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.
Education: Ph.D. Marine Science, University of Massachusetts Boston • M.S. Marine Science, University of Massachusetts Boston • B.S. Marine Science and Environmental Protection, Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Background: Associate Professor, Marine Science, Safety, and Environmental Protection (MSSEP) Department • Administrative Manager, Buzzards Bay Stormwater Collaborative • Marine Invader Monitoring and Information Collaborative (MIMIC) Volunteer Coordinator, MA Office of Coastal Zone Management • Ascidian Taxonomist for Rapid Assessment Surveys of Marine Species in the Northeastern United States, MA Office of Coastal Zone Management Research/Teaching Interests: • Ecotoxicological impacts of marine pollution on ascidians • Changes in New England invasive marine species distribution and abundance • Impacts of climate change on marine invertebrates and ecosystems • Integrating high-impact practices in coursework to improve student retention and success • Expanding research and experiential learning opportunities for undergraduates.
Courses taught: General Biology, General Biology Lab, MSSEP Freshmen Experiential Learning in Bermuda, Tropical Marine Ecology, Marine Invertebrate Zoology, Marine Botany, Principles of Aquaculture
Melissa Karam Panchley graduated from BMC Durfee High School in 1991 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Human Development from Boston College in 1995.
After graduating from college, Melissa went to work at the Fall River Housing Authority for six years where she was a Youth Outreach Worker, and then the Elderly Services Coordinator. When she decided to start a family, she went to work for the family business at Karam Financial Group, where she could do bookkeeping work from home while she raised her children.
In 2009, Melissa received a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
In 2011, Melissa transitioned into the role of Senior Property Manager for the adult communities managed by Karam Financial Group. In this role she is responsible for overseeing the management and physical plant of 304 apartment units on the Southcoast and Cape Cod, as well as 44 condominium units.
Melissa served on the Fall River School Committee from 2014-2017. During that time, she chaired the Finance Sub-Committee, as well as the Instructional Sub-Committee. She also served on the Superintendent search committee in 2016. After serving on the Fall River School Committee, she was the Treasurer for the New Durfee Ballot Action Committee, a ballot question committee in support of funding for a new Durfee High School.
Melissa has been involved in numerous organizations as a volunteer, such as the President of the Board of the Ninth Street Day Nursery and Vice President and Treasurer for the Friends of Saint Anne’s Hospital. She currently serves on the Fall River Area Chamber of Commerce’s Sub-Committee on Education, the Board of the Greater Fall River United Way, and Treasurer of the Durfee Hilltopper Athletic Foundation.
Melissa was born and raised in Fall River and currently resides in the city with her husband, Josh and two sons, Thomas and Christopher.
- 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.
Ph.D. Miami University, Rhetoric and Composition, 2019 M.A. Miami University, Rhetoric and Composition, 2015 Certificate in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Miami University, 2015 Dual B.A. Northern Kentucky University, English Literature; Philosophy, 2012 Perpetually curious of language, the material world, queerness, and place, Dr. Caleb Pendygraft is a Kentucky Appalachian who received his PhD in Rhetoric and Composition from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. His book, Reading, Writing, and Queer Survival: Affects, Matterings, and Literacies Across Appalachia (UPKY, 2025), has been praised as a “trailblazing book” that “will undoubtedly have a lasting influence in how we think about literacy, queerness, and Appalachia,” and as an “unequivocally a groundbreaking and necessary book for our time.” His other work has appeared in Appalachian Journal, The Routledge Handbook of Queer Rhetoric, Bodies of Knowledge: Embodied Rhetorics in Theory and Practice, Journal of Appalachian Studies, and Storytelling in Queer Appalachia: Imagining and Writing the Unspeakable Other. Currently he is nearing the close of his memoir, titled Callin' Down the Spirit (forthcoming 2026), while starting another adventure co-editing a queer eco-spiritual collection of Appalachian voices. When he isn't teaching or writing, you can usually find him either barefooted, digging through his brambled garden, tending to the PendyCats, or visiting Atlantic sands thinking about the hills.