Interdisciplinary Social Sciences Research Network

Mohammad Mohi Uddin is a doctoral candidate in Instructional Technology at The University of Alabama, USA, where he serves as a Graduate Research Assistant, Graduate Senator, and Graduate Ambassador. He is a Topic Editor for a journal and a member of a USA-based grant team developing AI-integrated curricula and AI literacy courses for undergraduate education. Drawing on learning theories, Renaissance normative ethics, philosophical theories, and UNESCO AI competency guidelines—while integrating EU and UK normative perspectives with US utilitarian approaches— his research examines the scope of human agency within Human–AI interaction. He develops Bloom-AI Competency Taxonomy and the TPPP Nexus (Technology, Pedagogy, Philosophy, and Psychology), for responsible AI integration in higher education.

Dr. Kerri McBee-Black is an Assistant Professor and Helen Allen Faculty Fellow in Textile and Apparel Management at the University of Missouri. Her research explores adaptive apparel design and how clothing intersects with the experiences of people with disabilities. With industry experience in design and production, she merges practical insight with academic scholarship. She has authored over 20 peer-reviewed publications, presented more than 70 research presentations,and mentored undergraduate and graduate apparel design scholars. She has secured over $412,000 in funding to support her work that advances inclusive design in the apparel industry through research and innovation.

Suzan Shan is a PhD candidate in Translation and Linguistics at the University of Sharjah, where she also works as a Research Assistant at the Research Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences. Her research focuses on feminist Critical Discourse Analysis, intersectional feminism, and the linguistic representation of marginalized women across literary and media discourses. She employs frameworks such as Feminist CDA, Multimodal CDA, and Van Dijk’s socio-cognitive approach in her work. Suzan’s academic interests include women’s writing, discourse and ideology, translation studies, and metaphor analysis. She has presented her research at international conferences and is actively engaged in scholarly publishing.

Faria is a TESOL MA student at The University of Alabama, USA, where she also teaches Advanced English Composition. Her research interests include World Englishes, Applied Linguistics, and English Language Teaching, with a particular focus on how educational stratification shapes linguistics inequality in postcolonial contexts. Prior to her graduate studies, she served as a lecturer in English at the undergraduate level in Bangladesh for four years.

Andrea Melgar is a Principal Investigator in the Centro Internacional de Estudios Políticos y Sociales (CIEPS) in Panama City, Panama . She holds a PhD in Health Services Research from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Community Engaged Research at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Before moving back to her home country, she worked as a senior data analyst at Johns Hopkins University. Currently, Dr. Melgar’s research focuses on qualitatively understanding a national school feeding program, and how it impacts children’s health and food security.

Aloa Alota is a media studies scholar whose research, grounded in Pierre Bourdieu’s field theory, examines autonomy, authority, and symbolic power in journalism, focusing on how ownership and emerging technologies like AI reshape legitimacy. He holds a PhD in Media Studies from Western University, Canada, an MA in Global Society and Media Communication (Distinction) from Staffordshire University, United Kingdom, and a BA (Hons) in English from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. He authored A Living Mirror: The Life of Deyda Hydara (co-author Demba Ali Jawo), exploring journalism, power, and risk through the lived experience of a practising Gambian journalist and has been endorsed by Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) and adopted by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) as part of its freedom of expression programming. He contributed the introductory chapter, Witnessing and Reflection: Journalism at the Nexus of a Political Power Shift, to Reuben Abati’s How Goodluck Jonathan Became President (2025). His honours include the 2026 Emerging Scholar Award and the Gambia Press Union’s 2025 Press Freedom Hero Award.

Bethany D. Parker is a critical and philosophical researcher located in the Appalachian region of East Tennessee. She is committed to post-structural and Black feminist inquiry within community-rooted scholarship. Her research explores conceptualizations of epistemology and sense of belonging in educational spaces. She weaves arts-based analyses and representation into her research design to challenge assumptions of traditional knowledge construction; and her research emphasizes knowledge and understanding as "always in the making." Therefore, she does not seek objective answers or findings but rather seeks out more questions to propel the research forward.

María Camacho García graduated in 2023 with a double degree in Sociology and Social Work from Pablo de Olavide University (UPO). She subsequently completed a master's degree in Methodology Applied to Public Policy at the same institution, where she also worked as a research assistant in the Social Sciences Faculty Laboratory during the 2023-2024 academic year. This is her second year of doctoral studies at the University of Cádiz (UCA), researching social polarisation and misinformation in health. She also works as a researcher at CS2 DataLab (INDESS), participating in the NETDYNAMIC project.

Natasha Harris is a doctoral researcher in Business Intelligence at Marymount University, whose work sits at the intersection of human behavior, systems design, and institutional resilience. Her interdisciplinary research examines how individuals navigate complex systems across finance, organizational contexts, sustainability, and emerging technologies, particularly when those systems are not designed with lived experience in mind.

In addition to her academic research, Harris is an applied strategist, consultant, and speaker who translates scholarly insight into practice across public-sector leadership, financial empowerment, organizational development, and innovation ecosystems. She is particularly interested in bridging the gap between research and implementation, helping organizations build operational and cultural infrastructure that can hold complexity without compromising human dignity or institutional values.

Mahdi Naeim is a PhD student in Psychology at the University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Iran. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Clinical Psychology and has extensive research experience in mental health, clinical psychology, and social determinants of health. His work focuses on culturally informed mental health models, behavioral addictions, psychotherapy interventions, and the integration of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in mental health care. He has published widely in international peer-reviewed journals and is the author of several academic books in psychology and counseling. His current research interests include mental health promotion, health equity, and interdisciplinary approaches to psychological well-being.

Ms. NN Simelane is a Research Servant at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, School of Health Care Sciences (Dean’s Office), with a strong background in postgraduate administration and research. She holds a Master of Policing, a Postgraduate Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Traffic Safety, and a National Diploma in Traffic and Municipal Police Management from Tshwane University of Technology, complemented by Grade A security certification and advanced administrative and computer skills. Ms. Simelane has served on several institutional and research committees at SMU and TUT and has participated in international conferences and logistics. Her experience includes postgraduate coordination and undergraduate tutoring in policing and traffic studies. Her research interests focus on crime prevention, public safety, policing responses, and gender-based violence and femicide. She has published seven scholarly works and intends to pursue doctoral studies in collaboration with health institutions to look deeper on GBVF responses in societies.

Yassi Sanandaji is a fourth-year Medical Sciences student at Western University, specializing in physiology and cell biology. Her academic work bridges biomedical science with broader social questions surrounding health, aging, and migration. Through laboratory research, clinical experience, and interdisciplinary scholarship, she has developed a strong interest in how medical and social systems shape health outcomes. Yassi has contributed to human participant research, data analysis, and scientific presentations. She is passionate about translating research into meaningful patient-centered and community-focused impact. Her current work uses a medical science lens to explore the intricacies of migration and settlement of newcomer seniors.

Himasha Dilshani Perera is a PhD researcher in Politics and International Relations at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Her research focuses on the refugee policy space in Sri Lanka, with particular attention to policy development, governance challenges, and stakeholder engagement. She is a lecturer attached to the Department of Political Science at the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, and has over ten years of experience in teaching and academic research. Her research interests include public administration and public policy, political communication, comparative government and politics, and human rights. She has contributed to academic publications, conferences, and collaborative research activities.

Judit Pérez Mejía graduated in Sociology from Pablo de Olavide University (UPO) in 2022. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Applied Social Research Techniques at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), alongside a Master’s Degree in Employment at the University of Granada (UGR). Since 2025, she has worked as a researcher at the University of Cádiz (UCA) within CS2 DataLab at the Institute for Sustainable Social Development and Research (INDESS), initially contributing to the DCODES project on health misinformation and currently participating in the HUMAIN project, which focuses on AI-driven digital inequalities and their relationship with health misinformation.

Syed Azman Syed Ismail is a PhD candidate in Mathematics Education at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. His research focuses on the development of instructional materials to enhance students’ understanding of fractions and improve learning experiences in mathematics. His work adopts an Educational Design Research approach, integrating instructional design, visual representations and technology-supported learning to support effective classroom practices at the primary level. His research interests include digital media in education, visual communication in mathematics learning and innovative approaches to teaching and learning. He has published in international peer-reviewed journals and is committed to advancing meaningful and innovative practices in mathematics education.