Faculty and Staff
Department Chair | Dept. Administrative Aide | Full-time Faculty | Part-time Faculty | Staff
Department Chair
Email: nawal.benmouna@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5230
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 436B
Biography
Dr. Benmouna joined Montgomery College in 2006 as a faculty member in the Rockville Physics, Engineering, and Geosciences department. She holds a PhD in experimental nuclear physics from American University and conducted her doctoral research at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center in Palo Alto, California. Prior to joining the College, she was a postdoctoral research scientist at the George Washington University where she conducted research in experimental nuclear physics at the Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory.
During her tenure at Montgomery College, Dr. Benmouna received a National Science Foundation grant to develop a Student Centered Active Learning Environment for Undergraduate Programs, known as SCALE-UP, in pilot sections in physics. Her work led to a redesigned inquiry-based curriculum in non-engineering physics classes. She has served for many years on the Collegewide Outcomes Assessment Team, working particularly with the general education assessment subgroup to develop collegewide assessment rubrics, and currently serves on the General Education Transform and Restructure Committee. She formerly served on the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) Transform Group, and chaired the Rockville CTL Work Group for two years to facilitate active learning and inquiry-based learning workshops for College faculty.
Dr. Benmouna has been an active collaborator on the Physics Education Research group at the University of Maryland in the development of physics for life sciences curriculum, an emerging national model in the field. She is a member of the American Physical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers. She has co-authored publications in the field of physics education and presented at national conferences.
Dr. Benmouna is a recipient of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Excellence award, the Montgomery College Faculty Outstanding Service Award, and the Above and Beyond the Call award from the Office of Institutional Advancement. She has been recognized by the Office of the Vice President for Planning and Institutional Effectiveness for her work in Outcomes Assessment in the sciences.
Department Administrative Aide
Email: bonita.bennett@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5230
Office Location: Rockville Campus, Sc 436B
Biography
Ms. Bennett is the Departmental Administrative Assistant and Office Manager. She is responsible for the management of the day-to-day operations of the department. Prior to joining Montgomery College, Ms. Bennett held administrative support positions at Johns Hopkins University on the Montgomery County Campus. She has a BS in Business and Management from the University of Maryland, University College.
Full-time Faculty
Full-time Faculty Office Hours (PDF, )
Faculty Advisors Office Hours Fall 2019 (PDF, )
Email: carrie.fitzgerald@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5415
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC436L
Biography
Dr. Fitzgerald received her MS and PhD degrees in physics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a BS degree in Physics from Stetson University. She joined the department during the fall 2009 semester, after working as a senior scientist at National Security Technologies Remote Sensing Laboratory. Prior to that, she was awarded a National Research Council Associateship with the Space Sciences Division at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL).
Currently she is teaching Astronomy (AS101) and is actively engaged in getting the new observatory facility on the roof of the Science Center ready to use for astronomy education, student research, and community outreach. Dr. Fitzgerald organizes the twice monthly observatory public nights and special astronomy events. Additionally, she serves as the faculty advisor for the Astronomy Club (the 2012 “Club of the Year” at Montgomery College).
Website: Carrie FitzgeraldEducational Background
- BS, Physics, Stetson University
- MS, Physics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
- PhD, Nuclear Astrophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Email: Robert.Alexander@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5164
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 439
Office Hours: Tu,Th 11:00am-1:30pm
Biography
Dr. Alexander holds a BS degree from the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, an MS in Operations Analysis, and a PhD in Computer Science from Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He joined Montgomery College in fall 2013 and has taught Computer Science I and II, Introduction to Programming, and Discrete Structures.
Dr. Alexander served 23 years as in the U.S. Army as an Armor officer and as an Operations Analyst. He then worked in industry at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) and Knowledge and Decision Sciences (KADSCI) for 15 years and continues to consult through KADSCI. His projects included development of simulations and frameworks for distributed simulations, analysis of various defense systems using distributed simulation, Social Network Analysis and Crowd-Sourcing as intelligence analysis tools, a National Cancer Institute initiative to integrate biomedical informatics systems nationwide, and development of a Human Resources tool for the IRS to compare workload with available workforce. His research interests include simulation of combat operations, computational geometry, and artificial intelligence. As an adjunct professor he has taught undergraduate Computer Science courses at Park College, Mo., and graduate Operations Analysis courses at George Mason University, Fairfax, Va.
Educational Background
- BS, General Engineering, United States Military Academy
- MS, Operations Analysis, Naval Postgraduate School,United States Military Academy
- PhD, Computer Science, Naval Postgraduate School
Email: ck.chiang@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-2306
Educational Background
BS, Mechanical Engineering, Tamkang UniversityMS, Mechanical Engineering, Old Dominion University
PhD, Engineer Mechanics, Old Dominion University
Email: grigoriy.grinberg@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-7161
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 335
Biography
Dr. Grinberg holds a B.S, a M.S. and Ph.D. from State Technical University, St. Petersburg, Russia, in Mechanical Engineering. He joined the department in Fall 2001. Dr. Grinberg has taught all levels of Computer Science and Information Technologies courses. He is one of the organizers of the annual programming competition for high school students that has been offered since 2007.
Dr. Grinberg’s research interests are in mobile programming, such as iPhone, iPad, and Android programming.
Educational Background
- BS & MS, Mechanical Engineering, State Technical University, St. Petersburg, Russia
- PhD, Mechanical Engineering, State Technical University, St. Petersburg, Russia
Email: janet.joy@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5180
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 438
Biography
Professor Joy holds a B.S. from Inter-American University in Puerto Rico, an M.S. from City University of NY (Brooklyn College) in Computer Science, and a M.Ed. in TESOL (ESL) from Shenandoah University.
She joined Montgomery College full time in spring 2009. Prior to joining Montgomery College, Professor Joy taught computer science at Northern Virginia Community College, Trenton State College and LaGuardia Community College in New York. She also worked as a programmer for several years.
Professor Joy is especially interested in online learning and the use of online technology to enhance learning. She has developed two educational websites, hello-world.com for language learning, and zebra0.com for computer science education. She creates educational games and activities using Flash, ActionScript, PHP, and Javascript.
Website: zebra0.com/MC
Educational Background
- BS, Psychology, Interamerican University
- MS, Computer Science, Brooklyn College
- MEd, TESOL, Shenandoah University
Email: david.kuijt@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5172
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 454F
Biography
Dr. Kuijt graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in computer science from the University of Maryland College Park, where he later earned a Ph.D. after completing a computer science dissertation on "An Object-Oriented Approach to Parallel Spatial Indexing of Vector-Format Polygons." After serving as an adjunct professor who taught courses in computer science and electrical engineering, Dr. Kuijt joined Montgomery College as a full-time associate professor at the start of the fall 2015 semester.
Prior to joining MC, Dr. Kuijt taught both undergraduate- and graduate-level computer
and information systems courses at the American University. He has also taught in
the College Park and University College divisions of the University of Maryland.
Dr. Kuijt was born in Vancouver, BC, Canada. He is director of the MC Grand Challenges
Scholars Program and faculty mentor for the MC NASA Swarmathon competition team.
Educational Background
- BS, Computer Science, University of Maryland
- PhD, Computer Science, University of Maryland
Email: khandan.monshi@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-8063
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 422
Biography
Professor Monshi holds a B.S. from Bilkent University in Turkey and a M.S. from Johns Hopkins University. After serving as an adjunct professor who taught courses in computer science, Professor Monshi joined Montgomery College as a full-time associate professor at the start of the fall 2015 semester. Among the courses she has taught at the College are Introduction to Programming, Java Programming Language, Computer Science I, and Discrete Structures. She has also taught computer science and digital design in Maryland at Paint Branch High School and Winston Churchill High School.Prior to her teaching career, Professor Monshi served as a software engineer at Hughes Network Systems in Maryland, where she helped design and implement the software of a next generation satellite system. She also was a database analyst/programmer at Sinasoft Company in Iran, where she designed and developed database architecture for information systems projects.
Educational Background
- BS, Computer Science and Information Systems, Bilkent University, Turkey
- MS, Computer Science and Information Systems, Johns Hopkins University, USA
Email: Ahmed.Tarek@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5177
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC333
Biography
Dr. Ahmed Tarek received his BS from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and his Master of Engineering (MEngg) from Nagoya Institute of Technology in Nagoya, Japan. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from Texas Tech University. Since the beginning of his professional career, Dr. Tarek has taught a number of graduate and undergraduate computer science and computing courses to numerous US universities in and abroad. He has regularly published research articles related to computer science, computing, and computer science education in a wide variety of national and international journals and conference proceedings. He served as the Session Chair and Session Co-chair to a number of international conferences as well. His biography has appeared in Who’s Who in Science and Engineering since the 9th edition as well as in the Who’s Who in the World since its 25th Silver Anniversary Edition. For his contribution to computer science, he received the Best Research Paper award in 2009 from the World Scientific and Engineering Academy and Society (WSEAS).Dr. Tarek’s research interests include design and analysis of algorithms, classical and real-time software engineering, real-time software systems, data structures, computer science education, and discrete computational structures. He is a lifetime faculty member of Upsilon Pi Epsilon, the International Honor Society in Computing Sciences.
Since the beginning of his professional career, Dr. Tarek has taught a number of graduate and undergraduate computer science and computing courses at numerous US universities and abroad.
Educational Background
- BS, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Master of Engineering (MEngg) from Nagoya Institute of Technology (NIT), Nagoya, Japan
- PhD, Computer Science, Texas Tech University
Email: gary.thai@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-7472
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 441
Educational Background
Professor Thai holds a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland, a MS in electrical engineering from The Johns Hopkins University, and a MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management. In addition, he is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute (PMI).
Professor Thai has taught on-campus, on-line and blended courses in the business, computer science and computer applications disciplines at Montgomery College (MC) for more than ten years. Prior to teaching at MC, he taught undergraduate and graduate courses at the University of Phoenix. Professor Thai has more than 20 years of software development and project management experience, working as a project manager managing IT projects for various organizations in the Washington D.C. area.
Professor Thai enjoys sharing his knowledge with his classes, and he is passionate about teaching. His current interests include mobile and web development, and software development in the engineering discipline.
Educational Background
- BS, Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland
- MS, Electrical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University
- MBA, Keller Graduate School of Management
Email: alla.webb@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-7934
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 440
Educational Background
Dr. Alla Webb holds both a B.S. and a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from State Technical University, St.Petersburg, Russia, a M.S. in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University, and a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from George Washington University. She has over 15 years of experience in higher education and has taught a wide variety of computer science courses. Her professional experience in the private sectors involved all phases of the system development cycle, including project management, requirement analysis, system design, programming, testing, system administration, database design and administration, and system installation. Dr. Webb is the Principal Investigator (PI) of the American Association of Colleges and Universities Teaching to Increase Diversity and Equity in STEM (TIDES) grant.
Dr. Webb’s research interests include mobile development, software engineering, and database management systems.
Educational Background
- BS & MS, Mechanical Engineering, State Technical University, St.Petersburg, Russia
- MS, Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University
- PhD,Systems Engineering, George Washington University
Email: Palma.Catravas@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-4120
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 436N
Biography
Dr. Palma Catravas holds a BS in Electrical Engineering and a BM in piano performance from the University of Maryland at College Park and an MS and PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She performed research in the area of radiation-based electron beam diagnostics and plasma based accelerators at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Prior to joining Montgomery College, Dr. Catravas mentored undergraduates as a faculty member in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Union College, where she was a finalist for the Stillman Teaching Prize in 2014 and the recipient of the Student-nominated Brate Advising Award in the spring of 2018. Dr. Catravas developed a specialized laboratory at the interface of Electrical Engineering and Music (Phasor Lab) and has received a patent on a spectral analysis technique derived from music visualization.
In addition to traditional EE topics, her teaching interests also include nanoscale microscopy, including scanning electron and atomic force microscopy.
Educational Background
- PhD in Electrical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- MS in Electrical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- BS in Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland at College Park
- BM in Piano Performance, University of Maryland at College Park
Email: donald.day@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5235
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 445
Biography
Dr. Day holds a B.S. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a M.S. from University of Maryland, College Park and a Ph.D. from American University. He has been with the department since 1967. Dr. Day has taught all levels of Physics, Physical Science, and Engineering courses over the years. He is currently responsible for much of the engineering advising for our 1200 engineering students. He is the co-creator of the new Engineering Advising website.
Dr. Day created PH110 (Sound & Light in the Arts), ES240 (Engineering Computation), PH161 (Engineering Physics I, Mechanics), PH262 (Engineering Physics II, Electricity and Magnetism), PH263 (Engineering Physics III, Optics and Modern Physics), EE204 (Circuit Theory) and was a co-creator of the college's original course in computer graphics, CG120.
Educational Background
- BS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- MS, University of Maryland, College Park
- PhD, American University
Email: Craig.Mogren@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5237
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 436E
Biography
Professor Garrison-Mogren holds a B.S. from Clarkson University and a M.S. from Syracuse University. He joined the department in spring 2006 semester. Prior to joining us Professor Garrison-Mogren was Professor and department chair at the Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus where he taught chemistry, engineering, and physics courses.
He was an international service engineer for Westinghouse Power Service Company. His research work at Syracuse was in studying the kinetic properties of molecules in free molecular flow inside capillaries. He designed, organized, and built the graduate and undergraduate mechanical engineering laboratories at Johns Hopkins University. At the Maryland Science Center, he worked with the educational programs and advised on various technical questions in developing the programs.
He has since been a consultant engineer on the mechanical analysis of scaling down of chemical reactions in microplates, lifespan of flexing fiberglass plates, and mechanical properties of elastic membranes. He is currently working on design of residential energy systems (solar photo-voltaic systems, ground loop HVAC, energy efficient residential construction). Professor Mogren is also the faculty advisor for the Montgomery College chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB-USA).
Educational Background
- BS, Mechanical Engineering, Clarkson University
- MS, Mechanical Engineering, Syracuse University
Email: wendy.he@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5229
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 436H
Biography
Dr. He received her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and a B.S. degree in applied mechanics from the National University of Defense Technology, China. She joined the department in the Fall 2005 semester. Dr. He worked in the aerospace industry for five years where her duties included mechanical design, thermal stress, and heat transfer analysis of rocket engines. Prior to joining Montgomery College, Dr. He was an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Lake Superior State University, where she taught the complete range of general engineering courses and supervised senior research projects involving the development of an underwater robotic arm and associated control systems.
Dr. He’s research work includes the design of mechanical testing and numerical modeling on biomaterials and biomechanical design for the chromatography column, which had been collaborated with Holland Laboratories (of American Red Cross) in Rockville, Maryland. Dr. He is a member of the Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers, and the International Society on Oxygen Transport to Tissue.
Educational Background
- BS, Aerospace Engineering, National University of Defense Technology, China
- MS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
- PhD, Bio-mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Email: chienannalex.hou@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-7608
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 436D
Biography
Dr. Hou holds a B.S. from National TsingHwa University in Taiwan and a M.S. and Ph.D. from Ohio State University. Dr. Hou joined the department in fall 2002. Dr. Hou taught Mechanical Engineering for more than ten years at Howard University. He also has five years experience working in the aerospace industry and for the federal government as a computer systems engineer. He holds a Professional Engineer (PE) license in DC and has co-authored more than 20 research articles and served as chair of many professional conferences.
He is the Engineering Program Coordinator responsible for coordinating engineering events and activities. His primary teaching responsibilities cover almost all Engineering Science (ES) courses. He has served as the Robotics Club advisor since 2003, leading students to national competitions. From 2008 to 2013, Dr. Hou was the Principal Investigator (PI) of NSF S-STEM grant that provided more than a half million dollars in MC and transfer scholarships. In fall 2013, he was invited as a visiting honorary professor to teach and conduct research at China University of Science and Technology (CUST) in Taiwan.
Dr. Hou's research interests are in CAD/CAM, robotics, numerical mechanics, and engineering
education.
Website: https://info.montgomerycollege.edu/faculty/chou/index.html
Educational Background
- BS, Power Mechanical Engineering, National TsingHua University, Taiwan
- MS, Mechanical Engineering, Ohio State University
- PhD, Mechanical Engineering, Ohio State University
Email: david.kuijt@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5172
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 454F
Biography
Dr. Kuijt graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in computer science from the University of Maryland College Park, where he later earned a Ph.D. after completing a computer science dissertation on "An Object-Oriented Approach to Parallel Spatial Indexing of Vector-Format Polygons." After serving as an adjunct professor who taught courses in computer science and electrical engineering, Dr. Kuijt joined Montgomery College as a full-time associate professor at the start of the fall 2015 semester.
Prior to joining MC, Dr. Kuijt taught both undergraduate- and graduate-level computer
and information systems courses at the American University. He has also taught in
the College Park and University College divisions of the University of Maryland.
Dr. Kuijt was born in Vancouver, BC, Canada. He is director of the MC Grand Challenges
Scholars Program and faculty mentor for the MC NASA Swarmathon competition team.
Educational Background
- BS, Computer Science, University of Maryland
- PhD, Computer Science, University of Maryland
Email: Charles.Kung@Montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-2307
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 237
Educational Background
Dr. Kung also teaches on the Germantown Campus.Dr. Kung received his M.S. in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Ohio State University. He joined MC in 1987. He has taught courses in multiple departments including courses in Computer-Aided Design, Automation and Control, Computer Applications, Computer Science, Math, Physics, and Engineering. Dr. Kung has enjoyed teaching courses at all levels ranging from the developmental courses at MC to a graduate course at Howard University. His industrial experience includes nuclear power plant simulator design at Singer, space structural design at NSI/Goddard, army water transport system design at Vitro, power plant renewal at Bechtel, and software development at AutoDesk.
Dr. Kung likes to design and operate radio controlled flying machines. He also has an interesting collection of humanoid robots and Arduino-based mobile robots.
Educational Background
- MS, Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
- PhD, Mechanical Engineering, Ohio State University
Email: Lan.Xiang@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-1740
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 436F
Biography
Dr. Xiang holds a BS from Jiaotong University in China and an MS and PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. She joined the department in fall 2003. Dr. Xiang has taught all of the electrical engineering courses including: Digital Logic Design, Basic Circuit Analysis, and Programming Concepts for Engineering.
Dr. Xiang's research interests are in communication systems, statistical and digital signal processing, blind source separation, and interference cancellation.
Educational Background
- BS, Electrical Engineering, Xi'an Jiantong University
- MS Electrical Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University
- MS, Electrical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania
- PhD, Electrical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania
Email: alan.cutler@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5231
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 436J
Biography
Dr. Cutler holds a B.A. in geology from Carleton College, a M.S. in geology from the
University of Rochester, and a PhD, in geosciences from the University of Arizona.
Over his career he has worked as a scientific researcher, exhibit developer, science
writer at the Smithsonian Institution and taught geoscience courses at the University
of Rochester, University of Chicago, National Louis University, and Northern Virginia
Community College. Before joining the department in fall 2010, Dr. Cutler was a science
writer and publications officer at the Carnegie Institution for Science.
Dr. Cutler’s book, the Seashell on the Mountaintop: A Story of Science, Sainthood,
and the Humble Genius Who Discovered a New History of the Earth, was a Barnes & Noble
Discover Great New Writers 2003 summer selection and won the National Association
of Geoscience Teachers James H. Shea Award in 2008. His writings have appeared in
Science magazine, the Washington Post, Geotimes, and numerous other publications.
Dr. Cutler’s primary research interests are in paleobiology, paleoecology, the history
of geology, and the geology of Montgomery County. He also continues an active interest
in science writing.
Educational Background
- BA, Geology, Carleton College
- MS, Geology, University of Rochester
- PhD, Geosciences, University of Arizona
Email: arya.akmal@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-7606
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 436G
Biography
Dr. Arya Akmal obtained a BS and an MS in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, after beginning his career as an engineering student at the Rockville campus. He holds a PhD in computational nuclear physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Akmal has co-authored research articles in a wide range of fields, including atmospheric radiative transfer and remote sensing, physical oceanography, spectroscopy of diffuse media, and thermodynamics of biological macromolecules. He contributed to the development of the Akmal-Pandharipande-Ravenhall (APR) equation of state for dense matter, a commonly used, realistic description of matter under extreme conditions such as that found in the interior of neutron stars.
His research interests involve phase transitions and critical phenomena in “soft” condensed matter. He has most recently studied folding mechanisms of biological macromolecules, and is interested in self-assembling mesoscale structures in aqueous solutions. He has taught at Montgomery College since the spring of 2007.
Educational Background
- BS, Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- MS, Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- PhD, Computational Nuclear Physics University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Email: catalina.cetina@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5236
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 444
Biography
Dr. Cetina received her PhD degree in experimental nuclear physics from the George Washington University based on work performed at the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility in Newport News, VA. She studied fission of heavy nuclei induced by photons in the few-GeV energy range.
Dr. Cetina won the National Research Council award for postdoctoral research at the Naval Research Laboratory and worked in applied physics at the lab's multipurpose 3-MV accelerator facility. She concentrated on accelerator mass spectrometry and specialized in high-precision isotope analysis, but also performed accelerator-based ion-beam implantations and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry.
Dr. Cetina started teaching physics to engineering students in her home country – Romania. She later returned to teaching at Northern Virginia Community College, where she was also co-advising the undergraduate research activity within the local chapter of the Society of Physics Students. She joined the physics faculty at Montgomery College, Rockville, in fall 2013 and is currently serving as STEM representative on the General Education Restructuring Committee.
Educational Background
- BS/MS, Nuclear Physics, University of Bucharest, Romania
- PhD, Nuclear Physics, The George Washington University, Washington DC
Email: hollis.williams@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240 567-4129
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 436K
Educational Background
Dr. Williams holds a B.A. in Physics from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. and a Ph.D. – both in physics – from American University. He has taught from high school through all college levels. Other institutions at which he has taught include T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, VA; Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology; Northern Virginia Community College (Annandale); The American University; and, Trinity University.
The emphases of his master’s thesis and Ph.D. research dissertation were in acoustical physics, since music has always been a major key (B#) of his life.
Dr. Williams is a member of the Acoustical Society of America and continues his lifelong love affair with music by participating in various live music events, where he mainly plays bass (guitar) and sings (often in harmony). He is a longtime member of a local choir.
His current responsibilities at Montgomery College are teaching physics to enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts, alike.
Educational Background
- BA, Physics, University of Pennsylvania
- MS, Physics, American university
- PhD, Physics American University
Email: helio.zwi@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-4395
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 436P
Biography
Dr. Helio Zwi holds a BS degree from the University of Campinas in Brazil and an MS degree from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Both degrees are in physics, as is his PhD from UCLA, where he focused on experimental plasma physics. Prior to joining Montgomery College, Dr. Zwi was a senior software architect for a firm offering engineering, consulting, and construction services to private industry and government clients. He also served as a senior research physicist in scientific software design and development. His post-doctoral research was at UCLA'S High Power Auroral Stimulation Observatory in Fairbanks, Alaska.- PHYS161/262 Coordinator
Fall 2019: PHYS262/262D/262L, PHYS263/263D/263L
Educational Background
- BS, Physics, UNICAMP Brazil
- MS, and PhD, Physics, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
Part-time Faculty
Part-time Faculty Office Hours Fall 2019 (PDF, )
Email: gloria.barron@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-6974
Office Hours: By appointment
Biography
Gloria Barron is an instructional designer, professional development trainer and course developer. She is a technical subject matter expert and provides guidance to less experienced employees. Gloria teachers computer courses in digital media and society, computer concepts, introduction to computer programming and animation.
Educational Background
- Bachelor of Science, Computer Information Systems, University of Houston
- Master of Education, Curriculum and Instruction, George Mason University
- Master Certificate in IT: eLearning, George Mason University
- Web Development and Design, Montgomery College
Courses Taught
CMSC 100, CMSC 110
Email: bo.chan@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5119
Office Hours: by appointment
Biography
With a solid background in computer science, Professor Chan's focus is on database management and data science. Computer science is a discipline that embraces critical thinking, creativity, language competency, logic reasoning, and persistency. Professor Chan has been teaching for more than 15 years and enjoys the classroom interaction. She believes advanced technology literacy is a required skillset for faculty, students, and future workforce.Educational Background
- BS in Computer Science, University of Maryland, College Park
- MS in Information Systems, and Technologies, Johns Hopkins University
Email: jconnor@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5230
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 446
Educational Background
- BS, Georgetown University
- MS & PhD, Pennsylvania State University
Educational Background
- BS, Computer Science, University of Maryland
- MS, Information and Telecommunication Systems, The Johns Hopkins University
Email: ida.justh@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-4524
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 454G
Educational Background
- BS, Mathematics & Music, Greenville University
- MAT, Mathematics, Brown University
Email: jeannette.kartchner@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5230
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 411
Biography
Professor Kartchner has taught at Montgomery College since 2000 in a regular face-to-face classroom, blended format, and online. Previously, she taught a variety of computer science and math courses at Glendale Community College, part of the Maricopa County Community College System, in Phoenix, Arizona. Prof. Kartchner has a master's degree in computer science from University of Southern California, and bachelor's degrees in computer science and mathematics from Brigham Young University. She worked as a software engineer for the aerospace company McDonnell Douglas for several years. She developed software for several classified projects and was the Principle Investigator for a research and development team.Educational Background
- BS, Computer Science, and BS, Mathematics, Brigham Young University
- MS, Computer Science, University of Southern California
Email: sharon.kauffman@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-3145
Office Hours: By appointment
Educational Background
- BS, University of Maryland University College, Management and Marketing
- MS, University of Maryland University College, Management and Marketing
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 454G
Email: William.Krayer@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5230
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 436M
Biography
Prof. Krayer is an adjunct instructor and discipline coordinator for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (AOSC).Educational Background
- BS, Meteorology, Rutgers University
- MEd, Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 454T
Educational Background
- BS, Physics, University of Isfahan, Iran
- MS, Solid State Physics, Michigan State University
- MS, Nuclear Physics, and completed PhD course works in Nuclear Physics, Florida State University
Educational Background
- MS, Computer Science, Novosibirsk State University, Russia
Educational Background
- MS, Geology, University of South Carolina
- PhD, Geology, University of South Carolina
Courses Taught
Marine Geology, Hydrogeology and Earth Science EducationBiography
Professor Mirchin has been a science teacher and secondary educator for over 20 years, working in middle schools, high schools, and community colleges. Professor Mirchin has been teaching at Montgomery College for five years for courses such as General Biology, Introduction to Chemistry, and Physical Science.Educational Background
- Ed.D., Science Education, Teachers College, Columbia University
- Ed.M. Secondary Science Education, Teachers College, Columbia University
- B.S., Biology, Guilford College
Biography
Chidubem Arthur Nwokoye, Ph.D., is an adjunct professor in the Rockville Engineering,
Physical, and Computer Sciences Department, where he has taught courses such as ENEE
207 (Electric Circuits) and ENES 100 (Introduction to Engineering Design). He has
B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the George Washington University,
and a M.S. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.
He has over 10 years of experience working as an electronics engineer for the Navy
on projects that involve ferromagnetic resonance measurement systems, low temperature
magneto-optical measurement systems, antenna systems design, and radar systems. He
is the author of nine peer-reviewed technical papers and is the recipient of the Twelfth
Annual NAWCAD Commanders Award and the 2014 BEYA’s Modern Day Technology Leader Award.
He is also a member of the American Physical Society (APS), Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the Association of Old Crows (AOC).
Educational Background
BS, Electrical Engineering, George Washington University
MS, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
PhD, Electrical Engineering, George Washington University
Email: patrick_k_oconnor@mcpsmd.org
Phone: 240-567-5230
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 409
Office Hours: 5:00-6:00pm
Educational Background
- BS, Physics
- BS, Science Education
- MDiv, Theology
Email: tpeachey@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5230
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 436M
Educational Background
BS, Physics, Catholic University of AmericaMS, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences formerly Meteorology, University of Maryland
Email: aaron.rappaport@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5230
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 411
Biography
Dr. Rappaport joined Montgomery College in 2015 as an adjunct in the Rockville Engineering, Physical, and Computer Sciences Department. He received his PhD in experimental soft condensed matter physics from the University of Colorado, where he specialized in liquid crystal physics. He then did postdoctoral research at University of Oregon in experimental single molecule biophysics.Educational Background
- BA, Math, Rice University
- PhD, Physics, University of Colorado
Email: mshah@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5230
Office Hours: By appointment only
Biography
Professor Shah has been an information technology professional for over 18 years. Teaching and working with students give her the opportunity to share her knowledge. She has taught at Montgomery College for over 15 years for courses such as Computer Concepts, Intro to Programming, C++, Python, MS Office, Computer and Database Concepts, Web technologies, and HTML.Educational Background
BS, Microbiology Gujarat University, IndiaEmail: ashah@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-7722
Office Hours: By appointment
Biography
Professor Shah has been an Information Technology Professional for over 23 years, working in Systems Management, IT/Cyber Security, Software Development, Enterprise Portal Deployment/Development, Web 2.0 technologies, Enterprise Reporting, Data warehouses and UI Design/Development. Professor Shah has been teaching at Montgomery College for over 18 years for courses such as System Analysis and Design, Microcomputer Essentials, Network Security, Information Security Capstone, C++ Programming, Web technologies, HTML, Java, Oracle, Computer and Database Concepts and Project Management.Educational Background
- BS, Electronics and Telecommunications, Pune University, India
- MS, Information Systems and Technology, The Johns Hopkins University
Biography
Professor Simkanich has been teaching for 17 years, the last 13 as a computer science teacher in Montgomery County Public Schools. For the past five years he has been teaching computer science in the Upcounty Center Magnet program at Roberto Clemente Middle School. He loves computer science education and facilitating the learning of new technology to learners from all different backgrounds.Educational Background
- BS, Elementary Education, Pennsylvania State University
- Master's Degree, Educational Technology, Johns Hopkins University
- Supervision and Administration Certificate from McDaniel College
Office Hours: By Appointment
Educational Background
- BS, Electrical Engineering
- MS, Computer Systems, Management, University of Maryland University College
Biography
Professor Snyder teaches core programming classes to beginning computer science students, engineers, and scientists who want to do their own programming, and others wishing to try programming to see if it "feels right" as a career choice or a career change. Professor Snyder is actively employed as a programmer/analyst under contract to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and therefore teaches mainly in the evenings and sometimes on weekends. He makes time outside of class and work to meet with students one-on-one who may be struggling or need just a little extra help.Educational Background
PhD, Physics, University of FloridaEmail: Richard.Szwerc@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5230
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 446
Office Hours: M & W 5:00-6:00pm
Educational Background
BS & MS, Stevens Institute of TechnologyPhD, Pennsylvania State University
Email: ping-wei.tsai@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-4985
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 454A
Educational Background
- BS, Applied Chemistry, Tam Kang University, Taiwan
- MA, Recreation, Resource Planning, and Management, University of Maryland
- MS, Information Systems, George Mason University
Email: benjamin.tsai@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-4987
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 454J
Biography
Benjamin Kohweng Tsai was born in Taipei, Taiwan. When he was 7, his family immigrated to the United States. He attended Brigham Young University and graduated with a BSME degree in April 1987. Then he obtained a MSME degree in May, 1990, at Purdue University by completing his thesis on “Dual-wavelength Radiation Thermometry: Emissivity Compensation Algorithms.” In May, 1993, he obtained a PhD degree at Purdue University with a dissertation entitled, “Macroscopic Spread Function Analysis for Subsurface Scattering in Semitransparent Materials.” Since that time, he has worked in the Sensor Science Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). His interests and projects have included development of a new irradiance scale, making accurate temperature measurements in rapid thermal processing, evaluating skin reflectance, understanding ageing effects in ceramics, and making measurements for the Measurement Assurance Program for Solid State Lighting.Educational Background
- BS, Mechanical Engineering, Brigham Young University
- MS, Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University
- PhD, Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University
Email: kam.yee@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-4985
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 454A
Biography
Principal Systems Engineering Consultant at GL Communications, Inc., specializing in communications systems for the public transit industry.Educational Background
BS, Electrical Engineering, North Carolina State University
BS, Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University
MS, Electrical Engineering, North Carolina State University
PhD, Electrical Engineering, North Carolina State University
Staff
Email: paul.bayhurst@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-4179
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 425
Biography
Mr. Bayhurst is the Engineering Lab Coordinator/Shop Supervisor. He has a BA in English from John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. Before working for Montgomery College Mr. Bayhurst worked as a cabinet-maker, having studied his trade in places such as Cleveland, Charlotte, San Diego, Las Vegas, Hawaii, and Washington DC. Not only has he mastered the tools of the trade, but he also taught classes in the fine art of cabinet-making and furniture-making. Mr. Bayhurst's experience ranges from the complexities of taking a job from the earliest stages of planning and engineering to getting the required tools and materials for which to build the project. He is a winner of the Washington Building Congress award for a job he did for Choice Hotels International. When he’s not building something Paul can be found riding his Indian motorcycle or on a rugby pitch.Biography
Mr. Syed Gilani completed his MS in Physics from Bahauddin Zakariya University, Pakistan. Later he earned his MS in Physics from North Carolina Central University and MS in Nanoscience from University of North Carolina Greensboro. He has experience of fabrication characterization of thin film, nanowires, quantum dots, microfluidics and microelectrodes. His research in graduate school was to design and fabricate flexible microelectrode for future portable electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor that can easily incorporated into textile for long term monitoring of cardiac activities and cost-effective diagnostic tool. The microelectrode that has potential to revolutionize the conventional health care system and transform it into a public health care model based on personal data collection further reduce the burden of patients on health care providers. He also designed a new technique to create multilayer microchannels that serve as platform for future point of care and screening devices. Mr. Gilani has more the 15 years of experience in teaching, research and lab management in the United States and abroad before joining Montgomery College as Instructional Lab Coordinator.Email: maryam.hosseini@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5239
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 436Q
Biography
Ms. Hosseini received her BS in Physics from Razi University in Iran and her MS in Condensed Matter Physics from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. After receiving her MS, she continued her studies as a Physics PhD candidate and completed all PhD courses. During this time, she conducted research in areas such as growth of semiconductor, electrodeposition of thin films, surface hardening and microstructure development in complex alloys, and surface analysis using X-ray diffraction, optical and scanning electron microscopes. Ms. Hosseini started her teaching career in 2010. She continued teaching college level Physics and Math courses until June 2017 when she joined the Montgomery College Engineering, Physical, and Computer Sciences Department as the Physics Instructional Lab Coordinator.
Email: abel.kebekabe@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-7112
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 419
Biography
Abel Kebekabe has a BS in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Maryland College Park and he received an MS in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in Thermal and Fluid sciences, from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2019. Abel aspires to pursue a PhD in Systems Engineering. He currently serves as a senior instructional assistant for Engineering and Physics evening classes.Email: iadviga.zhelezinskaia@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5227
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 401
Biography
Dr. Zhelezinskaia earned her BS in Exploration Geology from Murmansk State Technical University in Russia and an MS and a PhD degree in Geology from the University of Maryland. She conducted research on stable isotope geochemistry of Neoarchean sedimentary rocks to understand ancient surface environments. Dr. Zhelezinskaia joined the department in 2018 as the Geosciences Laboratory Coordinator. She is responsible for the setup and maintenance of all equipment and materials for the geology, meteorology, and astronomy classes and extracurricular activities. Her interests are wide spanning from geology and space exploration to computer science and geopolitics.
This department is part of MC's Science, Engineering, and Technology instructional area.