With expertise ranging from environmental ethics to internet security and privacy, 19 new and promoted faculty will be welcomed to Missouri S&T this fall.

• Dr. Syed Alam, an assistant teaching professor of mining and nuclear engineering, comes to Missouri S&T from the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission CEA cadarche, where he were a postdoctoral research engineer. He earned a Ph.D. in computational nuclear engineering from Cambridge University in 2017. Alam’s research interests include computational nuclear theory and deterministic and nodal diffusion transport methods.
• Dr. Ahmad Alsharoa, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, comes to Missouri S&T from Virginia State University, where he worked as an assistant professor of engineering and computer science. His research focuses on computer security, machine learning and wireless networks. Alsharoa earned a Ph.D. in computer engineering and electrical engineering from Iowa State University in 2017.
• Dr. Nan Cen, an assistant professor of computer science, comes to Missouri S&T from Northeastern University. Cen was a graduate research assistant and earned a Ph.D. at Northeastern University in electrical and computer engineering. Cen’s research interests include visible light networking, the internet-of-things and 5G networks.
• Dr. Xiaojing Chen-Murphy, an assistant teaching professor of mathematics and statistics, joined Missouri S&T in 2017 as an instructor of mathematics and statistics. Chen-Murphy earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of California-Los Angeles in 2014. Her research interests include global Torelli problem for projective manifolds.
• Dr. Cecil Chua, an associate professor of business and information technology, comes to Missouri S&T from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, where he was an associate professor in the information systems and operations management department. Chua earned a Ph.D. in computer information systems from Georgia State University in 2004, and his research interests include information systems and formal control enactment in complex information technology projects.
• Dr. Shane Epting, an assistant professor of arts, languages and philosophy, comes to Missouri S&T from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he was a visiting assistant professor of philosophy. Epting earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of North Texas. His research interests include environmental ethics, philosophy of the city and philosophy of technology.
• Dr. Mina Esmaeelpour, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, comes to Missouri S&T from the radiology department at Stanford School of Medicine, where she worked as a postdoctoral research fellow. Esmaeelpour earned a Ph.D. in physics from Lehigh University in 2016. Her research interests include fiber optics, photonic crystal waveguides and fibers, and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging.
• Dr. Taylor Gruenloh, an assistant teaching professor of arts, languages and philosophy, was a lecturer in the department at Missouri S&T. He earned an MFA in theatre and playwriting from Hollins University in 2014. Gruenloh’s theater production experience includes working with the Tesseract Theatre, Robert Moss Theatre and St. Louis Fringe Festival.
• Dr. Beth Kania-Gosche, chair and professor of teacher education and certification, comes to Missouri S&T from Lindenwood University, where she was associate dean of the school of education. She earned a Ph.D. in educational studies from Saint Louis University in 2009. Her research interests include pedagogy and teaching in online environments.
• Dr. Dong-Hyun Kim, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, came to Missouri S&T in 2018 as a visiting assistant research professor. He earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in 2018. Kim’s research interests include signal integrity, electromagnetic compatibility and semiconductor devices.
• Dr. Wenyan Liu, an assistant research professor of chemistry, came to Missouri S&T in 2016 as a research chemist in the Center for Research in Energy and Environment. Liu earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from New York University in 2012, and he worked for the Brookhaven National Laboratory as a research associate. At S&T, Dr. Liu helped develop the first DNA origami two-dimensional array in DNA nanotechnology, which can help with cancer drug delivery.
• Dr. Tony Luo, an associate professor of computer science, comes to Missouri S&T from the Institute for Infocomm Research’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research in Singapore. Luo earned a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the National University of Singapore. His research interests include the internet of things, security and privacy, and mobile edge computing.
• Dr. Michael Puopolo, an assistant teaching professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, comes to Missouri S&T from Kettering University, where he was an assistant professor of mechanical engineering. Poupolo earned his Ph.D. in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Oklahoma State University in 2017. Outside of higher education, he has worked as a senior project engineer for ACTA Service Corp. and as a research design engineer at Space Systems LORAL.
• Dr. Zirun Qi, a visiting assistant professor of business and information technology, comes to Missouri S&T from Georgia State University, where he was a research assistant. Qi earned a Ph.D. from Georgia State in computer information systems. Qi’s research interests include cybersecurity, big data and text mining.
• Dr. Ting Shen, an assistant professor of psychological science, comes to Missouri S&T from the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she was a postdoctoral fellow in the educational, school and counseling psychology department. Shen earned a Ph.D. in measurement and quantitative methods from Michigan State University in 2018. Shen’s expertise includes quantitative research methodology and application in education and statistical consultation.
• Dr. Yang Wang, an assistant professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering, comes to Missouri S&T from Washington University in St. Louis, where he was a postdoctoral research associate for Brookhaven National Laboratory. Wang earned a Ph.D. from Washington University in energy, environmental and chemical engineering in 2017.
• Dr. Kyle Wernke, an assistant teaching professor of arts, languages and philosophy, was a lecturer in the department at Missouri S&T. Wernke earned a doctor of musical arts (DMA) in composition from the University of Hartford in 2016. His conductor experience includes the Willimantic Orchestra, Butler Symphony Orchestra and the Finger Lakes Chamber Music Festival.
• Dr. Guang Xu, an associate professor of mining and nuclear engineering, comes to Missouri S&T from the Western Australian School of Mines at Curtin University, where he was a senior lecturer. He earned his Ph.D. in mining engineering from Virginia Tech in 2013. His research includes mine ventilation, coal dust control, and mine health and safety.
• Dr. San Yeung, an assistant teaching professor of computer science, was a graduate research assistant at Missouri S&T and earned a Ph.D. in computer science from S&T in 2019. Yeung’s research interests include personalized learning, smart computing with AI and data science, and green computing.