Dr. Yaron Meron is a Lecturer and researcher in design at the University of Sydney's School of Architecture, Design and Planning. He holds a PhD (RMIT, Melbourne) and two Master's degrees (RMIT, Central St Martins). His work bridges academic research and professional practice, focusing on graphic and communication design, socially engaged design, AI integration, and responsible design thinking. Meron’s research explores interdisciplinary challenges, design collaboration, and the societal impact of emerging technologies like AI. He coordinates the Civic & Social Design Research Group. Educations: PhD in Design (RMIT University, Melbourne) MA in Design (RMIT University, Melbourne) MA in Communication Design (Central Saint Martins, London) Research Interests: Graphic design as an interdisciplinary practice Artificial intelligence in design education and practice Media literacy and defamiliarisation techniques Socially engaged design methodologies Design briefs and stakeholder relationships Articles & Trends: Recent publications emphasize AI's role in design education, speculative urban futures, and critical design approaches to media literacy. His work frequently intersects with pedagogy, ethics, and technology’s societal implications. Labs/Teams: Coordinator of the Civic & Social Design Research Group, fostering collaborative projects on responsible design and interdisciplinary innovation.
Andrea Korda, PhD (University of California, Santa Barbara), is an Associate Professor of Fine Arts & Humanities and Associate Dean (Research) at the Augustana Campus of the University of Alberta. Her academic career bridges art history, material culture studies, and pedagogical innovation. Educations: BA in Fine Arts, Queen's University MA in Art History, Concordia University PhD in Art History, University of California, Santa Barbara Research Focus: Dr. Korda specializes in 19th-century visual and material culture, with a focus on education's visual dimensions, children's literature, and community-engaged projects like the award-winning Crafting Communities initiative. She co-curated the virtual exhibition Photographies (Bruce Peel Special Collections) and explores hands-on learning through historical crafts. Teaching: Courses include modern art history (AUART 220), photography theory (AUART 225), and special topics in visual culture (AUART 382). She emphasizes experiential learning and digital humanities integration, as seen in her work with the Getty Museum Challenge and OER projects. Collaborations: Leads interdisciplinary teams on projects like Crafting Communities , blending scholarship with public engagement. Her research bridges historical methodologies with contemporary pedagogical practices, fostering connections between academia and communities.
Professor Andrew Chadwick is a leading scholar in political communication and digital media studies at Loughborough University, where he directs the Online Civic Culture Centre (O3C). He holds a BSocSc from Birmingham, MSc and PhD from the London School of Economics. His research focuses on hybrid media systems, disinformation dynamics, and digital politics. Key contributions include conceptualizing hybrid media events and analyzing misinformation in personal messaging platforms. His work has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the APSA Best Book Award. He supervises numerous PhD students exploring topics like social media influence, public opinion, and digital disinformation. Current projects include the Leverhulme-funded Everyday Misinformation Project examining numerical disinformation on messaging apps. His media engagements span BBC Radio 4 to The Washington Post. Research highlights include studies on misinformation warnings' ineffectiveness, vaccine hesitancy, and the role of celebrities in political representation. O3C serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research on digital civic culture. Chadwick’s academic leadership includes roles in editorial boards for top journals and international conference keynotes.
Prof. Mark Heitmann is a Professor of Marketing & Customer Insight at the University of Hamburg Business School. He holds a visiting appointment at Nova School of Business and Economics. His research focuses on AI-driven marketing strategies, social media analytics, brand equity, and consumer decision-making. He has held academic roles at institutions including the University of St. Gallen and Christian-Albrechts-University in Kiel before joining Hamburg in 2011. Academic Career: Holds a PhD (2004) and post-doctoral Habilitation (2007) from the University of St. Gallen. Visiting researcher at Columbia University and the Max Planck Institute for Human Development. Research Interests: Applications of artificial intelligence in marketing Social media and digital transformation Ethical consumer behavior Brand self-expression and visual design Marketing technology (MarTech) innovations Key Achievements: Over 20 peer-reviewed publications in top journals like Journal of Marketing Research and Harvard Business Review . Award-winning research includes the MSI/H. Paul Root Award and IJRM-EMAC Best Article Award. Active in translating research into scalable commercial solutions through software-as-a-service ventures. Team & Collaborations: Leads a research team including M.Sc. candidates Sammar Rath, Julia Rosada, Maximilian Witte, Tijmen Jansen, Claus Hegmann-Napp, and Magdalena Heynicke. Engages in interdisciplinary projects with industry partners.
Nicholas Wiltsher is an Associate Professor at the Department of Philosophy; Aesthetics at Uppsala University since 2019. His research focuses on aesthetics, philosophy of mind, and race/gender studies, exploring topics like imagination's role in art, gender norms in aesthetics, and electronic dance music's philosophical dimensions. He holds a PhD from the University of Miami and has held academic roles at institutions including Antwerp, Auburn, Porto Alegre, and Leeds. Education: PhD in Philosophy from the University of Miami. Previous affiliations include universities in Antwerp, Auburn, Porto Alegre, and Leeds. Research interests include: the interplay between art and imagination, aesthetic norms and gender, expression theory, philosophy of race and gender, and electronic dance music aesthetics. He critiques traditional disciplinary boundaries in aesthetics and advocates for interdisciplinary approaches. His recent publications (2023–2025) emphasize imagination's epistemic role, the aesthetic constitution of gender identities, and critiques of additive imagination theories. Earlier work (2016–2019) addressed electronic dance music's cultural ontology and Collingwood's expression theory. Awards: No scientific awards explicitly listed. Grants and advising: No grants or student advisees explicitly mentioned in sources. Labs/Teams: No specific research groups or labs mentioned, though his work engages interdisciplinary collaborations in aesthetics and cultural philosophy.
Clare Harris serves as Professor of Visual Anthropology and Head of the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography at the University of Oxford, concurrently holding curatorship of Asian Collections at the Pitt Rivers Museum and a Fellowship at Magdalen College. Her academic leadership spans institutional administration, museum curation, and doctoral supervision within Oxford's anthropological ecosystem. Her educational foundation includes a BA from the University of Cambridge and MA/doctorate from SOAS, University of London. Early career roles comprised Lecturer in Anthropology of Art at the University of East Anglia (1994-1998) before her Oxford appointment. Harris pioneers research at the intersection of visual anthropology, Tibetan studies, and museum decolonization. Her work critically examines Himalayan visual culture, colonial/post-colonial photography, and museum representation politics, evolving toward digital repatriation and community-centered curation. She integrates anthropological fieldwork (conducted in Tibetan diaspora communities since the 1990s) with art historical analysis and archival research. Her 13 recent publications (2004-2022) reveal a progressive trajectory from Tibetan art history toward urgent museum decolonization debates, with consistent focus on photographic practices and cross-cultural representation. Key thematic developments include the shift from historical analysis to active digital repatriation projects and increased engagement with contemporary artists. Harris's accolades include: Fellowship of the British Academy (2019) E. Gene Smith Prize for The Museum on the Roof of the World (2014) Visual Anthropology Prize for In the Image of Tibet (2000) She currently supervises five DPhil students while examining over 25 completed doctorates globally. Research funding spans British Academy personal grants, Leverhulme Trust support, and major collaborative projects including AHRC, Wenner-Gren Foundation, and EU grants—most notably the current AHRC-funded Decolonising the Museum: Digital Repatriation of the Gaidinliu Collection . At the Pitt Rivers Museum, Harris leads high-impact curatorial initiatives including the Abramović collaboration ( Gates and Portals ), Nyema Droma's Performing Tibetan Identities , and community projects like My Tibet Museum , establishing innovative frameworks for museum-public engagement.
Felicity McArdle is a Professor in the Department of Early Childhood Education within the Faculty of Education at Queensland University of Technology. With a distinguished career spanning over two decades, her work centers on reimagining early childhood pedagogy through critical lenses of social justice, art education, and play-based learning. Her research has significantly influenced Australian early childhood policy and practice. McArdle's research interests demonstrate a consistent commitment to transformative education. She critically examines how art and play function as vehicles for social justice, challenging neoliberal discourses in early childhood education. Her work on refugee children's artistic expression and anti-bias curriculum development reveals her dedication to equity-oriented pedagogy. Through collaborative drawing methodologies and visual research approaches, she has pioneered innovative ways of understanding children's perspectives. Her publication trends reveal a sophisticated evolution from foundational work on visual arts in education (2001-2010) toward increasingly critical examinations of power, policy, and social justice (2011-2021). The consistent citation impact of her work—particularly her 2002 paper 'Early Childhood Art Education: A Palimpsest' with over 13,000 citations—demonstrates her field-defining contributions to reconceptualizing art education as critical praxis. McArdle has held significant editorial roles including co-editing the influential 2013 volume 'Young Children, Pedagogy and the Arts' and serving on the editorial board of Australian Journal of Early Childhood. Her collaborations with leading scholars like Susan Grieshaber, Jennifer Sumsion, and Linda Knight have produced seminal work on intentional teaching and play-based learning. Her research methodology expertise centers on visual and arts-based approaches, particularly collaborative drawing techniques that engage children as active research participants. This methodological innovation reflects her commitment to ethical research practices that honor children's agency while generating meaningful insights about early childhood experiences.
Andreas Eklund is an Assistant Professor in the Marketing Department at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL). He holds a Ph.D. in Marketing from Linnaeus University (Sweden), specializing in consumer psychology, and a Master’s degree from Lund University (Sweden). His research focuses on sensory marketing, branding, and service-dominant logic, exploring how sensory cues influence consumer behavior and brand experiences. He has taught courses on branding, consumer behavior, and marketing strategy at universities in Sweden, Norway, and the U.S. Education: Ph.D. in Marketing (Consumer Psychology), Linnaeus University, Sweden M.Sc. in Marketing, Lund University, Sweden Research Interests: Sensory marketing and its intersection with branding Multi-sensory consumer experiences in automotive and retail environments Experiential marketing and value proposition design Congruency theories in brand-consumer relationships Teaching: Recent courses include MKT351 (Principles of Marketing), MKT362 (Consumer Behavior), and MBA755 (Advanced Marketing) Focuses on experiential learning and real-world marketing applications Professional Background: Prior career as a chef informs his sensory marketing research Experience in Scandinavian universities before joining UWL Personal Interests: Outdoor activities (disc golf, ice skating) Swedish salt licorice enthusiast Manchester United football fan
Laura Vaughan is Professor of Urban Form and Society and Director of the Space Syntax Lab at The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London. Her research examines the relationship between urban form and society using space syntax methodologies, addressing critical urban challenges including spatial inequalities, health disparities, poverty, housing, and socioeconomic vitality. She maintains active policy engagement through memberships in the West Yorkshire Scientific Advisory Group and as Chair of the International Space Syntax Executive Committee. Education includes: Doctor of Philosophy, University of London (1995-1999) Master of Science, University of London (1992-1994) Bachelor of Design, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design (1985-1989) Her research integrates space syntax methodology with urban geography and architecture to analyze how spatial configurations influence social patterns. Key interests include the historical evolution of urban segregation mechanisms, morphological predictors of community vitality, and geospatial determinants of public health outcomes. She maintains cross-disciplinary collaborations spanning public health, history, anthropology, and urban planning. Publication trends show consistent focus on urban morphology's societal impacts, with recent work emphasizing longitudinal health studies, historical cartography, and high street resilience. Methodological innovations include developing individual-level environmental exposure metrics and integrating geospatial analysis with cohort studies. Research consistently demonstrates how spatial configurations mediate social processes across temporal scales. Scientific recognition includes: Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (elected 2005) Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (elected 2015) As Director of the Space Syntax Lab, she leads research on socio-spatial systems and advises PhD students. She teaches the 'Urban Form and Society' module in the MSc/MRes Space Syntax program, exploring urban design's relationship with crime, health, and inequality. Her pedagogical approach emphasizes integrating research with design practice and historical analysis.
Neil Selwyn is a Professor in the Faculty of Education at Monash University with over 30 years of research experience focusing on the integration of digital technology into educational settings. His work centers on the 'real-life' constraints and problems faced when implementing technology-based education, with expertise in AI, automation, data-driven education, and digital degrowth. His primary research interests span digital technology and society, the use of digital technologies in educational settings, digital sociology of education, and environmental sustainability issues associated with digital technology use. Professor Selwyn is recognized internationally for his critical approach to educational technology and has led numerous nationally-funded projects examining educational data, learning analytics, and AI technologies. His recent publications reflect a growing focus on the environmental implications of AI in education, digital degrowth, and the practical challenges teachers face when implementing AI tools in classrooms. This work demonstrates a shift toward examining the sustainability and ethical dimensions of educational technology. Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia (2024) Professor Selwyn serves as a media commentator for major outlets including the NYT, WSJ, CNN, Guardian, BBC, and ABC, and hosts the 'Education Technology Society' podcast. He maintains significant international collaborations, currently holding visiting positions at Lund University (2025), University of Oxford (2023-2027), and previously at the University of Gothenburg (2016-2017).
Robert Wellington serves as Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for Art History & Art Theory at the School of Art & Design, Australian National University (ANU), within the College of Arts & Social Sciences. His academic leadership focuses on advancing art historical research and public engagement through institutional initiatives. His research spans Art History, Early Modern European Art (particularly Louis XIV's France), Museum Studies, Public Humanities, and Cultural Heritage. Wellington investigates transcultural object exchange, royal iconography, and identity construction through material culture, with emphasis on Versailles, medals, and marginalia. His work bridges historical scholarship with contemporary public humanities applications in museums and digital archives. Analysis of his 2020-2024 publications reveals concentrated exploration of Louis XIV's cultural legacy, Versailles' global impact, and the evolving role of humanities institutions. He pioneers digital critical editions while examining how objects shape identity across cultural boundaries, consistently connecting historical practices to modern museum and archival challenges. No scientific awards were documented in the provided materials. As Centre Director, Wellington oversees research programs and institutional partnerships, though specific student advisees and grant details remain unlisted in available sources. His leadership facilitates interdisciplinary projects including the Jean-Benjamin de Laborde digital edition initiative. The Centre for Art History & Art Theory functions as a research hub under Wellington's direction, driving public humanities innovation through the ANU's Art & Design Seminar Series, Visiting Artist Program, and collaborative projects with national collections. Current initiatives focus on digital heritage and community-engaged scholarship within the School of Art & Design framework.
Matthew Payne is an Associate Professor in the Department of Film, Television, and Theatre at the University of Notre Dame. His affiliations include roles as Director of Graduate Studies and regional director for the Learning Games Initiative, a multi-institute research collective focused on game archiving and education. His research spans video game studies, media literacy, military entertainment, and the cultural history of video games. He explores play theory, media and war, and the intersection of media production with new technologies. The 15 most recent articles highlight his focus on video game studies, transmedia narratives, and the cultural implications of gaming. These works cover topics from Nintendo Amiibo to slow game time mechanics in Red Dead Redemption 2, with recurring themes of military representation and ludic storytelling. Matthew Payne has co-edited notable works including How to Play Video Games and Joystick Soldiers , emphasizing collaborative approaches to game studies and critical analysis of military gaming.
Mei Mei Rado is an Assistant Professor at Bard Graduate Center, specializing in textile and dress history with a focus on China and France (18th–20th centuries). Her work connects global networks to local cultural systems through material analysis and cross-cultural interpretation. Education: PhD, Bard Graduate Center MA, University of Chicago BA, Nanjing University Research Interests: She explores intercultural textile exchanges, particularly European-Chinese interactions, rococo style diffusion, and Qing court arts. Her forthcoming book The Empire’s New Cloth (Yale, 2025) examines European textiles in Qing imperial contexts. Publications: Recent works include analyses of 18th-century French drapery, Qing cosmopolitanism through Japanese screens, and lamé textiles in modern fashion. Her research spans material culture, cross-cultural aesthetics, and historical networks. Curatorial Practice: Formerly Associate Curator at LACMA, she pioneered modern Chinese fashion collections. Collaborations with European/American institutions continue through her current projects on Edo-period textiles and light in fashion history.
Professor Kay O'Halloran serves as Chair Professor and Head of Department of Communication and Media within the School of the Arts at the University of Liverpool since August 2019. She concurrently holds the position of Co-Director for the Digital Media and Society Institute (DMSI), demonstrating significant leadership across academic and research domains. Her career spans prestigious institutions including Curtin University (2013-2019) and National University of Singapore (1998-2013), where she directed the Multimodal Analysis Lab and served as Deputy Director of the Interactive & Digital Media Institute. PhD from Murdoch University (1996) Postdoctoral position at Martin Luther University (1997-1998) Visiting Distinguished Professor at Shanghai Jiaotong University (2017-2020) Professor O'Halloran's research focuses on multimodal discourse analysis, particularly the interaction of language with visual and mathematical resources. Her pioneering work in systemic functional multimodal discourse analysis (SF-MDA) has significantly impacted mathematics education and digital communication studies. Current research emphasizes digital tools for multimodal analysis and mixed methods approaches to big data analytics, addressing contemporary challenges in misinformation and public health communication. Her recent publications reveal strong thematic concentration in pandemic-related communication analysis, misinformation resistance mechanisms, and multimodal argumentation across social and cultural contexts. The 15 most recent articles demonstrate consistent application of multimodal frameworks to urgent societal issues including public health crises, political discourse, and digital literacy challenges. Founding editor of Routledge Studies in Multimodality book series (57+ volumes) Over 150 publications in leading international journals 50+ plenary/keynote presentations globally Competitive funding from National Research Foundation, MOE Singapore, US Air Force, ARC, NHMRC, and others Professor O'Halloran has directed interdisciplinary research teams comprising social scientists, computer scientists, and designers. Her leadership extends to developing commercial multimodal analysis software (Multimodal Analysis Image and Video) adopted internationally. Current projects include Eurovision 2023 wellbeing evaluation and COVID-19 misinformation immunity development, demonstrating continued relevance to contemporary societal challenges.
Lorrie Faith Cranor is the Director and Bosch Distinguished Professor in Security and Privacy Technologies at the CyLab Security and Privacy Institute, and the FORE Systems University Professor of Computer Science and Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. She also directs the CyLab Usable Privacy and Security Laboratory (CUPS) and co-directs the MSIT-Privacy Engineering master’s program. She previously served as Chief Technologist at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and is a co-founder of Wombat Security Technologies. Carnegie Mellon University – CyLab Security and Privacy Institute School of Computer Science – Department of Computer Science College of Engineering – Department of Engineering and Public Policy PhD Program in Societal Computing Human-Computer Interaction Institute (affiliate) Heinz College (affiliate) Dr. Cranor’s research centers on usable privacy and security, privacy engineering, and technology policy. Her work spans authentication systems, privacy policies, IoT security, and human behavior in digital environments. She has pioneered research on password usability, privacy labels (e.g., 'nutrition labels' for privacy), and privacy decision-making. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates computer science, public policy, and behavioral science to create systems that are both secure and user-friendly. Her recent publications reflect a strong focus on privacy interfaces, consent mechanisms, IoT security labels, and user comprehension of digital privacy. Trends include evaluating the usability of privacy controls across platforms, designing tools for developers to generate accurate privacy disclosures, and understanding user behavior in online tracking and advertising contexts. Her work frequently appears in top venues such as CHI, SOUPS, and PETS. ACM CHI Academy inductee ACM Fellow IEEE Fellow 2018 ACM CHI Social Impact Award 2018 International Association of Privacy Professionals Privacy Leadership Award 2018 IEEE Cybersecurity Award for Practice Alumni Achievement Award, McKelvey School of Engineering Top 100 Innovator under 35, Technology Review Dr. Cranor has advised numerous PhD students in interdisciplinary programs including Societal Computing, Engineering and Public Policy, and Human-Computer Interaction. Her research has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, DARPA, and industry partners. She serves on the boards of the Computing Research Association, Center for Democracy and Technology, and Electronic Privacy Information Center. She is a frequent media commentator on privacy and security issues. She leads the CyLab Usable Privacy and Security Laboratory (CUPS), a multidisciplinary research group that includes faculty and students from computer science, policy, and HCI. The lab focuses on making privacy and security systems more intuitive, effective, and user-controlled. Key projects include the Usable Privacy Policy Project, privacy nutrition labels, and the Personalized Privacy Assistant Project.
