Dr. Ben Clarke is an Associate Professor and Department Head of Special Education and Clinical Sciences at the University of Oregon’s College of Education. His research focuses on mathematical development, assessment systems, and school-based interventions to support student achievement. He has led over 20 federally funded grants totaling ~$55 million, emphasizing early numeracy interventions and multi-tiered instructional models. Clarke’s work bridges theory and practice, with publications on mathematics instruction, assessment, and RTI frameworks. Education: PhD (2002), MA (2001) in School Psychology/Special Education from University of Oregon; BS (1997) in Psychology from Wabash College (Phi Beta Kappa). Research Interests: Mathematics intervention design and efficacy Early numeracy assessment Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) Technology in education Equity in mathematics education Publications highlight his focus on intervention fidelity, tiered models, and outcomes for students with learning difficulties. Awards include the AERA Special Education SIG Research Award and recognition for academic excellence. Grants and Advising: Principal Investigator on ~$55M in federal grants; advises graduate students in School Psychology and Special Education. His lab develops evidence-based tools like the KinderTEK iPad program and contributes to national practice guides (e.g., IES RTI for Mathematics). Labs/Teams: Leads research teams focused on early mathematics intervention and MTSS implementation, collaborating with schools and policymakers to scale effective practices.
Marcia C. Linn is the Evelyn Lois Corey Professor of Instructional Science in the Berkeley School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley. She serves as Chair of the Graduate Group in Science and Mathematics Education (SESAME) and has made significant contributions to the field of science education for over five decades. Dr. Linn is a member of the National Academy of Education and a Fellow of multiple prestigious organizations including the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Psychological Association (APA), the Association for Psychological Science (APS), the American Educational Research Association (AERA), and the International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS). Dr. Linn earned her B.A. in Psychology and Statistics (1965), M.A. in Educational Psychology (1967), and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology (1970) from Stanford University, where she worked under Lee Cronbach. Her early career included working with Jean Piaget at the Institute Jean Jacques Rousseau in Geneva, Switzerland (1967-68), serving as a Fulbright Professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel (1983), and conducting research at University College in London. She has been a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences three times and a Writing Resident at the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center twice. Dr. Linn's research focuses on how students learn science and how technology can be used to improve science education. She developed the Knowledge Integration framework, which has become widely used in science education. Her work explores the intersection of cognitive science and educational practice, with particular attention to how students develop understanding of complex scientific concepts. She has pioneered the use of technology in science education, developing the Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE) and directing the NSF-funded Technology-Enhanced Learning in Science (TELS) center. Dr. Linn's recent publications demonstrate a clear trajectory toward integrating artificial intelligence with science education. Her work increasingly focuses on how AI can support knowledge integration, facilitate science learning opportunities, and promote equitable educational experiences. She examines how technology can help students develop deeper understandings of scientific concepts through inquiry-based learning while addressing issues of social justice in science education. Scientific Awards and Honors National Association for Research in Science Teaching Award for Lifelong Distinguished Contributions to Science Education American Educational Research Association Willystine Goodsell Award Council of Scientific Society Presidents first award for Excellence in Educational Research Fulbright Professor (1983) Apple Wheels for the Mind grant (1985) National Institute of Education grant (1983) Throughout her career, Dr. Linn has secured significant funding for educational research, including multiple National Science Foundation grants. She directed the NSF-funded Technology-Enhanced Learning in Science (TELS) center and has led numerous projects investigating the cognitive consequences of computer environments for learning. She has advised countless students and researchers in the field of science education, shaping the next generation of educational researchers and practitioners. Dr. Linn directs the Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE) project and has been instrumental in developing technology-enhanced learning environments for science education. Her laboratory has been at the forefront of creating and testing innovative learning technologies that support students in developing deep understanding of scientific concepts through inquiry-based approaches.
Wolfgang Forster is a Professor of Civil Law, Comparative Legal History and Legal Philosophy at the University of Tübingen, where he has been teaching since 2011. He served as Dean of the Faculty of Law from October 2020 to September 2022. Prior to his appointment at Tübingen, he was Professor of Civil Law and Legal Philosophy at the University of Giessen from 2007 to 2011. He completed his habilitation at LMU Munich in 2005 with a thesis on insolvency law history and earned his doctorate in 2000 with research on Karl Christian Friedrich Krause's legal philosophy. Forster studied law and philosophy at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich from 1987 to 1992, supported by the German Academic Scholarship Foundation and the Bavarian Scholarship for Gifted Students. He passed his first state examination in law in 1992 and his second in 1995. Between 1995 and 2000, he served as a research assistant at KU Eichstätt/Ingolstadt before becoming a research assistant at FAU Erlangen from 2000 to 2003 and at LMU Munich from 2003 to 2007. His research focuses on Civil Law, particularly the general part of the law of obligations, contract law, and family law; German and Spanish legal history, especially regarding insolvency law; History of Canon Law; and Legal philosophy and history of legal philosophy, with special emphasis on Karl Christian Friedrich Krause's legal philosophy. His work bridges historical legal scholarship with contemporary legal theory, examining how historical legal concepts inform modern jurisprudence. Forster's approach combines meticulous historical research with philosophical analysis, revealing continuities and transformations in legal thought across centuries. His publications demonstrate a consistent focus on the intersection of legal history, philosophy, and practical application. Forster has published extensively on Krausist legal philosophy, Spanish legal history, insolvency law development, and historical aspects of family law. His work shows particular strength in analyzing how legal concepts migrate across national boundaries and historical periods, with recurrent attention to German-Spanish legal connections. Hermann Conring Prize 2010 (for his habilitation thesis) Max Weber Prize of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences (for his dissertation) Faculty Prize of the Faculty of Law of the LMU Munich (for his dissertation) Forster has received significant research funding, including publishing support from the German Research Foundation for his habilitation thesis. He co-organized the 40th German Legal Historians' Day in 2014 and was a co-applicant for the interdisciplinary research training group 'Ambiguity: Production and Reception' approved by the DFG in 2013. He has also served as a visiting professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison, USA. His work demonstrates strong institutional support and recognition within the German and international legal academic community.
Du Changwen is a Researcher (Professor) at the Nanjing Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, serving as Deputy Director of the National Engineering Laboratory for Soil Nutrient Management. He supervises doctoral and master's students in soil science and agricultural technology development. His academic journey includes: Bachelor's degree from Huazhong Agricultural University's College of Resources and Environmental Science (1997) Master's degree from Huazhong Agricultural University's Trace Element Laboratory (2000) PhD from Nanjing Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences (joint program with Technion - Israel Institute of Technology) (2003) Dr. Du's pioneering research focuses on precision fertilization technologies, particularly polymer-coated controlled-release fertilizers developed through model membrane and water-based reaction film-forming techniques. His work integrates Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (ATR and PAS modes) with engineering mathematics to monitor nutrient release dynamics, soil chemistry processes, and plant nutrition in real-time. This interdisciplinary approach bridges agricultural chemistry, materials science, and environmental engineering to optimize fertilizer efficiency while minimizing ecological impact. Analysis of his 2015-2017 publications reveals a consistent emphasis on spectroscopic methods for soil-plant system analysis, with dominant themes in controlled-release fertilizer development, soil organic matter characterization, and in-situ nutrient monitoring. His work demonstrates strong cross-disciplinary integration between agricultural technology, analytical chemistry, and environmental science. His scientific recognition includes: Special Award of the First China Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition First Prize of Jiangsu Science and Technology Award First Jiangsu Youth Entrepreneurship Award Second Prize of Chinese Academy of Sciences Science and Technology Contribution Award First Prize of China Agricultural Science and Technology Award Dr. Du has secured major research funding including National Natural Science Foundation projects (key, general, youth), National '973' Basic Research Program, '13th Five-Year' R&D Plan sub-projects, '863' High-tech Program sub-projects, and Jiangsu Provincial Science and Technology Support Plan initiatives. His leadership in the National Engineering Laboratory for Soil Nutrient Management drives innovation in fertilizer technology, with significant outputs including 198 academic papers (89 SCI, 35 EI), 6 monographs, 1 international patent, 8 national patents, and 2 software copyrights. His laboratory specializes in advanced spectral analysis of soil-plant systems, utilizing FTIR-ATR and FTIR-PAS technologies for real-time monitoring of nutrient dynamics and polymer membrane reactions. Current research focuses on next-generation controlled-release fertilizers, machine learning-enhanced spectral analysis, and precision nutrient management systems for sustainable agriculture.
Natasha Quadlin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and a faculty fellow at the California Center for Population Research. Her research focuses on social inequality in the U.S., particularly gender inequality, higher education access and economics, and debt's role in education. She holds advanced degrees from Indiana University (Ph.D., M.S. in Applied Statistics, M.A.) and a B.S. from Northwestern University. Key roles include associate editor for Science Advances and associate PI for Time-Sharing Experiments for the Social Sciences (TESS). She has been a Russell Sage Foundation Visiting Scholar (2022-23) and a William T. Grant Scholar (2024-29). Her work bridges sociology, statistics, and policy, emphasizing experimental methods to study social beliefs and behaviors. Research interests include: Gender disparities in education and labor markets Racial and economic stratification in education Public perceptions of social policies Notable awards include the Doris Entwisle Early Career Award (2021), Devah Pager Award (2019), and Lupia-Mutz Outstanding Publication Award (2021). Her book Who Should Pay? examines U.S. public views on college funding responsibilities. Grants and collaborations highlight her work with major foundations and institutions, including NSF support and partnerships with scholars at Harvard, Indiana University, and others. Ongoing projects address pandemic-era educational disparities, gendered wage gaps, and intersectional discrimination.
Angel Xuan Chang is an Associate Professor at Simon Fraser University's School of Computing Science, where she leads research at the intersection of natural language processing, computer vision, and 3D scene understanding. She holds the prestigious Canada CIFAR AI Chair position and is affiliated with multiple research groups including 3DLG, GrUVi, SFU NatLang, SFU AI/ML, and VINCI. PhD in Computer Science, Stanford University MSc in Computer Science, Stanford University M.Eng in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT BSc in Computer Science and Engineering, MIT Professor Chang's research primarily focuses on connecting language to 3D representations of shapes and scenes, with particular emphasis on grounding language for embodied agents in indoor environments. Her work spans natural language processing and understanding, linking natural language with visual and 3D representations, multimodal grounding of language, embodied AI, and machine learning applications for biodiversity monitoring through the BIOSCAN project. She has developed methods for synthesizing 3D scenes and shapes from natural language and created various datasets for 3D scene understanding. Her recent publications reveal a strong trend toward integrating language understanding with 3D scene generation and manipulation, with increasing focus on practical applications in embodied AI and biodiversity monitoring. The research shows progression from foundational work on text-to-3D scene generation to more sophisticated approaches for evaluating semantic coherence in generated scenes and developing efficient methods for zero-shot scene modeling. Canada CIFAR AI Chair TUM-IAS Hans Fischer Fellow (2018-2022) Best paper award at 3DV 2025 for 'An Object is Worth 64x64 Pixels: Generating 3D Object via Image Diffusion' Professor Chang actively advises numerous graduate students who appear as first authors on her publications, indicating a strong mentoring program. Her research is supported through multiple channels including the CIFAR AI Chair position and likely various research grants supporting her BIOSCAN-related work and 3D scene understanding projects. She has been involved in organizing multiple workshops at major conferences including ICML, CVPR, and ICLR. Her research is conducted through several interconnected groups: 3DLG (3D Language and Graphics), GrUVi (Graphics, Vision, and Interaction), SFU NatLang (Natural Language Processing), SFU AI/ML, and VINCI. These groups work collaboratively on problems spanning language grounding, 3D scene understanding, embodied AI, and biodiversity applications, creating a rich interdisciplinary research environment.
Shanshan Xu is a Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw Fellow and Academic Lecturer in Catalysis at the Department of Materials, University of Manchester, since January 2025. She specializes in heterogeneous catalytic systems for sustainable chemical reactions, including hydrogen production, nitrogen fixation, and CO2 conversion, employing operando X-ray spectroscopy and DRIFTS techniques to study catalytic mechanisms. Previously, she worked on the EU-funded Laurelin project, focusing on CO2 conversion to renewable methanol using nonthermal plasma catalysis. She earned her PhD in Chemical Engineering (2021) and MSc in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Manchester. Her research interests span catalyst design (metal oxides, porous materials like zeolites and MOFs), operando spectroscopy (XAS, XPDF, IR), and sustainable chemistry. She leads the UoMaH research group at the University of Manchester-Harwell, collaborating internationally. Xu is actively mentoring PhD students and supervising projects in catalysis, with funding opportunities through scholarships like the President’s Doctoral Scholarship and the University of Manchester-CSC joint program. Notable awards include the Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw Fellowship (2024), Dean’s Doctoral Scholarship (2017), and First Prize in the China ShaoXing Innovation Competition (2023). Her work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals, contributing to clean energy and sustainable industrial processes. Xu’s lab focuses on advancing catalyst design through operando studies, with emphasis on nonthermal plasma systems. She collaborates on projects like the UoMaH initiative, exploring nanoparticle behavior and catalytic materials for industrial applications.
Melissa Koenig serves as Professor and Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Minnesota's Institute of Child Development (ICD), where her research examines social and testimonial learning mechanisms in children through investigations of trust, cultural learning, memory, language, and cognitive development. As a first-generation college student, she prioritizes supporting students navigating academic systems through collaborative mentorship. Education PhD (2002), University of Texas at Austin Her research program spans cognitive development, cross-cultural studies, early childhood, language acquisition, theory of mind, and social-emotional development across peer, parent, and romantic contexts. The lab employs interdisciplinary, multi-method approaches with explicit cultural analysis to advance developmental science, particularly examining how children evaluate information sources and integrate testimony into moral frameworks. Analysis of her 2021-2024 publications reveals dominant themes in epistemic trust development, including how children assess informant credibility through moral behavior, group affiliation, and cultural context. Key trajectories show increasing sophistication in distinguishing epistemic versus practical reasoning, cross-cultural variations in trust attribution, and the developmental emergence of resistance to power-based corruption like bribery. Advising & Mentorship Accepts new PhD students for Fall 2026 cohort Requires prospective students to contact prior to December 1 application deadline Public advising statement details mutual expectations and support structures Specializes in guiding students through academic navigation and hidden curriculum challenges She directs the Early Language and Experience Lab, which maintains a collaborative research environment focused on uncovering constraints and supports for children's social learning across diverse contexts, with particular attention to cultural and socioeconomic variables in developmental processes.
Hamsa Bastani is an Associate Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, with a secondary appointment in Statistics and Data Science. She co-directs the Wharton Healthcare Analytics Lab and serves as an Associate Editor for Operations Research, M&SOM and OR Letters. Her academic journey began with summa cum laude graduation from Harvard in 2012 with an A.M. in physics and A.B. in physics and mathematics. She completed her PhD in Stanford's Electrical Engineering department under Mohsen Bayati, followed by a Herman Goldstine postdoctoral fellowship at IBM Research. Professor Bastani's research focuses on developing novel machine learning algorithms for data-driven decision-making, with applications spanning healthcare operations, social good, and revenue management. Her work demonstrates particular expertise in sequential decision-making (bandits, reinforcement learning), learning from auxiliary data sources (transfer learning, meta-learning), and designing effective human-AI interfaces (interpretability, fairness). She has made significant contributions to understanding how AI systems affect and augment human behavior, with the goal of designing AI tools that help humans thrive. Her publications reveal a strong trend toward high-impact applications of machine learning in critical societal domains. A significant portion of her recent work focuses on healthcare applications, including optimizing health supply chains in low- and middle-income countries, designing clinical trial protocols, and creating targeted public health interventions. Another major theme examines the complex relationship between humans and AI systems, particularly how AI affects learning outcomes and decision-making processes. Her work frequently bridges theoretical advances with practical implementation, as evidenced by country-scale deployments in Greece and Sierra Leone. Wagner Prize for Excellence in Operations Research Practice (2021) Pierskalla Award for Best Paper in Healthcare (2021, 2019, 2016) Behavioral OM Best Paper Award (2021) Public Sector in OR Best Paper Award (2024) INFORMS Data Mining Best Paper Award (2022) Wharton Teaching Excellence Award (2019, 2020, 2021) Professor Bastani has advised numerous PhD students who have gone on to prominent positions, including Pia Ramchandani (Director of Responsible AI at PwC), Arielle Anderer (Assistant Professor at Cornell Johnson), and Kan Xu (Assistant Professor at ASU Carey). Her research has been supported by collaborations with national governments, including the Greek government where she co-designed Eva, the national-scale reinforcement learning system for targeted COVID-19 testing, and the Government of Sierra Leone where she improved patient access to essential medicines by nearly 20% via decision-aware learning. She has also conducted the first large field study deploying generative AI tutors in high school math classes. She leads the Wharton Healthcare Analytics Lab and serves on the Steering Committee for the Penn Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics and on the statistics advisory committee for the AHA Food is Medicine Initiative. Outside academia, she serves on the Workday AI Advisory Board, demonstrating her commitment to translating academic research into practical applications.
Jaime S. Cardoso is an Associate Professor with Habilitation at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP) and a Senior Researcher in the 'Information Processing and Pattern Recognition' Area at INESC TEC's Telecommunications and Multimedia Unit. He has been serving as Research Coordinator since September 15, 1998, and is a Senior Member of IEEE as well as co-founder of ClusterMedia Labs. His educational background includes a Licenciatura in Electrical and Computer Engineering (1999), an MSc in Mathematical Engineering (2005), and a Ph.D. in Computer Vision (2006), all from the University of Porto. Cardoso's research focuses on three major areas: computer vision, machine learning, and decision support systems. His work spans medical image analysis, explainable AI, semantic audio-visual analysis, and pattern recognition. He has co-authored over 150 papers, with more than 50 published in international journals, and has accumulated over 6,500 citations. His recent publications demonstrate expertise in cell nuclei segmentation, ordinal regression for CNNs, semantic segmentation with ordinal relationships, face recognition using synthetic data, and explainable vision language models for medical applications. Honorable Mention in the Exame Informática Award 2011 for 'Semantic PACS' First Place in the ICDAR 2013 Music Scores Competition Cardoso has supervised numerous graduate students at UP-FEUP, with recent theses focusing on multimodal explanations, autonomous driving, medical diagnosis, and explainable AI. His research group works at the intersection of computer vision, machine learning, and practical applications in healthcare and autonomous systems.
Dr. Kening Zhu (Ken) is an Associate Professor jointly appointed by the School of Creative Media and the Department of Computer Science at City University of Hong Kong (CityU). His work focuses on innovative human-computer interaction techniques, with particular emphasis on creating novel interfaces that bridge digital and physical worlds. Dr. Zhu received his PhD degree from the National University of Singapore, where he was supervised by Professor Ryohei Nakatsu and Dr. Shengdong Zhao. He completed his Bachelor's degree in Computer Science at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China. Dr. Zhu's research spans multiple areas within Human-Computer Interaction, with particular expertise in: Multimodal and Embodied Interaction (MEI) Mobile gesture interaction and tangible/wearable user interfaces Multimodal VR/AR systems Interactive digital fabrication and rapid prototyping Interaction design for children and educational technology His work often combines technical innovation with practical applications, focusing on making technology more accessible and intuitive for users across different contexts. Dr. Zhu has received numerous prestigious awards for his research contributions: Silver Medal at the 50th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva (2025) Bronze Medal at the 48th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva (2023) Bronze Medal at 2022 Inventions Geneva Evaluation Days First prize of Nokia Ubimedia MindTrek Awards (2011) He has also served as a jury member for the Nokia Ubimedia MindTrek Awards and as a reviewer for top-tier conferences and journals including SIGCHI, SIGGRAPH, and MobileHCI. As an active researcher and mentor, Dr. Zhu currently supervises multiple PhD students and research assistants. His research is supported by significant grants including ITF projects on Mixed Reality Assisted Preoperative Neurosurgical Planning and Development of Attention-Aware, Immersive, Collaborative Video Teleconferencing System. He also serves as Co-Principal Investigator for the TDG(CityU) START project focusing on interdisciplinary approaches in digital fabrication. Dr. Zhu established the MEI Lab (Multimodal and Embodied Interaction Laboratory) in 2017, which has become a hub for innovative HCI research at CityU. The lab focuses on creating next-generation interaction techniques that combine physical and digital elements, with applications ranging from healthcare to education and entertainment.
Pablo Perez-Pinera is an Associate Professor in Biomedical and Translational Sciences at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois. He leads the Genome Engineering and Transcriptional Regulation Laboratory, focusing on developing gene editing technologies for treating neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases. His research integrates cutting-edge genome engineering tools with innovative delivery systems to address previously incurable conditions. Dr. Perez-Pinera's research interests center on developing CRISPR-based genome editing technologies for therapeutic applications. His laboratory specializes in base editing approaches for exon skipping, particularly targeting diseases like Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and ALS. His team develops novel delivery systems using AAV vectors to enable precise in vivo genome editing, with a particular focus on neurological and muscular disorders. The lab's work bridges fundamental molecular biology with translational applications, aiming to move promising technologies from bench to bedside. His laboratory has made significant contributions to the field of therapeutic genome editing, particularly in developing the SPLICER platform for efficient exon skipping through simultaneous splice site editing. His publications demonstrate expertise in base editing for neurodegenerative diseases, with multiple first-author and corresponding author papers in high-impact journals. His research has been supported by several NIH grants including R01 GM131272, UL1 TR001422, R01 GM141296, among others. Dr. Perez-Pinera actively mentors a diverse team of researchers including postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduates. His laboratory includes researchers such as Devyani Swami (Postdoctoral Fellow), Michael Gapinske, Jackson Winter, Shraddha Shirguppe, Angelo Miskalis, and others who contribute to various aspects of genome engineering research. His grant funding supports both basic research on genome editing mechanisms and translational work toward therapeutic applications. The Genome Engineering and Transcriptional Regulation Laboratory maintains state-of-the-art facilities for molecular biology, cell culture, and in vivo studies. The team collaborates extensively with clinicians and researchers across the University of Illinois campus to translate genome editing discoveries into potential therapies for patients suffering from neurodegenerative and neuromuscular conditions.
Bruno Takahashi is the Brandt Endowed Professor of Environmental Communication at Michigan State University, holding a joint appointment in the School of Journalism and AgBioResearch. He serves as Research Director of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism and maintains affiliations with the Health and Risk Communication Center, the Environmental Science and Policy Program, and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at MSU. Born and raised in Lima, Peru, Dr. Takahashi earned his bachelor's degree in communication from Universidad de Lima, followed by M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Environmental Science from SUNY ESF. Bachelor's in Communication, Universidad de Lima, Peru M.S. in Environmental Science, SUNY ESF Ph.D. in Environmental Science (specializing in environmental communication and participatory processes), SUNY ESF Dr. Takahashi's research program focuses on news coverage of environmental issues, environmental journalism practices in Latin America and U.S. Latino media, and identity in science communication. His work emphasizes counter-hegemonic environmental discourses in Latin American contexts, examining complex networks of actors, media, and communication processes embedded in post-colonial and social and environmental justice dynamics. He has conducted extensive field research in Peru, Bolivia, and Puerto Rico, with particular attention to environmental communication during disasters and in Indigenous communities. His recent scholarly output reveals a strong trend toward examining climate change communication through diverse cultural lenses, with significant attention to Latin American perspectives, immigrant experiences in the United States, and identity factors in science communication. His publications frequently address decolonial approaches to environmental communication and the need for more inclusive international scholarship that centers Global South perspectives. Scientific awards and recognitions include: 2024 AEJMC First Place in Latin American Communication Research 2021 Fellow of the Institute for Diverse Leadership, AEJMC 2019 Knudson Latin America Book Prize Multiple top paper awards from ICA and AEJMC conferences Dr. Takahashi actively mentors a diverse research team of Ph.D. students, post-doctoral associates, and MA students, with former students now holding positions at universities including University of Nevada, University of Minnesota, and Emory University. His research is supported by significant grants including a $2.8 million NSF grant for the SciComm Identities Project, funding from the Climate and Land Use Alliance, and multiple State Department and Embassy grants for environmental journalism training in Latin America. He has developed and led education abroad programs to Peru (2018, 2024) and the Netherlands/Belgium (2022), providing experiential learning opportunities for students in environmental communication. As Research Director of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, Dr. Takahashi leads initiatives supporting environmental journalists globally. His current projects include examining environmental discourses in the Peruvian Amazon related to oil spills affecting Indigenous communities, studying decolonial environmental journalism practices in Bolivia and Peru, and co-leading Working Group 5 on Public Engagement and Governance for The Lancet Countdown Latin America, which has generated significant media coverage in outlets like CNN and El País.
Allison Godwin is a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Cornell University, joining the faculty in 2023. She holds a B.S. (2011) and Ph.D. (2014) in Chemical Engineering and Science Education from Clemson University. At Purdue University, she was a tenured member of the School of Engineering Education and held a joint appointment in the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering (2020). Research Interests: Engineering identity development, particularly for underrepresented groups Inclusive pedagogies to reduce equity gaps in STEM Engineering workforce diversity and retention strategies Mixed-methods research on belonging and motivation Scientific Awards: 2023 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Award for Excellence in Engineering Education Research 2022 AERA Division I Outstanding Research Publication Award 2021 CEE William H. Corcoran Award 2017-Present NSF CAREER Award 2016 NARST Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award Leadership Roles: Past Chair of ASEE Educational Research Methods Division (2021-2023) Associate Editor for Chemical Engineering Education (2020-Present) Co-led Purdue’s Faculty Learning Community for inclusive teaching
William B Gartner serves as the Bertarelli Foundation Distinguished Professor of Family Entrepreneurship at Babson College's F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business, where he also directs research at the Bertarelli Institute for Family Entrepreneurship. Having joined Babson's faculty in 2017, Gartner brings over 40 years of experience studying entrepreneurial phenomena, with particular expertise in family entrepreneurship dynamics. He previously held distinguished chairs at the University of Southern California and Clemson University, establishing himself as a leading scholar in the field. Gartner earned his PhD, MBA, and BBA from the University of Washington, forming the foundation for his extensive research career. His academic journey began during entrepreneurship's early days in the late 1970s when he took one of the first entrepreneurship courses as an MBA student at the University of Washington, when only six students initially enrolled in the class. Gartner's research primarily explores how families act entrepreneurially, examining topics including entrepreneurial legacy, intergenerational knowledge transfer, and the transformation of family businesses across generations. His work bridges entrepreneurship theory with practical applications, particularly focusing on how entrepreneurial legacies can drive innovation in family businesses. He is particularly interested in the linguistic innovations entrepreneurs employ and how storytelling shapes entrepreneurial identity and practice. His scholarship has evolved to incorporate humanities perspectives, recognizing that literature, philosophy, and history provide valuable insights into entrepreneurial thinking and behavior. Analysis of Gartner's recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on family entrepreneurship as an ongoing process rather than a static state, with increasing attention to methodological innovation in entrepreneurship research. His work demonstrates growing interest in the role of narrative, visual methods, and qualitative approaches to understand complex entrepreneurial phenomena. The research shows consistent focus on family business succession as transformation rather than simple transfer, with increasing attention to adolescent entrepreneurial development and the influence of parenting styles. 2025 — Top 1% of Scholars in all subjects, Stanford/Elsevier's Top 2% Scientist Rankings 2024 — The FamCap25 – The Top FamilyEnterprise Academics, FAMILY CAPITAL MAGAZINE 2022 — Justin G. Longnecker Fellow, United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship 2016 — Dedication to Entrepreneurship Award, Entrepreneurship Division, Academy of Management 2013 — Foundational Paper Award, Entrepreneurship Division, Academy of Management 2005 — International Award for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Research Gartner actively mentors doctoral students and early-career researchers, frequently collaborating on publications addressing complex family business dynamics. His editorial roles as Special Issue Editor for Entrepreneurship and Regional Development and Academy of Management Perspectives demonstrate his influence in shaping research agendas. He has secured significant research funding supporting studies on entrepreneurial legacy, family business succession, and adolescent entrepreneurial development, though specific grant amounts aren't detailed in the available materials. As Director of Research at the Bertarelli Institute for Family Entrepreneurship, Gartner leads initiatives connecting academic research with practical applications for family businesses. His work emphasizes the transformative potential of entrepreneurship within family contexts, challenging traditional notions of family business succession as mere transfer of ownership. Through workshops and seminars, he helps families explore how entrepreneurial legacies can lead to new innovations while preserving core values across generations.
