College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies

CECS Faculty & Staff

Our faculty and staff are dedicated to being on the forefront of change in higher education and to equipping students for the careers of the future.

Meet The Team

Featured CECS Faculty and Staff

  • photo of Ozlem Kilic

    Ozlem Kilic

    Vice Provost and Founding Dean of the College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies | D.Sc., Electrophysics

    View Bio

Dean

  • Ozlem Kilic

    Ozlem Kilic

    Vice Provost and Founding Dean of the College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies | D.Sc., Electrophysics

CECS Leadership

  • Art Sedighi

    Art Sedighi

    Teaching Associate Professor, Online | Director of CECS Online Academy | PhD, Industrial and Systems Engineering | PhD, Electrical Computer Engineering

  • Brock Jamal-Ertel

    Brock Jamal-Ertel

    Events Manager

  • Candice Adams

    Candice Adams

    Director of Distance Education | Teaching Associate Professor, Online | Faculty Liaison – Data Science | PhD, Computer Science

  • Elis Vllasi

    Elis Vllasi

    Senior Director of Academic Operations | PhD, International Relations

  • Emam ElHak Abdel Fatah

    Emam ElHak Abdel Fatah

    Director of Curriculum Strategic Initiatives | PhD, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science

  • Katie A. Cahill

    Katie A. Cahill

    Assistant Dean of Partnerships and Economic Development | Director of Workforce Development | PhD, Political Science

  • Lola Alapo

    Lola Alapo

    Senior Director of Strategic Communications & Marketing

  • Natalie Stepanov

    Natalie Stepanov

    Director of Advising | PhD, Higher Education Administration

  • Nneka Walson

    Nneka Walson

    Director of Student Engagement and Success

  • Sarah Kile

    Sarah Kile

    Director of Finance, Administration, and Operations

Faculty

  • Aubra Anthony

    Aubra Anthony

    Teaching Assistant Professor, Online | PhD, Physics

  • Ayşegül Çuhadar

    Ayşegül Çuhadar

    Teaching Associate Professor | PhD, Electronic Systems Engineering

  • Babak Shoraka

    Babak Shoraka

    Teaching Associate Professor | PhD, Information Systems

  • Burak Sahin

    Burak Sahin

    Teaching Assistant Professor | PhD, Computer Science

  • Greg Patrick

    Greg Patrick

    Teaching Associate Professor | DSc, Computer Science

  • Hedy Hurban

    Hedy Hurban

    Teaching Associate Professor | PhD, Digital Art and Technology

  • Jimmy Ardiansyah

    Jimmy Ardiansyah

    Teaching Assistant Professor, Online | Faculty Liaison – AI | DSc, Information Technology

  • Mahmoud Jahanshahi

    Mahmoud Jahanshahi

    Teaching Assistant Professor | PhD, Computer Science

  • Michael Gelantalis

    Michael Gelantalis

    Teaching Associate Professor | PhD, Mathematics

  • Milan Parmar

    Milan Parmar

    Teaching Associate Professor | PhD, Computer Science

  • Nahom Kidane

    Nahom Kidane

    Teaching Assistant Professor | PhD, Modeling and Simulation Engineering

  • Sena Sahin

    Sena Sahin

    Assistant Teaching Professor, Spring 2027 | PhD, Computer Science

  • Sudip Vhaduri

    Sudip Vhaduri

    Teaching Associate Professor | PhD, Computer Science and Engineering

Faculty Fellows

Adjunct Faculty

  • Ali Boyaci

    Ali Boyaci

    Adjunct Faculty | R&D Grid Communications and Security Research Group, ORNL

  • Ali Riza Ekti

    Ali Riza Ekti

    Adjunct Faculty | Senior R&D Staff Member, ORNL | PhD Electrical Engineering

  • Amir Sadovnik

    Amir Sadovnik

    Adjunct Faculty | Research Lead, ORNL | PhD, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  • Andria L Yates

    Andria L Yates

    Adjunct Faculty | Teaching Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt University | PhD, Psychology

  • Cary Staples

    Cary Staples

    Faculty Fellow & Adjunct Faculty | Professor, UT School of Design

  • Edgar “Chip” Myers

    Edgar “Chip” Myers

    Adjunct Faculty | Intelligence

  • Heather Finotti

    Heather Finotti

    Adjunct Faculty | Founder, Love of Math | PhD, Mathematics

  • Laura H. Belken

    Laura H. Belken

    Adjunct Faculty | Global Assets Solutions Architect, North America, NTT DATA | B.S., International Development and Rural Psychology

  • Luís Finotti

    Luís Finotti

    Adjunct Faculty | Associate Professor, UT Knoxville | PhD, Mathematics

  • Major Robert Willix

    Major Robert Willix

    Adjunct Faculty | Associate Professor of Aerospace Science, AFROTC

  • Russell Eubanks

    Russell Eubanks

    Adjunct Faculty | Managing Partner, Cyverity | B.S., Computer Science

  • Sally Ghanem

    Sally Ghanem

    Adjunct Faculty | Machine Learning and Signal Analysis Researcher | PhD, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  • Shayan Monadjemi

    Shayan Monadjemi

    Adjunct Faculty | Research & Development Associate, ORNL | PhD, Computer Science

  • Somb Adhikari

    Somb Adhikari

    Adjunct Faculty | MS, Aerospace Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Computer and Data Science

  • Steve McFall

    Steve McFall

    Adjunct Faculty | Director of Cybersecurity Services, Blue Lion Tactical Solutions

Staff

AI Smokey & Smokey the Dog
Vice Provost and CECS Founding Dean Ozlem Kilic, Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development Deb Crawford, Chancellor Donde Plowman, and Provost John Zomchick at the CECS Ribbon Cutting