The Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science has continued its trend of rapid growth at The University of Texas at Dallas. To keep pace with the increased demand, the school has hired eight new tenure-track professors to continue building the school’s research programs in emerging areas including additive manufacturing, artificial intelligence and data science.
New faculty members include Dr. Feng Chen, Dr. Kangkook Jee and Dr. Jessica Ouyang in computer science; Dr. Wei Li, Dr. Yaqing Jin and Dr. Armin Zare in mechanical engineering; and Dr. Kanad Basu in electrical and computer engineering.
With the opening of the Engineering and Computer Science West building, mechanical engineering faculty members have new facilities for their research groups. Additionally, the National Science Foundation recently funded scholarships for Jonsson School students pursuing advanced degrees in cybersecurity through 2024, as well as a program designed to support minority post-baccalaureate students who are pursuing graduate degrees in STEM fields.
Dr. Stephanie G. Adams, new dean of the school and the Lars Magnus Ericsson Chair, aims to expand the school’s research and program offerings while improving diversity and interdisciplinary collaboration. Adams, who serves as president of the American Society of Engineering Education, is considered a pioneer in her field.
“Like our new faculty joining the Jonsson School, I was also drawn to the school’s rapid growth as well as the considerable investment the broader community has made in engineering and computer science,” Adams said. “We will all get to work over the next few years to build out programs and continue expanding our research to achieve the University’s ambitious goals.”
New Tenure-System Faculty
Dr. Kanad Basu, assistant professor of electrical engineering
Previously: assistant research professor, New York University
Research interests: hardware security, artificial intelligence hardware, edge computing
Quote: “I am most excited by UT Dallas’ great research facilities and the highly ranked Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. I hope to build a good research career and develop collaborations within and across departments.”
Dr. Feng Chen, associate professor of computer science
Previously: assistant professor, University at Albany – State University of New York
Research interests: large-scale data mining, graph mining and machine learning
Quote: “I am most excited about joining one of the largest computer science departments in the country. I look forward to opportunities to collaborate with the faculty in different areas. I also hope to help build a strong data science program at the University.”
Dr. Kangkook Jee, assistant professor of computer science
Previously: researcher, NEC Laboratories America Inc.
Research interests: systems security, operating systems, information flow tracking, program analysis, binary analysis and instrumentation, malware analysis
Quote: “I am excited about meeting students and interacting with them. I want to do the wonderful research necessary to make the world safer and more secure.”
Dr. Yaqing Jin, assistant professor of mechanical engineering
Previously: PhD candidate and research/teaching assistant, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Research Interests: fluid mechanics, renewable energy, fluid-structure interactions, turbulent flow, energy-efficient locomotion
Quote: “The very friendly environment together with the world’s leading research facilities and teams attracted me to UT Dallas. I will establish a strong team and contribute new insights for complex fluid-structure interaction problems and cultivate more students interested in this area.”
Dr. Wei Li, assistant professor of mechanical engineering
Previously: postdoctoral researcher, University of California, Davis
Research interests: additive manufacturing, 3D printing, onsite repair and manufacturing, fabrication and characterization of customized alloy with multimaterials
Quote: “UT Dallas has fast development, a beautiful campus and strong engineering research. I am working on enriching fields in engineering, especially in additive manufacturing and 3D printing. I am creating a research lab focused in these fields and will also contribute by producing advanced manufacturing curriculum.”
Dr. Jessica Ouyang, assistant professor of computer science
Previously: PhD candidate, Columbia University
Research interests: natural language processing, specifically automatic summarization and text generation
Quote: “I am joining a large and collegial department with a very strong research group in my area. I plan to establish an active lab and research program to push the boundaries of automated text generation.”
Dr. Armin Zare, assistant professor of mechanical engineering
Previously: postdoctoral research associate, University of Southern California
Research interests: modeling, dynamics and control of large-scale and distributed systems; and optimization, dynamics and control of complex fluid flows
Quote: “I have an opportunity to build my career in the vibrant environment of a top-tier research institute that is constantly improving and shows the potential for significant growth in the years to come. I hope to advance my research and bring it to a level where I can collaborate with other UT Dallas researchers and demonstrate its utility in practical engineering applications, such as renewable energy generation and modern-day transportation. The ultimate goal is for my work to influence the energy and transportation industry to benefit our day-to-day lives.”