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UMT's World-Class Faculty Corps
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Yanping Chen, MD, PhD, PMP
President, Interim Academic Dean
yanping.chen@umtweb.edu
Dr. Chen has been running major education and training programs in China and the United States since the mid-1980s. Prior to coming to the United States in 1987, she was planning director for China's manned space flight program, where 200 projects were being carried out concurrently.
Dr. Chen is the Founder and President of the Yankee Clipper Group, an international training and consulting firm. Prior to establishing the Yankee Clipper Group, she was an International Fellow at the Smithsonian Institution, a Visiting Scholar at The George Washington University, a Director of Planning and Management for a large government organization, a Senior Research Scientist, and a Cardiologist.
She has taught at The George Washington University, the International Space University, and Beijing Medical University. Her areas of expertise include: international business management; project management; public administration; public policy; science and technology policy and management; entrepreneurship; and leadership.
In 1992-1995, Dr. Chen served on the Certification Committee of the Project Management Institute (PMI). She was elected PMI's Board of Directors in 2005 and again in 2008. In 2008, she was elected to serve as Vice Chair of the Project Management Institute. In 2012, she was made a Fellow of PMI.
Dr. Chen has authored more than twenty publications covering a broad range of international science and technology policy and management issues as well as medical technical issues. She is fluent in Mandarin and English.
She holds the following degrees: Ph.D., Public Policy, The George Washington University; M.A., Science, Technology & Public Policy, The George Washington University; and M.D., Bethune Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).
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Eric Kirkland, PhD, MBA, MEd, PMP
eric.kirkland@umtweb.edu
Dr. Kirkland possesses extensive experience in higher education administration and academic affairs, program and project management and evaluation, nonprofit and for-profit management, information technology and software engineering in both the public and private sectors, as well as curriculum design and degree program development. Currently, he serves as the principal of a boutique consulting firm in Romania that focuses on the construction industry. Previously, he held the positions of Executive Vice President at Salem University in Salem, WV, Vice President at UMT and Vice President at Grantham College of Engineering.
Dr. Kirkland holds a PhD in Research Methodology from the University of Virginia and an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. In addition he has a MEd in Counseling from the University of Virginia and a MA in International Relations and Diplomacy from Schiller International University. He is a Certified PMP® by the Project Management Institute and has earned an Executive Certificate in Acquisition Management from UMT.
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John Hu, MSECE, MBA, MSCS
Vice President, Academic Affairs
john.hu@umtweb.edu
Mr. John Hu has led the distance education effort since 2014 as UMT's Vice President of Academic Affairs responsible for developing and implementing policies, programs and course updates, hiring and liaising with UMT faculty members, and overseeing the UMT Industrial Council. In addition, Mr. Hu has been working in distance education for 7 years teaching online as a faculty. Prior to joining UMT, Mr. Hu worked in the Aerospace and Defense industry for fifteen years. As an engineering manager at Northrop Grumman, he identified and addressed technology gaps in the company's long range strategies in areas such as unmanned systems, cyber security and attack, processing systems and software. He was a project manager on various airborne surveillance radar programs, ground based detection and tracking, radar programs and electronic warfare systems. In his role as supply chain management strategic sourcing manager, he negotiated contracts, created and maintained supplier relationship and resolved program supply chain issues. He was also a team lead on internal research and development projects. In addition, He worked in various positions within systems engineering, digital systems, test engineering, quality and business development. Mr. Hu was a member of Northrop Grumman's fire brigade assisting and engaging in fire and rescue with the fire department.
Mr. Hu holds a M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Purdue University, a MBA project management from University of Management and Technology, a MSCS from University of Management and Technology and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Virginia. While at Purdue, Mr. Hu received the prestigious Magoon Award for teaching excellence. He was the President of IEEE at University of Virginia.
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S. David Burke, DBA, ME, PMP
david.burke@umtweb.edu
Dr. Burke has 30 years of engineering experience, including more than 20 years in engineering management supporting multi-million dollar U.S. Department of Energy capital asset projects, nuclear facility operations, safety documentation development, and nuclear fuel management. He has served positions as Chief Engineer, Lead Engineer, Senior Engineer and Scientist and Manager at Washington Savannah River Company/Savannah River Remediation. He is now the SRR Control Systems Engineering Manager focusing on continuous improvement and computing innovation.
Dr. Burke earned his Doctorate in Business Administration with UMT. He also holds an M.E. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of South Carolina, and a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is a PMI-certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Dr. Burke has also achieved his ultimate goal: becoming a Certified South Carolina Barbeque Judge.
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Janeen Guest, M.A., PhD
janeen.guest@umtweb.edu
Dr. Janeen Guest has worked in procurement as a Contracting Officer for almost 10 years in the federal government. She has a variety of experience working on various simplified to complex acquisitions. In addition, she has mentored and trained over twenty junior contract specialist and acquisition interns throughout her tenure. Dr. Guest has a Level III Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C).
Dr. Guest holds the following degrees: Ph.D. in Political Science from Howard University in Washington DC, a Master of Arts in Economics from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan and a Bachelor of Arts from University of Detroit Mercy also in Detroit. Dr. Guest is also a member of the Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society.
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Bryan Parker, MS, PMP, ASM, CLSSMBB
bryan.parker@umtweb.edu
Bryan Parker is a successful project manager and business technologist who has worked extensively on projects within the financial services sector over the past 25 years. He has led projects for Bank of America, Wells Fargo Bank and PNC Bank, as well as projects for the FDIC, Southwest Airlines and USAID. His areas of project expertise include IT infrastructure, Cyber Security, Business Process Improvement, Six Sigma, and International Development.
Mr. Parker holds both an M.S. in Management and an M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Management and Technology, and a BBA from West Texas A&M University. Additionally, he has a Diploma in Commercial Banking from the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Agile Scrum Master (ASM), and Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt (CLSSMBB) with a Master Certificate in Six Sigma for Information Technology. He also holds multiple foundational certifications in Information Security, IT Service Management and Cloud.
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Helen Ajimotokan, Ph.D. MPH, CPH, MBBS
hajimotokan@umtweb.edu
Dr. Helen Ajimotokan is an accomplished educator and researcher with extensive experience in public health and healthcare administration. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Public Health Sciences, from the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC), where she also completed her Master of Public Health (MPH). She also has a Doctor of Medicine degree. Her research expertise includes chronic and infectious diseases, maternal health, and health policy, with a focus on addressing health disparities and improving health outcomes.
Dr. Ajimotokan has held various academic roles and taught various courses. Her dedication to academic excellence is demonstrated by her innovative teaching methods, which have led to increase in student engagement and understanding in healthcare applications. Dr. Ajimotokan (nee Orimoloye) is also a prolific researcher, with numerous publications in reputable scientific journals and presentations at national and international conferences.
With a passion for mentorship and student development, she has guided graduate students in research projects, many of whom have presented at major conferences. Dr. Ajimotokan is committed to leveraging her expertise to inspire future healthcare leaders and contribute to impactful public health initiatives.
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Geoffrey VanderPal, DBA, MBA, CFP®, CLU®, CTP®, CSCP®, SHRM-CP/SCP, PMP®
geoffrey.vanderpal@umtweb.edu
Ambassador Dr. Geoffrey VanderPal is a known financial expert focused in the areas of financial planning, investment management, insurance & risk, and corporate finance. Dr. VanderPal worked his way up to Vice-President level at two large global banks in wealth management, later transitioned into starting a financial consulting and investment management and insurance brokerage business licensed in 16 states with millions in revenues over 12 years before selling the business. He has taught hundreds of courses, both on-ground and online, on four continents, from undergraduate to doctoral level, in multiple areas of finance, economics, management, global business, and strategy. He combines his 25 years of professional finance and entrepreneurial and diplomatic and consular experiences to bridge the gap between academic theory and practical application. Dr. VanderPal was appointed as Economist and Ambassador at Large for the Republic of Guinea from April 2017 through April 2022 and former Honorary Consul and Head of Post for the Slovak Republic to the USA, with US State Department accreditation from 2006 through 2009. While maintaining multiple professional certifications in finance and project management, he is a published author in over a dozen peer-reviewed journals and a book published in 2017, with Amazon, titled, "Invincible Investing." Beyond teaching and academics, Dr. VanderPal is co-founder and partner in a SE Asian fashion brand, Alexia Kay.
Dr. VanderPal holds a D.B.A. Finance from Nova Southeastern University, a M.B.A. from Webster University and a B.S.B.A. Finance, Marketing, and Management, Columbia College, In addition, Dr. VanderPal has a Post-Doctorate of Global Leadership from Colorado Technical University. He is also a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Certified Treasury Professional (CTP), Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), Society of Human Resource Managers (SHRM-CP & SCP) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
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Alex Miller, PhD
alex.miller@umtweb.edu
Dr. Miller has over 20 years of experience teaching sociology. He has published 3 books and several articles examining the effects of colonial-capital on migration outcomes.
Dr. Miller holds a Ph.D and a M.A in Sociology from the University of South Carolina, a Master of Divinity from Erskine College and a B.A in Theology from the University of the West Indies.
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Bryan E. Stambaugh, PhD, PMP, CPCM
bryan.stambaugh@umtweb.edu
Dr. Stambaugh has been working in the Aerospace and Defense industry for over 32 years, with extensive domestic and international experience. As Director of Business Winning Operations & Excellence with BAE Systems, he oversees many activities instrumental to investing in and acquiring new business. His broad functional and Program Management experience transcends all phases of the project life cycle, whether perpetuating existing business or competing for truly new business. Core to his business philosophy is pulling Customer Voice into the heart of operations to build relationships and help guide strategic direction of the enterprise.
Dr. Stambaugh holds a Ph.D. in Management from the University of Management & Technology, an MBA from Mount St. Mary’s University and a BA from York College of PA. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Professional Contract Manager (CPCM) and he graduated from the Advanced Program Management Course sponsored by the Defense Systems Management College. Bryan also completed executive certificate programs in International Business Management sponsored by Penn State and Georgetown University, has held adjunct faculty status with four colleges and has several publications to his credit.
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Christopher Elg, MPA, MAS
christopher.elg@umtweb.edu
Mr. Elg is currently the Chief of Police for the Village of Tequesta, Florida. He was a New York State Trooper for ten years and a Police Chief for the last 22 years in other states such as Washington State, New Jersey, Michigan, Louisiana and now Florida. Other experiences include being an assistant fire chief and an EMT responding to all medical, fire, and rescue emergencies. For the past twenty-eight years, Mr. Elg has served in the United States Coast Guard Reserve and is currently assigned as a Special Agent in the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS). Mr. Elg has been teaching online for nine years in the criminal justice and homeland security disciplines. He has also taught for many years at several local and state police training academies.
Mr. Elg holds a M.P.A with Criminal Justice Administration concentration and a BS in Police Science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. He also holds a M.A.S from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. In his free time, Mr. Elg likes to read, travel and spend quality time with his family.
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Yingda Xu, MBA
yingda.xu@umtweb.edu
Ms. Xu teaches and develops courses in economics, marketing, and on a wide range of management topics, such as organizational behaviors, human resource management and leadership. She has coordinated the development of the business administration online programs and has served as the full time faculty for many of the online courses.
Prior to joining UMT, Ms. Xu worked for the Swiss multinational pharmaceutical company, Novartis, in its offices in Beijing, China, holding positions in human resource management. She worked extensively in all the facets of human resource management, including organization and employee development, information system, compensation and benefit, and training.
While pursuing her MBA degree, she was involved in a U.S. Department of Education funded project on identifying private and public strategies to expand foreign trade in Louisiana.
Ms. Yingda Xu holds an MBA from Loyola University New Orleans and a B.A. in English/International Relations from Beijing Foreign Studies University, China. She is a member of The Honor Society of Beta Gamma Sigma.
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Diane M. Zizak, PhD
dianezizak@yahoo.com
Dr. Zizak has conducted research and published in the areas of implicit learning and the mere exposure effect. She has also done research in subliminal processing and its effect on decision making and evaluative judgments.
She has experience teaching college level courses in psychology and education, as well as working as a teacher trainer and staff developer for the NYC DOE. Her areas of expertise include gifted education, literacy and curriculum development. She is currently a UFT Teacher Center coach, reading specialist and curriculum consultant for gifted education.
Dr. Zizak holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from City University of New York. She has a Master's Degree in Experimental Psychology from Brooklyn College, as well as New York State Certification in both Gifted Education and Reading. She earned her B.A. in Psychology and Chinese at Hunter College.
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Ryan Repich, PhD
ryan.repich@umtweb.edu
Dr. Ryan Repich is an expert in the fields of manufacturing, operations, and supply chain management. Presently, Dr. Repich is a Sr. Vice President of Operations for the McLane Company. Previously, Dr. Repich has led operations for Studco Building Systems, Ultrafab Sealing, and Garlock Sealing Technologies. Academically, Dr. Repich received his Doctorate in Executive Leadership from St. John Fisher College and achieved concentrations in operations and supply management with doctoral research conducted in support from Xerox and DHL operations.
Lastly, Dr. Repich has been an active participant in academia with guest lectures at Syracuse University, Nazareth College, and course development work for Touro College, Rasmussen College, State University of New York system, and project sponsorship for the Rochester Institute of Technology and American Military University. Dr. Repich has over 7 years of online instructional experience.
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Don Kirk Macon, PhD, EdD
don.macon@umtweb.edu
Dr. Don Kirk Macon is a recognized researcher and scholar in multiple academic areas. Among his multi-disciplinary degrees, Dr. Macon holds a Ph.D. in Humanities from the Universidad Central de Nicaragua, an Ed.D. in E-Learning and Educational Technology from Northcentral University, and a Master of Arts in Humanities from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Dr. Macon is a certified public school educator in Texas and in New Mexico with licenses for superintendent, principal, librarian, and classroom teacher with credentials in English, Social Studies, Physical Education, Special Education, English as a Second Language (ESL), Early Childhood Education, Gifted Education, Psychology, and Technology Education. He has won Teacher of the Year on a public school campus as well as Most Outstanding Faculty Member on a university campus.
He has developed workshops and has conducted professional development seminars across the United States in consultation with educational organizations and institutions. Dr. Macon is affiliated with several professional organizations, including the New Mexico Library Association, National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies (NACCS), and Multimedia Educational Resources for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT).
Dr. Macon has also been a keynote speaker at conventions and conferences in New Mexico, Wyoming, and Texas. Aside from his consulting and teaching responsibilities, he designs courses and teaches for several institutions of higher learning.
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Douglas Kildsig, MS
douglas.kildsig@umtweb.edu
Mr. Kildsig's special area of interest is business strategy and policy development and implementation. He has worked in a large corporate environment, holding positions in Marketing Management and Project Management. He has also been involved in the business planning, strategy development, and general management of several start-up business ventures.
Mr. Kildsig currently devotes his career as adjunct faculty for several universities, teaching in the areas of Entrepreneurship, Business Strategy & Policy Development and Implementation, Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Business Law, Supervision & Leadership, and Organizational Theory & Behavior.
Mr. Kildsig holds an M.S. in Management from Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN and a B.S in Management from Purdue.
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George Ackerman, PhD
george.ackerman@umtweb.edu
Dr. George Ackerman has a wealth of experience working in the Criminal Justice and Homeland Security field as a attorney, Police officer, firefighter, as well as being in the US Coast Guard. Dr. George Ackerman is a Professor in the areas of Criminal Justice, Law, Homeland Security and business. He received his Ph.D. from the School of Public Service Leadership, Capella University, a J.D. from the Shepard Broad Law Center, and M.B.A. from Nova Southeastern University . His current research focuses on the underserved population of family members of homicide victims.
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Glen Laman, DBA, PMP
glen.laman@umtweb.edu
Dr. Glen Laman enjoyed a long career in the corporate arena with stints at Coca-Cola, JC Penney and others in Information Technology and Project Management. He has also worked in Market Research, Marketing and County Government, and is a founding board member and past president of the Jamaican Chamber of Commerce of Atlanta.
The author of Jamaican Entrepreneurship: A review of the characteristics, traits and ideas of some of the islands most accomplished entrepreneurs, Dr. Laman started and operated a restaurant and a frozen food import company. He has been instrumental in the launch and operation of an e-money startup in East Africa.
Dr. Laman holds a Doctor of Business Administration degree from UMT, an MBA from Brenau University, and a BS in Biology from Pace University.
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Jacqueline Howard, MBA, PMP, CSBB
jacqueline.howard@umtweb.edu
Ms. Jacqueline Howard has led projects of varying size and scope, both domestic and international for over 10 years at GE and GE-Capital. She has worked extensively in the human resources, payroll and tax areas, including the implementation and redesign of new payroll systems in Japan and the UK. She also led multiple projects focused on six sigma and lean principles, in both the services and healthcare industries. These efforts involved all aspects of project management, including vendor selection, change management, scoping and planning, execution and control. She is proud to be an Air Force spouse and has lived all over the U.S. and abroad.
Ms. Howard holds an MBA from the University of Management and Technology, Arlington VA, and a BA from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN. She is a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSBB) and Project Management Professional (PMP).
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Renee Warren, MSCS
renee.warren@umtweb.edu
Ms. Warren teaches and develops courses in computer science and IT, including JavaScript, Java, C++, VisualBasic (.NET), Algorithms, data structures, and database, and Web publishing using HTML. Prior to teaching at UMT, Ms. Warren served as an adjunct faculty member and subject matter specialist at Grantham University from 2001-2004.
Ms. Renee Warren holds an M.S. in Computer Science from University of Management & Technology and a B.S. in Mathematics from the State University of New York at Binghamton.
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Robert James Voetsch, PhD, PMP
robert.voetsch@umtweb.edu
Dr. Voetsch has extensive experience in the management of diverse projects around the globe. He has worked as: project manager, World Health Organization, Sudan; country project manager, United Nations Volunteers, Sri Lanka; field supervisor, United States Peace Corps, North Yemen; and field supervisor, United States Peace Corps, South Korea.
His areas of expertise include: project management design, development and implementation; strategic planning; start-up program organization and integration; and management of multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural projects.
Dr. Voetsch has worked as a consultant/trainer at The George Washington University, the Florida Institute of Technology, and the Project Management Service Bureau. He has been a trainer for the Yankee Clipper Group and Louis Berger International.
He received a Ph.D in Management and Organization from The George Washington University, an M.S. in Project Management from the George Washington University, an M.A. in Public Administration from American University, and a B.A. in Political Science from American University. Mr. Voetsch is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).
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Ross Small, MPA
ross.small@umtweb.edu
Mr. Small plays a lead role in UMT's Criminal Justice programs. He joined the Virginia Air National Guard in 1999 as a Security Police Officer and has been on active duty at the Bolling Air Force Base in Washington DC, as well as in Richmond, VA, in Charleston, SC, and at the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. During his service, he also participated in helping evacuees in New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Prior to joining UMT, Mr. Small was a Federal Law Enforcement Officer for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and a Federal Law Enforcement Officer for the Transportation Security Administration.
Mr. Small holds an MPA with a focus on Administration of Justice from George Mason University, and a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Virginia Commonwealth University, graduating Cum Laude. He was a member of Lambda Alpha Epsilon (The American Criminal Justice Association) from 1999 to 2003.
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Tai Cleveland, DCS
tai.cleveland@umtweb.edu
Dr. Tai Cleveland has over 20 years of experience working in the IT field. He has also taught IT and CS courses at many Universities including being the Cyber Security Forensics and Network Systems Program director at Keiser University.
Dr. Cleveland holds a Doctorate of Computer Science and Masters in Information Systems Security from Colorado Technical University, and his bachelor of science in Electronics Engineering from Northeastern State University.
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Thomas P. Morra, MA
thomas.morra@umtweb.edu
Professor Morra possesses 20 years of extensive experience teaching Public Speaking and other courses in various communication disciplines at the college and university level. He has published scholarly articles outlining his research in communications education and is currently working with Kendall Hunt Publishing in developing an Intercultural Communication textbook to accompany courses he developed for NOVA’s Extended Learning Institute, where he functions as a curricular consultant.
Mr. Morra earned an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Marymount University, an M.A. in Communication Arts from Montclair State University, NJ, and a B.A. in Speech Communication from East Stroudsburg University, PA. In addition, Mr. Morra has successfully completed 36 semester credit hours of Post Graduate Studies in Public Communication at the University of Maryland.
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Adrian P. Vancea, PhD
adrian.vancea@umtweb.edu
Dr. Adrian P. Vancea is the primary mathematics instructor at the University of Management and Technology. His background in mathematics and statistics makes him highly qualified to teach courses such as College Algebra, College Trigonometry, Basic Statistics, Finite Math, and Calculus.
Dr. Vancea holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (2009), an M.S. in Statistics from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (2010), an M.S. in Applied Mathematics from Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania (2003), and a B.S. in Mathematics from Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania (2002).
Dr. Vancea currently serves as Program Analyst/Statistician at the National Institute of Health (NIH). Prior to this position, he served as a biostatistician at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. (2010-2013). During that time, he was also an adjunct faculty member at the Georgetown University teaching statistics. From 2003-2010, he was a faculty member the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania in the Mathematics Department.
Dr. Vancea has published articles in scholarly journals on various math, statistics, mathematical modeling, mathematic informatics and biomathematics subjects. Dr. Vancea also published a book, Advanced Algebra, in 2000. In addition, as a student, Dr. Vancea won international and national awards in mathematics contests and competitions.
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Michael Bradley, DHA
michael.bradley@umtweb.edu
Michael Bradley Faddah brings over 20 years of experience in healthcare leadership, with a primary focus in risk management, medical practice claims, insurance, patient safety, quality, and regulatory/compliance.
He holds a doctorate from the University of Lynchburg, Virginia, and a master's degree in business from North Park University in Chicago. Since 2020, Michael has served as an adjunct professor, imparting his extensive knowledge to students. He currently resides in Chicago, Illinois.
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