David Leopold is an Associate Professor of Political Theory at the Department of Politics and International Relations (DPIR), University of Oxford, and a Fellow of Mansfield College. He specializes in the political philosophy of G.W.F. Hegel, Karl Marx, and theoretical connections between them. His research also explores utopianism, methodological questions in political theory, and the history of socialist thought. Leopold holds an MA from Sussex University and a DPhil from the University of Oxford. His teaching includes undergraduate and graduate courses on political theory, research methods in the history of political thought, and the theories of Hegel and Marx. He advises doctoral students on Marx, Hegel, and related topics. Research interests span Marx's views on human flourishing (linked to capabilities approaches), Analytical Marxism, William Morris's utopianism, and the role of ideal theory in political philosophy. He critiques dismissals of utopian thinkers like Morris and engages with Engels's early communitarian socialism. Leopold is affiliated with the Political Theory Network and the Centre for Socio-Spatial Justice (CSSJ). His work bridges historical and contemporary political thought, emphasizing critical engagement with classical texts and their relevance to modern debates.
Gautham Narayan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), with affiliations in Physics and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). He holds roles as Deputy Director for Astrophysics Research at the NSF-Simons SkAI Institute and Deputy Director of the Center for AstroPhysical Surveys. His research focuses on multi-messenger and time-domain astrophysics, cosmology, and machine learning applications in astronomy. Education: PhD in Physics from Harvard University (2013) and BS (Hons) in Physics from Illinois Wesleyan University (2005). His work includes pioneering AI methods for transient detection, leading collaborations like the Young Supernova Experiment (YSE), and developing standards for LSST and WFIRST. He is a Simonyi NSF-CAREER Fellow and Analysis Coordinator for the LSST Dark Energy Science Collaboration. Research interests span cosmology, supernovae, and survey science. Key projects include establishing spectrophotometric standards via HST observations and advancing real-time analysis pipelines like ANTARES. Recent work emphasizes Bayesian models for supernova cosmology and multi-messenger astrophysics. Awards: Simonyi NSF-CAREER Fellowship. Collaborations include DESC, SCiMMA, and the KEGS team. Teaching includes courses on astrophysics and data science, with mentorship of students across undergraduate and graduate levels. Public outreach efforts include Astronomy on Tap events and science communication initiatives.
Battista Biggio is a Full Professor at the University of Cagliari, Italy, affiliated with the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering under the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture. His research focuses on machine learning security, adversarial attacks, and cybersecurity. He co-founded the cybersecurity firm Pluribus One and has pioneered foundational work in poisoning attacks and adversarial robustness. Education: MSc (2006), PhD (2010). He holds editorial roles as Associate Editor-in-Chief for Elsevier's Pattern Recognition Journal and serves on IEEE TNNLS and IEEE CIM editorial boards. His awards include the 2022 ICML Test of Time Award and the 2021 Pattern Recognition Medal. He chairs IAPR TC1 and organizes conferences like S+SSPR and AISec. Research interests span adversarial machine learning, malware detection, and secure AI systems. He leads initiatives such as the sAIfer Lab and co-develops the SecML-Torch library. Teaching includes courses on Machine Learning Security and Industrial Software Development. Notable contributions include seminal papers like 'Poisoning Attacks against Support Vector Machines' and 'Wild Patterns.' He manages over 10 research projects and advises on AI security for industrial applications. His work bridges academic research with practical cybersecurity solutions.
Martin Pesendorfer is a Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He specializes in Industrial Organization, Auctions, and Information Economics, with significant contributions to applied microeconomics. His research focuses on dynamic games, auction mechanisms, and strategic interactions in markets. He holds a PhD in Economics from Northwestern University and teaches advanced courses such as EC313 Industrial Economics and EC536 Economics of Industry for Research Students. Key research areas include the design of auctions, consumer demand modeling, and equilibrium analysis in dynamic settings. His work has been published in top journals like the American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, Econometrica, and the Review of Economic Studies. He has also contributed to practical applications such as analyzing mergers, procurement auctions, and retail pricing strategies. Pesendorfer’s teaching covers topics from industrial economics fundamentals to advanced microeconomic theory. His research spans theoretical and empirical methods, with recent emphasis on equilibrium multiplicity in dynamic games and omitted variable biases in demand models. He maintains an active presence in academic circles, contributing to research centers like STICERD's Economics of Industry Programme.
Thompson S.H. Teo is a Professor in the Department of Analytics and Operations (DAO) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School. He holds editorial roles in top journals including European Journal of Information Systems, International Journal of Information Management, and Communications of the AIS. His research spans information systems strategy, business-IT alignment, e-commerce, sustainability, and AI's societal impacts. With over 200 publications, he ranked #143 globally in 2023 among business scientists (research.com) and was recognized in Stanford's top 2% global scientists (2021-2023). Awards include the Best Associate Editor Award (2017) and AIS Distinguished Membership. Thompson's research interests include IT adoption, cyberloafing, supply chain digitalization, and green innovation. He teaches courses on innovation, Industry 4.0, and strategic IT at undergraduate, masters, and executive levels. Notable contributions include frameworks for commute experience analysis and AI adoption market signals. His work bridges theory and practice, addressing challenges in sustainability, organizational behavior, and digital governance. Affiliations: NUS Business School, Distinguished Editorial Advisory Board (IJoIM), Senior Member (INFORMS) Grants & Leadership: Extensive editorial leadership, supervised China Scholarship Council PhD students, and executive programs on innovation design thinking. Key Contributions: Over 270 publications, four co-edited books on IT/e-commerce, and policy-relevant studies on environmental regulations and green tech adoption. His research often employs mixed methods (e.g., QCA for corruption analysis, PLS-SEM for cyberloafing models) and addresses global issues like fake news mitigation via ChatGPT and pandemic-era customer engagement in short videos.
Dr. Limin Jao is an Associate Professor in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education (DISE) at McGill University’s Faculty of Education. Her research focuses on exemplary teaching practices in mathematics and STE(A)M education, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches, project-based learning, and student engagement. She holds leadership roles including Vice-President of the Canadian Mathematics Education Study Group and Editorial Board member of the Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education. Her expertise spans teacher education, pedagogy, and research-practice partnerships. Education: Ph.D., Curriculum Studies and Teacher Development, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto M.A., Curriculum Studies and Teacher Development, OISE, University of Toronto B.Ed., Secondary Biology and Mathematics Education, Queen's University B.Sc.H., Biology and Mathematics, Queen's University Research Interests: Limin explores how interdisciplinary and inquiry-based methods foster student engagement and teacher development. Her work bridges theory and practice, advocating for inclusive classrooms and educator collaboration. She has pioneered projects linking community artifacts to STEM learning and co-edited volumes on transdisciplinary education and teacher training borders. Publications Trends: Recent work examines gender perspectives in mathematics, pre-service teacher experiences, and professional learning communities in STEM. Her research emphasizes equity, pedagogical innovation, and the intersection of cultural contexts with educational practices. Awards: 2023 Award for Distinguished Teaching, McGill University Faculty of Education Advising & Grants: Limin supervises graduate students in mathematics education and collaborates on research-practice initiatives. She leads the Jao Research Team and contributes to the Chandaria Research Centre’s advisory board at Branksome Hall. Labs/Teams: The Jao Research Team focuses on innovative teaching strategies and STE(A)M education, with projects addressing student agency and interdisciplinary curriculum design.
Susan Holmes is Professor at the School of Media, Language and Communication Studies at the University of East Anglia (UEA), where she joined as Reader in Television in 2007 and was appointed to Professor in 2018. She is an active member of several research groups including Media Equality, Film, Television and Media, Gender and Its Intersections Steering Committee, and HealthUEA. Her work spans television studies, celebrity culture, and feminist approaches to eating disorders. Professor Holmes received her academic training at the University of Sussex (BA in English and Media Studies), followed by an MA in Film from the University of Southampton, and completed her PhD on British film and television in the 1950s at the same institution. Prior to joining UEA, she taught Media and Cultural Studies at the Southampton Institute (now Southampton Solent University) and television and film at the University of Kent. Her research focuses on several interconnected areas that challenge traditional disciplinary boundaries. In television studies, she has made significant contributions to understanding British television history, particularly through her books 'British TV and Film in the 1950s' and 'Entertaining TV: the BBC and Popular Programme Culture in the 1950s,' where she challenges canonical ideas about early BBC television. Her work on reality TV examines historical development, generic labeling, and celebrity. Since 2014, she has conducted important empirical research on feminist approaches to eating disorders, analyzing media representations and working directly with people with lived experience. A key focus of this research examines how feminist approaches are neglected in contemporary eating disorder treatment, with implications for both clinical practice and cultural understanding. She co-founded the influential Celebrity Studies journal in 2010 and edited it for the first eight years of its publication. Analysis of Professor Holmes' recent publications reveals a clear trajectory where her expertise in media and television studies converges with her feminist scholarship on eating disorders. Her most recent work (2023-2025) increasingly focuses on cross-cultural applications of feminist approaches to eating disorders (including work in China), the use of innovative methodologies like Photovoice, and examinations of therapeutic alliance in treatment settings. Simultaneously, she continues to analyze contemporary media representations, particularly focusing on motherhood, true crime television, and reality TV through feminist lenses. This dual focus demonstrates how media representations shape cultural understandings of both celebrity and health conditions. Professor Holmes' significant contributions to academia have been recognized with several prestigious awards: Senior Fellowship from Advance HE (2024) UEA engagement award (2017) ALPSP award nomination for Celebrity Studies as best new journal (2011) She currently runs the Feminist Media Studies research cluster at UEA and is actively supervising postgraduate research in areas including popular television, television/film history, British TV history, stardom/celebrity, and feminist approaches to eating disorders. Her current major research project is the 'ALLIANCE study' (2024-2026), funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, which aims to develop practice and policy recommendations to support effective therapeutic alliance in inpatient treatment for eating disorders. This builds on her earlier British Academy-funded research on 'Entertaining Television: British TV, the BBC and Popular Programme Culture in the 1950s' (2007-2008). Professor Holmes plays a significant role in the academic community through her editorial work, serving on the boards of journals including Archives of Psychology, Big Data & Society, and Critical Studies in Television, and previously as co-founder and editor of Celebrity Studies. She has also been active in media engagement, contributing expert commentary on topics ranging from Netflix's portrayal of eating disorders to Celebrity Big Brother.
Dr. Gary Brewer is a Professor in the Department of Entomology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with a 60% research and 40% teaching appointment. He has served as department head at NDSU (1997-2006) and UNL (2006-2018). His research focuses on field crops entomology, IPM of pasture cattle flies, salt creek tiger beetle conservation, and pollinator health. He has pioneered a push-pull strategy using coconut oil-derived repellents and led curriculum design for Rwanda’s Conservation Agriculture program. Education: B.S. in Zoology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (1974) M.S. in Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (1978) Ph.D. in Entomology, Kansas State University (1984) Research Interests: Brewer’s work spans insect ecology, pest management, and conservation. Key areas include stable fly and horn fly control, pollinator protection, and endangered species recovery (e.g., Salt Creek tiger beetle). His lab develops natural product-based pest repellents and evaluates biopesticides for sustainable agriculture. Grants & Contributions: $362,150 USDA grant for undergraduate research in beneficial insect protection (2018) $325,000 USDA grant for multi-tactic stable fly control (2017) NE Game and Parks funded salt creek tiger beetle reintroduction programs Labs & Teams: Brewer’s team collaborates with industry (e.g., Vestergaard Frandsen) and international partners to advance IPM strategies. His work bridges field research with applied solutions for farmers and conservationists.
Professor Joanna Bullard is a leading academic in Physical Geography at Loughborough University, specializing in aeolian processes, climate-landscape interactions, and dust dynamics. She holds adjunct roles at Griffith University, Australia, and has served in key leadership positions including Associate Dean (Teaching) and President of the International Society for Aeolian Research. Her work integrates field observations, remote sensing, and experimental methods to study dust emissions, microplastic transport, and environmental change in polar and arid regions. Bullard has received prestigious awards such as the EGU Ralph Alger Bagnold Medal (2021) and the Philip Leverhulme Prize (2004). Education: PhD from University of Sheffield Her research focuses on Arctic ecosystems, high-latitude dust pathways, and the geomorphic impacts of climate change. Recent work explores microplastic degradation via wind abrasion and the biogeochemical role of dust in Greenland’s lakes. Bullard’s teaching innovations include augmented reality tools for geomorphology education and crowd-sourced meteorological data projects. Awards: EGU Bagnold Medal, British Society for Geomorphology Fellowship, HEA Principal Fellowship Publications emphasize dust-climate feedbacks, aeolian sediment dynamics, and interdisciplinary methodologies. She leads international collaborations on dust cycle modeling and Arctic environmental monitoring.
Kisha Porcher is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at the University of Delaware, specializing in English Education. She serves as the Student Teaching Coordinator and holds a Ph.D. in Teaching and Teacher Education from George Mason University, alongside degrees from Spelman College and Teachers College Columbia University. B.A., English and Secondary Education, Spelman College M.A., Curriculum and Instruction, Teachers College Columbia University Ph.D., Teaching and Teacher Education, George Mason University Her research focuses on centering Blackness through frameworks like the Black Gaze and archeology of the self (Sealey-Ruiz, 2019), emphasizing racial identity development and community-engaged learning. She explores systemic assets for Black and Brown students while advocating for anti-racist pedagogies in urban education settings. Her recent publications highlight trends in critical literacy instruction , decolonizing curricula , and equity-driven teacher training , with a strong emphasis on racial justice and linguistic diversity. Notably, she received the College of Arts & Sciences Faculty Teaching Excellence Award in 2022. Porcher’s work bridges teacher self-reflection and structural reform , positioning educators as disruptors of systemic inequities. Her scholarship spans topics from cultural competency to community-embedded pedagogies, reflecting her commitment to redistributing power in educational systems.
Laura Munoz is an Associate Professor in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), within the College of Science. She holds a BS from the California Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. Her research focuses on mathematical biology, dynamical systems, applied control theory, and cardiac electrophysiology, with a particular emphasis on understanding mechanisms underlying cardiac arrhythmias through mathematical modeling and computational methods. Her work explores topics such as ephaptic coupling in cardiac tissue, controllability of cardiac alternans, and the role of calcium dynamics in arrhythmogenesis. Recent studies include analyzing discordant alternans mechanisms and their link to ventricular fibrillation, as well as developing state estimation techniques for cardiac ionic models using Kalman filters. Munoz has published extensively in journals like Physical Review Letters , Chaos , and Computers in Biology and Medicine , and has presented at conferences such as the SIAM Conference on the Life Sciences. Munoz currently teaches courses such as Linear Algebra, Complex Variables, Mathematical Modeling I, and Mathematical Biology, emphasizing the application of mathematical tools to real-world biological systems. Her research integrates principles from applied mathematics, control theory, and computational biology to advance understanding of cardiac physiology and disease.
Dr. Carys Brown is Head of Academic, Personal, and Professional Development at Trinity College and an Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of History at the University of Cambridge. She holds a BA, PGCE, MPhil, and PhD from the University of Cambridge and is a Fellow of both the Higher Education Academy and the Royal Historical Society. Her research centers on the social, cultural, and religious history of late seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Britain, with a focus on religious tolerance, inter-confessional relations, and the history of childhood. She is currently developing a project on children and play in England (c.1660–1780), examining how play intersected with social exclusion based on status, gender, and religion. Her recent publications span monographs, articles, and edited volumes, reflecting interdisciplinary engagement with themes such as auditory religious experience, anti-Catholicism, politeness culture, and religious freedom. Her work often analyzes how religious difference shaped social identity and cultural norms in early modern England. Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Fellow of the Royal Historical Society She teaches Part 1A papers in Early Modern Britain and the Global Eighteenth Century and convenes a Sources paper on Children and Childhood in Early Modern England. She welcomes dissertation supervision on British social, cultural, and religious history (c.1660–1800). She is also a member of the AHRC-funded research network 'Anti-Catholicism in British history, 1520-1900' at Newcastle University. Dr. Brown has held previous roles as a Research Fellow at Trinity College, Research Associate on the AHRC-funded 'Faith in the Town' project at the University of Manchester, Bye-Fellow in Study Skills at Girton College, and History teacher at Saffron Walden County High School. She has co-edited volumes and contributed to significant scholarly collections on religious coexistence and freedom.
K. Rajibul Islam is an Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo, affiliated with the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) and the Department of Physics and Astronomy. He holds a joint appointment with the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics and co-founded Open Quantum Design and Lightflow Optics Inc. His research focuses on quantum information processing, quantum simulation, and trapped ion systems, with applications in quantum computing and entanglement studies. Education: Ph.D. in Physics (2012, University of Maryland), M.Sc. in Physics (2007, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research), B.Sc. in Physics (2005, Jadavpur University). Postdoctoral research at Harvard University (2012–2015) and MIT (2015–2016). Research Interests : Quantum simulation of spin models, quantum computing with trapped ions, entanglement measurement, frustrated spin systems, and quantum materials. His lab, QITI (Quantum Information with Trapped Ions), develops scalable quantum simulators and open-access quantum computers like 'QuantumIon.' Awards : Fellow of the American Physical Society (2024), VAIBHAV Fellowship (2024), Excellence in Teaching Award (2024), Early Researcher Award (2019), and Distinguished PhD Dissertation Award (2012–13). Teaching : Courses include PHYS 701 (Graduate Quantum Physics), PHYS 234 (Quantum Physics I), PHYS 393 (Physical Optics), and PHYS 256 (Geometrical and Physical Optics). He emphasizes outreach via initiatives like Bigyan.org.in , a Bengali-language science platform. Lab and Collaborations : Active in developing trapped-ion quantum hardware, including ion trap designs, optical addressing systems, and holographic control methods. Collaborates on quantum algorithms, machine learning for quantum systems, and experimental quantum thermodynamics.
Dr. Hanbo Shim is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Management at The University of Texas at Arlington, College of Business. He holds a PhD in Industrial Relations and Human Resources from Rutgers University and a BA in Mathematics and Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research and teaching focus on Human Resource Management, Organizational Behavior, and HR Analytics. PhD, Industrial Relations and Human Resources, Rutgers University (2022) MS, Industrial Relations and Human Resources, Rutgers University (2019) MA, Human Resource Management, Rutgers University (2016) BA, Mathematics and Economics, University of Illinois (2012) Dr. Shim's research explores the temporal dynamics of employee performance, compensation systems, emotional intelligence, and social networks in organizations. He uses longitudinal analysis, multilevel modeling, meta-analysis, and computer simulation to examine how individual and interpersonal factors influence organizational outcomes. His work bridges HR analytics with behavioral science. His recent publications span topics such as green HRM, pay policy dynamics, emotional intelligence, and HR analytics education. These works reflect a strong interdisciplinary approach integrating psychology, sustainability, data science, and strategic management. His research has been presented at leading conferences including the Academy of Management and European Reward Management Conference. Award highlights include: Ralph Alexander Best Dissertation Award (2024) Innovative Teaching Award, Academy of Management HR Division (2022) Best Student Convention Paper Award (2020) Best Doctoral Conference Paper Award, Samsung Economic Research Institute (2020) Dr. Shim actively advises students through capstone and honors projects and serves on PhD and graduate studies committees. He has collaborated with SL Corporation on HR analytics and developed open-source educational materials. His service includes editorial board membership for Compensation & Benefits Review and ad hoc reviewing for top journals. He is also engaged in professional development workshops and public speaking, including for the Society for Human Resource Management at UTA. His lab and research activities emphasize simulation-based methods and real-world HR analytics applications.
Esteban G. Tabak is a Professor of Mathematics at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University. He holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from MIT (1992) and a Hydraulic Engineer degree from the University of Buenos Aires (1988). His research spans fluid dynamics, data science, and optimization, with notable contributions to optimal transport theory, atmospheric and ocean modeling, and machine learning methodologies. He leads the Research and Training Group in Mathematical Modeling and Simulation at NYU. Research Interests include Data Analysis, Optimal Transport, Applied Mathematics, and Physics, particularly in fluid dynamics and geophysical flows. His work bridges theoretical advancements with practical applications, such as sea ice dynamics, internal waves, and turbulence modeling. Publications highlight innovations in density estimation, constrained optimization, and energy spectrum analysis of oceanic internal waves. Collaborations span disciplines, including biomedical applications (e.g., heart transplant diagnostics) and climate science. His methodologies, such as dual ascent algorithms and prototypal analysis, emphasize data-driven solutions to complex systems. Teaching includes courses on partial differential equations, fluid dynamics, and mathematical modeling. His work has been supported by grants addressing stratified flows, internal wave energy spectra, and turbulent mixing.
