SEAS welcomes 28 new faculty members

By Elizabeth Egan 

The 28 new faculty members contributed to the University at Buffalo’s largest faculty-hiring initiative since UB joined the SUNY system in the 1960s. Their addition will support the university’s Top 25 Ambition and help bring the benefits of SEAS research and educational excellence to global and local communities in ways that change the world for the better.

“I am thrilled to welcome these exceptional scholars to the SEAS community. Their efforts will chart new paths that propel us toward even greater achievements in research and education, helping our university become a top-25 public research institution," says Kemper Lewis, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Learn more below about each of SEAS’s newest faculty members, including their prior education, work experience and research interests.

Ramkumar T. Annamalai, assistant professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering

Joins UB from: The University of Kentucky, where he was an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Research Interests: Biomaterials, musculoskeletal tissue engineering, injectable scaffolds, regenerative medicine, mechanobiology, immunomodulation, osteoarthritis, bone fracture, vascularization and drug delivery.

What are you most excited about as you start at UB: I'm enthusiastic about the prospect of collaborating with exceptional research groups across various disciplines, including the engineering, dental, pharmacy and medical schools at UB. I'm passionate about contributing to biomedical research and education, and I look forward to engaging with like-minded researchers who share the same dedication to advancing health care and improving lives through scientific innovation.

Education: PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Wayne State University.

Hometown: Tiruvannamalai, India

Maura Sepesy, assistant professor of teaching, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Joins UB from: Case Western Reserve University, where she earned her PhD.

Research interests: Chemical and biomolecular engineering.

What are you most excited about as you start at UB: I'm excited to work with students to help them be confident and effective engineers. I'm also excited to develop new courses in the chemical and biological engineering department.

Education:  PhD in Chemical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University.

Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio

Kaihang Shi, assistant professor, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Joins UB from: Northwestern University, where he was a postdoctoral scholar.

Research interests: Quantum chemical modeling, molecular simulation and multiscale modeling, AI/machine learning for chemical and material research, biological transport and systems modeling.

What are you most excited about as you start at UB: I am thrilled to be a part of the community because there are many role models at UB whom I look up to. I am excited about starting my professional journey here at UB, following in the footsteps of these giants.

Education:  PhD in Chemical Engineering from North Carolina State University.

Hometown: Changzhou, China

Ziqi Song, associate professor, Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering

Joins UB from: Utah State University, where he was an associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Research interests: Transportation system electrification, connected and autonomous vehicles, transportation network modeling and transportation for vulnerable populations.

What are you most excited about as you start at UB: I am most excited to start at UB because of the outstanding collaboration opportunities, excellent faculty, supportive staff and diverse student body. The university offers abundant opportunities for multidisciplinary collaboration, creating a culture of innovation and mutual growth. Additionally, the varied backgrounds of the student population enrich the educational experience, contributing to a more inclusive and vibrant community.

Education: PhD in Transportation from the University of Florida.  

Hometown: Nanjing, China

Sai Roshan Ayyalasomayajula, assistant professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering

Joins UB from: The University of California in San Diego, where he earned a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Research interests: Wireless systems, mobile computing; Internet of Things (IoT); wireless sensing and localizing; machine learning, computer vision, autonomous systems, privacy and security.

What are you most excited about as you start at UB: The department and the university are revolutionizing with many cutting-edge research centers like CEAR robotics institute and the AI institute that are shaping up to be exciting research and development venues. I am excited to be amidst these exciting changes and to try and be part of them. In addition, coming from a family of educators, it has always been a dream to be an educator myself. Helping the next generation shape their future brings me joy and I am excited and thankful to UB for giving me the opportunity to do so.

Education: PhD, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California in San Diego.

Hometown: Visakhapatnam, India 

Zongchen Chen, assistant professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering

Joins UB from: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was an instructor in mathematics.

Research interests: Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), approximate counting and sampling and learning and testing.

What are you most excited about as you start at UB: I’m most excited about meeting with new people, including faculty, staff and students. Everyone at UB is exceptionally welcoming and helpful!

Education:  PhD in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Hometown: Shanghai, China

Kelin Luo, assistant professor of teaching, Department of Computer Science and Engineering

Joins UB from: The University of Bonn, Germany, where she was a postdoctoral researcher in the Hausdorff Center of Mathematics. 

Research interests: Theoretical computer science, including design and analysis of algorithms on combinatorial optimization problems. 

What are you most excited about as you start at UB: Teaching alongside so many young and energetic students.

Education:  PhD in Management Science and Engineering from Xi’an Jiaotong University.

Hometown: Xianyang, China 

Shamsad Parvin, assistant professor teaching, Department of Computer Science and Engineering

Joins UB from: SUNY Morrisville, where she was an assistant professor in the Department of Computer and Information Technology.

Research interests: Computer science education, wireless communications, wireless sensor network, routing protocol, cognitive radio network, software-defined radio and machine learning.

What are you most excited about as you start at UB: I am very excited about working with my colleagues here. Everyone is very welcoming, supportive and helpful. The department has a nice culture, which I enjoy very much. One of the other aspects of UB, which is very interesting to me, is its diverse set of students with different backgrounds.

Education:  PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Electro-Communications.

Hometown: Rajshahi, Bangladesh 

Bibhudatta Sahoo, professor, Department of Electrical Engineering

Joins UB from: The Indian Institute of Technology, where he was an associate professor in the Department of Electronics and Electrical Communication Engineering.

Research interests: Analog and mixed signal circuit design, signal processing inspired analog circuits for wireless communications applications, hardware accelerators for machine learning—ASIC, FPGA, and analog methods, circuits for neuromorphic computing—analog and mixed signal approach, circuits for sensor interface applications.

What are you most excited about as you start at UB? I am excited to be part of a team of energetic faculty and staff members in the Department of Electrical Engineering at UB who are always striving towards excellence in innovation and teaching, and in the process providing me constant motivation to improve the research and teaching culture in the department.

Education: PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Hometown: Bhubaneswar, India

Ian Sellers, professor, Department of Electrical Engineering

Joins UB from: The University of Oklahoma, where he was a professor of physics.

Research interests: Next generation solar cells and new materials for space photovoltaics.

What are you most excited about as you start at UB? I was excited about the opportunity to develop sustainable cross campus programs in green energy, and UB’s commitment to that.

Education:  PhD in Physics from the University of Sheffield.

Hometown: Leeds, England 

Rui Zhang, assistant professor, Department of Electrical Engineering

Joins UB from: The Georgia Institute of Technology, where she earned a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Research interests: Statistical signal processing, optical and wireless communications, integrated communication and sensing, machine learning and next-generation broadband access networks.

What are you most excited about as you start at UB? I am extremely excited about the wonderful research environment at UB. My wonderful colleagues are particularly brilliant and supportive, and they helped me a lot.

Education: PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Hometown: China

Rachel Bonnette, assistant professor, Department of Engineering Education

Joins UB from: Bonnette was a post-doctorate researcher in the UB Department of Learning and Instruction.

Research interests: The problem of multiply marginalized, neurodivergent student success in engineering and computer science education; intersectionality; transdisciplinary collaborative approaches to design-based research; employing universal design for learning and participatory design approaches.

Most excited about working at UB: I am most excited about opportunities to pay forward the mentorship and support I received at UB to the development of new graduate students; collaborating with the talented faculty and students in the Department of Engineering Education on projects that I'm passionate about and the chance to give back to my hometown and community in Western New York, as faculty at UB. 

Education:  PhD in Learning Sciences and Policy from the University of Pittsburgh.

Hometown: Lockport, New York 

Courtney Faber, assistant professor, Department of Engineering Education

Joins UB from: The University of Kentucky, where she worked as a research associate professor and senior lecturer in engineering fundamentals.

What are you most excited about as you start at UB? I am most excited about working in a community of engineering education researchers and establishing collaborations across engineering.

Education:  PhD in Engineering Science and Education from Clemson University.

Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina

Nicole Lowman, assistant professor of teaching, Department of Engineering Education

Joins UB from: Lowman was a postdoctoral associate in the UB Department of English .

Research interests: Black rhetoric, rhetoric of race, legal humanities, technical communication and social justice, hip hop studies, performance studies, post-Civil Rights American literature, and culture.

What are you most excited about as you start at UB? I've been here since 2015, but I'm excited to stay and help SEAS students communicate their innovative ideas to a variety of audiences. I'm also excited to further develop community partnerships, so our students are connected with the city of Buffalo.

Education:  PhD in English from the University at Buffalo.

Hometown: Stamford, Connecticut

Monica Miles, assistant professor, Department of Engineering Education

Joins UB from: Columbia University, where she was a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology.

Research interests: Environmental justice education (environmental racism, community engagement, place-based learning, mental and health equity, and EJ Screen), critical theories of race (critical race theory, critical race feminism, intersectionality, and Black epistemologies) , research methods (qualitative, ethnography, case study, phenomenology, meta-synthesis review), social justice (students, postdocs, and faculty of color, access, and marginalization), identity (STEM identity, identity, and environmental influences), pedagogies (culturally relevant, Black liberatory, and critical pedagogies).

Education: PhD in Science Education from the University at Buffalo.

Hometown: Buffalo, New York 

Xiaoyu Chen, assistant professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

Joins UB from: The University of Louisville, where he was an assistant professor in industrial engineering.

Research interests: Machine learning methodology for advanced manufacturing, networked data analytics in cyber manufacturing systems, statistical methods for Bayesian deep learning; smart connected health for organ transplantation and perioperative medicine, human behavior and performance modeling.

What are you most excited about as you start at UB? UB has a very supportive environment with fast growing speed. The collegial people here make UB very attractive!

Education:  PhD, Industrial and Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech

Hometown: Yichang, China

Prashant Sankaran, assistant professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

Joins UB from: The Rochester Institute of Technology, where he was a PhD candidate and a graduate research assistant.

Research interests: Artificial intelligence for reasoning under uncertainty; explainable artificial intelligence; application of artificial intelligence and operations research for better healthcare, energy management, transportation, and space exploration.

What are you most excited about as you start at UB? I am most excited about interacting with students, establishing my research lab, and collaborating with colleagues on interesting projects.

Education:  PhD in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Hometown: Coimbatore, India

Jing Yang, assistant professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

Joins UB from: Purdue University, where she earned her PhD and worked as a graduate research assistant.

Research interests: Human factors, human-robot interaction, human-in-the-loop systems, adaptive automation, robotic-assisted, surgery, cognitive modeling, human behavior modeling, artificial intelligent.

Education:  PhD in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University.

Hometown: Inner Mongolia, China

Eloise Bihar, visiting assistant professor, Department of Materials Design, and Innovation

Joins UB from: University of Colorado Boulder, where she was a lecturer and adjunct faculty.

Research interests: Development and study of novel electronic gels for biosensing/electrophysiology; plant electronics; fabrication of printed autonomous biosensors for health care; and development of cutaneous, minimally invasive, and conformable ultralight sensors

What are you most excited about as you start at UB? I'm excited about the opportunity to be a part of the MDI department, where I can explore innovative approaches for creating cutting-edge soft electronic technologies. Additionally, I look forward to imparting knowledge to the younger generation at the University at Buffalo and playing a role in advancing the frontiers of science.

Education:  PhD in Microelectronics from the Ecole Des Mines de Saint-Etienne.

Hometown: Nice, France 

Wei Chen, associate professor, Department of Materials Design and Innovation

Joins UB from: The Illinois Institute of Technology, where he was an associate professor in materials science and engineering.

Research interests: Discovery of functional materials, data-driven design of materials for sustainability, artificial intelligence for materials science.

What are you most excited about as you start at UB? I am excited to join UB for its vibrant collegial community and strong emphasis on multidisciplinary collaboration, which provides a rich environment to explore diverse perspectives and tackle complex engineering problems.

Education: PhD, Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University

Hometown: Shanghai, China 

Eric Osei-Agyemang, assistant professor, Department of Materials Design and Innovation

Joins UB from: The United States Office of Naval Research and Lehigh University, where he was a Postdoctoral Researcher.

Research interests: High Entropy Alloys, photovoltaics, thermoelectric materials, density functional theory, surface and interface phenomena, machine learning and perovskites.

What are you most excited about as you start at UB? I am excited about the unique cultural blend in the school of engineering and the MDI department, the all-inclusive, non-discriminatory policies of UB, and the enormous opportunities made accessible to minorities.

Education: PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the Université de Lille.

Hometown: Kumasi, Ghana

Ketki Lichade, assistant professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Joins UB from: The University of Illinois at Chicago, where Ketki was a doctoral candidate and research assistant.

Research interests: Advanced manufacturing, process-structure-property relationship; additive manufacturing; functional materials; composite manufacturing; multiscale manufacturing; process control and optimization; bio-inspired design.

What are you most excited about as you start at UB? I am excited to actively participate in shaping the future of manufacturing technology, expand my research in multidisciplinary fields through collaboration with exceptional researchers at UB and contribute my efforts to the development of the next generation of engineers, scientists, and professionals.

Education: PhD in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Hometown: Nagpur, India

Reza Rashidi, associate professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Joins UB from: Alfred State University, where he was an associate professor and department chair for mechanical and electrical engineering technology.

Research interests: Design processes, energy harvesting, sensors and actuators, MEMS; microfabrication, medical devices, product development, finite element analysis, materials selection in design.

What are you most excited about as you start at UB? I am excited about focusing fully on engineering design, particularly working with the industry, engaging with diverse students, and learning from exceptional faculty within this dynamic environment. I aim to leverage my academic and industrial experience to cultivate an inclusive and excellent design experience for students.

Education:  PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of British Columbia.

Hometown: Vancouver, Canada

Chen Zeng, assistant professor of teaching, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Joins UB from: Zeng was a doctoral candidate and research assistant in the UB Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering .

Education:  PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University at Buffalo.

Hometown: Yunnan Province, China

Jianzhen (Jason) Liu, lecturer, Computational and Data-Enabled Science and Engineering

Joins UB from: Medaille University where he was an assistant professor of mathematics.

Research interests: Linear algebra and data science.

Education:  PhD in Mathematics from Auburn University.

Vochita Mihai, professor of teaching, Computational and Data-Enabled Science and Engineering

Joins UB from: Medaille University where she was the interim vice president for academic affairs and student development.

Research interests: Probability theory, actuarial sciences, stochastic differential equations, Gauss-Radon transform, Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometry, mathematics education and data science.

What are you most excited about as you start at UB? I am incredibly excited and honored to embark on this new chapter in my career as a professor of teaching for the data science master’s program at UB. This opportunity to share my passion for data science and applied mathematics and to empower the next generation of data scientists, it is not only a professional milestone but a personal source of excitement and pride. I am eager to contribute to the intellectual growth of the students, foster a dynamic learning environment, and continue pushing the boundaries of knowledge in this exiting field.

Education:  PhD in Mathematics from Louisiana State University.

Hometown: Baneasa, Romania.

Jeffrey Salzmann, research assistant professor, cleanroom manager

Joins UB from: The Integer Research and Development Group in Clarence, New York

Research interests: Microelectronics, MEMS, photolithography and vacuum science.

What are you the most excited about for starting at UB: I’m most excited to provide technical guidance and mentoring for new researchers. I look forward to expanding the cleanroom’s capabilities for future research and industrial needs, as well as applying those capabilities to new technical challenges.

Education:  Masters in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Rochester.

Hometown: Depew, New York