The Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing at IUPUI welcomed 12 faculty members in 2016 and 2017—enhancing offerings in innovative research and academic programs.
“We were fortunate to hire several new, highly talented faculty during the 2016 and 2017 academic years,”said Executive Associate Dean Mathew J. Palakal. “This core group will bring excellence into our academic programs while developing top caliber research in the areas of visual data analytics, human-machine interaction, health, and bioinformatics.”
Eight faculty members joined the Department of Human-Centered Computing, three joined the Department of BioHealth Informatics, and one joined the Department of Library and Information Sciences.
Fawzi BenMessaoud
Lecturer, Informatics
Professor BenMessaoud received his Ph.D. in Information Technology and has been an educator and administrator for over 29 years. He has several years of experience as an intelligence analyst, and developed an information security program for the National Security Administration.
BenMessaoud’s research interests include educational technology integration and interactive learning. He designed and integrated lab simulations to deliver information security system courses online. This project was among the top 101 Best Practices in Integrating Technology with Higher Education for 2005 by Campus Technology magazine.
Ran Chang
Lecturer, Informatics
Professor Chang received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Utah State University and also has an academic and research background in electrical engineering.
His research interests include computer vision, machine learning, pattern recognition, and image processing. Chang’s many projects included developing image retrieval algorithms and systems, wireless power transmission for electrical vehicles at WAVE, Inc., energy sensors for use in buildings, and activity sensors for monitoring elderly or disabled people.
Kyle Jones
Assistant Professor, Library and Information Science
Professor Jones earned his doctoral degree from the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before joining the School of Informatics and Computing, Jones was a professional librarian at Elmhurst College in Illinois, and at Darien Library in Connecticut.
His research on information policy issues related to data practices and technologies primarily focuses on student privacy issues. Jones also studies emerging educational technologies and their use in library information studies programs and professional development.
Mark Larew
Visiting Lecturer, Human-Computer Interaction
Professor Larew received his Ph.D. in Psychology from Yale University. He is currently a senior human factors engineer at Indesign, LLC, an engineering design firm in Indianapolis.
He is teaching graduate and undergraduate Human-Computer Interaction courses in usability and user experience.
Lou Lenzi
Professor of Practice, Media Arts and Science
Professor Lenzi received his degree in Industrial Design and held senior design and development leadership positions with IBM, Thomson Consumer Electronics, GE Healthcare, Audiovox, and GE Appliances over his 36-year career.
His experience includes developing design strategies and initiatives that advance business goals, working with multidisciplinary teams, and creating effective customer experiences through an understanding of market needs, channel dynamics, and regulatory requirements. In 2015, Lenzi was named one of the top 50 designers of the past 50 years by the Industrial Design Society of America.
Lenzi is currently leading the redesign of the Media Arts and Science master’s program.
Aqueasha Martin-Hammond
Assistant Professor, Human-Computer Interaction
Professor Martin-Hammond earned her doctorate in Computer Science at Clemson University. She also completed post-doctoral training at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Martin-Hammond’s research focuses on the use of computers as tools that can change and motivate human behavior. Her work informs the design of personalized systems for addressing challenges related to aging and accessibility.
Andrew Miller
Assistant Professor, Human-Computer Interaction
Professor Miller holds a Ph.D. in Human-Centered Computing from Georgia Tech. Recently, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington.
Miller studies how social computing technology can empower people to assist each other with health and wellness issues. He designs pervasive technologies to enable social support online and offline and works with youth participants to shape those systems.
Saptarshi Purkayastha
Assistant Professor, Health Informatics
Professor Purkayastha received his Ph.D. in Information Systems form Norwegian University of Science and Technology. He has industrial experience at Symantec Corp., Google Inc., and most recently, the World Health Organization.
His research interests include the development of infrastructures for health informatics, and the application of big data analytics and implementation of mobile-based technology in low-resource settings.
Khairi Reda
Assistant Professor, Human-Computer Interaction
Professor Reda received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
His research centers on data visualization and human-computer interaction. Reda has created interactive displays to help museum-goers visualize and understand natural phenomena. He also works closely with scientists to design novel visual interfaces for exploring and gaining insights from large scientific data sets.
Nicole Van Andel
Lecturer, Health Information Management
Professor Van Andel received her master’s degree in Adult Education and her bachelor’s degree in Health Information Administration from Indiana University (IUPUI). She has worked in health information management departments at IU Hospital, Larue Carter Memorial Hospital, and the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana.
Van Andel teaches several courses in the Health Information Management program and will be coordinating practicums for the RHIA and Medical Coding Certificate programs.
Jingwen Yan
Assistant Professor, Bioinformatics
Professor Yan earned her Ph.D. in Bioinformatics from Indiana University. Her research focuses on developing computational and bioinformatics approaches to understanding Alzheimer’s Disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Yan’s work involves analysis of multi-omic molecular data and multimodal imaging data for a better understanding of the pathways and networks underlying complex diseases. She is also interested in the biological application of network visualization and deep learning methods.
Alyson Young
Assistant Professor, Human-Computer Interaction
Professor Young received her Ph.D. in Human-Centered Computing from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Her research focuses on computer supported scientific collaboration. She is particularly interested in studying infrastructure for global environmental change research, multidisciplinary data sharing, and interdisciplinary scientific collaborations. She also investigates how technology both shapes and is shaped by new scientific questions and research foci.
Media Contact
Joanne Lovrinic
jebehele@iu.edu
317-278-9208