Humanities & Social Sciences

Esteemed speakers contributing their insights into human culture, behavior, and societal development

Renee Samantha

Renee Samantha

Renee Hamilton is a lecturer at Nagoya University of the Arts working at the intersection of AI, visual culture, and identity. Her work explores how artificial intelligence can be used as a creative and symbolic medium to examine race, perception, and digital identity.

Through her visual project “Lady Gorilla,” Hamilton experiments with AI-generated imagery to study audience reactions, symbolism, and the psychology of online engagement. She also incorporates these visuals into lectures to explore how emerging technologies influence cultural narratives and representation.

Her work sits between art, technology, and academic inquiry, examining how AI reshapes the way we construct and interpret identity in the digital era.

Renee Hamilton is a lecturer at Nagoya University of the Arts working at the intersection of AI, visual culture, and identity. Her work explores how artificial intelligence can be used as a creative and symbolic medium to examine race, perception, an... Show more

Benedikt Weygandt

Benedikt Weygandt

Secondary school teacher (mathematics & physics), Ph.D. in mathematics (with specialization in the teaching of mathematics at the university level)

Research Interests: instructional design of mathematics courses, mathematical sophistication & enculturation, mathematical beliefs, fostering giftedness, future skills, AI & data literacy

Secondary school teacher (mathematics & physics), Ph.D. in mathematics (with specialization in the teaching of mathematics at the university level) Research Interests: instructional design of mathematics courses, mathematical sophistication & encu... Show more

Frank Abe

Frank Abe

FRANK ABE is co-editor with Floyd Cheung of a new anthology, THE LITERATURE OF JAPANESE AMERICAN INCARCERATION, (Penguin Classics). He is lead author of a graphic novel, WE HEREBY REFUSE: Japanese American Resistance to Wartime Incarceration (Chin Music Press), and with collaborators Tamiko Nimura, Ross Ishikawa, and Matt Sasaki was named a Finalist in Creative Nonfiction for the Washington State Book Award. He won an American Book Award with Cheung and Greg Robinson as co-editor of JOHN OKADA: The Life & Rediscovered Work of the Author of No-No Boy (University of Washington Press), in which he authored the first-ever biography of Okada and traced the origins of his novel. He is currently developing a new stage adaptation of NO-NO BOY in partnership with Seattle Rep.

Abe wrote, produced, and directed the award-winning PBS documentary CONSCIENCE AND THE CONSTITUTION on the largest organized resistance in the camps, and with writer Frank Chin helped organize the first-ever “Day of Remembrance” in Seattle in 1978. He was an original member of Chin’s Asian American Theater Workshop in San Francisco and studied at the American Conservatory Theater.

FRANK ABE is co-editor with Floyd Cheung of a new anthology, THE LITERATURE OF JAPANESE AMERICAN INCARCERATION, (Penguin Classics). He is lead author of a graphic novel, WE HEREBY REFUSE: Japanese American Resistance to Wartime Incarceration (Chin Mu... Show more

Sibila Erdei

Sibila Erdei

I'm a psychologist & Gestalt psychotherapist that likes to spend her time between the world of business and technology.
I like to get creative about the human element in organisations and create value by boosting the value of others.

I was born by the sea in Croatia and found myself thriving in an international environment from a young age studying in English, working in DACH, Nordic and Central EU markets.

I'm a psychologist & Gestalt psychotherapist that likes to spend her time between the world of business and technology. I like to get creative about the human element in organisations and create value by boosting the value of others. I was born b... Show more

José Luis Jiménez Figarotti

José Luis Jiménez Figarotti

EdTech scholar & VE expert, Prof. Jiménez is a prolific author on equity & human rights. His work bridges cultures inspiring empathy. His publications spark critical conversations on global exchange & social justice.

EdTech scholar & VE expert, Prof. Jiménez is a prolific author on equity & human rights. His work bridges cultures inspiring empathy. His publications spark critical conversations on global exchange & social justice. Show more

Thies Johannsen

Thies Johannsen

Thies Johannsen arbeitet an der Schnittstelle von Geistes-, Sozial- und Ingenieurwissenschaften mit Schwerpunkt auf strategischem Wissenschaftsmanagement, Kompetenzarchitekturen und missionsorientierter Innovationssteuerung. Er verbindet evidenzbasierte Produkt- und Programmentwicklung mit Forschung und Lehre zur Gestaltung von Transferstrukturen, transdisziplinären Kooperationen und innovationsorientierten Ökosystemen.

Thies Johannsen arbeitet an der Schnittstelle von Geistes-, Sozial- und Ingenieurwissenschaften mit Schwerpunkt auf strategischem Wissenschaftsmanagement, Kompetenzarchitekturen und missionsorientierter Innovationssteuerung. Er verbindet evidenzbasie... Show more

Andrea Civile

Andrea Civile

Andrea Civile is an L2 Italian researcher and language instructor whose work focuses on the development of pragmatic competence in adult learners, with attention to pragmalinguistic–sociopragmatic alignment, cultural shock, and intercultural adaptation in academic settings. His research—rooted in his doctoral project at the University for Foreigners of Perugia—adopts interlinguistic, intercultural, and cross-cultural perspectives and draws on data from Brazil, Japan, and Italy through a mixed-methods design. He is a member of the Pragmática (inter)linguística, cross-cultural e intercultural group at the University of São Paulo and contributes to research on online language teaching. Alongside his research, he has extensive teaching experience in Italy and abroad.

Andrea Civile is an L2 Italian researcher and language instructor whose work focuses on the development of pragmatic competence in adult learners, with attention to pragmalinguistic–sociopragmatic alignment, cultural shock, and intercultural adaptati... Show more

Roberta Coppola

Roberta Coppola

Master’s graduate with skills in digital communication, artificial intelligence, and data management. I have experience in public administration, focusing on document management and process automation, as well as in social media and content creation.
I am currently developing a thesis project involving AI, OCR, and digitization, combining analytical skills, precision, and creativity. I am proactive, well-organized, and results-oriented.

Master’s graduate with skills in digital communication, artificial intelligence, and data management. I have experience in public administration, focusing on document management and process automation, as well as in social media and content creation.... Show more

Maurizio Mangione

Maurizio Mangione

Russian literature lover, wannabe writer, rock climber.
Former Google Developers Expert and Microsoft MVP, founder of great communities.

Russian literature lover, wannabe writer, rock climber. Former Google Developers Expert and Microsoft MVP, founder of great communities. Show more

Catherine Ma

Catherine Ma

Dr. Catherine Ma is an accomplished and influential figure in psychology and academia. Her role as the first Chinese full professor of psychology at Kingsborough Community College is a testament to her accomplishments, and she acknowledges the invaluable support of her loving husband, three children, parents, mother-in-law, and pug in her success. Dr. Ma is a highly accomplished and dedicated professor whose work encompasses a wide range of essential topics such as antiracism pedagogy, Chinese immigrant experiences, and the impact of race and class in various settings. Her commitment to education and community involvement shines through in her significant contributions to teaching, scholarship, and service, particularly in areas related to antiracism pedagogy, Chinese immigrant experiences, and the impact of Chinese mothers. Dr. Ma's dedication to supporting students is exemplified in her decade-long mentorship of students of color, her ongoing mentoring of junior faculty at Kingsborough’s HURFS-RC (Historically Underrepresented Faculty and Staff Resource Center), and the creation of the Yuet Chun & Tai Yee Ma Memorial Endowment Fund which offers an annual scholarship to a hardworking Kingsborough student in perpetuity.

Her newest venture addresses the lack of mentorship among AAPI faculty and staff. Dr. Ma cofounded AAMPOWER (Asian American Mentorship Providing Opportunities to Women for Empowerment and Resilience) CUNY with her distinguished colleagues Dr. Trang Le-Chan, Dr. Payal Doctor, and Dean Sandie Han. This role in this organization highlights her commitment to fostering mentorship, empowerment, and resilience among Asian women in higher education. By creating a supportive community for sharing experiences and addressing critical issues, AAMPOWER CUNY represents a significant endeavor in championing diversity, inclusion, and support for future generations of Asian women at CUNY. Dr. Ma's collaborative efforts in establishing this initiative reflect her dedication to advocacy and empowerment within the academic community.

Dr. Ma's impressive achievements are reflected in her receipt of several prestigious awards, including Kingsborough's Fostering Teaching Excellence and Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Works Awards, and her dedication to teaching and mentoring excellence in the academic community was recognized with the SPSSI Two-Year College Teaching and Mentoring Excellence Award in 2022. Dr. Ma's numerous awards and accolades speak to the quality and impact of her work. Her passion for empowering others and addressing systemic injustices makes her a valuable asset in academia and beyond.

Dr. Catherine Ma is an accomplished and influential figure in psychology and academia. Her role as the first Chinese full professor of psychology at Kingsborough Community College is a testament to her accomplishments, and she acknowledges the invalu... Show more

Denis Migot

Denis Migot

Chief of Staff at the startup Fabriq, my expertise lies in management, structure, and work organization.
I host the podcast Zéro Virgule, which gives a voice to researchers in social sciences.

Chief of Staff at the startup Fabriq, my expertise lies in management, structure, and work organization. I host the podcast Zéro Virgule, which gives a voice to researchers in social sciences. Show more

Jenny Bhatt

Jenny Bhatt

Jenny Bhatt is a writer, literary translator, and book critic. She is a 2025 NEA Translation Fellow. She has taught creative writing at various organizations, including Writing Workshops Dallas and the PEN America Emerging Voices Fellowship Program. She was also the founder of Desi Books (March 2020 to January 2023), a global forum for showcasing South Asian literature from the world over. Currently, she is a Ph.D. student of literature at the University of Texas at Dallas. Her research areas are Translation Studies, Literary Translation, South Asian Literature, and The Historical Novel.

Her debut story collection, Each of Us Killers: Stories (7.13 Books; Sep 2020), won a 2020 Foreword INDIES award. Her literary translation, Ratno Dholi: Dhumketu’s Best Short Stories (HarperCollins India; Oct 2020), was shortlisted for the 2021 PFC-VoW Book Awards. The US edition of her Dhumketu translation, The Shehnai Virtuoso and Other Stories, was released in July 2022. One of her short stories was included in The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2021. Her fiction has appeared in multiple other anthologies, too.

Her nonfiction has been published in various venues, including NPR, The Guardian, The Washington Post, BBC Culture, The Atlantic, Publishers Weekly, Dallas Morning News, Literary Hub, Poets & Writers, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Star Tribune, and more.

She resides in the in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, Texas. Find her at https://jennybhattwriter.com.

Jenny Bhatt is a writer, literary translator, and book critic. She is a 2025 NEA Translation Fellow. She has taught creative writing at various organizations, including Writing Workshops Dallas and the PEN America Emerging Voices Fellowship Program. ... Show more

Steve Andrews

Steve Andrews

Steve is a frequent and engaging keynoter, speaker, and trainer at over 150 events across North America, speaking to diverse audiences including families and individuals, business leaders, healthcare professionals, and the United States Military. Steve is passionate about the human sciences and wellbeing. He is currently writing a book. Having spent over 20 years as a passionate technologist, he also speaks about cognitive accessibility.

Steve is a frequent and engaging keynoter, speaker, and trainer at over 150 events across North America, speaking to diverse audiences including families and individuals, business leaders, healthcare professionals, and the United States Military. Ste... Show more

Dr. Christ-Lee Lizaire-Ganthier

Dr. Christ-Lee Lizaire-Ganthier

Dr. Christ-Lee Lizaire-Ganthier is a U.S. Navy veteran, chaplain, author, nonprofit executive, and public speaker dedicated to serving vulnerable communities. As the founder of the Pelagie Foundation and Pelagie Resource Center in Conyers, Georgia, she leads programs that support veterans, survivors of domestic violence, seniors, and families experiencing poverty.

Through her work in chaplaincy, community outreach, and holistic care, Dr. Lizaire-Ganthier advocates for dignity, stability, and hope. She frequently speaks on veteran reintegration, faith-based community leadership, nonprofit innovation, and healing through service.

Speaking Topics:

Healing Through Service: Veteran Reintegration After Military Life
Faith and Community Care: The Role of Chaplaincy in Social Impact
From Intake to Impact: Building Effective Nonprofit Programs
Women Veterans Leadership and Empowerment
Turning Pain into Purpose Through Philanthropy

Dr. Christ-Lee Lizaire-Ganthier is a U.S. Navy veteran, chaplain, author, nonprofit executive, and public speaker dedicated to serving vulnerable communities. As the founder of the Pelagie Foundation and Pelagie Resource Center in Conyers, Georgia, s... Show more

Ayush Hazare

Ayush Hazare

Ayush Hazare is a practicing architect, independent researcher, and speaker working at the intersection of spatial design, Indigenous knowledge systems, and decolonial frameworks. His work explores how built environments shape identity, belonging, and cultural continuity.

He is a Junior Architect at Pioneer Construction and MAP Studio, Pune, and an Archivist and Journalist with Manasaram Architects and CGBMT, Bangalore. His research has been recognized internationally, including being an Asia Regional Winner at the Global Undergraduate Awards (2024), alongside multiple academic distinctions, research awards, and publications in Springer Scopus-indexed platforms. He has presented his work at national and international conferences and delivered invited lectures at institutions such as Cardiff University (UK) and Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Architecture, Pune.

Grounded in participatory fieldwork in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, he collaborates with Adivasi communities to reimagine educational spaces rooted in cultural and ecological contexts. His practice positions design as a tool of resistance and regeneration-moving beyond functionality to create spaces that sustain identity, dignity, and collective futures.

Ayush Hazare is a practicing architect, independent researcher, and speaker working at the intersection of spatial design, Indigenous knowledge systems, and decolonial frameworks. His work explores how built environments shape identity, belonging, an... Show more

Julius Förster

Julius Förster

Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter der Akademie für wissenschaftliche Weiterbildung an der Technischen Hochschule Köln
B.A. Philosophie-Neurowissenschaften-Kognition
M.A. Philosophie (laufend)

Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter der Akademie für wissenschaftliche Weiterbildung an der Technischen Hochschule Köln B.A. Philosophie-Neurowissenschaften-Kognition M.A. Philosophie (laufend) Show more

Sebastian Lang

Sebastian Lang

Sebastian Lang arbeitet als interdisziplinärer Researcher mit Künstler:innen, Wissenschaftler:innen und Philosoph:innen an den Beziehungen zwischen zeitgenössischen Gesellschaften, dem Individuum und digitalen Räumen. Er ist Absolvent des Studiengangs Cross-Disciplinary Strategies (BA) an der Universität für Angewandte Kunst Wien, und studiert aktuell Theorie und Geschichte der Wissenschaft und Technik (MA) an der TU Berlin. Sein besonderes Forschungsinteresse gilt der Frage, wie digitale Technologien unseren Alltag prägen und wie Individuen und Gemeinschaften mit den Anforderungen einer postdigitalen Welt umgehen.

Sebastian Lang arbeitet als interdisziplinärer Researcher mit Künstler:innen, Wissenschaftler:innen und Philosoph:innen an den Beziehungen zwischen zeitgenössischen Gesellschaften, dem Individuum und digitalen Räumen. Er ist Absolvent des Studiengang... Show more

Hannah Sari

Hannah Sari

Hannah Sari ist Sozialarbeiterin, Sexualpädagogin und studiert den Master "Gesellschaftlicher Wandel als Gestaltungsaufgabe" an der Hochschule München. Sie arbeitet vor allem zu den Themen Konsens und Awareness.

Hannah Sari ist Sozialarbeiterin, Sexualpädagogin und studiert den Master "Gesellschaftlicher Wandel als Gestaltungsaufgabe" an der Hochschule München. Sie arbeitet vor allem zu den Themen Konsens und Awareness. Show more

Ji-Yeon Yuh

Ji-Yeon Yuh

Ji-Yeon Yuh received her Ph.D. in History from the University of Pennsylvania and is the founding faculty member of the Asian American Studies Program at Northwestern University, where she teaches Asian American history, Asian diasporas, US militarism and war, race and gender, and oral history. Her book, Beyond the Shadow of Camptown: Korean Military Brides in America, was the first substantive work to examine the consequences of U.S. militarism for Korean migration and diaspora. Her current projects include a digital oral history repository focused on Asian diasporas, an oral history project on the Midwest as an Asian American space, a book on Korean diaspora in China, Japan, and the United States, and a study of reunification and Korea peace activism in the Korean diaspora. She has been a consultant for numerous public history, media, and education projects, including Still Presents Pasts, an exhibit on Korean Americans and the Korean War, Crossing East, a radio documentary on Asian Americans, and Pollyanna’s high school racial literacy curriculum. As a longtime advocate for Korea peace and reunification, she occasionally publishes op-eds in places like the Chicago Tribune and the National Interest. She serves as the board chair of Women Cross DMZ, an associate (and former board member) of the Korea Policy Institute, and an advisor for Action for One Korea. She is a co-founder and the emeritus board president of the Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago and a former board president of KAN-WIN, an Asian American women’s anti-gender-violence organization. A native of Seoul and Chicago, she is a fan of pungmul, a taekwondo black belt, a science fiction reader, and the mother of three children.

Ji-Yeon Yuh received her Ph.D. in History from the University of Pennsylvania and is the founding faculty member of the Asian American Studies Program at Northwestern University, where she teaches Asian American history, Asian diasporas, US militaris... Show more

Maggie Ivanova

Maggie Ivanova

Maggie Ivanova is pursuing a Ph.D. in Theatre, Hawaiian and Indigenous Performance, at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM). She holds a Ph.D. in Comparative and World Literature (Drama) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an M.F.A. in Directing - Asian Performance, from UHM. Maggie is a multi-lingual teaching artist: a dramaturg, theatre director, and researcher, working with the performance traditions of Ireland, Britain, Sweden, Norway, Japan, and Russia. Since 2020, Maggie has been affiliated with the East-West Center as Student Affiliate and Foundation Scholar. Currently, Maggie is serving as a co-dramaturg and stage manager for "Panji and the Last Princess," a Balinese wayang listrik show which opens in April 2026 at Kennedy Theatre, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Maggie Ivanova is pursuing a Ph.D. in Theatre, Hawaiian and Indigenous Performance, at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM). She holds a Ph.D. in Comparative and World Literature (Drama) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an ... Show more

Arin Kimmel

Arin Kimmel

Hi! My name is Arin Kimmel. I struggled for years to make friends, win over audiences and express myself in conversations. I didn't have the right words or the right mindset and it was continuously sabotaging my life. Before I got to University I knew something had to change. I read as much as I could about Persuasion, Psychology and People. When I walked onto campus I realized with a shock that I'd gone from the worst communicator I knew to the best! I was making friends left and right. People wanted to hear what I had to say and even crazier…people actually liked listening to me (can you believe it)! But, I didn't stop there... I did Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, Philosophy and anything else that could improve my communication. I graduated from University of Waterloo with a degree in Speech Communication and today I specialize in helping individuals just like yourself better express themselves. Anyone can become a better communicator, I'm living proof. You have a story to tell and I'm here to help you share it!

Hi! My name is Arin Kimmel. I struggled for years to make friends, win over audiences and express myself in conversations. I didn't have the right words or the right mindset and it was continuously sabotaging my life. Before I got to University I kne... Show more

Diletta Fabiani

Diletta Fabiani

Diletta Fabiani is a research fellow a one of the largest think tanks in Asia. Her research interests include security-related multilateral frameworks in the Asia-Pacific, cyber security and AI governance developed in international institutions, and AI regulations in Japan. She has a Ph.D. in International Studies from Waseda University and an M.A. in International Relations from Bologna University.

Languages: Italian (native), English (native level), Japanese (business level)

Diletta Fabiani is a research fellow a one of the largest think tanks in Asia. Her research interests include security-related multilateral frameworks in the Asia-Pacific, cyber security and AI governance developed in international institutions, and ... Show more

Khadyajah Jenkins, M.A.T

Khadyajah Jenkins, M.A.T

Khadyajah Jenkins, M.A.T is a scholar-practitioner, cultural strategist, and doctoral candidate whose work examines the future of education, leadership, and relational labor in the age of artificial intelligence. Her research centers African-American executives and early-career professionals to understand how cultural conformity, emotional expression, respectability politics, and algorithmic bias shape leadership trajectories and mentorship opportunities in tech and media ecosystems. Through narrative inquiry and critical pedagogy, Jenkins studies how care, love, and cultural memory can serve as legitimate frameworks for leadership development and equitable system design.

Positioned at the intersection of higher education, innovation, and community infrastructure, Jenkins develops programs and pilots that translate academic knowledge into workforce outcomes. Her initiatives include college and career advising systems, city-aligned book fairs and literacy programs, AI literacy pathways for students and families, and archival storytelling series that reframe education as a cultural, relational, and economic project. Her platforms span LinkedIn, TikTok, Substack, and Patreon, where she produces research-informed content on education equity, postsecondary transitions, hidden industries, and love as a leadership practice.

Jenkins partners with civic, philanthropic, and educational stakeholders to design models that increase economic mobility, expand access to labor market information, and prepare communities for AI-mediated professional environments. Her work emphasizes that the future of work requires both technical and emotional infrastructure: knowledge, skills, networks, and care.

Her long-term vision is to build a research and learning firm with three pillars education, leadership , and economic justice—that integrates archival research, AI-enabled instructional design, and culturally situated learning systems. Through this interdisciplinary lens, she aims to reimagine how communities learn, lead, and love, and to create academic, civic, and digital ecosystems where Black intellectual and emotional labor are centered rather than extracted.

Khadyajah Jenkins, M.A.T is a scholar-practitioner, cultural strategist, and doctoral candidate whose work examines the future of education, leadership, and relational labor in the age of artificial intelligence. Her research centers African-American... Show more

Gina Maiellaro

Gina Maiellaro

Gina Maiellaro is a Teaching Professor and Associate Director for Curriculum and Instruction at the World Languages Center at Northeastern University. Her academic research explores second language acquisition, with a focus on language testing and assessment, curriculum development, Intercultural Competence, and Actor-Network Theory in language teaching. She is also the director of the AATI National Italian Exam.


Gina Maiellaro is a Teaching Professor and Associate Director for Curriculum and Instruction at the World Languages Center at Northeastern University. Her academic research explores second language acquisition, with a focus on language testing and as... Show more

Nyla Numan

Nyla Numan

Nyla Numan is a doctoral candidate in the English Department at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Her research focuses on how twenty-first century Asian American fiction experiments with historical representation to imagine alternative temporalities, futures, and inter- & intra-racial relationalities.

Nyla Numan is a doctoral candidate in the English Department at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Her research focuses on how twenty-first century Asian American fiction experiments with historical representation to imagine alternative tempor... Show more

Anthony Julian Tamburri

Anthony Julian Tamburri

ANTHONY JULIAN TAMBURRI is Dean of the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute and Distinguished Professor of European Languages and Literatures. He is co-founder and co-director of Bordighera Press, with Fred Gardaphé and Paolo Giordano, which is now an official entity of the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute. Tamburri served as president of the Italian American Studies Association and o fthe American Association of Teachers of Italian.
Concentrating on semiotics, the literature and cinema of Italy and its diaspora, and interpretation theory, he has authored twenty-two books, long and short, in both English and Italian, and more than 140 peer-reviewed essays and book chapters. Some of his books of the past thirty-five years include Of Saltimbanchi and Incendiari: Aldo Palazzeschi and Avant-Gardism in Italy. (1990); To Hyphenate or not to Hyphenate: the Italian/American Writer: Or, An Other American? (1991); A Semiotic of Ethnicity: In (Re)cognition of the Italian/American Writer (1998); Italian/American Short Films & Music Videos: A Semiotic Reading (2002); Una semiotica della ri-lettura: Guido Gozzano, Aldo Palazzeschi, e Italo Calvino (2003); Narrare altrove: diverse segnalature letterarie (2007); Re-reading Italian Americana: Generalities and Specificities on Literature and Criticism (2014); Un biculturalismo negato: La letteratura “italiana” negli Stati Uniti (2018); The Columbus Affair: Imperatives for an Italian/American Agenda (2021); Signing Italian/American Cinema: A More Focused Look (2021); A Politics of [Self-]Omission: The Italian/American Challenge in A Post-George Floyd Age (2022); Expanding Diasporic Identity: A Multi-directional Path to the New Italian Writer (2025); and Knowledge, What Is It Good For? Italian/American Leadership in the Twenty-first Century (2025).
Tamburri has been acknowledged by several organizations over the years for his work; some recognitions include Distinguished Alumnus of the Year. Southern Connecticut State University (2000); Cavaliere dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (2010); “Frank Stella Person of the Year Award,” ILICA (2010); “The Lehman-LaGuardia Award for Civic Achievement,” OSDIA & B’nai B'rith International (2012); AATI Award for Distinguished Service for Colleges and Universities (2013); The Joseph Coccia Jr. Heritage, Language and Culture Award (2016); Italian American Leadership Award, Italian Charities (2023). In 2025 the A Colorni-Hershman International Institute published a selection of his essays in Italian in its series “Culture Mediterranee,” entitled Gli americani italiani: cultura e società, Nicoletta Stame and Sabrina Vellucci, eds.
When not directing two book series (one in English, “Italian Series” [Fairleigh Dickinson University Press]; the other in Italian, “Americana” [Franco Cesati Editore]), he is executive producer and host of the Calandra Institute’s TV program, Italics.
Tamburri’s degrees are from Southern Connecticut State University (B.S., Italian), Middlebury College (M.A., Italian), and University of California, Berkeley (Ph.D., Italian & Spanish). In addition to teaching at Smith College, Middlebury College, and Auburn University, he spent thirteen years at Purdue University before moving to Florida Atlantic where, from 2000 to 2006, he served as Chair of Languages and Linguistics and, subsequently, Associate Dean for Research, Graduate, and Interdisciplinary Studies, as well as director of the Ph.D. in Comparative Studies.

ANTHONY JULIAN TAMBURRI is Dean of the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute and Distinguished Professor of European Languages and Literatures. He is co-founder and co-director of Bordighera Press, with Fred Gardaphé and Paolo Giordano, which i... Show more

Patrick Smyth

Patrick Smyth

Dr. Patrick Smyth is Staff Developer Relations Engineer at Chainguard, where he shows developers how to deploy AI and other applications with 0 CVEs using Chainguard Images. Patrick has a PhD in the digital humanities and in a previous life led technical bootcamps for researchers at Columbia University. In his free time you can find Patrick swimming in a frozen lake or hanging out with his six-month-old baby.

Dr. Patrick Smyth is Staff Developer Relations Engineer at Chainguard, where he shows developers how to deploy AI and other applications with 0 CVEs using Chainguard Images. Patrick has a PhD in the digital humanities and in a previous life led tech... Show more

Abbie Marono

Abbie Marono

Dr. Abbie Maroño is an internationally recognized behavioral and social scientist, acknowledged by the U.S. Department of State as a top 1% expert. She has delivered behavioral analysis training to representatives from 29 U.S. federal agencies, including the U.S. Secret Service, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security, as well as to senior leadership at INTERPOL. Dr. Abbie is the creator of The Upper Hand, a proprietary framework for understanding human decision-making and influence. After delivering this training, the U.S. Secret Service recognized her expertise with an award for outstanding contribution to their forensic services. ​

​Earning her PhD in Psychology, Abbie became a Professor of Psychology at 23 and now specializes in behavior analysis. She contributes regularly to Forbes, Court TV, and Apple News and has been featured on BBC News, Fox News, WIRED, Reuters, Forbes Breaking News, and many more. Dr. Abbie is also a highly sought-after expert witness, retained for high-profile cases, including lawsuits involving A-list celebrities.

As an active member of internationally recognized research groups, Abbie was honored as Reviewer of the Year for her significant contribution to the academic community. Additionally, she is an author, expert consultant, coach, and a TEDx speaker.

Dr. Abbie Maroño is an internationally recognized behavioral and social scientist, acknowledged by the U.S. Department of State as a top 1% expert. She has delivered behavioral analysis training to representatives from 29 U.S. federal agencies, inclu... Show more

Doleh Khan

Doleh Khan

I am Doleh Usman Khan, and I have been working for over five years in the fields of gender research, youth empowerment, and community development. As a Silver Medalist in Gender Studies from the University of Sindh, I have served with organizations such as FAO, Research and Development Foundation (RDF), HANDS Pakistan, and Community World Service Asia, where my work has focused on vocational training, gender equality, monitoring and evaluation, and humanitarian response.

Through these roles, I have contributed to training more than 1,300 youth and 250 women across Sindh in tailoring, beautician trades, and other livelihood skills, enabling them to achieve decent work and economic independence. My research and advocacy extend to areas such as the Transgender Protection Act (2018), domestic violence case studies, and gender-responsive development policies.

Internationally, I have represented youth voices at the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (UNCC Bangkok) and the World Youth Forum, presenting evidence and success stories on gender-inclusive vocational training. I am passionate about data-driven problem solving, participatory research, and policy engagement to create sustainable opportunities for women and youth in the MENA and South Asia region.

I am Doleh Usman Khan, and I have been working for over five years in the fields of gender research, youth empowerment, and community development. As a Silver Medalist in Gender Studies from the University of Sindh, I have served with organizations s... Show more

Aldo Pisano

Aldo Pisano

My research fields are Ethics and AI, Narrative Ethics, Didactics of Philosophy. I had my bachelor's degree in Philosophy in 2018 and I worked in Aix-Marseille University with Carlo Rovelli linking Contemporary Sciences to Philosophical Anthropology. Humankind ontological status has changed because we share a digital and physical identity.
I'm a Phd Student in Learning Sciences and Digital Technologies and I work with Prof.ssa Ines Crispini, Full professor of Ethics.

My research fields are Ethics and AI, Narrative Ethics, Didactics of Philosophy. I had my bachelor's degree in Philosophy in 2018 and I worked in Aix-Marseille University with Carlo Rovelli linking Contemporary Sciences to Philosophical Anthropology.... Show more

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