Yelda Semizer Kaplan is an Assistant Professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences . Her research intersects cognitive psychology and visual neuroscience, focusing on fundamental mechanisms of human perception and attention. Specializes in temporal integration and ensemble perception Investigates peripheral vision limitations in complex tasks Develops computational models of maze-solving cognition Key research themes analyze how visual clutter affects search performance, how temporal dynamics influence attentional blink, and how spatial configurations impact cognitive processing. Her work has been featured in Journal of Vision and Attention, Perception & Psychophysics , with collaborations across neuroscience and human factors domains. Media engagement highlights include contributions to NJIT's Research Institutes Showcase (2021) and Cyberpsychology Seminar Series (2021). Current work explores mental maze-solving mechanisms through novel behavioral paradigms.
Emily T. Yeh serves as Professor of Geography at the University of Colorado within the College of Arts and Sciences, holding Faculty Affiliate status with the Center for Asian Studies, CNAIS, and C3BC. A 2024 Guggenheim Fellow and past-president of the American Association of Geographers (2021-2022), she is recognized as a College of Arts and Sciences Professor of Distinction for her transformative work in human geography. Her educational foundation includes a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley (2003), establishing her scholarly trajectory in critical geographical inquiry. Professor Yeh's research interrogates power dynamics within nature-society relationships through ethnographic methodologies , with seminal contributions to political ecology and cultural geography . Her work centers on Tibetan Plateau environmental transformations, examining natural resource conflicts, pastoralist livelihoods, and state-led development. Recent expansions address weather modification in anthropogenic climate contexts and decarbonization politics in Indonesia, revealing her evolving engagement with planetary-scale environmental challenges. This trajectory demonstrates consistent methodological rigor while adapting to emergent global ecological crises. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals a decisive pivot toward climate intervention technologies and energy transition justice since 2022, while maintaining deep regional expertise in Asian contexts. The geographical scope has broadened from Tibet/China to include Indonesia, reflecting growing attention to Global South climate politics. Her scientific recognition includes: Guggenheim Fellowship (2024) Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar (2023-2024) Professor Yeh actively mentors graduate researchers including Drolma Gadou, Tsering Lhamo, Emma Loizeaux, and Tenzin Yangkey. Her research program is substantially supported by National Science Foundation funding for interdisciplinary projects on Tibetan Plateau rangeland dynamics and climate vulnerability, alongside her foundational CAREER award for transnational environmentalism research. Current work integrates capoeira philosophy with environmental justice frameworks, reflecting embodied scholarly practice. She contributes to interdisciplinary knowledge production through the Center for Asian Studies and C3BC, fostering collaborative approaches to environmental challenges that bridge geographical scales from local Tibetan communities to global climate governance structures.
Prof. Margret Keuper is a Professor in the Department of Computer Vision and Machine Learning at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics. Her research focuses on advancing machine learning and computer vision techniques, with an emphasis on model fairness, adversarial robustness, and multimodal interactions. She leads interdisciplinary projects exploring topics such as dataset analysis, generative models, and climate action through visual narrative analysis. Research Interests: Her work bridges theoretical foundations and practical applications in domains like adversarial training, image classification robustness, and robotics perception. She explores how vision-language models can be steered to align with human biases and develops methods for data-efficient learning and interpretability. Recent Contributions: Recent work includes FAIR-TAT (model fairness via adversarial training), VSTAR (video synthesis), and TikZero (zero-shot graphics program generation). Her publications in top venues like CVPR, ICCV, and ICLR highlight contributions to both methodological innovation and real-world impact. Collaborations: Works closely with researchers across Max Planck and academic partners, focusing on projects such as sensor layout optimization, climate discourse analysis via social media imagery, and domain-aware foundation model fine-tuning.
Martin Wynn is an Associate Professor of Information Technology at the University of Gloucestershire's School of Computing and Engineering. With 20 years of industry experience as an IT professional and senior manager at Glaxo Pharmaceuticals and HP Bulmer Drinks, he transitioned to academia with a focus on knowledge transfer partnerships and post-doctoral supervision. His research interests span digital transformation, emerging technologies, sustainability, IT strategy, and risk management. He holds a PhD in Town and Country Planning and a PGCFHE in Education. Education: BA (Hons) Geography (Durham, 1973), MA Geography (Durham, 1977), PhD Town and Country Planning (Nottingham Trent, 1981), PGCFHE Education (Gloucestershire, 2003). Research focuses on leveraging technology for sustainable development, including digitalisation in manufacturing, cybersecurity, and the interplay between technology and urban planning. Over 20 doctoral students have been supervised in areas like digitalisation, analytics, and sustainability. Publications span e-business adoption in developing countries, ERP systems in SMEs, and ICT utilization in Libyan universities. He is a PRINCE2 Practitioner and Certified Management Consultant (CMC).
Theo Spek is a Professor of History of Landscape at the Faculty of Arts, University of Groningen . His work combines historical, geographical, pedological, archaeological, ecological, and onomastic methodologies to study cultural landscapes, focusing on their evolution and application in modern policy, spatial planning, and heritage preservation. Research Interests Spek's research emphasizes interdisciplinary landscape history, particularly in Northern Netherlands . He pioneered the Landscape Biography approach, analyzing long-term interactions between humans, nature, and soil. His studies cover medieval open-field systems, peat exploitation, water management, and sandy landscapes, with applications in landscape policy and spatial planning . Publications & Projects He has contributed extensively to academic journals and edited volumes, including Landschappen van Nederland: Handboek voor de geschiedenis van onze leefomgeving . Spek heads the Landscape Knowledge Centre at Groningen, which promotes academic training and societal knowledge transfer. He previously coordinated the European network PECSRL (2000-2007) and co-developed a new landscape map of the Netherlands in 2024.
Dr. Janna Coomans is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History and Art History at Utrecht University, specializing in Medieval History with a focus on urban health, environment, and social dynamics. Her research explores premodern cities' responses to public health challenges, disaster resilience, and community formation. She holds a PhD from the Amsterdam School of Historical Studies (2021 cum laude) and has held postdoctoral positions in ERC-funded projects like 'Healthscaping Urban Europe'. Her expertise spans social history, urban history, and medieval public health, with particular attention to the Low Countries. She leads the VENI-funded '(In)flammable Cities' project (2020) examining fire risks and urban transformation. Awards include the Praemium Erasmianum Dissertation Prize (2020) and Pro Civitate Dissertation Prize (2019). Her research integrates material culture analysis with archival sources, addressing topics like medieval sanitation, disease control, and urban infrastructure. She has contributed to interdisciplinary projects on pandemic responses, environmental governance, and spatial strategies in late medieval cities. Grants: NWO VENI grant (2020), ERC postdoctoral fellowship (2018-2021) Media engagements: Featured in NTR documentaries, podcasts on medieval hygiene, and pandemic history analyses Labs/Teams: Member of the Research Institute for History and Art History, affiliated with Pathways to Sustainability and Institutions for Open Societies research programs
Mike Michael is a Professor of Science and Technology Studies at the University of Exeter, affiliated with the Department of Social and Political Sciences. He joined the university in 2017 after roles at Lancaster University, Goldsmiths, and the University of Sydney. His research focuses on the intersections of technoscience with everyday life, biomedical innovation, public understanding of science, and process methodology. He has pioneered speculative methodologies and interdisciplinary approaches to studying design, energy communities, and socio-technical systems. Michael’s academic career spans sociology, anthropology, and philosophy, with key affiliations including the Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health and the Energy Babble research project. His pedagogical contributions include teaching social theory, environmental sociology, and qualitative methods. He has supervised over 30 PhD students across diverse topics such as biobanking, xenotransplantation, and the spatialities of football. His research outputs emphasize speculative frameworks and aesthetic inquiries, with recent work exploring the ontologies of digital data, infrastructural politics, and posthumanist design. Key themes include the ethical implications of biomedical technologies, the socio-materialities of communication during crises, and the role of aesthetics in shaping scientific and societal practices. Michael’s work bridges academia and public engagement, addressing issues like austerity futures, energy communities, and the ambivalences of abstraction in contemporary research. He actively contributes to interdisciplinary debates on methodologies, futures studies, and the socio-cultural dimensions of technoscience.
Professor Dawn Lyon is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent's School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research. She joined the university in 2006, previously working at the University of Essex, European University Institute, Paris V, and Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Her PhD in Sociology was completed at the European University Institute in 2003. She has held visiting roles at institutions including the Australian National University and Goldsmiths, University of London. Her research focuses on the sociology of work, time, and everyday life, with a particular emphasis on rhythmanalysis. She has pioneered audio-visual ethnography in studies like Billingsgate Fish Market and led projects on pandemic time during the COVID-19 crisis. Her work explores how work rhythms intersect with temporal and spatial organization, using innovative methods such as 'feel tanks' and creative participatory approaches. Lyon is a Leverhulme Research Fellow and has taught modules on qualitative research, visual sociology, and the sociology of time. She supervises doctoral students in areas ranging from labor markets to digital technologies and voluntary action. Her research has been supported by grants from the British Academy and others. Publications span over 50 entries in journals like Sociological Review and Time & Society , books including What is Rhythmanalysis? (2019), and edited collections. She serves on the editorial boards of Qualitative Research and Time & Society . Lyon’s work bridges theory and practice, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding time, space, and social change. Collaborative projects like Imagine Sheppey and A Day at a Time highlight her commitment to community engagement and methodological innovation.
Maria Cristina Morales is a Professor in the Department of Sociology & Anthropology at the University of Texas at El Paso, College of Liberal Arts . Her research critically examines how Latinx ethnicity intersects with social statuses and institutions, particularly along the U.S.-Mexico border , using quantitative and qualitative methodologies while prioritizing reflexive and theory-driven approaches . Education: PhD in Sociology, Texas A&M University (2004) Research Focus includes structural violence at the U.S.-Mexico border, environmental hazard perceptions near border ports, and gender/sexuality dynamics . Her publications and presentations bridge border studies, immigration, labor rights, and environmental justice . Recent projects include decolonizing survey research and Latinxs on the Margins (forthcoming). Scientific Awards include the Norma Williams Distinguished Service Award (2024), UT Regents Outstanding Teaching Award (2016), and multiple recognitions from the Southwestern Sociological Association and Building Scholars programs. Grants highlight her leadership in National Science Foundation and North American Development Bank funded projects addressing sociological issues, air quality assessment , and data accessibility for vulnerable communities.
Associate Professor Darrin Verhagen is an award-winning sound designer and composer at RMIT University's School of Design, where he teaches in the Sound Design specialization within the Digital Media Program and directs the Audiokinetic Experiments (AkE) Lab. His academic work bridges creative practice with scientific inquiry into multisensory perception. Verhagen's research centers on the neurobiology of aesthetic experience, particularly exploring how sound interacts with vision, movement, and vibration. His work in the AkE Lab utilizes motion simulators, 4D cinema seating, and light to create installations that investigate the relationship between hearing, vision, movement and vibration. His academic background includes postgraduate research on musical extremes - lowercase sound for his Masters and Noise for his Doctorate. His creative output spans sound design for contemporary dance, theatre, installation, film, television and computer games. Verhagen has released over 20 albums internationally and performs audiovisual live shows globally. He was founder and curator of Dorobo records, which showcased Australian sound art for 15 years. Industry collaborations include work with Melbourne Theatre Company, Malthouse, Chunky Move, Australian Dance Theatre, and others. Notable awards include multiple Green Room Awards for Sound Design, Australian Academy of Cinema & Television Arts award finalist status, APRA Art Music awards finalist for experimental music, RMIT Research Award for technical innovation, and RMIT Teaching Award for excellence in teaching practice. Verhagen's supervision projects reveal a trajectory toward increasingly sophisticated explorations of sound in relation to space, perception, and human experience, with recent work focusing on transdisciplinary design, spatial sound applications, distributed audio systems, and vocal ecology. His work consistently bridges artistic practice with technological innovation and scientific inquiry into perceptual phenomena.
Beth Simmons is the Andrea Mitchell University Professor in Law, Political Science, and Business Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania, holding appointments in the School of Arts and Sciences and Penn Carey Law. Her research focuses on international political economy, policy diffusion, and the impact of international law on human rights. She has authored seminal works including Who Adjusts? (1994) and Mobilizing for Human Rights (2009), both recipients of the APSA Woodrow Wilson Award. Simmons has served as director of Harvard’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, president of the International Studies Association, and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Education: PhD, Harvard University (Government) M.A., Harvard University (Government) M.A., University of Chicago (International Relations) B.A., University of Redlands (Political Science and Philosophy) Research Interests: Simmons’ current projects examine global performance assessments, international border dynamics (including 'thickening' borders and border crossings), and transnational crime. She has developed a satellite-derived database of global border crossings and studies public sentiment toward borders as spaces of opportunity or threat. Her work bridges legal frameworks, policy analysis, and geopolitical strategies. Awards and Recognition: 2018 Andrew Carnegie Fellow Woodrow Wilson Award (APSA, 1994 and 2009) Elected to National Academy of Sciences and American Academy of Arts and Sciences Best Book Awards from American Society for International Law, ISSC, and ISA (2010) Advising & Grants: Simmons advises on global governance initiatives and has secured grants for research on border infrastructure and human rights compliance. Her work at Perry World House and collaborations with international organizations reflect her commitment to interdisciplinary policy engagement. Labs/Teams: Collaborates with Perry World House and global research networks on projects like the border crossings database and studies of international criminal justice frameworks.
Alister Scott is a Professor at Northumbria University in the Geography and Environmental Sciences Department , specializing in landscape and environmental planning. His work bridges the built and natural environments, focusing on multifunctional landscapes and policy integration. Education: PhD (awarded 1987) Research Themes: Landscape planning, ecosystem services, green/blue infrastructure, peri-urban dynamics, sustainability assessment, and policy translation. Collaborations: Active in UK-based and international projects, including EU PERFECT and ESRC-funded initiatives. Recent publications emphasize the role of cultural ecosystem services, participatory mapping in Green Belt areas, and reconciling urban growth with environmental protection. His work addresses the integration of nature-based solutions into planning systems and evaluates policy impacts on health, wellbeing, and biodiversity. Networks: Executive Member of the North East Nature Partnership (since 2016) Contributor to the UK National Ecosystem Assessment Follow-on projects
Dr. Dorothy E. Hines is an Associate Professor at the University of Kansas, holding appointments in African and African-American Studies and Curriculum and Teaching within the School of Education and Human Sciences. She earned a Ph.D. in Education Policy from Michigan State University, a Master’s in Public Administration from North Carolina Central University (Magna Cum Laude), and a Bachelor’s in Political Science from North Carolina State University. Additionally, she holds a certificate in Theology and Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary and previously served as a Teaching Fellow at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. Her research focuses on the intersectionality of race, gender, and spatial dynamics in educational inequities, particularly examining school discipline policies, school pushout, and the marginalized experiences of Black girls and girls of color in urban schools. Her work critiques systemic racism and advocates for transformative educational practices. Dr. Hines is an award-winning writer whose Medium publications address contemporary issues such as racial justice, gender equity, and cultural representation. Her articles frequently analyze societal structures perpetuating inequality, from policing practices to beauty industry standards, blending academic rigor with accessible public discourse. While no specific grants or labs are detailed in the provided texts, her academic profile reflects active engagement in educational equity initiatives and community advocacy. She maintains a commitment to bridging scholarly research with real-world social justice applications.
Mary Gallagher is Professor of French and Francophone Studies at University College Dublin, affiliated with the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics. She has held significant academic appointments at UCD since 1991, progressing from Lecturer to full Professor, and has served as a Visiting Professor in France, China, and Tunisia. Her scholarly leadership includes founding roles in the Association for the Study of Caribbean and African Literature in French (ASCALF) and the Irish Association of French and Francophone Studies (ADEFFI), where she was president from 2006 to 2008. She led the PRTLI-funded 'World Writing in French' research programme and has coordinated multiple Erasmus+ partnerships with institutions in the French Caribbean, Tunisia, and Vietnam. Education: BA in French and German, Trinity College Dublin DEA in French Literature, Université de Paris VII (Denis Diderot) Doctorat ès Lettres, Université de Paris VIII (Vincennes-Saint-Denis), supervised by Henri Meschonnic, viva chaired by Édouard Glissant Higher Diploma in Mediation and Diploma in Arbitration Law and Procedure, University College Dublin Her research focuses on postcolonial Francophone literature, Caribbean studies, Creole identity, migration, and ethical dimensions of writing. She has published extensively on Saint-John Perse, Lafcadio Hearn, and Paul Morand, with a recent emphasis on Holocaust testimony through her critical edition of Paul Léon’s letters from Drancy. Her work bridges literary scholarship, cultural critique, and historical recovery, often engaging with themes of displacement, memory, and transcultural dialogue. The 15 most recent publications illustrate a sustained engagement with global Francophone narratives, from Caribbean poetics and Creole hybridity to Shoah testimony and critiques of academic corporatism. Her scholarship reveals a trajectory from regional Caribbean studies to broader global and ethical concerns, emphasizing literary witness, intercultural translation, and the responsibilities of the intellectual in an age of globalization. Scientific Recognition and Editorial Roles: Editor of 22 issues of the biennial journal of ASCALF Editorial Board member, Journal of French and Francophone Philosophy (US) Editorial Board member, Forum Poetiki (Poland) Editorial committee roles for monograph series at Palgrave, Gallimard, Brill, and Peter Lang As an advisor and grant leader, she has supervised major research programmes and cross-institutional collaborations. She has not advised named students in the provided texts but has mentored through programme leadership and editorial guidance. She convened UCD’s Asia-Pacific Research Forum (2018–2022), now a formal Research Centre. Her work continues to shape interdisciplinary approaches to Francophone and postcolonial studies. Research Groups and Collaborations: Founder, Association of Francophone Postcolonial Studies (formerly ASCALF) President, Irish Association of French and Francophone Studies (ADEFFI, 2006–2008) Convenor, UCD Cross-College Asia-Pacific Research Forum (2018–2022) Initiator of Erasmus+ partnerships with Université des Antilles, Université de Tunis, and Université Nationale du Vietnam Developing an all-island Irish research group on Former French Island Colonies
Gita Reese Sukthankar is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Central Florida (UCF) , where she directs the Intelligent Agents Lab . Her research focuses on activity and plan recognition , with applications in multi-agent systems, robotics, and human-robot interaction. She earned her Ph.D. from the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University and joined UCF in fall 2007. Research Interests: Her work spans activity recognition , intent inference , multi-agent coordination , and human-robot teams . She has applied these techniques to domains such as adversarial games (e.g., military simulations, Unreal Tournament), assistive technologies, and cooperative robotics. Her research integrates AI, machine learning, and probabilistic models to understand and predict complex team behaviors. Publication Trends: Her publications emphasize spatio-temporal modeling , probabilistic graphical models (e.g., HMMs, CRFs) , and multi-agent plan recognition . She frequently publishes in top venues like AAMAS, AAAI, and ICRA, with a focus on robust recognition of team behaviors, transfer learning, and real-world AI applications. Scientific Awards: NSF CAREER Award (2009) AFOSR Young Investigator (2009) ONR Summer Faculty Fellow (2008) UCF Faculty Excellence for Doctoral Mentoring (2012) CECS Dean's Research Professorship (2013) AAAI Senior Member (2021) ACM and IEEE Senior Member Advising and Grants: She mentors graduate students in AI and robotics and has led research funded by DARPA, AFOSR, and ONR. Her lab develops systems for intelligent agents that can understand and collaborate with humans. She has served on numerous program committees and editorial boards, including ACM Transactions on Autonomous and Adaptive Systems . She teaches courses such as Intelligent Systems , Robotics , and Machine Learning , and has been recognized for both research and teaching excellence. Labs and Teams: She leads the Intelligent Agents Lab at UCF, which focuses on data-driven social informatics and AI for human-agent teams. Her group collaborates with researchers in robotics, computer vision, and cognitive science to build adaptive, intelligent systems.
