Administration and Faculty

Senior Administration

Dr. Robert K. McMahan, Jr., President
Dr. James Z. Zhang, Senior Vice President, Academic Affairs and Provost
Ms. Marsha Bewersdorf, Vice President, Administration and Finance
Mr. Geoffrey Marsh, Vice President, Instructional, Administrative, and Informational Technology
Dr. LB McCune, Vice President, Student Life and Dean of Students
Ms. Jennifer Patterson, Vice President, University Advancement and External Relations
Ms. Suzanne Petrusch, Interim Vice President, Enrollment and Co-operative Services
Mr. Donald G. Rockwell, University Counsel
Dr. Kathryn Svinarich, University Chief of Staff
Ms. Jennifer Umberger, Vice President, University Marketing and Communications

Deans

​Dr. Haseeb Ahmed, Interim Dean, School of Management, Professor of Finance
Dr. Babak Elahi, Dean, College of Sciences and Liberal Arts, Professor of Communication
Dr. Scott Grasman , Dean, College of Engineering, Professor of Industrial Engineering
Dr. Scott W. Reeve, Dean, Graduate School and Sponsored Research, Professor of Chemistry

Academic Department Heads

Dr. Susan Farhat, Department of Chemical Engineering
Dr. Michael Farmer, Department of Computer Science
Dr. Daniel Ludwigsen, Department of Natural Sciences
Dr. Bassem Ramadan, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Adam Salminen, Department of Mathematics
Dr. Denise Stodola (Interim), Department of Liberal Arts 
Dr. Mark Thompson, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Faculty

The Kettering University faculty listed below are able to teach the graduate courses for our programs.  The majority hold doctorates and nearly all of them have consulting experience in industry and business.

Bashar AbdulNour, Professor of Practice
B.S. 1979, University of Baghdad, Iraq; M.S. in Mechanical Engineering 1982, M.S. in Applied Mathematics 1987, Ph.D. 1990, Michigan State University

Haseeb Ahmed, Interim Dean, School of Management, Professor of Finance
B.S. 1984, The University of Texas at Arlington; M.B.A. 1988, Jacksonville State University; Ph.D. 1998, University of Mississippi

Jamal Alhiyafi, Assistant Professor of Computer Science
B.S. 2000, University of Michigan-Dearborn; M.S. 2002, University of Michigan-Dearborn;  Ph.D. 2010, Wayne State University

Reem Alzahabi, Assistant Professor of Psychology
B.S. 2009, Michigan State University; M.A. 2012 Michigan State University; Ph.D. 2015, Michigan State University

Patrick J. Atkinson, Professor of Mechanical Engineering
B.S. 1991, Kettering University; M.S. 1994, Ph.D. 1998, Michigan State University

Theresa Atkinson, Professor of Mechanical Engineering
B.S.M.E. 1990, Michigan State University; M.S. 1994 Michigan State University; Ph.D. 1998, Michigan State University

Javad Baqersad, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
B.S. 2005, Yazd University, Iran; M.S. 2008, Iran University of Science and Technology; M.S.E. 2014, University of Massachusetts; Ph.D. 2015, University of Massachusetts

Jennifer Bastiaan, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
B.S. 1997, GMI Engineering & Management Institute; Ph.D. 2015, University of Waterloo, Ontario

K. Joel Berry, Professor of Mechanical Engineering
B.S.M.E. 1979, General Motors Institute; M.S. 1981, Michigan State University; Ph.D. 1986, Carnegie Melon University; P.E., Michigan

Michael D. Callahan, Professor of Social Science
B.S. 1986, Central Michigan University; M.A. 1988, Ph.D. 1995, Michigan State University

Pamela Carralero, Assistant Professor of Environmental Humanities
B.A. 2012, University of London; M.Sc. 2013, University of Edinburgh, Scotland; Ph.D. 2019, Purdue University

Ada Cheng, Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics
B.S. 1993, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada; M.S. 1995, Ph.D. 2000, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Susanta K. Das, Professor of Mechanical Engineering
B.S. 1991, University of Dhaka; M.S. 1993, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh; Ph.D. 1999, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan

Gregory W. Davis, Professor of Mechanical Engineering
B.S. 1982, University of Michigan; M.S. 1986, Oakland University; Ph.D. 1991, University of Michigan

Yaomin Dong, Professor of Mechanical Engineering
B.S. 1983, M.S. 1986, Northeast University; M.S. 1995, Ph.D. 1998, University of Kentucky

Chen Duan, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering
B.S. 2011, University of Science and Technology Beijing, China; M.S. 2013, Kettering University; Ph.D. 2020, Wayne State University

William Edwards, Professor of the Practice 
B.S. 1990, M.S. 2003, Ph.D. 2016, Oakland University                                                        

Babak Elahi, Dean, College of Sciences and Liberal Arts, Professor of Communication
B.A. 1989, San Diego State University; M.A. 1992, University of California, San Diego; Ph.D. 2001, University of Rochester

Susan Farhat, Department Head, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering
B.S. 2003, Ph.D. 2010, Michigan State University

Michael Farmer, Department Head, Professor of Computer Science
B.S. 1982, Columbia University; M.S. 1984, University of Michigan; M.S. 1994, University of Minnesota; Ph.D. 2004, Michigan State University

David L. Foster, Associate Professor of the Practice
B.S. 1999, Kettering University; M.S. 2003, University of Michigan; Ph.D. 2008, Oakland University

Leszek Gawarecki, Professor of Applied Mathematics
M.A. 1984, Warsaw University, Poland; Ph.D. 1994, Michigan State University

Ezekiel Gebissa, Professor of Social Science
B.A. 1984, Addis Ababa University; M.A. 1991, Michigan State University; Ph.D. 1997, Michigan State University

Mohammad Ghamari, Assistant Professor of Computer Engineering 
B.Eng. 2006, Leeds University, United Kingdom; M.S. 2007, Newcastle University, United Kingdom; Ph.D. 2012, Lancaster University, United Kingdom

Farnaz Ghazi Nezami, Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering
B.S. 2005, Alazahara University, M.S., 2008, Azad University, Tehran, Iran; Ph.D. 2013, Wichita State University

Scott E. Grasman, Dean, College of Engineering, Professor of Industrial Engineering
B.S.E. 1994, M.S.E. 1995, Ph.D. 2000, University of Michigan

John Grether, Professor of the Practice
B.B.A. 1993, Northwood University; M.A. 1994, Central Michigan University; J.D. 2005, Michigan State University

Jeffrey B. Hargrove, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
B.S. 1987, M.S. 1992, GMI Engineering & Management Institute; Ph.D. 1997, Michigan State University

Ruben Hayrapetyan, Professor of Applied Mathematics
Ph.D. 1981, Yerevan Armenia State University

Lisandro Hernández de la Peña, Associate Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry
B.S. 1995, M.S. 1997, Institute for Nuclear Sciences & Technology, Cuba; Ph.D. 2004, Dalhousie University

Huseyin R. Hiziroglu, Professor of Electrical Engineering
B.S. 1975, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey; M.S. 1979, Middle East Technical University, Turkey;  Ph.D. 1982, Wayne State University

Craig J. Hoff, Founding Dean, College of Engineering, Professor of Mechanical Engineering
 B.S. 1979, M.S. 1981, Michigan State University; Ph.D. 1992, University of Michigan, P.E., Michigan

James K. Huggins, Associate Professor of Computer Science
B.S. 1989, M.S. 1991, Ph.D. 1995, University of Michigan

Petros Ioannatos, Professor of Economics
B.A. 1980, The Athens Graduate School of Economics and Business Science, Greece; M.A. 1983, University of Windsor, Canada; Ph.D. 1988, Wayne State University

Saroja Kanchi, Professor of Computer Science
B.S. 1983, M.S. 1985, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India; M.S. 1987, M.S. 1989, University of Toledo; Ph.D. 1993, Texas A & M University

Ronald E. Kumon, Associate Professor of Physics
B.S. 1992, Michigan State University; Ph.D. 1999, The University of Texas at Austin

Christine Levecq, Professor of Humanities
B.A. 1983, State University of Liège, Belgium; M.A. 1986, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Ph.D. 1991, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Daniel Ludwigsen, Department Head, Associate Professor of Physics and Acoustics
B.A. 1992, Beloit College; Ph.D. 2001, Brigham Young University

Torsten Maier, Assistant Professor of Industrial Engineering
B.S. 2017, University of Evansville; M.S. 2019, Ph.D. 2021, The Pennsylvania State University

Omar Malik, Associate Professor of Management in the School of Management
B.A. 1989, University of the Punjab; MBA 1992 Lahore University of Management Sciences, Pakistan; Ph.D. 2006 Temple University

Wajira Asanga Ratnayake Manamperi, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering
B.S. 2003, M.S. 2006, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka; Ph.D. 2010 North Dakota State University

Arnaldo Mazzei, Professor of Mechanical Engineering
B.S.M.E. 1987, M.S.M.E. 1991, University of Sao Paulo; Ph.D. 1998, University of Michigan

Robert K. McMahan, Professor of Physics and President
B.S., A.B. 1982, Duke University; Ph.D. 1986, Dartmouth College

Seyed Jamaleddin Mostafavi Yazdi, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering
B.Sc. 2005, Yazd University, Iran; M.Sc. 2009, K.Sn. Toosi University of Technology, Iran; Ph.D. 2019, Kyungpook National University, South Korea

Lawrence Navarre, Lecturer of Business Administration
B.B.A. 1984, Kent State University; M.S.M. 1990, Purdue University

Matthew O’Toole, Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics
B.S. 2002, Hillsdale College; M.S. 2006, Ph.D. 2010, Michigan State University

Jungme Park, Associate Professor of Computer Engineering
 B.S. 1989, Korea University; M.S. 1996, University of Alabama;  Ph.D. 2001, University of Alabama

Benjamin Pauli, Associate Professor of Social Science
B.A. 2005, University of Washington, Tacoma; M.A. 2009, Rutgers University; Ph.D. 2014, Rutgers University

Diane L. Peters, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
B.S.M.E. 1993, University of Notre Dame; M.S. 2000, University of Illinois at Chicago; Ph.D. 2010, University of Michigan

Ahmad Pourmovahed, Professor of Mechanical Engineering
B.S. 1977, Arya-Mehr University of Technology, Iran; M.S.M.E. 1979, Ph.D., 1985, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Andrzej Przyjazny, Professor of Chemistry
M.Sc. 1971, Technical University of Gdansk; Ph.D. 1977, Southern Illinois University; 1986, Technical University of Gdansk

Montserrat Rabago-Smith, Associate Professor of Chemistry
B.A. 1998, Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico; Ph.D. 2002, Michigan State University

Corneliu I. Rablau, Professor of Physics
B.S. 1989, University of Bucharest, Romania; M.S. 1998, West Virginia University; Ph.D. 1999, West Virginia University

Uma Ramabadran, Professor of Physics
Ph.D. 1990, University of Cincinnati

Bassem Ramadan, Department Head, Mechanical Engineering, Professor of Mechanical Engineering
B.E. 1984, Beirut; M.S. 1986, Ph.D. 1992, Michigan State University

Badrinath Rao, Associate Professor of Sociology and Asian Studies
B.A. 1984, M.A. 1986, Bangalore University, India; M.A. 1992, Queen's University, Canada; Ph.D. 1999, University of Alberta, Canada; J.D. 2013, Wayne State University

Scott W. Reeve, Founding Dean, Graduate School and Sponsored Research, Professor of Chemistry
B.A. 1987, Augsburg College; Ph.D. 1992, University of Minnesota

Foroogh Rouhollahi, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering
B.Sc. 2008, University of Isfahan, Iran; M.Sc. 2013, Isfahan University of Technology, Iran; Ph.D. 2022, Wayne State University

Joseph J. Salacuse, Professor of Applied Mathematics
B.S. 1970, Bradley University; Ph.D. 1978, State University of New York at StonyBrook

Adam Salminen, Department Head, Mathematics, Professor of Applied Mathematics
 B.S. 1999, Michigan State University; M.S. 2003, Ph.D. 2005, Ohio State University

Timothy Stiles, Associate Professor of Physics
B.A. 1998, Grinnel College; Ph.D. 2005, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Denise Stodola, Interim Department Head, Liberal Arts, Associate Professor of Communication
B.A. 1990, M.A. 1993, University of Texas at San Antonio; Ph.D. 2003, University of Missouri – Columbia

Laura L. Sullivan, Professor of Mechanical Engineering
B.S. 1984, Arizona State; M.S.E. 1988, Ph.D. 1992, University of Texas at Arlington

Kathryn Svinarich, University Chief of Staff, Associate Professor of Physics
B.S. 1983, University of Michigan; Ph.D. 1991, Wayne State University

Nozar Tabrizi, Associate Professor of Computer Engineering
B.S.E.E. 1980, M.S.E.C.E. 1988, Sharif University of Technology, Iran; Ph.D. 1997, University of Adelaide, Australia

Ronald Tackett, Associate Professor of Physics
B.S. 2003, Eastern Michigan University,  M.S. 2007, Wayne State University, Ph.D. 2008, Wayne State University

Chinwe Tait, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering
B.S. 2004 Massachusetts Institute of Technology; M.S. 2007, Ph.D. 2017,  Michigan State University

Hafez Tari, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering
B.S. 2005, M.S. 2008, University of Mazandaran, Iran; M.S. 2011, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Ph.D. 2014, The Ohio State University

Massoud S. Tavakoli, Professor of Mechanical Engineering
B.S.M.E. 1981, Louisiana State University; M.S.M.E. 1983, Ph.D. 1987, Ohio State University; P.E., Georgia

Allan Taylor, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering
B.S.E.E. 2009, M.S.Eng. 2011, Kettering University; Ph.D. 2019, Michigan State University

Kevin TeBeest, Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics
B.S. 1981, South Dakota State University; M.S. 1986, Ph.D. 1992, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Girma S. Tewolde, Professor of Computer Engineering
B.S. 1992, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; M.S. 1995, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Ph.D. 2008, Oakland University

Mark G. Thompson, Department Head, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Professor of Electrical Engineering
B.S. 1976, M.S. 1977, Ph.D. 1980, Michigan State University

Mohammad Torfeh, Professor of Electrical Engineering
B.S. 1977, University of Isfahan; M.S. 1979, Ph.D. 1982, Wayne State University

Giuseppe Turini, Associate Professor of Computer Science
M.S. 2004, Ph.D. 2011, University of Pisa, Italy

Demet Usanmaz, Assistant Professor of Physics
B.S. 2003, Ondokuz Mayis University, Turkey; M.Sc. 2005, Gazi University, Turkey; Ph.D. 2009, Gazi University, Turkey

Lihua Wang, Professor of Chemistry
B.S. 1984, Fudan University, China; Ph.D. 1991, Purdue University

Kenneth Williams, Teaching Associate Professor of Business Administration
B.B.A. 1981, University of Michigan; M.B.A. 1986, Wayne State University; Ph.D. 2016 Northcentral University

Benaiah Yongo-Bure, Associate Professor of Social Science
B.A. 1976, Makerere University, Uganda; M.A. 1979, Ph.D. 1984, Dalhousie University, Canada

Justin Young, Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering
B.S.E. 2005, M.S.E. 2006 & 2008, Ph.D. 2011 University of Michigan

Mehrdad H. Zadeh, Professor of Computer Engineering
B.Sc.C.E. 1992, Shiraz University, Fars, Iran; M.A.Sc.E.E. 2004, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada; Ph.D. 2009, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Ali R. Zand, Professor of Chemistry
B.S. 1989, Saginaw Valley State University; M.S. 1992, Central Michigan University; Ph.D. 1996, Michigan State University

James Z. Zhang, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Professor of Electrical Engineering 
B.S.E.E. 1986, Hunan University, PRC; M.A. 1993, Indiana University; M.S.E. 1993, Purdue University; Ph.D. 2002, Purdue University