N.C. A&T Welcomes New and Newly-Appointed Administrators and Faculty

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Nov. 9, 2020) – Forty new and newly-appointed administrators and faculty members representing an array of distinguished educational experience joined North Carolina Technical and Agricultural State University this academic year.

Most hold graduate degrees from R1: Doctoral Universities, identified in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education for very high research activity.

“A&T’s high standards of excellence demand not only selectivity in staffing but also attentiveness in the recruitment and retention of faculty members who are exemplary in scholarly research, artistic productivity and teaching,” said Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Beryl McEwen, Ph.D. “Our latest group of academic professionals raise the bar of performance at our university and cultivate an intellectual climate that enhances teaching, research and overall student success.”

Clay S. Gloster Jr., an A&T alumnus who received his Ph.D. in computer engineering from North Carolina State University, was named vice provost of graduate research and dean of the Graduate College after serving in the role on an interim basis for two years. He joined the Department of Computer Systems and Technology as professor and chair in 2010, then became associate dean of the College of Science and Technology in 2012.

Stephanie Luster-Teasley ‘96, who received her Ph.D. from Michigan State University, was named interim vice provost for undergraduate education. She joined the university in 2004 and served as professor and chair of the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering.

Paula G. Price, who received her Ph.D. in social foundations of education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was named dean of the College of Education, where she will also teach as a professor. She served Washington State University since 2001 in various capacities including associate dean for diversity and international engagement; professor of cultural studies and social thought in education; scholar in residence for the Elson S. Floyd Cultural Center; and associate professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning.

Danielle Winchester, who received her Ph.D. in personal financial planning from Texas Tech University, was named associate dean and associate professor for the Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics after serving in the former role on an interim basis for the past year. She joined university as an associate professor in the Department of Economics in 2010.

Those who were named chairs, directors and coordinators and their credentials are:

• Antoine Alston, Ph.D., agricultural education, Iowa State University, interim chair of the Department of Animal Science
• Paul K. Baker, Ph.D., leadership studies, A&T, director of galleries and professor of history and political science
• Salil Desai, Ph.D., industrial engineering, University of Pittsburgh, University Distinguished Professor of industrial and systems engineering/Center of Excellence in Product Design and Advanced Manufacturing
• Gerrelyn C. Patterson, Ph.D., curriculum, culture and change, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, chair of the Department of Educator Preparation in the College of Education

• Li-Shyung “Lily” Hwang, Ed.D., adult education with interdisciplinary minors in sociology and statistics, North Carolina State University, director of institutional research in the Office of Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness (OSPIE), effective Nov. 16.

• Robert Lyons, Ph.D., health, physical education and recreation-sports administration, University of New Mexico, chair of the Department of Kinesiology and associate professor of kinesiology
• Checo Rorie, Ph.D., toxicology, UNC-Chapel Hill, interim chair of the Department of Biology, which he first joined as an adjunct professor in 2008, and associate professor of biology since 2016
• Hossein Sarrafzadeh, Ph.D., computer science, Wollongong University, University Distinguished Professor/Center of Excellence in Cybersecurity Research, Education and Outreach
• Shirlene Smith, Ph.D., guidance and psychology counsel psychology, Indiana State University, interim chair of the Department of Counseling and associate professor of counseling
• Lisa Gueldenzoph Snyder, Ph.D., higher education administration, Bowling Green State University, interim chair of the Department of Management and professor of management
• Alisa Taliaferro, Ed.D., educational leadership, Clark Atlanta University, associate dean of Graduate Programs and Quality Assurance in the College of Education and interim chair of the Department of Leadership Studies and Adult Education

Those who were named assistant and associate professors and their credentials are:

• Laurent Ahiablame, Ph.D., agricultural and biological engineering, Purdue University, assistant professor of natural resources and environmental design
• MD Nazmul Hasan Bhuyan, Ph.D., finance, Florida Atlantic University, assistant professor of accounting and finance
• Catherine L. Bonventre, Ph.D., criminal justice, University at Albany, assistant professor of criminal justice
• Steven Rasmussen Cancian, Master of Landscape Architecture, University of California, Berkeley, assistant professor of natural resources and environmental design
• Reginald D. Cannady, Ph.D., neurobiology and neurosciences, UNC-CH, assistant professor of biology
• Kimberly Bunch-Crump, Ph.D., special education, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, assistant professor of education
• Forrest C. Foster, M.L.S., library science, North Carolina Central University, associate professor of library sciences
• Andy M. Ham, Ph.D., industrial engineering, Arizona State University, associate professor of applied engineering technology
• Michael A. Hamilton, Ph.D., industrial and systems engineering, Mississippi State University, assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering
• William Harrison, Master of Landscape Architecture, N.C. State, assistant professor of natural resources and environment design
• K.M. Kamrul Islam, Ph.D., computer science, Georgia State University, assistant professor of computational data science and engineering
• Athina Meli, Ph.D., physics, Imperial College London, United Kingdom, assistant professor of physics
• Carla Miller-Coates, Ph.D., sociology, Virginia Tech, associate professor of criminal justice
• Carmen C. Monico, Ph.D., social work, Virginia Commonwealth University, associate professor of "Sociology and Social Work"
• Robert R. Morganfield, Ph.D., journalism and public communication, University of Maryland, College Park, Howroyd Endowed professor of journalism and public communication
• Hieu T. Nguyen, Ph.D., electrical engineering, University of Quebec, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering
• Bobwealth Omontese, Ph.D., theriogenology, Ahmadu Bello University, assistant professor of animal science
• Juliet Oriaifo, Ph.D., management, Florida Atlantic University, assistant professor of accounting and finance
• Letu Qingge, Ph.D., computer science, Montana State University, assistant professor of computer science
• Venktesh Pandey, Ph.D., civil, architectural and environmental engineering, University of Texas at Austin, assistant professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering
• Mashooq Salehin, Ph.D., social work, University of Texas at Arlington, associate professor of "Sociology and Social Work"
• Madhuri Siddula, Ph.D., computer science, Georgia State University, assistant professor of computer science

In addition, Joshua Robbins, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in civil engineering from Mississippi State University, was named a computer science lecturer while Kimberly Pigford, who holds a Ph.D. in science education from N.C. State, was named a teaching assistant of biology, and Anastasia Smith, who holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Florida, was named teaching assistant professor.