KM Rinki | Virtual Reality Systems | Research Excellence Award

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Ms. KM Rinki | Virtual Reality Systems | Research Excellence Award 

Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow | India

KM Rinki is a dedicated Library and Information Science professional with a strong academic background and practical experience in library management. Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Library & Information Science from Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow, she has previously completed an M.Lib.I.Sc. and B.Lib.I.Sc. from the same university, along with a P.G.D.L.I.M. from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, achieving consistently high grades. She has also earned a diploma in Library and Information Science and has qualified the NTA UGC-NET. Her dissertation focused on the evaluation of field-specific collections at the Gautam Buddha Central Library, BBAU, highlighting her research skills. Professionally, she has served as an Assistant Librarian at Shri Ramswaroop Memorial University, Lucknow, and as a Librarian at Ankerite Ayurvedic Medical College and Hospital, gaining hands-on experience in acquisition, cataloguing, circulation, subscription management, and library administration. She has also undergone training at the Central Library of Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology, Gorakhpur. Technically proficient, Rinki is skilled in KOHA Integrated Library Management System, DSpace, Zotero, and various computer applications, including MS Office, Tally, and internet tools. She has actively participated in international and national conferences on library and information science, reflecting her commitment to continuous learning and professional development. Rinki brings a combination of academic excellence, practical experience, and technical competence, aiming to utilize her knowledge and skills to contribute effectively to the growth of any organization while advancing her professional career. She is highly motivated, detail-oriented, and passionate about enhancing library services and supporting academic research and development.


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Tania Gonzalez | Future of VR Research | Research Excellence Award

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Ms. Tania Gonzalez | Future of VR Research | Research Excellence Award 

Centro de Investigación Cientifica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Baja California | Mexico

Tania Maribel González Mendoza is a dedicated Marine Ecologist with over five years of experience in research and monitoring of coral reefs and coastal ecosystems, with a specialization in reef fish ecology. She possesses strong expertise in scientific diving, marine organism collection, biological sample processing, and both field and laboratory data analysis. Throughout her academic career, including her current Ph.D. candidacy at CICESE, she has been actively involved in national research projects addressing critical issues such as ocean acidification, climate change, and reef ecology, contributing to several peer-reviewed publications. Her professional experience includes research assistant roles at Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana and active participation in projects like the deep-reef refuge hypothesis, Punta Colonet Port development, and reproductive ecology of damselfish, where she has conducted fieldwork, laboratory analyses, database management, and scientific reporting. She has also contributed to reef restoration and carbonate budget assessments, highlighting her hands-on approach to marine conservation. In addition to research, she is experienced in teaching and technical training, offering courses such as Reef Fish Ecology and Underwater Survey Techniques, and has provided workshops and seminars for scientific outreach. Tania is proficient in statistical and ecological software including RStudio, PRIMER+PERMANOVA, Past, and Statistica, and is certified in scientific and recreational diving (PADI Open Water and Advanced Diver). Fluent in Spanish and competent in English, she combines strong organizational skills, proactivity, responsibility, and teamwork with a commitment to advancing marine science. Her work integrates rigorous scientific methodology with field-based ecological insights, positioning her as a skilled researcher and educator dedicated to the conservation and understanding of coral reef ecosystems.


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Jendrian Riedel | Immersive Visualization | Research Excellence Award

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 Dr. Jendrian Riedel | Immersive Visualization | Research Excellence Award 

Hochschule Bremen | Germany

Dr. Jendrian Riedel is a German biologist specializing in zoology with a strong interdisciplinary focus bridging evolutionary biology, biodiversity research, and bionics innovation. He completed his Diplom (Master’s) in Biology at the University of Bonn in 2013, majoring in Zoology with minors in Palaeontology and Philosophy, reflecting a foundation in both organismal biology and broader scientific thinking. Following this, he pursued a Ph.D. in Natural and Physical Sciences with a focus on Zoology at James Cook University, Australia, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Lin Schwarzkopf, completing his doctorate in 2020. During his early academic career, Dr. Riedel expanded his research experience internationally, serving as a Guest Scientist at the Department of Evolutionary Biology at Bielefeld University, Germany, in 2020, followed by a postdoctoral position there in 2021. He further deepened his expertise in biodiversity analysis and evolutionary research as a postdoctoral researcher at the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB) – Museum Koenig Bonn, Germany, from 2022 to 2023. Since 2024, he has been contributing to interdisciplinary research as a researcher at the Core Facility for Multidisciplinary Structural Analysis & Bionics Innovation Center at Hochschule Bremen, Germany, where he applies his knowledge of zoology and structural analysis to advance biomimetic and bionics-driven innovations. Dr. Riedel’s career demonstrates a consistent integration of classical zoological research with contemporary approaches in biodiversity assessment and applied bionics, reflecting both depth in organismal science and a strong commitment to multidisciplinary scientific innovation. His work is characterized by a combination of field-based and laboratory research, international collaborations, and a focus on translating biological insights into technological applications, positioning him as a versatile researcher at the intersection of natural sciences and applied bionics.

Profile: Google Scholar

Featured Publications 

Pillai, R. R., Riedel, J., Wirth, W., Allen-Ankins, S., Nordberg, E., Edwards, W., … (2025). What’s the point? The functional role of claws in pad-bearing taxa (Gekkota: Diplodactylidae). Proceedings B, 292(2054), 20251362.

Kukla, Y., Riedel, J., & Rödder, D. (2025). Sticky innovation, limited expansion: Biogeography and evolutionary ecology of toepads in geckos. Journal of Biogeography, e70087.

Hofmann, S., Rödder, D., Andermann, T., Matschiner, M., Riedel, J., Baniya, C. B., … (2024). Exploring Paleogene Tibet’s warm temperate environments through target enrichment and phylogenetic niche modelling of Himalayan spiny frogs (Paini, Dicroglossidae). Molecular Ecology, 33(15), e17446.

Hofmann, S., Rödder, D., Andermann, T., Matschiner, M., Riedel, J., Baniya, C. B., … (2024). Exploring Paleogene Tibet’s warm temperate environments through target enrichment and phylogenetic niche modelling of Himalayan spiny frogs (Paini, Dicroglossidae). Molecular Ecology, 33(15), e17446.

Riedel, J., Klemm, M., Higham, T., Grismer, L. L., Ziegler, T., Russell, A., Rödder, D., … (2023). Variation in claw morphology among the digits of Bent-toed geckos (Cyrtodactylus: Gekkota: Gekkonidae). BMC Zoology, 8(1), 19.

Christiane Lange-Kuttner | Cognitive VR Research | Research Excellence Award

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Prof. Christiane Lange-Kuttner | Cognitive VR Research | Research Excellence Award 

Universitat Bremen | Germany

Prof. Dr. Chris Lange-Küttner is an internationally recognised developmental and cognitive psychologist whose extensive academic career spans Germany, the United Kingdom, and Cyprus, with core expertise in children’s visual cognition, spatial development, drawing, memory, intelligence, uncertainty processing, and developmental differences such as ASD and ADHD. She currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Cognitive Development and previously held long-term editorial roles in major journals including Frontiers in Developmental Psychology, Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, and International Journal of Developmental Science. She holds an H-index exceeding 90 across major citation platforms, reflecting her substantial research influence. Educated at the Technical University Berlin and Free University Berlin, she earned her Dr. phil. magna cum laude, published her early landmark work on children’s graphic competence, and later completed her habilitation at the University of Bremen on spatial systems in development and learning. Her academic appointments include W3 and W2 Professorships in Developmental Psychology (Greifswald, Konstanz), more than two decades as Senior Lecturer at London Metropolitan University, and adjunct faculty roles at the University of Nicosia. She has led major research projects such as INSIDE at the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories and has contributed significantly to academic leadership as Chair of the TEAP Conference, Psychology Ethics Committee Chair, Erasmus Coordinator, and PhD viva examiner. Her honours include listings in Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century and Who’s Who, alongside multiple fellowships such as FHEA and Associate Fellow of the BPS. Prof. Lange-Küttner’s recent publications span influential topics including school transitions, ADHD–education links, visual search, spatial heuristics, relative age effects, longitudinal school performance, and academic-social profiles in autism. Her extensive earlier work includes foundational studies on drawing development, perceptual load, spatial binding, mental rotation, reaction time systems, bilingual speech preparation, object-based practice in Alzheimer’s disease, and cognitive mechanisms underlying children’s learning. She has supervised multiple doctoral and master’s students and mentored international interns whose work has led to published outcomes. Skilled in Python, R, SPSS, JMP, MPlus, AMOS, and experimental software, she integrates computational, statistical, and experimental methodologies to advance developmental science. Her career is marked by cross-disciplinary impact, global collaborations, and sustained contributions to understanding how children perceive, organise, and learn from the visual and spatial world.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid

Featured Publications

Chris Lange-Kuttner, C. (2025). Spatial heuristics and random spatial exploration: Children, adults, and the machine coloring-in places in the grid game. Frontiers in Developmental Psychology.

Chris Lange-Kuttner, C. (2025). Visual search and domain-specific interests in children. International Journal of Developmental Science.

Chris Lange-Kuttner, C. (2025). The relative age effect in secondary schools. Cognitive Development.

Chris Lange-Kuttner, C. (2025). A 5-year longitudinal study about the effect of school change on grades. The Journal of Genetic Psychology.

Chris Lange-Kuttner, C. (2025). Academic and social profiles of adolescents with autism. Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling.

Chris Lange-Kuttner, C. (2024). Are school grades correlated with competencies in secondary school pupils with special needs? Frontiers in Education.

Chris Lange-Kuttner, C. (2024). Object-based practice effects recover the graphic object concept in Alzheimer’s dementia. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts.

Chris Lange-Kuttner, C. (2024). COVID-stressed schools struggled to teach mathematics. Acta Psychologica.

Chris Lange-Kuttner, C. (2024). Visual and motor cognition in children and infants. Routledge.

Kristyn Wilson | Simulation & Training | Best VR Researcher Award

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Dr. Kristyn Wilson | Simulation & Training | Best VR Researcher Award 

University of Virginia | United States

Kristyn Wilson is a researcher and practitioner whose work centers on teacher preparation, mixed-reality simulation, feedback systems, and the evolving structures of educator pathways. Her scholarship investigates novice teachers’ learning experiences, the design and implementation of simulations, and institutional responses to shifting licensure and preparation demands. She has authored peer-reviewed publications in leading outlets such as AERA Open, Review of Educational Research, Journal of Educational Psychology, and Teachers College Record, contributing influential work on approximations of practice, coaching effectiveness, simulated caregiver conversations, and the language of teacher feedback. Her research pipeline includes multiple manuscripts under review and in preparation that examine program proliferation, provisional licensure routes, and within-institution variation in educator preparation. Wilson has been recognized with numerous distinctions, including the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award, the Brenda Loyd Holliday Award, Best Poster honors, Best Paper finalist designation, and several competitive grants and fellowships supporting her research and conference participation. As a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Virginia, she contributes to large-scale, multi-institution projects evaluating statewide literacy initiatives, ELA curriculum shifts, and the potential of AI-supported tools to enhance teaching feedback, collaborating with principal investigators from UVA, Brown University’s Annenberg Institute, and Stanford University. Her academic experience includes extensive instructional roles across undergraduate and graduate programs, instructional coaching for teaching difficult histories, and leadership in program assessment, rubric development, accreditation preparation, curriculum mapping, and course alignment. She has presented her work widely at national, regional, and institutional conferences, including AERA, AACTE, AEFP, VACTE, SITE, and multiple UVA research convenings, and has delivered invited talks to K–12 school divisions, university faculty, and international delegations. Wilson has also contributed public scholarship through published opinion pieces in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Her service includes conference reviewing for major national organizations, manuscript reviewing for multiple journals, committee leadership for the Hunter Student Research Conference, and extensive involvement with the Morehead-Cain Scholarship selection process.

Profile: Orcid

Featured Publications

Wilson, K., Cohen, J., & Erickson, S. (2025). Teacher candidates’ experiences with mixed reality simulations: Variations by task, support, and mode of delivery. AERA Open.

Cohen, J., Yonas, A., & Wilson, K. (2025). Approximating teaching: A systematic review of the research. Review of Educational Research.

Cohen, J., Wong, V., Liu, P., Wilson, K., & Yonas, A. (2025). Practice does not make perfect: Experimental evidence on the effectiveness of coaching beginning teachers. Journal of Educational Psychology, 117(7), 1137–1177.

Wilson, K., & Yonas, A. (2024). In search of deliberate practice: Simulating teaching in three teacher education programs. Teachers College Record, 126(9), 47–89.