The UCF College of Engineering and Computer Science is making an impact in areas such as hypersonic technology, nanomedicine and biomedical engineering, and robotics and autonomous systems – and has hired a new group of faculty who will enhance its reputation in these fields.
Seventeen new faculty members will join four of the six departments for the fall semester. They bring an expertise in areas such as biomedicine, nanomaterials, optoelectronics, semiconductor devices and quantum computing. The addition of this group follows the hiring of more than 30 faculty members during the past academic year, reflecting the college’s goals of providing quality education and producing innovative research.
Needa Brown
Assistant Professor
Brown comes to UCF from Northeastern University, where she served as an assistant professor of physics, the assistant director of the Cancer Nanomedicine Co-ops for Undergraduate Research Experience (CaNCURE), and the founder and director of the master’s degree in nanomedicine. Her research focuses on the development of nanomaterials to provide solutions for cancer and infectious diseases.
At UCF, Brown will join the Infectious Disease and Travel Health Initiative. Her goal is to further the understanding of nanomaterial-biological interactions to create biomedical solutions that will expand the treatment options available to patients.
“I chose UCF due to its highly collaborative environment with multidisciplinary faculty and excellent core facilities that will allow me to drive disease-motivated nanomaterials research forward,” Brown says.”
She obtained her doctoral degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Oklahoma and a bachelor’s degree in biomedicine from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Sidong Lei
Assistant Professor
Lei joins UCF from Georgia State University, where he taught physics. His research lab, known as the Functional Materials Studio, develops new electronic, optoelectronic and quantum devices for applications in biomedicine, microelectronics and sensing systems. Lei earned his doctoral degree from Rice University and completed a postdoctoral research position at the University of California, Los Angeles.
David Mitchell
Associate Professor
Mitchell joins UCF from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he worked as a senior research and development materials scientist. During his tenure at ORNL, he built new research laboratories, advanced manufacturing capabilities and assembled a team to create the next generation of composite materials used in aerospace, hypersonic, nuclear and advanced energy applications. He holds more than 50 patents and has also worked for companies such as Siemens Energy, Boeing and General Electric. He earned his doctoral degree in materials science and engineering from the University of Florida, and completed his research at ORNL.
“I have enjoyed mentoring young scientists and interns for many years,” Mitchell says. “It made it very clear to me that a career as a professor was where I needed to be. I am thrilled to be able to teach, mentor and coach the next generation of amazing scientists at UCF.”
At UCF, Mitchell will have a joint appointment with the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and will be affiliated with the Center for Advanced Turbomachinery and Energy Research. His research will focus on the development of novel materials for advanced manufacturing and hypersonic vehicles.
Aleksandra Petelski
Assistant Professor
Petelski is the co-founder of Parallel Squared Technology Institute, a nonprofit research organization dedicated to scaling up proteomics, or the study of proteins, for biological research. At UCF, she aims to exploit the heterogeneity of single cell proteomes towards building better materials for biomedical applications. She earned her doctoral degree in bioengineering from Northeastern and her master’s and bachelor’s degrees from the Stevens Institute of Technology.
Rachna Rachna
Assistant Professor
Rachna’s research focuses on the innovative green synthesis of nanomaterials and their applications in the degradation of organic contaminants. She earned her doctoral degree in 2021 from the National Institute of Technology in India.
- Written by Marisa Ramiccio
- Aug. 13, 2024