Work with thought leaders and academic experts from Michigan State University

I'm an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at Eastern Michigan University. My specialization is in empirical macroeconomics, with an emphasis on financial markets, monetary policy, and banking. I teach undergraduate and graduate level courses in macroeconomic theory, money and banking, and time series forecasting. My research has been published in outlets such as the Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Journal of Corporate Finance, Journal of Banking & Finance, and Journal of Applied Econometrics. <br>

I am a personality researcher with extensive expertise in data analysis and quantitative methodology. I have 7+ years of research experience, and have performed a wide range of analyses including: structural equation modeling, multilevel modeling, factor analysis, (logistic) regression, and ANOVAs.

As a dedicated professional, with a Ph.D. in Kinesiology (concentration in cognitive and motor neuroscience), 9 years of clinical research, and 4 years of experience in clinical trials, I will bring a wealth of expertise to your team. I am adept at navigating the clinical research process, from study design to regulatory compliance, setup to close out. My organizational skills, attention to detail, adaptability, excellent verbal and written communication, and teamwork ensure seamless project management. I flourish in a fast-paced, changing environment as a resourceful and responsible leader and team member. Moreover, strong project management skills allow me to handle multiple tasks efficiently, even under tight deadlines. My ability to dissect complex clinical data and translate it into clear, concise language for varying levels of personnel and clients is a hallmark of my work. Furthermore, my organizational finesse allows me to manage competing priorities effectively with excellent budget management. I have navigated the intricacies of ICH-GCP and the regulatory landscapes of the US, and the EU and successfully obtained an IND submission approval with the FDA. I thrive in collaborative environments, seamlessly coordinating and communicating with cross-functional teams and internal and external stakeholders nationally and internationally. My agile approach, positive attitude, meeting timelines, and ability to work independently equip me to contribute to the success of our team.

Michael Hickner is an accomplished researcher and educator with an extensive background in chemical engineering. He received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Tech in 2003. For the past 15 years, Hickner has been a Rogerson Endowed Professor at Michigan State University, where he has conducted highly acclaimed research in the areas of sustainable energy technologies and nanomanufacturing. Previous to this appointment, Hickner was a Senior Member of the Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories, where he conducted post-doctoral research in the fields of materials science, nanotechnology, and catalysis. Given his diverse skill set and supportive leadership style, Michigan State students look to Hickner to provide them with the guidance, mentorship, and educational tools necessary to excel in the field of chemical engineering.

Dr. Zahra Nasiruddin Jamal is Associate Director at Rice University's Boniuk Institute for Religious Tolerance, where she oversees strategy, operations, and outreach. She has served on the faculty at Harvard, MIT, University of Chicago, Michigan State University (MSU), and Palmer Trinity. Dr. Jamal founded and directed the Civil Islam Initiative at University of Chicago and the Central Asia and International Development Initiative at MSU. She was previously Associate Director of the Center for the Study of American Muslims at The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), where she is currently a Fellow. Dr. Jamal has consulted for the UN, State Department, Aga Khan Development Network, Swiss Development Cooperation, and Aspen Institute on issues of philanthropy and civic engagement, education, positive youth development, migrant labor, gender-equity, food security, and refugee settlement in North America, Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, and Central Asia. She has published in academic and popular venues, including *I Speak for Myself*, a volume of autobiographical accounts of 40 American Muslim women leaders, which has been positively reviewed by Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Her Majesty Queen Noor, Deepak Chopra, and others. Dr. Jamal received a Ph.D. in Social Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard, and double B.A. in Slavic Studies and in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies from Rice. She joined the Institute in 2015.

Dr. Balan has been Associated with the Department of Engineering Technology, Cullen College of Engineering, University of Houston, since September 2017. His research focuses on biomass conversion to fuels, chemicals, edible mushrooms, animal feed, and biomaterials. He also specializes in CO2 sequestration using algae, processing algal biomass into proteins, biofuels, and biochemicals, and adding value to mushroom industry waste. Additionally, he works on annotating fungal genes to identify novel enzymes for industrial applications. Dr. Balan has published over 192 papers, holds 9 patents, and has more than 17,500 citations. He has also edited books on biomass conversion and microbial lipids and served as an expert reviewer for numerous scientific journals and review panels. -  Ph.D., Biophysical chemistry (Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, 1999; India) -  Post-doctoral experience: Five year in Japan (Osaka university, Oji Paper Company and National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1999-2004) -  Visiting Assistant Professor at Bruce Dale Lab, MSU (2005-2009) -  Research Associate Professor at Department of Chemical Engineering and Material Science, MSU (2009-2017) -  Assistant Professor at Department of Engineering Technology at University of Houston (2017-2022) and Associate Professor at UH (since 2022). -  Awards and Honors: -  Dr. Balan was recipient of Center for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) 5-year fellowship to do his Ph.D., from Government of India in 1992. -  Recipient of two prestigious fellowships in Japan from the Japanese Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) in the year 1999 and 2022 for doing research. -  Recipient of research excellence award and teaching excellence award given by the UH College of Technology in 2019 and 2020 respectively. -  Joint appointments with UH Department of Biomedical Engineering in 2017 and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2023. -  Recipient of the ‘Advanced Materials Award’ from the International Association of Advanced Materials (IAMM), Sweden in January 2024. -  Recipient of USDA E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship in May 2024.

Marie Mooney, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Bioinformatics at the University of North Florida. She holds a PhD in Cell and Molecular Genetics from the Van Andel Research Institute, a MS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati, and a BS in Bioinformatics, from Michigan Technological University. Prior to her current role, she served as a Senior Postdoctoral Associate at Lurie Children's Hospital, A T32 Postdoctoral Scholar In Applied Genomics and Precision Medicine at Duke University, a Research Associate at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on integrative and translational approaches to repurpose therapeutics for use in rare congenital disorders. Her laboratory uses zebrafish as a genetic model organism to generate and test bioinformatics-driven hypotheses.

Currently, I am working as a Research Associate in Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center at Michigan State University. Before I joined Michigan State University, I worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Cropping Systems Agronomy program at the University of Idaho. I got both my MS and PhD in Biology (Ecology-Track) from the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Toledo in December 2015 and May 2020. I have experience in conducting laboratory, controlled environment, and field research; experimental design; data management and analysis; interpretation and summation of data; and manuscript writing. I have expertise on plant physiology, plant nutrition, plant biochemistry, eco-physiology, abiotic stress, statistics, bioenergy, and agronomy. I have the ability to work independently or in a collaborative environment. I keep abreast of new science and technological developments. I have experiences in publishing research papers in high-impact peer-reviewed journals and to date, I have published thirteen peer-reviewed papers. I received the outstanding graduate student research paper award twice in 2017 and 2019, and in addition, I have presented in both regional and international conferences and rewarded several times. I am a passionate and committed scientist with demonstrated experimental and analytical skills in scientific research. I am hard working and open minded to explore the boundaries of scientific fields.

Dr. Kuljanishvili is a highly educated physicist with a PhD in condensed matter physics, in low temperature nanoscale physics, focused on scanning probe microscopy and spectroscopy. She obtained her PhD from Michigan State University in 2005. After completing her doctoral studies, she worked as a Post Doctoral Research Associate at Harvard University till 2006 and later as a Post Doctoral Research Fellow at Northwestern University till 2011. During these positions, she conducted research on various topics related to condensed matter physics, nanoscience and nanotechnology, low dimensional materials physics and used variety of scanning probe microscopy and spectroscopy and nanolithography techniques in her research. Dr. Kuljanishvili has published numerous research papers in well-respected scientific journals and has presented her work at national and international conferences. She is highly skilled in experimental techniques and data analysis, and has a strong understanding of theoretical concepts in her field. In addition to her research experience, Irma has mentored numerous undergraduate and graduate students and taught courses in physics at the university level. She is dedicated to the advancement of science and technology and is constantly seeking opportunities to expand her knowledge and skills in her field.

Dr. Shane A. Snyder is the José Domingo Pérez Foundation Chair and Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he also directs the Agilent Center of Excellence for Environmental Health and Engineering. An internationally recognized leader in environmental engineering and sustainability, Dr. Snyder has authored over 300 publications that have been cited more than 43,000 times. His research—spanning potable water reuse, water treatment technologies, environmental health, and sustainable systems—has influenced policy, regulation, and industrial practice worldwide.   Prior to Georgia Tech, Dr. Snyder served as a lead researcher for the Southern Nevada Water Authority and as a professor and center director at the University of Arizona. He spent more than 13 years on the faculty at Nanyang Technological University and the National University of Singapore, where he held leadership roles including Executive Director of the Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute (NEWRI). At NEWRI he led a multidisciplinary team of roughly 300 faculty, staff, and students to develop sustainable solutions for water and solid waste challenges and translated those findings into commercially successful technologies. He also directed the Lien Environmental Fellowship program, which delivered award-winning water solutions for underserved communities across South and Southeast Asia.   Dr. Snyder is Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Science & Technology Water (American Chemical Society) and is a Fellow of the International Water Association. He has served on expert panels and advisory boards for organizations including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the World Health Organization, and the National Water Research Institute. A Board-Certified Environmental Scientist (BCES) by Eminence with the American Academy of Engineers and Scientists, his contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including the 2021 Clarke Prize—one of the field’s most prestigious awards.  An entrepreneur as well as an academic, Dr. Snyder has founded and directs several companies in the United States and Singapore that commercialize environmental technologies and services, bringing research innovations into practical, real-world applications.

Dr. Branda Nowell is a highly skilled organizational psychologist with a strong background in change management. She earned her Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from Michigan State University in 2006, where she focused on understanding the impact of organizational change on employee behavior and well-being. After completing her doctoral studies, Dr. Nowell worked as a change management consultant at Duke University, where she developed and implemented strategies to support and manage change initiatives within the university. She also served as a consultant for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), where she helped these organizations navigate through major changes and transitions. Dr. Nowell's expertise in change management has been highly sought after in both the public and private sectors. She has worked with a wide range of organizations, from small businesses to large corporations, to develop and implement effective change management strategies. Her approach is rooted in her deep understanding of human behavior and how it is affected by organizational change. In addition to her work as a consultant, Dr. Nowell is also a prolific researcher and writer. She has published numerous articles and book chapters on organizational change and employee well-being, and frequently presents at conferences and workshops on the topic. Dr. Nowell is known for her ability to build strong relationships with her clients and effectively guide them through the complex process of change management. Her passion for helping organizations and individuals thrive during times of change has made her a highly respected and sought-after expert in her field.

I am a seasoned nutrition scientist and educator with extensive expertise in higher education, curriculum development, clinical research, project management, and fostering communities of health & wellbeing. I am passionate about translating complex scientific concepts into actionable strategies that improve health outcomes and support diverse communities. Through my work, I have driven impactful collaborations, from advancing NIH Nutrition Research goals to conducting cross-cultural projects with populations ranging from native Peruvians to Inuit communities. My commitment to culturally competent and evidence-based solutions underscores my dedication to making a positive, sustainable impact on health and wellness.

Dr. Jessica Lumian is a bioinformatics scientist specializing in microbiome and metagenomics. She earned a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of California, Davis in 2022 and a Bachelor's of Science in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from Michigan State University in 2015. Dr. Lumian's research focuses on the intersection of microbial communities and computional analysis. She specializes in using k-mer based methods to identify strains and pathogens of interest in metagenomic data sets.

As a Principal Engineer at Intel Labs, I have led cutting-edge research and development on RF antennas and front-end (FEM) filters for broad/multi-band cellular and connectivity wireless systems. I leverage my Ph.D. in Wireless Cellular Systems and 25+ years of academic, start-up, and corporate experience in wireless communications and radars, from antennas and RF passive filters to wireless PHY and radar signal processing. My core competencies include phased array antennas and configurable broadband/multiband RF/MEMS acoustic wave device (a la SAW/BAW/FBAR/CMR) design and fabrication, FEM filters synthesis, adaptive signal processing, PHY and radar architecture, and innovation management. I have published numerous papers, filed 15 patents, and built star teams, aligned and matrixed interdisciplinary groups, and executed projects on schedule. My mission is to create and identify new opportunities, develop technical road maps, and fill hands-on technical gaps in the fields of MIMO/phased array antennas as well as configurable RF/MEMS front end modules.

Microbiology, Physiology, Synthetic Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics

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