Dr. Jérôme Verny is an Associate Professor specializing in transport, logistics, and supply chain management. He is the founder and director of the research institute in innovative transport and logistics, as well as the co-founder of the DISC Master's program (Digital & Innovative Supply Chain) in Paris and the Mobility Accelerator. His expertise spans digitalization in logistics, blockchain applications, and sustainable development. Educated at the University of Lille Nord de France (PhD in Economics and Management) and engineering schools like École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, he advises both public institutions (OECD, EU) and private enterprises on transportation strategies. Research Interests: Dr. Verny focuses on supply chain innovation, digital transformation, and strategic logistics. His work integrates blockchain technology for supply chain transparency, optimizes last-mile delivery in urban environments, and analyzes the impact of geopolitical actors like China on global trade networks. He also explores sustainable practices in transportation, including CO2 reduction strategies and pandemic response logistics. Awards: Recipient of the 2009 OECD-FIT Young Researcher Prize in Transport. His contributions bridge academic research with practical applications in industry, policy, and international trade. Key Activities: Co-founded the DISC Master’s program and leads research initiatives on blockchain adoption, Arctic shipping routes, and Mediterranean trade dynamics. He actively contributes to conferences such as the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME) and publishes in journals like Structural Change and Economic Dynamics and International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics . Labs/Teams: Directs the Institut de Recherche en Transport et Logistique Innovante and collaborates with institutions like the OECD and European Commission on transport policy. His interdisciplinary approach involves engineering, economics, and data science to address global supply chain challenges.
Gunther Roland is a Professor of Physics and Division Head of Experimental Nuclear and Particle Physics at MIT. His research focuses on emergent properties of strongly interacting matter under extreme conditions, such as those created in high-energy nuclear collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). He leads the MIT Relativistic Heavy Ion Group, which collaborates with the CMS experiment at CERN to study the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP). Education: PhD in Physics from the Institut für Kernphysik, Frankfurt (1993). He joined MIT in 2000, became Associate Professor in 2004, and Full Professor in 2011. Research interests include QGP transport properties, parton propagation, and collision signatures in proton-proton and proton-lead systems. His group is developing advanced calorimeter triggers and online event selection tools for future LHC experiments. Awards: Heraeus Foundation Endowed Visiting Professorship (2023), APS Fellow (2013) Labs/Groups: Relativistic Heavy Ion Group, Phobos Collaboration Future Work: High-luminosity data analysis using Z+jet correlations and advanced detector systems.
Lisa Walcott is an Associate Professor of Art at Hope College, where she has been a faculty member since 2018. She teaches sculpture courses, the capstone course for art majors, and a First-Year Seminar on artistic processes. Her studio practice focuses on kinetic sculptures and installations that explore themes of home, the everyday, and the feminine experience. MFA in Sculpture from Cranbrook Academy of Art (2010) B.A. from Trinity Christian College (2005) Walcott’s research intersects sculpture, installation art, and kinetic design, often recontextualizing domestic objects to investigate themes of interdependence, repair, and the unseen forces in everyday life. Her work frequently involves mechanical components and materials like wax, motors, and household items to create immersive, motion-driven installations. Her recent artworks, such as Making a Mountain (2024) and A Soft Punch to the Gut (2024), exemplify her focus on transforming utilitarian structures into emotive, kinetic pieces. These works, alongside digital collages like The Way I Figure It (2023), reveal a trajectory toward blending physical materials with conceptual frameworks to explore domestic ingenuity and tension. Walcott actively mentors students through faculty research collaborations and founded the Hope College Art Club. She exhibits nationally at institutions like the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum and The Sculpture Center, with solo exhibitions at venues including Manifest Gallery (Cincinnati) and the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art. Her studio practice integrates material investigations and workshops to refine techniques, which she translates into both pedagogy and art. Notable solo exhibitions include Swarm (2013) at the Broad Art Museum and Tight Spots (2021) at Saugatuck Center for the Arts.
Elizabeth Bernstein is a Professor of Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies and Professor of Sociology at Barnard College, Columbia University, where she has been a faculty member since September 2002. Her work bridges sociological theory with feminist analysis, focusing on the intersections of gender, sexuality, and political economy. Bernstein directs significant research initiatives including the Gender Justice and Neoliberal Transformations Working Group, a transnational collaboration among thirteen scholars examining gender justice in contemporary global contexts. She is currently developing a new book project titled "Imagining Immunity: Precarious Bodies and the Governance of Gendered Dis-ease," which explores immunological metaphors in understanding bodily risk and suffering. B.A., University of California, Berkeley M.A., University of California, Berkeley Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley Professor Bernstein's research focuses on the political economy of the body, gender, and sexuality, with particular attention to sexual commerce, sex trafficking, and neoliberal governance. Her work employs ethnographic methods to examine how intimate relations become sites of economic exchange and political regulation. She investigates how concepts of authenticity, freedom, and rights are mobilized in debates about sexual commerce and trafficking. Bernstein's scholarship critically engages with feminist theory, carceral politics, and transnational governance frameworks, challenging conventional approaches to sex work and trafficking that often reinforce punitive systems rather than advancing gender justice. Analysis of Bernstein's scholarly output reveals a consistent trajectory examining the intersections of gender, sexuality, and political economy within neoliberal frameworks. Her work demonstrates increasing attention to transnational governance mechanisms and their impact on intimate relations and bodily autonomy. A notable trend is her critical examination of how anti-trafficking campaigns often employ carceral logic that undermines feminist goals of gender justice. Her scholarship consistently challenges binary frameworks that position sex work solely as exploitation or liberation, instead analyzing the complex economic, political, and social dynamics that shape sexual commerce globally. Bernstein's research has received significant recognition through prestigious awards including: Distinguished Book Award, American Sociological Association, Sociology of Sexualities Section (2020) for "Brokered Subjects" Honorable Mention, Society for the Study of Social Problems Global Division Book Award (2019) Norbert Elias Prize, Norbert Elias Foundation (2009) Distinguished Book Award, American Sociological Association, Sex and Gender Section (2009) Her work has also been supported by major funding organizations including the Institute for Advanced Study, National Science Foundation, Social Science Research Council, AAUW, and Mellon Foundation. As a principal investigator along with Janet Jakobsen for the Gender Justice and Neoliberal Transformations Working Group, Bernstein leads a significant collaborative research initiative sponsored by the Barnard Center for Research on Women. Her grant portfolio demonstrates sustained support from major research institutions, reflecting the significance of her work in gender studies and sociology. While specific student advisees aren't listed in the available materials, her role as a full professor at Barnard College indicates extensive mentorship of undergraduate and likely graduate students in Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies and Sociology. Bernstein co-leads the Gender Justice and Neoliberal Transformations Working Group, a collaboration among thirteen scholars working transnationally on questions of gender justice. This initiative represents a significant research collective examining how neoliberal policies reshape gender relations globally. Her work with the Barnard Center for Research on Women provides institutional support for this transnational feminist research network, facilitating scholarly exchange and collaborative publication projects that advance critical perspectives on gender, sexuality, and political economy.
T. Donna Chen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Virginia. Her research focuses on sustainable transportation systems, transportation economics, travel demand modeling, and crash safety. Ph.D., Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Austin (2015) M.E., Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington (2008) B.S., Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University (2005) Her work explores the impacts of new vehicle technologies on traveler behavior and the environment, with an emphasis on modeling shared autonomous electric vehicle operations, pricing schemes, and life-cycle emissions. She also investigates spatial patterns of electric vehicle adoption and roadway safety for cyclists. Recent publications highlight her contributions to transportation electrification, fleet management, and safety analysis. Key themes include sustainability , autonomous systems , economic modeling , and urban mobility . American Society of Civil Engineers ExCEEd Fellow (2017) NSF IGERT Fellow (2013-2015) FHWA Eisenhower Fellow (2012-2013) Dr. Chen teaches courses on transportation infrastructure design and economics. Her funded projects include research on green vehicle adoption, connected vehicle planning, and dynamic tolling frameworks. She is affiliated with the Transportation Research Board, ASCE TD&I, ITS America, ITE, and Women’s Transportation Seminar.
Marcela Echeverri Muñoz is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Yale University, affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Her scholarship bridges history, anthropology, and political theory, with a focus on Latin America, the Atlantic World, and the Spanish Empire. She is recognized for her interdisciplinary approach to understanding political subjectivities, state formation, and social transformation during the Age of Revolutions. PhD in Latin American and Caribbean History, New York University, 2008 MA in History of the Hispanic World, Fundación MAPFRE-Tavera and CSIC, Madrid, 2006 MA in Social and Political Theory, The New School for Social Research, 2001 BA in Anthropology, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, 1997 Her research centers on the interplay of race, gender, law, and political theory in colonial and 19th-century Latin America. She investigates how enslaved and Indigenous peoples navigated imperial and republican transitions, particularly through royalist affiliations. Her work challenges peripheral narratives of Spanish America in Atlantic slavery studies, positioning the region as a central site of abolitionist and constitutional experimentation. The trends in her recent publications reveal a sustained focus on slavery, abolition, and political transformation in the Spanish American mainland. She analyzes how anti-slavery movements were intertwined with republicanism, citizenship, and state formation, especially in Gran Colombia. Her scholarship spans legal history, Atlantic processes, and transimperial dynamics, often highlighting marginalized voices in revolutionary contexts. She frequently contributes to major reference works and edited volumes on Atlantic revolutions and Latin American independence. Her scientific awards and fellowships reflect her standing in the field: James Alexander Robertson Prize Michael Jiménez Prize Bolton-Johnson Prize Honorable Mention Yale Heyman Prize for Outstanding Scholarly Publication Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship MacMillan Research Fellow, Yale Mellon Residential Fellow, CUNY NEH Summer Institute Participant, Johns Hopkins Fellowships from John Carter Brown Library, CSIC, Fundación Mapfre, and Instituto Colombiano de Antropología e Historia Echeverri has secured significant research grants from Harvard’s Atlantic History Seminar, CUNY Research Foundation, and Yale. She has co-edited special issues on Gran Colombian history and Spanish American abolition, and led key academic initiatives including the Race and Slavery in the Atlantic World Working Group and the Early Modern Empires Workshop at Yale. Though student advising is not explicitly detailed, her role as a senior scholar implies mentorship of graduate students. She is affiliated with several research networks and has been a visiting scholar at institutions such as Freie Universität Berlin. Her ongoing book project on Gran Colombian slavery underscores her commitment to redefining the hemispheric significance of Latin American abolition. She remains an active contributor to both scholarly and pedagogical conversations in Atlantic and Latin American history.
Prof. Gustau Catalán is an ICREA Research Professor and Group Leader of the Oxide Nanophysics Group at the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2). He earned his PhD in Physics from Queen’s University of Belfast (2001) and held postdoctoral positions at IMEDEA (2002–2004), University of Groningen (2004–2005), and University of Cambridge (2005–2009). Since 2009, he has led pioneering research in flexoelectricity, domain wall physics, and strain-engineered oxide materials, supported by an ERC Grant. Education: PhD in Physics, Queen’s University of Belfast (2001) BSc in Physics, Universitat de Barcelona (1997) Research Interests: Gustau Catalán's work focuses on the interplay between ferroelectricity, flexoelectricity, and metal-insulator transitions in oxide materials. His research explores how these properties manifest at reduced dimensions, with applications in nanoelectronics, photovoltaics, and smart mechanical systems. Key areas include polarization dynamics, domain wall engineering, and strain-gradient effects. Recent Publications (2024–2025): The 15 most recent articles highlight advancements in flexoelectricity (e.g., water ice and halide perovskites), domain wall dynamics (e.g., tungsten trioxide), and strain-gradient-induced photovoltaic effects. These studies span materials like PbZrO3, BaTiO3, and BiFeO3, with implications for energy harvesting, memory devices, and nanoscale actuators. Scientific Awards: ERC Grant for flexoelectricity laboratory establishment Advising and Collaborations: While specific students are not listed, Catalán collaborates extensively with researchers across Europe. His group develops novel oxide-based systems and investigates their electromechanical and optoelectronic properties. Laboratory & Team: At ICN2, he established one of the world's first flexoelectricity laboratories, leading a team that explores oxide nanophysics through advanced characterization techniques like AFM, X-ray diffraction, and electrocaloric imaging.
Ricardo Caballero is the Ford International Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, where he previously served as Chairman of the Economics Department from 2008 to 2011. A leading scholar in macroeconomics and financial economics, his research focuses on safe assets, monetary policy, financial crises, and international economics. His research interests center on the macroeconomic implications of financial frictions, with particular emphasis on safe asset shortages, risk premium dynamics, and monetary policy transmission mechanisms. Caballero's work has pioneered the risk-centric approach to macroeconomics, explaining phenomena such as the Wall Street/Main Street disconnect, global imbalances, and the collapse of interest rates through the lens of safe asset scarcity and risk intolerance. His research bridges theoretical modeling with empirical analysis of financial crises and policy interventions. Caballero's recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on financial conditions indexing, monetary policy frameworks, and the interaction between financial markets and the real economy. His work increasingly examines how central banks can target financial conditions directly and how risk premia evolve during crises, with applications to pandemic-era economic policy and zero lower bound environments. 2002 Frisch Medal of the Econometric Society Smith Breeden Prize by the American Finance Association Journal of Finance 2014 Brattle Group Prize 2022 Banque de France-TSE Senior Prize in Monetary Economics and Finance Elected Fellow of the Econometric Society (1998) Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2010) As an NBER Research Associate and frequent policy advisor, Caballero has influenced central bank thinking globally through his work on financial stability, monetary policy frameworks, and global imbalances. His research has informed policy discussions at the Federal Reserve, IMF, and multiple central banks regarding crisis management, safe asset creation, and the appropriate monetary response to financial shocks. Caballero maintains active collaborations with major financial institutions and central banks worldwide, translating theoretical insights into practical policy frameworks.
Martin Z. Bazant is the E. G. Roos (1944) Professor of Chemical Engineering and Professor of Mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), holding the Digital Learning Officer role in the Department of Chemical Engineering. His research focuses on mathematical modeling of electrochemical systems, transport phenomena, and applied mathematics, with significant contributions to battery technology and electrochemical energy storage. He is affiliated with MIT’s Department of Mathematics and the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), leading initiatives like the Center for Battery Sustainability and D3BATT. Education: Ph.D. from Harvard University (1997), M.S. and B.S. from the University of Arizona (1993, 1992). His work bridges theory and application, addressing challenges in lithium-ion batteries, solid-state systems, and electrolyte dynamics. Notable achievements include pioneering studies on coupled ion-electron transfer mechanisms and phase separation in battery materials. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering (2025) and a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society (2023). As an educator, he develops MOOCs on transport phenomena and contributes to digital learning initiatives. His research group explores advanced battery diagnostics, machine learning for materials science, and environmental applications of electrochemical processes. Key collaborations include startups like Lithios, Inc., and leadership roles in professional societies such as the International Electrokinetics Society.
M Ramesh is a Professor and UNESCO Chair on Social Policy Design in Asia at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy , National University of Singapore. He has held academic leadership roles as Founding Head of the Department of Asian and Policy at the Hong Kong Institute of Education, Professor of Social Policy at the University of Hong Kong, and Chair of the Department of Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney. Education : PhD (University of British Columbia, 1989), MA (University of Saskatchewan, 1983), BA (Patna University, 1979) Research Focus : Public policy processes, governance in Asia, health policy, social protection, and education policy Editorial Roles : Founder/Editor of Policy and Society , Policy Design and Practice , and Cambridge Elements in Public Policy Ramesh’s research explores policy and governance design in Asian contexts, particularly healthcare , social protection , and education policy . His work analyzes decentralization , governance failures , and policy capacity through comparative studies across China, India, Thailand, and Southeast Asia. He examines healthcare reforms , social security systems , and public-private dynamics in policy implementation. His recent publications highlight decentralization challenges in China, health policy tools in India, and innovative policy mixes in Singapore. Ramesh also investigates legitimation strategies and capacity deficits in modern governance. Courses Taught : Asian Pacific Politics, Comparative Public Policy, Economic and Social Policies in East Asia, Globalisation and Public Policy, Government and Business, International Political Economy, Public Policy: Introduction, Social Policy: Issues and Options, World Politics. Editorial Boards : American Review of Public Administration, Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis, Global Governance, Social Science and Medicine (2010–2015), and others.
Seth Lewis Gilbert is a Professor and Head of the Department of Computer Science at the National University of Singapore (NUS), within the School of Computing . He holds the Dean's Chair Associate Professor title and focuses on algorithms for large-scale distributed systems , emphasizing scalability and fault-tolerance . His work spans wireless networks , contention resolution , dynamic networks , and blockchain protocols . Ph.D. in Computer Science, MIT (2007) M.S. in Computer Science, MIT (2003) B.S. in Electrical Engineering & Mathematics, Yale University (1999) His research explores trusted coordination in systems with untrusted and unreliable participants, addressing challenges like Byzantine agreement , load balancing , and contention resolution . He has pioneered formal frameworks for accountability in distributed protocols and developed novel algorithms for asynchronous task allocation . Recent publications include work on consensus protocols , leader election , and contention resolution , reflecting his focus on dynamic network environments . His research has earned recognition at venues like DISC, ICDCS, and CCS. Scientific Awards & Honors : Young Researcher Award (NUS, 2014) Faculty Teaching Excellence Award (2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16) School of Computing Teaching Excellence Honour Roll (2016-2021) Best Paper Awards at DISC (2023, 2022), ICDCS (2022), IPDPS (2022) Best Student Paper Award at DISC (2022) He serves on the Steering Committee for DISC as Treasurer and has chaired program committees for DISC, OPODIS, and SPAA. His work bridges foundational algorithmic theory with practical applications in blockchains and dynamic networked systems .
Gavin McNicol is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). His research focuses on soil biogeochemistry and its connection to Earth’s climate system, particularly methane emissions from wetlands, temperate rainforests, and waste systems. He employs field measurements, laboratory experiments, and data science to study greenhouse gas dynamics across scales. McNicol teaches courses on data science (EAES 420) and climate-ecosystem interactions (EAES 579). His work integrates machine learning with satellite remote sensing to monitor global wetland methane emissions. Key collaborations include FLUXNET-CH4, CRMRCN, and the SOIL NGO in Haiti. McNicol holds a BS from the University of Stirling (2010) and a PhD from UC Berkeley (2016). Research interests span wetland methane budgets, carbon cycling in coastal ecosystems, and climate impacts of sanitation systems. He has secured grants from NASA, DOE, and NSF, totaling over $87,000. His team, the McNicol Lab, emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches combining fieldwork, lab analysis, and computational modeling. Recent publications (2023–2025) address global methane upscaling, tropical wetland monitoring gaps, and boreal-Arctic methane feedbacks. McNicol’s work bridges local measurements to global climate models, with applications in climate change mitigation and sustainable development.
Brian Scholl is a Professor of Psychology at Yale University, specializing in visual cognition, perception, and cognitive science. His research explores how visual perception interacts with higher-level cognition, including object persistence, event perception, causality, and intuitive physics. He leads the Yale Perception & Cognition Lab, focusing on dynamic events, attention, and computational models. He earned his Ph.D. from Rutgers University in 1999. His work spans experimental psychology, neuroscience, and computational modeling, with a focus on phenomena like inattentional blindness, scaffolded attention, and event segmentation. He has authored numerous papers and presented at international conferences, contributing to debates on perception vs. cognition interactions. Key research areas include the perception of dynamic event types, the role of intuitive physics in visual processing, and the influence of event boundaries on memory and decision-making. His lab employs computer-based experiments and collaborations with computational models to study perception across species and clinical populations.
Dr. Karin A. King is an LSE Fellow in the Department of Management at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Her expertise spans global talent management, leadership development, and strategic human resource management. She teaches in LSE's Master's programs, focusing on organisational behaviour, negotiations, and strategic rewards. With over two decades of experience in corporate HR and consulting, Dr. King advises leaders on evidence-based talent management practices aligned with business priorities. Her research explores global talent systems, leadership succession, and diversity in organisational contexts. Dr. King has been recognized with multiple awards, including the LSE Teaching Award (2023), Top Ten Best Lecturer (2022), and repeated Teaching Excellence Awards (2015–2022). She holds professional certifications in HR, management consulting, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her work bridges academic research and practice, with publications in leading journals like BRQ Business Research Quarterly and Journal of Global Mobility . Recent research emphasizes macro-contingent talent strategies and the role of line managers in global talent initiatives.
Konstantinos Drakos is a Professor at the Department of Accounting and Finance, Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB). Previously, he served as Assistant Professor at AUEB (2009–2012), Assistant Professor at the University of Patras (2003–2008), and Lecturer at the University of Essex (2001–2002). He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Essex, preceded by an MSc and undergraduate studies in Economics at the University of Athens. His research focuses on Applied Financial Economics and the Economics of Security, with recent work analyzing hedge fund leverage, geopolitical risk impacts, cryptocurrency markets, and green banking. Teaching responsibilities include Macroeconomic Theory, Finance for Banking, and Risk Management at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Drakos' publications span over two decades, addressing topics such as terrorism's economic effects, bank lending behavior, and investment under uncertainty. His recent articles (2022–2025) emphasize cryptocurrency dynamics, geopolitical risk interactions, and financial stability in green banking. Notable themes include market volatility, capital allocation under uncertainty, and policy responses to systemic risks. No scientific awards are listed in the provided materials. His research has explored structural shifts in financial risk, macroeconomic sentiment, and cross-market linkages following major global events like 9/11 and the 2008 crisis. Drakos has advised on policy-related topics related to financial markets and regulatory frameworks, though specific grants or lab affiliations are not detailed here.
