Andrew Neal is a Professor of International Security and Director of Postgraduate Research Programmes at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Social and Political Science. His research focuses on critical security studies, parliamentary security politics, and the evolution of security discourse. He leads the National Security and Defence Documents Dataset (1987–2024), analyzing global security priorities across 119 countries. Education: BA (Hons) in Politics from Lancaster University PhD in Politics from Keele University Research Interests: Security policy communication and transparency Non-traditional security threats Global North-South security dynamics Parliamentary roles in security governance Grants & Projects: Funded by the Scottish Council on Global Affairs, BA/Leverhulme, and FCDO Current projects include a history of security threats and green energy transition challenges Labs/Teams: Directs the National Security and Defence Documents Dataset project, a collaborative open-access resource.
Pierre Paillé serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Preschool and Primary Education at the Faculty of Education, where he specializes in qualitative research methodologies and their application across educational and social contexts. His academic leadership focuses on advancing methodological rigor in interpretive research traditions. His educational foundation includes: Ph.D. in Foundations of Education from Université de Montréal (1992) M.A. in Educational Sciences from Université de Sherbrooke (1988) B.Sc. in Anthropology from Université de Montréal (1986) Professor Paillé's research centers on qualitative analysis in humanities and social sciences, with particular expertise in hermeneutics and grounded theory. He examines interpretive frameworks for understanding lived experiences, methodological innovation in data collection, and epistemological foundations of qualitative inquiry. His work bridges theoretical rigor with practical applications across diverse fields. His publication trends reveal sustained methodological contributions through 15+ recent articles, showing evolution from foundational methodological texts toward interdisciplinary applications in health sciences and social work. Notable patterns include increasing collaboration in medical education research and expansion into palliative care contexts while maintaining core focus on qualitative epistemology. Through extensive book chapters and editorial work including dictionaries of qualitative methods, he has shaped disciplinary terminology and standards. His collaborative projects with healthcare researchers demonstrate methodological adaptability while his textbook co-authorship has educated generations of scholars in qualitative traditions.
Dr. Mellinee Lesley is a Professor in the Language, Diversity & Literacy Studies program at Texas Tech University's College of Education. She serves as Associate Vice Provost for Outreach and Engagement, leading the Community Engaged Learning initiative. Previously, she worked as a high school English teacher and directed a developmental reading program. Ph.D. in Language in Education, Reading/Writing/Literacy from University of Pennsylvania M.A. in English, Rhetoric and Teaching of Composition from New Mexico State University B.A. in English from University of Iowa Her research focuses on critical literacy , disciplinary writing , and equity in education , particularly for marginalized student populations. She explores intersections of media literacies , gender identity , and literacy reform in K-12 settings. Recent publications highlight trends in adolescent writing pedagogy , critical media frameworks , and community-engaged scholarship . Her work bridges high-stakes testing contexts with student-centered literacy approaches . Community Engagement Scholarship Award for Exemplary Projects (APLU/W.K. Kellogg Foundation) Fellow of the National Writing Project Dr. Lesley mentors graduate students in engaged scholarship and examines the democratization of knowledge through collaborative research methodologies . She co-founded the Llano Estacado Writers' Alliance to support equitable literacy practices.
Dr. Konstantin Aal is a researcher at the Department of Business Informatics and New Media within the Faculty of Information Systems and New Media at the University of Siegen, Germany. Having joined the university in 2012 after completing his studies in Business Informatics there, Dr. Aal has established himself as a prominent researcher at the intersection of technology, social activism, and human-computer interaction. Dr. Aal's educational background is rooted in Business Informatics at the University of Siegen, where he also completed his major dissertation on the social platform come_NET and its use by children as part of the come_IN project. His academic journey reflects a consistent focus on the social implications of technology. His research interests span several critical areas in contemporary socio-technical studies. Dr. Aal investigates how social media platforms are used in political conflicts and activism, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa region, with specific attention to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and content moderation practices. He also explores human-technology interaction in contexts of aging and dementia care, human-wildlife conflict, and the digital transformation of rural communities. His work consistently emphasizes participatory design approaches, ethical considerations in technology development, and the importance of cultural sensitivity in global technology deployments. Dr. Aal's publication record shows a strong trajectory of impactful research, with particular emphasis on understanding how marginalized communities appropriate technology for their needs. His recent work on the "PlurAIverse" concept expands design paradigms for artificial intelligence to be more inclusive and culturally sensitive, while his ethnographic work in conflict zones reveals critical insights about digital activism under surveillance. Member of the research team for iStoppFalls (fall prevention for elderly) Contributor to multiple EU-funded projects on digital inclusion and socio-informatics Active participant in the Socio-Informatics research program at the University of Siegen Dr. Aal's work bridges theoretical insights with practical applications, often developing technologies in close collaboration with community stakeholders. His approach emphasizes "grounded design" - developing technological solutions that emerge from deep understanding of local practices and needs.
Brian Smith is a Chair and Professor of Integrated Marketing Communications at the University of Mississippi , where he focuses on the intersection of public relations, social media, and strategic communication. His work emphasizes crisis communication, digital engagement, and the evolving role of practitioners in integrated environments. Education B.A. in Humanities, Brigham Young University (2001) M.A. in International Relations, Brigham Young University (2001) Ph.D. in Communications, University of Maryland-College Park (2009) Brian’s research spans social media dynamics, influencer marketing, and communication integration. He investigates how organizations navigate crises through digital interactivity, develops frameworks for empowering marginalized populations, and explores AI’s impact on communication practices. His recent publications highlight trends in digital advocacy , strategic empowerment , and technology-driven communication . Articles from 2025 examine citizen science approaches, AI ethics, and interviewer protocols for vulnerable groups, while earlier works establish theoretical foundations for integrated communication and PR’s expanding role. As a faculty member, Brian contributes to advancing public relations education and practice through empirical studies on relationship management, brand ambassador dynamics, and social media’s transformative potential.
Morgan Klaus Scheuerman is a Research Scientist at Sony AI's AI Ethics team and a Visiting Scholar at the University of Colorado Boulder's Department of Information Science. He holds a PhD in Information Science from CU Boulder, supported by a Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship. His research focuses on AI ethics, responsible AI, and the sociotechnical implications of identity representations in machine learning infrastructures, particularly concerning marginalized identities. Education: PhD in Information Science (CU Boulder, 2021), advised by Jed Brubaker in the Identity Lab. Prior roles include postdoctoral associate and internships at Google's Ethical AI, Meta's Community Integrity, and Microsoft's Responsible AI teams. Research interests include data curation, infrastructure studies, and the real-world impacts of ML systems on gender and race. Notable contributions include analyses of facial analysis algorithms' biases and dataset politics in computer vision. Awards include multiple Best Paper Awards at CHI and CSCW conferences, and recognition for diversity and inclusion in research. His work emphasizes ethical traceability in datasets and the societal implications of AI technologies.
Rik Wehrens is an Assistant Professor at Erasmus MC in the Department of Dermatology and Associate Professor in the Health Care Governance (HCG) group at the Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management. His work bridges health policy, qualitative research, and science and technology studies (STS), focusing on collaborative structures in public health and healthcare innovation. Assistant Professor, Erasmus MC – Dermatology Associate Professor, Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management – Health Care Governance Education: Bachelor of Arts and Culture, University of Maastricht Research Master in Cultures of Arts, Science and Technology (CAST), Maastricht University PhD, defended March 1, 2013, on Academic Collaborative Centers for Public Health Rik Wehrens’ research focuses on the coordination between researchers, policymakers, and healthcare professionals in collaborative settings. He employs theoretical frameworks such as boundary organizations, Mode 2 science, communities of practice, and Goffman’s front-stage/back-stage dynamics. His work contributes to understanding how evidence is translated into practice and how values are negotiated in healthcare governance. He has a strong emphasis on qualitative methodologies and interdisciplinary approaches. His recent publications explore themes such as value complexity in healthcare, legitimacy in health technology, scaling eHealth innovations, patient waiting experiences in breast cancer care, and methodological reflections on qualitative research. These works demonstrate a consistent focus on the social, ethical, and organizational dimensions of healthcare, particularly in the Dutch context. Scientific Contributions: Extensive research on Academic Collaborative Centers for Public Health (ACCs) Development and application of the Imitation Game method to understand patient experiences Analysis of policy experiments and value conflicts in healthcare Contributions to knowledge translation and epistemic practices in health Rik Wehrens has supervised several academic projects and contributed to key datasets on policy experiments and elderly care perspectives. His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health and well-being, emphasizing equity, innovation, and governance in healthcare systems.
Anders Kristian Munk is a Professor at DTU Management, Technical University of Denmark, based in the Department of Technology, Management and Economics within the Division for Technology and Business Studies. His research focuses on the critical intersection of technology and society through Science and Technology Studies (STS) and advanced digital methodologies. His primary research domains include: Generative AI integration in social research Digital methods development (notably data sprints) Controversy mapping of sociotechnical issues Computational ethnography and network analysis Critical examination of data imaginaries Urban studies through computational visual methods Recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate a strategic pivot toward generative AI applications, with significant contributions in developing AI-native research frameworks like synthetic interlocutors and irreductionist mapping. His work uniquely bridges STS theory with practical tool development, exemplified by Gephisto for critical network analysis. Key application areas span public health (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease trend analysis in Africa), cultural industries (film audience analytics), and urban studies (pandemic place attachments). Prof. Munk co-developed the data sprint methodology for collaborative controversy mapping and has contributed to major projects including Climaps and EMAPS. His interdisciplinary approach combines social science rigor with computational innovation through partnerships across computer science, design, and domain-specific fields. Current work emphasizes ethical AI integration and methodological adaptation for complex sociotechnical challenges.
Professor Natasha Mauthner is a faculty member at Newcastle University specializing in qualitative research, feminist methodologies, and posthumanist theory. Her work critically examines research ethics, data sharing practices, and material-discursive frameworks across social inquiry. Her research spans qualitative methodology, feminist epistemology, and posthumanist philosophy, with seminal contributions to diffractive methodologies and reconfigurations of the Listening Guide. Key applications include family practices, mental health (particularly postpartum depression), technology-society interactions, and cross-cultural studies of female entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia. Recent work emphasizes ethical challenges in open qualitative research with marginalized populations. Analysis of her 2018-2025 publications reveals consistent application of posthumanist frameworks to reconfigure research ethics and data practices. She bridges theoretical innovation (e.g., Karen Barad's agential realism) with methodological guidance for vulnerable populations, addressing tensions between data sharing imperatives and contextual integrity in big data eras. No scientific awards were documented in the provided sources. Information regarding student advising, research grants, or laboratory affiliations was not specified in the available texts, though her methodological leadership suggests significant mentorship influence.
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen is a Professor of Reproductive Health at Bournemouth University’s Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health within the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences . He leads interdisciplinary research projects focused on public health, particularly in Nepal and Bangladesh, addressing health systems during federalization, violence against women with disabilities, drowning prevention, and maternal health. Affiliation: Bournemouth University, Far Western University (Nepal), Mahatma Gandhi University (India) Research Themes: Interdisciplinary research, health systems in low-income countries, qualitative methodologies Research Highlights: His work includes studies on Nepal’s federal health system, cross-sectional analyses of violence against women, and community-led drowning prevention in Bangladesh. He has contributed to methodological papers on positionality and interdisciplinary collaboration. Scientific Leadership: He chairs sessions on funding and grant writing and has co-authored highly cited papers in journals like Journal of Advanced Nursing and Midwifery . Training & Mentorship: He supervises PhD students and advocates for integrated theses. His collaborations span institutions in the UK, Nepal, Bangladesh, and India.
Susan McCracken is a Professor in the Department of Accounting at McMaster University's DeGroote School of Business, where she also serves as Associate Dean of Academics and Director of the CPA/DeGroote Centre for the Promotion of Accounting Education and Research. Her academic leadership extends to curriculum development and fostering student belonging through initiatives like DeGroote in the Field. Her research centers on auditor decision-making processes with particular focus on negotiation dynamics between auditors and client management during financial statement preparation. Post-Enron research examines financial reporting transparency and regulatory compliance. Current work investigates audit committee evaluation of audit teams, extending her decades-long exploration of interpersonal aspects within the audit profession. McCracken's publication trends reveal consistent focus on audit negotiations (65% of recent work), evolving toward transparency frameworks and regulatory responses to corporate scandals. Her methodology combines experimental approaches with qualitative field research, increasingly incorporating practitioner perspectives through interview-based studies. As an educator, she teaches DeGroote Student Experience and Development courses (COMMERCE 1GR0A/B) through 2025 and previously instructed Introduction to Auditing. Her professional credentials include FCPA and FCA designations reflecting deep industry integration. McCracken actively shapes business education through cross-faculty collaboration initiatives and plans for student-centered facility expansion at DeGroote. Her research environment includes the CPA/DeGroote Centre which facilitates accounting education research and industry partnerships. Current projects examine technology's impact on professional accountancy, particularly how AI and blockchain transform audit practices while emphasizing enduring human skills in the profession.
Associate Professor Rosalie Holian holds a position in the Management Department at RMIT University's City Campus. Her research focuses on organizational psychology, future of work dynamics, ethical decision-making, and leadership practices. She is actively involved in action research methodologies, particularly exploring insider perspectives within organizations. Her teaching interests span organizational psychology, change management, and research methodologies. Research interests include multigenerational workforce dynamics, ethical challenges in insider research, and leadership-as-practice frameworks. She has contributed to over 18 peer-reviewed publications since 2002, emphasizing topics like workplace aging, ethical dilemmas in organizational settings, and participatory action research strategies. Notable contributions include work on covenantal ethics in research and redefining retirement paradigms for older workers. Prof. Holian is a member of the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP), contributing to Divisions focused on Work & Organizational Psychology, Education & School Psychology, and Professional Practice. She is open to supervising Masters and PhD candidates in relevant fields. While no specific grants or awards are listed, her work consistently addresses practical organizational challenges through rigorous academic inquiry. Her research outputs demonstrate a sustained engagement with ethical considerations in management, action research methodologies, and bridging theoretical knowledge with applied organizational practices.
Heidi Janne Dombestein serves as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Quality and Health Technology at the University of Stavanger's Faculty of Health Sciences, where she conducts critical research through the SHARE - Center for Resilience in Healthcare. Her work bridges theoretical resilience frameworks with practical healthcare implementation, focusing on systemic safety and caregiver dynamics. Her research expertise centers on resilience engineering in healthcare systems , with specialized investigations into risk perception within homecare settings and motivational sustainability for dementia caregivers. Through mixed-methods approaches, she examines how healthcare professionals and families navigate complex care environments, developing tools for translating resilience theory into actionable practice. Recent work emphasizes stakeholder mapping and patient-family involvement as core components of adaptive healthcare systems. Analysis of her publication trajectory (2015-2025) reveals a strategic evolution from foundational studies on caregiver motivation toward sophisticated systemic resilience frameworks. Current projects demonstrate increasing sophistication in operationalizing resilience through learning tools, policy translation, and multi-organizational stakeholder engagement, reflecting growing influence in healthcare quality improvement. Dombestein actively contributes to the SHARE Center's mission through annual reports, workshop facilitation (including Resilience in Healthcare Society meetings), and knowledge dissemination initiatives. Her collaborative approach spans Norwegian homecare services, international conferences, and national caregiver strategy development, positioning her at the forefront of resilience implementation research.
Dr. Pilar Rojas Gaviria is an Associate Professor in Marketing at the Department of Marketing, Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham. Her interdisciplinary research combines qualitative and arts-based methodologies to explore consumer behavior, embodiment, and social responsibility. Education: PhD in Economics and Management - Marketing, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, 2012 MSc in Management Science (Hons), Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, 2005 MsA (Hons) in Philosophy, Louvain la Neuve, 2003 BA (Hons) in Management, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, 1999 Her research focuses on embodied methodologies such as poetising and dance, drawing from sociology, literature, and philosophy to examine consumer experiences. She aims to foster a more equitable and responsible world through critical inquiry and unlearning. Her recent publications explore affective atmospheres, decolonial perspectives in academia, menopause in the workplace, and poetic representations in research. The trends in her scholarly output reveal a strong commitment to innovative qualitative methods, interdisciplinary frameworks, and socially responsible marketing. Her work frequently appears in leading journals such as the Journal of Consumer Research , Annals of Tourism Research , and European Journal of Marketing . Scientific Awards: Marketing Educator of the Year Award – Women in Marketing Global Teaching Excellence Award – The Marketing Academy, UK Outstanding Teaching Award – Birmingham Business School Dr. Rojas Gaviria serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Marketing Management and is on the editorial boards of Marketing Theory and Journal of Customer Behaviour . She is co-editing special issues on poetics in consumer research and body-consumption connections. She has developed innovative teaching methods in collaboration with the Birmingham Royal Ballet and serves as External Examiner for the MSc in Marketing and Creativity at ESCP, London. She is also Deputy Chair for Arts-based Methodologies for the Arts, Heritage, Non-Profit, and Social Marketing SIG at the Academy of Marketing. She has held prior academic positions at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Esan Graduate School of Business (Peru), Solvay Brussels School, and The Ecole des Arts (Belgium), before joining the University of Birmingham in 2019.
Dr. Iker Zirion Landa is a Professor of Public International Law at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) , where he also serves as faculty member at the Department of Public Law and Historical-Legal Sciences and of Political Thought History . As a researcher at Hegoa Institute for Development and International Cooperation Studies, he leads the Feminism and Conflict research group. PhD in International Studies Specialist in gender analysis within peacebuilding Expert on Democratic Republic of the Congo post-conflict dynamics Research Interests span critical peace studies, feminist international law, gendered power structures in humanitarian action, and the intersection of masculinity studies with post-conflict reintegration. His work problematizes the liberal peace paradigm while emphasizing voluntary simplicity , empathetic legal frameworks , and transformative justice mechanisms . Recent scientific contributions focus on gender analysis in DDR programs, feminist approaches to transitional justice, and critical evaluations of international legal frameworks for sexual violence protection in conflict zones. Current projects examine masculinity transformation in humanitarian contexts and gender-sensitive policy implementation across African Great Lakes region.
