The UNL College of Engineering welcomed 14 new faculty members for the 2025-26 academic year when classes commenced Monday, Aug. 25, bringing the total to 100 faculty hires over the past nine years.
The new faculty strengthen teaching, research and outreach across every academic unit in the college, along with a faculty member appointed to the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility. They include:
Biological Systems Engineering
- Eric Smith, director of the Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratory and research professor, earned dual bachelor’s degrees in agricultural and biological engineering and mechanical engineering from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from the University of Iowa. His background includes extensive industry experience in agricultural machinery design.
- Catelyn Bridges, assistant professor, received a B.S. in biological systems engineering from UNL, an M.S. in biological and agricultural engineering from Texas A&M University, and a Ph.D. in horticulture and agronomy from the University of California. Her research addresses post-harvest engineering and crop quality.
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Janghoon Ock, assistant professor, earned a B.S. and M.S. in chemical and biological engineering from Seoul National University and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon. His work integrates large language models and multimodal learning with applications in energy and chemical industries.
Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Qusai Alomari, research assistant professor, earned a B.S. and M.S. in civil engineering from Jordan University of Science and Technology and a Ph.D. in structural engineering from UNL. He will join the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, as his research focus is roadside safety hardware development and structural resiliency.
- Wissam Kontar, assistant professor, earned a B.E. in civil and environmental engineering from the American University of Beirut and a Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His research addresses emerging technologies, automated vehicles and sustainability.
- Yumeng Zhao, assistant professor, received a B.S. in civil engineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, two master’s degrees in civil engineering and computational science and engineering from Georgia Tech, and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from Georgia Tech. Zhao’s research interests include computational geomechanics and bio-geotechnics.
Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction
- Tony Esposito, assistant professor, received B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in architectural engineering from Penn State. His expertise includes lighting design, illumination engineering and circadian metrics.
- Samuel Underwood, assistant professor, earned B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in architectural engineering from UNL. His research focuses on acoustics, indoor sound environments and STEM education.
Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Graham Kaufman, research assistant professor, earned a B.S. and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from UNL. His research involves lasers, optical systems and heat transfer technologies.
Mechanical and Materials Engineering
- Monhanish Andurkar, assistant professor of practice, earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Mumbai, an M.S. in engineering technology from Pittsburg State University, and a Ph.D. in mechanical and nuclear engineering from Kansas State University. His expertise includes additive manufacturing, nuclear radiation effects, and advanced design.
- Asaf Dana, assistant professor, holds a B.S. in environmental engineering, an M.S. in energy engineering, and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. His research is dedicated to responsive materials and processes involving phase transitions.
- Devah VS, assistant professor, earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Purdue University. His research focuses on thermal sciences and fundamental physics.
School of Computing
- Alisha Bevins, assistant professor of practice in the School of Computing and the Jeffrey S. Raikes School, earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering, an M.S. in computer science, and a Ph.D. in computer science from UNL. Her research includes human-computer interaction, robotics and aerial vehicle communication.
- Joseph Schmitz, research assistant professor, received a B.S. in electrical engineering from Cal Tech, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from UNL. His research focuses on low-power sensor interface electronics and signal processing circuits.
