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Speaker Profiles


 
Dr. Hala Madanat, Keynote Speaker

Dr. Hala Madanat headshot


Dr. Hala Madanat is the Interim Vice President for Research and Innovation at San Diego State University. In this role, Dr. Madanat is charged with stewarding the university’s expansive research enterprise, supporting the development of SDSU’s Mission Valley Innovation District, and overseeing SDSU’s research advancement, research support services and technology transfer efforts, the SDSU Research Foundation, as well as the university’s start-up incubator, the Zahn Innovation Platform Launchpad.

From 2016 to 2020, Dr. Madanat served as the Director of SDSU’s School of Public Health. Dr. Madanat is a Distinguished Professor of Public Health. Her research addresses health disparities through community engagement. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Madanat is leading a $3 million contact tracing program funded by the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency aimed at enhancing support in underserved communities and curbing the spread of the novel coronavirus. The program served the basis of National Cancer Institute (NCI) supplement aimed at increasing the uptake of COVID-19 rapid testing in the same communities. She also serves as the lead principal investigator on the $12 million SDSU/UCSD Cancer Partnership, funded by NCI. She has led the evaluation of several National Institutes of Health-funded grants and published nearly 90 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and books.

Dr. Madanat has a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Jordan, a M.S. in Community Health Sciences, and a Ph.D. in Sociology with a minor in Public Health, both from Brigham Young University. 


 

DR. SUDARSHAN KURWADKAR, L. DON SHIELDS EXCELLENCE IN SCHOLARSHIP & CREATIVITY AWARD LECTURE
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Dr. Sudarshan Kurwadkar is a Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at California State University, Fullerton. He received MS (Civil Engineering) from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi. John and Susan Mathes graduate fellowship in Environmental Engineering enabled him to earn a Doctoral degree from the Missouri University of Science and Technology. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and a Board-Certified Environmental Engineer. During his academic career, he has received numerous awards, scholarships, and fellowships. He won the Teaching Excellence Award, 2018 Excellence in Scholarly and Creative Activities Award, and 2020 L. Donald Shield Award for Excellence in Scholarly and Creative Activities. He was awarded numerous summer faculty fellowships, including fellowships at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the Air Force Institute of Technology - Wright Patterson Air Force Base. He received the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine fellowship and currently on sabbatical working at the US Environmental Protection Agency. He is self-motivated and, besides carrying regular teaching duties, pursues collaborative research and publishes research articles. His research is in the areas of fate and transport of organic and inorganic pollutants in the environment.

Dr. Kurwadkar, popularly called ‘Dr. K’ and highly regarded by students, is a fantastic advisor who flawlessly mixes humor and academic rigor and makes learning a pleasant experience. His dedication to student success, personalized attention to student design teams, and student rapport are unparalleled. His commitment to student success is widely acknowledged. Not surprisingly, he was awarded Faculty Advisor of Distinction 2020 and the 2019 ASCE Outstanding Faculty Advisor in the State of California. He is a Principal Investigator of the National Science Foundation-funded $1.5 Million grant to enhance freshman and sophomore engineering students' learning experiences. Besides teaching and research, he enjoys outdoor activities such as swimming, kayaking, biking, fishing, and long-distance traveling. He has driven cross-country from Los Angeles, California, to Kittery, Maine, covering more than 6,000 miles while visiting major tourist attractions all along.

Faculty Panelists


 

Lucia Alcala Headshot
Lucia Alcala, Ph.D.

Psychology
Research Bio: Cross-cultural studies on children's prosocial development and early cognitive development including executive function skills, planning and problem-solving skills. The role of High-Impact Practices and Service-learning in student retention, civic engagement, and critical consciousness development.  


Matt Englar-Carlson Headshot

 

Matt Englar-Carlson, Ph.D. (moderator)

Counseling
Research Bio: My main scholarly work focuses on the intersection of masculinity and health and wellness, multicultural issues, social justice and counseling theory.  With colleagues, I also investigate preventative structures amongst professional male athletes that support clean sporting behavior. In reference to men, I am interested how masculinities influences well-being, interpersonal relationships, and self-identity. This exploration extends to how men and boys ask and receive assistance from the mental health field. As such, I hope to continue working to train mental health professionals to be aware of, receptive to, and able to clinically address the needs of men.


Jidong Huang Headshot

Jidong Huang, Ph.D.

Electrical Engineering
Research Bio: Dr. Jidong Huang is a Professor of Electrical Engineering. His research interests are focused on robotics; the design of high-precision, integrated navigation systems with high integrity; indoor navigation systems; and innovative approaches for STEM teaching and learning. His research had been supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and industry.


Robert Istad Headshot


Robert Istad, Ph.D.

Choral-Orchestral Conducting
Research Bio: I am passionate about bringing instrumental and choral musicians together in performances. My expertise is focused on translating historical performance traditions for musicians of the modern age, and coaching the musicians to present accurate and impassioned performances of those works. I often have opportunities to give premiere performances of new music for large ensembles by composers all over the world. Currently, I am most fascinated with engaging audiences via staged and mash-up performances of classical music and modern world music.


Portia Jackosn Preston Headshot

Portia Jacson Preston, Ph.D.

Public Health
Research Bio : I use mixed methods approaches to study stress, coping efforts, and self-care practices with the goal of advancing health equity. My recent projects examine the relationship between stress and well-being in higher education settings.


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Zac Johnson, Ph.D.

Human Communication Studies
Research Bio : Zac D. Johnson Ph.D. (Associate Professor Department of Human Communication Studies) studies the ways that students interact with one another about their collegiate experience. Primarily, he studies the prosocial process of student-to-student confirmation, or how students make one another feel valuable and significant. In addition to this main area of scholarship Dr. Johnson has published work on teacher authenticity, student misbehavior, and service-learning programs.


Carrie Lane Headshot


Carrie Lane, Ph.D.

American Studies
Research Bio : Dr. Carrie Lane, Professor of American Studies, is an interdisciplinary scholar whose research spans the humanities, social sciences, and business. She is an experienced author and editor who enjoys helping scholars organize and refine their written work. Dr. Lane earned her PhD from Yale University and BA from Princeton University.


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Nina robson, Ph.D.

Mechnical Engineering
Research Bio : Dr. Robson is a faculty in the Mechanical Engineering Department (College of Engineering and Computer Science) at CSUF. She is the director of the Human Interactive Robotics (HIR) lab and her research is in the areas of Kinematics, Mechanical Design, Robotics/Bio-robotics and Assistive Technologies.