Thomas Berger is a Professor at the University of Hohenheim , affiliated with the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and leading the Department of Economics of Land Use . He also contributes to the Computational Science Hub and Hohenheim Tropics initiatives. Focus Areas: Climate change adaptation, land-use modeling, biodiversity-productivity trade-offs, agent-based simulation, and machine learning in agricultural systems. Key Projects: Simulation frameworks for smallholder resilience in Ethiopia, bioeconomic modeling in the Amazon, and hybrid intelligence applications in European agricultural policy. Recent Publications: 2025 study on climate change effects on insecticide reduction in Germany, 2024 work on reconciling biodiversity with productivity via hybrid models, and 2023 methodological contributions to surrogate modeling and seasonal forecast integration. Research Trends: Interdisciplinary integration of climate science, agricultural economics, and computational modeling, with increasing emphasis on AI-assisted decision support systems and sustainability policy validation. Teaching & Outreach: Offers Agricultural Economics seminars and Hohenheim Tropics discussions, requiring advance email registration for office hours.
Dr. XiaoYue Cathy Liu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Utah. She holds a PhD in Transportation Engineering from the University of Washington and advanced degrees in Transportation Planning and Electronics Engineering. Her research focuses on sustainable transportation systems, shared mobility, public transit optimization, managed lanes, and intelligent transportation systems. She actively serves on committees including the Transportation Research Board's Highway Capacity Quality of Service (HCQS) Committee and chairs its Technology Transfer Subcommittee. She also advises the Utah Model Advisory Committee and previously served on Salt Lake City’s Transportation Advisory Board. Dr. Liu is a licensed professional engineer in Utah. Education: PhD, Transportation Engineering, University of Washington (2013) MA, Transportation Planning & Management, Texas Southern University BS, Electronics & Electrical Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University Graduate Certificate, Global Trade & Logistics, University of Washington (2011) Research Interests: Electric vehicle infrastructure and charging networks Smart transportation systems and agent-based modeling GIS-based asset management for transportation infrastructure Snowplowing operations optimization and winter maintenance Managed lanes and high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane analysis Public transit equity and accessibility Her recent publications emphasize data-driven approaches to transportation challenges, including EV demand forecasting, drone delivery networks, and resilience in interdependent transit systems. She collaborates on projects addressing Utah’s unique transportation needs, such as optimizing snowplow routes and integrating renewable energy into public transport systems. Professional Contributions: Board member, Utah Model Advisory Committee Former Chair, Salt Lake City Transportation Advisory Board (2013-2016) TRB Managed Lane Committee member TRB Transit Capacity & Quality of Service (TCQS) Committee member (2016-2019) Dr. Liu’s work bridges transportation engineering with computational methods, focusing on equity, sustainability, and operational efficiency. She leads research initiatives involving large-scale modeling, geospatial analytics, and interdisciplinary solutions for modern mobility challenges.
George Kesidis is a Professor in Computer Science and Engineering and Electrical Engineering at Penn State University. His research spans deep learning security, virtual reality optimization, and cloud computing. College of Engineering (Penn State University) Research Focus: Backdoor Attacks, DNN Robustness, Edge Caching Active in NSF and U.S. Navy-funded projects (2022-2026) His work addresses backdoor data poisoning , test-time evasion attacks , and DNN overfitting mitigation . He develops techniques like activation clipping, perturbation analysis, and statistical defense models. Recent projects include edge caching systems for VR and security-driven AI frameworks. Key article trends reveal expertise in adversarial deep learning, immersive media delivery, and cloud resource optimization. Current grants focus on multi-user VR, GPU scheduling, and serverless-cloud hybrid architectures. He collaborates extensively with researchers like David J. Miller and Xinyu Li, particularly on cloud-based adversarial defense mechanisms and VR streaming benchmarks.
Sara Abelson, PhD, MPH is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban Health and Population Science at Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine and serves as Senior Director at The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs. Her work focuses on advancing structural approaches to enhance student success, mental health equity, and basic needs security in higher education through applied research and program development. Dr. Abelson's educational background includes: PhD, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI MPH, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI BA, Cornell University Her research centers on adolescent and young adult mental health, health equity, and social determinants of health, with particular attention to structural and systemic drivers of health inequities. She investigates how school settings influence youth health outcomes and serve as intervention points for promoting wellbeing. Her work bridges research, policy, and practice to develop evidence-based approaches for reducing inequities in higher education settings. Dr. Abelson's publication record shows a clear evolution toward increasingly sophisticated analyses of mental health disparities in educational contexts. Recent work examines racial/ethnic disparities in mental health service utilization, gender minority mental health, and the impact of political events on vulnerable student populations. Her research consistently emphasizes structural interventions over individual-level approaches. Among her notable recognitions: 2022 Weiss Writing Prize for her pivotal publication on college mental health Lewis Barbato Award from the American College Health Association K. Patricia Cross Future Leader Award from the American Association of Colleges & Universities George Orley Mental Health Advocate Award Dr. Abelson has extensive consulting experience with major educational organizations including the American Council on Education, Center for Community College Student Engagement, and Association of Public & Land-grant Universities. Her current projects focus on evidence-based interventions for student mental health, community college mental health initiatives, and integration of basic needs and mental health resources to improve educational attainment. As Senior Director at The Hope Center, she leads initiatives addressing the critical intersection between mental health and basic needs security, developing comprehensive approaches to student wellbeing that recognize the interconnected nature of these challenges in higher education.
Majid Ghaderi is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Science. His expertise spans network algorithms, secure communication, and machine learning applications in network control. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo (2006), and M.Sc. and B.Sc. degrees in Software Engineering from Sharif University of Technology (2001 and 1999). Education: Ph.D. Computer Science, University of Waterloo, 2006 M.Sc. Software Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, 2001 B.Sc. Software Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, 1999 Research Interests: Dr. Ghaderi focuses on optimizing network algorithms, securing communication in distributed systems, and leveraging machine learning for network control. His work addresses challenges such as secure wireless protocols, SDN-based network management, and efficient resource allocation in data centers. He explores proactive traffic scheduling and anomaly detection in critical infrastructures like industrial control systems and vehicular networks. Publications Trends: His recent work emphasizes covert communication in heterogeneous networks, adaptive federated learning in edge environments, and low-overhead diagnostic systems for cloud networks. He also investigates cybersecurity defenses against hardware vulnerabilities and dynamic threat landscapes. Awards: Best in-session Presentation Award, IEEE INFOCOM 2018 Municipal Excellence Award, Government of Alberta 2018 Faculty of Science Excellence in Teaching Award 2012 Advising & Grants: While no specific advisees are listed, his research has been supported by grants focusing on network security, edge computing, and IoT applications. He teaches CPSC 441 (Computer Networks) and maintains an active lab focused on network systems and cybersecurity. Labs & Teams: His research group collaborates on projects involving software-defined networks, vehicular communication, and industrial IoT security. The team develops open-source tools for network monitoring and anomaly detection.
Murat Kantarcioglu is a Professor of Computer Science at Virginia Tech, affiliated with the College of Engineering. He is also a Faculty Fellow at the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) and directs the Data Security and Privacy Lab. Previously, he held the Ashbel Smith Professorship at the University of Texas at Dallas. His research focuses on data and AI security, privacy, blockchain, and cybersecurity. He has received notable awards, including the NSF CAREER Award and IEEE Technical Achievement Award, and is a Fellow of AAAS and IEEE. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science (Purdue University), B.S. in Computer Engineering (Middle East Technical University). Research Interests: Privacy-preserving machine learning and data analytics Adversarial machine learning and cybersecurity Blockchain technology and applications Healthcare data security and genomics privacy Risk and incentive models for assured data sharing Awards and Recognition: NSF CAREER Award AMIA Homer R. Warner Award IEEE ISI Technical Achievement Award Fellow of AAAS and IEEE Distinguished Member of ACM Advising and Labs: Directed over 20 PhD/Master’s students, many in cybersecurity and privacy domains. Founder and director of Virginia Tech’s Data Security and Privacy Lab. Associate at Harvard’s University Data Privacy Lab. Service and Leadership: Extensive program committee roles in top conferences (KDD, AAAI, IEEE ICDE). Former CCI co-chair for IEEE TrustCom. Co-authored influential textbooks on adversarial machine learning.
David Wentzlaff is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Princeton University, with associated faculty roles in Computer Science and the High Meadows Environmental Institute (HMEI). He leads research in computing architecture, green computing, and sustainable system design. As Director of Undergraduate Studies, he shapes educational programs in his field. Education: Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, MIT (2012) M.S., Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT (2002) B.S., Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2000) Research Focus: Future Computing Systems: Designing manycore architectures, cloud computing infrastructure, and chiplet-based systems for exascale computing. Sustainability: Developing energy-efficient hardware, recyclable computing systems, and eco-friendly decommissioning strategies. Hardware-Software Co-Design: Exploring FPGA integration, in-memory computing, and parallel processing frameworks. Advising & Grants: Advises 8 current graduate students, focusing on topics like chiplet design, neural acceleration, and sustainable computing. Recipient of NSF grants for projects like OpenPiton (open-source manycore research platform) and CAREER awards for energy-efficient architectures. Labs & Collaborations: Leads the Wentzlaff Research Group at Princeton. Develops open-source frameworks like PRGA (FPGA prototyping) and OpenPiton (manycore processor).
John Z. Ayanian serves as the Alice Hamilton Distinguished University Professor of Medicine and Healthcare Policy at the University of Michigan, holding joint appointments as Professor of Internal Medicine in the Medical School, Professor of Health Management and Policy in the School of Public Health, and Professor of Public Policy in the Gerald R Ford School of Public Policy. As inaugural Director of the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation (IHPI), he leads a consortium of 700 faculty members across 15 schools and maintains clinical practice as a general internist at Michigan Medicine. His academic foundation includes a Bachelor of Arts in history and political science from Duke University (1982), medical degree from Harvard Medical School (1987), and master's in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School (1987), followed by residency and fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and post-doctoral training in health services research at Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Ayanian's research program investigates health equity, access to care, and quality of care with particular attention to social determinants including race/ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and insurance coverage. His work critically examines Medicaid expansion impacts, Medicare Advantage disparities, and policy responses to health inequities, often utilizing large-scale claims databases and cross-institutional collaborations. Current projects include the federally-authorized evaluation of Michigan's Medicaid expansion program serving over 700,000 adults. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2025) reveals three dominant research thrusts: (1) Medicare Advantage vs Traditional Medicare comparisons across diverse clinical conditions, (2) Medicaid policy evaluation including unwinding impacts and expansion effects, and (3) innovative measurement of health equity through new indices and AI applications. His work consistently emphasizes methodological rigor in health services research while maintaining strong policy relevance. His scientific honors include: Election to the National Academy of Medicine Master status in the American College of Physicians John Eisenberg National Award for Career Achievement in Research Distinguished Investigator Award from AcademyHealth Election to Alpha Omega Alpha and Association of American Physicians Dr. Ayanian leads the federally-funded Healthy Michigan Plan evaluation team of 15 faculty members and serves as founding Editor-in-Chief of JAMA Health Forum, previously holding editorial positions at the New England Journal of Medicine. His research receives substantial federal support focused on health policy evaluation, with particular emphasis on vulnerable populations. He actively mentors students and junior faculty across multiple disciplines. As Director of IHPI, he fosters interdisciplinary collaboration across 15 schools at the University of Michigan. His leadership extends to center memberships in AI and Digital Health Innovation, Caswell Diabetes Institute, and Center for Global Health Equity, where he promotes data-driven solutions to health disparities through cross-campus partnerships and innovative research methodologies.
Professor Daniel Catchpoole serves as Deputy Head of School (Research) at the School of Computer Science, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), holding dual appointments at UTS and The Children's Hospital at Westmead. With over 20 years of research experience, he bridges computational sciences and pediatric cancer research through the Biomedical Data Science Lab in the Australian Artificial Intelligence Institute. His work integrates data analytics, artificial intelligence, and software development with molecular cancer biology to transform pediatric cancer treatment pathways. PhD in Cancer Cell Biology, University of New South Wales (1991-1995) Founding Fellow, Royal College of Pathologists Australasia (2010-present) Head, Children's Hospital at Westmead Tumour Bank (2001-present) Professor Catchpoole's research focuses on translational applications of genomics in childhood cancers, particularly acute lymphoblastic leukemia and neuroblastoma. His work combines high-throughput genomic technologies with advanced computational analysis to develop systems biology approaches for cancer patient assessment. Recent projects explore virtual reality applications for complex genomic data visualization and copper chelation therapies to enhance neuroblastoma immunotherapy. His research has received significant funding from Cancer Institute NSW, Sony Foundation, ARC, and NHMRC. His publication record spans biomedical data science, cancer genomics, and virtual reality applications in oncology. Recent work demonstrates leadership in 3D latent diffusion models for tumor segmentation, biobank economics, and innovative immunotherapies. His research consistently addresses the critical need for actionable knowledge from complex multidimensional biomedical data. Editorial Board Member, Cancers (2023) Associate Editor, Innovations in Digital Health, Diagnostics and Biomarkers (2019) Founding member and first President, Australasian Biospecimens Network Association Professor Catchpoole has supervised 17 Honours students (including 6 First Class Honours), 3 MSc students, and 12 PhD candidates across multiple institutions, with 6 current PhD students. His collaborative research bridges UTS's Faculty of Engineering and IT with The Children's Cancer Research Unit at The Children's Hospital at Westmead. Significant research funding includes Cancer Institute NSW grants, Sony Foundation VR projects, and ARC Discovery Projects focused on genomic data analysis and clinical decision support systems. His leadership extends to building frameworks for translational research, managing biobanks and clinical data linkages, and navigating governance requirements for cancer research. The Tumour Bank at Kids Research, CCRU, represents his long-standing commitment to pediatric cancer infrastructure development.
Jean Walrand is a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) at the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on communication networks, performance evaluation, game theory, and stochastic networks. He has authored several influential books, including Communication Networks: A Concise Introduction and Probability in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science , and holds numerous patents in network resource management. Ph.D. in EECS from UC Berkeley IEEE Fellow and recipient of the Stephen O. Rice Prize INFORMS Lanchester Prize for operations research contributions His research interests span communication networks, queueing theory, congestion control, wireless network scheduling, and economic models for network resource allocation. Walrand's work has significantly impacted network design and optimization, particularly in distributed algorithms and game-theoretic approaches. His recent publications emphasize network architecture, delay variability reduction, and distributed optimization algorithms. Walrand has mentored over 20 Ph.D. students, including notable contributors to wireless networks and network economics. IEEE Koji Kobayashi Award (2012) ACM Sigmetrics Achievement Award (2013) INFORMS Lanchester Prize for Communication Networks book As advisor to students like Libin Jiang and Hoi-Sheung Wilson So, Walrand has shaped research in wireless MAC protocols, bandwidth trading, and network security. His technical reports and patents address practical challenges in switch fabric design, bandwidth allocation, and power management.
Jasmine Travers Altizer is an Assistant Professor at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, where she conducts research to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities among vulnerable older adults. Her work spans long-term care systems, aging, and health equity, with a focus on both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Education: PhD, Columbia University School of Nursing MHS, Yale University MSN, Stony Brook University (Adult-Gerontological Health) BSN, Adelphi University Her research interests include gerontology, health disparities, workforce diversity, infection control, and policy in long-term care. She investigates how neighborhood disadvantage, staffing levels, and systemic inequities affect care quality in nursing homes and home-based settings. Her recent work has explored antipsychotic medication use, caregiver coping strategies, and the impact of federal programs like the Paycheck Protection Program on staffing. The 15 most recent publications reflect a strong trajectory in health services research, with recurring themes in equity, workforce well-being, and policy evaluation. Her studies frequently use large national datasets and mixed methods to address structural barriers in care delivery for underserved populations, particularly Black and Latino older adults. Scientific Awards and Honors: Rising Star Research Award, Eastern Nursing Research Society (2022) Health in Aging Foundation New Investigator Award (2022) NASEM Committee Member on Quality of Care in Nursing Homes (2020) Scholar, National Clinician Scholars Program, Yale (2020) Jonas Policy Scholar (2019) Douglas Holmes Emerging Scholar Paper Award (2018) Travers is actively involved in mentoring and accepting PhD students. She leads multiple federally funded research projects, including a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Career Development Award and a National Institute on Aging K76 Beeson Award. She has served on national committees and contributed to high-impact policy reports, demonstrating leadership in translating research into action. Her work is frequently covered in media outlets such as Scientific American , AARP , and Crain's New York . Laboratories and Research Teams: She is affiliated with several active research initiatives, including the NH Explanatory Trials Network and projects examining dementia care workforce experiences, health equity in nursing home quality measures, and culturally sensitive interventions for Black adults with chronic conditions.
Emin Gün Sirer is an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science , College of Engineering , Cornell University . He co-directs the Initiative for Cryptocurrencies and Smart Contracts and leads the Meridian and HyperDex projects. Research in operating systems, networking, and distributed systems Focus on secure operating systems, high-performance cloud infrastructure, and peer-to-peer networks Developed systems like Nexus (secure OS), OpenReplica (Paxos implementation), and Trickles (stateless network protocol) Prominent Projects : Meridian - Lightweight network location service without virtual coordinates Cubit - Decentralized peer-to-peer search Kimera - Network-centric Java verification SPIN - Extensible microkernel for application-specific services Scientific Contributions : Leading work in blockchain security and peer-to-peer systems Patents in executable content rewriting and distributed virtual machines Advising & Collaborations : Advises projects in network positioning and content distribution Collaborates with institutions like Usenix , SIGCOMM , and NSDI Personal Background : Ph.D. and M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Washington B.S.E. in Computer Science from Princeton University High school at Robert College
Huazhen Fang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Kansas School of Engineering, where he joined in 2014. He leads the Information & Smart Systems Laboratory (ISSL) and holds a courtesy appointment in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science. His research focuses on enabling intelligence for complex systems through information-driven approaches. Dr. Fang received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, San Diego in 2014, following an M.Sc. from the University of Saskatchewan and a B.Sc. in Computer Science & Technology from Northwestern Polytechnic University in China. He was a Visiting Faculty Fellow at Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories in 2022. His research interests span Systems and Control, Advanced Battery Management, Energy Storage Systems, and Robotics, with particular focus on system modeling, estimation, control design, machine learning and numerical optimization. Dr. Fang's work has significant applications in energy management, cooperative robotics, and environmental observing systems. His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, Army Research Laboratory, and Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories. His extensive publication record shows a clear trend toward increasingly sophisticated integration of physics-based modeling with machine learning approaches, particularly in battery management systems and autonomous vehicle control. Recent work demonstrates a growing emphasis on Bayesian inference methods, distributed control architectures, and safety-critical applications of intelligent control systems. Faculty Early Career Award from National Science Foundation (2019) University Scholarly Achievement Award (2024) Miller Professional Development Award (2022) Miller Faculty Scholar Award (2018, 2019, 2023) Wesley G. Cramer Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Faculty Award (2016) Big XII Faculty Fellowship (2015) IEEE Transactions on Transportation Electrification Prize Paper Award (2024) Dr. Fang has successfully mentored numerous graduate students through the Information & Smart Systems Laboratory, with many receiving awards for their research. His research has attracted significant funding from prestigious organizations including the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, Army Research Laboratory, and Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories. He currently serves as an Associate Editor for multiple prestigious journals including Information Sciences, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, and IEEE Control Systems Letters. The Information & Smart Systems Laboratory (ISSL) under Dr. Fang's leadership has established itself as a center for cutting-edge research in information-driven smart systems. The lab focuses on pushing the frontiers of information extraction, analysis and exploitation for dynamic systems to deal with system complexity and enable system intelligence. The lab actively collaborates with industry partners and local communities, emphasizing research that serves societal needs.
Rachel Hess, MD, MS is Professor of Population Health Sciences and Internal Medicine and Associate Vice President for Research-Health Sciences at the University of Utah Schools of the Health Sciences. She co-directs the Utah Clinical and Translational Science Institute and was founding Chief of the Division of Health System Innovation and Research (2014-2022). A board-certified General Internist and internationally recognized health-services researcher, she focuses on translating evidence into practice through health-information technology and patient-centered outcomes. Education & Training MD – University of New Mexico School of Medicine MS Clinical Research – University of Pittsburgh Fellowship – General Internal Medicine & Women’s Health, University of Pittsburgh / VA Pittsburgh Medical Center Chief Residency – Internal Medicine, Western Pennsylvania Hospital Residency – Internal Medicine, Temple University Hospital BA Mathematics – Washington University in St. Louis Research Focus Dr Hess’s program is dedicated to improving patient-centered outcomes by leveraging implementation science, health-information technology, and patient-reported measures. Her work spans: Design and nationwide deployment of EHR-integrated clinical decision support for cancer genetics, lung-cancer screening, heart-failure management, and antibiotic stewardship. Large multi-site pragmatic trials (ADAPTABLE, RECOVER, BRIDGE, MAINTAIN) examining effectiveness, equity, and scalability of digital-health interventions. Women’s health across the lifespan, including studies on menopause, sexual function, and post-COVID sequelae. Advanced analytics linking patient-reported outcomes (PROs) with healthcare utilization and cost. Scientific Awards & Recognition Board Certification, American Board of Internal Medicine (Internal Medicine) Leadership of NIH RECOVER Consortium adult cohort—one of the largest studies of Long COVID worldwide Principal investigator on >$50 million in federal and foundation funding (PCORI, NHLBI, NCI, AHRQ, CDC) Leadership & Service As Associate Vice President for Research she sets strategic priorities for the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Dentistry, and Health. She co-chairs the Utah Clinical and Translational Science Institute, oversees campus-wide clinical-trials infrastructure, and mentors interdisciplinary teams spanning informatics, behavioral science, epidemiology, and clinical medicine. Laboratories & Teams Dr Hess leads the Health System Innovation and Research (HSIR) group—an interdisciplinary unit of data scientists, implementation researchers, clinicians, and patient partners—dedicated to rapid-cycle testing and national scale-up of digital-health solutions.
Alexandros Daglis is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the Georgia Institute of Technology, with an adjunct appointment in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research focuses on blurring boundaries between network and compute for high-performance, scalable microsecond-scale services in datacenters, particularly through network endpoints and memory-centric computing. Primary Affiliation: Georgia Tech College of Computing, School of Computer Science Adjunct Affiliation: School of Electrical and Computer Engineering Key research areas include: Rack-scale computing and network-compute co-design CXL-based memory systems Low-latency datacenter architectures Transactional memory and concurrency control Edge-cloud continuum and geo-distributed infrastructures He has received prestigious awards including the NSF CAREER Award, Google Faculty Research Award, and Georgia Tech's Outstanding Junior Faculty Teaching Award. His students include Marina Vemmou (network-compute co-design), Albert Cho (memory system design), and Peidi Song (microsecond-scale scheduling). Grants: NSF, IARPA, Intel, Samsung Teaching: High Performance Computer Architecture, Systems and Networks, Datacenter Design
