Neurobiology and Head of the Department of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School. His research focuses on understanding the neurobiological basis of touch perception, neural circuits underlying somatosensory functions, and developmental mechanisms of sensory neurons. His work integrates molecular genetics, electrophysiology, and behavioral analyses to study touch-related disorders like autism spectrum disorders and neuropathic pain. The Ginty Lab is located at the Goldenson Building in Boston. Research interests include mechanosensory neuron subtypes, spinal cord circuit organization, and molecular mechanisms of touch dysfunction. He leads a team investigating how sensory inputs shape neural circuits and influence behavior. His lab’s findings contribute to therapeutic strategies for sensory and developmental disorders. Key areas of exploration involve the somatosensory system’s role in tactile discrimination, pain signaling, and the interplay between sensory experience and neural development. Recent work emphasizes translational research, targeting mechanoreceptor dysfunction and synaptic plasticity in disease models.
Miren Lafourcade is a Full Professor of Economics at Université Paris-Saclay (RITM) and a Research Fellow at the Paris School of Economics, CEPREMAP, IEB, and CEPR. She serves as Deputy-Director of the RITM Research Center and co-leads the 'Globalization, Development and Environment' research program at CEPREMAP. Her work focuses on Urban Economics, Economic Geography, and Transport Economics, particularly the interplay between transportation systems, spatial inequalities, and urban policies. Her research investigates the effects of transportation infrastructure (e.g., Grand Paris Express) on productivity and labor markets, the impact of place-based policies on education and employment, and environmental issues like carbon emissions from urban sprawl. She has co-authored influential studies on French enterprise zones and the spatial effects of tax incentives. Prof. Lafourcade teaches courses on Principles of Economics, Economic Geography, and Urban/Regional Economics at undergraduate and master’s levels. She has secured major grants, including a French National Research Agency (ANR) grant (2023-2027) and an EU-funded María Zambrano grant (2022-2023). She is involved in policy outreach via platforms like VoxEu and The Conversation , and serves on editorial boards for Regional Science and Urban Economics and Journal of Economic Geography . Her recent work emphasizes the transformative potential of remote work on urban geography and the nuanced effects of urban policy on school segregation. She collaborates with institutions like the Urban New Deal Chair and co-founded the 'Urban Economics, History, Society' project at the Paris School of Economics.
Ana Vivaldi serves as a Sessional Instructor in the Department of Sociology within the Faculty of Arts at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Her academic work bridges sociology and anthropology, with teaching responsibilities in both departments. She teaches courses including SOCI 220 Sociology of Indigenous People, SOCI 371 Classical Sociological Theories, SOCI 372 Contemporary Sociological Theories, ANTH 316 Political Anthropology, ANTH 378 Media Anthropology, ANTH 480 Urban Ethnographic Field-school, and SOCI 302 Ethnic and Racial Inequalities. Her research spans Space and Mobility, Racial and Ethnic Politics, Indigenous Politics, Ethnographic Methodologies, Media Anthropology, Development Studies, Gender Studies, Urban Studies, and Latin American Studies. Vivaldi's interdisciplinary approach brings together politics of indigeneity and race to examine the production of space, (im)mobilities, and embodiment, with particular focus on indigenous sovereignties and urban conviviality. She employs ethnographic and visual methodologies to explore how mobility among marginalized populations shapes social and spatial assemblages that challenge subordination. Her publication record reveals consistent scholarly contributions with a concentration of recent work in 2018. These publications demonstrate a cohesive research trajectory examining Indigenous communities in Argentina, particularly the Toba/Qom people, through lenses of urban migration, digital technology adoption, military service experiences, and spatial practices. Her work frequently intersects Indigenous studies with urban sociology, mobility studies, and postcolonial theory. 2014 Margaret Fulton Award. UBC. For outstanding contribution for student development. 2010 Bottom Billion Fellowship. Liu Institute. Follow up Field Research. 2009 IDRC Ecopolis Graduate Research Award. Field research. 2009/2010 Four Year Fellowship. UBC. 2008/09 University Graduate Fellowship – UBC. 2008 Argentinean National Research Council (CONICET). Phd 3 year Fellowship (Declined because of incompatibility with studies abroad) 2007/08 University Graduate Fellowship – University of British Columbia 2017-2018 Simons Research Fellow, School for International Studies, SFU Vivaldi's research has been supported by significant funding sources including the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the Liu Institute for Global Issues, and UBC Graduate Fellowships. Her field research in Argentina, particularly among migrant indigenous people in Buenos Aires, has informed her understanding of spatial mobility and the creation of what she terms 'subaltern assemblages' - informal connections and relations that help confront socioeconomic marginalization and urban segregation. Her collaborative research approach extends to working directly with Toba Indigenous People on publications. Vivaldi maintains an active research agenda with two current projects: one examining the paradoxical relationship between the Argentinian military's history of violence against Indigenous sovereignty and positive experiences of mandatory military service reported by Toba men, and another investigating the everyday use of new digital technologies by Toba Indigenous youth in Argentina. Her work analyzes how these technologies effect political reconfigurations of both cyber and physical space.
Ansley T. Erickson is an Associate Professor of History and Education Policy at Teachers College, Columbia University. She serves as Co-Director of the Center on History & Education and is affiliated with the Columbia University Department of History and the Edmund W. Gordon Institute for Urban and Minority Education. Her research focuses on how racism and capitalism shape urban schooling and community resistance for educational equality. Educational Background: PhD in History from Columbia University and BA in Educational Studies and Political Science from Brown University. Key Roles: Co-director of the New York City Civil Rights History Project and the NEH Summer Institute “Harlem’s Education Movements.” She also served as Associate Editor of the American Educational Research Journal (2020–2023) and holds leadership roles in professional associations like AERA Division F. Research Interests: Urban education history, school desegregation, community activism, and the intersection of race, policy, and schooling. Recent work includes analyzing New York City school governance and co-editing Educating Harlem: A Century of Schooling and Resistance in a Black Community . Awards: 2017 History of Education Society’s Outstanding Book Award for Making the Unequal Metropolis . Grants & Fellowships: Supported by NEH, National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation, and others. Current 2024-25 Visiting Scholar at Russell Sage Foundation. Labs/Teams: Center on History & Education collaborates with educators and communities to explore teaching/learning histories, especially NYC’s educational past.
Sean Waite is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at Western University, serving as Undergraduate Chair. He holds a PhD in Sociology from McGill University. His research focuses on social inequality, particularly examining how gender and sexual orientation influence labor market outcomes, higher education returns, and LGBTQ+ economic and health disparities in Canada. He leads a collaborative project combining quantitative, qualitative, and experimental methods to study LGBTQ+ employment experiences. Recent work includes analyzing wage gaps, immigrant labor integration, and workplace discrimination against transgender employees. Key research interests include LGBTQ+ labor market dynamics, gender inequality, and the impact of higher education on earnings. His studies utilize large-scale datasets like Canadian tax records and the Canadian Community Health Survey to uncover systemic inequities. Waite has contributed to SSHRC-funded research initiatives and co-authored over 20 peer-reviewed articles. His office is located in Room 5212, Social Science Centre at Western University.
Christopher S. Fowler serves as Professor of Geography and Demography at Pennsylvania State University's Department of Geography within the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. He holds additional appointments as Associate Faculty at the Population Research Institute (PRI) and Courtesy appointment in Demography, while directing administrative roles including Associate Head of Undergraduate Programs, Director of The Peter R. Gould Center for Geography Education and Outreach, and Co-Director of the GeoGraphics Lab. His academic credentials include: Ph.D. in Geography from University of Washington (2007) M.A. in Geography from University of Washington (2003) - Ullman Prize for Best Thesis A.B. in Geography (cum laude) from Dartmouth College (1997) - Highest departmental honors and Marsh Prize for Outstanding Thesis Fowler's research investigates how geographic boundaries shape observed outcomes across neighborhoods, school catchment areas, electoral districts, and metropolitan regions. He specializes in analyzing racial and income-based clustering patterns to understand inequality in economic, educational, health, and political contexts. Current projects examine neighborhood-scale diversity dynamics in U.S. cities and methodological innovations for representing multiscalar neighborhood change, blending qualitative neighborhood studies with advanced spatial statistics. His work intersects urban/economic geography, demography, and public policy, with active research clusters in Justice, Ethics, and Diversity alongside Population, Environment, and Governance. Fowler has developed commuting zone delineations with Rhubart and Jensen, publicly available through Penn State's research repository. His scientific recognition includes: Ullman Prize for Best Thesis (University of Washington, 2003) Marsh Prize for Outstanding Thesis (Dartmouth College, 1997) Fowler actively mentors graduate students in legislative/school redistricting, voting rights analysis, and residential segregation studies. His research infrastructure includes leadership in the GeoGraphics Lab and Peter R. Gould Center, facilitating geospatial education and outreach initiatives. Current work focuses on refining methods for neighborhood change representation amid increasing urban diversity.
Dr. Enrico Marcelli is an Associate Professor of Sociology at San Diego State University's College of Arts and Letters, currently on leave (2024-25). He holds a PhD in Political Economy and Public Policy from USC and completed postdoctoral training at UCLA and Harvard. His research examines immigration, health disparities, and socioeconomic integration. Key research areas include: undocumented immigrants' access to healthcare; neighborhood effects on health; social capital formation; and economic impacts of immigration. He pioneered the 'population survey-based legal status estimation method' and has directed multiple NIH/CDC-funded surveys including the LAC-MIHLSS (Los Angeles County Mexican Immigrant Health & Legal Status Survey) series. Recent publications analyze mortality determinants, healthcare systems, and neighborhood cohesion. He mentors doctoral and master's students researching immigration policy and health equity. Selected awards include Rand Summer Institute Scholarship and UCLA Chancellor's Award. Current projects focus on health insurance access for unauthorized immigrants and stress mechanisms in young adults.
Dr. Singumbe Muyeba is an Assistant Professor of African Studies at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver. He serves as a core faculty member in the Institute of Comparative Regional Studies, focusing on African programming. His expertise lies in urban property rights, poverty dynamics, and slum population modeling in African cities. He was awarded the 2023 Korbel School Distinguished Teaching Award for his pedagogical excellence. His research examines formalization of property rights among low-income households, inequality, and innovative methods to quantify global slum populations. Major works include The Homeowner Ideology (2025) exploring tenure security's economic utility in four African cities and Globalisation and Africa (2008), analyzing Zambia's development trajectory. He has published extensively in top-tier journals on topics like housing policy impacts, urban poverty reduction, and cross-country comparisons of tenure systems. Dr. Muyeba's work bridges academic inquiry with policy relevance, addressing pressing issues in Sub-Saharan urbanization. His research frequently employs mixed-methods approaches, combining quantitative data analysis with ethnographic insights from cities like Cape Town, Lusaka, and Luanda. Awards: Korbel School Distinguished Teaching Award (2023) Location: Sie Complex, University of Denver Website: singumbemuyeba.com
Joseph DeSalvo is a Professor of Economics at the University of South Florida (USF), affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. His career spans over five decades, including roles as Department Chairman (1998–2003) and Director of the Center for Economic and Management Research (1984–89). He earned his Ph.D. from Northwestern University and has held academic positions at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of South Florida. His research focuses on urban economics, transportation policy, and regional development, with notable contributions to urban sprawl analysis, transportation subsidies, and housing policy. He has authored/co-authored over 50 academic articles and books, including seminal works on urban household behavior and economic impact studies of ports and airports. DeSalvo has received multiple awards, including the Professorial Excellence Award (1996–97) and recognition as an intellectual leader in regional science. His teaching spans macroeconomic and urban economics, and he has advised numerous Ph.D. students. He has conducted impactful research for institutions like the Tampa Port Authority and the Florida Department of Transportation. Key contributions include studies on urban form, transit demand, and the economic impacts of infrastructure projects. His work integrates theoretical models with empirical analysis, addressing real-world policy challenges in urban and regional planning.
Professor Jon Bannister is a leading academic in criminology and urban studies at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), where he holds the rank of Professor. He directs the Man Met Crime and Well-Being Big Data Centre and the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR), funded by £3.75m in grants. As Editor-in-Chief of the Urban Studies journal, he promotes rigorous social science research. His roles include Director of the Man Met Crime and Policing Network and Board Member of the Urban Studies Foundation and Q-Step. He holds a BSc in Economics from the London School of Economics. His research focuses on urban disorder, applying data science and quantitative methods to analyze crime trends, antisocial behavior, and youth gangs. He also explores knowledge mobilization and civic development of social science. Notable contributions include evaluating Scotland’s Violence Reduction Unit and advising governments on policing and antisocial behavior policies. Professor Bannister has been honored as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS). His work bridges academic research with policy impact, including collaborations with the Scottish Parliament, Dutch Ministry of Justice, and Qatari Ministry of the Interior. He teaches quantitative methods for crime analysis and supervises students in criminology, emphasizing career-ready skills in data analysis. His research centers on urban crime patterns, mental health demand analysis, and policing strategies. He leads projects like the £1m Big Data Centre, which applies advanced analytics to improve public service efficiency and crime prevention. His interdisciplinary approach integrates criminology, health, and data science to address societal challenges.
Agustina Laurito is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Policy, Management, and Analytics at the University of Illinois Chicago. She is currently on sabbatical during the 2025-26 academic year. As an applied policy researcher, she utilizes administrative data and quasi-experimental methods to investigate social, education, and health policy intersections in urban environments. Her core research examines how adverse experiences impact children and families, with specific focus on community violence, food assistance programs, neighborhood change, and immigrant well-being. Education PhD, New York University MPP, Duke University Research Focus Her work centers on policy interventions addressing: (1) Neighborhood/community violence effects on child development, (2) Food security and health safety net efficacy, (3) Immigrant integration challenges, particularly related to home-country shocks, and (4) Neighborhood change dynamics. She employs rigorous quasi-experimental designs to evaluate policy effectiveness in these domains. Publication Trends Her research consistently examines urban policy impacts through an equity lens, with recurring themes of violence exposure, immigrant experiences, and safety net programs. Recent work demonstrates increased focus on health policy (Medicaid expansions, opioid epidemic) and pandemic-related labor disparities. Methodologically, she emphasizes spatial analysis of administrative datasets from major urban centers like Chicago and NYC. Awards & Fellowships Faculty Fellow, Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP) Award for Creative Activity, University of Illinois Chicago (awarded twice for distinct projects) Grants & Projects Agustina leads multiple funded initiatives as PI/Co-PI: Russell Sage Foundation: Racial/Ethnic homeownership gaps and student achievement TREES/Universidad de los Andes: Community violence impacts on student mobility UIC Creative Activity Awards: Heroin epidemic's effect on grandparent caregiving; Mental health facility closures and criminal justice contact Tufts/UConn RIDGE: SNAP/school meal impacts on multigenerational households IRRPP Fellowship: Spanish-language substance use treatment access Teaching Experience Courses taught include: PPOL 305 (Policy Analysis), PPOL 405 (Evaluating Public Policies), PPOL 231 (Social Policy & Inequality), PA 506 (Policy Development), and PA 540 (Research Design).
Michael Crilly is a Researcher at Northumbria University, Newcastle, specializing in urban planning, sustainability science, and sociotechnical systems. His work focuses on public realm dynamics, heat network governance, and innovative urban design methodologies through collaborations with international institutions and multidisciplinary teams. Co-Investigator for North of Tyne Combined Authority's Green Growth Skills project (2023-2026), addressing workforce development for climate resilience. His research explores: Governance frameworks for sustainable energy networks Temporal dimensions in public space design Experimental approaches to city planning Equality metrics in built environments Modular construction business models Publications reflect partnerships with global scholars, emphasizing practical urban sustainability solutions and educational innovation in built environment curricula.
