Affiliated Faculty

Dr. Adams is Associate Professor and Assistant Chair in Engineering Technology at KSU. He directs the START Lab, focusing on nuclear materials, additive manufacturing, and energy systems. He has secured $4M+ in external funding.

Dr. Avci is an Assistant Professor of Quantitative Analysis at KSU’s Coles College of Business. His research develops algorithms for simulation optimization applied to energy, inventory, and agriculture.

Tyra Burton is a Principal Lecturer of Marketing and Honors Lecturer at Kennesaw State University, where she has been a faculty member since 2003. She teaches Social Media Marketing and Advanced Digital and Content Marketing, with a focus on the scholarship of teaching and learning, pop culture, and social media. Her teaching excellence has been recognized with the KSU Outstanding Teaching Award (2022).

Dr. Das is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Kennesaw State University with over 15 years of research experience in electronic materials and devices. He has published 40+ articles, authored book chapters, and received research funding from NSF, U.S. EPA, Intel, and USG BoR. His current work focuses on flexible electronics, neuromorphic devices, renewable energy systems, and advanced sensing technologies.

Dr. Prachi Gala is an Associate Professor of Marketing at KSU. Her work explores executive behavior, AI adoption, and consumer psychology, with international research fellowships and talks on Generative AI in marketing.

Dr. Jennifer Hauver is Professor and Department Chair of Elementary and Early Childhood Education at Kennesaw State University, where she holds The Goizueta Foundation Chair. Her research focuses on critical democratic education, early childhood citizenship, and social equity. She investigates how early civic development, empathy, and religious literacy shape teaching practices and counteract polarization in community environments.

Dr. Jing (Selena) He is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Kennesaw State University. Her research focuses on data-driven healthcare improvements, AI-driven applications in healthcare, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), and Computing Education Research. She specializes in Wireless Networking, and brings industry experience as a software engineer at Electronic Arts.

Dr. Huang is a Professor of Economics at KSU. His research focuses on econometrics, financial modeling, causal inference, and high-dimensional data. He leads the KSU-Equirax and KSU-Emerson Data Science Labs.

Dr. Kazi Aminul Islam serves as an Assistant Professor of Computer Science. He leads the AST AI Lab, where he mentors students and conducts advanced research. His academic interests focus on deep learning, digital image processing, and developing secure, trustworthy, and explainable artificial intelligence systems with practical applications in healthcare and environmental remote sensing.

Dr. Rifatul Islam is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at KSU and Director of HIX-Lab. His research spans XR, multimodal learning, and AI safety, with DARPA and Army Research Lab funding.

Dr. Khan is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at KSU and Director of the CHAT Lab. He works on human-AI teaming, NLP, and multimodal AI for healthcare. Former AI Scientist at Philips, 3 WIPO patents.

Dr. Gerald T. Mangine is a Professor of Exercise Science at Kennesaw State University (KSU). He specializes in resistance training adaptations, sports performance, and exercise physiology. With extensive practical and research experience, he is also the Director of the Wellstar Research Center on Human Sport Performance and Wellbeing.

Dr. Brian Kliszczewicz is a Professor of Exercise Science and the Interim Associate Dean of Research at Kennesaw State University. His specialized research focuses on cardiovascular health, autonomic nervous system stress, and exercise interventions for metabolic disorders like Type 2 Diabetes and obesity. Backed by federal funding, Dr. Kliszczewicz actively leads clinical trials examining the physiological impacts of high-intensity circuit training and daily physical activity.

Dr. Lee is an Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology at KSU. His research focuses on 3D protein structures and STEM-STEAM education, with 44+ publications and multiple editorial roles.

Dr. Mahmud is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at KSU and Director of the XRei Lab. His research explores XR, human-centered computing, and AI for healthcare and accessibility, supported by NSF.

Dr. Osborne is an Assistant Professor in Nursing at KSU. Her research focuses on pediatric injury and violence prevention, including firearm safety and VR-based interventions. She holds a PhD in epidemiology.

Dr. Rheem’s work aims to improve human–robot collaboration and is grounded in fundamental research on human attention and cognitive load. He is particularly interested in using VR and AR technologies for training applications (e.g., mass-casualty triage) and in enhancing communication and coordination between humans and their robot/AI teammates (e.g., partially automated driving systems).

Dr. Simpkins is an assistant professor of computer science at Kennesaw State University.  His research interests lie in reinforcement learning, multi-agent systems, and deep learning.  Before joining KSU he led AI for a global IoT company, was a senior cloud architect at IBM, research scientist at Georgia Tech Research Institute, and KC-135 pilot and T-37 instructor pilot in the USAF.

Dr. Wangsuk Suh is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Michael J. Coles College of Business, Kennesaw State University. Her research focuses on AI decision-making (generative AI patterns), behavioral pricing (temporal framing effects on consumers), and research methodology to strengthen empirical evidence in human and AI consumer behavior. As a teacher-scholar, she develops AI-enhanced active learning approaches to connect theory with practice in inclusive classrooms.

Dr. Taasoobshirazi is an Associate Professor in Data Science and Analytics at KSU. Her research examines motivation, cognition, and equity in STEM education, with expertise in SEM and psychometrics.

Dr. Xu Tao is an Assistant Professor of Information Technology at Kennesaw State University. Her research focuses on edge AI and advanced optimization techniques for efficient, reliable, and adaptive intelligent systems. She is particularly interested in cyber-physical systems, decentralized IoT, and software-defined networks, with applications in smart agriculture, digital health, and smart infrastructure.

Dr. Giovanni Maria Troiano is a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Information Technology at Kennesaw State University. His research focuses on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Game Design. He explores how users experience technology through speculative design, physical computing, and inclusive practices.

Dr. Xie is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at KSU. His research covers smart health, IoT, wireless sensing, and AI-driven human-cyber systems. Recognized with best paper awards in IEEE and ACM venues.

Dr. Sainan Zhang is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Kennesaw State University. Her research focuses on wearable robotics, soft robotics, control systems, and human-robot interaction. She specializes in developing AI-powered exosuits and pediatric knee exoskeletons to enhance community-based mobility assistance.