Contributors

Ruomin Zhu

PhD student, University of Sydney

PhD student, University of Sydney PhD in physics at USYD

Richard Hingley

Professor of Archaeology, Durham University

Professor of Archaeology, Durham University Richard Hingley is Professor of Archaeology and Director of the Centre for Roman Culture at Durham University. His current research focuses on transforming knowledge of Rome, addressing several distinct topics, including - 'Geographies of Roman heritage' - ‘The genealogy of the changing meanings of ‘empire’ from the classical Roman past to the present day’. - ‘Roman identity and social change’ - ‘The reception of knowledge of Rome in the Western Roman empire’ - ‘Colonial archaeologies from the eighteenth century to today’. - ‘Ancestral histories’

Robin Lamboll

Research Fellow in Atmospheric Science, Imperial College London

Research Fellow in Atmospheric Science, Imperial College London Robin Lamboll researches what humans emit into our atmosphere, what effects it will have on us and what we can do about it. Robin mostly works on open-source software and data analysis. Examples include calculating how much CO2 was can emit before the earth warms more than the Paris Agreement states; analysing relationships between known or projected emissions to infer unknown emissions, and the impact of COVID-19 on human emissions. Robin completed a PhD in the physics of solar cells at the University of Cambridge, modelling the behaviour of new designs of solar cells, and has an MSci in Natural Sciences from Cambridge. Robin has previously worked as a quantitative consultant and successfully represented the UK in multiple international poetry slams.

Richard Buka

Haematology Registrar and Clinical Research Fellow, University of Birmingham

Haematology Registrar and Clinical Research Fellow, University of Birmingham I am a haematology doctor and clinical research fellow at the University of Birmingham. I am currently undertaking my PhD studying the mechanisms by which platelets are activated in vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia with thrombosis, a new disorder that emerged as a consequence of adenoviral vector vaccination against COVID-19. I am passionate about collaborative research and research skills training and chair HaemSTAR, the UK's network of haematology registrars interested in non-malignant haematology. I also make a regular podcast called Don't Just Read the Guidelines where I interview, and give a platform to, up and coming doctors and scientists to share their work and ideas. If you would like to read more from me, head to my blog: classicalcompass.substack.com.

Richard Friend

Senior Lecturer in Human Geography, University of York

Senior Lecturer in Human Geography, University of York Richard Friend joined the Department of Environment and Geography in 2016. He has a background in social anthropology and development studies, with a PhD from the University of Bath (UK) based on extensive ethnographic fieldwork in southern Thailand. He has over twenty-five years experience working in Asia – Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India and Nepal. He speaks Thai fluently and is proficient in Lao. The main focus of his work has been on the poverty and governance dimensions of social and environmental transformations, particularly around fisheries, water resources, urbanization and climate change. His most recent work has addressed water governance in Israel and Palestine, and issues of systemic risk - focusing on food systems in Thailand. He has a longstanding interest in scientific and indigenous knowledge and the role of engaged research in driving social change. His professional work has involved a range of responsibilities - programme management, capacity building, and policy-oriented action research. He has worked in senior management and advisory positions for the Thailand Environment Institute (TEI), the Institute of Social and Environmental Transition, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the WorldFish Centre, and taken on consultancy roles for a range of NGOs (including Oxfam, Save the Children), UN agencies (UNDP, FAO and UNCDF) and bilateral donors (including DFID, Danida and Sida).

Rob Wells

Associate Professor of Journalism, University of Maryland

Associate Professor of Journalism, University of Maryland I was a full-time journalist for 26 years, primarily covering business and politics, at The Associated Press, Bloomberg News, Dow Jones Newswires, and The Wall Street Journal. I was the Washington bureau chief for Dow Jones Newswires and then the Deputy Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal in Washington. I began teaching at the Merrill College in 2010. I left the newsroom in 2011 to pursue a second career in academia. I have authored two books: “The Enforcers: How Little-Known Trade Reporters Exposed the Keating Five and Advanced Business Journalism” (University of Illinois Press, 2019), and "The Insider: How the Kiplinger Newsletter Bridged Washington and Wall Street" (University of Massachusetts Press, 2022). I earned a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies at St. John's College in Annapolis and then a Ph.D. in Journalism Studies at the Merrill College. During the 2011-12 school year, I helped launch a business reporting program at the University of South Carolina while serving as a Reynolds Visiting Business Journalism Professor. After earning my Ph.D. in 2016, I taught for five years at the University of Arkansas, where I rose to the rank of associate professor and led Arkansas' journalism graduate program. While at Arkansas, I ran ArkansasCovid.com, an award-winning statewide daily data and news website reporting on the pandemic. I also partnered with Merrill’s Howard Center for Investigative Journalism on multiple projects, including the award-winning “Nowhere To Go” homelessness investigation. I returned to the Merrill College in the Spring 2022, where I teach data journalism, basic reporting and an investigative reporting course in Baltimore.