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Mohsen Taheri is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Computing and Information Sciences at Florida International University. He is a computer scientist and a business strategist with over 10 years of experience in academia and industry. His research interests span the fields of Computing Education, Software Engineering Management, Data Analysis, Robotics, and Artificial Intelligence. He has published more than 30 papers at numerous journals and conferences in robotics, software engineering, and computer science education. He has garnered multiple international awards in innovation including the third place in Robocup world competition.

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Monique Ross, Assistant Professor in the School of Computing Information Sciences and STEM Transformation Institute. Dr. Ross earned a doctoral degree in Engineering Education from Purdue University. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Elizabethtown College, a Master’s degree in Computer Science and Software Engineering from Auburn University, eleven years of experience in industry as a software engineer, and six years as a full-time faculty in the departments of computer science and engineering. Her interests focus on broadening participation in computer science and engineering through the exploration of: 1) race, gender, and identity; 2) discipline-based education research (with a focus on computer science and computer engineering courses) in order to inform pedagogical practices that garner interest and retain women and minorities in computer-related engineering fields. 

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Zahra Hazari is an Associate Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning and the STEM Transformation Institute as well as an affiliate faculty member in the Department of Physics. Dr. Hazari’s research focuses on reforming physics learning environments in an effort to improve critical educational outcomes for underrepresented groups in physics, especially women. In particular, her work centers on physics identity development, a framework which has proven insightful for explaining gender differences in persistence and is providing critical insight into understanding how to inspire and engage students in physics-related studies.

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Mark Allen Weiss is an Eminent Scholar Chaired Professor, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education in the College of Engineering and Computing, and Director of SUCCEED at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami Florida.

He joined FIU after receiving his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Princeton University in 1987. His interests include data structures, algorithms, and education, and he is most well-known for his Data Structures textbooks, which have been used at hundreds of universities worldwide. From 1997-2004 he served as a member of the Advanced Placement Computer Science Development Committee, chairing the committee from 2000-2004. Dr. Weiss is an ACM Distinguished Educator, AAAS Fellow, and the recipient of the 2015 SIGCSE Award for Outstanding Contribution to Computer Science Education, 2017 IEEE Taylor Booth Education Award, and 2018 IEEE William Sayle Education Award.

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Michael Georgiopoulos received the Diploma in EE from the National
Technical University in Athens, his MS degree and Ph.D. degree in EE
from the University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, in 1981, 1983 and
1986, respectively. He is currently a Professor in the Department of EECS
at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL. From September 2011 to June 2012 he served as the Interim Assistant Vice President of Research at the Office of Research and Commercialization. Since July 2013 he is serving as the Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

His research interests lie in the areas of Machine Learning and applications with
special emphasis on neural network and neuro-evolutionary algorithms,
and their applications. He has published more than 60 journal papers
and more than 170 conference papers in a variety of conference and
journal venues. He has been an Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks from 2002 to 2006, and an Associate Editor of the Neural Networks journal from 2006 to 2012. He has served as the Technical Co-Chair of the IJCNN 2011.

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Ken Christensen (christen@csee.usf.edu) is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of South Florida. Ken received his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from North Carolina State University in 1991. His primary research interest is in green networks. Ken is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Florida, a senior member of IEEE, and a member of ACM and ASEE.

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Tiana Solis is currently the Associate Director of Academic Advising and a Lecturer at the School of Computing and Information Sciences, Florida International University. Prior to moving to Hawaii in 2007, she was an instructor and academic advisor for the School from 1994 to 2007. Ms. Solis taught different undergraduate courses and mentored several FIU students participating in the Florida-Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (FGLSAMP). She is a past adviser of the Women in Computer Science (WICS) student club. From 2008 to 2010, Ms. Solis was a programmer analyst at the Department of the Attorney General in Hawaii, a member of the team revamping the State Juvenile Justice Information System.
Her research and instructional Interests include programming languages, computer ethics and student success and development.

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Zahra Taheri has studied psychology and her interests focus on human development, women and minorities in STEM.

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