Pamela Heckel, Ph.D., P.E. is the former Project Officer for the Prevention through Design Initiative at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. She earned the doctorate in environmental engineering in 2007 from the University of Cincinnati. Her doctoral research used a terrestrial insect as a surrogate for human, occupational exposure to ambient mercury. She developed a novel, complex air pollutant dispersion model to predict ambient concentrations along roadsides. She conducted epidemiological research studies and modeled occupational exposures to mercury during a post-doctoral fellowship in the College of Medicine. In addition to the doctorate in engineering, she has undergraduate engineering degrees from Vanderbilt and Purdue, a Master's in Architecture and is a registered engineer in Ohio. Prior to NIOSH, Dr. Heckel's work experience includes design and manufacturing of nuclear reactors and construction of nuclear containment facilities. She designed a laminar drill platform used to manufacture the stainless steel internal structure of a nuclear reactor. She worked as a field engineer on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline where she managed the steel yard and supervised a union crew of Boilermakers, Teamsters and Operators. She was a pioneer in developing computerized inventory-control systems at Boeing and later worked on the Customer Engineering Sales Support team for the 737. At General Electric, she performed life cycle analysis on the CFM56 engines that power the 737 aircraft and wrote the LM1600 engine test manual. She supervised the contract employees from Essig Research.

This year, she joined the Board of the international Air & Waste Management Association. Dr. Heckel applied for patents on two Type II medical devices: an ergonomic grip and a device to treat hammertoes. In addition to journal publications and conference presentations, she has published a play (Uncle Doc), two textbooks (Putting People First  the Theory of Universal Design and Environmental Mercury Exposure of Terrestrial Life Forms), and musical scores for Psalms 1 & 2. She is the President and CEO of the Five Minute Church, Inc. a web-based ministry. Dr. Heckel and her husband Walter recently celebrated their Silver Wedding Anniversary. They have four adult children.

Dr. Gerardo del Cerro Santamaria is Director of Assessment and Innovation and Professor of Social Science at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in Manhattan. He is also a Visiting Professor at MIT and Senior Research Fellow at the University of the Basque Country in Spain. He is widely recognized for his scholarly contributions to various fields of endeavor. Dr. del Cerro Santamari­a is the author of several books, book chapters, journal articles and encyclopedia articles about urbanism and globalization, urban megaprojects, architecture and the social sciences, innovation research, urban environmental engineering and program and organizational evaluation.

Dr. Gerardo del Cerro Santamari­a has been awared the Doctoral Medal of the Universidad Autnoma de Madrid (Spain), the Alumni Association Award of the Colegio Mayor Ximnez de Cisneros, and has been named Honoraty Member of the Department of Electrical and Computing Engineering at The Cooper Union. He is a great music lover, holds a classical piano degree from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid (Spain)and plays regularly in New York with fellow musicians and friends.

Daniel Stokols is Chancellor's Professor of Planning, Policy, and Design, and Psychology and Social Behavior in the School of Social Ecology (where he served as Director and founding Dean during 1988-1998) at the University of California, Irvine. He is also Professor of Public Health, Epidemiology, and Nursing Science in the College of Health Sciences at UCI. He is past President of the Division of Environmental, Population, and Conservation Psychology of the American Psychological Association (APA) and currently serves as a Section Editor for the American Journal of Health Promotion and as a member of the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Environmental Psychology and the Journal of Architectural and Planning Research. Stokols received the Annual Career Award of the Environmental Design Research Association in 1991, the UC Irvine Lauds and Laurels Faculty Achievement Award and the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Fostering Undergraduate Research in 2003, and UCI's Outstanding Professor Award for the School of Social Ecology during 2009.

His research examines contextual factors that influence the success of transdisciplinary research and training programs, as well as the health and behavioral impacts of environmental stressors such as traffic congestion, overcrowding, and information overload. Stokols is co-author of Behavior, Health, and Environmental Stress (1986) and co-editor of the Handbook of Environmental Psychology (1987) and Promoting Human Wellness (2002). Stokols served as Scientific Consultant to the National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences and as a member of NCI's Science of Team Science (SciTS) team between 2005-2011. He is currently a Team Science Evaluation Consultant for the National Academies of Science-Keck Futures Initiative (NAKFI) for promoting interdisciplinary research.

Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Winston E. Langley is the senior administrator in charge of advancing the University of Massachusetts Boston's academic mission and the quality of its intellectual life. A scholar with a rich, diverse academic background and a seasoned administrator, he has been instrumental in defining and developing UMass Boston's identity as a student-centered, urban public research university with a teaching soul. A professor of political science and international relations since 1982, Dr. Langley served as director of the International Relations Program, senior associate provost, associate chancellor, and interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs before he was named to his current position in 2009. Dr. Langley's scholarly interests include human rights, alternative models of world order, religion, and politics. His research has focused on the inadequacy of the nation-state system, the weakness of intergovernmental organizations (including the United Nations), nongovernmental organizations expanding power and influence, and the paucity of alternative models for global ordering.

Dr. Langley is the author of Kazi Nazrul Islam: The Voice of Poetry and the Struggle for Human Wholeness and the Encyclopedia of Human Rights Issues Since 1945, which won the Choice Outstanding Academic Book Award. He is the editor of Human Rights: The Major Global Instruments and (with Vivian Fox) Women's Rights in the United States, which won the Gustavus Myers Center for the Study of Bigotry and Human Rights Award for Outstanding Book on Human Rights in North America. He is a member of the American Society of International Law and a reviewer of nine publications, including New Political Science, Transnational Perspectives, and International Journal of African Studies. Dr. Langley earned a bachelor of arts in biology from Atlantic Union College, a master of arts in European diplomatic history and a doctor of philosophy in political science and international relations from Howard University, and a doctor of laws from Suffolk University.

Marilyn Schlitz, Ph.D. is a social anthropologist, researcher, writer, and charismatic public speaker. She is currently the Founder and CEO of Worldview Enterprises. She also serves as President Emeritus and a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Noetic Sciences. Additionally, she is a Senior Scientist at the California Pacific Medical Center, where she focuses on health and healing, and board member of Pacifica Graduate Institute. For more than three decades, Marilyn has been a leader in the field of consciousness studies. Her research and extensive publications focus on personal and social transformation, cultural pluralism, extended human capacities, and mind body medicine. She has a depth of leadership experience in government, business, and the not-for-profit sectors.

Her broad and varied work has given her a unique ability to help individuals and organizations identify and develop personal and interpersonal skills and capacities needed by 21st century leaders. She is currently producing a feature film (called Death Makes Life Possible) with Deepak Chopra on the topic of death and dying, and how engaging that topic in a deep and meaningful way informs the way we live our lives.

Xuedong Zhang was born in Qixian County, Shanxi Province, in September 9th(Chinese Lunar Calendar) 1962. He is the Vice Secretary General of the Chinese Academy of Public Administration and directing its Enterprise Development Department. He is also the Secretary General of China's National County Public Administration as well as a member of Central Committee of the September 3rd Society. He is the Executive Director of the Research Centre of E-Picture Thinking and Future Government at Beijing University. Zhang is well known in China for his transdisciplinary work as the author of "E-Picture Thinking. A Comprehensive Awakening on Nature, Man and Society" with Chinese Postal Service Issued a special Postage volume on "the Art of E-Picture Zhang Xuedong's Art of Soul". Based on his pioneering work, there is about 10 books published applying E-picture philosophy to Life, Arts, Media, Fashion Design, etc. In June 2006 he won the prestigious George Kozmetsky award for Outstanding Achievement in Transdiscplinary Innovation at World Congress on Innovation of the Society for Design and Process Science (SDPS),in San Diego, USA. In August, 2006, was honored with Awards from Nevada and California State Governments for the E-Picture theory's contribution to humanity and art. In September 2006, he was accredited the Outstanding Contributor Title for Comprehensive Construction of a Prime Prosperous Society at the honoring ceremony and working experience conference for the Comprehensive Construction of a Prime Prosperous Society in China. Mr. Xuedong Zhang (left) Vice Secretary General China Public Administration Society (CAPS) received his ATLAS founding fellow award plaque from Dr. Raymond T. Yeh in China. On Dr. Yeh's right is the former vice minister of human resources to witness the ceremony.

Dr. Cristina Nunez is professor & director of the Doctoral Program in Transdisciplinarity Studies at the Center for EcoLiteracy and Dialogue of Knowledges at the Universidad Veracruzana. She is part of the fouding team of this Center where she coordinated the Master in Transdisciplinarity Studies for Sustainability since 2008. She studied Economics at the National University of Mexico and a Master and PhD in Anthropologies Sciences. She has been professor in Economic and Sociology Schools at the Universidad Veracruzana for more than 15 years. She is author of some books and papers in anthropology, politics and culture of peasant societies in central Veracruz.

The most representative books she has written: Ejido, cana y cafe.  Politica y cultura campesina en el Centro de Veracruz and "Migracion Internacional, crisis agricola y transformaciones culturales en la region central de Veracruz. As ethnologist she has extensive experience in narrative methods within a transdisciplinary perspective. Nunerz's research work has been recognized by many national awards: National Award Fray Bernardino de Sahagun given by the National Institute of Anthorpology and History and National Reward in Agrarian Studies. She is member of the International Center of Transdisciplinary Research (CIRET), France.

Dr. Stephen J.H. Yang is the Director of Department of Information and Technology Education, Ministry of Education, Taiwan; he is also the Distinguished Professor of Computer Science & Information Engineering, National Central University, Taiwan. Dr. Yang received his PhD degree in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1995. Dr. Yang has published over 80 journal papers, and received the 2010 outstanding research award from National Science Council, Taiwan. His research interests include creative learning, 3D virtual worlds, App software, and cloud services. Dr. Yang is very active in academic services.

He is currently the Editors-in-Chief of the International Journal of Knowledge Management & E-Learning, and the Associate Editor of the International Journal of Systems and Service-Oriented Engineering. Dr. Yang also served as the Program Co-Chair of APTEL 2011, ICCE 2010, TELearn 2009, ICCE 2009, IEEE SUTC2008, ICCE 2008, IEEE ISM2008, SDPS 2008, IEEE W2ME2007, IEEE CAUL2006, and IEEE MSE2003.

Dr. Sue L. T. McGregor is a Canadian home economist and was a home economics and consumer studies educator for nearly 45 years. In 2014, she retired as Professor Emerita from the Faculty of Education at Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax Nova Scotia, Canada (1984-2014). She was a member of the home economics/human ecology department for 15 years (until it was closed down). She then assumed the role of Coordinator of the undergraduate, interdisciplinary Peace and Conflict Studies program for eight years. Following that, she was Director of Graduate Education in the Faculty of Education for three years and was the inaugural, elected Doctoral Program Coordinator in Educational Studies and elected Chair of the Inter-University Doctoral Administration Committee (2010-2011, 20 months). During her career, she taught research literacy, home economics and consumer studies, peace studies, global education, citizenship education, curriculum leadership, and education for sustainability. Sue is the Marjorie M. Brown Distinguished Professor at Kappa Omicron Nu, the leadership honour society for home economics (2011). She is Docent in Home Economics at the University of Helsinki (2010) and was Adjunct Professor at the home economics doctoral program at Iowa State University for 10 years (also on the Board of Directors). In 2009, she was awarded the TOPACE International Award for distinguished consumer scholarship and educator, at the Consumer Citizenship Network (CCN) conference in Berlin. This award recognized her outstanding scholarship about transdisciplinarity and consumer citizenship education. In 2015, she was named the International Karpatkin Consumer Fellow by the American Council on Consumer Interests (ACCI). In 2015, she presented on a panel on education for responsible living at UNESCO, and in 2011, she co-presented scholarship on education for sustainable consumption at the United Nations.

She recently (2013-2015) published papers/book chapters on transdisciplinary entrepreneurship and TD ethics, transdisciplinary professionalism, transdisciplinary knowledge creation, transdisciplinary pedagogy, transdisciplinarity in higher education, the Nicolescuian and Zurich approaches to transdisciplinarity, transdisciplinary memes, transdisciplinarity and conceptual change, transdisciplinary leadership, transdisciplinarity and biomimicry, transdisciplinary consumption, and transdisciplinary consumer education. She guest edited an issue on transdisciplinarity in the World Futures journal (2014).

Her scholarship focuses on pushing the intellectual and philosophical boundaries of consumer education and research and home economics thinking and practice towards transdisciplinary inquiry, an integral vision, transformative approaches (leadership and education), complexity, and a moral imperative. She is especially interested in home economics philosophy and leadership for the 21st century through a transdisciplinary lens. See www.consultmcgregor.com

She is an Associate Member of Sustainability Frontiers (UK), and an Integral Leadership Council member. For nearly two decades, she has been a Research Fellow for Kappa Omicron Nu (home economics leadership honours society). In this capacity, she published two leadership monographs, Leadership for the Human Family: Reflective Human Action for a Culture of Peace (2001), and Positioning the Profession Beyond Patriarchy (2007) (with Dr. Donna Pendergast, Australia). She also published a KON monograph/working paper on The Wilberian Integral Approach.

Under her own consultancy group (McGregor Consulting Group), she published four monographs: Conceptual Clarity in Consumer Scholarship; Well-being, Wellness and Basic Human Needs in Home Economics; Locating the Human Condition Concept within Home Economics; and, Consumer Education as a Site of Political Resistance. She has delivered 31 keynotes/invited talks in 12 countries. She has over 130 peer-reviewed publications (articles and conference papers), four books, 13 book chapters, seven monographs and over 50 book reviews. In 2011, she co-authored a book with Dr. Russ Volckmann entitled Transversity (Integral Publishing). In 2010, she published Consumer Moral Leadership (Sense Publishers, The Netherlands). In 2006, she published her leadership book Transformative Practice (Kappa Omicron Nu). She is currently affiliated with 20 professional journals. In particular, she sits on the Editorial Board of nine home economics, peace and consumer-focused journals, one transdisciplinary journal, was Acting Editor for 8 months for one journal and is currently Associate Editor for four. She holds membership in 15professional associations.

She is the Principal Consultant for The McGregor Consulting Group (founded in 1991). MCG aims to effect transformative and transdisciplinary, integral change through leadership education, research and development. Her consultancy work has been with Industry Canada (the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy and the Office of Consumer Affairs), Health Canada, the Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals, and the European Union's Socrates (Public Education Branch). In 2005-2006, she was part of a nine-member international team that conducted an onsite review of the research programs for education and home economics faculties at University of Helsinki. In 2009, she was an external reviewer for the Transformative Learning Center at OISE, University of Toronto. She is included in the Canadian Who's Who.