Distinguished Visiting Professors

Professor John SPENGLER
Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environmental Health and Human Habitation
Co-Director of the JPB Environmental Health Fellowship Program
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Research Interests: Environmental Health, Exposure Science

Biography: John SPENGLER, Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environmental Health and Human Habitation, and Co-Director of the JPB Environmental Health Fellowship Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has over 40 years’ experience in environmental health and exposure science, characterizing the exposure to and effects of contaminants in outdoor and indoor environments. Through studies of homes, office buildings, schools, and transit systems Spengler’s research has investigated design, materials, maintenance, and behaviors that mitigate exposures to harmful contaminants. During the SARS CoV-2 pandemic, his team examined transmission and mitigation of airborne viruses in schools, airplanes, airports, and buses. Several recent studies have looked at health and the built environment and the wellbeing benefits of exposure to Nature, including using Virtual Reality to explore physiologic and cognitive effects of exposures to nature in indoor and outdoor settings. For the past decade, Spengler’s teaching and research have increasingly focused on issues related to climate change and sustainability. Motivated by the urgency conveyed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), his team has formed collaborations with professional organizations, NGOs, and companies to affect evidence-based decisions more rapidly in other sectors of society.

Professor Dacheng TAO
College of Computing & Data Science
Nanyang Technological University

Research Interests: Artificial Intelligence

Biography: Professor Dacheng Tao is currently a Distinguished University Professor in the College of Computing & Data Science at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. With a rich academic history, he has held prestigious positions such as Australian Laureate Fellow and Peter Nicol Russell Chair at the University of Sydney. He has also been deeply involved in various management roles in both academia and industry, including serving as the Founding Director of the Sydney Artificial Intelligence Centre in University of Sydney, Chief Scientist and Advisor of the Digital Sciences Initiative in the University of Sydney, Chief Scientist of AI in UBTech, Senior Vice President in JD.com, and the Inaugural Director of JD Explore Academy in JD.com. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, spanning areas including deep learning, deep learning theory, computer vision, natural language processing, and statistical machine learning. His extensive body of work comprises over 300 publications in renowned journals and conferences, with numerous accolades including best paper awards from esteemed institutions like IEEE and IJCAI. Recognized as a Highly-Cited Researcher in Engineering and Computer Science, he has received several prestigious awards, including the IEEE Computer Society Edward J. McCluskey Technical Achievement Award and the Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Excellence in Data Science. He has led successful teams in various international challenges related to computer vision and machine learning, showcasing his leadership and innovation in the field. His contributions extend beyond research, as evidenced by his exceptional supervision of research students. His guidance has led to numerous awards for his PhD students, highlighting his commitment to nurturing talent in academia. Prof Tao is also recognized as a Fellow in prestigious organizations such as the Association for Computing Machinery, IEEE, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Australian Academy of Science. His diverse editorial roles and extensive service to major conferences underscore his significant impact on the field of artificial intelligence.