Annuska Derks is an Associate Professor in Social Anthropology at the University of Zurich, where she holds the Chair of Social Transformation Processes. She earned her M.A. in Social-Cultural Anthropology and Development Studies, followed by a Ph.D. from Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands. Education: M.A. in Social-Cultural Anthropology and Development Studies, Ph.D. in Anthropology Her research focuses on social change, mobility, and inequality in Southeast Asia, particularly Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand. She explores development through material culture and commodity chains, examining how everyday objects like spices and coal briquettes reflect and shape societal transformations. Current projects include Aspirations for Change 4.0 (renewable energy in Vietnam) and Spice Chains (global markets for Vietnamese star anise and cinnamon). She collaborates with institutions in Switzerland, Vietnam, and Canada, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. Derks has supervised doctoral researchers across multiple universities and co-led transnational projects on migration, gender, and commodity chains. Her team includes postdoctoral and doctoral researchers specializing in Southeast Asia and transnational entanglements.
Professor Vallipuram Muthukkumarasamy is an Associate Professor at the School of Information and Communication Technology at Griffith University, where he has pioneered Network Security teaching and research since joining in 2001. He leads the Networking & Security and Blockchain Research Group at the Institute for Integrated and Intelligent Systems. Muthu holds a Ph.D. from Cambridge University and a B.Sc. Eng. with 1st Class Honors from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. His extensive academic appointments include Group Leader of Network Security and Blockchain Research (2008-present), Program Director for the Graduate Certificate in Blockchain Technology (2022-present), HDR Convenor (2022-present), Member of the University Council (2020-2021), and Deputy Head of School for Learning and Teaching (2013-2016). Muthu's research expertise spans Cyber Security, Blockchain Technology (DLT), and Wireless Sensor Networking. He has secured national and international funding for interdisciplinary research, published over 150 articles in international journals and conferences, and supervised more than 30 research Masters and PhD students to completion. He pioneered the Network Security teaching at Griffith and successfully proposed and led the development of Queensland's first Master of Cyber Security Program, creating a truly interdisciplinary curriculum with Law, Business, and Criminology Schools. His recent publications reveal a strong research trajectory in blockchain applications, security visualization techniques, and wireless sensor networks. His work explores DeFi user behavior analysis, NFT privacy risks in the metaverse, blockchain transaction visualization, and the integration of blockchain with AI for credit scoring systems. His wireless sensor network research focuses on energy-efficient routing protocols and network lifetime modeling. Muthu has received multiple best teacher awards from students and peers, and during his tenure as Deputy Head of School, the Griffith IT program was ranked #1 in Australia for overall student satisfaction. He successfully proposed and developed Cisco-related courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and instrumental in creating industry-sought-after networking and security courses across all academic levels. His funded research includes significant projects such as Increasing the South East Queensland Cyber Security Workforce, Linking Digital Payments to Crime Using Big Data Machine Learning Tools, Improving Water Markets through Digital Technologies, and developing Indo-Australian partnerships for digital transformation through blockchain. He is actively involved in community and charity activities and has been instrumental in internationalization efforts for Griffith University.
Professor Kim Alexander is a distinguished academic and clinician in Cancer Nursing at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), leading the School of Nursing's research initiatives. Her work spans personalized cancer care, genomics, and symptom management, with a focus on improving patient outcomes and quality of life. She holds joint appointments at St Vincent's Private Hospital and chairs key committees such as the Cancer Nurses Society of Australia Research Committee. Education: Doctor of Philosophy (Public Health), QUT Master of Education (Higher Education), QUT Graduate Certificates in Business (Philanthropy), Academic Practice, and Health Science, QUT Bachelor of Nursing and Public Health, QUT Research Interests: Professor Alexander's research integrates clinical practice with innovative methodologies, including systematic reviews, RCTs, and mixed-methods approaches. Key areas include genomic applications in cancer care, patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and tailoring interventions to improve survivorship. Her work emphasizes translational research and industry collaboration, such as enhancing St Vincent's Hospital's research capacity through strategic partnerships. Awards: 2015 Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Learning & Teaching National/international recognition in cancer genomics and survivorship Grants & Industry: She collaborates with organizations like QLD Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Recent projects include the iPROMOS implementation study and EVEREST energy conservation trial, demonstrating her commitment to real-world healthcare impact. Labs & Teams: Active member of QUT's Centre for Healthcare Transformation and Cancer and Palliative Care Outcomes Centre , fostering interdisciplinary research networks.
Jonathan Portes serves as Professor of Economics and Public Policy in the Department of Political Economy at King's College London. His distinguished career includes prior roles as principal research fellow at the National Institute of Economic & Social Research, chief economist at the Cabinet Office, and chief economist at the Department of Work and Pensions. His research centers on the economic and social impacts of EU free movement policies and broader Brexit consequences for the UK. Professor Portes' work spans immigration policy analysis, labor market dynamics, Brexit economic modeling, and UK fiscal policy evaluation. He investigates migration's effects on productivity, public finances, and social cohesion, with particular focus on post-Brexit regulatory frameworks and EU-UK relations. His research consistently emphasizes evidence-based policy formulation using official statistics and economic modeling. Analysis of his 2023-2025 publications reveals three dominant themes: evolving migration patterns following Brexit implementation, economic trade-offs in reduced immigration scenarios, and methodological critiques of government migration statistics. His work demonstrates increasing emphasis on longitudinal migration impact studies and policy evaluations of the post-Brexit immigration system, frequently challenging political narratives with empirical evidence. No scientific awards or honors were documented in the provided source material. The available information contains no details regarding academic advising activities, doctoral students, or research grant funding. His collaborative work with scholars like Professor Anand Menon suggests interdisciplinary engagement, but specific team structures or laboratory affiliations were not referenced.
Jeffrey Smith holds the Paul T. Heyne Distinguished Chair in Economics and Richard Meese Chair in Applied Econometrics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Previously, he served as Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Michigan, with prior faculty positions at the University of Western Ontario (1994-2001) and University of Maryland (2001-2005). Education includes: B.A. Economics & B.S. Computer Science, University of Washington (1985) M.A. Economics, University of Chicago (1987) Ph.D. Economics, University of Chicago (1996) Research focuses on experimental and non-experimental methods for evaluating social and educational interventions, labor market impacts of university quality, and statistical treatment rules for government programs. Primary domains include Labor Economics, Public Economics, Econometrics, and Program Evaluation, with emphasis on causal inference methodologies and policy applications. Publications demonstrate consistent focus on econometric innovations in program evaluation, particularly quasi-experimental designs, treatment effect heterogeneity, and labor policy efficacy. Recent work examines conditional cash transfers, matching estimators, and behavioral incentives in welfare programs. Awards: Royal Economic Society Prize (1999) for contributions to evaluation methodology Consulting engagements include governments of the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia on evaluation frameworks and policy design.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityUnited States
Thomas L. Martin is a Professor and Bradley Faculty Fellow of Education in the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech. His work spans wearable/pervasive computing, interdisciplinary design, and educational innovation. He holds a Ph.D. (1999) and M.S. (1994) from Carnegie Mellon University, and a B.S. (1992) from the University of Cincinnati. His research focuses on wearable computing systems, e-textiles, and curricular design. Notable contributions include developing hybrid exoskeletons, e-textile energy systems, and interdisciplinary learning frameworks. He is a leader in engineering education reform, emphasizing threshold concepts and project-based learning. Key Awarde : Bradley Faculty Fellow of Education Teaching/Research Themes : Wearable tech, medical workspace innovation, and adaptive lifelong learning Service : Active in curriculum redesign initiatives and interdisciplinary team processes His over 150 publications span topics from e-textile architectures to healthcare workspace design. Current projects explore the intersection of art/science in engineering education and scalable e-textile manufacturing.
Ryan Galt is a Professor in the Department of Community & Regional Development at the University of California, Davis. His research focuses on the governance of agrifood systems, political ecology, and the intersection of agriculture, environment, and society across scales. He holds a Ph.D. (2006) and M.S. (2001) in Geography from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a B.A. (1999) in Geography from UC Berkeley. Key research themes include: (1) pesticide use and regulation in global food systems, (2) community-based food systems like CSA models, (3) wildfire resilience in agricultural landscapes, and (4) agroecological transitions in the Corn Belt. He emphasizes participatory methodologies and critical pedagogy in sustainability education. Recent work explores pandemic impacts on direct-market farmers, pesticide trade inequities, and institutional pathways for agricultural diversification. His publications span 30 years of addressing systemic challenges in food systems through interdisciplinary approaches.
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)United Kingdom
Professor Patrick Wallis is a Professor of Economic History at the London School of Economics and Political Science, leading the Department of Economic History since 2021. His research focuses on the economic, social, and medical history of early modern Britain and Europe, with expertise in apprenticeship systems, guilds, healthcare transformation, and labour markets. He holds a D.Phil. from the University of Oxford and has held visiting roles at Tsinghua University (Beijing) and the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (Paris). Wallis’s key research projects include the role of apprenticeship in skill development, the Lock Asylum’s historical records on eighteenth-century women, and the shift toward commercial healthcare in early modern England. His publications span monographs like *The Market for Skill* (forthcoming 2025) and co-edited volumes such as *Apprenticeship in Early Modern Europe* (2019). He has supervised 12 completed PhD students and currently guides 4 active researchers. His service roles include Editor of the *Economic History Review* (2017–21) and Judge for the Heineken Prize in History. His work bridges archival analysis with quantitative methods, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to historical economic trends.
Aneeqa Suhail is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Resource Studies at Tilburg University, Netherlands, affiliated with the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in Social Sciences from KU Leuven, Belgium. Her research focuses on strategic HRM, employee outcomes, leadership, and public sector HR reforms, with a regional emphasis on Pakistan and South Asia. Her work explores topics such as HRM autonomy in public hospitals, ethical challenges in disaster management, and the role of Sufi shrines in governance. She has published in journals like Journal of Organizational Effectiveness and contributed to edited volumes on public sector reforms. Her research bridges organizational theory and practical policy implementation, particularly in healthcare and public institutions. Key themes in her publications include the interplay between HR practices and leadership, multi-level employee dynamics, and institutional logics influencing HR adoption in public organizations. She has conducted case studies on work-life balance for public sector employees and analyzed decentralization reforms in Pakistan's health sector.
Brandon Shuck is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geology & Geophysics at Louisiana State University (LSU), part of the College of Science. His research focuses on solid-earth geophysics, particularly tectonic processes within plate boundaries and mature tectonic settings. He uses active-source seismic reflection and wide-angle ocean-bottom seismometer data to image subsurface lithospheric architecture and integrate interdisciplinary datasets including bathymetry, borehole logs, and geodynamic models. Education: Ph.D. in Geological Sciences (2021) from the University of Texas at Austin; B.S. in Geology (Petroleum Emphasis) and Mathematics (2015) from Western Colorado University. Previously served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University (2021–2024). Research Interests: Tectonic evolution of the lithosphere at plate boundaries, feedbacks between lithospheric stress and fluid-rock interactions, geologic hazards related to subduction zones, and mantle dynamics during continental breakup. Active projects include studies of subduction initiation in the Tyrrhenian Sea, megathrust fault segmentation in Cascadia, and water content in the Cocos Plate offshore Mexico. Current opportunities include an NSF-funded PhD position (starting Fall 2025) investigating mantle dynamics during early Atlantic seafloor spreading, involving seismic data acquisition on the R/V Langseth. His group emphasizes collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches combining seismic imaging, field geology, and modeling. Awards: None explicitly listed, though his work has been supported through NSF funding and institutional grants. Lab/Team: Directs the LSU Solid-Earth Geophysics Research Group, which integrates geophysical data analysis with field observations to address tectonic questions at multiple scales.
Dr. Fabio Ballini is an Associate Professor specializing in Maritime Energy Management at World Maritime University. With a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Genova, his research focuses on sustainable maritime solutions including port energy management, circular economy applications, and ship emission control technologies. He has led numerous EU-funded projects such as Horizon Europe's SeaNergy and CyberMar. Research Expertise: Air pollution abatement, externality cost analysis, and clean-tech solutions for maritime transport. His work bridges economic and environmental dimensions of port operations. Professional Experience: Former Adjunct Professor at the University of Genova teaching Maritime Economy and Social Cost-Benefit Analysis. Extensive project management experience across EU programs including TEN-T and Interreg.
Igor Francetic is a Research Fellow at the Division of Population Health, Health Services Research & Primary Care at the University of Bristol. He holds a PhD in Public Health from the University of Basel (2019) and has expertise in health economics, applied microeconomics, and econometric analysis. His research focuses on healthcare organization, health behaviors, and policy evaluation, with a particular emphasis on emergency care prioritization, primary care workforce dynamics, and health inequalities. He has contributed to policy-oriented projects in Switzerland and Tanzania, including studies on hospital networks, patient safety, and health systems governance. **Education**: PhD in Public Health (University of Basel, 2019) MSc in Economics (University of Lausanne, 2016) BA in Economics (University of Lugano, 2012) BSc in Business Administration (SUPSI, 2011) **Research Interests**: His work explores cancer screening, spillover effects in healthcare, emergency care disparities, and primary care networks. He employs microeconometric and network analysis tools, leveraging platforms like R and Stata. Recent studies include evaluating skill-mix changes in primary care (England), socioeconomic disparities in emergency care access, and the impact of social accountability monitoring in Tanzania. **Awards & Fellowships**: SSPH+ Fellow, Swiss School of Public Health (2024–) SNSF Ambizione Fellow, SUPSI (2024–) **Teaching**: Co-lecturer for the Health Economics unit (ECON 32202) at the University of Bristol. **Professional Memberships**: Health Economists' Study Group UK (HESG) Royal Economic Society (RES) Swiss Society of Health Economics (sggö) Croatian Health Economics Association (CHEA) – Co-founder and board member
Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyUnited States
Lawrence D. W. Schmidt is the Victor J. Menezes Career Development Assistant Professor of Finance at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He holds a PhD and MA in Economics from the University of California, San Diego, and previously served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago’s Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics. His research bridges finance and macro-labor economics, focusing on household risk exposures, institutional investor behavior, and labor market dynamics. Key areas include human capital valuation, asset pricing implications of labor market risks, and the design of retirement savings institutions. Education: BA, University of California, Santa Barbara; PhD and MA, University of California, San Diego. Research Interests: Human capital risk and asset pricing Income inequality and retirement savings disparities Big data analysis of labor and financial markets Policy design for financial welfare Recent Trends in Publications: Schmidt’s work increasingly emphasizes the interplay between technological change and labor market outcomes, particularly in quantifying risks faced by workers and the implications for financial markets. His studies on retirement savings inequities highlight racial and socioeconomic disparities in wealth accumulation, informed by large-scale administrative datasets. Awards: 2024 Dimensional Fund Advisors Prize 2015 AQR Top Finance Graduate Award Advising & Grants: Collaborations with institutions like NBER and MIT Sloan reflect his focus on policy-relevant research. His work often involves interdisciplinary teams, as seen in co-authored papers on employer 401(k) practices and technology-driven labor displacement. Labs/Teams: Active contributor to the MIT Sloan Consumer Finance Initiative, which explores household finance and policy solutions for economic stability.
Sharon L Kagan is the Virginia and Leonard Marx Professor of Early Childhood and Family Policy and Co-Director of the National Center for Children and Families at Teachers College, Columbia University. She holds adjunct positions at Yale University and is a globally recognized leader in early childhood education policy and systems reform. Her work focuses on aligning educational policies to support low-income children and families, integrating research into public policy, and promoting systemic coherence in early childhood systems. Education: B.A., University of Michigan (English) M.A., Johns Hopkins University (Liberal Arts) Ed.D., Teachers College (Curriculum and Teaching) Research Interests: Dr. Kagan applies child and parent development research to inform public policy, emphasizing systemic governance, cultural diversity in education, and global early learning standards. She advocates for high-quality, equitable early childhood systems aligned with K-12 education. Awards: Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education James Bryant Conant Award (2005) Fellow, American Educational Research Association (2010) Member, National Academy of Education (2012) Advising & Grants: She advises governments globally, including Colombia and Tajikistan, on early childhood policies. Her research has been funded by organizations like the Kellogg Foundation and UNICEF, focusing on system alignment, workforce development, and quality measurement. Labs/Teams: Co-directs the National Center for Children and Families, leading initiatives on early childhood governance, transition policies, and international standards development.
Martin Henz is an Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore , affiliated with the School of Computing and its Department of Computer Science . His academic journey includes an M.Sc. in Computer Science from Stony Brook University (1993) and a Dr.rer.nat. in Computer Science from Saarland University (1997). He has also worked as a Research Scientist at the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence. Research Focus : Scalable Experiential Learning, Systems for Teaching/Learning, AI in Education, Programming Languages, Algorithms, and Constraint Programming. Key Projects : Source Academy (immersive programming environment), Deep Teaching (LMS enhancements), and NUS Seafarers (maritime experiential learning). Publications span education technology, programming languages, and sustainable engineering, with recent works focusing on JavaScript-based pedagogy, automated question generation, and electric vehicle conversions. He supervised Rahul Singhal 's PhD, leading to the educational startup Cerebry, and co-founded Workforce Optimizer Pte Ltd with Alan Sevugan. Awards : NUS Annual Digital Education Award (2021) NUS Annual Teaching Excellence Award (2016/17) Fulbright Scholarship (1990) Startup @ Singapore Champion (2001)
