Professor, University of Cambridge I am interested in the conservation of tropical forests and biodiversity. We use intensive field study, remote sensing, global mapping, land-use modelling, and environmental economics to tackle key questions in tropical forest ecology and conservation, with a focus on issues of global policy significance. I am particularly interested in understanding the most effective ways of managing primary forest, selective logging, restoration, farming, and wildlife trade to enhance biodiversity protection and the delivery of associated ecosystem functions and services. I work closely with conservation practitioners, government, and industry in developing our research and translating it into applied solutions.
Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Cambridge I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Cambridge. I am interested in understanding the physical processes that lead to abrupt climate changes, with a particular focus on past climates.
Postdoctoral Scholar in Nanoengineering, University of California, San Diego I am a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Professor Jon Pokorski and am serving as MRSEC Trainee Leadership Group Representative (IRG2). My current research focuses on fabricating biosynthetic materials by integrating genetically engineered cells into polymer composites. Prior to joining the Pokorski lab, I received my Doctoral degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India. During my PhD research I developed biocompatible gelators from short self-assembling peptides for applications in drug delivery and tissue engineering. In my spare time I enjoys photography, traveling, writing and painting.
Assistant Professor of Political Science, Purdue University Dr. Schiff is an Assistant Professor of Technology Policy at Purdue University’s Department of Political Science and the Co-Director of GRAIL, the Governance and Responsible AI Lab. As a policy scientist with a background in philosophy, he studies the formal and informal governance of AI through policy and industry, as well as AI's social and ethical implications in domains like education, manufacturing, finance, and criminal justice. His interdisciplinary and mixed methods research addresses topics such as industry standards and organizational practices for AI ethics, public and elite opinion and influence dynamics in the policy process, the development of social responsibility attitudes amongst future computing and engineering professionals, and the role of the public in governing emerging technologies. At GRAIL, he focuses on fostering interdisciplinary research collaborations to study AI's social, policy, and ethical implications using diverse theoretical approaches and rigorous methods. He works with many passionate and talented graduate and undergraduate students, academics, and practitioners. His work also includes the development of interdisciplinary coursework focused on technology, policy, and ethics, and he maintains a key interest in engaging with members of the public, stakeholders in civil society and industry, and policymakers to share best practices, learn from others, and have applied impact that can benefit society. He aims to make his research accessible and relevant. For example, Dr. Schiff served as the founding Responsible AI Lead at JP Morgan Chase & Co., the most Globally Systematic Important Bank (GSIB). He also served as Secretary of the IEEE 7010-2020 standard, the first AI ethics industry standard, focused on the impacts of AI on human well-being, and remains engaged in international, national, and subnational AI policy efforts. Before then, he worked for several years in the non-profit K-12 education sector as the Director of Research, Evaluation, and Planning at the Philadelphia Education Fund. Dr. Schiff studied Philosophy at Princeton University, focusing on robotics and intelligent systems, before completing a Master’s in Social Policy at the University of Pennsylvania and PhD in Public Policy from the Georgia Institute of Technology. You can see his work in venues across various disciplines, including Policy Studies Journal, Science and Public Policy, Public Administration, Technology in Society, Review of Policy Research, AI & Society, the International Journal of AI in Education, IEEE Transactions on Technology & Society, the Journal of Engineering Education, the AMA Journal of Medical Ethics, and Nanotechnology, and you can reach him at dschiff "at" purdue "dot" edu or at @dan_schiff.
Associate Professor in Data Science, University of Bristol I am a statistician with extensive experience in Data Science and Bayesian methods. I have made contributions to applied research spanning Genetics, Population Health, Cyber Security, Digital Health Records, and more. I work on the boundary of statistical and machine learning methodology and application to real-world data science problems. I have received a Sir Henry Dale Wellcome Trust and Royal Society Research fellowship and have led the development of a "Data Science Toolbox" Masters course. I am co-director of COMPASS - the EPSRC Computational Statistics and Data Science at the University of Bristol, hosted by the Institute of Statistical Sciences.
Senior Lecturer in History, Federation University Australia Dr Waldron is a historian working in the School of Education and Arts. Dr David Waldron joined Federation University, then the University of Ballarat, in 1999 whilst engaged in post graduate study. In his time at Federation University, Dr Waldron has developed a passion for community historical engagement, regularly supporting, writing and developing community heritage events, support local theatre and online productions in historical areas of research. He is the researcher and co-writer of the Goldfields History pod cast series Tales from Rat City, which won the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) People’s Choice award in 2019 and recently completed the Lucas Girls and the Avenue of Honour Audio Tours commemorating the lives of the men and women who served in the First World War from Ballarat and district. More recently Dr Waldron has coordinated the digital mapping of the Yarrowee in collaboration with the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation and the City of Ballarat. Dr Waldron is also one of the primary contributors and architects of the annual Ballarat Heritage Festival and contributes to the Maldon Gothic Festival and the Melbourne Magic Festival with his colleague Dr Jo Clyne. He is the author of "Sign of the Witch: Modernity and the Pagan Revival, "Shock! the Black Dog of Bungay: A Case Study in Local Folklore", "Goldfields and the Gothic" and "Aradale: the Making of a Haunted Asylum". He is also a TEDx speaker discussing the legacy of haunting and ghost stories in response to traumatic events in a community. David is a folklorist and historian with a particular focus on the development of urban legends and popular folklore as a response to traumatic community experiences. He is interested in the intersection of folklore, popular culture and the creation of shared mythology and story-telling. He is also interested in tracing the development of folklore attached to historic and sacred sites and the development of urban legends in relation to social, cultural and political crisis in communities. He has a strong interest in new religious movements and the concomitant development of new mythologies and belief systems. Research interests: New Religious movements Folklore Studies and community identity The intersection of community folklore and popular culture/urban legends Active learning models in Historical Education Place, Culture and Identity formation in small, communities Ghost Stories and Urban legends as a cultural response to shared trauma.
