Dr. KN Sasidhar is a Researcher in the Department of Microstructure Physics and Alloy Design at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. His work focuses on advanced materials science, particularly corrosion mechanisms, alloy design, and nanoscale structural analysis. He employs cutting-edge techniques like in situ synchrotron investigations and deep learning frameworks to study material behavior under extreme conditions. Current research emphasizes corrosion resistance in stainless steels, phase transformations during nitriding, and radiation effects on coatings. Key achievements include pioneering studies on nanoscale amorphization in metallic systems, data-centric approaches for materials discovery, and the development of predictive models for alloy performance. His work bridges experimental materials characterization with computational methods, addressing challenges in energy and aerospace applications. Publications span corrosion analysis, microstructural evolution under irradiation, and phase separation phenomena. Collaborative projects involve synchrotron facilities and interdisciplinary teams focusing on materials informatics. No formal awards or grants are explicitly listed in the provided texts, though his prolific publication record indicates active academic engagement.
Dr. Jan Delcker is a Post-Doc Researcher at the University of Mannheim's Chair for Economic and Business Education, specializing in Learning, Design & Technology. With a background in social work and media education, his research examines digitalization in educational contexts. Key research areas include: AI competence assessment in teachers and students Digital curriculum development in vocational schools Mobile learning applications for language assessment Impact of COVID-19 on school development He teaches courses on educational systems management and research methodology while supervising graduate theses. Recent publications explore AI tool adoption predictors and text mining analysis of vocational curricula.
Prof. Dr. Peter Gomber is Chair of e-Finance at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Germany. He serves as Co-Chairman and member of the Board of the 'efl – the Data Science Institute', an industry-academic partnership between Frankfurt and Darmstadt Universities and leading industry partners. Additionally, he is a member of the Exchange Council of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Supervisory Board of Clearstream Banking AG, and Research Fellow at the Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE in Frankfurt. Prof. Gomber received his Ph.D. at the Institute of Information Systems at the University of Giessen in 1999 after graduating in Business Administration. Before joining Goethe University in 2004, he worked for five years as Director, Head of Market Development Cash Markets and Xetra Research at Deutsche Börse AG, where he developed new market models and products for cash market trading on Xetra. His research focuses on market microstructure theory, digital finance and fintech, regulatory impact on financial markets, and electronic trading systems. With over 150 publications in leading international journals, his work has significantly influenced the field, particularly his highly cited papers on the Fintech Revolution. His recent research examines market fragmentation, circuit breakers, research unbundling under MiFID II, and the application of AI in financial markets. Prof. Gomber's extensive publication record shows a clear evolution from traditional market microstructure and electronic trading systems toward digital finance, fintech innovations, and regulatory impact analysis. His work bridges technical aspects of financial markets with regulatory considerations, demonstrating how technological innovations interact with market structure and regulation. His scientific recognition includes: IBM Shared University Research Grant (2007) Reuters Innovation Award (2000) Best Paper Award of the Journal of the Association for Information Systems (2020) Best Information Systems Publications Award (2020) Top 1 and Top 3 most cited articles in Fintech research (2025 bibliometric analysis) Prof. Gomber has successfully supervised numerous PhD students, including Tino Cestonaro who won the Best PhD Paper Award 2025. He has acquired significant research funds from both public institutions and the private sector. Notably, a market model invention by Prof. Gomber was granted a patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, with two additional market model inventions filed for patent in Europe and the US. He leads an active research team at the Chair of e-Finance, including researchers like Benjamin Clapham, Micha Bender, and Tino Cestonaro. The team collaborates closely with the efl – the Data Science Institute and the Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE, bridging academic research with practical applications in financial markets.
Prof. Dr. Birgit Eickelmann is a Professor of School Pedagogy at the Institute of Educational Science within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Paderborn University. She has held this position since October 2012, initially as a W2 professor until January 2014, and then as a W3 professor (full professor) from February 2014 onward. Her research focuses on school and lesson development in the digital age, school pedagogy under digital transformation conditions, empirical school research, teacher education, and school leadership with emphasis on digital learning leadership. Her educational background includes a habilitation in Educational Science in May 2012, a PhD in Educational Science with summa cum laude in July 2009, and state examinations for teaching Mathematics and Physics in December 1996 and January 1999. Prof. Eickelmann's research centers on the digital transformation of educational systems, particularly examining how schools develop digital competencies among students and teachers. Her work emphasizes equitable access to digital learning opportunities, the role of school leadership in digital transformation, and the development of computational thinking skills. She investigates how schools can become resilient in the face of digital challenges, with special attention to organizational factors that support successful digital integration. Her publication record reveals a strong focus on international comparative studies, particularly the IEA's ICILS (International Computer and Information Literacy Study) across multiple cycles (2013, 2018, 2023). Her research spans digital literacy assessment, school-level factors influencing digital competence development, and policy implications for educational systems undergoing digital transformation. Prof. Eickelmann leads several major research initiatives including the National Research Center for the IEA Study ICILS 2023 (2021-2026), the German coordination of the Horizon-2020 project 'DigiGen' (2019-2022), and previous leadership of ICILS 2018 (2015-2021) and ICILS 2013 (2012-2015). She is actively involved in policy advising regarding digital education in Germany. She is a member of numerous scholarly organizations including the World Educational Research Association (since 2021), the Society for Empirical Educational Research (since 2016), and the German Society for Educational Science (since 2014), among others. Her work bridges academic research with practical implementation in schools through projects like 'Navigator Bildung Digitalisierung' and 'schultransformNEXT'.
Michael Muehlebach leads the independent Learning and Dynamical Systems research group at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Tuebingen, Germany. His interdisciplinary work bridges machine learning, dynamical systems theory, and control engineering to develop algorithms for cyber-physical systems with theoretical guarantees and practical implementations. Dr. Muehlebach received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from ETH Zurich in 2010 and 2013, specializing in robotics and control systems. He completed his Ph.D. at ETH's Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control under Prof. R. D'Andrea in 2018, followed by postdoctoral research with Prof. Michael I. Jordan at UC Berkeley. His research focuses on constrained optimization, reinforcement learning, and control theory with applications in robotics. He pioneered approaches that express constraints in terms of velocities rather than positions, enabling more efficient optimization algorithms. His work spans theoretical foundations to physical implementations, including the One-Wheel Cubli balancing robot and electromagnetic navigation systems. Recent publications reveal a strong trend toward physics-informed machine learning, particularly for robotics applications requiring real-time performance and safety guarantees. Dr. Muehlebach has received numerous prestigious awards: Outstanding D-MAVT Bachelor Award Willi-Studer prize for best Master's degree ETH Medal and HILTI prize for doctoral thesis Branco Weiss Fellowship (2018) Emmy Noether Fellowship (2020) Amazon Fellowship (2024) He actively mentors doctoral researchers including Hao Ma, Melis Ilayda Bal, and Onno Eberhard, with research supported by multiple grants. His group maintains strong collaborations with Bernhard Schölkopf's Empirical Inference group at the Max Planck Institute. The Learning and Dynamical Systems group develops innovative hardware and software platforms, including Floaty (a wind-harnessing flying robot), advanced electromagnetic navigation systems, and data-efficient learning methods for robotic table tennis. Their approach combines rigorous theoretical analysis with practical validation on physical systems, emphasizing the integration of known physical structure into machine learning algorithms to improve sample efficiency and ensure generalization.
Prof. Dr. Dirk Heckmann is a prominent academic and legal expert currently serving as a member of the Bavarian Institute for Digital Transformation (bidt) Board of Directors and holding the Chair of Digital Law and Security at the Technical University of Munich . As a constitutional lawyer and judge at the Bavarian Constitutional Court, he bridges legal expertise with digital policy through advisory roles in the Federal Government's Data Ethics Commission and the Chancellor's National IT Summit. In 2020, he established the TUM Center for Digital Public Services to advance legally sound, common-good-oriented digitalization. His research focuses on digital education , digital administration , and healthcare digitalization , with particular emphasis on legal certainty for digital systems . Recent projects like ReDiKo (Regulating Digital Communication Platforms) and AFFAIRE (AI Regulation for Examinations) highlight his commitment to evidence-based digital governance. He has authored the juris Practical Commentary on Internet Law since 2021, shaping Germany's digital legal discourse. Professor Heckmann actively engages in public debates about digital sovereignty and platform regulation , most notably at the 2025 Nuremberg Digital Festival where he will discuss open-source foundations for digital sovereignty. His work spans constitutional law , data ethics , and AI policy , with recent publications analyzing social media harassment, AI's impact on education, and digital violence legislation.
Elena Simperl is a Professor of Computer Science and Deputy Head of Department for Enterprise and Engagement at King's College London's Department of Informatics. She co-directs the King's Institute for Artificial Intelligence and serves as Director of Research for the Open Data Institute. As a Hans Fischer Senior Fellow at the Technical University of Munich's Institute for Advanced Study, she leads the Trustworthy Knowledge Graphs focus group and contributes to advancing human-centric AI research across European institutions. Professor Simperl obtained her doctoral degree in Computer Science from the Free University of Berlin and her diploma from the Technical University of Munich. Prior to joining King's, she held academic positions in Germany, Austria, and at the University of Southampton, and was a Turing Fellow. Her career trajectory demonstrates consistent leadership in bridging academic research with practical applications in data ecosystems. Her research sits at the critical intersection of AI and social computing, focusing on human-centric approaches to building sociotechnical systems that integrate data, algorithms, and human capabilities. She investigates how to make knowledge engineering more accessible, how to leverage collective intelligence for data quality improvement, and how to design participatory AI systems that address societal challenges like misinformation. Her work spans knowledge graphs, semantic technologies, crowdsourcing, and open data, with particular emphasis on the social dimensions of data-intensive systems and the governance frameworks needed for trustworthy AI deployment. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong evolution toward integrating large language models with traditional knowledge engineering practices while maintaining human oversight. There's a clear trajectory from foundational work on knowledge representation toward increasingly applied research addressing real-world challenges in media ecosystems, citizen science, and data governance, with growing attention to policy implications of AI technologies. Fellow of the British Computer Society Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts Hans Fischer Senior Fellow at TUM-IAS (2023) Ranked among top 100 most influential scholars in knowledge engineering of the last decade Included in Women in AI 2000 ranking Professor Simperl has led 14 major European and national research projects totaling millions in funding, including MediaFutures (a Horizon 2020 program tackling online misinformation), QROWD, ODINE, Data Pitch, and ACTION. She currently co-chairs the Croissant working group in ML Commons developing data standards for AI, and serves as president of the Semantic Web Science Association. Her research has directly influenced the development of data ecosystems supporting startups and citizen science initiatives across Europe, demonstrating exceptional ability to translate theoretical advances into practical impact. As Director of Research at the Open Data Institute, she oversees initiatives connecting data entrepreneurs with artists and civic organizations. Her leadership in the MediaFutures project established a data-driven innovation hub that supported 51 startups/SMEs and 43 artists through three open calls, creating a sustainable model for arts-technology collaborations addressing media challenges. Her work with the ODINE project helped create a European ecosystem for data-driven startups, demonstrating her commitment to building practical applications of open data principles.
Georg Martius is a Full Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Tübingen's Faculty of Science and a Max Planck Research Group Leader at the MPI for Intelligent Systems. Since April 2023, he has been a core member of the DFG-funded Cluster of Excellence 'Machine Learning: New Perspectives for Science,' which received extended funding through 2032 for its mission to integrate machine learning into fundamental scientific discovery processes. His academic foundation includes a PhD from the University of Göttingen and Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience (2005), a Diploma in Computer Science from the University of Leipzig (2003), and a visiting research period at the University of Edinburgh's Division of Informatics. Postdoctoral positions followed at the Max Planck Institutes for Dynamics and Self-Organization (Göttingen, 2009), Mathematics in the Sciences (Leipzig, 2010), and IST Austria (2015). Professor Martius's research pioneers the intersection of reinforcement learning, robotics, and tactile sensing, with emphasis on developing autonomous systems capable of natural locomotion, dexterous manipulation, and physical-world understanding. His work bridges theoretical machine learning with practical hardware applications, particularly in creating differentiable simulators, superresolution tactile sensors, and biologically plausible learning frameworks for robotic control. Analysis of his 2024-2025 publications reveals dominant trends in offline reinforcement learning (especially goal-conditioned and diversity-maximization techniques), object-centric representation learning for video understanding, and tactile sensing innovations. A strong thread connects foundation models to world model construction, while his work on differentiable physics engines enables precise collision handling and contact dynamics for real-world robotic control. His leadership roles include directing the Distributed Intelligence research team at Tübingen and contributing to major collaborative initiatives like the Real Robot Challenge and Myochallenge 2022. The Cluster of Excellence appointment represents recognition of his contributions to transforming scientific methodology through machine learning, particularly in automating hypothesis generation and experimental design. Current projects focus on integrating large-scale machine learning with embodied intelligence, advancing tactile perception systems like the Minsight vision-based sensor, and developing neuroplasticity-inspired approaches for robust out-of-distribution detection. His work directly impacts fields requiring physical interaction intelligence, from autonomous navigation to medical robotics, with emphasis on sample-efficient learning from limited real-world data.
Prof. Dr. Michael Gröschel is a Professor of Business Informatics at the Faculty of Computer Science, Mannheim University of Technology. His expertise spans Business Process Management (BPMN, Process Mining), Digital Transformation, and innovative Business Models. He teaches courses on BPM, project management, and e-business, often collaborating with industry clients through student projects. As a consultant, he specializes in BPMN training and IT-driven business strategy. His work emphasizes practical applications of IT tools like RPA and low-code platforms. Recent publications focus on RPA bot performance evaluation, AI in automotive trade, and business model-IT alignment. Prof. Gröschel’s research bridges academic insights with real-world challenges, particularly in leveraging technology for business innovation. He has authored books and articles on business intelligence tools, mobile business strategies, and digital customer care. His consulting services include executive coaching for academic career advancement and enterprise IT management best practices. Office: Building A, Room 007c | Phone: +49 621 292-6764 | Professional website available for further engagement opportunities.
Prof. Alexander Pretschner is a Professor of Software & Systems Engineering at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Founding Director of the Bavarian Research Institute for Digital Transformation (bidt). He also serves as Scientific Director of fortiss, a Bavarian research institute for software-intensive systems. His research focuses on software engineering, testing, information security, and ethical software development. Pretschner holds a PhD from TUM and has held academic positions at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and TU Kaiserslautern. He is a co-editor of several prestigious journals, including IEEE Transactions on Reliability and the Journal of Software Testing, Verification and Reliability. Education: PhD in Computer Science, Technical University of Munich MSc in Computer Science, University of Kansas (on Fulbright Scholarship) Diplom in Computer Science, RWTH Aachen University Research Interests: His work spans testing methodologies, secure software design, and ethical considerations in agile development. Notable contributions include frameworks for metamorphic testing, distributed data usage control, and accountability mechanisms for cyber-physical systems. Awards: IBM Faculty Award (2012, 2013) Google Focused Research Award (2011, 2012) EARTO Innovation Prize (2014) 2nd Platz Supervisory Award (2020) Advising & Grants: Pretschner has supervised numerous PhD and Master’s students, contributing to over 200 publications. He leads projects like EDAP (Ethical Deliberation in Agile Processes) and collaborates with industry partners on cybersecurity and AI ethics initiatives. Labs & Teams: His work is anchored in bidt, fortiss, and TUM’s Chair of Software & Systems Engineering, focusing on societal impacts of digitalization and trustworthy AI systems.
Sotirios Liaskos is an Associate Professor in the School of Information Technology at the Faculty of Science, York University. He is a leading researcher in requirements engineering and conceptual modeling, with a focus on goal models, empirical evaluation, and model-driven engineering. Research Interests: Requirements Engineering Goal and Conceptual Modeling Empirical Software Engineering Model-Driven Design and Automation Uncertainty and Decision-Theoretic Reasoning in Models Applications in Blockchain and Reinforcement Learning His recent work emphasizes the empirical validation of modeling constructs, the integration of decision theory into goal models, and the automated generation of secure workflows and AI training environments. He has led and co-authored numerous experimental studies on model comprehensibility and semantic quality. Publication Trends: His publications consistently appear in top venues like ER, RE, and iStar. The last five years show a strong trend toward empirical evaluation of modeling languages, decision-theoretic goal models, and applications of goal modeling in emerging domains such as blockchain and reinforcement learning simulation design. Scientific Contributions: Developed frameworks for empirical evaluation of modeling language ontologies (Peira framework). Advanced decision-theoretic approaches to goal modeling under uncertainty. Pioneered model-driven methods for generating blockchain simulators and reinforcement learning environments. Conducted foundational empirical studies on the comprehensibility of contribution links and visualization alternatives in goal models. Advising and Collaboration: He has advised several researchers including Ibrahim Jaouhar, Wisal Tambosi, Mehrnaz Zhian, and Saba Zarbaf. He maintains a highly collaborative research profile with frequent co-authorship with John Mylopoulos, Shakil M. Khan, and other international researchers. He has served as a co-editor for multiple iStar workshop proceedings, indicating leadership in the goal-oriented requirements engineering community. Labs and Teams: While no specific lab name is mentioned, his work is closely associated with research groups focused on requirements engineering and conceptual modeling, likely within York University’s software engineering research cluster. His collaborations span institutions in Canada, Europe, and beyond.
Leo Schwinn is a Lecturer at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) within the Department of Computer Science (I26), working in the Data Analytics and Machine Learning group supervised by Prof. Stephan Günnemann at the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology. His research focuses on robust machine learning with particular emphasis on data-efficient learning and robustness vulnerabilities of Large Language Models (LLMs). Dr. Schwinn's research interests span multiple critical areas in contemporary machine learning including: Robustness against adversarial attacks in LLMs Embedding space vulnerabilities and defenses Model unlearning and privacy preservation Efficient training methodologies for large models Time-series forecasting with probabilistic frameworks Graph-based machine learning approaches His work bridges theoretical understanding with practical security implications of modern AI systems. Analysis of his recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a strong focus on LLM security, with multiple papers accepted at premier conferences including ICML, CVPR, ICLR, and NeurIPS. His research demonstrates consistent innovation in identifying novel attack vectors while developing practical defense mechanisms, particularly through embedding space manipulation techniques. The work shows increasing sophistication in handling both theoretical aspects of model robustness and practical deployment concerns. His notable scientific achievements include: Receiving the ATE dissertation price for his PhD work at FAU Securing an oral presentation at ICLR 2025 Organizing the ICLR BlogPost Track Becoming a member of ELLIS (European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems) Dr. Schwinn has served as review process chair for the 2024 Conference on Lifelong Learning Agents (CoLLAs) and actively collaborates with researchers at Mila Quebec AI Institute. His research group at TUM focuses on addressing fundamental challenges in machine learning robustness, particularly as they apply to real-world deployment scenarios where security and reliability are paramount. He maintains active GitHub repositories related to LLM security research, including circuit-breakers-eval and LLM_Embedding_Attack, demonstrating his commitment to open science and reproducible research in the field of AI security.
Michael Mühlebach is a Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Tübingen, Germany, leading the independent Learning and Dynamical Systems group. His academic journey began at ETH Zurich where he earned his B.Sc. (2010) and M.Sc. (2013) in mechanical engineering, specializing in robotics, systems, and control. He completed his Ph.D. at ETH Zurich in 2018 under Prof. R. D'Andrea, followed by postdoctoral research at UC Berkeley with Prof. Michael I. Jordan. Dr. Mühlebach's research spans machine learning, dynamical systems, control theory, and optimization . His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications in robotics, developing methods that incorporate physical constraints and system dynamics into learning frameworks. His group focuses on online learning, physics-informed machine learning, and large-scale optimization for cyber-physical systems, with applications in electromagnetic navigation, robotic table tennis, and energy-efficient flight systems like the shape-changing robot Floaty . His publication record shows a strong focus on constrained optimization, with recent work exploring decision-dependent stochastic optimization, nonlinear feedback, and the theoretical foundations of reinforcement learning. His research integrates perspectives from control theory, dynamical systems, and optimization to develop algorithms with strong theoretical guarantees and practical performance. Outstanding D-MAVT Bachelor Award Willi-Studer prize for best Master's degree ETH Medal and HILTI prize for doctoral thesis Branco Weiss Fellow (2018) Emmy Noether Fellowship (2020) Amazon Fellowship (2024) Dr. Mühlebach actively mentors doctoral researchers and is seeking talented students for PhD and Master's projects. His research group has received funding from multiple prestigious fellowships and maintains collaborations across institutions including ETH Zurich, UC Berkeley, and various Max Planck research units. The group's work spans theoretical developments to practical implementations on robotic systems, demonstrating strong connections between mathematical theory and physical realization.
Ulrik Schroeder is a Universitätsprofessor (Full Professor) at RWTH Aachen University, leading the Chair of Learning Technologies within the Faculty of Computer Science. His research focuses on the intersection of educational technology, learning analytics, and immersive technologies with particular emphasis on practical implementations in higher education settings. Professor Schroeder's research spans multiple interconnected domains in educational technology. His primary interests include Learning Analytics implementation (particularly using xAPI standards), Virtual Reality applications for education, Open Educational Resources development and conversion, and gamification approaches for programming education. He has developed several notable tools including convOERter for OER conversion, WebWriter for creating explorable explanations, and various xAPI-based learning analytics infrastructures. His work consistently bridges theoretical frameworks with practical educational applications, often focusing on computer science education contexts. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong trend toward integrating Learning Analytics with immersive technologies, particularly Virtual Reality environments. His research demonstrates a systematic approach to educational technology development, with emphasis on scalability, interoperability through standards like xAPI, and practical implementation in real educational settings. The work increasingly focuses on personalized learning paths, quality assurance for educational resources, and privacy-conscious data collection. Co-editor of 21. Fachtagung Bildungstechnologien (DELFI) (2023) Co-editor of Hochschuldidaktik der Informatik HDI 2018 Co-editor of DeLFI 2018 conference proceedings Professor Schroeder has supervised numerous doctoral and postdoctoral researchers who frequently appear as co-authors on his publications, indicating an active research group. His projects often involve interdisciplinary collaborations across computer science, education, and psychology. Current major initiatives include the AIStudyBuddy project for study path analysis and the development of VR classroom simulations for teacher training. His research group, the Learning Technologies Innovation Lab, develops open research tools that support various aspects of educational technology research and implementation.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ahmad Osman is a Professor at the Saarland University of Applied Sciences (htw saar), specializing in Test Technologies and Test Methods within the Faculty of Engineering. He also holds an Adjunct Professor position at Laval University in Quebec, Canada, in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. His research focuses on Artificial Intelligence applications in Signal and Image Processing for Non-destructive Testing (NDT) , with extensive work on Deep Learning , 3D Ultrasound Tomography , and Sensor Data Fusion in industrial contexts. Engineering Artificial Intelligence Signal Processing Image Processing Non-destructive Testing Quality Control Augmented Reality Osman leads the AutomaTiQ research group and serves as Head of the Algorithms/Signal and Data Processing Department at Fraunhofer IZFP . His recent publications (2017–2022) emphasize Deep Learning for defect detection in CFRP , Terahertz Imaging for artwork diagnostics, and Acoustic Sensors for agricultural quality control. He has organized international conferences on Structural Health Monitoring and contributed to Springer books on NDT technologies. His projects include ComforTex-AI (2024) and development of 3D positioners for ultrasound measurements. Collaborations span institutions in Germany, Canada, Italy, and Brazil, with advisory roles in the German Society for NDT and technical committees for conferences in Montreal and Egypt.
