Humanities & Social Sciences

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

Takuya Maeda

Takuya Maeda

Mellon Sawyer Postdoctoral Fellow in Transpacific Thought at NYU

Mellon Sawyer Postdoctoral Fellow in Transpacific Thought at NYU Show more

M'bark Erras

M'bark Erras

tbd

tbd Show more

Benjamin Ireland

Benjamin Ireland

Benjamin Hiramatsu Ireland, Ph.D. (Panel Chair) is Director of Asian Studies and Associate Professor of Modern Language Studies at Texas Christian University where he teaches Japanese and French history, literature, and language. His forthcoming book, Voices Beyond the Grave: Japanese Internment in the French Pacific (University of Hawaiʻi Press, 2026) examines a transnational Second World War history of Japanese diaspora, incarceration, and internment in the French Oceania and Australia. His publications on Transpacific Indigenous and AANHPI Studies—bridging history, literature, and social justice—appear in Verge: Studies in Global Asias (forthcoming 2026), British Journal for Military History (2025), Journal of Literary & Cultural Disability Studies (2022), among other interdisciplinary journals.

Benjamin Hiramatsu Ireland, Ph.D. (Panel Chair) is Director of Asian Studies and Associate Professor of Modern Language Studies at Texas Christian University where he teaches Japanese and French history, literature, and language. His forthcoming book... Show more

Demiliza Saramosing

Demiliza Saramosing

I am a Ph.D. candidate in American Studies at the University of Minnesota, with minors in Race, Indigeneity, Disability, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (RIDGS) and American Indian and Indigenous Studies.

"Messin’ Wid Paradise: The Kalihi-verse as Oceanic Homeplace In and Beyond the City with No Pity" is my dissertation, based on five years of ethnographic and autoethnographic research with young adults from Kalihi—many of whom, like me, came of age in the 1990s and 2000s amid post-plantation restructuring, racialized policing, and education systems shaped by settler and carceral logics. The everyday cultural practices of my interlocutors and I are central to my work, highlighting stories of belonging amid intersecting oppressions in Hawaiʻi. From Kalihi’s streets to theatre stages, pau hana talk stories, and Kakaʻako co-working sessions, I have listened to immigrant, second-generation, and Kānaka Maoli voices—many now navigating adulthood in a Hawaiʻi marked by housing crises and soaring living costs. As a second-generation Filipina returning to Kalihi, my research is a critical reckoning with my own place within these stories and structures. Framed by Critical Youth Studies, Women of Color and Indigenous Feminisms, Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, and Asian Settler Colonialism Studies, I position the Kalihi-verse as an Oceanic multiverse where my interlocutors and I forge belonging and resist erasure across both our youth and young adulthood.

I am a Ph.D. candidate in American Studies at the University of Minnesota, with minors in Race, Indigeneity, Disability, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (RIDGS) and American Indian and Indigenous Studies. "Messin’ Wid Paradise: The Kalihi-verse as O... Show more

Noreen Rodriguez

Noreen Rodriguez

Noreen Naseem Rodríguez is an Associate Professor of Elementary Education and Educational Justice in the Department of Teacher Education and core faculty in the Asian Pacific American Studies and Muslim Studies Programs at Michigan State University. Her current research, funded by the Spencer Foundation, examines the implementation of Asian American Studies in K-12 classrooms across the U.S. She has published over fifty peer-reviewed book chapters and articles in scholarly and practitioner journals such as Harvard Educational Review, Curriculum Inquiry, and Journal of Children's Literature, and is co-author of Social Studies for a Better World: An Anti-Oppressive Approach for Elementary Educators with Katy Swalwell and Teaching Asian America in Elementary Classrooms with Sohyun An and Esther Kim. Before becoming an award-winning researcher and teacher educator, Noreen was a bilingual elementary teacher in Austin, Texas for nine years.

Noreen Naseem Rodríguez is an Associate Professor of Elementary Education and Educational Justice in the Department of Teacher Education and core faculty in the Asian Pacific American Studies and Muslim Studies Programs at Michigan State University. ... Show more

James Kyung-Jin Lee

James Kyung-Jin Lee

Jim Lee is Professor and Chair of Asian American Studies at UCI.

Jim Lee is Professor and Chair of Asian American Studies at UCI. Show more

Ralph Gigliotti

Ralph Gigliotti

Ralph serves as Assistant Vice President for Strategic Programs in the Office of University Strategy and Director of the Center for Organizational Leadership at Rutgers University, where he provides executive leadership for a portfolio of signature academic leadership programs, consultation services, and research initiatives. In this role, he oversees the alignment and coordination of localized planning activities with major university priorities, and he ensures consistency of academic leadership development efforts across the institution.

He holds part-time faculty appointments in the Department of Communication (School of Communication and Information), Ph.D. Program in Higher Education (Graduate School of Education), Department of Family Medicine and Community Health (Robert Wood Johnson Medical School), and Rutgers Business School.

His research and consulting interests explore topics related to leadership, crisis, strategy, team dynamics, organizational communication, and training and development within the context of higher education.
Ralph is author and editor of nearly 10 books and 50 journal articles and book chapters.

Ralph is a member of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Board of Examiners (National Institute of Standards and Technology, United States Department of Commerce), in addition to his involvement on the Board of Directors for the Network for Change and Continuous Innovation in Higher Education (NCCI). He also serves as co-lead for the New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science (NJ ACTS) Team Science Core, co-lead of the Distinction in Leadership in Academic Healthcare Program, and a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach. He is an active member of the International Leadership Association and National Communication Association and the recipient of numerous national awards.

Ralph serves as Assistant Vice President for Strategic Programs in the Office of University Strategy and Director of the Center for Organizational Leadership at Rutgers University, where he provides executive leadership for a portfolio of signature a... Show more

Susanne Iris Bauer

Susanne Iris Bauer

2021- dato H³ - Projektkoordination HS Fulda
seit 2017 Lehre und Forschung Sozialwissenschaften
Systemische Organisationsentwicklerin
Doktorandin HS Fulda, M.A. Social Works

2021- dato H³ - Projektkoordination HS Fulda seit 2017 Lehre und Forschung Sozialwissenschaften Systemische Organisationsentwicklerin Doktorandin HS Fulda, M.A. Social Works Show more

Dr. Stefan T. Siegel

Dr. Stefan T. Siegel

Education Researcher & Lecturer 👨‍🏫
@HSGStGallen 🇨🇭 | Researching #educationaltheory #educationalmyths #educationalmedia | Enjoying #highered #sustainability #openscience

🧠#PKM Nerd using #ObsidianMD

#Hochschuldidaktik #Hochschullehre #Nachhaltigkeit #Erziehung #Bildung #Lehren #Lernen #Evidence #Misconceptions #Bildungsmedien #Videos #PKM #OER #sotl #academicdevelopment

Education Researcher & Lecturer 👨‍🏫 @HSGStGallen 🇨🇭 | Researching #educationaltheory #educationalmyths #educationalmedia | Enjoying #highered #sustainability #openscience 🧠#PKM Nerd using #ObsidianMD #Hochschuldidaktik #Hochschullehre #Na... Show more

Jocyl Sacramento

Jocyl Sacramento

Jocyl Sacramento is an Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies at Cal State East Bay, where she serves as the Director of Curriculum and Pedagogy for INSPIRE, a First Year Experience program. Her praxis bridges Asian American Studies with women of color feminisms, relational racialization, Ethnic Studies pedagogies, Pinayism, and love. She co-edited the forthcoming Comparative Ethnic Studies textbook, Love, Knowledge, and Revolution (Routledge).

Jocyl Sacramento is an Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies at Cal State East Bay, where she serves as the Director of Curriculum and Pedagogy for INSPIRE, a First Year Experience program. Her praxis bridges Asian American Studies with women of colo... Show more

Astrid Bin

Astrid Bin

Astrid is an artist and designer who works in music technology. She makes software and hardware systems for creative expression, taking on thorny technical and cultural challenges. She speaks about music technology, culture, and design, and all the places those encounter her myriad of special interests.

Astrid is an artist and designer who works in music technology. She makes software and hardware systems for creative expression, taking on thorny technical and cultural challenges. She speaks about music technology, culture, and design, and all the p... Show more

Ann Marie White

Ann Marie White

Dr. White is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry, with secondary appointments in Psychology, Public Health Sciences, and Community Health and Prevention at the University of Rochester (UR). In her university faculty roles, she leads change initiatives to deepen community engagement and public health approaches to health promotion as well as child development via service, education and research. From 2004-19, she also directed the Office of Mental Health Promotion (OMHP), prior to leading a nonprofit for five years beginning in 2019. OMHP oversaw community, consumer and diversity affairs for Psychiatry faculty and staff. Dr. White directs collaborative and participatory research. She promotes mental health supporting behaviors, services utilization, injury prevention as well as child and family development strategies within community-based settings. Her research applies system and data science methods in community engaged research, mental health promotion, and injury prevention systems. Her years of research and administrative experiences in developmental psychology emphasize the role of community settings such as childcare, arts centers and after-school programs in child development.

Upon completion of her doctorate in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard's Graduate School of Education, she was an AAAS/SRCD fellow in the U.S. Senate and the National Institutes of Health. She was a visiting scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2017 to foster the implementation of systems science approaches to state suicide prevention.

Dr. White is currently an elected member and chair of UR’s Research Policy Committee, and currently co-chair of the Faculty Senate. She has been a member of Faculty Senate since 2019. Her interests include promoting community engagement in all mission areas and promoting a campus climate centered on inclusion, equity, well-being, and families.

Dr. White is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry, with secondary appointments in Psychology, Public Health Sciences, and Community Health and Prevention at the University of Rochester (UR). In her university faculty roles, she leads change initiati... Show more

La-Trice Johnson, Ed.D.

La-Trice Johnson, Ed.D.

Dr. La-Trice Johnson is the founder and lead consultant of Levels and Mindset, LLC, where she helps new and aspiring administrators shift from reactive to responsive leadership through operational strategy, coaching, and equity-centered design. With over 28 years of experience as a teacher, principal, university instructor, and leadership coach, she brings a deep understanding of how site systems shape school culture, trust, and instructional flow.

A recipient of the ACSA Region XIX 2016 Elementary Co-Administrator of the Year Award, Dr. Johnson is recognized for her ability to lead with both precision and heart. She specializes in training assistant principals, admin designees, and site leaders to navigate the first critical years of school leadership with clarity, confidence, and care.

Through professional development, coaching, and instructional design, Dr. Johnson supports leaders in building systems that are not just compliant but transformational. She is especially passionate about mentoring women in leadership and creating inclusive spaces where operational excellence is seen as a bold act of service and strategy.

Dr. La-Trice Johnson is the founder and lead consultant of Levels and Mindset, LLC, where she helps new and aspiring administrators shift from reactive to responsive leadership through operational strategy, coaching, and equity-centered design. With ... Show more

Satya Subrahmanya Sai Ram Gopal Satya Subrahmanya Sai Ram Gopal

Satya Subrahmanya Sai Ram Gopal Satya Subrahmanya Sai Ram Gopal

Satya Subrahmanya Sai Ram Gopal Peri (Ram Gopal Peri) is a seasoned Business Integration Architecture leader with over 28 years of global experience delivering large-scale HCM and Payroll transformation initiatives for Fortune 100 companies and global enterprises across technology, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, aviation, oil & gas, and life sciences.
Renowned for bridging strategic vision with hands-on execution, he has architected and implemented complex HR technology solutions across on-premise and cloud ecosystems, led multi-country deployments, established Centers of Excellence, and championed modernization strategies with AI, ML, and automation. His career highlights include integrating AI-driven workforce management at Halliburton, directing HR solutions for Microsoft across 109 countries, leading greenfield SuccessFactors implementations for Etihad Airways, and managing SAP HR and Payroll for Shell in 125 countries.
Currently at Accenture, he drives enterprise-wide transformation programs for leading U.S.-based organizations, focusing on scalability, compliance, and user experience through effective stakeholder engagement and global delivery models. An accomplished author with multiple publications and books on HR innovation, AI, and strategic leadership, he holds advanced credentials from premier institutions and is recognized for his expertise in aligning people, processes, and platforms in the evolving digital HR landscape.

Satya Subrahmanya Sai Ram Gopal Peri (Ram Gopal Peri) is a seasoned Business Integration Architecture leader with over 28 years of global experience delivering large-scale HCM and Payroll transformation initiatives for Fortune 100 companies and globa... Show more

Jacqueline Stol

Jacqueline Stol

Jacqueline Colting Stol (she/her), PhD, is currently a post-doctoral fellow with the School of Social work at the University of Montreal. Building on a decade of social and community work direct practice and education, Dr. Stol completed a PhD in Social Work at McGill University, defending her thesis in October 2024 which was titled “Healing and homecoming: Identity and community narratives of returns and reconnections among LGBTQ+ Filipino/a/xs in Montreal”. Dr. Stol also holds a Master of Social Work from Carleton University and a Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of Ottawa. Dr. Stol publishes and mobilizes research about culturally relevant community-based research models, Filipino epistemologies, critical social work, and decolonization, mutual aid and solidarities in community organizing.

Jacqueline Colting Stol (she/her), PhD, is currently a post-doctoral fellow with the School of Social work at the University of Montreal. Building on a decade of social and community work direct practice and education, Dr. Stol completed a PhD in Soc... Show more

Barry Burd

Barry Burd

Barry Burd is a Mathematics and Computer Science Professor at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, US. He's the author of several books, including "Java For Dummies", "Quantum Computing Algorithms", and with Michael McCarthy, "Concise Guide to the Internet of Things". In 2020, he was named a Java Champion.

Barry Burd is a Mathematics and Computer Science Professor at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, US. He's the author of several books, including "Java For Dummies", "Quantum Computing Algorithms", and with Michael McCarthy, "Concise Guide to the... Show more

Benjamin Rieth

Benjamin Rieth

Dr. Benjamin “Benny” Rieth (he/him/his) is the Vice President of Student Affairs, Enrollment, and Belonging at Bellin College. His professional background spans admissions, student affairs, campus life, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, allowing him to approach student success through an integrated, systems-level lens.
Benny is an enrolled member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and a descendant of the Menominee Nation. Grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing, his scholarship and practice center on relationality, space, and student sense of belonging. He is the creator of the Five Rs of Student Sense of Belonging and Space, a research-based framework developed through qualitative inquiry into students’ lived experiences of campus environments.
In addition to his institutional leadership, Benny is the founder of BelongingU: Rieth Strategy Solutions, where he consults with colleges and organizations on belonging, equity-minded practice, and organizational culture change. He is a frequent conference presenter and speaker, amplifying Indigenous research methods and bridging theory to practice in higher education.

Dr. Benjamin “Benny” Rieth (he/him/his) is the Vice President of Student Affairs, Enrollment, and Belonging at Bellin College. His professional background spans admissions, student affairs, campus life, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, allowing ... Show more

Zakir Mahmud

Zakir Mahmud

Zakir Mahmud was born on August 29, 2005, in the calm village of Titpallah, Jamalpur, Bangladesh. Growing up in a humble family and a peaceful rural setting, he learned from an early age the values of honesty, respect, and perseverance. His parents, Md Rafiqul Islam and Mst. Muslima Begum played an essential role in shaping his personality and outlook on life. His father taught him the importance of commitment and discipline, while his mother’s kindness and patience fostered empathy and thoughtfulness. His siblings have been a steady source of motivation and friendship, helping him stay focused and confident throughout his journey.
He began his education at Light House Lab School and College, where he studied from classes 1 to 5—these years helped him develop a sense of curiosity, responsibility, and a positive attitude toward learning. Later, he joined Police Lines Ideal High School, Tangail, where he continued his studies from classes 6 to 10. His determination and focus on academics earned him a GPA of 4.33 out of 5 in the SSC Examination 2021. He then enrolled at Jamalpur Residential Model College, Jamalpur, where he achieved a GPA of 4.08 out of 5 in the HSC Examination 2023. For him, education represents growth, discipline, and preparation for future responsibilities beyond academic achievement.
He is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology at the Government. Titumir College, Dhaka. His decision to study sociology reflects his interest in people, communities, and the structures that shape society. He believes this field enables him to understand human behavior and social development, which he hopes to apply to make a positive contribution to his community.
Alongside his academic career, he has also entered the professional world as a Junior SEO Executive at Aan Nahl Software Company. His work focuses on Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Digital Marketing, and Online Reputation Management (ORM). His daily responsibilities include conducting keyword research, optimizing content, and building links. Through this role, he has developed analytical skills, teamwork, and adaptability—qualities essential in a fast-evolving digital industry.
His ambition is to become a skilled SEO and Digital Marketing professional while remaining connected to social causes such as education, youth empowerment, and digital literacy. Outside of work, he enjoys writing, planning, and playing cricket, activities that help him maintain creativity and balance in life.
The journey of Zakir Mahmud is one of effort, discipline, and continuous growth. From his simple beginnings in Jamalpur to his academic and professional success in Dhaka, Zakir Mahmud continues to move forward with dedication and the vision to create meaningful change.

Zakir Mahmud was born on August 29, 2005, in the calm village of Titpallah, Jamalpur, Bangladesh. Growing up in a humble family and a peaceful rural setting, he learned from an early age the values of honesty, respect, and perseverance. His parents, ... Show more

Andrew Buckley

Andrew Buckley

Andrew Buckley is a film school-educated writer, which means he’s spent most of his life with no money and a strong opinion about bad movies. Today, he’s a traditional and self-published novelist of rather silly, yet enjoyable speculative fiction for all ages, a comic book writer, screenwriter, podcaster, creator, and keynote speaker.

As a writer, Andrew favours playing in the fantasy and paranormal sandboxes and has a terrible habit of writing with a humorous and satirical slant despite being asked politely on numerous occasions to ‘please stop doing that’.

Andrew speaks to thousands of people each year, all over the world, about storytelling and writing through the delivery of interactive and engaging keynotes, workshops, and presentations at schools, colleges, writing conferences, teacher conferences, and comic cons.

At the time you’re reading this, he’s likely busy working on several new projects and attempting to bend time and space to allow for more hours in the day.

Andrew Buckley is a film school-educated writer, which means he’s spent most of his life with no money and a strong opinion about bad movies. Today, he’s a traditional and self-published novelist of rather silly, yet enjoyable speculative fiction for... Show more

Jan Schlatter

Jan Schlatter

Studium der Geschichtswissenschaft (Passau, Potsdam)
Arbeitsorte:
ZDF (Redaktion Zeitgeschichte / ZDF History), Mainz
Kulturstiftung des Bundes, Halle
Lehrstuhl Neueste Geschichte, Universität Würzburg
Lehrstuhl Fränkische Landesgeschichte, Universität Würzburg
Stabsstelle Kompetenzentwicklung in Studium und Lehre, Universität Passau

Aktuell Instructional Designer, mediendidaktische Beratung zu digitaler Lehre, KI-Implementierungen in der Hochschullehre

Studium der Geschichtswissenschaft (Passau, Potsdam) Arbeitsorte: ZDF (Redaktion Zeitgeschichte / ZDF History), Mainz Kulturstiftung des Bundes, Halle Lehrstuhl Neueste Geschichte, Universität Würzburg Lehrstuhl Fränkische Landesgeschichte, Univ... Show more

Nicole Weydmann

Nicole Weydmann

Nicole Weydmann ist Professorin für qualitative Methoden an der Hochschule Furtwangen, Mitglied des Lehrwerkstätten-Netzwerks und Mit-Herausgeberin der FQS-Debatte "Lehren und Lernen qualitativer Methoden". Ihre Arbeitsschwerpunkte sind qualitative Sozialforschung mit Fokus auf reflexiven und performativen Methoden sowie die Transformation von Lehr- und Lernbedingungen in (Hoch-) Schule. Darüber hinaus beschäftigt sie sich mit gesellschaftlichen Transformationsprozessen und Mensch-Umwelt-Beziehungen in Zeiten krisenhafter Umweltveränderungen.

Nicole Weydmann ist Professorin für qualitative Methoden an der Hochschule Furtwangen, Mitglied des Lehrwerkstätten-Netzwerks und Mit-Herausgeberin der FQS-Debatte "Lehren und Lernen qualitativer Methoden". Ihre Arbeitsschwerpunkte sind qualitative S... Show more

Joseph Allen Ruanto-Ramirez

Joseph Allen Ruanto-Ramirez

Joseph Allen "JoJo" Ruanto-Ramirez is a PhD candidate in Cultural Studies - American Studies at Claremont Graduate University. He currently is an Assistant Professor in Ethnic Studies and Director of Asian American Studies Program at Southwestern College.

Joseph Allen "JoJo" Ruanto-Ramirez is a PhD candidate in Cultural Studies - American Studies at Claremont Graduate University. He currently is an Assistant Professor in Ethnic Studies and Director of Asian American Studies Program at Southwestern Col... Show more

Andrea Box

Andrea Box

Andrea currently resides in Colorado Springs, CO where she works as an Agile Coach for a data analytics company. She lives with her two spry but sweet dogs who often lend a paw with inspiration for her artwork, and occasionally interrupts virtual meetings. She completed her Master's Degree in Public Administration in 2013, which has driven her commitment to participate in non-profit and charitable projects using her artistic talents philanthropically.

Professionally, she has spent the last 8 years growing her knowledge in both computer science and Agile methodologies and frameworks. At the heart of it, she is a leader who serves; a coach and facilitator, and impediment remover, always driving relentless improvement while delivering value. She thrives on building people and teams up, learning and collaborating, and challenging existing behaviors with new mindsets and experiments.

Andrea currently resides in Colorado Springs, CO where she works as an Agile Coach for a data analytics company. She lives with her two spry but sweet dogs who often lend a paw with inspiration for her artwork, and occasionally interrupts virtual mee... Show more

Rachel Bird

Rachel Bird

I’m originally from New Zealand and now based in London, where I work as a Power Platform Consultant helping organisations solve real problems with low-code technology. I didn’t set out to work in tech - my Power Platform career started almost by accident. But along the way I discovered a love for problem-solving and building solutions that genuinely make people’s working lives easier.

Canvas apps and Power Automate are where I feel most at home, and they remain my favourite tools in the Power Platform. Recently, I’ve also been loving the opportunity to work with Azure AI Services, exploring how intelligent features can add even more impact to low-code solutions.

What drives me most is helping others find their way into the industry, especially those who may not see a clear path in. I’m passionate about sharing honest experiences, lessons learned, and practical guidance, and I enjoy speaking about the realities of working in tech, embracing non-linear career paths, as well as diving into technical topics.

I’m originally from New Zealand and now based in London, where I work as a Power Platform Consultant helping organisations solve real problems with low-code technology. I didn’t set out to work in tech - my Power Platform career started almost by acc... Show more

Ana Cuello

Ana Cuello

With over a decade immersed in customer experience, I’ve learned to truly listen — to ask the right questions, understand what isn’t being said, and build strong, meaningful relationships with both internal teams and external clients. This journey has shaped my ability to identify what people need… often before they express it.

Today, I help entrepreneurs and businesses design customer experiences that captivate from the very first interaction, creating authentic connections that keep clients coming back and choosing you as their top-of-mind option, every time.

After 10 years working hands-on in service-focused roles, one truth is clear to me: customer experience is the soul of any business. It’s the defining factor between a client who stays, recommends, and grows with you — and one who walks away feeling unseen.

My mission is to elevate brands through memorable, consistent, and emotionally resonant customer journeys, transforming satisfaction into loyalty — and loyalty into sustainable growth.

With over a decade immersed in customer experience, I’ve learned to truly listen — to ask the right questions, understand what isn’t being said, and build strong, meaningful relationships with both internal teams and external clients. This journey ha... Show more

Wiebke Sophie Ost

Wiebke Sophie Ost

Wiebke Sophie Ost konzipiert und erprobt innovative Lehr- und Lernformate sowie flexible Studienmodelle an der Hochschule Koblenz. Zu ihren Forschungsschwerpunkten zählen immersives Lehren und Lernen im Bildungsbereich (insbesondere durch den Einsatz von VR und AR), Künstliche Intelligenz, Mehrsprachigkeit, Internationalisierung und interkulturelle Kommunikation.

Wiebke Sophie Ost konzipiert und erprobt innovative Lehr- und Lernformate sowie flexible Studienmodelle an der Hochschule Koblenz. Zu ihren Forschungsschwerpunkten zählen immersives Lehren und Lernen im Bildungsbereich (insbesondere durch den Einsatz... Show more

Kelly Thibault

Kelly Thibault

Kelly Thibault (she/her) is the Executive Director of Secure Diversity (SD), which focuses on increasing diversity in cybersecurity. Her leadership of SD includes running the Day of Shecurity conferences. Before SD, she was the Learning & Development partner for Engineering, Product, & Design at Opendoor, where she was introduced to cybersecurity and open source. Before transitioning into the tech industry, she spent nearly 12 years in higher education administration, functioning in program management, risk management, operations, events, compliance, DEI, HR, leadership, and IT support. Her love of technology and innovation was part of her desire to change industries. Kelly is the Regional Chapter Head of Out in Tech - San Francisco Bay Area, where she leads four volunteer teams that plan events in the four regions of the Bay Area (SF, East Bay, North Bay, South Bay/Peninsula). She finds professional joy in creating more equitable and inclusive environments, cross-functional projects, leading teams, building programs, organizing, public speaking, and influencing change. She geeks out about learning something and improving efficiency and organization.

Kelly Thibault (she/her) is the Executive Director of Secure Diversity (SD), which focuses on increasing diversity in cybersecurity. Her leadership of SD includes running the Day of Shecurity conferences. Before SD, she was the Learning & Development... Show more

Shirley Koss

Shirley Koss

Shirley Koss is a relationship cultivation expert and community building specialist currently serving as Community and Member Success Manager at Woodard. With her natural talent for fostering authentic professional connections, Shirley has developed a proven approach to network development that transforms casual contacts into valuable business relationships.
Throughout her career, Shirley has demonstrated exceptional skill in creating environments where professionals can meaningfully connect, collaborate, and grow together. She understands that powerful networks aren’t built on business card exchanges, but through genuine engagement and strategic relationship nurturing.
In her role at Woodard, Shirley applies her expertise daily by creating opportunities for bookkeeping and accounting professionals to build supportive communities that drive both personal and business success. Her practical insights on relationship-building in professional contexts have helped countless individuals transform their networking approach from transactional to transformational.

Shirley Koss is a relationship cultivation expert and community building specialist currently serving as Community and Member Success Manager at Woodard. With her natural talent for fostering authentic professional connections, Shirley has developed ... Show more

Gopal Balakrishnan

Gopal Balakrishnan

Balakrishnan's work consistently displays an interdisciplinary erudition spanning the fields of history, political theory, philosophy, and economics. This breadth of interests formed the basis of his doctoral research, which evolved into his groundbreaking first book, "The Enemy: An Intellectual Portrait of Carl Schmitt." This work provided a meticulous analysis of Schmitt’s political thought conceived as a series of responses to the crises of the German and European state systems from 1919 to 1945. 

A collection of his essays, "Antagonistics: Capitalism and Power in an Age of War," came out subsequently offering reflections on the history of the interstate system and the future of warfare, the significance of Machiavelli as a theorist of the founding of new orders, of De Tocqueville as a conservative critic of democracy, and on the European origins of identity politics. 

As an editor, Balakrishnan has contributed significantly as an editor, assembling highly influential collections on nationalism, and the forms of empire in a supposedly post-national age in "Mapping the Nation" and "Debating Empire", respectively.
 
More recently, Balakrishnan has been working on a reconstruction of Karl Marx's economic thought that identifies its concealed conceptual structure, making its historical and logical assumptions more apparent and thus opening up new questions regarding its adequacy as an account of the structure and history of capitalism. 

His forthcoming association with the journal SS African Mercury is the beginning of a new chapter in Balakrishnan’s intellectual career. This journal sets a new standard for political and cultural criticism, and his contributions to it can be expected to further highlight its distinctiveness in the contemporary intellectual scene. He foresees writing pieces for this journal that continue the practice of criticism through careful reconstruction that characterized his earlier work but with a more trenchant style influenced by his study of the genre of polemics.   

Balakrishnan currently participates in a number of study groups and private seminars on topics as varied as classical political economy, Marxist writing on the Graeco-Roman world, and the Bible in its historical context. Here he seeks to inspire others with the spirit of pure intellectual inquiry, free from current fashion and ideological pieties.

Currently, he is working on a reconstruction of Marx’s Capital that uncovers its conceptual organization as a system and raises new questions regarding its adequacy as an account of the nature and history of capitalism.

Balakrishnan's work consistently displays an interdisciplinary erudition spanning the fields of history, political theory, philosophy, and economics. This breadth of interests formed the basis of his doctoral research, which evolved into his groundbr... Show more

Julieta Rubis

Julieta Rubis

I am an AI/ML Engineer based in Ireland with a passion for developing scalable deep learning and real-time streaming systems. My work focuses on solving real-world challenges in renewable energy and industrial IoT through cutting-edge machine learning workflows.

As part of my MSc in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Limerick, I designed and built a real-time wind turbine anomaly detection and predictive maintenance system using Apache Kafka, Apache Spark, and advanced deep learning models.

I also have experience with AWS Sage Maker, Lang Chain, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), developing Conversational AI platforms and cloud-native ML solutions. My goal is to create sustainable, efficient, and impactful AI systems that drive innovation and support a cleaner, smarter future.

I am an AI/ML Engineer based in Ireland with a passion for developing scalable deep learning and real-time streaming systems. My work focuses on solving real-world challenges in renewable energy and industrial IoT through cutting-edge machine learnin... Show more

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