Work with thought leaders and academic experts in Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality

Christos A. Makridis holds academic appointments at Columbia Business School, Stanford University, Baylor University, University of Nicosia, and Arizona State University. He is also an adjunct scholar at the Manhattan Institute, senior adviser at Gallup, and senior adviser at the National AI Institute in the Department of Veterans Affairs. Christos is the CEO/co-founder of [Dainamic](https://www.dainamic.ai/), a technology startup working to democratize the use and application of data science and AI techniques for small and mid sized organizations, and CTO/co-founder of [Living Opera](https://www.livingopera.org/), a web3 startup working to bridge classical music and blockchain technologies. Christos previously served on the White House Council of Economic Advisers managing the cybersecurity, technology, and space activities, as a Non-resident Fellow at the Cyber Security Project in the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, as a Digital Fellow at the Initiative at the Digital Economy in the MIT Sloan School of Management, a a Non-resident Research Scientist at Datacamp, and as a Visiting Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Christos’ primary academic research focuses on labor economics, the digital economy, and personal finance and well-being. He has published over 70 peer-reviewed research papers in academic journals and over 170 news articles in the press. Christos earned a Bachelor’s in Economics and Minor in Mathematics at Arizona State University, as well a dual Masters and PhDs in Economics and Management Science & Engineering at Stanford University.

Sarafa Adeyemi Akeem is an innovative, creative, highly motivated and result-oriented Food Researcher that is open to job opportunities as well as open to both national and international collaborations in the various areas of Food Chemistry/ biochemistry, Processing, Preservation, Process Engineering, Analysis, Quality Control, Safety, Product Development, Post Harvest Technology and Nutrition with the overall aim of contributing to the global food and nutrition security.

As a technologist, designer, and creative problem-solver, I'm passionate about teaching people to embrace new technology and explore. I am the Chair of the Computer Science department at Judson University. Before my appointment, I served as an Associate Professor in the College of Technology, Architecture and Applied Engineering at Bowling Green State University (BGSU). I teach courses in Programming, Data Structures and Algorithms, Software Design Patterns, Interactive Media, Usability, User Experience, and Augmented/Virtual Reality. I was the founding director of the Collab Lab, a hands-on, creative space for students and faculty to engage in collaborative work. My research efforts are directed in several areas: AI Supported Individualized Learning, Learner Experience Design, Technology for Online Assessment, Interactive Mobile Learning, and Computerized Sign Language Synthesis. I enjoy collaborating on projects involving cutting-edge technology and new applications.

Rosani Matoso Silva is a scientific researcher and activist committed to advancing diversity and black and indigenous leadership in the fields of science and technology (S&T). Her passion and dedication to these causes led her to establish the Mancala Institute, where she serves as the director of research, spearheading innovative projects aimed at developing technological solutions to address social and racial disparities across Brazil. Rosani’s research is deeply influenced by her belief in the need for innovative methods to effectively monitor food insecurity, a critical issue affecting countless vulnerable communities. Rosani was selected for the prestigious Humphrey Fellowship program for 2023-2024, an opportunity that reflects her exceptional commitment and leadership potential. During the program, she seeks to enhance her leadership development, networking, and negotiation skills. Her goal is to build a supportive network with American organizations focused on achieving food security and sovereignty for vulnerable communities, thus expanding the impact of her work and contributing to the creation of a more just and inclusive future. Rosani Matoso Silva is a driving force in the fight for inclusion and social justice in the fields of science and technology, with an unwavering dedication to creating a world where diversity is not only recognized but valued and promoted.

Dr. Maurice O’ Sullivan is a sensory scientist and senior lecturer in food science working in the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, UCC. In the past Maurice has worked in the food industry as a sensory scientist and flavour chemist for Diageo Baileys and Guinness. He has worked as a food technologist and process/product development scientist for the processed foods sector in the 1990’s as well as more recently a product development consultant to the dairy, meat and beverage industries. He has a Ph.D. in Sensory and Consumer science from the Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark as well as MSc. and BSc. Degrees in Food Science and Technology from University College Cork (UCC). Currently Maurice works in the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork as a senior lecturer and sensory and product reformulation project coordinator on large scale multi-million euro research projects. For many years he has also managed the “Sensory Unit” at UCC working on sensory and flavour based projects involving a diverse selection of products. This sensory science based service (at UCC) includes testing the difference, affective and descriptive analysis of foods and beverages as well as assessing shelf-life and comparing sensory results to microbiological and analytical (instrumental, physic-chemical) data using multivariate data analysis (MVA). Sensory testing is critical for new product development/optimisation, ingredient substitution and devising appropriate packaging and comparing foods or beverages to competitor’s products. Again, the key to unlocking the hidden secrets of this multimodal data is with MVA (Multivariate Data Analysis). To date Maurice has secured significant research funding of €5,300,000 Gross, €3,843,329.30 to UCC. He has worked in the area of targeted ingredient (salt, fat, sugar) reduction in foods since 1997. The focus of this research has been reduction of negative ingredients linked to civilisation diseases (Diabetes, Obesity, Heart Disease, Anaemia) while maintaining sensory properties, but also improving nutritional quality of developed products. To date this research has produced numerous publications with many more in development. Other research areas include Cross Cultural Sensory Perception of Irish Dairy Products in Asia, Europe and North America as well as Foods for the Elderly, Packaging and Meat optimisation. Maurice has published more than 200 sensory or consumer research based articles (papers, book chapters, proceedings etc.).

My research focuses on integrating **formal methods** and **artificial intelligence**. In particular, I have worked on applying formal methods in the context of programming-by-examples (PBE) for relational queries, synthesis of reactive programs, bounded model checking, and verification of smart contracts. Currently, I work with Movement Labs on designing the Fractal interpreter will allow users to deploy Solidity smart contracts directly on Movement's M1 blockchain. Previously, I have worked with Aptos Labs, Amazon AWS, Nokia Bell Labs, and Adobe India.

T. Osswald is Hoeganaes Professor of Materials at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he has been a faculty member since 1989. Osswald received the PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1987, the MS in Mechanical Engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in 1982, and the BS in Mechanical Engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in 1981. Before joining the UW-Madison faculty, Osswald was a Humboldt Fellow at the Rheinisch Westfalische Technische Hochschule Aachen. Osswald’s research interests are in the areas of processing-structure-property relationships for metals and composites, with a focus on powder metallurgy and metal injection molding. His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the US Army Research Office, and industry. Osswald is a Fellow of ASM International and the American Academy of Mechanics, and he has received the Extrusion Division Award, the Powder Metallurgy Division Award, and the Distinguished Teaching Award from TMS.

**Grant writer and USAII Certified AI Scientist (CAIS) and applied researcher in engineering materials** with over 7 years of success leading small teams of ML engineers, fostering their development and delivering impactful projects. With a proven ability to transform innovative ideas into compelling proposals, Steve has become a sought-after professional in the grant writing landscape. His dedication to excellence, strategic approach, and unwavering commitment to securing funding for impactful projects make him a true luminary in the realm of grant acquisition

Luke Connelly is Professor of Health Economics at the Centre for the Business and Economics of Health. He also holds a Professorial appointment (part-time) at The University of Bologna, to which he was appointed in 2017 via the Italian “Direct Call” ([link](https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/luke.connelly/en)) process. In 2019 he was appointed as Honorary Professor at The University of Sydney. His main interests are in health economics and insurance economics and the effects of institutions (including legal constructs) on incentives and behaviour. He has also worked in other fields of applied microeconomics, including education economics and transport economics. His publications include papers in *Review of Income and Wealth*, *Health Economics*, *Journal of Health Economics*, *Journal of Risk and Insurance*, *Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance*, *Accident Analysis and Prevention*, *Journal of Law and Medicine*, *Journal of Clinical Epidemiology*, *European Journal of Health Economics*, *International Journal of Health Economics and Finance*, *Social Science and Medicine*, *Economic Papers*, *Economic Analysis and Policy*, *Journal of Transport Economics and Policy*, *Labour Economics*, *Economics and Human Biology* as well as in a range of clinical journals, including *Lancet*. Luke has served on a number of public committees including the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC), which advises the Australian Minister for Health on the safety, efficacy, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of new and extant listings on Australia's Medicare Benefits Schedule. He has extensive service on other public committees and taskforces as well as extensive teaching and consulting engagements with industry. Over his career he has been a chief investigator on research grants and contracts totalling more than $67m. He is a member of the Editorial Boards of European Journal of Health Economics and the International Journal on Environmental Research and Public Health. He is a member of the International Health Economics Association's Arrow Awards Committee, which awards an annual prize in honour of Nobel Laureate Kenneth Arrow for the best paper in the field. He is currently Guest Editor (with Christophe Courbage) on a Special Issue of the Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance on Insurance and Emerging Health Risks. His current research interests include health service innovations to improve the health of people with chronic kidney disease(CKD). Ongoing interests include the economics of disability and insurance, compensable injury compensation schemes, and the determinants of health. Luke enjoys and has considerable experience teaching economics and health economics at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. In 2014 he was awarded the School of Economics Distinguished Teaching Award for his teaching on UQ's Master of Health Economics Program. In July 2016 and July 2019 he also taught summer schools in Health Economics and the Economics of Insurance at The University of Lucerne, Switzerland. Over the past 10 years he has been a chief investigator on grants totalling more than $70m.

Carlos obtained his PhD in Engineering Sciences with concentration in AI/ML from Tec de Monterrey. He worked as a Research Assistant at Harvard. Research Scientist at Amazon, Last Mile Delivery Technology Team, where he developed and applied algorithms to speed up customer delivery times and provide new innovations to customers. Before joining Amazon, Carlos worked for General Motors (GM) as a Senior Researcher at the Manufacturing Systems Research Lab. He conducted research in Industry 4.0 and Quality 4.0; applied and developed algorithms to drive manufacturing innovation. <br> Carlos is the author of the book “Machine Learning in Manufacturing: Quality 4.0 and the Zero Defects Vision”. His research work interest lies within the 99% percentile as compared with the cohort of researchers registered in the ResearchGate platform and it has been recognized as one of the most innovative and high impact research topics by the TecReview magazine. He was ranked in the top 3% in TEXATA, the Big Data Analytics World Championships. Carlos was recognized as the SHPE Star of Today by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). This award honors an engineer/scientist who has demonstrated outstanding technical excellence resulting in significant accomplishments. It also recognizes dedication, commitment, and selfless efforts to advance Hispanics in STEM careers. Carlos was in the Mexican national team of martial arts. Today he enjoys teaching his colleagues this sport. SHPE: https://www.shpe.org/events/nc2021/programs/star-awards TecReview: https://issuu.com/tecreview/docs/tec\_review-30 ResearchGate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Carlos\_Escobar31 Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3JfYEaUAAAAJ&hl=en

Baidurya Bhattacharya is a highly accomplished and respected civil engineer with over 20 years of experience in the field. He was born in Kolkata, India and completed his B.Tech (hons.) in Civil Engineering from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur in 1991. He then went on to pursue his PhD in Civil Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, which he completed in 1997. After completing his PhD, Bhattacharya started his academic career as a Visiting Professor at the University of Delaware. He then moved on to become an Assistant Professor at the same university, where he taught for several years and mentored numerous students. In 2005, he returned to his alma mater, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, as a Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering. He has been a valuable member of the faculty and has made significant contributions to the department through his research and teaching. Bhattacharya's research interests lie in the areas of structural engineering, earthquake engineering, and soil dynamics. He has published numerous papers in reputable journals and has also presented his work at various international conferences. His research has been recognized and funded by prestigious organizations such as the National Science Foundation and the American Society of Civil Engineers. Aside from his academic career, Bhattacharya is also actively involved in consulting and has worked on various projects in collaboration with government agencies and private firms. He is known for his expertise and has received several awards and honors for his contributions to the field of civil engineering. Bhattacharya is a dedicated educator and mentor, and he continues to inspire and guide young engineers through his teaching and research. His passion for the field and his dedication to his students make him a highly respected figure in the academic community.