Dr. Mujde Erten-Unal, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. She is the director of the 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 the 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 a 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 leads 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. Balša Terzić, Associate 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. Dr. Terzic is a recipient of a prestigious NSF CAREER award. He has served as a mentor for Research Experiences 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.

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.

Dr. Vukica Jovanovic is a Batten Endowed Fellow and Associate Professor of Engineering Technology in the Mechanical Engineering Technology Program. She holds a Ph.D. from Purdue University in Mechanical Engineering Technology, focuses on Digital Manufacturing. Her research is focused on mechatronics, digital manufacturing, digital thread, cyber-physical systems, broadening participation, and engineering education. She is a Director of Mechatronics and Digital Manufacturing Lab at ODU and a Lead Faculty of Mechatronics area of specialization. She worked as a Visiting Researcher at Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing in Disputanta, VA on projects focusing on the digital thread and cyber security of manufacturing systems. She has funded research in broadening participation efforts of underrepresented students in STEM funded by the Office of Naval Research, focusing on mechatronic pathways through which she supports Granby High School engineering programs in Norfolk, VA, and their Girls in Engineering program. She is part of the projects on additive manufacturing training of active military and veterans, funded by the Office of Naval Research and National Science Foundation. She is part of over $3M research projects and has over 100 peer-reviewed journal and conference publications.

Dr. Otilia Popescu received the Engineering Diploma and M.S. degree from the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest, Romania, and the Ph.D. degree from Rutgers University, all in Electrical and Computer Engineering. While at Rutgers her research was conducted at WINLAB in the area of wireless communications. Her research interests are in the general areas of communication systems, control theory, signal processing, and engineering education. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Technology, Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, where her teaching covers electrical circuits, systems and signals, and communications courses. She has worked in the past for the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of Texas at San Antonio, Rutgers University, and the Politehnica University of Bucharest. She is a senior member of the IEEE and participates often in the technical program committee for IEEE conferences. She serves as an associate editor for IEEE Communication Letters. In the community, Dr. Popescu is interested in stimulating K-12 students’ interest in excellence in mathematics and problem-solving. She serves as local manager for Math Kangaroo International Competition and organizes the competition locally each year in March.

Dr. Murat Kuzlu is an Assistant Professor at Electrical Engineering Technology at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and is currently serving as the Chapter Treasurer of IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) Northern Virginia Section. Dr. Kuzlu received his Ph.D. in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering in 2010 and joined Virginia Tech’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering as a post-doctoral fellow in 2011. Dr. Kuzlu’s research focuses on smart grid applications, including smart home and building research, transactive energy system, real-time co-simulation platform, and smart grid communications and security.

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 has been named the Employee of the Month (12/2013). The 40-foot domed planetarium is used by the introductory astronomy classes which 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 features 5.1 surround audio.

Dr. Thomas E. Alberts, Full Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Dr. Alberts has a Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Eng., Dynamics and Controls, Vibrations, Robotics, Georgia Institute of Technology, and M.S. and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. 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.

Professor Carol Considine is Assistant Dean for Outreach and Diversity at Batten College of Engineering and Technology. She received B.S. in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech, and an M.S in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Ms. Considine is Assistant Dean of Outreach at Batten College of Engineering and Technology, at Old Dominion University. Prior to joining ODU, Ms. Considine had fifteen years of industrial experience in the construction industry. Her research is focused on applied research and civil engineering technology education. Ms. Considine has been actively involved in applied research and has been a Co-PI on several funded competitive grants exceeding $1.0 million.

Dr. Petros Katsioloudis is a Full Professor and a Chair of the STEM Department of Professional Studies at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA. He is a Program Director of the Industrial Technology program. Over the last ten years, he demonstrated consistent growth by conducting research on improving teacher performance in STEM education, focusing on spatial visualization best teaching practices, and enhancing a national STEM-educated workforce; teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in industrial technology/engineering and technology education, and serving his academic and professional communities. As evidence of his accomplishments in both empirical and practitioner-based STEM-related research, Dr. Katsioloudis has published 40 nationally refereed and/or peer-reviewed articles (20 posts tenured) one refereed book chapter, 18 papers in refereed conference proceedings, and presented 30 international, 10 national, and 20 regional conference papers. He has served as either PI or Co-PI on grants totaling over $8,000.000.00, including a major grant aimed at increasing the number of high school STEM teachers. Recognized by the Darden College of Education for his theoretical and applied research, he was awarded the New Investigator Grants Award in 2010 and the Instructional Publications Award in 2011. Recognized by the professional community in 2012 Dr. Katsioloudis was awarded the DELOS Best Paper Award and in 2014 the Editors Award for an outstanding research paper both from the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). He was also awarded the “Achievement Award: Non-Degree Research”, at the Virginia Technology and Engineering Education Association annual conference.

Dr. Denise Tombolato-Terzic is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Molecular Biology and Chemistry at Christopher Newport University, Newport News, Virginia. Born and raised in Brazil, Denise Tombolato-Terzic earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomical Engineering at her prestigious alma mater “ESALQ”, University of São Paulo’s agricultural campus. She completed her graduate work at the University of Florida, having pursued Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Plant Pathology and Molecular Biology, respectively. After a brief time in the industry, Dr. Tombolato-Terzic returned to academia, seeking a Master’s degree in Bioinformatics at Northern Illinois University. Currently, Dr. Tombolato-Terzic is a lecturer at the Molecular Biology and Chemistry department at Christopher Newport University. She teaches laboratory courses, lectures, scientific literacy, scientific writing, and how to deliver oral presentations.