Advisory Board - Engineering Transfer Program (ENGN)

Christine Turenius-Bell serves as the Interim Dean of Business, Science, Technology and Mathematics (BSTM). She most recently served as Chair of the Biology Department. Since joining CCRI in 2017, she has been passionate about the college's academic program, actively participating in the NECHE Academic Program review, various assessment programs, and curriculum enhancements. Dr. Turenius-Bell has been instrumental in the development of new academic pathways, including the A.S. in Environment, Sustainability, & Management and several environmental biology certificates. She has supported faculty course design and curriculum development efforts by leading professional development workshops and also supported new department chairs in their transition from faculty roles by serving as a guest speaker in CCRI’s new chair development series. She currently serves as CCRI’s Institutional Representative for the RI-INBRE network, a role she has held since 2019. Dr. Turenius-Bell earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of California, Riverside, and an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She is a recipient of the 2023 RI-INBRE Curriculum Development Award and the 2020 NISOD Excellence Award. Contact Christine Trenius-Bell.

Dr. D. Matthew Rieger is originally from Western Pennsylvania. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Computational Physics from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania in 2008 and went on to obtain a Ph.D. in Geophysics from Yale University in 2014. Dr. Rieger joined the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) as a full-time faculty member in the Department of Physics and Engineering in 2013 and has served as the department chair since 2019. Additionally, he is the Director of the Rhode Island Industrial Training and Assessment Center (RI-ITAC) at CCRI.

Dr. Rieger is passionate about delivering high-quality science education to foster an educated and informed citizenry, as well as preparing the next generation of scientists and engineers. His mission is to continually improve and develop the courses and programs within the Department of Physics and Engineering at CCRI to better serve the community and meet the workforce and educational needs of the times.

Assistant Professor of Physics

Chris Carruba is an Assistant Professor at the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) with over a decade of experience in physics education and experimental research. He holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Rhode Island, specializing in experimental condensed matter physics and the analysis of surfaces and interfaces.

Academic & Research Expertise

Education: Earned his Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. in Physics from the University of Rhode Island.

Specialization: Expert in spectroscopy techniques, including HAXPES research on lithium-ion batteries at Brookhaven National Laboratory and IPES/LEED investigations of metal surfaces.

Instruction: Teaches a comprehensive range of algebra- and calculus-based physics and astronomy courses.

Professional Background

Military Service: Served as a Patriot Fire Control Enhanced Operator in the U.S. Army (2000–2004), including a combat support deployment during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Technical Skills: Proficient in Python, Matlab, C++, and LaTeX, with extensive experience in Ultra-High Vacuum (UHV) laboratory conditions.

Diverse Experience: Formerly an award-winning Executive Chef, managing high-volume operations and seasonal menu composition.

Dr. Hart loves teaching astronomy, geology, oceanography, and physics! He is passionate about engaging students through exploration, investigation, and discovery. He joined the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) as a full-time faculty member in the Department of Physics and Engineering in 2018.

Dr. Hart is a geophysicist with broad interests in the processes and properties of planets and their surrounding space environments, with a particular focus on the conditions that enable or constrain planetary habitability. Additionally, he is interested in applying citizen science and science education to practical avenues that benefit the local community.

Kelly A. Korzeniowski, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Physics and Engineering

Dr. Kelly Korzeniowski is an experienced educator and research engineer specializing in robotics, control systems, and machine learning. She currently serves as an Assistant Professor at the Community College of Rhode Island, where she teaches courses in microprocessors, robotics, and engineering analysis while leading the Engineering Transfer Committee.

Professional Background

• Academic Leadership: Previously served as a tenured Associate Professor at the United States Naval Academy, earning multiple Teaching Excellence Awards.
• Research Expertise: Conducted high-level research at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and the Naval Surface Warfare Center, focusing on autonomous navigation and underwater robotic sensor integration.
• K-12 Innovation: Spent over a decade enhancing STEM curriculum at St. John the Evangelist School, where she instituted school-wide science fairs and mentored award-winning student researchers.

Education

• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Brown University
• Sc.M. in Electrical Engineering, Brown University
• B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering (with Distinction), University of Rhode Island

Professional Affiliations

Dr. Korzeniowski is a member of IEEE, ASEE, and Sigma Xi, and has published extensively on tactile sensing, data fusion, and engineering education.

Basile Panoutsopoulos, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Physics and Engineering

Dr. Basile Panoutsopoulos is an Associate Professor at the Community College of Rhode Island, bringing over 40 years of expertise in electrical engineering and physics education to the classroom. His career is defined by a unique blend of high-level industrial research and a passion for teaching.

Professional Background

• Industrial Expertise: He served for 18 years as an Electronics Engineer at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC), where he managed the Virtual Test Facility and led research in antenna design, microwave circuits, and electromagnetic modeling.
• Academic Experience: Before joining CCRI in 2013, he held faculty roles at Central Connecticut State University, Penn State Harrisburg, and the City College of CUNY.
• Education: He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering from the City University of New York, specializing in near-infrared spectral region lasers, and an M.S. in Applied Mathematics from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Research & Service

• Scholarly Work: Dr. Panoutsopoulos is widely published in the fields of fractal antennas, energy transfer lasers, and engineering pedagogy.
• STEM Advocacy: He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and actively mentors youth through programs like First LEGO League, VEX Robotics, and Sea Perch.

His teaching philosophy emphasizes a structured approach to problem-solving, integrating analytical theory with computer simulation and hands-on experimental prototyping.

Emmanuel Tsangarakis

Assistant Professor of Engineering & Physics

Emmanuel Tsangarakis is an Assistant Professor at the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI), where he specializes in Electromechanical Systems, Electrical Power, and Physics. With a career spanning both academia and industry, he integrates advanced simulations (Multisim, LABView) and hands-on Data Acquisition (myDAQ) into his curriculum to bridge the gap between theory and practical application.

Professional Background

• Academia: Previously served as a Visiting Lecturer at CCRI and an Assistant Professor at the New England Institute of Technology, where he developed core coursework in Circuit Analysis and Wireless Networking.
• Industry: As the former President of Public Sound, he collaborated with major electronics manufacturers like Sony and Panasonic, earning multiple "Excellent Servicer" awards for his technical leadership.
• Consulting: Expert in audio engineering, digital restoration, and small business computer network design.

Education & Honors

• M.S. in Electrical Engineering: University of Rhode Island (Full tuition remission & stipend).
• B.S. in Physics: University of Miami (Honors Physics Program, full scholarship).
• Languages: Fluent in Greek and proficient in Spanish.

Professor Tsangarakis is a member of IEEE and the Audio Engineering Society, and he remains active in ABET accreditation and technical advisory committees to align student outcomes with industry needs.

Assistant Dean Maher oversees undergraduate affairs operations for the College of Engineering, including the coordination of academic advising services, scholastic standing matters, degree audits, and degree conferral. She serves as the primary contact for all prospective undergraduate students, including transfer students and applicants for readmission. Opening doors and guiding undergraduates to realize their full scholarly, professional, and personal potential brings her great joy.

Prior to joining the College of Engineering in November 2024, Kathleen served for fifteen years as the Assistant Director of the URI Honors Program, where she oversaw the Office of National Fellowships. For seven of those years, she also directed the Pre-Health Professions Advising Program and served as Chair of the URI Health Professions Advisory Committee. Before that, she worked for ten years as Assistant Director of URI’s renowned International Engineering Program. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to the University, Kathleen was honored with the 2023 Administrative Excellence Award from the URI Foundation.

Kathleen earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Siena College in Loudonville, NY, studied abroad in Madrid, Spain, and later earned a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies from the University of Arizona. She also spent a year teaching at a bilingual preparatory school on the campus of Tec de Monterrey (Campus Sonora Norte), a prestigious engineering university in Mexico.

Sigrid Berka is the Executive Director of the International Engineering Program (IEP) at the University of Rhode Island, Professor of German and also the Director of the German IEP and the Chinese IEP. Dr. Berka is responsible for building academic programs with exchange partners abroad, internship placements for IEP’s dual degree students, corporate relations, and fundraising for the IEP. Bi-annually the IEP organizes the Colloquium on International Engineering Education.

Under Dr. Berka’s leadership, the IEP received NAFSA’s Senator Paul Simon Spotlight award for innovative campus internationalization (2011), and the Andrew Heiskell Award for study abroad (2012) by the Institute for International Education. She serves on the Provost’s Global Education Steering Committee. In her previous appointment as Managing Director of the MIT Germany program, she developed innovative collaborations between MIT students, faculty and German companies and research institutes as part of the MIT International Science & Technology Initiatives (MISTI).

From 2007-2009, she served as MIT Delegate for the Global Excellence Initiative (GEI-GEIP), a consortium of the best engineering schools world-wide with the mission to educate the global engineer, sponsored by Continental AG; Berka was educated at RWTH Aachen, Washington University, St. Louis and the University of California, Santa Barbara, and previously taught German Studies at Barnard College in New York.

Haibo He is the Robert Haas Endowed Chair Professor in Electrical Engineering at the Department of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA. He severed as the Department Chair from July 2017 to June 2023. His main research interest is computational intelligence, with a particular focus on neural networks, reinforcement learning, and data mining. He served/serves numerous capacities at the professional societies, including the Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems (2016 to 2021), IEEE Computational Intelligence Society (CIS) ADCOM (2021-2023), IEEE CIS Fellow Committee (2018, 2019, 2022), International Neural Network Society (INNS) Board of Governors (2022-2024),General Chair of IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence (IEEE SSCI’14, Orlando, Florida), among others. He was a recipient of the IEEE CIS “Outstanding Early Career Award,” National Science Foundation “Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award,” among others. He is a Fellow of IEEE.

Darko Ljubic, PhD

Assistant Teaching Professor of Chemical Engineering

Darko Ljubic is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering at the University of Rhode Island. With over a decade of experience in academia and specialized research, Dr. Ljubic focuses on polymers, organic electronics, and materials engineering.

Academic Background

Dr. Ljubic holds an extensive international educational portfolio:

• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering (Polymer Engineering) from McMaster University.
• M.S. in Chemistry from Pittsburg State University.
• M.S. and B.S. in Polymeric Materials Engineering from the Faculty of Technology in Novi Sad.
• Bachelor Applied in Engineering from Belgrade Polytechnic.

Teaching & Professional Experience

Prior to his current role in Rhode Island, Dr. Ljubic spent ten years at McMaster University in various capacities, including Sessional Lecturer and Research Lab Manager. His teaching expertise spans several core disciplines:

• Polymer Science: Instructed courses in Polymer Reaction Engineering, Polymer Chemistry, and Introduction to Polymer Science.
• Applied Chemistry: Led courses in Industrial Chemistry and Advanced Laboratory Skills.
• Research Leadership: Served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and a Research Associate at the Kansas Polymer Research Center.

Research & Publications

His research contributions are well-documented in peer-reviewed journals, focusing on the development of UV-responsive organic thin-film transistors and high-performance polyurethane elastomers. His work frequently explores the integration of benzothiophene semiconductors and surface-modified graphene to improve dielectric and thermo-mechanical properties in modern materials.