Professor Tibor Besedes (Assistant Professor in the School of Economics) received his BSc in Economics from Texas Christian University, his MA and PhD in Economics from Rutgers University. Previously Dr. Besedes was an Assistant Professor in the School of Economics at Louisiana State University. His research interests encompass International trade, decision making, experimental economics, social networks, and industrial organization. In addition to English, Professor Besedes also speaks Croatian and German.

Professor D. Fox Harrell (Assistant Professor in the School of Literature, Communication, and Culture) received his BS in Logic and Computation and his BFA in Art from Carnegie Mellon University, his MPS in Interactive Telecommunications from New York University, and his PhD in Computer Science and Cognitive Science from the University of California, San Diego. His primary research interests include computational (interactive and generative) narrative, cognitive semantics, imaginative fiction for social critique and empowerment, experimental and cross-cultural narrative forms, and social aspects of user-interface design. He is especially interested in the intersections of the above concerns, for example how cognitive science accounts of imagination (such as conceptual bending and metaphor) can inform design of expressive computational artifacts.

Professor Stephanie Boulard (Assistant Professor in the School of Modern Languages) received her BA and MA in French from Université de Charles de Gaulle, Lille III, France, her DEA (pre-doctoral degree) in French Modern Literature from Université de Vincennes Saint-Denis, Paris VIII, France, and her PhD in French Literature from Emory University, Atlanta. Her teaching and research focus is nineteenth and twentieth-century French literature. She also has multiple scholarly interests in Francophone studies, film, feminine writing, the visual arts, and contemporary critical theory.

Professor Christophe Ippolito (Assistant Professor in the School of Modern Languages) received his BA in French and Philosophy from the Université de Paris-IV, his MA (Second Language Acquisition) from the Université de Paris-III, his DEA in Comparative Literature and his PhD in French from the Université de Paris-IV. His research interests include Flaubert and nineteenth-century literature and culture, post-colonial minorities and contemporary Francophone culture, semiotics and narrative theory, and language testing techniques and Internet-based course management systems. His teaching interests include all levels of French language and French, as well as Francophone modern and contemporary literature and culture.

Professor Rebecca Burnett (Professor in the School of Literature, Communication, and Culture) received her BA from the University of Massachusetts, her M.Ed. Curriculum in Administration from the University of Massachusetts, and her MA and PhD from Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to joining LCC, she was a Professor of Rhetoric & Professional Communication in the Department of English at Iowa State University. Her areas of interest include professional and technical communication; collaboration, groups, and teams; communication assessment; communication in the disciplines and professions; intercultural/international communication; and risk communication.

Professor Aaron D. Levine (Assistant Professor in the School of Public Policy) received his BA in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his M.Phil in Biological Sciences from the University of Cambridge, and his PhD in Public Affairs from Princeton University. His research interests include the impact of public policy on biomedical/ biotechnology research, human embryonic stem cell research policy, geographic distribution of scientific research, formation and functioning of international research collaborations, and intellectual property rights. His latest book, Cloning: A Beginner's Guide (Oxford, England, 2007), is an introduction to cloning and embryonic stem cell science for non-specialists.

Professor Brian Magerko (Assistant Professor in the School of Literature, Communication, and Culture) received his BS in Cognitive Science from Carnegie Mellon University, and his MS and PhD in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan. His research interests include interactive drama, believable agents, user modeling, intelligent tutoring systems, agent architectures, narrative theory, and games for learning. He is also the co-founder of Brain Powered Games, LLC, a games-for-health company.

Professor Harley F. Etienne (Assistant Professor in the School of Public Policy and the College of Architecture) received his BA in Sociology from Morehouse College, his MA in Urban Studies from Temple University, and his PhD in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University. His dissertation was entitled, "The Role of Universities in Neighborhood Change: The Case of the University of Pennsylvania and West Philadelphia."

Professor Julia Ellen Melkers (Associate Professor in the School of Public Policy) received her BA in Political Science and her MPA in Economic Development from the University of Wisconsin, and her PhD in Public Administration from Syracuse University. Her research addresses the outcomes and collaborative patterns of publicly funded science development and use of performance measurement in public organizations. She also conducts research on state-level economic development and technology-based economic development.

Professor Nihad M. Farooq (Assistant Professor in the School of Literature, Communication, and Culture) received her AB in English from Dartmouth College, a joint MA in English and Women's Studies from Brandeis University, and her PhD in English from Duke University. Her primary research and teaching fields focus on theories of race, anthropology, and evolution, and their influence on American and British culture at the turn of the last century. When she's not writing for work, she loves to write for fun, to be near an ocean whenever possible, and to watch football on Sunday afternoons.

Professor Olga Shemyakina (Assistant Professor in the School of Economics) received her BA in Accounting from the Kazakh State Academy of Management, her MA in Economics from Kazakhstan Institute of Management and the University of Massachusetts, and her PhD in Economics from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Her teaching and research interests include transitional economics, development economics, applied microeconomics, education, and economic demography. Her native language is Russian but she is fluent in English and is currently learning Hindi.

Professor Carla Gerona (Assistant Professor in the School of History, Technology, and Society) received her BA from Columbia University, her MA from the University of California, and an MA and PhD from the Johns Hopkins University. Previously, she was Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Dallas. Her areas of interests include Early American History (Colonial, Revolutionary, and Early Republic), Atlantic History, Native American and Western History, American Women's History, Gender Studies, and American Cultural History.