ISERC Leadership Team
Crittenden, Kelly – Ph.D. – Director
Office: BOGH 256
Phone: 318.257.2714
Fax: 318.257.2562
Email: kellyc@latech.edu
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Details
Areas of Responsibility: Coordinator for Ph.D. Engineering Education, Program Chair for Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Kelly Crittenden is an Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering. He joined
the College as a faculty member in 2001 and holds the Harrelson Family Endowed Professorship
in engineering. Kelly’s primary research areas are engineering education and product
design, with a focus on curriculum development and additive manufacturing. Dr. Crittenden
is a founding member of Louisiana Tech University’s Integrated STEM Education Research
Center (ISERC) and served as ISERC’s director for two years. Dr. Crittenden has helped
create multiple STEM-based curricula and outreach programs, including TechSTEP, Cyber
Discovery, and Living with the Lab. Dr. Crittenden primarily teaches courses in measurements,
prototyping, and product design. Kelly has served as a critical proponent for adding
digital manufacturing and prototyping to the learning options for Louisiana Tech’s
students and has been a crucial member in creating multiple prototyping lab spaces
at Louisiana Tech University. Dr. Crittenden is the Program Chair for Mechanical Engineering
and the Coordinator for the College’s Engineering Education Ph.D. concentration. His
web presence can be found at http://www2.latech.edu/~kellyc.
Turner, Galen – Ph.D. – Associate Director
Office: NETH 121
Phone: 318.257.2161
Fax: 318.257.2562
Email: gturner@latech.edu
Department: Mathematics and Statistics
Details
Areas of Responsibility: Maxfield Professor of Mathematics and Statistics
Dr. Galen Turner received his B.S. from Loyola University (New Orleans) with majors
in Mathematics and Religious Studies in 1992. He continued his studies in Mathematics
at Louisiana State University, where he earned his M.S. in Mathematics in 1994 and
his Ph.D. in 1999. He has spent the last nineteen years at Louisiana Tech University,
where he is the Maxfield Professor of Mathematics and Statistics and conducts Research
in graph theory, combinatorics, and cyber-security. He served as the inaugural program
chair for Cyberspace Science & Engineering (2007-2012) and facilitated the creation
of the first Bachelor of Science in Cyber Engineering in the United States. He also
served as Associate Dean of Graduate Studies for the College of Engineering and Science
(2008-2012). Over his career, Dr. Turner has influenced mathematics education at the
university, regional, and national levels. He has been a leader in Louisiana Tech’s
Integrated Engineering Curriculum. He has been very involved with university and professional
development for K-12 teachers, especially those integrating student discovery experiences.
Dr. Turner also served as the Chief Academic Officer for the National Integrated Cyber
Education Research Center (now Cyber.org), a division of the Cyber Innovation Center,
where he led the national expansion of the Cyber Discovery project. He is Academic
Director for Computer Science, Cyber Engineering, and Electrical Engineering.
Corbett, Krystal – Ph.D.
Office: IESB 133
Phone: 318.257.2422
Fax: 318.257.2562
Email: kcorbett@latech.edu
Department: First-Year Project-Based Learning, Mechanical Engineering
Areas of Responsibility: Lecturer, Program Chair
Derosa, Pedro – Ph.D.
Office: Engineering Annex 217 | IFMM 216
Phone: 318.257.5139
Fax: 318.257.3823
Email: pderosa@latech.edu
Department: Molecular Science and Nanotechnology, Nanosystems Engineering, Physics
Areas of Responsibility: Professor of Molecular Science and Nanotechnology, Nanosystems Engineering and Physics
Dr. Pedro Derosa is a physics professor and currently serving as the Physics Program
Chair. He holds the Elizabeth Nobles Larson, Clarence N. Larson, and Andrew M. Larson
Professorship #1. Dr. Derosa received his undergraduate degree of licenciado (equivalent to B.S.+M.S) in 1993 and his Ph.D. from the National University of Córdoba
in Argentina in 1997. Between 2004 and 2017, Dr. Derosa was a Joint Faculty with Louisiana
Tech University and Grambling State University. During this period, both universities
simultaneously granted (and through independent evaluation processes) tenure and promotion
to Associate Professor in 2010 and Professor in 2016. Dr. Derosa received the Annual
Award for Teaching from the National University of Córdoba in 1994 and the IBM/Löwdin
Fellowship Award from IBM/University of Florida in 2001. A teacher’s award in 2004,
the Award for Outstanding Achievements in 2011, the Innovative Education Award in
2012, the COES Research Award in 2017, the Diversity Leadership Award in 2018, and
the Senate Chair Award in 2020, all at Louisiana Tech. In addition, he received the
Certificate of Excellence for outstanding performance and Research in 2014 at Grambling
State University. Dr. Derosa has published 47 peer-reviewed articles, three book chapters,
and edited a book. He has delivered 43 invited talks and contributed to 136 conference
presentations. He has been PI in federal grants for $858,000 and co-PI for $1,435,000,
in addition to $530,000 in state funding. He was also a part of two of the $20M collaborative
agreements between NSF and several Universities in Louisiana, serving as campus PI
at Grambling.
Apter-Desselles, Marita (Mitzi) – Ph.D.
Office: WOOH 217B
Phone: 318.257.2361
Fax: 318.257.3442
Email: mdessell@latech.edu
Department: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences
Areas of Responsibility: Industrial-Organizational Psychology; Coordinator for the Ph.D. Program in I-O Psychology
Dr. Desselles is a Professor, a member of the core faculty of Industrial-Organizational
Psychology, and a faculty lead for AROS (Applied Research for Organizational Solutions).
AROS is the consulting group within the I-O Psychology doctoral program that aims
to provide students with applied experience and fund research activities. She also
holds the Chester Ellis Endowed Chair in Education and serves as Coordinator for the
doctoral program in I-O Psychology. Dr. Desselles earned her Ph.D. from Louisiana
State University, M.A. from the University of Richmond, and B.S. from Louisiana State
University. She has devoted her career to demystifying why people do what they do.
Starting from the premise posited by reversal theory that people are essentially paradoxical,
her work has examined the rational and emotional factors underlying behavior. Her
research applies reversal theory to organizational issues, including leadership, work
engagement, and undergraduate engineering retention. Dr. Desselles teaches graduate-level
psychology courses in research methods and organizational psychology and has extensive
experience in quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Hall, David E. – Ph.D.
Office: IESB 120
Phone: 318.257.4127
Fax: 318.257.2562
Email: dhall@latech.edu
Department: Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology
Details
Areas of Responsibility: Academic Director of Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology, and Mechanical
Engineering, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, James F. Naylor, Jr. Endowed
Professor
Dr. David Hall spends at least half of his time supporting educational efforts in
the College. A firm believer that applications provide the glue that allows fundamental
topics to stick, his passion is incorporating applications and projects in his courses.
He is the primary architect and manager of Louisiana Tech’s “Living with the Lab”
first-year engineering experience, which uses “student-owned” labs to boost hands-on
learning. Starting with a pilot group of 23 students in 2002 and with funding from
an NSF Phase II CCLI grant, Living with the Lab now provides a foundational engineering
experience for all engineering majors. Since 2006, 16 faculty members have taught
257 Living with the Lab course sections with combined enrollments of 7,340 students.
David is a versatile instructor who has taught 22 courses in his 19 years at Louisiana
Tech. With a research background in solid mechanics and computational mechanics, he
teaches ENGR 220 (statics & mechanics of materials), MEEN 361 (advanced mechanics
of materials), MEEN 497 (finite element analysis for engineers) as well as MEEN 350
(computer-aided modeling). David’s Research in recent years has focused on educational
innovations and trenchless technology applications. He holds the James F. Naylor,
Jr. Professorship in Mechanical Engineering and won the prestigious F. Jay Taylor
Undergraduate Teaching Award in 2006. His extensive web presence is at http://www2.latech.edu/~dehall/.
Hilton, Ethan C. – Ph.D.
Office: BOGH 257
Phone: 318.257.2483
Email: ehilton@latech.edu
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Areas of Responsibility: Assistant Professor
Dr. Ethan Hilton has been an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering since September
2019. He received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana
Tech and his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology,
focusing on Engineering Design Methodology and Engineering Education. As a member
of ISERC, Dr. Hilton’s primary research area is engineering design education, which
emphasizes developing prototyping skills through class-based projects, extra-curricular
clubs, competitions, and activities. His work includes equipping students with these
skills in lower-level courses to be utilized in upper-level courses to create a more
impactful learning experience. Dr. Hilton has also researched the inclusion of hand-drawn
sketches in engineering design and how designers use them to generate ideas and visual
communication, especially when it involves the skill to create quick and realistic
representations of their ideas.
Hollins, Bryant – Ph.D.
Office: IESB 229
Phone: 318.257.5236
Email: bhollins@latech.edu
Department: Biomedical Engineering
Areas of Responsibility: Lecturer
Hollins received his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Louisiana Tech in 2012.
He is a steering committee member of the Louisiana Tech Grand Challenge Scholars Program
and has mentored several Grand Challenge scholars at Louisiana Tech. He also served
as a faculty mentor for Alpha Eta Mu Beta’s (the biomedical engineering honor society)
national MINDS program. He teaches courses throughout the curriculum at both the undergraduate
and graduate levels. He is primarily interested in engineering education, focusing
on increasing participation in STEM among underrepresented groups.
Reis, Louis – Ph.D.
Office: IESB 233
Phone: 318.257.2954
Fax: 318.257.2562
Email: lgreis@latech.edu
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Areas of Responsibility: Lecturer of Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Louis Reis is a lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at Louisiana Tech University.
He graduated from Tech with two B.S. degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Chemical
Engineering and later earned his M.S. in Microsystems Engineering and his Ph.D. in
Biomedical Engineering. He has been teaching at Louisiana Tech University since 2014.
He primarily teaches the freshmen engineering ENGR 12x sequence and Living with the
Lab and the sophomore engineering sequence ENGR 22x, which covers statics and mechanics,
circuits, and thermodynamics.
Louis currently works with ISERC on projects promoting active learning in engineering
courses traditionally delivered as lectures. He also collaborates with members from
CBERS and the IfM at Tech, researching microfluidic devices for various biological
and chemical applications.
Swanbom, Michael – Ph.D., P.E.
Office: BOGH 239
Phone: 318.257.3908
Fax: 318.257.2562
Email: mswanbom@latech.edu
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Details
Areas of Responsibility: Distinguished Lecturer
Dr. Michael Swanbom is a lecturer in Mechanical Engineering who teaches first- and
second-year student engineering classes and has recently taken primary responsibility
for MEEN 361 (Advanced Mechanics of Materials) and MEEN 462 (Machine Element Design).
He also co-developed a senior-level course in Mechatronics with Heath Tims. Mike has
a passion for curriculum development, including using novel and technologically rich
methods of instruction. He was closely involved in developing the first-year curriculum Living With the Lab (led by David Hall). Mike enjoys hands-on projects and harnessing novel tooling to
streamline the process of prototyping new ideas. These interests have been employed
considerably in his support of the Louisiana Tech Eco-marathon team. He was recently
elected as the 2014-2015 President of the University Senate.
Tims, Heath – Ph.D.
Office: IESB 101D
Phone: 318.257.3770
Fax: 318.257.4630
Email: htims@latech.edu
Department: Undergraduate Studies, Mechanical Engineering
Details
Areas of Responsibility: Associate Dean, Associate Professor
Dr. Heath Tims is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Louisiana Tech
University and holds the endowed Cajun Contractors Professorship. He is also the Associate
Dean for Undergraduate Studies for the College of Engineering and Science. He received
his B.S. degree from Louisiana Tech University and his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University
of Texas at Austin. He teaches upper-level Mechanical Engineering courses, including
Computer-Aided Modeling, which utilizes the software needed for prototyping and marketing,
and Dynamic Systems and Mechatronics, which involves mechanical and electrical component
integration. In addition to his teaching experience, Dr. Tims worked from 2001 until
2006 in a research and prototyping facility at the University of Texas, where he played
a pivotal role in developing numerous prototypes for industrial companies. While at
Louisiana Tech, Dr. Tims has focused primarily on engineering education and multidisciplinary
collaborative projects. He has been one of the lead faculty on the NASA-Threads (physics)
K12 curriculum, the Cyber Discovery camp, the Studies in Cyberspace honors course,
and the high school Cyber Science course. Most recently, he led the effort on the
newly funded STEM-Discovery program. These successful education initiatives have not
only had a significant regional impact but have garnered the attention of federal
agencies. Heath turned his passion for mechatronics, teaching, creativity, and competition
into something that has brought a superb learning experience to students and tremendous
national recognition to Louisiana Tech. He has extended learning well beyond the regular
classroom by initiating and supporting a student design and prototyping activity known
as the Louisiana Tech Eco-marathon team. He uses the Eco-marathon as a hands-on project
that serves as an apprenticeship model for mentoring students. Heath has been active
in service throughout the college, university, and the community. He has served as
the University Senate President and is a member of the Athletics Council. He has served
on several college leadership and strategic planning teams and as the faculty advisor
for Tau Beta Pi and Pi Tau Sigma. Heath has received numerous Engineering and Science
Foundation awards for Outstanding Service and was recently selected by the graduating
senior class for the Outstanding Faculty Award. The University Senate awarded Heath
the Virgil Orr Junior Faculty Award in 2012 for his teaching, Research, and service
to Louisiana Tech. Heath’s web page is at http://www2.latech.edu/~htims/.
Weiss, Leland – Ph.D.
Office: BOGH 253A
Phone: 318.257.5113
Fax: 318.257.2562
Email: lweiss@latech.edu
Department: Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Institute
for Micromanufacturing, Molecular Science and Nanotechnology, Nanosystems Engineering
Details
Areas of Responsibility: Director, Associate Professor
Dr. Leland Weiss is the Interim Director of Mechanical and Civil Engineering & Construction
Engineering Technology, the Thurman Lauret Professor, and Associate Professor of Mechanical
Engineering. Dr. Weiss has been at Louisiana Tech since 2008 and is the Director of
Tech’s Grand Challenge Scholars Program. Dr. Weiss is an NSF CAREER Award winner and
directs and operates the IFM Efficiency and Scalable Devices research lab. Dr. Weiss
has also worked for several years at Caterpillar, Inc. Dr. Weiss has active collaborations
with industry and K-12 education professionals. These include efforts to utilize the
Grand Challenges as STEM-based learning opportunities in the afterschool education
environment. Dr. Weiss’s web page is at http://www2.latech.edu/~lweiss.
Adjunct Faculty
Orr, Marisa – Ph.D.
Email: marisak@clemson.edu
Dr. Marisa Orr is an Assistant Professor of Engineering and Science Education with
a joint appointment in Mechanical Engineering at Clemson University. She received
an NSF CAREER Award while working at Louisiana Tech from 2012 to 2016 and continues
collaborating with many ISERC members. Dr. Orr earned her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
and a Certificate of Engineering and Science Education at Clemson University. She
spent two years as a postdoc in the School of Engineering Education at Purdue University.
Her current research focuses on understanding and enhancing how students make decisions
about their significant and daily study habits from the perspective of self-regulated
decision-making theory, as well as using institutional data to study students’ curricular
progress and pathways. She is particularly interested in how these pathways vary by
race, gender, socioeconomic status, and engineering discipline. Dr. Orr has been active
in the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) since 2006.
