Missouri S&T welcomed approximately 40 new faculty members this year. They bring a wide range of expertise that includes topics such as algorithmic fairness, analyzing complex data, earthquake seismology, extraction of metals, infrastructure, machine learning, neuroimaging and user interface and user experience (UI/UX).

The new appointments began at the start of the fall semester unless otherwise noted. The new faculty are:

Dr. Hossein Abedsoltan, assistant teaching professor of chemical engineering. He joins S&T from the University of Kansas, where he was a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer. His research interests are in the intricate world of materials science and catalysis. Abedsoltan earned a Ph.D. in engineering from The University of Toledo, a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Miami University in Ohio and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Sharif University of Technology in Iran.

Dr. Shradha Agarwal, associate professor of nuclear engineering and radiation science. She joins S&T from a joint appointment as a senior research scientist for Oak Ridge National Laboratory and an assistant research professor of nuclear engineering at the University of Tennessee. She is a machine learning researcher with a background in physics. Agarwal holds a Ph.D. in physics from Paris-Sud University, a master’s degree in nuclear plant designing from ENSTA Paris, a master’s degree in technology and a bachelor’s degree in physics, both from the University of Delhi in India.

Anita Ahl, assistant teaching professor of business information and technology. A certified public accountant, Ahl has taught accounting at Bradley University, Drake University, Des Moines Area Community College and Western Illinois University. She earned a master’s degree in accountancy from Bradley University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Western Illinois University. Ahl is a certified black belt in Six Sigma.

Dr. Tayfun Akyurek, assistant professor of nuclear engineering and radiation science, who will join S&T in January 2025. He is joining S&T from Istanbul Technical University in Turkey, where he is an associate professor. His research interests include experimental active-passive nuclear spent fuel interrogation, radiation detection and measurements, and nuclear fuel management. Akyurek earned a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from Missouri S&T, a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from the University of South Carolina, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in physics, both from Suleyman Demirel University in Turkey.

Dr. Md Arifuzzaman, assistant professor of computer science, who joined S&T in January. He previously was a graduate research assistant at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he earned a Ph.D. in computer science and engineering. He also holds a master’s degree in applied statistics from East West University and a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. Arifuzzaman’s research interests include high performance networking, distributed systems, systems software and data intensive computing.

Dr. Parveen Bazard, assistant professor of chemical engineering. He comes to S&T from the University of South Florida, where he was an assistant research professor and led NIH-funded research. He earned a Ph.D. in chemical and biomedical engineering from USF, a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Kurukshetra University in India. He also completed postdoctoral training in the field of biomedical engineering at USF.

Dr. Victoria Braegger, assistant professor of English and technical communication, comes to S&T from Purdue University, where she was assistant director of technology infrastructure while pursuing a Ph.D. in rhetoric and composition. Her research and teaching interests include technical communication, game studies, usability and accessibility, user experience and user interface (UI/UX) and digital rhetoric. Braegger holds a master’s degree in technical communication and bachelor’s degrees in English and history, all from Utah State University.

Kris Bruckerhoff, assistant teaching professor of business information and technology. He joins S&T from Valley City State University in North Dakota where he was the director of online teaching and learning. His research interests include behavioral economics, distance learning, leadership and metacognition. Bruckerhoff holds a master’s degree in financial planning from Kansas State University, an MBA and a master’s degree in criminal justice from St. Cloud State University, and bachelor’s degrees in sociology and economics from Ohio Wesleyan University.

David Carpenter, associate teaching professor of earth sciences and engineering, who joined S&T in January. Following a 34-year career in petroleum engineering with Shell, he retired as head of production technology and chemistry and global process owner for well, reservoir and facilities management. Carpenter earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia and is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.

Dr. Nilanjan Chakraborty, assistant professor of mathematics and statistics. He joins S&T from Washington University in St. Louis, where he was a William Chauvenet Postdoctoral Lecturer in mathematics and statistics. His research interests include resampling methods, high dimensional time series, robust inference for high dimensional data, statistical analysis of real-life networks, and neuroimaging. Chakraborty earned a Ph.D. in statistics and probability at Michigan State University, a master’s degree in statistics from the University of Calcutta, and a bachelor’s degree in statistics from St. Xavier’s College in India.

Dr. Jeffrey Chalfant, assistant teaching professor of education. He comes to S&T from the University of Kentucky in Lexington, where he earned a Ph.D. in STEM education and supervised student teachers. He holds a master’s degree in biology from the University of Kentucky and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Georgetown College. He holds a graduate certificate in college teaching and learning from the University of Kentucky.

Dr. Shubham Chatterjee, assistant professor of computer science. He comes to S&T from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, where he conducted research at the Generalized Representation and Information Learning Lab. His research interests include neural entity-oriented information retrieval, conversational information seeking and large language models. Chatterjee earned a Ph.D. and master’s degree, both in computer science, from the University of New Hampshire, and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the St. Xavier’s College in India.

Dr. Tsangyao Chen, assistant teaching professor of business information and technology, who joined S&T in January. He previously worked as a research technology specialist at Florida State University. Chen earned a Ph.D. in information science from FSU, a Ph.D. in instructional technology and a master’s degree in elementary education from Ohio University, and a teacher’s certificate in elementary education from National Taipei University of Education.

Dr. Joshua Coonrod, assistant teaching professor of English and technical communication. He joins S&T from Jefferson Community and Technical College in Louisville, Kentucky, where he taught college writing courses. His areas of interest include communication theory, rhetorical theory, cultural studies, media production, persuasion, public speaking, ethnography, and writing and composition. Coonrod holds a Ph.D. in communication and culture from Indiana University, a master’s degree in English, and bachelor’s degrees in English and journalism, both from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Dr. Rishabh Dutta, assistant research professor of earth sciences and engineering. He has been a postdoctoral scholar at S&T since 2021, and was previously a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Iowa. His research interests include earthquake source estimation, Bayesian modeling, numerical modeling, and crustal deformation processes. Dutta earned a Ph.D. in geological and earth sciences/geosciences from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia and a master’s degree in applied geophysics from the Indian Institute of Technology.

Dr. Ojo Olanrewaju Fatoba, assistant research professor of mining and explosives engineering. He comes to S&T from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in South Africa, where he was a lecturer. He previously served as a research scholar at S&T, conducting research on life cycle inventory and environmental impact assessment of coal fly ash-based zeolite synthesized using South African coal fly ash. Fatoba earned a Ph.D. and master’s degree, both in chemistry, from UWC.

Dr. Margret Grebowicz, the Maxwell C. Weiner Distinguished Professor of Humanities, joins S&T from the University of Silesia at Katowice in Poland, where she was an associate professor of humanities. She is the author of Rescue Me: On Dogs and Their Humans, Mountains and Desire: Climbing vs. The End of the World, Whale Song and The National Park to Come, as well as numerous articles on environmental imagination, wilderness and animal studies. Grebowicz earned a Ph.D. and a master’s degree, both in philosophy from Emory University, and she earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and German from the University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Emad Hassan, assistant professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering. He joins S&T from Colorado State University, where he was a research scientist. His research interests include infrastructure performance under extreme loadings, natural hazard risk assessment and mitigation, community resilience and smart cities. Hassan earned a Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering from Colorado State University. He holds a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering and a bachelor’s degree in structural engineering, both from Cairo University in Egypt.

Dr. Mia Mohammad Imran, assistant professor of computer science. He joins S&T from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he was a graduate research assistant while pursuing a Ph.D. in computer science. Imran also earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh. He previously worked as a software engineer.

Dr. Minsek Ko, assistant professor of business and information technology. He comes to S&T from Iowa State University, where he earned a Ph.D. in business and technology. His background includes experience in programming, database engineering and analyzing complex data. His research interests include online reputation, online content, sharing economy, metaverse and information security. Ko earned a master’s degree in information systems from the University of Colorado Denver.

Dr. Bo Mi Lee, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering. She comes to S&T from the University of Central Florida, where she was a postdoctoral associate. Lee earned a Ph.D. in structural engineering from the University of California, San Diego, a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea, and a bachelor’s degree in applied physics from Hanyang University in South Korea.

Dr. Amaury Lendasse, chair and professor of engineering management and systems engineering. He comes to S&T from the University of Houston, where he was a professor and department chair of information science and technology. Lendasse’s research focuses on data science, big data analytics, machine learning, information visualization, data mining, time series prediction, explainable AI and incomplete data. Lendasse earned a Ph.D. in applied mathematics, two master’s degrees – in control theory and in mechanical engineering – and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Université catholique de Louvain in Belgium.

Jack Manhardt, assistant teaching professor of computer science, who joined S&T in January. He has taught classes as a graduate teaching assistant at S&T. Manhardt earned a master’s degree and bachelor’s degree, both in computer science, from Missouri S&T.

Dr. Jacob Miller, assistant teaching professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering. He comes to S&T from Brewer Science, where he was facilities engineer. His interests include manufacturing process design, conceptual prototyping using computer aided design and manufacturing, and evaluating combustible dust explosions.  Miller earned five degrees from Missouri S&T. He holds a Ph.D. in explosives engineering, master’s degrees in mining engineering, explosives engineering and manufacturing engineering, and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.

Dr. Mahmoud Moharam, assistant teaching professor of chemical engineering. He comes to S&T from the American University of the Middle East in Kuwait, where he was an assistant professor of chemical engineering. Moharam earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Missouri S&T, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in chemical engineering, both from Alexandria University in Egypt.

Dr. Mohamed Nafea, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering. He joins S&T from the University of Detroit Mercy, where he held the same title. His research interests include algorithmic fairness, federated and distributed learning, causal inference, statistical machine learning, and information security and privacy. Nafea earned a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in mathematics, both from The Pennsylvania State University, a master’s degree in wireless communications from Nile University in Egypt, and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Alexandria University in Egypt.

Dr. Matthew Ng, assistant professor of psychological science. He joins S&T from the University of Central Florida, where he was a graduate teaching assistant and earned a Ph.D. in industrial and organizational psychology this spring. He also earned a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology from UCF and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Florida. His research and teaching interests include psychometric and survey methodology, occupational health psychology and interpersonal behavior.

Lisa Pavia-Higel, assistant teaching professor of English and technical communication. She comes to S&T from Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Missouri, where she was a professor of communications and theater since 2013. Pavia-Higel holds master’s degrees in new media storytelling and mass media communication, and a bachelor’s degree in mass media communication, all from Webster University.

Dr. Chaoying Pei, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering. She joins S&T from Purdue University, where she earned a Ph.D. in aeronautics and astronautics engineering. Pei also earned a Ph.D. in mechanical and aerospace engineering from The Ohio State University, and a master’s degree in inertial technology and navigation instruments and a bachelor’s degree in instrumentation and optoelectronic engineering, both from Beihang University in China.

Dr. Amber Pete, assistant professor of chemical engineering. She joins S&T from the University of North Alabama, where she was an assistant professor and coordinator of the university’s chemical engineering lab. Pete earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Louisiana State University and bachelor’s degrees in chemical engineering and philosophy, both from McNeese State University in Louisiana. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in instructional design from the University of North Alabama.

Dr. Ann Schlotzhauer, assistant professor of psychological science. She joins S&T from the University of Central Florida, where she earned a Ph.D. in industrial and organizational psychology this spring. She also earned a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology from UCF and bachelor’s degrees in psychology, English and Spanish from the University of Tulsa. She previously taught psychology classes as an instructor of record at UCF.

Dr. Hunter Schroer, assistant professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering. He joins S&T from the University of Iowa (UI), where he was an assistant research scientist in hydroscience and engineering. His research interests include anaerobic co-digestion, machine learning and algal biotechnology. Schroer earned a Ph.D. and master’s degree, both in civil and environmental engineering from UI, and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Baylor University. He also completed a graduate research fellowship funded by the National Science Foundation.

Alejandra Sobrado, associate teaching professor of arts, languages and philosophy. She joins S&T from Virginia Tech, where she taught elementary, intermediate and advanced Spanish grammar as an assistant professor of practice since 2010. She also led Virginia Tech’s study abroad program since 2021. She holds a master’s degree in teaching Spanish as a foreign language from the University of Leon in Spain and a bachelor’s degree in English-Spanish education from Playa Ancha University in Chile.

Dr. Pablo Sobrado, the Richard K. Vitek/FCR Missouri Endowed Professor of Biochemistry in S&T’s chemistry department. He joins S&T from Virginia Tech, where he served since 2007 as a faculty member. He was promoted to professor of biochemistry and health sciences in 2016. He also served as a program director for the National Science Foundation’s Division of Chemistry from 2021 to 2023. His research focuses on the mechanisms of action, regulation and structure of enzymes. It is currently funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the NSF.  Sobrado earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Texas A&M University and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts.

Dr. James Sterling, vice provost and dean of the Kummer College of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development and professor of business information and technology. He joined S&T in June from the Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) in Claremont, California, which is a member of the Claremont University Consortium. At KGI, he was a professor in the Henry E. Riggs School of Applied Life Sciences director of the school’s intellectual property and technology transfer committee and its Ph.D. program. Sterling earned a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology.

Dr. Gregory Tschumper, the Donald L. Castleman/FCR Missouri Endowed Professor of Discovery in S&T’s chemistry department. He joins S&T from the University of Mississippi, where he was a professor and chair of chemistry and biochemistry. In 2020, he was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He describes his research as “chemistry without chemicals” because he uses physics, mathematics and high performance computing to gain insight into chemical problems. Tschumper earned a Ph.D. in theoretical chemistry from the University of Georgia and bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and mathematics from Winona State University in Minnesota.

Dr. Courtney Webster, assistant teaching professor of arts, languages and philosophy. She previously taught classes at S&T as an instructor since 2016. Her expertise is in French literature and pedagogy. Webster earned a Ph.D. in romance languages (French literature) and a master’s degree in methodology of language teaching and learning, both from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a bachelor’s degree in international affairs and political science from Stephens College in Missouri.

Wangchuchu Zhao, assistant teaching professor of business and information technology, who joined S&T in January. She previously taught at S&T as an adjunct lecturer, and she was a graduate research assistant. Zhao earned a master’s degree in information science and technology and a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering, both from Missouri S&T.