Keynote Speakers

Leah Buechley

Leah is an associate professor in the computer science department at the University of New Mexico, where she directs the Hand and Machine research group. Her work explores integrations of electronics, computing, art, craft, and design. She is a pioneer in paper and fabric-based electronics and her inventions include the LilyPad Arduino, a construction kit for sew-able electronics. Previously, she was a professor at the MIT Media Lab, where she founded and directed the High-Low Tech group. Her awards include an NSF CAREER Award and the Edith Ackerman award for Interaction Design and Children. Leah received a PhD in computer science from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a BA in physics from Skidmore College. At both institutions she also studied dance, theater, fine art, and design.

Engin Bumbacher

Engin holds a professorship in Computer Science Education and Educational Technology at the University of Teacher Education in Lausanne, Switzerland. This role enables him to lead an applied research program focused on designing innovative learning technologies and services that help teachers drive pedagogical innovations and promote engaging, equitable, and competency-based STEM education. His work spans three interconnected strands of research and development. The first focuses on creating competency-based tools and methods to teach and assess computational problem-solving in secondary and tertiary education. This includes his role as an expert group member for the 2025 OECD PISA assessment in innovative domains. The second strand explores ways of integrating real-world STEM projects and professionals into upper primary and middle school science curricula to make STEM more accessible and relatable to students, counteracting social inequalities in STEM career perceptions and aspirations. The third strand centers on novel formats of professional development using fablabs to build teachers' capacity for innovations of pedagogical designs, including a two-year student collaboration with the TLT Lab at Teachers College, Columbia University. He holds a B.Sc. in Physics and an M.Sc. in Neural Systems and Computation from ETH Zurich, as well as a Ph.D. in Learning Sciences and Technology Design from Stanford University.

Panayiotis Zaphiris

Panayiotis is Rector of the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) since 2020 and was the Chair of the Cyprus Rectors' Conference from 2022–2024. He is a Professor at the Multimedia and Graphic Arts Department of CUT. He holds a PhD in Human Computer Interaction from Wayne State University, USA. He is also a graduate of Engineering Systems and Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, USA. Prior to returning to Cyprus, he was a Reader at the Center for Human Computer Interaction Design of the City University of London, where he founded and led the City Interaction Lab (funded by the Vodafone Foundation). His research interests are in HCI with an emphasis on participatory and constructionist design and social aspects of Computing focusing on designing interactive systems for the elderly and the disabled and other populations. Panayiotis has participated in more than 20 externally funded research projects with a funding of more than 7 million euros. He has published over 250 academic articles in well-known academic journals and international conferences. Recent related research activities include leading the academic management of the Youth Makerspace Larnaka (the 1st Makerspace founded in Cyprus), being the PI of HORIZON 2020 TWINNING project NOTRE and a founding member of CYENS a Research and Innovation Centre of Excellence in Cyprus where he now leads its HCI research team.

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