Dr. Balša Terzić, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics. Dr. Balša Terzić is an assistant professor of physics at Old Dominion University. He earned a Ph.D. in applied mathematics from Florida State University. Before joining ODU in 2014, Dr. Terzić was a staff scientist at Jefferson Lab in Newport News. The overarching theme of his research is using high-performance computations and novel mathematical methods as conduits for discovery and advancement in accelerator science. Professor Terzić is a member of the interdisciplinary Center for Accelerator Science at Old Dominion University. Scientific education and outreach are important components of Professor Terzić’s role at Old Dominion University. He has served as a mentor for Research Exeprience for Undergraduates (REU) and Summer Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) since 2010. Dr. Terzić serves as one of the organizers of the annual Tidewater Physics Olympics for high- and middle-school students from Norfolk and Virginia Beach area and participates in annual Old Dominion University Physics Open House events.

Dr. Mujde Erten-Unal, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. She is the director of Sustainable Development Institute (SDI). Her research interests include sustainable development and design, pollution prevention, hazardous waste treatment, biological wastewater treatment, environmental engineering microbiology, adaptation response to climate change and sea level rise.  She is the primary investigator and faculty advisor for the ODU/Hampton University team (Team Tidewater) Solar Decathlon 2011 competition (http://www.solardecathlon.gov/past/2011/team_tidewater_virginia.html) and faculty advisor for Solar Decathlon 2013. She has worked as a Project Engineer in an environmental engineering consulting firm before joining ODU and consulted with industry on a number of projects related to wastewater, solid waste, and hazardous waste disposal. She graduated with her  Ph. D. in Civil Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology – Rolla, M.S. in Environmental and Planning Engineering, University of Missouri-Rolla, and B.S. , Middle East Technical University, Turkey.  She was a part of the team which lead team of  ODU engineers and HU architects are working together again to design strategies for flooding due to sea level rise and storm events at the Chesterfield Heights and Hague neighborhoods of Norfolk (http://vaseagrant.vims.edu/professors-cross-university-lines-to-adapt-community-to-sea-level-rise/).  She lead the Solar Decathlon student team with Unit 6 in 2011 ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYgWjSDcFPc and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCo7rSl0uis ) and with Canopy House in 2013 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmDB-nowGmM )
which designed a net-zero energy solar powered house and competed with other universities at the  national level.

Dr. Victoria Hill, Research Associate Professor, Department of Ocean Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. My research is focused on bio-optical oceanography, this is the study of how light behaves in natural waters. By looking at the way in which light is absorbed, and scattered we are able to investigate the biological properties of both the water column and the benthos. For example we can quantify phytoplankton abundance in the oceans which has a direct correlation with primary and secondary growth, as well and overall Ocean health. I am currently working on several diverse projects including high latitude optics and shallow water benthic remote sensing, funded by a combination of NSF and NASA support. Recently funded projects include quantifying the impact of absorption of solar radiation on warming of Arctic surface waters, identification and quantification of seagrass meadows in Florida through ocean color satellites, modeling the distribution of seagrasses in the Chesapeake Bay and the construction of a facility at the Virginia Aquarium to investigate the effects of ocean acidification on seagrass growth. Outreach is an important component of my research program and I am a founding member of Science Alliance Live, which strives to connect scientific research to local communities through the arts. Highlights of our program include hands-on science activities for the whole family, staged readings of two new plays about scientific research at ODU, puppets, snow cones, and live music. http://sciencealliancelive.org/. You can learn more about my research here: https://sites.wp.odu.edu/BORG/. A BBC documentary on my Arctic fieldwork in 2011. http://www.open.edu/openlearn/body-mind/earth-reporters-burning-questions-the-freezing-cold

Mr. George McLeod, Director, Center for Geospatial & Visualization Computing. George McLeod, Asst. Director for Geospatial & Visualization Systems, directs the operations, projects, and staffing of the Center for Geospatial & Visual Computing at Old Dominion University (ODU). With over a decade of experience in geospatial research and project management, his primary areas of interest and specialization are in the planning and management of geospatial projects, coastal and marine remote sensing, and the application of geospatial technology to problems related to coastal geomorphology, climate change and sea-level rise hazards, and coastal land use policy. He regularly provides expert-level GIS consulting on a wide variety of academic research projects and other collaborative efforts. Mr. McLeod possesses two Bachelor of Science degrees (Marketing, Geography/GIS), a Master of Science (Ocean, Earth, and Atmospheric Science), and is currently completing a Ph.D. in Oceanography (A.B.D). As Adjunct Faculty for the Department of Political Science & Geography at ODU, he teaches courses in geographic data fundamentals, Geographic Information Systems, and Remote Sensing. He has created and taught courses in GIS, Advanced GIS, Cartography, Remote Sensing, 3-dimensional GIS, and Geospatial Intelligence. As a respected and well-known member of the broader community of Geospatial and Coastal Science professionals, he regularly gives presentations at local, regional and national meetings and contributes material to both academic and professional publications.

Mr. Justin Mason, Director, Pretlow Planetarium. Justin has won several awards during his time with ODU. Including the HACE Rookie Staff Member of the Year (2013) as well as the Staff Member of the Year Award (2015), the College of Sciences Staff Member of the Year Award (2015), and was been named the Employee of the Month (12/2013). The 40-foot domed planetarium is used by the introductory astronomy classes which were were first implemented at Old Dominion University by the late C.S. Sherwood, III. The 40-foot domed planetarium utilizes a fully digital projector–the Digitarium Epsilon system–and feature 5.1 surround audio.

Dr. David Burdige, Professor and Eminent Scholar, Department of Ocean, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences. Dr. David J. Burdige is a professor and eminent scholar in the Department of Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, where he has been a faculty member since 1985.  He also holds a joint appointment in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Dr. Burdige is an internationally-known expert in marine geochemistry, and he has spent much of his career studying biogeochemical processes in marine and estuarine sediments and their resulting effects on the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and trace metals such as iron, manganese and copper.  He has also been involved in related studies of carbon cycling in high latitude (boreal) peatlands.  He has published more than 70 peer-reviewed papers, and in 2006 authored the book Geochemistry of Marine Sediments, published by Princeton Univ. Press.  In addition to his research efforts he recently began teaching a course for non-science majors more specifically focused on understanding global climate change.Dr.

Dr. Michelle Covi, Assistant Professor of Practice, Department of Ocean, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences. Dr. Michelle Covi leads outreach activities for CCSLRI. She also serves as a member of the Virginia Sea Grant extension staff, helping to connect expertise across the Sea Grant associated universities in Virginia to address climate change and sea level rise adaptation issues. She recently completed her doctorate in Coastal Resources Management at East Carolina University, where her focus was on sea level rise risk communication and policy research. While pursing her doctorate, she also worked as an outreach coordinator for an ECU research center for coastal hazards. She has a Masters degree in Zoology (Marine Ecology) from University of Georgia and a BS in Biology/Geology from University of Rochester. For nine years she was the executive director of an environmental education center in Illinois, working with communities to improve their recycling, energy efficiency and natural resource conservation efforts.

Dr. Thomas E. Alberts, Full Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Dr. Alberts is a researcher who works in the area of unmanned systems, controls, vibrations, robotics, use of electromagnetic power for transportation, energy harvesting, and design and development of various sensors.

Alison Stinely, Assistant Professor of Art, Department of Art. Professor Stinely is a painter whose work has been shown in many juried and invitational exhibits nationally. She has also been the recipient of many awards and honors and is a two time winner of the prestigious Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant. Professor Stinely’s paintings are in many private collections both domestically and abroad. She has been awarded an ODU Faculty Summer Research Fellowship for her exploration of the hybridization of time-tested art making techniques and new technology within her work. Most recently, her solo exhibition “Nocturnal Emissions” was featured on Hi-Fructose.com as well as Juxtapoz Magazine.

Dr. Wie Yusuf, Public Administration and Public Policy, College of Business – She is a core faculty member teaching in ODU’s Public Service Minor, Master of Public Administration, and PhD in Public Administration and Urban Policy programs. As a policy scholar, she focuses on policy issues that emerge at the intersection of governments, non-profit/non-governmental organizations, businesses, and civil society. These not only include issues that are inter-governmental and multi-sectoral, but also issues that address the interactions between citizens and governments, such as transparency, accountability, and citizen participation.

Dr. James Blando, Environmental Health, College of Health Sciences. His research is in the areas of industrial hygiene, air pollution, environmental public health; environmental and occupational health, air pollution, public health, Safety and Industrial Hygiene, Health effects, Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology, Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health.