Directory

• Ph.D., Bachelor of Law, and Master of Law from University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
• Durban South Africa Attorney of the High Court
• South Africa Rough Diamond Certification - De Beers Diamond School, South Africa
• Dr. Ndlovu specializes in commercial legal principles of international trade particularly, Maritime Law/Maritime Business (main specialty) which directly includes, International Commerce, International Trade, Environmental Regulation, International Diamond Trade Law and other International Law subjects. Her research has extended to Asia Pacific trade matters, Maritime Pedagogy, the Mining of Sea Areas, employment of vessels for mining and the Law of the Sea. She has coordinated the Maritime Law and Commerce programs in different nations in service to the academic institutions she has been affiliated with during her career.
• As a practicing maritime lawyer, Dr. Ndlovu provides consultancy services to government bodies such as the Ports Regulator in South Africa, legal compliance advice and policy advice and support to various commercial entities and law firms has sat as an arbitrator/assessor in various tribunals bringing specialized academic and practical legal knowledge of maritime business matters.
• She has written various peer reviewed journals and published books with her most recent book 'Diamond Law' receiving a citation for ‘Most Notable Publication Received in the Energy and Natural Resources Law Journal (JERL) Vol. 31 No 3 2013.

Education: Ph.D. in Dynamics and Control, Aerospace Engineering, Old Dominion University, USA  • M.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering, Cairo University, Egypt  • B.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering, Cairo University, Egypt 

Background: Dr. Ashraf Omran is an Associate Professor in the Facilities Engineering Department at MMA. He earned his Bachelor's and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering from Cairo University in Egypt. His master’s research focused on the kinematics, dynamics, and control of Stewart manipulators, and during that time he served as a teaching and research assistant. Following a competitive international scholarship, Dr. Omran completed his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering Sciences at Old Dominion University (ODU) in Virginia in 2010. His doctoral research, partially funded by the State of Virginia, investigated the dynamics and control of MAGLEV trains. After completing his Ph.D., he remained at ODU as a research scientist and adjunct assistant professor, contributing to several high-profile research projects. These included: Enhancements to the ATOS NASA Flight Simulator in collaboration with Lockheed Martin and Spacecraft rendezvous and proximity operations research with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory.  Dr. Omran later transitioned to the automotive industry, joining CNH–Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in Chicago, where he worked for nearly eight years. During his tenure, he led the advanced development and testing of powertrain and transmission control systems, resulting in 24 international patents. His work encompassed controller design, model-based testing, and hands-on validation in both lab and field for construction and agricultural vehicles. Returning to academia, Dr. Omran has held faculty positions at several universities including: Texas A&M University – Kingsville, where he launched the Aerospace Engineering Minor and developed a new course in Vehicle Systems Dynamics,  Loyola University Chicago,  Johns Hopkins University and currently he teaches at MMA. Dr. Omran’s scholarly work focuses on dynamics, robotics, and control, and he has published widely in these areas. His accomplishments have been recognized through numerous awards, including the 2010 Lee M. Klinefelter Faculty Award for Overall Excellence in Aerospace Engineering from ODU. He is a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and regularly serves as a peer reviewer for leading journals published by IEEE, ASME, and AIAA. He has also chaired multiple technical sessions at the American Control Conference. Currently, Dr. Omran in the process of releasing  his textbook, 'Kinematics and Dynamics of Machines,' which is scheduled to be published by Springer: Kinematics and Dynamics of Machines: Modeling and Design with MATLAB®, Simulink® and Simscape™ Multibody™: Omran, Ashraf: 9783031727009.  

Teaching Interests: Dr. Omran’s teaching interests span a wide range of interdisciplinary engineering subjects, including: • Dynamics and Control Systems • Robotics and Mechatronics • Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics • Vehicle Powertrain and Transmission Systems •   Aerospace Engineering (Flight Dynamics, Spacecraft Dynamics) • Operational Controls and Facilities Engineering Applications • Engineering Design and Experiential Learning He is deeply committed to project-based and hands-on learning, integrating real-world engineering problems into the classroom through laboratory instruction, simulations, and industry collaboration. 

 Research Interests: Dr. Omran’s research focuses on the modeling, simulation, and control of dynamic systems across several engineering domains. His specific interests include: • Dynamics and Nonlinear Control of Mechanical and Aerospace Systems • Vehicle Systems Dynamics and Powertrain Control • Robotics, including Parallel Manipulators and Autonomous Systems • Aerospace Applications: Spacecraft Rendezvous, MAGLEV Trains, and Flight Simulators • Model-Based Design and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) Testing • Engineering Education and Experiential Learning Pedagogy His work has led to numerous peer-reviewed publications and international patents, and he has collaborated with organizations including NASA, Lockheed Martin, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

• PH.D in Interdisciplinary from Memorial University, Canada
• Master of Science in Maritime Economics from Erasmus University, Netherlands
• Capt. Ashok Pandey is a former shipmaster with a sea-career spanning more than two decades most of which was spent on ice. An avid researcher, his current areas of research interest include shipping route modelling in the Arctic using GIS and the e-navigation platform. He has spent the last ten years in academia and has lectured on various subjects including International Maritime Business, Supply Chain Management and Ship Chartering and Port Economics. He has commanded Cape size bulk carriers (ice-class) for almost a decade and specializes in high latitude navigation. 

Education: BSEE (1990) MSEE (2000) Northeastern University

Background: Electric Power System T&D Operations and Planning Registered Professional Engineer (MA)

•  Bachelor of Science from Eastern Nazarene College
• Master of Business Administration in Management and Marketing Concentrations from University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
• Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Suffield University
• Cliff Robbins has over thirty years of successful strategic management and marketing experience. Prior to founding his own consulting firm in 1997, he held top management positions with several organizations. He was the founder and CEO of three of his own entrepreneurial ventures. He has over fifteen years of experience as a management consultant, having advised hundreds of growth oriented entrepreneurial organizations. He is currently the senior business advisor at the University of Massachusetts Small Business Development Center. In addition to his consulting practice, Mr. Robbins has taught courses in management sciences and marketing at Bentley University and UMass- Dartmouth.  He is well known for the many white papers, seminars and workshops he has presented.

• Bachelor of Science in Ocean Engineering from U.S. Coast Guard Academy
• Master of Engineering in Naval Architecture from University of California, Berkeley
• Master of Science in Operations Research from University of California, Berkeley
• Master of Science in Environmental Management from University of San Francisco
• DSc in Engineering Management from the George Washington University
• Certified as Project Management Professional®
• Served 26 years in US Coast Guard (retired as Captain)
• Teaching: Supply Chain Management, Project Management, Statistics
• Research: Risk Analysis, Expert Judgment, Project Management, Leadership
• LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulszwed/

Ph.D. in Financial Economics from University of New Orleans; Master of Science in Financial Economics from University of New Orleans; Master of Science in Finance from Sam Houston State University. Dr. Shu Tian has been teaching since 2010 and is currently a Professor of Finance. She has taught a variety of undergraduate courses at the Academy, including Finance I and II, Accounting I and II, Business Computing, Business Data Analysis, and Macro/Microeconomics. Since 2021, she has also taught the graduate course Financial Analytics. Her research interests include Investments, Corporate Finance, Market Microstructure, and Behavioral Finance.