John Serences is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He leads the Perception and Cognition Lab, which participates in the Neuroscience Graduate Program. His research focuses on how behavioral goals and attention influence perception, memory, and decision-making, employing techniques like psychophysics, computational modeling, EEG, and fMRI. Key projects explore serial dependence, neural adaptation in visual cortex, and the interplay between sensory processing and mnemonic storage. Recent work highlights mechanisms reconciling repulsive neuronal adaptation with attractive behavioral biases. Affiliations: Department of Psychology, UCSD; Neuroscience Graduate Program. Research Themes: Visual perception, working memory, decision-making, neuroimaging. His lab investigates neural dynamics underlying cognitive processes, with particular emphasis on how attentional modulations and stimulus history shape neural representations. Notable contributions include studies on adaptive sensory coding and the role of top-down signals in perceptual stability.
Peter H. Verburg is a Full Professor of Environmental Spatial Analysis at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) , Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, leading the Environmental Geography group. He has held this position since 2010 and previously served as an Assistant Professor at Wageningen University (2003–2010) and Senior Researcher at Alterra (2009–2010). His research focuses on land use analysis, spatial modeling, and interdisciplinary environmental studies. Education: PhD in Land Use Modelling, Wageningen University (2000) MSc in Physical Geography, Wageningen University (1996) Key Research Interests: Dr. Verburg is renowned for developing the globally used CLUE land-use modeling framework. His work integrates methods from social sciences, econometrics, and earth sciences to analyze land-use patterns and policies. He actively contributes to EU projects on sustainable urban planning, climate adaptation, and ecosystem services. Current roles include co-Editor-in-Chief of Landscape and Urban Planning , member of the Earth Commission, and Science-Policy Interface member of UNCCD. Professional Activities: Former Chair of Global Land Programme (Future Earth) Lead researcher in multiple EU initiatives (e.g., BrightspotsCSA, TURAS) Organized workshops on land-use modeling and ecosystem services Awards: Highly Cited Researcher (2018, Web of Science top 1%) Research and Collaboration: He has published over 415 peer-reviewed articles and supervised 38 PhD theses. His projects span land-use modeling in China, Central Asia, and the Mekong region. Collaborations include UN agencies, European research networks, and global sustainability initiatives.
Brian Leung is an Associate Professor at McGill University, jointly affiliated with the Department of Biology and the Bieler School of the Environment . He holds the prestigious UNESCO Chair for Dialogues on Sustainability and serves as Director of the McGill Neotropical Environment Option (NEO) , a collaborative program with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. His work bridges ecological theory, computational modeling, and environmental policy. Dr. Leung earned his PhD in Biology from Carleton University and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge and the University of Notre Dame. His academic journey at McGill began in 2004 as an Assistant Professor, advancing to Associate Professor in 2010. His research centers on predictive ecology , particularly modeling biological invasions and sustainability challenges . He develops and applies mathematical, statistical, and computational models to understand invasion dynamics across terrestrial, aquatic, and marine systems. His recent work includes the Panama Research and Integrated Sustainability Model (PRISM) , a spatially explicit framework for sustainability science in the Global South. His research spans scales from local to global and integrates ecological, economic, and social factors. His recent publications show a strong focus on invasion risk assessment , species distribution modeling , economic costs of invasions , and ecological forecasting . He frequently publishes in top journals such as Nature , Ecology Letters , and Global Ecology and Biogeography , emphasizing data-driven decision-making and policy relevance. Dr. Leung has received significant recognition through invitations to contribute to major reports and has co-edited influential works on invasive species economics. While specific named awards are not listed, his leadership roles and publication record reflect high scientific esteem. He actively mentors a dynamic research group, supervising multiple Ph.D. and M.Sc. students on projects related to invasion modeling, mangrove conservation, forest pest dynamics, and urban ecology. His lab emphasizes quantitative skills and interdisciplinary collaboration. He has secured research funding to support these projects, though specific grants are not detailed in the text. He leads the Leung Lab , which focuses on predictive modeling in ecology and sustainability. The lab collaborates with institutions such as the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and environmental firms like Habitat. Current projects include multi-species connectivity modeling, mangrove ecosystem services, and forecasting forest pest outbreaks.
Carole Voulgaris is an Associate Professor of Urban Planning at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design (GSD), where she teaches courses on transportation economics, urban analytics, and planning methods. She holds a PhD in Urban Planning from UCLA, an MBA from the University of Notre Dame, and Civil Engineering degrees from Brigham Young University. Her research focuses on travel behavior decision-making, transportation policy, and quantitative metrics for urban environments. She leads the Laboratory for Design Technologies at GSD and has professional experience in transportation planning, including roles at Utah Transit Authority and Transpo Group. Education: PhD in Urban Planning, UCLA MBA, University of Notre Dame Bachelor's and Master's in Civil Engineering, Brigham Young University Research Interests: Dr. Voulgaris explores how urban design influences travel choices and how transportation institutions use data to shape policy. Her work emphasizes equity in mobility access, sustainable infrastructure, and the accuracy of ridership forecasts for transit projects. She has pioneered methods to measure built environment impacts on travel behavior, including studies on school travel patterns and edge-lane road safety. Key Contributions: Her research has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the 2017 Barclay Gibbs Jones Dissertation Prize and the 2019 TRB Fred Burggraf Award. Her recent work examines pandemic-era transit equity, cycling safety disparities, and innovative approaches to urban satisfaction metrics. Teaching & Grants: She instructs core urban planning studios and advanced courses like Transportation Economics and Travel Behavior Forecasting. Her projects include the Highlands’ Harvest studio (Spring 2020) and collaborations with the Laboratory for Design Technologies. She has secured research funding from federal transportation agencies and the GSD. Labs/Teams: Affiliated with the Laboratory for Design Technologies, focusing on integrating technology into urban planning practices.
Randy Freeman is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering. He joined the university in 1996 after earning his Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research focuses on nonlinear control theory, robust control, multi-agent systems, and distributed control systems. Freeman has been recognized with the NSF CAREER Award (1997) and has held editorial roles in prominent journals like the IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control. Education: Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara (1996) M.S., Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign B.S., Electrical Engineering, Cornell University His research explores advanced control strategies for complex systems, including nonlinear feedback systems, distributed averaging, and multi-agent coordination. Key contributions include work on self-healing swarm control, distributed environmental monitoring, and privacy-preserving consensus algorithms. His publications span journals like IEEE Transactions on Robotics and IEEE Control Systems Letters . Scientific Awards: NSF CAREER Award (1997) Advising and Grants: Freeman has contributed to collaborative robotics projects and sensor network research, supported by grants from NSF and other agencies. His work bridges theoretical control systems with practical applications like robotics and environmental monitoring. Labs and Teams: Affiliated with the Master of Science in Robotics Program and collaborates on multi-agent systems and distributed control initiatives.
Dr. He Wang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at University College London (UCL), affiliated with the Virtual Environment and Computer Graphics (VECG) group and the UCL Centre for Artificial Intelligence. He holds a Visiting Professorship at the University of Leeds and previously served as an Associate Professor and Lecturer there, as well as a Senior Research Associate at Disney Research Los Angeles. His research focuses on computer graphics, vision, and machine learning, with notable contributions to crowd simulation, generative models, and physics-informed neural networks. Dr. Wang earned his BEng from Zhejiang University and his PhD from the University of Edinburgh, followed by postdoctoral work at the University of Edinburgh's School of Informatics. He has been recognized as a Turing Fellow and serves as an Academic Advisor to the Commonwealth Scholarship Council and an Associate Editor of Computer Graphics Forum . His research spans cutting-edge topics including 3D reconstruction, adversarial attacks on motion recognition, and AI-driven groundwater modeling. He has supervised six PhD students to completion and actively engages in collaborative projects, consultancy, and grant evaluations. His lab welcomes students through dedicated recruitment channels.
Malay Ghosh is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of Florida. He holds a B.A. (1962) and M.A. (1964) in Statistics from Calcutta University, and a Ph.D. (1969) in Statistics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research focuses on Bayesian statistics, small area estimation, and survey sampling methodologies. Ghosh has contributed extensively to statistical theory and applications, including foundational work in probability matching priors and generalized linear models for small area estimation. Research Interests : His key areas include advanced statistical modeling, methodological developments in survey sampling, and Bayesian approaches to complex data analysis. His work bridges theoretical rigor with practical applications in diverse fields requiring precise estimation techniques. Awards: Fellow, American Statistical Association Fellow, Institute of Mathematical Statistics Elected Member, International Statistical Institute Recipient of TIP (1994) and PEP (1996) Awards Editorial Roles: Editor of Sequential Analysis (since 1996), Co-Editor of Sankhya (since 2000), and Associate Editor of the American Statistician (since 2000). His editorial contributions reflect his leadership in advancing statistical discourse.
Robert E. (Rob) Kass is the Maurice Falk University Professor of Statistics and Computational Neuroscience at Carnegie Mellon University, holding joint appointments in the Department of Statistics & Data Science, Machine Learning Department, and Neuroscience Institute. His research spans Bayesian statistics, neural data analysis, and computational neuroscience. Kass earned a B.A. in Mathematics from Antioch College, a Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Chicago, and has been at CMU since 1981. He has served as Department Head of Statistics (1995–2004) and Interim Co-Director of the CNBC (2015–2018). His work focuses on statistical methods for neuroscience, particularly analyzing spike train data and identifying cross-brain interactions. Notable contributions include co-authoring Analysis of Neural Data and foundational articles on Bayesian inference. Kass has received prestigious awards such as the National Academy of Sciences membership and COPSS Distinguished Achievement Award. Research interests include computational neuroscience, statistical modeling of neural systems, and interdisciplinary education. He has advised numerous students and co-organized major workshops like the Statistical Analysis of Neuronal Data series. Kass’s work emphasizes the interplay between statistical rigor and scientific insight, bridging theoretical and applied domains. Education: B.A. in Mathematics, Antioch College Ph.D. in Statistics, University of Chicago Postdoctoral Fellow, Princeton University Scientific contributions include advancements in spike train analysis, Bayesian model assessment, and statistical methods for brain connectivity. His work on neural synchrony and population coding has influenced both theoretical and applied neuroscience.
Agnieszka Leszczynski is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Environment at Western University. Her research focuses on digital geographies, platform urbanism, and the intersections of technology with urban development. She leads a SSHRC-funded project examining the visual aesthetics of urban platformization across Canada, Poland, and South Africa. Additional projects include studying digital experimentation in small Canadian cities and analyzing spatial relationships between urban platforms and gentrification. She teaches courses on GIScience, digital technology, and spatial research methods. Leszczynski actively supervises graduate students exploring topics like smart cities, platform urbanism, and spatial equity. Her work bridges theoretical and applied GIScience with critical urban studies. Education details are not explicitly listed in the provided text, but her academic contributions include over two decades of research output, including co-editing Digital Geographies (SAGE, 2019) and publishing widely in leading journals. She collaborates internationally on projects like the Esri Canada GIS Centre of Excellence and engages with equity, diversity, and decolonization initiatives in academia. Her research methodologies emphasize digital-visual approaches, glitch studies, and critical analyses of spatial technologies. Recent work explores how cities use digital aesthetics to achieve 'world-class' status, while other projects assess micromobility equity and conservation mapping in Patagonia. Leszczynski’s teaching portfolio includes graduate supervision on topics such as dockless micromobility systems and smart home analysis. Key funding sources include SSHRC grants supporting comparative urban studies and technology experimentation. She mentors students through Western’s Geography People’s Society and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams on spatial equity and platform urbanism challenges.
Nicholas Ruozzi is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), affiliated with the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. His research focuses on machine learning, statistical inference, and probabilistic graphical models, with applications in virtual reality (VR) training, computer vision, and explainable AI. He has contributed to areas such as tractable probabilistic modeling, activity recognition in videos, and user tracking in VR systems. His work often bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications, such as developing algorithms for data privacy in VR training sessions and enhancing deep learning models through hybrid approaches with graphical models. Recent research trends include exploring multimodal interaction, distributionally robust models, and novel instance detection techniques in computer vision. Ruozzi's publications span topics like user identifiability in VR, predictive task guidance in AR, and systematic analysis of device interactions in VR systems. While no specific awards or grants are listed, his contributions reflect a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary applications of machine learning and probabilistic methods.
Panpan Yang is a Lecturer in Arts and Visual Cultures of Modern China at the School of Arts, SOAS University of London. She joined SOAS in 2021 after completing her joint PhD at the University of Chicago under the direction of Wu Hung, Tom Gunning, W. J. T. Mitchell, Judith Zeitlin, and Dana Polan. Her interdisciplinary work bridges art history, screen studies, East Asian studies, and digital humanities, with a focus on innovative methodologies in art historical writing. Dr. Yang earned a dual BA from Peking University, double majoring in art and philosophy, followed by an MA from Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, and a PhD from the University of Chicago. During her undergraduate studies, she served as president of the Society of Dream of the Red Chamber Studies, which informed her secondary academic interest in Redology and the visual material world of the novel Hong lou meng. Panpan Yang's research explores how minor discourses can deterritorialize the terrains of both art history and screen studies. Her work demonstrates a multimethodological approach attentive to archival research, material practices, close visual analysis, computer-aided vision, and cross-cultural theorization. She is particularly interested in Chinese animation history, calligraphic imagination in contemporary art, and the intersections between traditional Chinese art forms and new media. Her publications reveal a consistent focus on Chinese visual culture across multiple media forms, with particular attention to animation, film, and calligraphy. Yang's work demonstrates how traditional Chinese art forms engage with contemporary digital media, creating new hybrid forms that challenge disciplinary boundaries. Her research shows a trajectory from historical analysis of Chinese animation to contemporary explorations of calligraphy in digital contexts, revealing the ongoing relevance of traditional Chinese aesthetics in modern media. Dr. Yang has received several prestigious awards for her scholarly and creative work: China's National Young Screenwriter Award Domitor Essay Award Dean's Distinguished Dissertation Award Nomination Honourable Mention from the Association for Chinese Animation Studies As a Principal Investigator, Dr. Yang leads the AHRC-funded research project "Stroke by Stroke: Calligraphic imagination in contemporary Chinese art and emergent media" (2023-25) with Shane McCausland. She was also a collaborating partner on the NEH-funded "Media Ecology Project." Her research has received additional support from the Getty Foundation and the Sino-British Fellowship Trust. At SOAS, she works closely with faculty and graduate students interested in Chinese arts and cultures, art theory, cinematic arts, and digital art history. Dr. Yang is currently developing innovative research at the intersection of traditional Chinese calligraphy and contemporary digital media through her AHRC-funded project. This work explores how calligraphic imagination manifests in contemporary art and emergent media contexts, creating new pathways for understanding Chinese cultural heritage in the digital age.
Arsalan Khan is Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he joined in 2023. Previously, he taught at Union College in Schenectady, NY. He holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Virginia. His research specializes in the anthropology of Islam, examining intersections of ritual, gender, and ethics in Pakistan and South Asia. Current projects analyze: (1) Islamic piety movements like Tablighi Jamaat and their visions of moral order (explored in his 2024 Cornell University Press book The Promise of Piety ), and (2) climate justice politics in Karachi, focusing on Islamic conceptions of citizenship and moral responsibility during environmental crises. His scholarly publications demonstrate consistent focus on Islamic ethics, political anthropology, and Pakistani society, with recurring theoretical engagement with sovereignty, hierarchy, and religious modernity.
Serra Hakyemez is Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Global Studies at the University of Minnesota, currently on leave until January 2023. Her research examines the intersection of counterinsurgency warfare and judicial violence in Turkey's Kurdish regions, focusing on prison solidarity networks and decolonial resistance. She employs interdisciplinary methods combining political anthropology, legal studies, and ethnography to analyze state violence and resistance movements. Education includes: Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology, Johns Hopkins University, 2016 M.A. in Sociology and Anthropology, Central European University, 2008 M.Sc. in Social Policy, London School of Economics, 2006 B.A. in Political Science & Business Administration, Bogazici University, 2005 Her research investigates the juridical and visual economies of counterinsurgent violence, with ongoing work on prison-based solidarity and insurgent justice frameworks in Kurdistan. Publications explore themes including feminist resistance in conflict zones, archival politics of state violence, and the anthropology of dissent. Awards include: ACLS Fellowship Wenner-Gren-Hunt Fellowship
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.
Jaime Alves is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Black Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His work critically examines racial capitalism, antiblackness, and state violence across Latin America and Brazil. Specializing in urban sociology and political theory, his research interrogates how racialized spatial practices and necropolitical governance structure Black marginalization. Key research themes include the intersection of urban policing, colonial legacies, and Black resistance in cities like São Paulo and Cali. He analyzes how racialized temporal frameworks (e.g., "chronos") and spatial discourses (e.g., "necropolis") perpetuate systemic inequities. His work bridges anthropology, critical theory, and decolonial studies to challenge dominant narratives of multiculturalism and racial democracy. Notable contributions include critiques of Colombia's postconflict policies and Brazil's far-right political shifts. His publications consistently highlight the global dimensions of antiblackness and its urban manifestations. While no awards are explicitly listed, his scholarship has significantly impacted critical race studies in Latin America. Jaime's research extends beyond academia through public engagement with social movements addressing police brutality and spatial justice. Though no formal grants or student advisories are documented, his work serves as a foundational resource for understanding contemporary Black urban struggles in the region.
