Emerging Scholar Awards
For each conference, a small number of Emerging Scholar Awards are given to outstanding graduate students and emerging scholars who have an active research interest in the conference themes. Emerging Scholars perform a critical role in the conference by chairing the parallel sessions, providing technical assistance in the sessions, and presenting their own research papers. The 2026 Emerging Scholar Award Recipients are as follows:
University of Alabama, United States
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.
University of Missouri, United States
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.
University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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.
University of Alabama, United States
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.
Centro Internacional de Estudios Politicos y Sociales, Panama
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.
Universidad de Cádiz, Spain
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.
Marymount University, United States
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.
University of Mohaghegh ardabili, Iran
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.
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, South Africa
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.
As an Emerging Scholar, I had the opportunity to meet people scientifically active worldwide and gain additional experience on how to organize an International Conference. It was a fantastic experience and I would like to participate again in the future!"
My experience as an emerging scholar was enlightening and full of surprises. It was my first time as a moderator, as a scholar and as a presenter too, so I was hoping everything to be successful. I had the chance to attend interesting presentations about topics that otherwise I wouldn't come across so easily from international academics and have in-depth conversations that gave me food for thought. My presentation was also a highlight for me and the questions following, improved my perspective and fulfilled my initial goal, to communicate my research and for this topic to be understood. Overall, I made new friends, and new connections had an amazing first international academic conference, and added a little bit of more faith in my skills and work."
Being an emerging scholar helps to democratize knowledge by showcasing research from all around the globe to peers that could come from anywhere. The plurality of participants show how intertwined social sciences are, not just in our methods, but in the realities in which they are applied as well. Therefore, it is not just a platform but an experience where new perspectives could be open to more global research."
It was an exhilarating experience to be part of the conference as an emerging scholar. I was able to mingle with the best talents in the field and also to contribute significantly to the global academic process. "