Bio
Mr. Daniel Varga is a Journal Relations Specialist at MDPI, where he focuses on maintaining and strengthening collaborations with researchers and scholars. He previously served as a Section Managing Editor and Assistant Editor at MDPI, gaining extensive experience in academic publishing and peer review coordination. His background is in Environmental Science and Environmental Engineering from Eötvös Loránd University and MATE University, and also brings industry experience in quality control and pharmaceuticals. Beyond publishing, Dániel is passionate about data engineering and has worked on projects involving ETL pipelines, Apache Airflow, PostgreSQL, and Python.

Talk
Is reviewer a gatekeeper: who rejects, who accepts, and on what grounds?

Bio
Linas Balčiauskas: PhD in zoology/biology,1988, Dr Hab in biology, 2008. Current employment: leading researcher and the Head of the Laboratory of Mammalian Ecology in Nature Research Centre, Lithuania. Teaching as professor in Vilnius University. Research experience: hoofed, semi-aquatic, carnivore and small mammal ecology, threatened and invasive species, spatial distribution, habitat analysis, population management and computer modeling, biodiversity and ecological diversity, road ecology, human dimensions of mammals. Publication record: over 300 peer-reviewed publications, including 115 research papers in SCI/SCIE journals. Presentation record: over 200 presentations at national and international conferences. Reviewing record: from 2000, reviewed about 150 papers. Reviewing for MDPI: 106 finished reviews, 98 reviews decline. Editorial record: 2000–2025, Editor in Chief, Assistant editor, Managing Editor, member of Editorial board, member of Topical Advisor Panel, Guest Editor of 8 Special Issues.

Talk
How to make a good review?

Bio
Edgaras Linkevičius, a Doctor of Forestry Sciences from Dresden University of Technology, has authored and co-authored numerous scientific articles and conference papers focused on forest management, climate change adaptation, and sustainability. His research includes: • Impact of Competition on Tree Growth: A study on how competition for space affects the growth of pine trees. • Thinning Regimes: Research on how different thinning regimes influence the growth dynamics of Scots pine and Norway spruce stands in Lithuania. • Climate Change & Tree Adaptability: Investigations into how climate change affects the growth of tree species like common juniper, beech, and Scots pine in Lithuanian forests. • Sustainability & Biomass Production: Assessments of the sustainability of wood- and concrete-based building materials, as well as modeling biomass production in plantations. • Forest Policy: A publication linking forest policy issues with decision support tools in Europe.

Research Keywords
natural regeneration of beech, sustainability of value chains

Talk
Insights from the Peer Review Process: Lessons Learned and Best Practices

Bio
Dr. Vahdettin Demir is a faculty member in the Department of Civil Engineering at KTO Karatay University, Türkiye. His research focuses on environmental and hydrological modeling, with particular expertise in applying artificial intelligence and geospatial techniques to address sustainability challenges. Over the years, he has worked extensively on solar radiation prediction, groundwater assessment, land subsidence, and sinkhole formation, contributing to a deeper understanding of critical environmental issues. In addition to his research, Dr. Demir is actively involved in academic publishing and has served as a reviewer and guest editor for several international journals. He is passionate about advancing the integration of machine learning and engineering applications, fostering collaborations that bridge data science and environmental sustainability. His work continues to inspire innovative approaches to solving pressing global challenges in civil and environmental engineering.