Jim Rogers is an Associate Professor and Chair of PhD Studies at the School of Communications, Dublin City University. His research focuses on media and cultural industries, music, and copyright, with an emphasis on the digital transformation of the music industry, global strategies, and policy implications. He has authored and edited multiple books and articles on topics such as the evolution of performing rights organizations, the audio-visual nexus, and Ireland's music industry success. Rogers has presented at international conferences across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, engaging with issues like intellectual property, creative destruction, and cultural policy. His work bridges academic theory and industry practice, addressing the intersection of technology, law, and cultural production.
Pascal BOUVRY is a full Professor of parallel computing and optimization techniques at the University of Luxembourg's Department of Computer Science , within the Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine (FSTM) . He currently serves as the Dean of the FSTM and leads the Parallel Computing and Optimisation group . Additionally, he oversees the University's High Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure. His research focuses on parallel computing, optimization algorithms, distributed systems, and their applications in bioinformatics and distributed environments. Prof. BOUVRY holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Grenoble (France) and has extensive industry experience, including roles as CEO/CTO of tech firms and leadership in telecom and financial services sectors. He has pioneered initiatives like the Master in High-Performance Computing and Technopreneurship programs at the University of Luxembourg. His research interests span GPU programming paradigms , federated learning , distributed optimization , and trustworthy AI . Recent work includes advancements in HPC education frameworks, federated learning frameworks (e.g., FedPref), and quantum circuit optimization. He contributes to editorial boards of journals like IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Computing and IEEE Cloud Computing Magazine. Prof. BOUVRY has held international leadership roles, including as Honorary Chair of conferences and active participation in technical committees. His educational efforts emphasize bridging academic research with industrial applications, particularly in HPC and AI.
Professor Terry Flew (BEc (Hons), MEc (Sydney), MBA (QUT), PhD (Griffith)) is a leading academic at the University of Sydney , holding the Professor of Digital Communication & Culture position within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences . As an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow (2024-2029), he leads the Centre for AI, Trust & Governance , a flagship initiative involving multiple faculties. His international appointments include Research Fellow at the UK Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre and Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. Co-Director, Centre for AI Trust and Governance Member, SSSHARC research center International collaborations with Carleton University (Canada), Communications University of China, University of Glasgow (UK) Research Focus : Specializing in platform governance , digital policy , and mediated trust , Professor Flew bridges media economics , AI ethics , and creative industries . His work examines digital platform regulation , news media sustainability , and global internet governance , with recent projects analyzing trust mechanisms in AI systems and digital content regulation . The 2024-2028 Laureate Fellowship on "Mediated Trust" integrates these themes. Publications & Grants : With 16 authored/edited books and 129 journal articles , he has secured $11 million in research funding (including $9.9 million from ARC). Key grants include ARC Discovery projects on digital platform governance and Linkage projects on citizen journalism. Professional Leadership : Served as ICA President (2019-2020), ANZCA President (2009-10), and Lead Commissioner for the Australian Law Reform Commission. Currently sits on editorial boards of Journal of Communication , Global Media and Communication , and Media International Australia .
Tim Derdenger is an Associate Professor of Marketing and Strategy at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Southern California and a B.B.A. from George Washington University. His research focuses on technology markets and sports marketing, including platform dynamics, bundling strategies, celebrity endorsements, and dynamic demand modeling. He coordinates the Technology Strategy and Product Management Track for MBA students. As an Associate Editor for Management Science and editorial board member of Marketing Science , he contributes to academic publishing. His work spans empirical studies on golf equipment endorsements, EV subsidies, and AI regulation. He advises on topics like NIL in college football and generative AI bias. His affiliations include roles in executive education and industry panels on golf and tech strategy.
Venkatesh Merwade is a Professor in the Lyles School of Civil Engineering at Purdue University , where he has been since 2007. His research focuses on GIS applications in water resources engineering , surface water hydrology , river hydraulics , and cyberinfrastructure for hydrology , with regional interests in water management in developing countries . PhD in Civil Engineering (University of Texas at Austin, 2004) MSc in Engineering Hydrology (National University of Ireland, Galway, 2000) B.Engg. in Environmental Engineering (Shivaji University, India, 1997) His work includes floodplain mapping , hydrological modeling , and cyber-enabled hydrology education via tools like RWater and SWATShare . He has received awards such as the 2022 Purdue Individual Graduate Student Mentorship Award and 2018 Seed for Success for securing major research grants. Merwade collaborates with students and colleagues on flood prediction , soil moisture assimilation , and hydro-climatic impact analysis . His projects emphasize data-driven modeling , uncertainty quantification , and GIS integration for watershed management. He is affiliated with the Burke Hydraulics and Hydrology Lab and Purdue's Center for the Environment .
Jukka Manner is a Full Professor (tenured) of Networking Technology at Aalto University's Department of Communications and Networking (Comnet), School of Electrical Engineering. With a career spanning over two decades in internet technologies, he leads research in networking, wireless systems, and energy-efficient ICT solutions. Dr. Manner received his MSc (1999) and PhD (2004) degrees in computer science from the University of Helsinki. His academic journey has been marked by significant contributions to internet standardization through the IETF since 1999, where he served as co-chair of the NSIS working group. Professor Manner's research focuses on networking, software and distributed systems, with particular emphasis on wireless and mobile networks, transport protocols, energy efficient ICT and cyber security. His work bridges theoretical advancements with practical applications, addressing critical challenges in modern communication systems, sustainable networking practices, and security frameworks. His research group has made significant contributions to 5G technologies, UAV communications, and energy-efficient network design. His extensive publication record shows a clear evolution toward sustainability in networking technologies, with recent work focusing on energy efficiency in 5G systems, sustainable web technologies, and the environmental impact of digital infrastructure. The research demonstrates strong interdisciplinary connections between telecommunications engineering, computer science, and environmental science, with particular emphasis on reducing the carbon footprint of digital systems while maintaining performance. Cross of Merit, Signals (2014) Medal for Military Merits for contributions in national defence and C4 (2015) Professor Manner has supervised over 200 MSc theses and more than 20 doctoral dissertations, establishing himself as a dedicated mentor in the field. He has been principal investigator and project manager for over 15 national and international research projects, including serving as Academic Coordinator for the Finnish Future Internet research programme (2008-2012). His leadership extends to conference organization, having served as local co-chair of Sigcomm 2012 in Helsinki, and active participation as a peer reviewer and member of various Technical Program Committees. As an active contributor to internet standardization through the IETF, Professor Manner's work has practical impact on global networking technologies. His research group maintains strong connections with industry partners and participates in shaping future networking standards and practices, particularly in the areas of sustainable networking, 5G evolution, and security frameworks for emerging technologies.
Kunal Agrawal is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at the McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis. She holds a PhD from MIT (2009), an MS from the National University of Singapore (2002), and a BE from Mumbai University (2001). Her research focuses on parallel computing, runtime systems for parallel programming, scheduling, transactional memory, and cache-aware/streaming algorithms. She joined WashU in 2009 after working with MIT's Supercomputing Technologies Group. Her 2012 NSF CAREER Award supports developing concurrency platforms for high-throughput parallel programs. Collaborative projects include enhancing atmospheric simulation software (GEOS-Chem) and studying novel computer memory properties. She also contributed to an NSF-funded study on interactive parallel applications. Her lab explores foundational challenges in parallel system design. Lab Website: Link Google Scholar Profile: Link Research emphasizes bridging theoretical guarantees with practical efficiency in parallel systems, addressing scalability and resource management in real-time environments.
Dongwook Yoon is an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science , University of British Columbia , and serves as Director of the SOCIUS Lab . He actively contributes to research in Human-Computer Interaction, Human-AI Interaction, and Virtual/Augmented Reality as a member of the Designing for People (DFP) and CAIDA research clusters. Education : PhD in Computer Science from Cornell University (2017), MS (2009) and BS (2007) in Computer Science from Seoul National University Research Focus : Designing socio-technical systems that bridge the gap between technology and human social processes, with innovations in AR/VR, multimodal interaction, and inclusive design Article Trends show his work spans: Temporal and bichronous learning environments AI self-clones and ethical implications Income inequality in virtual platforms Enhanced multimodal collaboration in VR Eyes-reduced interfaces for situational impairments Speculative participatory design for gig economy challenges Scientific Awards include: Google Academic Research Award (2024) Best Paper Award at CHI 2024 High Impact Award in Educational Technology (2024) CHCCS/SCDHM Graphics Interface Early Career Award (2023) Multiple Honorable Mentions at CHI, DIS, and CSCW Students & Collaborators range from active PhD candidates (Anika Sayara, Yuri Kim) to notable alumni (Thitaree Tanprasert, Ashish Chopra) across his SOCIUS Lab projects. His research receives funding from NSERC , KIST , Adobe , Microsoft , and Google grants.
Thorsten Chmura is a Professor in the Department of Economics at Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University. His work focuses on experimental and behavioral economics, utilizing laboratory and field experiments to address real-world challenges. He maintains collaborations within NTU’s Applied Economics and Policy Research Group, Public Service Management Research Group, and international partnerships across Europe, China, and the US. Chair of Industrial Economics at University of Nottingham (previous) Director, Centre for Research in the Behavioural Sciences (previous) PhD in Economics and Physics from University of Bonn Research interests span behavioral economics, experimental economics, game theory, and traffic modeling. His work examines decision-making under risk, wage discrimination, and behavioral responses in complex systems. Recent publications explore AVOD streaming economics (2024), social trading herding (2022), and toll road choice dynamics (2014). Key article trends include: Behavioral responses in financial markets Risk attitudes across 30 countries Cultural value impacts on loyalty programs Traffic flow simulations Game theory applications in coordination problems Experimental validation of economic theories
Francis Y. Yan is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), holding an affiliate appointment in Electrical & Computer Engineering within the Grainger College of Engineering. He leads the Illinois Networked Systems and AI (NSAI) research group, focusing on building intelligent networked systems that are safe, robust, and performance-optimized through practical machine learning integration. Prior to joining UIUC in January 2025, he served as a Senior Researcher at Microsoft Research Redmond under Victor Bahl. His educational background includes: Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford University (2020), advised by Keith Winstein and Philip Levis B.S. in Computer Science (Yao Class) and B.A. in Economics from Tsinghua University (2015) Additional undergraduate studies at MIT Yan's research adopts a holistic approach to practical machine learning for networked systems, emphasizing judicious application rather than indiscriminate use. He builds real-world systems and research platforms to lay ML foundations, devises deployable algorithms using domain insights, and validates performance through extensive empirical evidence. His work consistently addresses operator concerns regarding ML deployment—focusing on safety, robustness, generalization, and efficiency—while strategically combining ML with classical networking and systems techniques. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2023-2025) reveals dominant themes in resource allocation for microservices (DeDe, Autothrottle), real-time video optimization (Mowgli, GRACE), and LLM-driven network algorithm design. His work bridges theoretical advances with industrial deployment, evidenced by platforms like Puffer (400,000+ users) and OpenNetLab that have become community standards for validating congestion control algorithms. His research has been recognized with top honors: USENIX NSDI Outstanding Paper Award (2024) for Autothrottle APNet Best Paper Award (2022) IRTF Applied Networking Research Prize (2021) USENIX NSDI Community Award (2020) USENIX ATC Best Paper Award (2018) for Pantheon Yan actively recruits master's and undergraduate researchers for his NSAI group, prioritizing self-motivated students for projects in networked systems and AI. His research is supported by industry collaborations (notably Microsoft) and manifests in deployable platforms like Puffer—which has enabled award-winning research at NSDI and SIGCOMM—and OpenNetLab for real-time communications. His work directly impacts production systems including Microsoft Teams and Bing. He founded and directs the Illinois Networked Systems and AI (NSAI) research group, which operates critical infrastructure including Puffer (a live TV service and research platform) and OpenNetLab. These platforms facilitate community-wide validation of novel algorithms, with Puffer alone supporting multiple best-paper awards at top conferences. Current workstreams span cloud resource management (Teal, Autothrottle, DeDe), low-latency video (Puffer, Tambur, Mowgli), and LLM-augmented systems (Nada, Designing Network Algorithms via LLMs).
Ruhai Wu is a tenured Associate Professor of Marketing at McMaster University's DeGroote School of Business. He holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Finance from Tsinghua University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on retail and industrial marketing strategies, including pricing, advertising, channel relationships, and platform management in digital ecosystems. He has been awarded grants from SSHRC and NSERC for projects analyzing sharing economies, mobile marketing, and social commerce. Dr. Wu's teaching portfolio includes courses on Digital Marketing, Marketing Management, and Marketing Research Methodology at both undergraduate and graduate levels. He actively supervises doctoral students and has published in top-tier journals such as the Journal of Retailing , Journal of Business Research , and Electronic Markets . His research explores platform governance, network effects, and online consumer behavior using game-theoretical models. Recent work examines live-stream shopping trends, cross-platform competition, and seller review manipulation. Dr. Wu has contributed to scholarly discussions on emerging digital marketing strategies and their societal impacts through media features and industry collaborations.
Hernando Rojas is the Helen Firstbrook Franklin Professor of Journalism and Director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His academic roles include teaching courses such as Media Effects, Public Opinion, and Global Communications. He holds courtesy research affiliations with institutions in Colombia, Chile, and Singapore. Rojas earned a Ph.D. in Mass Communication from UW-Madison (2005), an MA from the University of Minnesota, and a law degree from Universidad Externado de Colombia. His research focuses on political communication, particularly the impact of new technologies on social mobilization, audience perceptions of media, and media's role in democratic governance. His work has been recognized with awards from ICA, WAPOR, and AEJMC, and he became an ICA Fellow in 2020. His professional service includes editing the International Journal of Public Opinion Research , leadership roles in the Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies Program, and contributions to professional associations like ICA and AEJMC. His career also includes roles as a media publisher, UNDP consultant, and public opinion advisor. Rojas' research demonstrates a global focus, addressing issues from China's crisis communication to Latin American polarization. His publications span over 100 articles and six books, emphasizing theoretical and applied insights into media's societal impact.
Xiaowen Zhang is a Professor of Computer Science at the College of Staten Island (CSI), City University of New York (CUNY), and a Doctoral Faculty Member at the CUNY Graduate Center. His academic work bridges theoretical and applied research in cybersecurity, information systems, and network technologies. Dr. Zhang holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the CUNY Graduate Center (2007) and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Northern Jiaotong University (1999), along with an M.A. from CUNY Queens College, an M.S. from Northern Jiaotong University, and a B.S. from Shanxi University. His research focuses on Cryptography, Information Security, Cybersecurity, Secure Biometrics, RFID Security & Privacy, Information Retrieval, and Wireless Sensor Networks . He explores both foundational cryptographic methods—such as secret sharing schemes and hash functions—and their practical implementations in secure systems, including RFID authentication protocols and data visualization platforms for sensor networks. The analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent focus on security mechanisms in distributed and wireless environments . His work frequently combines cryptographic theory with system-level implementations, particularly in RFID and sensor networks. There is a strong trend toward privacy-preserving protocols, efficient data retrieval, and secure information sharing , often leveraging mathematical structures like Latin squares and Bloom filters. Dr. Zhang has been actively involved in mentoring students, as evidenced by numerous co-authored publications with graduate and undergraduate researchers. His contributions span journals such as Security and Communication Networks , Journal of Applied Security Research , and International Journal of Security and Networks , as well as major conferences including IEEE LISAT, ACM CODASPY, and IEEE Sarnoff Symposium.
Jeeyeon Kim is a Lecturer in the Department of Management and Marketing at La Trobe Business School, La Trobe University. Prior to this, she served as an Assistant Professor at National Sun Yat-sen University in Taiwan. Her research focuses on digital marketing, omnichannel retailing, social media/influencer marketing, and digital healthcare. She holds a PhD and MA from Yonsei University, South Korea, and has held visiting roles at Yonsei University and IE University. Her work emphasizes empirical data analysis and statistical modeling to address marketing challenges. Jeeyeon has secured multiple research grants, including AUD 82,500 from Taiwan's Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) for projects on big data-driven marketing and digital transformation. She also coordinates grants with Yonsei University and AACSB initiatives. Her editorial roles include serving on the Asia Marketing Journal and Korean Scholars of Marketing Science boards. Her research spans topics such as virtual influencers' impact on social media, omnichannel strategies, and healthcare consumer behavior. Teaching awards include the 'Outstanding Course Teaching Award' and 'Excellent Mentor Award.' She actively reviews for journals like the Asian Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics and conferences like the Global Fashion Management Conference.
Zakir Durumeric is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University, leading the Stanford Empirical Security Research Group. His research focuses on Internet security, trust, and safety, emphasizing large-scale network measurement and open-source tool development. He founded Censys, a platform providing global Internet device data, and maintains tools like ZMap, ZGrab, and Retina. Research interests include cybercrime prevention, censorship analysis, disinformation tracking, and platform governance for online harassment. Notable contributions include studies on the Mirai botnet, TLS certificate ecosystems, and vulnerabilities like Heartbleed and Logjam. Awards include the IRTF Applied Networking Research Prize (2015) and a Test of Time Award (2022). Teaches courses: CS155 (Computer & Network Security), CS356 (Systems & Network Security), and CS249i (Modern Internet). Advises over 20 students, including Catherine Han, Kimberly Ruth, and Liz Izhikevich. Develops open-source software such as ZMap Toolkit and ASdb, and maintains datasets like CrUX Top Million Websites. Recent work explores toxic online behavior, misinformation ecosystems, and regional censorship mechanisms in China. His lab’s tools are widely adopted in academia and industry for security research and policy guidance.
