By Anna Mayor, College of Arts and Sciences
The USF College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) welcomed 31 new faculty members this fall
whose multifaceted expertise, experience and passion reflect the college’s continued
commitment to comprehensive excellence.
More than 70 percent of this year’s new tenure-line faculty are joining from Association
of American Universities (AAU) member institutions — an 18 percent increase over last
year — as well as from prestigious global institutions such as the University of Oxford
and the University of Hong Kong.
“Our new faculty bring enthusiasm and an innovative spirit that will lead to unprecedented breakthroughs in the college,” said Randy Larsen, associate dean for research.
Each addition brings a unique breadth of research and expertise in highly evolving
specializations including medicinal chemistry, international migration, crisis informatics,
international security and the impact of artificial intelligence on human communication
and social engagement, positioning CAS to play a pivotal role in advancing USF’s goal
of reaching $1 billion in research funding by 2030.
Many of the new hires conduct research in key strategic areas, including health and
molecular biology, AI and machine language, and global and national security.
“Our new faculty bring enthusiasm and an innovative spirit that will lead to unprecedented
breakthroughs in the college,” said Randy Larsen, associate dean for research.
With a third of all CAS faculty playing a role in undergraduate instructional curriculum,
the new faculty are also central to the College’s mission of maintaining excellence
in student success for the 15,000 students pursuing majors in the College.
In the past year, CAS faculty have played a fundamental role in helping to retain
more than 90 percent of first year students. CAS faculty also support USF in its mission
to meet and exceed its four-year graduation rate goal — particularly among limited
income, Pell eligible students. This success significantly contributes to USF’s national
ranking (#22) for social mobility.
“USF is a proud member of the AAU, among only 3% of research institutions nationwide
to earn this is recognition. And the heart of that achievement is a deep commitment
to what the AAU calls ‘comprehensive excellence.’ Our faculty are integral to everything
we do to support excellence – in the quality of our academic programs, the success
of our students, and the creation of new knowledge. I am so pleased to welcome so
many ‘bold’ new faculty members to the college,” said CAS Dean Elizabeth Spiller.
Here is a snapshot of some of the new faculty joining the college this fall.
Elizabeth Hanks
Elizabeth Hanks, an assistant professor of instruction joining the Department of World Languages, said she was drawn to USF’s high-quality research.
Hanks uses computational approaches to identify patterns of language use across large
collections of texts, such as in conversation, student language and academic writing,
to gain more insight into how language is used to communicate ideas, negotiate meaning
and create meaningful connection.
“I am particularly excited about joining USF because of the welcoming environment,
friendly faculty and curious and engaged students,” she said. “I'm looking forward
to continuing my research to learn more about how we can effectively use conversation
to communicate ideas, negotiate meaning and connect meaningfully with others — and
then sharing these findings with the academic community as well as the general public.
I'm very excited to work with students as they refine their skills, investigate new
topics and achieve their academic and career goals.”
Hanks, who earned her PhD in applied linguistics from Northern Arizona University,
also plans to collaborate with scholars in applied linguistics and neighboring fields
to explore the influence of language in other domains.
Anuj Gupta
Anuj Gupta is joining the Department of English from the University of Arizona at Tucson, where he earned his PhD in Rhetoric, Composition
and the Teaching of English.
As an assistant professor of rhetoric and composition, Gupta will extend his portfolio
of research in AI and writing technologies, including starting a UX lab in the Department
of English, where students and faculty can research and design AI writing tools.
“I chose USF because it is tackling this transformative moment for writers with equal
parts innovation and critical judgment, advancing AI’s possibilities while keeping
its ethical challenges in sharp focus,” Gupta said. “This year, I’m most excited to
launch a UX-focused ‘Writing Futures’ lab, where students, researchers and community
members can experiment with building AI tools and reimagining the future of writing.”
In addition to designing AR/VR data visualizations, apps and plugins with collaborators
at Howard University and the University of Arizona Libraries, Gupta is co-author of
the forthcoming book “Digital Literacies and Human Connection: an edited collection
on AI, VR/AR, and Social Media,” and has published more than 15 peer-reviewed articles.
Yu-Chen Yen and Namrata Gautam
Yu-Chen Yen
Namrata Gautam
Namrata Gautam, an assistant professor of instruction, and Yu-Chen Yen, an assistant
professor, will join the Department of Molecular Biosciences.
Yen’s research investigates the molecular mechanisms of disease to support drug development.
Her goal is to translate her findings into effective therapies for Alzheimer’s disease
and cancer.
“USF provides a strong and supportive environment for advancing my research,” she said. “The Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute at USF offers valuable opportunities for collaboration with research groups that share similar goals.”
Gautam just concluded her post-doctoral training in cancer immunotherapy at Moffitt Cancer Center. She will continue her research in breast cancer at USF and is excited to work with students. “I am looking forward to working with the students and shaping young minds into scientists!”
Mark Abdollahian
Mark Abdollahian joins the School of Information, home to USF’s highly ranked Library and Information Sciences program.
His research and teaching span strategic decision-making, international political
economy, sustainable development and advanced methods in economics, data analytics
and computational modeling.
In addition to bachelor’s degrees in political science, history and French from Case
Western Reserve University, Abdollahian holds a master’s degree in foreign and defense
policy and a PhD in political economy and mathematical modeling from Claremont Graduate
University. He is the co-founder of Sentia Group and is currently chief executive
officer of ACERTAS.
Abdollahian has authored dozens of articles and two books on data-driven strategy
across business, politics and economics. He is a board member for several private
and nonprofit enterprises and lectures to audiences worldwide.
Explore the accomplishments of additional faculty joining across USF.