People

John Balk is the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies in the UK College of Engineering, and is a professor of Materials

 Science and Engineering at the University of Kentucky (UK) in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering. He is also Director of the Electron Microscopy Center, which annually serves over 100 research groups from seven colleges across the university as well as numerous external customers and researchers.

Balk received his BS degree in 1995 from the University of California, Berkeley, where he double-majored in mechanical engineering and materials science & engineering. He received MS and PhD degrees in materials science & engineering from The Johns Hopkins University, in 1997 and 2000, respectively. Before coming to UK, he was a staff scientist at the Max-Planck-Institute for Metals Research in Stuttgart, Germany, where he also completed two years of post-doctoral work. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and has maintained continuous licensure since 2009.

The Balk research group works to understand structure-property relationships in the behavior of metals, alloys and electronic materials. His group explores the deformation mechanisms that operate in nanoporous metals and alloys, and he has worked in this area since coming to UK. His research also focuses on materials issues related to the processing and operation of thermionic dispenser cathodes, which are high-emission electron sources for radar and communication systems. More recently, his group has begun working on combinatorial approaches to the development, characterization and testing of high entropy alloys, which represent a novel class of emerging materials for high-temperature structural applications. Characterization of the structure and properties of advanced materials is the cross-cutting aspect of his research program.

Dr. Hugo Reyes-Centeno investigates human evolution over the last million years, investigating the emergence of human anatomy as

 well as the mode and timing of human dispersals. He is an expert in the application of computed tomography and geometric morphometrics in natural and cultural heritage contexts. Dr. Reyes-Centeno conducts inter-disciplinary research on the association between anatomical, genetic, and linguistic diversity in modern human populations. Reyes- Centeno completed a bachelor’s degree in the Department of Anthropological Sciences  at Stanford University (California), a master’s degree in the Department of Biology and Evolution at the University of Ferrara (Italy), and a doctoral degree in the Institute of Archaeological Sciences at the University of Tübingen and the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment (Germany). He was Scientific Coordinator of the Humanities Center for Advanced Studies “Words, Bones, Genes, Tools” at the University of Tübingen prior to appointment to Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky in 2020. Dr. Reyes- Centeno has performed paleontological and archaeological fieldwork in France, Italy, Peru, the Philippines, and Spain.

Dr. Michael Sama specializes in drone-based proximal and remote sensing techniques applied to agricultural and environmental monitoring. He has expertise in geospatial measurements, 3D reconstruction using LiDAR and photogrammetry, and analysis of spectral signatures using machine learning. As part of the EduceLab’s MOBILE team, Dr. Sama will contribute to field data collection and analysis at heritage sites.

Dr. Sama completed his B.S. in Computer and Systems Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute followed by his M.S. and Ph.D. in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Kentucky. He directs activities at the Wildcat Agricultural and Atmospheric Research Pavilion (WAARP) – a drone flight facility at the University of Kentucky North Farm – which serves as a field laboratory for validating EduceLab’s MOBILE systems.

Co-founder of EduceLab with Dr. Brent Seales, Christy helps direct the operations of EduceLab and, in particular, frames and tells the stories of our research – its technical achievements and broader impacts – to diverse audiences through myriad methods, from research articles to metadata. She also manages the relationships with all our stakeholders, including philanthropic donors, foundations, student researchers, collaborating academics, partner institutions, and media representatives. Her work includes mentoring students in the process of producing and disseminating research results; writing and editing articles, lectures, grant proposals, website pages, and other communication vehicles; managing our digital assets, including metadata development; and working with legal to develop proper contractual agreements. She has worked on a wide variety of international projects focused on challenging problems in digital restoration, including the virtual unwrapping of the scroll from En Gedi in the Dead Sea Scrolls collection and of the carbonized scrolls from Herculaneum. In addition, she helped launch and currently helps manage the renowned Vesuvius Challenge, a global open-science AI software development contest designed to engage the best and brightest minds in artificial intelligence to accelerate the virtual unwrapping of the Herculaneum scrolls. The AI tools developed by the Vesuvius Challenge led to the first-ever reading of extensive text from a still-sealed Herculaneum scroll. Her current research focuses on creating metadata tools that provide comprehensive digital provenance for all of our born-digital products, thereby engendering confidence in their status as objects for scholarly study. 

After earning a doctorate at the University of Ottawa to study the turbulent interactions between rotating flows and turbulence, Dr. Bailey went to Princeton University as a Post-Doctoral Fellow. While there, he was promoted to Associate Research Scholar and contributed to fundamental research on high Reynolds number turbulence in wall-bounded flows. After joining the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Kentucky in 2010 he continued his research in the experimental study of turbulent flows by developing approaches to use autonomous uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) to measure turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer. This effort earned him a National Science Foundation CAREER award in 2014, which helped launch his work into a range of areas utilizing UAS for field work in environmental and atmospheric research. He is looking forward to applying this expertise towards heritage science by contributing to the development of EduceLab’s MOBILE capabilities.

Dr. James Griffioen is the Director of the University of Kentucky Center for Computational Sciences (CCS) which provides advanced, high performance, research computing and data storage services to researchers across the university.  He is Co-PI on an NSF project that is developing a statewide Kentucky Research Computing (KyRC) Cyberteam to advance research computing capabilities and training at Universities across the Commonwealth.  CCS, and the broader KyRC Cyberteam, provide hardware infrastructure support as well as software and systems support for a wide range of research projects including support for emerging big data research requiring data analytics, machine learning, deep learning, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and other related data science techniques.

Dr. Griffioen received his Ph.D degree in Computer Science from Purdue University and is a professor in the Computer Science at the University of Kentucky, where he serves as the Director of the Laboratory for Advanced Networking.  He is a Co-PI and part of the leadership team on one of the early NSF Midscale projects which is developing the FABRIC network, a national research infrastructure to enable cutting-edge and exploratory research at-scale in networking, cybersecurity, distributed computing and storage systems, machine learning, and science applications.  He research group also operates the national NSF GENI testbed network which supports thousands of students and researchers worldwide.  His research interests include future internet architectures, programmable and software defined networks, network measurement and monitoring, network policies and economics, and cloud computing.

Dr. Michael Sama specializes in drone-based proximal and remote sensing techniques applied to agricultural and environmental monitoring. He has expertise in geospatial measurements, 3D reconstruction using LiDAR and photogrammetry, and analysis of spectral signatures using machine learning. As part of the EduceLab’s MOBILE team, Dr. Sama will contribute to field data collection and analysis at heritage sites.

Dr. Sama completed his B.S. in Computer and Systems Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute followed by his M.S. and Ph.D. in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Kentucky. He directs activities at the Wildcat Agricultural and Atmospheric Research Pavilion (WAARP) – a drone flight facility at the University of Kentucky North Farm – which serves as a field laboratory for validating EduceLab’s MOBILE systems.

Michael J. Detisch is a Post-Doctoral Scholar in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Kentucky.  He has focused on research involving nanostructured materials synthesis and characterization and has applied these skills to a number of fields.  Mike received his BS degree in Physics & Astronomy from the University of Kentucky in 2012.  He later returned to UK to pursue graduate studies in Materials Science and Engineering where he graduated with his PhD in 2020. 

During his doctoral work, Mike worked as part of two other multi-disciplinary research efforts, the biomimetic membrane research pillar of the EPSCoR program as well as the NIEHS Superfund Research Program center at UK focused on environmental and human health impacts of specific pollutants.  This research focused on incorporating nanomaterials into composite membrane systems for environmental applications.  Since that time Mike has worked as a Post-Doc in Dr. John Balk’s group as well as UK’s Electron Microscopy Center.

Seth oversees the day-to-day aspects of software development and works with students to plan and implement technical goals. Having been with the project since 2012, Seth was pivotal in the development of the virtual unwrapping software pipeline. While his interest in computer science pushes him to test the limits of technical achievement, his background in the humanities and media production brings with it a strong desire to restore the knowledge trapped inside ancient documents.

Madi Williams recently graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Engineering with a bachelor's degree in Materials Science and Engineering. She began as an intern with EduceLab, where she conducted materials characterization of ink and papyrus before and after carbonization using techniques such as XRF, optical microscopy, micro-CT, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopy. She currently designs CAD models for laboratory applications, works on integrating research equipment, and continues to investigate the characteristics of papyrus and ink before and after carbonization through advanced materials characterization techniques.

James Keppeler is currently a PhD Candidate in the University of Kentucky Department of Anthropology exploring debates on the introduction of rice agriculture in the Philippines. James excavated in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, exploring the timing and origin of rice agriculture in that region. James has also worked on applications of 3D digitization methods in archaeological research and cultural heritage preservation and education.

James completed his BA in Classics from the University of Minnesota in 2018, where he studied the effects of cultural creolization in the Roman province of Dacia. For his Master of Science degree in Archaeological Science at the University of Tübingen (2021), James conducted a geometric morphometric analysis on ancient Egyptian mummified human remains to research population changes across time at the site and community of Gebel Abusir.

Sam Koontz is an anthropologist and computer scientist who completed post-graduate training at the cultural resource management firm Boone Archaeological Resource Consultants in New Mexico. A University of Kentucky alumnus, Koontz has conducted archaeological research projects in both academic and commercial settings around central Kentucky, southeast New Mexico, and southern Philippines. Koontz will be working in the MOBILE cluster of EduceLab to enhance the deployment of instrumentation in archaeological field projects and heritage sites. He is enrolled in the Anthropology graduate program.

Alex Wise is a computer scientist who completed a B.S. in Computer Science at the University of Kentucky. An EduceLab NSF-REU alumnus, Wise has contributed to archaeological research projects in the field and at the bench. His research spans geospatial imaging of a historic site, volume cartography, and image registration. Wise is grateful to be working in the MOBILE cluster of EduceLab to enhance the processing of geospatial data collected from archaeological field projects and heritage sites. He is enrolled in the Computer Science graduate program.

Sahil Kutty-Poffenberger is currently a Senior at the University of Kentucky, majoring in Computer Science and is a member of the Lewis Honors College. He is working on data collection and processing using 3D scanning technology and spectral imaging. Sahil’s work will provide insights into the advantages of various imaging modalities and their real-world applications, including topography, modeling, and more. He enjoys collaborating with everyone in the lab as they pursue a collective interest in computer science. Through his work at EduceLab, Sahil hopes to enhance his professional and technical skills. 

Dr. Corey E. Baker is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science in the College of Engineering at the University of Kentucky (UK). He directs the Network Reconnaissance (NetRecon) Lab where his research interests are in the area of Cyber Physical Systems with emphasis in: opportunistic wireless communication for the IoT, smart cities, smart homes, and mobile health environments. Professor Baker received a B.S. degree in Computer Engineering from San Jose State University (SJSU), a M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA), and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Florida (UF). After completion of his graduate studies, Baker was a University of California Presidents Postdoctoral Fellow in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department at the University of California San Diego. In 2019, Dr. Baker received the UK Inclusive Excellence Award for his work in creating a graduate campus visit program and diversifying Computer Science and the College of Engineering at the doctoral level. Professor Baker has also served as the Travel Grants Chair for ACM HotMobile 2020 and on the TPC’s of numerous IEEE conferences.

Director of the William S. Webb Museum of Anthropology, Dr. George Crothers is an environmental archaeologist with extensive experience. In 2007, he created an Archaeological Geophysics Lab specializing in near-surface geophysical prospection to aid in site identification and sub-surface mapping. He uses geomagnetic, electrical resistivity, ground-penetrating radar, and other methods as a non-invasive research tool to design field excavations and as a preservation tool to identify and preserve culturally sensitive sites.

Dr. Crothers received his Ph.D. in anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis and is affiliated with the Cave Research Foundation. Although most of his work is based in Kentucky, he has conducted research throughout North America and Europe (Italy and Croatia). As museum director, he encourages new research on the extensive collections and serves as Kentucky’s State Archaeologist, maintaining records on more than 28,000 archaeological sites in the state.

Dr. Elena Sesma is an assistant professor of anthropology, in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Kentucky. She earned her PhD in anthropology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and holds an MA in anthropology from UMass Amherst and a BA in Anthropology and Womens Studies from the University of Maryland, College Park. Trained as a historical archaeologist, Dr. Sesma’s research blends ethnography and archaeology to understand the ways that living communities relate to and reinterpret historic spaces and materials today. She has expertise in community-based and engaged research, historical and contemporary archaeology, and critical heritage studies, using collaborative and feminist approaches and methodologies to critically analyze collective memory, landscape and place, and the historical roots of inequality.

Her most recent work was a community-based project based around an early 19th century cotton plantation in Eleuthera, Bahamas, that brought collective memory and oral history of local descendants together with landscape survey and ethnographic understandings of life on the rural island in the past and present-day. At the University of Kentucky, Dr. Sesma is developing research focused on sites of slavery in the Bluegrass and their contemporary legacies today. Her experience in community-based archaeological research enables meaningful interpretations of historical materiality and cultural landscapes in the context of contemporary cultural values and public understandings of the past.

Dr. Suzanne Weaver Smith began her career in 1980 working in aeronautics and space R&D at Harris Corporation with launch vibration

 modeling and testing of the Fine Guidance Electronics of the Hubble Space Telescope. There she also led integration and cross-country mobility testing of the ground communications systems of one of the first U.S. DoD unmanned aircraft system (UAS). Her PhD (Virginia Tech, 1988) focused on vibration-based damage location for the International Space Station using sparse sensing. Dr. Smith joined the University of Kentucky (UK) faculty in 1990 and is an award-winning researcher and educator. She also developed supplemental modules for NASA’s course in Space Systems Engineering.

Dr. Smith served as lead advisor on the early 2000’s NASA BIG BLUE Mars Airplane project to demonstrate feasibility of deployable wings for UAS extraterrestrial exploration. The project provided systems-based, experiential education to over 300 university students, placing more than 50 in the aerospace workforce. Technical developments of the UK Mars Airplane program have been applied to DoD programs including rapid-response, high-altitude, long-endurance deployable surveillance aircraft and a testbed for integrated situational awareness. In 2013, Dr. Smith founded the Unmanned Systems Research Consortium at UK which brings together research faculty from engineering, transportation, computer science and agriculture with industry to advance unmanned systems technologies.

She was the UK lead for an NSF multi-university multi-disciplinary research program, Collaboration Leading Operational UAS Development for Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics (CLOUD-MAP), integrating efforts of engineering and science researchers, graduate and undergraduate students. The 2016-2019 CLOUD-MAP, 2017 Total Eclipse, and 2018 LAPSE-RATE flight campaigns provided ground-breaking operational, scientific and technology results for UAS sensing of atmospheric physics and weather forecasting. Currently she is leading implementation tasks in a NASA University Leads initiative (ULI) center, Weather Intelligent Network Data for Meteorology and Aviation Planning (WINDMAP), and for an FAA project, Frequent in situ Observations above Ground for Modeling and Advanced Prediction of fog (FOGMAP).

A research theme running throughout Dr. Smith’s career is working in interdisciplinary teams developing, evaluating and applying unique systems to answer heretofore inaccessible research questions. Now EduceLab is a culmination of Dr. Smith’s interests and experience combining undergraduate courses toward a history minor with decades of autonomous aerial systems programs in the EduceLab MOBILE cluster.

Over 30 years at UK, Dr. Smith has successfully led grants exceeding $25M including single- and multi-investigator studies, multi-year projects with industry partners, and educational support for students. Her research portfolio illustrates her abilities to translate innovative results to valued industrial applications and economic benefit. Dr. Smith is also Emeritus Director of the NASA Kentucky Space Grant and EPSCoR Programs that provide start-up research support for early-career faculty and fellowships to students across Kentucky, advancing the state’s aerospace workforce pipeline. Her accomplishments and impact led to recognition as a National Science Foundation Young Investigator, college and university awards for exceptional education and service, induction into the 2019 Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame, and selection as a 2020 Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

Her husband, Bill, is a Kentucky native and University of Kentucky graduate. He is a professor in the UK Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. They have one daughter, Virginia, who is a PhD student in Aerospace Engineering at Virginia Tech.

Tiffany Clark is a 2024 alumna of the EduceLab REU funded by the NSF.

REU Bio

Tiffany Clark is senior at the University of Kentucky majoring in Computer Science with minors in Mathematics and Criminology. Alongside her partner Sydney, Tiffany worked to develop a queryable relational database and website for ~3,500 Herculaneum scroll fragments last year. This summer, the database was revamped to become a graph database, and Tiffany is currently working on creating a web interface for the new database. This connected website will allow scholars to easily navigate through the images and data that EduceLab and partnering teams have collected over the years. She enjoys bonding and working with everyone on the team and is happy that she is getting a chance to combine her love for computer science with her interest in the humanities.

Nikhil Akula is a 2026 alumnus of the EduceLab REU funded by the NSF.

REU Bio

Nikhil is currently a junior at the University of Kentucky majoring in Computer Science. Last year, Nikhil developed a method, alongside his college Ethan, that utilized machine learning techniques in order to enhance raw spectral images of physically unwrapped Herculaneum scrolls. Their goal was to amplify the contrast between the ink and papyrus to present scholars with the best possible image for the reading of the scrolls. This year, Nikhil is actively exploring alternative software solutions for X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis to enhance the identification of elemental compositions in cultural artifacts. Nikhil loves working with everyone in the lab and enjoys the challenges of developing this impactful project.

Braden Howell is a 2024 alumnus of the EduceLab REU funded by the Jim Beam Institute.

REU Bio

Braden is currently a senior at the University of Kentucky majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics. Continuing the work on the Beam Bourbon Barrel Analysis project, his goal is to develop an application that will automate the data collection process to determine why bourbon barrels have been bursting for centuries. He is excited to work on a problem that has a real-world impact and will provide valuable experience in machine learning and computer vision. Outside of work, he enjoys weightlifting and playing with his puppy Zola. He hopes that more are given the opportunity to work with such an intelligent team and develop their skills as computer scientists.

Nicholas Sereleas is a 2025 alumnus of the EduceLab REU funded by the NSF.

REU Bio

Nicholas Sereleas is currently a junior at the University of Kentucky majoring in Computer Science, pursuing a certificate in Artificial Intelligence. He is working towards embedding the Smithsonian's Voyager into the EduceLab website to display interactive 3D objects. Voyager will allow users to explore our 3D data and get a closer look at EduceLab's findings. He is excited to parlay his interest in Computer Science with his longtime love for history and work with a team of exceptional people.

Jose Sequeira is a 2025 alumnus of the EduceLab REU funded by the Women in Philanthropy Foundation.

REU Bio

Jose is a senior at the University of Kentucky majoring in Computer Science with minors in Statistics and Mathematics. He is collaborating with his research partner, Angel, on a machine learning project to enhance raw spectral images of physically unwrapped Herculaneum scrolls, aiming to provide scholars with clearer images for more accurate reading and analysis. Jose is currently applying for graduate school and is particularly interested in pursuing studies in Computer Science with a focus on Machine Learning and Data Science.

Farahnosh Yousofi is a 2025 alumna of the EduceLab REU funded by the Women in Philanthrophy Foundation.

REU Bio

Farahnosh is currently a junior at the University of Kentucky majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics. She joined Educe Lab this semester as student researcher, and as a previous medical student she is excited about the  HeartLens Project, which focuses on using artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced imaging techniques to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), particularly coronary artery disease (CAD). It aims to revolutionize the detection of coronary artery calcifications (CAC) using AI-driven analysis of CT scans, without requiring the use of contrast agents. The project involves three key aims: developing AI models for detecting CAC, assessing the clinical impact of these models on patient management, and implementing machine learning to predict CAD based on non-contrast CT scans. The initiative is expected to improve patient care by enhancing early detection, reducing healthcare costs, and providing more accessible treatment options for high-risk populations, especially in underserved communities like those in Kentucky. Farahnosh is excited to expand on her technical skills and work with other like-minded and high-achieving students. 

Summer is a Computer Science major and joined the EduceLab team as a sophomore. So far, Summer has worked to improve the post-processing pipeline for the collection of physically unwrapped Herculaneum scrolls. The improvements that Summer is making will aid the scholars who are studying these scrolls. Summer enjoys getting to challenge herself and learn new information through her project with the lab. Everyone on the team makes her feel very welcome, and she loves getting to work on a project that is so intriguing and impactful. Summer has always enjoyed research, and she hopes to pursue a career in which she can continue doing so through Computer Science.

Dr. M. Drakopoulos is the lead scientist at the High Energy Engineering X-ray Scattering (HEX) beamline at the National Synchrotron Light Source II. He is responsible for design and operation of the instrument. Michael has more than 25 years of experience in working at international 3rd generation synchrotron facilities. His synchrotron experience covers the fields of high-energy x-ray instrumentation, imaging, tomography, powder-diffraction, and X-ray optics.

Maria Fredericks, Independent scholar/researcher, and Visiting Lecturer in Library & Archives Conservation at the Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University; former Conservator and Sherman Fairchild Head of Conservation, Morgan Library & Museum (2005-2026), is currently an independent book conservator and researcher on bookbinding history, and a Visiting Lecturer in Library & Archives Conservation at the Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. Until 2026, she was the Sherman Fairchild Head of Conservation at the Morgan Library & Museum, where she began work in 2005 as the Drue Heinz Book Conservator. She was Head of Conservation at Columbia University Libraries from 1998-2005; Principal Book Conservator at the Huntington Library 1993-98; Associate Library Conservator at the Winterthur Library 1990-93, where she established the first library conservation program, and a Book Conservator at the Library of Congress 1987-90. She is a past co-director of the Paper and Book Intensive workshops and is on the board of the Center for Book Arts in New York. She teaches, lectures and publishes on historical bookbinding structures as well as topics in rare book and library conservation. 

Dr. Mark Griswold is a professor in the Department of Radiology and Department of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University, as well as a member of Cancer Imaging Program, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, and CWRU Center for Imaging Research. More can be found at https://case.edu/medicine/ccir/faculty/mark-griswold.

Dan Keefe is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering and Distinguished University Teaching Professor at the University of Minnesota.  He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Brown University (2007) and a Bachelors of Science in Computer Engineering summa cum laude from Tufts University (1999).  He is also an artist and designer with training at the Rhode Island School of Design and School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University.  His research group at the University of Minnesota is known as the Interactive Visualization Lab (IV/LAB). More can be found at his website.

Catherine Schmidt Patterson is a Scientist at the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) in Los Angeles, CA, where she is a member of the Technical Studies research group. Her primary areas of research are the use of non- or minimally-invasive techniques such as Raman microspectroscopy, x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and technical imaging to study works of art, the development of new analytical methodologies, technology transfer for the benefit of cultural heritage science, program monitoring and evaluation, and policy development for heritage science. Prior to joining the GCI as a member of staff in 2009, she held the GCI’s prestigious Postdoctoral Fellowship in Conservation Science (2007-2009), and she has also recently completed a year as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Fellowship at the National Science Foundation (2002-2023). She received her Ph.D. in Chemistry at Northwestern University (2002-2007), where her research focused on the fundamental physical chemistry governing the interaction of indoor air pollutants with catalytic surfaces. More can be found about her research at https://www.getty.edu/conservation-institute/science/technical-studies.

Luca Pezzati, optics specialist & heritage scientist, graduated in Physics in 1990 at the University of Florence, and Specialized in Optics in 1995. Since 1995, he has been with with INO-CNR (the National Institute for Optics of the National Research Council of Italy) where he is currently Director of Research and coordinator of the EU project ARTEMIS. He started the Gruppo Beni Culturali (Art Diagnostic Group) of INO in 1998 and coordinated it for 14 years. He was the director of the INO Research Unit in Lecce from 2003 to 2016. He managed many research projects for CNR in optical technologies applied to Cultural Heritage diagnostics. In 1998, he started the “Optical Metrology Laboratory for the Diagnostic of Cultural Heritage” at OPD-Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence, an infrastructure still operated jointly by INO and OPD. He has been the coordinator of E-RIHS, the European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science, until 2020. He coordinated the integrating activity project IPERION HS (H2020-INFRAIA-01_2018-19) and its predecessor, IPERION CH. He coordinated the national node of DARIAH ERIC, DARIAH-IT, from 2013 to Nov. 2016. His research interests include optics applied to the safeguard of Cultural Heritage; optical metrology; 3D-measuring optical techniques; optical systems design; interferometry; phase-analysis techniques and scientific software design. Publications are at his public profile on Google Scholar.

Stephanie Seed (formerly Stephanie Ann Frampton), Associate Professor of Classical Literature, MIT, is a writer and scholar who has published widely on the history of books and their readers from antiquity to today. Her first book, Empire of Letters: Writing in Roman Literature and Thought from Lucretius to Ovid, appeared with Oxford University Press in 2019. Her current project, Words with Friends: Reading Cicero and the Classics Today, is a reflection on how we make connections with others by sharing texts in common and what we can learn about the past and the future from reading the classics in the twenty-first century. More can be found at the MIT website.

Corey Toler-Franklin, Assistant Professor, Computer Science, is an assistant professor of computer science at Columbia University, where she directs the Graphics, Imaging & Light Measurement Laboratory. Toler-Franklin earned a Ph.D.  in computer science from Princeton University. She earned an MS degree from the Cornell University Program of Computer Graphics and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University. Prior to joining the faculty at Barnard College, Columbia University, Toler-Franklin was an assistant professor of computer science at the University of Florida.  Additionally, Toler-Franklin was a University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellow at UC-Davis and a research affiliate at the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute at UC-Berkeley. She has also held positions at Autodesk, Adobe and Google. Toler-Franklin’s research in computer graphics and vision develops algorithms that use mathematical principles in optics to capture and analyze the shape and appearance of complex materials. Her acquisition systems are deployed in real-world settings for multispectral analysis of biological specimens and reconstruction of archaeological artifacts. Her recent work develops deep learning algorithms for diagnosing metastatic cancers and studying behaviors associated with neurological disorders (Alzheimer's, autism, depression). More can be found at coreytolerfranklin.com.