Dr. Varol is a Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno. His research interests are parallel computing, algorithm design and analysis, data fusion, discrete simulation and modeling and programming and problem solving.

Mr. Strachan is an environmental scientist interested in past and present climate, water, and landscape processes. He specializes in the Great Basin geographical region and mountain systems. Tools that Scotty uses to observe and understand natural phenomena include modern electronic sensory systems, automated cameras, and long-distance digital wireless networking. He combines data from these high-tech methods with multi-century tree-ring records to increase knowledge of long-term changes in natural systems, with the goal of aiding people as they use resources today and plan for the future. Mr. Strachan also manages several remote climate/weather stations in mountains across Nevada that provide real-time information to local users as well as archived observations for scientists in many disciplines, including ecology, hydrology, snow processes, and meteorology.

 

As the cyberinfrastructure (CI) lead, Dr. Sergiu Dascalu heads the CI team’s work on enhancing Nevada’s CI capabilities for data communication, processing and management while establishing a new archetype for CI research and development.

Dascalu is a Professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Department at the University of Nevada, Reno. He received a Master’s degree in Automated Control and Computers from the Polytechnic of Bucharest, Romania and his PhD in Computer Science from Dalhousie University, Canada. Dascalu’s main research interests are in software engineering and human-computer interaction, particularly in software design, software tools for scientific research, simulation environments, and highly interactive systems. Dascalu is the Director of the Software Engineering Laboratory (SOELA) at UNR and has served as PI or co-PI on various projects funded by federal agencies such as NSF, NASA, and ONR, as well as by industry organizations.

Dascalu has more than 150 peer-reviewed publications and has been involved in the organization of many international conferences and workshops. At UNR, he has advised over 50 graduate students and is the recipient of several teaching and mentorship awards, including the Nevada Center for Technology and Entrepreneurship Faculty Advisor Award 2009, the UNR Outstanding Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentor Award 2011, the UNR Donald Tibbitts Distinguished Teacher Award 2011, and the UNR College of Engineering Faculty Excellence Award 2014.

Dr. Yantao Shen received his BS and MS degrees from Beijing Institute of Technology, and the Ph. D. degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering at University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). Dr. Shen’s current research interests include Bio-robotics/-mechatronics, Bioinstrumentation and Automation, Sensors and Actuators, Visual Servoing, and Tactile & Haptic Interfaces. He has authored-coauthored one book chapter and over 100 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers, and co-holds four US patents. He was also a finalist of Best Vision Paper Award in the 2001 IEEE ICRA, a finalist of Best Conference Paper Award in the 2007 IEEE RO-MAN, a winner of the T. J. Tarn Best Robotics Paper Award in the 2009 IEEE ROBIO, a finalist of Best Conference Paper Award in the 2014 IEEE ROBIO, and a finalist of Best Paper Award in Biomimetics in the 2015 IEEE ROBIO. Dr. Shen’s research is currently funded by NSF, NASA and National Robotics Initiative (through NIH R01), as well as the state and local agencies. He was a recipient of NSF CAREER Award, the 2015 Excellence Award from UNR College of Engineering and the UNR IEEE Outstanding Electrical Engineering Professor in both 2010 and 2011

Michele Casella is the Education, Outreach and Diversity Administrator (EOD) for the Nevada System of Higher Education Special Sponsored Programs Office (NSHE SSPO). In this role, she is responsible for ensuring that EOD activities are integrated throughout the three NSF EPSCOR projects currently funded in Nevada. Ultimately, she would like to work collaboratively with other research-based projects to provide continuity in STEM education and research and to build a more diverse STEM workforce.In 2002, Michele received a Bachelors of Science degree in Education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her formal education and professional experience working for state and federal agencies, as well as for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, has made Michele successful in planning, implementing and evaluating pathway programs for traditional and non-traditional students in a variety of different disciplines. As a native Nevadan, Michele takes pride in her community and is dedicated to fostering a nurturing environment for success in higher education and beyond into a strong economic workforce….AGAINST ALL ODDS!