Catherine Butler is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Programme Director of the DClinPsy Programme at the University of Bath's Department of Psychology. She holds external examiner roles at Cardiff University, University College London, and others. Her academic journey includes a Doctor of Clinical Psychology from the University of East London, an MBA from the Open University, and advanced training in Systemic Supervision at the University of Exeter. Her research focuses on Inclusion, Whiteness, Gender and Sexual Minorities, Intersectionality, and Systemic Therapy, with contributions to anti-racism and climate crisis studies. Key projects include exploring systemic therapy supervision, validation of therapeutic scales, and shared learning courses with clinical psychology trainees. Dr. Butler’s scholarly work addresses topics such as gender dysphoria in neurodivergent populations, relapse experiences in addiction therapy, and systemic training in clinical psychology programs. She has been recognized for her contributions through awards like the Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her professional activities include roles on the British Psychological Society committee, conference presentations, and advisory roles in academic and clinical settings. She has supervised 18 doctoral students and led projects funded by UK charities such as the Association for Family Therapy.
Alexander Trubowitz is a Postdoctoral Prize Research Fellow in Politics at Nuffield College, University of Oxford, conducting research in comparative and historical political economy. He completed his Ph.D. in Political Science at Yale University in 2025, focusing on labor market transformations in Western Europe. Education: B.A. in Classics and Political Science, Tufts University, 2017 (summa cum laude) Ph.D. in Political Science, Yale University, 2025 His research examines political responses to labor market risks from technological change in 20th-century Western European manufacturing, combining archival analysis of UK/Germany cases with quantitative studies of worker behavior during economic shocks and institutional drivers of inequality-reducing policies. His work bridges historical institutionalism and contemporary political economy. Recent publications demonstrate expertise in European political development, particularly through award-winning analysis of electoral system impacts in interwar France, reflecting methodological versatility across qualitative and quantitative approaches. Scientific Awards: 2024 Best Paper Award from APSA European Politics and Society section 2024 CQ Press Award from APSA Legislative Studies section Holds a competitive Postdoctoral Prize Fellowship at Oxford, with prior research appointments at the Cluster on the Politics of Inequality (University of Konstanz, 2021-2022) and Chair of Political Economy (University of Bonn, Fall 2023), indicating sustained engagement with leading European political economy research networks.
Mark Foster is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, with a primary appointment in the Whiting School of Engineering. He is also a Fellow of the Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute. His research focuses on developing ultrahigh-speed optical systems at the intersection of photonics and electronics, emphasizing photonic devices and information theory to advance imaging, sensing, and communications technologies. Applications include quantum-optical systems, ultrawide-bandwidth microwave photonics, and terahertz-rate imaging systems. Dr. Foster received his BS (2003), MS (2007), and PhD (2008) in Applied and Engineering Physics from Cornell University. Before joining Johns Hopkins in 2010, he served as a postdoctoral associate there. His work has been funded by the NSF, IARPA, DTRA, and NIH, resulting in over 200 publications and eight patents. He has held leadership roles, including chairing the IEEE Photonics Society’s Baltimore chapter (2011–2014). Research Highlights: World-leading imaging systems achieving terahertz frame rates Quantum-optical platforms and nonlinear photonic materials (e.g., NbTiOx) Secure authentication via physically unclonable functions (PUFs) Applications in fusion energy diagnostics and medical imaging His awards include the NSF CAREER Award (201?), DARPA Young Faculty Award, and ONR Young Investigator Award. Current projects explore machine learning-resistant PUFs, multi-modal imaging systems, and photonics for extreme environments.
Andreas Geiger is a Professor and Head of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Tübingen, Germany. He leads the Autonomous Vision Group (AVG) within CyberValley and is a core faculty member of the Tübingen AI Center. His roles also include PI in the ML in Science Excellence Cluster and the CRC Robust Vision, as well as ELLIS Fellow and coordinator of the ELLIS PhD program. He specializes in machine learning models for computer vision, robotics, and autonomous systems, with applications in self-driving cars, VR/AR, and scientific document analysis. Educational background: While not explicitly detailed, his positions imply a Ph.D. in Computer Science or related field. His work spans interdisciplinary collaborations with institutions like ETH Zürich, Microsoft, and the University of Bonn. Research focuses on 3D scene understanding, Gaussian splatting, generative models, and reliable autonomous systems. Notable contributions include the KITTI dataset and foundational work in neural radiance fields. Awards include the Sage 10-Year Impact Award (2024), ERC Starting Grant (2019), and IEEE PAMI Young Researcher Award (2018). Key projects include the Scholar Inbox paper recommender platform, ReSim (reliable world simulation), and advancements in 3D scene generation (e.g., UrbanCAD, PrITTI). His lab maintains a strong focus on open-source tools and datasets, such as the CARLA Route Generator. Grants and funding include support from Vector Stiftung (MINT innovation program) and EU initiatives like the ML in Science Cluster. His team collaborates internationally, with recent work presented at CVPR, SIGGRAPH, and NeurIPS.
Dr. Tarek Sayed is a Professor at the University of British Columbia's Department of Civil Engineering within the Faculty of Applied Science. He specializes in Transportation Engineering, focusing on road safety analysis, traffic operations, and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). He serves as the Director of the Bureau of Intelligent Transportation Systems and Freight Security (BITSAFS-Engineering) and Editor of the Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering . His research addresses three core areas: improving road safety evaluation techniques, enhancing safety through traffic operations and highway design analysis, and advancing ITS technologies. Notable contributions include frameworks for safety-audits of infrastructure projects like the Sea to Sky Highway and methodologies for evaluating transit signal priority systems in Vancouver. He has authored/co-authored over 250 publications and supervised 60 graduate students. Key Roles: Professor, BITSAFS Director, Journal Editor Awards: Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, Wilbur Smith Award, Sandford Fleming Award, Prince Michael International Road Safety Award Consulting: Global projects in traffic safety and ITS for agencies like ICBC, FHWA, and Ashghal His research integrates Bayesian statistical methods, extreme value theory, and machine learning to model traffic conflicts, pedestrian behavior, and safety interventions. Current projects include real-time safety optimization using autonomous vehicle data and analyzing shared space interactions between cyclists and pedestrians. Dr. Sayed chairs national/international committees, including the U.S. Transportation Research Board’s safety data committee. His work bridges academia and practice, influencing policy and infrastructure investment decisions worldwide.
David Duvenaud is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto , holding a Canada Research Chair in Generative Models and a Schwartz Reisman Chair in Technology and Society . He is cross-appointed to the Department of Computer Science and Department of Statistical Sciences . A Sloan Research Fellow and founding member of the Vector Institute , his work bridges deep probabilistic models , AI safety , and scientific computing . PhD in Machine Learning (University of Cambridge, 2014) Postdoc in Hyperparameter Optimization (Harvard University, 2016) Co-founded Invenia (energy forecasting company) His research spans foundational Neural Ordinary Differential Equations (NeurIPS 2018 Best Paper) and Automatic Chemical Design (ACS Central Science 2018) to recent work on AGI governance (2025) and AI safety (2024). Key contributions include stochastic variational inference , implicit differentiation frameworks , and antisymmetrization layers for quantum Monte Carlo. Recent publications (2024-2025) focus on systemic existential risks from AI , many-shot jailbreaking attacks , and epistemic uncertainty quantification . His group trains energy-based models with scalable MCMC samplers and develops invertible neural architectures (e.g., Residual Flows NeurIPS 2019). He also explores human-AI alignment through LLM Processes (NeurIPS 2024) and Sycophancy in Language Models (ICLR 2024). Canada Research Chair (2025) NSERC Grant (2025) Sloan Research Fellow (2021) Schwartz Reisman Chair (2021) Best Paper Award (NeurIPS 2018) Distinguished Paper Award (ICFP 2021) His students include James Requeima , Jesse Bettencourt , and Raymond Douglas . He teaches courses on Statistical Methods for Machine Learning and Differentiable Inference . Current work (2025) investigates systemic human disempowerment through incremental AI capabilities and sabotage risk mitigation via hyperparameter-aware evaluations.
Jino Distasio is a Professor and Acting Dean of Science at The University of Winnipeg, Department of Geography. He teaches Urban Geography, Cultural Geography, and Social Geography, with courses like GEOG-3413 Urban Revitalization and GEOG-3430 Housing and Neighbourhood Planning . His research focuses on housing and neighborhood development, city planning, urban revitalization, homelessness, mental health, and urban transportation. Teaching Areas : Urban Geography, Cultural Geography, Social Geography Key Collaborations : Institute of Urban Studies (U. of Winnipeg), Housing First initiatives, interdisciplinary teams in public health and social policy His recent publications highlight Housing First interventions, urban policy impacts on homelessness, and social determinants of health. Scientific awards and honors were not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.
Professor Scott Sisson is Director of the UNSW Data Science Hub (uDASH) and Professor of Statistics and Data Science at the University of New South Wales, School of Mathematics and Statistics. His research focuses on computational statistics, particularly solving 'intractable' statistical problems through Bayesian methods, big data techniques, simulation algorithms, and extreme value theory with environmental applications. Education includes a PhD in Statistics from Bristol University (2002), MSc in Environmental Statistics from Lancaster University (1997), and BSc in Mathematics and Statistics from Lancaster University (1996). Research interests span: Bayesian statistics and uncertainty quantification Big data analytics and scalable algorithms Machine learning integration with statistical methods Extreme value modeling for climate/environment Computational techniques for intractable problems Recent publications (2022-2025) demonstrate strong emphasis on Bayesian computation, spatiotemporal modeling, and interdisciplinary applications in materials science, oncology, quantum computing, transportation policy, and ecology. Methodological innovations include likelihood-free inference, modular Bayesian analyses, and symbolic data modeling. Awards and honors: 2020 Service Award (Statistical Society of Australia) 2017 ARC Future Fellowship 2015 G. N. Alexander Medal (Engineers Australia) 2011 Moran Medal (Australian Academy of Science) 2010 J.G. Russell Award (Australian Academy of Science) 2010 Queen Elizabeth II Research Fellowship As Director of uDASH, he leads data science initiatives across UNSW. He maintains sustained ARC funding and supervises students in computational statistics, Bayesian methods, extreme value theory, and machine learning. Professional service includes editorial roles for Statistics and Computing and past presidency of Statistical Society of Australia.
Adriana Schulz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington's College of Engineering. She leads a research group focused on computational design, computer-aided design (CAD), and digital fabrication. Her work bridges computer science with practical applications in manufacturing, robotics, and sustainable design. Dr. Schulz received her Ph.D. in Computer Science from MIT in 2018 under the supervision of Professor Wojciech Matusik. Prior to her doctoral studies, she earned a Master's degree in Mathematics from IMPA (Instituto Nacional de Matemática Pura e Aplicada) in Rio de Janeiro, where she worked with Professor Luiz Velho, and a Bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering from UFRJ (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro). Her research interests center around computational tools that enhance design and manufacturing processes. She develops novel algorithms for CAD systems, computational fabrication techniques, and sustainable design approaches. Her work spans multiple domains including robotics, textiles, electronics, and architecture, with a strong emphasis on creating practical tools that designers and engineers can use in real-world applications. She explores how machine learning, particularly neurosymbolic approaches, can improve design workflows and enable new capabilities in computational design systems. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong trend toward more intelligent and user-centered design tools. Her research increasingly integrates machine learning with traditional CAD systems to create more intuitive interfaces, supports sustainable design practices with computational tools, and develops novel fabrication techniques that push the boundaries of what's possible with digital manufacturing. She has made significant contributions to zero-waste fashion design, immersion cooling for high-performance computing, and CAD program understanding through novel representation learning techniques. Innovators Under 35 - MIT Technology Review Bolsa Aluno Nota 10 from FAPERJ Engineer 20000 award Dr. Schulz actively mentors several PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, including Haisen Zhao, Ben Jones, Yuxuan Mei, and others, often in collaboration with colleagues across different departments. Her research has attracted significant media attention, with coverage in major outlets including MIT News, BBC, IEEE Spectrum, Wired, and TechCrunch. Her work on Interactive Robogami was noted as the most read article in the International Journal of Robotics Research in its publication year. She leads a vibrant research group at the University of Washington that focuses on computational design systems, with particular emphasis on creating tools that bridge the gap between digital design and physical fabrication. Her team develops novel algorithms for CAD systems, computational fabrication techniques, and sustainable design approaches that have practical applications across multiple industries.
Dr. Nienke Smit is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Education at Utrecht University's Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. Her research focuses on scaffolding processes, adaptive teaching, and classroom observational research from a complex dynamic systems perspective. Specializes in teacher-student interaction Expert in adaptive instruction and observational methods Collaborates with Data Science department Develops tools for classroom observation Research interests include language learning and teaching , judgment and decision-making in education , and professional development of teachers . She leads projects like Eye Get It (joint attention in classrooms) and a replication study on adaptive instruction effectiveness. Her work applies dynamic systems theory to second language development and foreign language pedagogy. Recent publications address translanguaging in multilingual classrooms, replication studies , and process-oriented research . She teaches at Utrecht's Graduate School of Teaching and works on initiatives to reduce teacher shortages through improved training programs.
Patrick McDaniel is a Professor in the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a Fellow of IEEE, ACM, and AAAS, and leads the MadS&P (UW-Madison Security and Privacy) group. His research spans computer and network security, adversarial machine learning, and technical public policy. Academic Affiliation : Tsun-Ming Shih Professor of Computer Sciences Key Research Areas : Mobile/IoT security, election systems security, AI policy Research Trends : His recent publications and funded projects focus on adversarial machine learning, SDN security, and robustness of AI systems. Keywords include cybersecurity, machine learning, network security, and privacy. Grants and Leadership : He has secured over $5M in NSF funding for end-to-end trustworthiness of ML systems and leads collaborative projects with Army Research and UW-Madison. Awards : Multiple best/most influential paper awards (ICSE 2015, PLDI 2014, ACSAC 2024, EthiCS 2023) Advising : Mentored 13+ PhD students and postdocs now at top institutions like Google, Purdue, and University of Toronto
Qi Alfred Chen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), within the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences. He also holds affiliations with the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Irvine (ITS-Irvine), the Center for Embedded and Cyber-physical Systems (CECS), the Institute for Software Research (ISR), and the UC Irvine Cybersecurity Policy & Research Institute (CPRI). His research focuses on network and systems security, with particular emphasis on autonomous vehicle and IoT security. Dr. Chen received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 2018. His educational background has prepared him for his current research in security of critical computer systems. His work bridges theoretical security principles with practical implementations in real-world systems. Chen's research interests center on network and systems security , with a major focus on smart systems and IoT security , particularly in transportation and autonomous vehicle systems . His work addresses security challenges through systematic problem analysis and mitigation, discovering and mitigating security problems in next-generation transportation systems, smartphone OSes, network protocols, DNS, GUI systems, and access control systems. His research has high impact in both academic and industry contexts, with over 10 top-tier conference papers, a DHS US-CERT alert, multiple CVEs, and coverage in major news media like Fortune and BBC News. His publication record shows a clear evolution from foundational work on network protocols and smartphone security toward increasingly sophisticated security analyses of autonomous vehicle systems and AI-powered transportation technologies. The research trajectory demonstrates growing technical sophistication and real-world impact, with recent work focusing on physical-world adversarial attacks against autonomous driving perception systems, LiDAR spoofing, and security of multi-sensor fusion in autonomous vehicles. NSF CAREER Award (2022) on securing the AI stack in emerging autonomous and connected CPSs Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentorship, UC Irvine (2021) 5th place nation-wide at National CCDC competition (2021, as faculty advisor) 1st place (Gold Medal) at CCDC Western Regional competition (2021) ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award, University of Michigan (2019) Dr. Chen has mentored numerous successful students, including PhD candidates and undergraduates who have gone on to positions at major tech companies like Meta, Uber, Amazon, and Intel. His research group has secured significant funding, including an NSF CAREER award, and has made substantial contributions to the field through high-impact publications and vulnerability disclosures. He is also the co-founder of the ISOC VehicleSec Symposium and has organized the AutoDriving CTF contest at DEF CON. Chen leads the AV & IoAT Security Research Group at UCI, focusing on security challenges in autonomous vehicles and the broader Internet of Autonomous Things. His team has developed numerous attack demonstrations and security analyses that have received significant media attention and influenced industry practices. The group maintains an active YouTube channel showcasing their security research.
Professor Aleksandra Cichocka is a Professor of Political Psychology and Deputy Head of the School of Psychology at the University of Kent. She holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Warsaw and was a Fulbright Fellow at New York University. Her research focuses on political psychology, particularly collective narcissism, self-worth dynamics, and the psychological underpinnings of political attitudes. She leads the Political Psychology Lab and has been on leave until Summer 2025. Education: PhD in Psychology (University of Warsaw, 2013), Fulbright Fellowship (New York University, 2009-2013). Research interests include links between narcissism and political behavior, collective narcissism's social consequences, and psychological factors driving political engagement. Her work has been published in top journals like Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and Political Psychology . Key achievements include major grants from the Leverhulme Trust and Nuffield Foundation, and awards such as the Jos Jaspars Medal (2017) and Andrzej Malewski Award (2016). She supervises current and past PhD students in topics like conspiracy theories and identity politics. Professional roles include editorial positions at PNAS Nexus and European Journal of Social Psychology . Her research spans global collaborations on topics like pandemic responses and nationalism.
Juan Ortiz-Apuy is a Canadian-Costa Rican artist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Studio Arts at Concordia University . His practice critically examines intersections of commodity fetishism , object-oriented ontology , and post-colonialism through installations addressing sustainability and environmental exploitation . He has exhibited internationally in institutions such as Les Abattoirs Museum (France) and MASS MoCA (USA). MFA, NSCAD University (2011) PG Dip, The Glasgow School of Art (2009) BFA, Concordia University (2008) His research investigates material cultures and ecological impacts of consumerism, employing found objects, 3D animation, and industrial materials. Key projects include Tropicana (2020), which critiques tropicality commodification, and La Guaria Morada (2019), exploring Costa Rican identity through environmental systems. Best International Representation (2024) by AICA, Costa Rican Chapter Grants from Canada Council for the Arts, Conseil des arts et lettres du Québec, and SSHRC Ortiz-Apuy has participated in residencies at MASS MoCA and Guldagergaard Ceramic Research Center . His work has been reviewed in Canadian Art , MOMUS , and local Montreal publications.
Ben Eischens is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Linguistics at UCLA. His work focuses on the intersection of phonology and phonetics, particularly in San Martín Peras Mixtec, an Otomanguean language spoken in Oaxaca, Mexico and diaspora communities. He holds a Ph.D. from UC Santa Cruz (2022) and collaborates extensively with Indigenous communities on language documentation and description. His research explores tone systems, laryngeal features, speech rate effects, and negative nominal structures, emphasizing empirical fieldwork and community partnerships. Recent work includes studies on vowel reduction, polar question formation, and the phonetic grounding of phonological theories. Eischens has presented at major conferences such as the International Congress of Phonetic Sciences (ICPhS), Annual Meeting on Phonology (AMP), and workshops on Languages of the Americas. His publications appear in journals like the International Journal of American Linguistics and Phonological Data & Analysis. He teaches courses in linguistic theory and field methods at UCLA, maintaining active research partnerships with San Martín Peras Mixtec community members. His work bridges theoretical linguistics with applied documentation, prioritizing Indigenous language revitalization efforts.
