Gary Rochelle is the Carol and Henry Groppe Professor in Chemical Engineering and a faculty member at the University of Texas at Austin . His research focuses on developing fundamental insights into kinetic and mass transfer phenomena in aqueous technologies for air pollution control and acid gas treating, particularly for carbon dioxide and mercury removal. Education: Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from UC Berkeley (1977), M.S./B.S. from MIT (1971) His work addresses critical challenges in CO2 capture using amine scrubbing, including process design optimization, solvent degradation mitigation, and pilot plant validation. Recent studies emphasize energy efficiency, oxidation inhibition, and environmental impacts such as amine aerosol emissions. The Texas Carbon Management Program , which he contributes to, aims to improve amine scrubbing technologies for retrofitting power plants and enabling geological sequestration or enhanced oil recovery. His group has validated concentrated aqueous piperazine (PZ) with an advanced flash stripper as the most efficient open-literature system.
Thomas Hacker is a Professor in the Department of Computer and Information Technology at Purdue Polytechnic Institute, Purdue University. His research focuses on cloud computing, high-performance computing, operating systems, computer networking, and cyber infrastructure . He holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Computer Science & Engineering from the University of Michigan, along with dual B.S. degrees in Computer Science and Physics from Oakland University. Education: PhD (Computer Science & Engineering), University of Michigan (2004) MS (Computer Science & Engineering), University of Michigan (1993) BS (Computer Science, Mathematics Minor), Oakland University (1989) BS (Physics), Oakland University (1989) Dr. Hacker's research spans cloud and grid computing, operating systems, and distributed systems , with applications in earthquake engineering data systems and AI-driven infrastructure analysis. His recent work explores extended layer 2 networking for bare-metal provisioning ( 2023 IEEE Cloud Summit ) and machine-supported bridge inspection using artificial intelligence ( Transportation Research Record, 2023 ). Notable scientific contributions include 15+ publications on topics like cyberinfrastructure for earthquake engineering, container-based virtualization, and data-intensive systems. His work has been recognized with awards such as the NSF CAREER Award (2010) and multiple Purdue Seed for Success Awards . Key Scientific Awards: NSF CAREER Award (2010) Purdue Seed for Success Awards (2008-2013) ASEE Information Systems Division Best Paper Award (2012) College of Technology Outstanding Faculty in Discovery Award (2010) He has held leadership roles at Purdue, including Department Head (2018-2021) and Interim Department Head (2011-2016) . His career spans academic positions at Indiana University, University of Michigan, and industry roles at Storage Technology Corporation.
Farhad Rachidi-Haeri is a Titular Professor and Head of the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Group at EPFL. His expertise spans EMC research, lightning electromagnetics, time reversal techniques, and fault location in power systems. He has led the EMC Group since the 1980s, with funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation, European Union, and private sector collaborations. His work involves international partnerships with institutions like the University of Toronto and KTH. Education: PhD in Electrical Engineering from EPFL (1991), M.S. from EPFL (1986). Roles: President of Swiss National Committee of URSI (2012–2020), Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on EMC (2013–2015), and member of the Academy of Sciences of Bologna Institute (2019). Research Focus: Lightning interaction with infrastructure, electromagnetic field modeling, time reversal applications for fault detection, and high-frequency transient analysis. His work bridges theoretical physics and engineering, addressing challenges in power systems, lightning protection, and aerospace. Awards: IEEE EMC Technical Achievement Award (2005), Berger Award (2016), and Distinguished Honorary Professor at Tsinghua University (2024). Over 400 peer-reviewed papers and 500 conference contributions reflect his prolific research output. Labs/Teams: Leads the EMC Laboratory at EPFL, focusing on experimental and numerical studies of electromagnetic phenomena. Collaborates with global networks on projects like Laser Lightning Control and structural lightning protection for wind turbines.
David Leigh is a Professor in Organic Chemistry at the University of Manchester , UK. He has held prestigious positions including the Sir Samuel Hall Chair (2014–present), Forbes Chair at the University of Edinburgh (2001–2012), and Chair of Synthetic Chemistry at the University of Warwick (1998–2001). His research focuses on synthetic molecular machines, supramolecular chemistry, and molecular knots. Fields of Scholarship : Synthetic molecular machines, Synthetic molecular knots and links, Supramolecular chemistry His work includes creating hydrogen-bonded molecular rotors , reversible rotary molecular motors , and artificial ribosome mimics . Article trends highlight nanotechnology , molecular engineering , and self-assembly advancements. Scientific Awards : Royal Society of Chemistry Pedler Award (2014), ERC Advanced Grant (2014), Bakerian Prize (2013), Tilden Prize (2010), Fellow of the Royal Society (2009), etc. Leigh has led groundbreaking projects funded by the European Research Council (2008, 2014) and held an EPSRC Senior Research Fellowship (2005–2010). His lab at the University of Manchester explores bottom-up molecular design and stimuli-responsive systems.
Lindsey Draper, MD serves as an Adjunct Instructor in the Roybal Laboratory within the Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine. Her clinical practice focuses on the treatment of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer using systemic therapies including chemotherapy and immunotherapy, with a commitment to evaluating and offering clinical trial opportunities as part of individualized patient care. Dr. Draper completed her educational training with a B.S. in Biology from Juniata College (2010), an M.D. from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (2017), an Internal Medicine Residency at The Mount Sinai Hospital (2022), and is currently completing a Medical Oncology Fellowship at UCSF (2025-2027). Her research interests center on cancer immunotherapy, particularly T cell-based approaches for HPV-associated cancers and ovarian cancer. She investigates engineered T cell therapies targeting viral antigens in cervical and other HPV-related cancers, with a focus on overcoming treatment resistance and improving clinical outcomes through novel immunotherapeutic strategies. Her work bridges fundamental immunological mechanisms with clinical applications, emphasizing the translation of laboratory discoveries into patient treatments. Dr. Draper's publication record demonstrates consistent contributions to the field of cancer immunotherapy, with recent work focusing on TCR-engineered T cells for leukemia and HPV-associated malignancies. Her research trajectory shows increasing sophistication in T cell engineering approaches and a growing emphasis on addressing inflammatory responses and treatment resistance mechanisms. Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy Early Career Research Award: Parker Scholar (2024) Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology Symbiont Seed Grant for 'Antigen Discovery for Ovarian Cancer' (2024) Conquer Cancer Young Investigator Award, American Society of Clinical Oncology (2024) Women in Cancer Immunotherapy Network Leadership Institute Selected Participant, Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (2024) Physician-Scientist Fellow, Chan Zuckerberg Biohub - San Francisco (2023-2025) As a physician-scientist, Dr. Draper maintains an active research program while providing clinical care, with particular emphasis on developing novel immunotherapies for gynecologic cancers. Her current fellowship at UCSF and multiple early-career awards indicate strong potential for continued contributions to the field of cancer immunotherapy. Dr. Draper works within the Roybal Laboratory at UCSF, which focuses on innovative approaches to cancer immunotherapy and T cell engineering. Her research intersects with multiple collaborative initiatives at UCSF, including the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and the Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology.
Cumrun Vafa is an Iranian-American theoretical physicist and the Hollis Professor of Mathematicks and Natural Philosophy at Harvard University. His research spans string theory, quantum gravity, and the interplay between geometry and quantum field theories. Born in Tehran, Iran (1960) BS in Mathematics and Physics from MIT (1981) PhD in Physics from Princeton University (1985) under Edward Witten His work includes foundational contributions to F-theory, black hole entropy via solitonic states, and geometric engineering of quantum field theories. He has published over 300 articles with collaborators like Robbert Dijkgraaf and Hirosi Ooguri. Recent research focuses on string dualities, mirror symmetry, and applications to unresolved particle physics problems. His articles emphasize connections between Toda theories, matrix models, and supersymmetric gauge systems. Notable awards include: ICTP Dirac Medal (2008) Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics (2016) Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics (2017) Mustafa Prize (2021) Election to American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2005) Election to National Academy of Sciences (2009) He has advised prominent students such as Freddy Cachazo and Daniel Jafferis. Vafa is also a trustee of the Network of Iranians for Knowledge and Innovation (NIKI).
Professor Kim Eun-hee is a faculty member in the Department of Defense Systems Engineering at Sejong University, specializing in advanced radar technologies and signal processing. Her work bridges theoretical research and practical applications in defense systems. Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (2004), KAIST M.Sc. in Engineering (1996), KAIST B.Sc. in Precision Engineering (1994), KAIST Her research focuses on radar system design, including airborne active phased array radar, automotive radar, broadband noise radar, and over-the-horizon radar. She explores waveform optimization, MIMO architectures, and signal processing algorithms to enhance radar performance in complex environments. Publications highlight her expertise in MIMO radar configurations, Doppler-insensitive waveforms, and machine learning integration for signal analysis. She leads industry-academic collaborations with organizations like Hanwha Systems and LIG Nex1. She contributes to technical committees, including the Sensor and Signal Processing Division of the Korean Society of Military Science and Technology. Her laboratory (Defense Radar Technology Laboratory) focuses on radar design, signal processing, and sensor integration.
Aydin Babakhani is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), affiliated with the College of Life Sciences. He directs the Integrated Sensors Laboratory (ISL), which focuses on the design and implementation of integrated sensors and systems. His research spans high-speed wireless communication, terahertz technology, medical implants, radar systems, and industrial monitoring solutions. Research Interests: Prof. Babakhani's work integrates silicon-based technologies with applications across multiple domains. Key areas include: Silicon mm-Wave/THz transceivers and on-chip antennas for communication and sensing Wirelessly powered medical implants for biopotential monitoring and neural stimulation THz radar systems for micrometer-resolution imaging and vibration detection Energy harvesting solutions for batteryless sensors in industrial and biomedical applications CMOS-based optoelectronic systems and photonic computing accelerators His recent publications (2021-2025) demonstrate a strong emphasis on terahertz systems, wireless power transfer, and miniaturized medical electronics. Over 80% of his latest articles involve silicon-integrated solutions for biomedical implants or THz sensing, with emerging focus on AI-accelerated photonic computing and multi-Gbps wireless links.
Josiah Hester is Associate Professor of Interactive Computing and Computer Science at Georgia Tech's College of Computing, where he also directs the Center for Advancing Responsible Computing and the Ka Moamoa – Ubiquitous and Mobile Computing Lab . His research focuses on sustainable, battery-free computing systems for health, conservation, and education, informed by his Native Hawaiian heritage. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science, Clemson University, 2017 B.S. in Computer Science, Clemson University Honors College, 2011 Research Interests: Hester’s group pioneers intermittent computing —devices that harvest ambient energy (solar, radio, thermal, microbial) and operate reliably despite frequent power loss. Applications span: Large-scale conservation sensing with Indigenous communities Battery-free health wearables (smart masks, implantables) Educational tools for sustainable design Carbon-aware IoT and recyclable robotics Recent Work & Trends: His 2024–2025 publications unveil soil-powered sensors, recyclable electronics, and culturally-grounded CS education tools. A consistent theme is co-design with underserved communities and embedding sustainability metrics at every layer—from hardware to curriculum. Scientific Awards: Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) – 2025 Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship – 2022 NSF CAREER Award – 2022 Popular Science “Brilliant 10” – 2021 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award – 2021 Multiple best-paper & best-presentation awards Grants & Teams: Hester’s lab is supported by >$50 million in active funding from NSF, NIH (ARPA-H), DARPA, DoD, Sloan, VMware, and 3M. He leads interdisciplinary teams on projects such as: $35 million ARPA-H bioelectronics initiative for diabetes and cancer $5 million NSF “Coastlines and People” Hub for Manoomin conservation $2 million NSF-DELPHI sustainable edge device design Laboratory & Mentorship: The Ka Moamoa Lab (named with Hawaiian meaning “lamp of the moamoa fish”) hosts graduate, undergraduate, and post-doctoral researchers. Hester actively recruits Native and Indigenous students and has mentored award-winning advisees such as Nivedita Arora (ACM Doctoral Dissertation Award 2024).
Professor Ernest Foo is a distinguished academic at Griffith University's School of Information and Communication Technology, specializing in cybersecurity with a focus on industrial control systems and cryptographic protocols. With over 15 years of experience in computer networking, he has established himself as a leading expert in SCADA security and smart grid cybersecurity. His research has significant practical applications in critical infrastructure protection, and he has developed hands-on security training programs that have trained professionals from major Australian utilities and government agencies. Professor Foo's educational background includes: Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Electronic and Computer Engineering from University of Queensland Doctor of Philosophy from Queensland University of Technology Professor Foo's research interests center around secure cryptographic protocols with specific applications in industrial control system security and cyber physical systems. His work spans SCADA security, smart grid protection, wireless sensor network security, and post-quantum cryptography. He has made significant contributions to understanding vulnerabilities in industrial protocols like Modbus and DNP3, and has pioneered the application of process mining and data mining techniques for attack detection in critical infrastructure systems. His research bridges theoretical security concepts with practical implementations in real-world industrial environments. Professor Foo's recent publications demonstrate a clear trajectory toward increasingly sophisticated security frameworks for critical infrastructure. His work shows a progression from foundational SCADA security research to advanced applications of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and formal methods in cybersecurity. A notable trend is the integration of zero trust principles with industrial control systems, alongside growing emphasis on post-quantum cryptographic solutions. His publications span high-impact journals and conferences in cybersecurity, with increasing focus on anomaly detection in cyber-physical systems and the application of graph-based machine learning techniques to network security challenges. Professor Foo's notable scientific achievements include: Best paper award at the 2nd International Cyber Resilience Conference for "Gap analysis of Intrusion Detection in Smart Grids" Professor Foo has secured significant research funding including an ARC Linkage grant with Powerlink Queensland focused on cyber security for electricity sub-stations. He currently leads multiple research projects including Westpac Micro-Credentials in Financial Crime Investigation, Digital Banking Micro-credentials with ANZ, and research on quantum-safe cryptography. As a dedicated educator, he serves as Program Director for multiple cybersecurity programs including the Master of Cyber Security, and has supervised numerous doctoral and masters students. His Cyber Security: Industrial Control System course, conducted annually from 2013-2018, featured innovative hands-on training with real-world participants from major Australian utilities. Professor Foo has been instrumental in establishing the SCADA security research laboratory with multiple vendor system miniatures running industrial PLCs. His work bridges theoretical security concepts with practical implementations, making significant contributions to the security of industrial control systems and critical infrastructure worldwide.
Xiaoming Liu is the Anil K. and Nandita Jain Endowed Professor of Engineering and MSU Foundation Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Michigan State University . Holding a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University (2004), he leads cutting-edge research in computer vision and machine learning. Research Interests : Computer Vision Pattern Recognition Image and Video Processing Machine Learning Medical Image Analysis Multimedia Retrieval Recent Research Trends : Focus on 3D object detection and depth estimation Development of robust biometric recognition systems Integration of radar-camera fusion for autonomous systems Advancements in self-supervised and multimodal learning Exploration of adversarial AI security Creation of interpretable forgery detection frameworks Teaching : Spring 2013: CSE891-006 Computer Vision Seminar Fall 2012-2015: CSE803 Computer Vision Spring 2014-2017: CSE 471 Media Processing and Multimedia Contact Information : Email: liuxm@cse.msu.edu Office: EB 3137, Michigan State University Phone: +1 (517) 355-2359
Jun-Kun Wang is an Assistant Professor at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), with a joint appointment in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Halicioğlu Data Science Institute. He joined UCSD in July 2023, previously serving as a postdoc at Yale University. His research focuses on optimization, sampling, and machine learning, emphasizing acceleration techniques and theoretical guarantees. He explores connections between optimization and areas like no-regret learning, sampling, and hypothesis testing. Education: PhD in Computer Science from Georgia Tech (advised by Jacob Abernethy), M.S. in Communication Engineering and B.S. in Electrical Engineering from National Taiwan University. Research Interests: Acceleration in optimization and sampling, trustworthy machine learning, momentum methods, and algorithmic convex optimization. His work bridges theoretical foundations and practical applications, with publications in top-tier venues like COLT, ICML, ICLR, and NeurIPS. Teaching: Courses include ECE 174 (Linear/Nonlinear Optimization), ECE 273 (Convex Optimization), and DSC 211 (Optimization). His lectures cover topics such as gradient descent, duality theory, mirror descent, and non-convex optimization. Lab/Team: Leads the Optimization and Machine Learning Group, advising PhD students Can Chen and Maria-Eleni Sfyraki, and MS student Yi Liu. His group focuses on theoretical and applied aspects of optimization algorithms.
Paolo Gardoni is the Alfredo H. Ang Family Professor and an Excellence Faculty Scholar in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with additional professorial appointments in Industrial & Enterprise Systems Engineering and Biomedical & Translational Sciences. He also serves as Director of the MAE Center and Editor-in-Chief of Reliability Engineering & System Safety. Education Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley (2002) M.A. in Statistics, University of California, Berkeley (2001) M.Eng. in Structural Engineering, University of Tokyo (1997) Laurea (BS+MS equivalent) in Structural Engineering, Politecnico di Milano (1997) Research Interests Gardoni’s scholarship integrates probabilistic methods with large-scale infrastructure systems to advance reliability, risk, and life-cycle analysis. His work quantifies the performance of deteriorating systems under natural and anthropogenic hazards, models societal impacts of disasters, and develops decision frameworks for sustainable and resilient infrastructure. He also examines ethical, social, and legal dimensions of risk, and investigates optimal strategies for hazard mitigation, disaster recovery, and climate adaptation. Across more than 250 refereed journal papers, he has advanced sub-fields ranging from probabilistic mechanics and earthquake engineering to catastrophe bond pricing and engineering ethics, leveraging tools such as stochastic differential equations, Bayesian networks, and physics-informed machine learning. Awards & Honors Alfredo Ang Award on Risk Analysis and Management of Civil Infrastructure (ASCE, 2021) Best Paper Awards in ASCE Journal of Sustainable Water in the Built Environment (2019) and Geotechnical Research (2018 Telford Premium Prize) Fellowships and named professorships: Alfredo H. Ang Family Professor, Excellence Faculty Scholar, and courtesy or honorary professorships at Tsinghua, IIT Guwahati, Tongji, Jianghan, and Loughborough universities. Research Leadership & Funding Gardoni has secured over $58 million in research funding from NSF, DHS, NIST, USAID, Qatar National Research Fund, and other agencies. He directs the MAE Center—formerly an NSF Engineering Research Center—focused on multi-hazard engineering approaches, and is Editor-in-Chief of Reliability Engineering & System Safety (Elsevier, IF 9.4). He founded and formerly led the journal Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure (Taylor & Francis) and serves on editorial boards of nine additional journals. Advising & Mentorship He has graduated 27 PhD and 35 Master’s students, many of whom now hold faculty positions worldwide. His group maintains an active pipeline of doctoral and post-doctoral researchers working on resilience analytics, infrastructure monitoring, and risk-informed decision-making. Laboratories & Collaborations He leads the MAE Center and is affiliated with the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute (CIRI) and the Biomedical and Translational Sciences group. International collaborations span the UK (Loughborough), India (IIT Guwahati), and China (Tsinghua, Tongji, Jianghan), fostering cross-disciplinary research in reliability and resilience engineering.
Max V. Birk is an Associate Professor at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), affiliated with the Human-Technology Interaction group in the School of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences. He holds a secondary appointment as EAISI Health Associate Professor. His interdisciplinary research focuses on game-based design strategies, digital health, and motivational interface design, with contributions to games user research, eSports, and interactive experience tools. Birk earned a Psychology degree from the University of Trier (2012) and a Computer Science PhD from the University of Saskatchewan (2018), focusing on avatar customization for health engagement. Research Contributions: Birk’s work spans player experience, behavioral data analysis, and game-based digital biomarkers for stress. He leads the NWO Veni-funded project on game-based biomarkers for acute/chronic stress. His research has been published in top HCI venues like CHI and ACM Transactions on CHI. Organized global workshops and co-chaired CHI PLAY 2020/2021 Collaborations with Tencent, AlienTrap, and global game developers Editorial roles at JMIR Mental Health Awards & Honors: 2023 TU/e Young Researcher Award 2022 Best MSc Teacher Industrial Design NWO Veni Grant (2020) Multiple ACM awards and recognitions Academic Leadership: Vice-chair of Eindhoven Young Academy of Engineering Board member of EWUU Centre for Unusual Collaboration Member of De Jonge Akademie (KNAW) Teaching: Courses include 'Digital Tools & Human Wellbeing', 'Human Factors', and 'Social Media & Online Life'.
Phuong H. Nguyen is an Associate Professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). He leads the digital Power & Energy Systems (digi-PES) lab, focusing on smart energy systems, distributed control, and IoT integration for future energy grids. His research addresses energy transition challenges, including microgrid optimization, flexibility markets, and data-driven grid management. Nguyen holds a PhD from TU/e (2010) and has held visiting researcher positions at Clemson University. His work contributes to UN SDG goals related to affordable and clean energy. Education: Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology (2002) Master's in Electrical Engineering, Asian Institute of Technology (2004) PhD in Electrical Engineering, TU/e (2010) Key Research Areas: Smart Grids and Cyber-Physical Systems Distributed Energy Resource Management Local Energy Markets and Flexibility Provision IoT and Big Data in Energy Systems Awards & Recognition: Best Paper Award SEST 2020 Projects & Grants: REACT-D: Reactive Power Management (Project Manager) Al-driven Applications to Smarten Power System Operation (Project Lead) UNIversity Campus as a Self-Regulated Network (Co-Manager) Labs & Teams: The digi-PES lab develops cyber-physical tools for energy transition, including microgrid simulations, flexibility markets, and grid resilience strategies.
