Willy E. Rice is a tenured Professor of Law and Englehardt Research Fellow at St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, Texas. He holds a J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a postdoctoral fellowship from Johns Hopkins University. His career includes roles as a Visiting Public-Law Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, a Scholar-In-Residence at The American Bar Foundation, and a legal expert/statistician for law firms globally. Rice specializes in Insurance Law, Consumer Litigation, Contract Law, and Legal Practice Technology. His research focuses on empirical analyses of judicial decisions, particularly in insurance disputes and consumer rights litigation. Notable works include Legal Practice Technology and Law (2017) and Consumer Litigation and Insurance Defense (2011), which critically examine legal frameworks and industry practices. His awards include the Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching (2005–2006) and recognition for scholarly contributions to law and economics. Rice’s expertise bridges legal theory and statistical analysis, influencing both academic discourse and practical legal strategies in insurance litigation and regulatory compliance.
Betsey Stevenson is a Professor of Economics (Courtesy) and Professor of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. She holds affiliations with the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), and Ifo Institute for Economic Research. Her research focuses on labor markets, public policy, and the intersection of family dynamics with economic forces. She served as a member of President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers (2013-2015), Chief Economist of the U.S. Department of Labor (2010-2011), and on the Biden-Harris Transition team. Education: B.A. in Economics and Mathematics from Wellesley College; M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University. Research interests include women's labor market experiences, family economics, and policy impacts on employment and well-being. Notable contributions include analyses of the gender pay gap, Title IX's effects on sports participation, and the economic consequences of divorce laws. She co-hosts the podcast Think Like an Economist and co-authored a Principles of Economics textbook. Scientific Awards: Elected member of the National Academy of Social Insurance; Research Fellowships at NBER, CEPR, and Ifo Institute. Grants and Advising: Extensive policy advisory roles, including contributions to U.S. Treasury policy development. Her work frequently appears in major media outlets. Labs/Teams: Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams at the University of Michigan and national research institutions.
Prof. Sadettin Emre Alptekin is a full Professor of Industrial Engineering at Galatasaray University, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, where he also serves as Vice Dean. Since joining the university as a research assistant in 2000, he has steadily advanced through the academic ranks, becoming an Assistant Professor (2006–2010), Associate Professor (2010–2023), and finally Professor in 2023. Education: PhD (Dr), Industrial Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Institute of Science and Technology, 2001–2006 MSc, Industrial Engineering, Galatasaray University, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, 1999–2001 BSc, Industrial Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Management, 1995–1999 Languages: Advanced English (C1), Upper-Intermediate French (B2), Advanced German (C1) Research Interests: Prof. Alptekin’s research focuses on Computer Learning , Fuzzy Sets and Systems , and Decision Support Systems . His work integrates artificial intelligence, machine learning, and soft-computing techniques to solve complex industrial and managerial problems in areas such as supply chain management, quality function deployment, blockchain adoption, and mental-health prediction. Publication Trends: Across more than 50 refereed publications, Prof. Alptekin has consistently explored hybrid intelligent models that combine fuzzy logic, machine learning, and multi-criteria decision-making. Recent articles emphasize deep-learning-based anomaly detection in industrial time-series data, blockchain adoption in supply chains, and machine-learning applications in subjective well-being and mental-health modeling. Scientific Awards & Honors: No specific awards or medals are listed in the provided documents. Research Leadership & Funding: Since 2008 he has been the principal investigator (executive) of 12 nationally funded projects, covering topics such as Industry 4.0 sub-system design, Internet of Things applications, artificial neural networks in organizational decision-making, big-data analytics, and strategic decision processes. Graduate Advising: He has formally supervised at least 8 master’s theses and numerous undergraduate projects. Representative thesis titles include Gaussian-process-regression-based man-hour prediction, machine-learning-driven human-behavior modeling, recommender-system design for e-commerce, thyroid-nodule diagnosis from scintigraphic images, software-effort estimation via neural networks, spreadsheet heuristics for joint-replenishment problems, cross-selling decision systems in insurance, and profitability analyses of Turkish banks under disinflation. Laboratories & Teams: While no dedicated laboratory name is disclosed, his continuous role as Vice Dean and principal investigator implies active leadership of the Industrial Engineering department’s research clusters in intelligent systems and decision support technologies.
Robert W. Brown serves as President, CEO, and COO of the University of West Los Angeles (UWLA), leading its School of Law and School of Business. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State University, Los Angeles (1974) and a Juris Doctor from UCLA (1977). A licensed attorney since 1977, he has 43 years of expertise in real estate and banking law, advising Fortune 100 institutions on transactions exceeding $10 billion. His career spans roles as General Counsel at Sears Savings Bank, Vice President at City National Bank, and arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association. He has handled major transactions, including a $2.2 billion sale of Sears Savings Bank assets and the transition of Security Pacific National Bank’s real estate portfolio to Bank of America. Brown also serves as a Probate Referee in Orange County and contributes to CEB publications on commercial leasing. Brown’s leadership at UWLA has driven its growth into one of the largest State Bar-accredited law schools, expanding into international partnerships with institutions in China, India, Mexico, and Africa. He is a frequent lecturer on real estate and banking, and his accolades include multiple Hall of Fame inductions.
James M. Carson is the Daniel P. Amos Distinguished Professor of Insurance and Head of the Department of Insurance, Legal Studies, and Real Estate at the Terry College of Business, University of Georgia. He also serves as Director of the C. Herman Terry RMI Program, teaching courses at undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels. Previously, he held the Midyette Eminent Scholar and Department Head roles at Florida State University (2001-2011) and the Katie Research Professor position at Illinois State University (1993-2001). PhD in Risk Management and Insurance, University of Georgia (1993) MA in Finance/Insurance, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (1989) BSBA in Finance/Insurance, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (1986) His research emphasizes the economics of risk and insurance, market discipline, insurer pricing, solvency, regulatory and ethical issues, and financial planning. He has extensively studied corporate risk management, internal capital markets, and the interplay between housing price declines and property insurance fraud. Professor Carson’s publications span journals such as the Journal of Risk and Insurance, Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, and the North American Actuarial Journal. His work explores themes in actuarial modeling, financial ethics, and insurance market efficiency. Past-President of the American Risk and Insurance Association (2004-2005) President of the Western Risk and Insurance Association (2000-2001) Awarded Midyette Eminent Scholar and Katie Research Professor titles He has co-authored seminal texts like Principles of Risk Management and Insurance and a forthcoming volume on Warren Buffett’s risk management principles. His prior roles include leadership in academic insurance programs and editorial contributions to journals such as the Journal of Risk and Insurance.
Professor Louise Merrett is a distinguished academic at the University of Cambridge, Faculty of Law, where she holds the position of Professor of International Commercial Law. She is affiliated with Trinity College and actively contributes to the Cambridge Private Law Centre (CPLC). Her expertise lies in private international law, conflict of laws, and international commercial litigation, with a strong focus on jurisdiction, choice of law, and post-Brexit legal frameworks. She teaches on the LLM International Commercial Litigation course and has authored influential publications in her field. Research Interests: Private International Law and Conflict of Laws International Commercial Litigation and Jurisdiction Agreements Employment Law in Cross-border Contexts Insurance and Reinsurance Law Impact of Brexit on Legal Jurisdiction and Enforcement Commercial Remedies and Enforcement Mechanisms The analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent scholarly engagement with jurisdictional challenges in commercial and employment law, particularly in the context of European and international frameworks such as the Brussels and Rome Regulations. Her work often bridges doctrinal analysis with practical implications for dispute resolution and contract enforcement. Scientific Awards: No awards listed in the provided text. Advising and Grants: There is no information available regarding graduate student supervision, research grants, or funded projects. However, her extensive publication record and editorial roles suggest significant scholarly leadership. She previously served as a commercial barrister at Fountain Court Chambers and worked at the Law Commission, bringing practical legal experience into her academic work. Labs and Research Teams: Professor Merrett is affiliated with the Cambridge Private Law Centre (CPLC) , a leading research hub for private law scholarship. This center fosters interdisciplinary research and hosts seminars, workshops, and publications in areas aligned with her expertise.
Fiona Sloothaak is an Assistant Professor at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), affiliated with the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, specializing in Stochastic Operations Research. She holds the Eurandom Assistant Professor title and contributes to the Stochastic Operations Research group. Her research focuses on cascading failures in complex systems, power grids, battery swapping networks, and stochastic processes. Education: Fiona earned a PhD in Stochastic Operations Research from TU/e in 2020 and completed a Master's in Mathematics (2015). Her doctoral thesis, Criticality in power networks: a probabilistic approach , explores cascading failures in power systems. Research Interests: Fiona’s work addresses systemic risk in infrastructure systems, including power grids and transportation networks. She investigates cascading failure dynamics, load balancing in battery swapping stations, and resource pooling strategies. Her studies often employ probabilistic modeling and queueing theory. Key Projects: She co-authored the MARCONI project (2019–2022), focusing on integrated planning for maritime logistics and service systems. This involved optimizing supply chain resilience and remote control tower operations. Scientific Award: Applied Probability Trust Prize (2020) Teaching: Courses include Stochastic Networks, Insurance and Credit Risk, and Probability and Stochastics 1. Grants: MARCONI project funding for maritime logistics optimization. Labs/Teams: Active in TU/e’s Stochastic Operations Research group and Eurandom institute. Collaborations span network topology analysis and interdisciplinary systems research.
Tyler Custis serves as an Associate Professor at the University of South Dakota's Beacom School of Business, specializing in Business Law and the Legal Environment. His academic appointments reflect deep engagement with contemporary legal challenges in sports, finance, and corporate governance. His educational background includes: JD from University of South Dakota (2013) MBA from University of South Dakota (2012) BS from Texas A&M University (2007) Custis' research focuses on high-impact legal intersections, particularly NCAA regulations, corporate fraud mechanisms, and healthcare compliance failures. His work bridges theoretical legal frameworks with real-world economic consequences, examining how regulatory gaps enable systemic misconduct in sports leagues and financial institutions. Key themes include Title IX implications for athlete compensation, internal control failures in banking scandals, and antitrust considerations in collegiate athletics. His publication portfolio reveals strong emphasis on sports law evolution (2016-2025), corporate ethics case studies (2018-2022), and financial regulation analysis (2019-2024). The research demonstrates methodological diversity spanning empirical analysis of NCAA labor models, forensic accounting of banking fraud, and policy evaluation of legislative responses to corporate misconduct. Award recognition includes: Beacom School of Business Faculty Excellence Teaching Award (2023) Excellence in Teaching Award Nominee (2023) Best Paper Award at ICTO International Conference (2019) Custis actively disseminates research through scholarly presentations at venues including ASHE Annual Conferences, Academy of Legal Studies meetings, and Beacom Scholar Series. His work engages directly with policymakers on NCAA reform and corporate compliance frameworks, demonstrating applied impact beyond academic circles.
Stephen G. Cecchetti is the Rosen Family Chair in International Finance at the Brandeis International Business School (Brandeis University). He also serves as Vice Chair of the European Systemic Risk Board's Advisory Scientific Committee, a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), and a Research Fellow at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR). Previously, he was Economic Adviser and Head of the Monetary and Economic Department at the Bank for International Settlements (2008–2013), Executive Vice President and Director of Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (1997–1999), and editor of the Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking (1992–2001). His research focuses on monetary policy, financial regulation, macroeconomics, and central banking. Education: B.S. in Economics from MIT, Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Basel (2016). His honors include the Distinguished Lecturer title from Ohio State University (2002) and the O. John Olcay Lecture at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (2019). His work emphasizes global financial stability, banking reform, and the intersection of monetary and fiscal policy. Recent publications highlight central bank interventions during financial crises, the fiscal consequences of central bank losses, and the future of banking in a digital era. He advocates for stricter regulatory frameworks post-2008 crisis and emphasizes the evolving role of central banks in addressing systemic risks. Cecchetti’s blog Money and Banking provides insights on current economic and financial issues.
Franca Glenzer is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Finance at HEC Montréal and holds the title of CIRANO Fellow. She specializes in financial decision-making over the lifecycle, focusing on pensions, long-term care insurance, and risk management. Her work has been published in journals such as the Journal of Public Economics, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, and Geneva Risk and Insurance Review. Education: Dr. rer. pol. (Ph.D. equivalent in Finance) from Goethe University Frankfurt M.Sc. and B.Sc. in Business Administration from Humboldt University Berlin Research & Awards: Her research explores behavioral economics in policy design, post-pandemic savings behaviors, and insurer solvency. She was recently named a CIRANO Fellow, reflecting her contributions to applied economics. Current research is forthcoming. Teaching: She instructs courses including Basic Corporate Finance and Insurance at HEC Montréal. Advising: Supervised two MSc projects (2023–2024) focusing on insurance modeling and travel insurance analysis. Currently seeking a thesis student for UX/finance research.
Dr. Iain Long is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University. He serves as the Director of Undergraduate Economics Programmes, responsible for approximately 23 different degree programmes containing modules taken by around 900 students from across the University. His academic background includes: PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science M.Res. in Economics from the London School of Economics MSc in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics from the London School of Economics BSc in Mathematics and Economics from the London School of Economics Dr. Long is an applied microeconomic theorist with particular interests in the economics of crime and conflict. His research spans topics from how informal work alters the incentives to search for work whilst receiving unemployment insurance to how unanticipated changes in behavior due to intoxication can explain alcohol-fuelled violence. He conducts both theoretical modeling and experimental studies, including lab-in-the-field experiments to test behavioral hypotheses related to crime and conflict. His work frequently examines how environmental factors and psychological states influence decision-making in contexts involving risk, violence, and economic incentives. Analysis of Dr. Long's publications reveals a consistent focus on the intersection of behavioral economics, crime, and conflict, with a notable thread examining alcohol's role in altering behavior and increasing violence using innovative experimental methods that combine laboratory precision with real-world contexts. His scientific recognition includes: Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Former winner of the Economics Network's National Outstanding Teaching Prize Academic Fellow of Cardiff University's Crime & Security Institute Associate of the Economics Network Dr. Long has secured research funding as both Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator. Notably, he led a British Academy/Leverhulme Trust Small Research Grant (SG162643, £4,330) titled "Assessing the causes of alcohol-fueled violence" in 2017, and was a Co-Investigator on a Crime and Security Research Institute Academic Fellowship Fund (£9,000) in 2016 for "A novel insight into alcohol-fueled violence among Emergency Department patients." He is available for postgraduate supervision in economics of crime, economics of conflict, unemployment protection, and applied microeconomic theory. Dr. Long is actively involved in the academic community through his role as an Associate of the Economics Network, where he has delivered training to PhD students across nine UK universities and trained new lecturers in teaching methodologies.
Alex Reed serves as Professor of Legal Studies in the Department of Insurance, Legal Studies and Real Estate at the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business, where he previously directed the Legal Studies Certificate Program. He currently holds leadership positions in the Academy of Legal Studies in Business through 2026, including Immediate Past President (2025-2026) and prior roles as President (2024-2025) and Secretary (2021-2022). His educational background includes a JD and BBA from the University of Georgia. Reed's research critically examines employment discrimination frameworks, particularly focusing on LGBTQ workplace protections post-Bostock v. Clayton County, religious exemptions in staffing, and intersections between securities regulation and tax policy. His interdisciplinary approach bridges legal theory with practical legislative solutions for systemic inequities. Analysis of his 15 publications (2012-2025) reveals an evolving scholarly trajectory: early work centered on securities fraud and ENDA critiques, while post-2018 research increasingly addresses Title VII limitations and proposes legislative amendments for comprehensive LGBTQ protections. His recent scholarship demonstrates heightened engagement with international trade implications (USMCA) and procedural barriers in employment discrimination claims. His accolades include: Distinguished Early Career Faculty Award (Academy of Legal Studies in Business, 2018) Richard B. Russell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (University of Georgia, 2018) Terry Teaching Excellence Award (Terry College of Business, 2017) Reed maintains active service through editorial roles at the American Business Law Journal (2020-present) and Journal of Business Ethics (2020-present), alongside prior positions in the Southeastern Academy of Legal Studies in Business and Georgia Bar Association's Professionalism Committee. His pre-academic experience includes securities litigation practice at Alston & Bird LLP (2006-2010).
Matthias Bannert is a Lecturer at the Department of Management, Technology, and Economics at ETH Zürich, where he works at the KOF Swiss Economic Institute (Konjunkturforschungsstelle). His work focuses on the intersection of economics, software development, and data management, with particular expertise in time series analysis and official statistics. Bannert designs solutions for state-of-the-art data processing, management, and publishing of economic data and research. Bannert completed his doctoral thesis titled "Survey Based Research in Economics - Essays on Methodology, Economic Applications and Long Term Processing of Economic Survey Data" at ETH Zürich in 2016. His academic journey began when he joined KOF in late 2008, initially working as a researcher for the Business Tendency Survey group before transitioning to the institute's IT department. Dr. Bannert's research interests span several interconnected domains at the nexus of economics and data science. He specializes in developing software environments for official statistics, with particular focus on processing and managing economic time series data through open-source driven data pipelines. His technical expertise includes R programming and PostgreSQL database systems, which he applies to create robust solutions for economic data analysis. Bannert is particularly interested in survey methodology, nowcasting techniques, and the development of reproducible research workflows. His work bridges the gap between theoretical economics and practical software implementation, ensuring that economic research can leverage state-of-the-art data processing techniques. Analysis of Bannert's publication record reveals a consistent focus on the application of data science techniques to economic research problems, particularly in the domain of official statistics and survey-based economics. His work demonstrates a progression from theoretical survey methodology to practical software implementation, with increasing emphasis on real-time economic forecasting and data management systems. A distinctive feature of his research is the development of open-source R packages that make advanced economic data analysis more accessible to researchers and practitioners. As an active contributor to the R language for Statistical computing and the open source community, Bannert has developed several notable software packages including timeseriesdb, tstools, and kofdata, which are available on CRAN. These tools reflect his commitment to creating reproducible, transparent, and efficient workflows for economic data analysis. Bannert serves as a data science supervisor for multiple KOF research projects and is a co-Principal Investigator in an SNF-funded Digital Lives project in collaboration with KOF's labor market expert group. His teaching activities include "Hacking for Sciences - An Applied Guide to Programming with Data" and involvement in the Nowcasting Lab, which provides live out-of-sample forecasting and model testing capabilities for economic researchers. Dr. Bannert is affiliated with the KOF Swiss Economic Institute, where he contributes to several research groups including the KOF Macroeconomic Forecasting group and the KOF Data Science and Macroeconomic Methods group. His work at KOF bridges the institute's traditional economic research with modern data science approaches, helping to position the institute at the forefront of data-driven economic analysis.
Elisabeth Fevang is a Senior Research Fellow at the Frisch Centre, affiliated with the University of Oslo. She completed her PhD at the University of Bergen in 2019 with a dissertation titled "Economic Incentives, Employment and Health." Her research focuses primarily on labor market economics and health economics, with particular attention to welfare systems, disability insurance, sick leave patterns, and elderly care economics. Dr. Fevang's research interests center on the intersection of health and labor economics. She investigates how economic incentives affect work behavior, particularly regarding sick leave, disability, and care responsibilities. Her work often examines the Norwegian welfare system's impact on labor market participation, with specific focus on vulnerable groups such as elderly caregivers and healthcare workers. She frequently employs register-based data analysis to study policy impacts on labor supply decisions. Her publication record shows consistent output with multiple high-impact articles in 2024, indicating active research in current labor market issues. Her recent work has increasingly focused on healthcare sector employment patterns, particularly shift work schedules in municipal care services, and their relationship to sick leave. Earlier publications established her expertise in disability insurance systems and the "sick pay trap" phenomenon where benefit structures may inadvertently encourage prolonged absence from work. Dr. Fevang is actively involved in numerous research projects at the Frisch Centre, including those examining labor market exclusion, social insurance systems, long-term care effects on elderly workers' participation, and effects of welfare system reforms. Her collaborative work with researchers like Knut Røed, Simen Markussen, and Heidi Gautun demonstrates her integration within Norway's economic research community.
Dr. Luke Hawksbee is a Teaching Professor in Sociology at the University of Cambridge, specializing in the Political Economy of Biomedicine within the Faculty of Human, Social, and Political Science. He has taught in the Sociology Department since 2014 with appointments at King's College. His academic credentials include: BA and MPhil in Philosophy from the University of Cambridge focusing on social and political philosophy, feminist thought, and cultural appropriation PhD in Sociology with thesis titled 'The role of financial and intangible assets in pharmaceutical business models in the financialised pharmaceutical sector' Hawksbee's research critically examines pharmaceutical business models through Marxist political economy frameworks, analyzing how financialization impacts healthcare systems and drug pricing. His work bridges theoretical political economy with practical health policy concerns, particularly regarding intellectual property rights during global health crises. He investigates power dynamics between pharmaceutical corporations, healthcare systems, and patients within global capitalism. His publication trajectory shows consistent focus on pharmaceutical economics and health policy, with increasing emphasis on global equity issues as evidenced by his 2022 BMJ article addressing Covid-19 intellectual property waivers. Both publications demonstrate rigorous analysis of market structures affecting healthcare accessibility. As an educator, Hawksbee teaches across sociology and medical curricula including Global Capitalism, Health Medicine and Society, and Social and Ethical Context of Health and Illness modules. He convenes interdisciplinary workshops and supervises graduate students in Political and Economic Sociology.
