Charles V. Schaefer Jr. School of Engineering and Science Welcomes Nine New Faculty Members for the 2025-2026 Academic Year

The Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science at Stevens Institute of Technology has recruited nine new faculty members for the 2025-26 academic year. The latest group, whose research areas span from quantum cryptography and artificial intelligence to biophotonics and environmental chemistry, continues the school's commitment to academic excellence and cutting-edge research.

Dean Jean Zu welcomes each new faculty member to the Schaefer School of Engineering and Science and promises opportunities for growth and career development, research support, and collaboration. "We are elated to have our new faculty on campus and have great confidence that their talents and contributions will be extraordinary assets to our school and our students."

The new cohort of faculty represents researchers and exceptional instructors whose diverse expertise will enhance both the school's leading-edge research enterprise and teaching excellence.

"They join our existing collaborative and interdisciplinary community of globally recognized experts and thought leaders who are committed to Stevens' core value of using technology and creativity to foster innovation and address complex global challenges," Zu added.

The addition of new instructors will also allow the school to maintain a low student-to-faculty ratio, providing students with individualized attention through authentic interactions and mentorship during their Stevens education.

Hailing from prestigious research and educational backgrounds, the new members of the Stevens community are as follows:

Department of Biomedical Engineering

Ellen Garven, Lecturer, Biomedical Engineering
Ph.D.: Drexel University
Recent Affiliation: Drexel University
Specialization: Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

Simon Mahler, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Ph.D.: Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel)
Recent Affiliation: California Institute of Technology
Specialization: BioPhotonics; Optics and Laser; Devices and Sensors; Laser Speckle Imaging; Biomedical Engineering

Department of Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering

Tao Ye, Assistant Professor, Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering
Ph.D.: The George Washington University
Recent Affiliation: South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Specialization: Machine Learning; Environmental Chemistry; Sustainable Materials

Department of Computer Science

Gabriela Ciocarlie, Stephen Bloom Associate Professor, Computer Science
Ph.D.: Columbia University
Recent Affiliation: University of Texas - San Antonio
Specialization: Cybersecurity for Cyber-Physical Systems; Trustworthy AI

Alexander Hoover, Assistant Professor, Computer Science
Ph.D.: University of Chicago
Recent Affiliation: University of Chicago
Specialization: Secure Outsourced Computation; Privacy; Foundational Cryptography; Quantum Cryptography

Alex LaGrassa, Teaching Assistant Professor, Computer Science
Ph.D.: Carnegie Mellon University
Recent Affiliation: Carnegie Mellon University
Specialization: Robot Learning; Model Based Planning; Deformable Object Manipulation

Kai Li, Assistant Professor, Computer Science
Ph.D.: Syracuse University
Recent Affiliation: San Diego State University
Specialization: Network and System Security; Software Testing and Vulnerability Detection; Cybercrime Detection and Prevention

Ryan Tsang, Teaching Assistant Professor, Computer Science
Ph.D.: University of California - Davis
Recent Affiliation: University of California - Davis
Specialization: Embedded Systems; Security; CS Education

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Jinrui Cao, Teaching Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Ph.D.: New Mexico State University
Recent Affiliation: New Jersey City University
Specialization: Large Scale Systems for High Performance Computing, Cloud Computing and Big Data; Cybersecurity from Storage Perspective

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