CETA’s Expert Faculty and Talented Staff
CETA’s talented group of faculty and staff care about making every CETA students’ experience impactful, meaningful, and enjoyable during their time at the University. They are a knowledgeable group of individuals who aren’t afraid to continue learning themselves through specific research and projects, many times collaborative with CETA students. In CETA, faculty and staff know students by name. Students work with faculty, the Student Services staff and student mentors/ambassadors to navigate the transition from high school to college and in pursuit of their field of study and career goals.
Our expert faculty guide, challenge, and inspire our students from their first-year, to senior year, and beyond. Eighty percent of CETA's faculty hold terminal degrees in their field of expertise. In addition, many of the faculty consult with industry, perform research for industry, and hold the Professional Engineer or Registered Architect designations. Because of their education and experience, our faculty can offer you what you need to learn to succeed in your career.
Meet Our Dean

Dean Hisham Alnajjar has been with the University of Hartford and CETA for over twenty-five years. Prior to his role as Dean, he served as a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Associate Dean of the College.
Alnajjar has been instrumental in the growth of our College through new programs and partnerships with industry, as well as the development and execution of the Hursey Center.
He specifically has worked extensively in signal and image processing including character recognition. His research interests include sensor array processing, digital signal processing theory and real-time applications, power systems in addition to engineering education.
Dean's Office
Name | Title |
---|---|
Hisham Alnajjar | Dean |
David Pines | Associate Dean for Student Support; Professor |
Michael Nowak | Assistant Dean of Academic Planning & Curriculum; Program Director, Biomedical Engineering; Professor |
Department of Architecture
Name | Title |
---|---|
Timothy Adekunle | Associate Professor |
Jill Bambury | Assistant Professor |
Michael Crosbie | Professor |
Daniel Davis | Professor |
James Fuller | Department Chair; Program Director, Architectural Design + Technology, Associate Professor |
Ira Hessmer | Adjunct Faculty |
Bryan Hurlburt | Adjunct Faculty; Assistant Manager of Woodshop and Fabrication Lab |
Elizabeth Petry | Associate Professor |
Theodore Sawruk | Associate Professor |
Ryan Schicker | Adjunct Faculty; Manager of Woodshop and Fabrication Lab |
Stephen Smith | Graduate Program Director; Visiting Assistant Professor |
Yang Yang | Assistant Professor |
Civil, Environmental, and Biomedical Engineering Department
Name | Title |
---|---|
Mary Arico | Director, NASA CT Space Grant Consortium; Assistant Professor |
Takafumi Asaki | Assistant Professor |
Clara Fang | Professor |
Ameh Fioklou | Adjunct Faculty |
Alan Hadad | Professor |
David Jacobs | Adjunct Faculty |
Alireza Jamalipour | Adjunct Faculty |
Saleh Keshawarz | Department Chair; Program Director, Civil Engineering; Professor |
Barbara McCleary | Adjunct Faculty |
Michael Nowak | Assistant Dean of Academic Planning & Curriculum; Program Director, Biomedical Engineering; Professor |
David Pines | Associate Dean for Student Support; Professor |
Ted Sussmann | Associate Professor |
Lee Townsend | Assistant Professor |
Yang Yang | Assistant Professor |
Samuel I. Ward Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Name | Title |
---|---|
Akram Abu-aisheh | Professor |
Timothy Britt | Assistant Professor |
Michael deAlmeida | Applied Assistant Professor |
Thomas Eppes | Professor |
Krista Hill | Associate Professor |
Wallace Kirschner | Adjunct Faculty |
Patricia Mellodge | Program Director, Electrical Engineering; Associate Professor |
Saeid Moslehpour | Professor |
Carolyn Petersen | Adjunct Faculty |
Bruce Plumley | Visiting Assistant Professor |
Johanna Raphael | Program Director, Electromechanical Engineering Technology; Applied Assistant Professor |
Brian Romano | Adjunct Faculty |
Xin Shen | Assistant Professor |
Hemchandra Shertukde | Professor |
David Shuman | Program Director, Audio Engineering Technology; Assistant Professor |
Kiwon Sohn | Assistant Professor |
Ying Yu | Department Chair; Program Director, Computer Engineering and Computer & Electronic Engineering Technology; Associate Professor |
Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Acoustical Engineering
Name | Title |
---|---|
Claudio Campana | Applied Assistant Professor |
Howard Canistraro | Associate Professor |
Robert D. Celmer | Program Director, Acoustical Engineering Program; Professor |
Ulrich Decher | Adjunct Faculty |
Edward Diehl | Assistant Professor |
Suhash Ghosh | Associate Director, Center for Manufacturing and Metrology; Associate Professor |
Reihaneh Jamshidi | Assistant Professor |
Christopher Jasinski | Assistant Professor |
Ivana Milanovic | Professor |
Enrico Obst | Visiting Assistant Professor |
Mark Orelup | Adjunct Faculty |
Allan Penda | Adjunct Faculty |
Chittaranjan Sahay | Vernon D. Roosa Distinguished Professor; Director, Center for Manufacturing and Metrology |
Paul Slaboch | Program Director, Aerospace Engineering; Associate Professor |
Akin Tatoglu | Associate Professor |
Cy Yavuzturk | Department Chair; Program Director, Mechanical Engineering; Director, Clean Energy Institute; Professor |
CETA Administrative and Professional Staff
Name | Title |
---|---|
Philip Faraci | Applied Assistant Professor of Engineering |
Laurie Granstrand | Manager of Graduate Programs |
Vince Mack | Collegiate Budget Manager |
Allison Poulin | Office Coordinator |
CETA Technical Support Staff
Name | Title |
---|---|
Julio Bravo | Senior Electrical/Electronics Specialist |
Mark Juliano | Computer Support Analyst |
Jonathan Shapiro | Machine Shop Technician |
Engineering Applications Center Directors
Name | Title |
---|---|
Hisham Alnajjar | Dean |
NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium Staff
Name | Title |
---|---|
Mary Arico | Director, NASA CT Space Grant Consortium; Assistant Professor |
Yingcui Li | Assistant Director |
April Michaud | Program Coordinator |
Janet Spatcher | Program Manager, NASA CT Space Grant Consortium |