By: Cassidy Delamarter, University Communications and Marketing
The ±«Óătv is welcoming 207 new faculty members to its campuses this fall. Joining ±«Óătv’s renowned scholars, they represent a range of disciplines—from artificial intelligence and environmental robotics to cancer research and global health. With many coming from other Association of American Universities member institutions, the incoming class reflects ±«Óătv’s growing reputation as a top destination for academic talent and research excellence.
“These accomplished faculty members will help power ±«Óătv’s next chapter,” President Rhea Law said. “Their contributions will accelerate our impact, drive innovation, inform policy and prepare the skilled workforce our region and nation need to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.”
Here are some of the new faculty members joining ±«Óătv this fall.
Chandra Kambhamettu
Fourteen faculty members are joining the new Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing, bringing expertise in machine learning, AI, biomedical applications and more. They join 56 faculty, many from computer science and engineering, who form the academic core of the new college.
Among them is Chandra Kambhamettu, a world-renowned scholar with a multimillion-dollar research portfolio and a passion. His work ranges from detecting hurricane dynamics using computer vision at NASA to developing biomedical imaging tools for cancer research.
“If your research has no impact outside of your discipline,” Kambhamettu said, “you’re not asking a big enough question.”
Pedram Hamrah
About half of the new faculty will join . ±«Óătv Health continues to recruit top-tier researchers, clinicians and educators throughout the year, strengthening the university’s impact on health care and medical innovation.
Dr. Pedram Hamrah, a leader in corneal immunology and ocular neuroimmunology research, will join the with multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health. Hamrah will take on roles as vice chair of academic medicine, director of clinical and translational research and co-director of cornea services with the .
“I am looking forward to helping develop a research track for ±«Óătv undergraduate and medical students, developing a nationally recognized clinical trials program and establishing a world class center for ocular surface disease and ocular pain at ±«Óătv,” Hamrah said.
Juan David RamĂrez González
At the , Professor Juan David RamĂrez González will join the . He plans to lead genomic surveillance and ecological studies of parasitic diseases in the United States and Latin America and is excited to help train the next generation of scientists.
“Florida’s climate and biodiversity create conditions that can favor the introduction or re-emergence of diseases such as Chagas disease and leishmaniasis, and I see an important opportunity to contribute my expertise to strengthening the state’s preparedness, surveillance and prevention strategies,” he said.
Yu-Chen Yen
±«Óătv College of Arts and Sciences is welcoming 30 new faculty across disciplines.
Namrata Gautam, assistant professor of instruction, and Yu-Chen Yen, assistant professor, will join the Department of Molecular Biosciences.
Yen’s research investigates the molecular mechanisms of disease to support drug development. Her goal is to translate her findings into effective therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and cancer.
“±«Óătv provides a strong and supportive environment for advancing my research,” she said. “The Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute at ±«Óătv offers valuable opportunities for collaboration with research groups that share similar goals.”
Gautam just concluded her post-doctoral training in cancer immunotherapy at Moffitt Cancer Center and is excited to start at ±«Óătv. “I am looking forward to working with the students and shaping young minds into scientists!”
Namrata Gautam
Gautam just concluded her post-doctoral training in cancer immunotherapy at Moffitt Cancer Center. She will continue her research in breast cancer at ±«Óătv and is excited to work with students. “I am looking forward to working with the students and shaping young minds into scientists!”
Jon Kaupla
In the Muma College of Business, Jon Kaupla is joining as the associate dean and executive director for executive and leadership education, coming from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Kaupla will lead the new Center for Executive & Leadership Education to help build executive education experiences that are tailored to the challenges leaders face today.
“No matter the format, our goal is to create experiences that exceed expectations, help leaders grow and keep organizations moving forward,” he said. “We’re building the Center for Executive & Leadership Education to be the go-to partner for leadership and executive learning — not just in Tampa Bay, but across the state.”
Assistant Professor Nguyen “Nick” Nguyen will join the Muma College of Business School of Marketing and Innovation from the University of Miami. He’s developing AI systems for content management in marketing that can enhance a marketer’s ability to make more effective and creative advertising campaigns.
Nguyen “Nick” Nguyen
His most recent work, , is an AI model that helps companies test unlimited versions of email campaigns and instantly predict which campaign will have the best open rate. This AI model not only saves companies significant time and resources, but can also increase the campaigns’ profitability.
“I chose ±«Óătv because of its clear and growing commitment to artificial intelligence research,” Nguyen said. “I’m excited by the prospect of applying AI to solve challenges in other areas of marketing and I’m looking forward to collaborating with my new colleagues.”
Lydia Hanks
Four new faculty members will join the, including Professor Lydia Hanks, who was tapped to serve as the new director of the School of Hospitality and Sport Management. Hanks is coming from Florida State University and will continue her research in consumer behavior, service experience, marketing strategy and emerging technologies within hospitality and tourism.
“I look forward to working with such a talented group of people, growing and building our programs, and creating deeper connections with our industry and alumni partners.” Read more about Hanks.
The will welcome five new faculty members, including Associate Professor Trevor Williams. He’s joining the Department of Geological Oceanography in the College of Marine Sciences, where he will continue his research in ocean drilling, Antarctic ice sheet history and iceberg-rafted debris.
Steven Lewis
In the College of Design, Art and Performance School of Music, Steven Lewis is joining as an assistant professor of artificial intelligence and entrepreneurism in the arts. He will focus on designing multimodal interactive music systems, augmented instruments and controllers that leverage emergent technologies in creative domains. He hopes to emphasize live sound processing and improvisation between the human and the computer.
“I am interested in not only collaborating with and learning from such incredibly talented people but also dedicated to sharing as many different perspectives on AI to students in the College of Design, Art and Performance as I possibly can,” he said. “I think introducing students to different perspectives on this technology is crucial in an arts-based curriculum, and I am looking forward to cultivating these relationships in order to do so.”
Learn more about Lewis and the College of Design, Art and Performance’s faculty.
Christopher Brown
Christopher Brown is joining the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders as an associate professor from the University of Pittsburgh. Brown is bringing a new R01 grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders that supports his research on understanding speech in the presence of background noise, hearing impairment and cochlear implant processing.
“I chose ±«Óătv because of the amazing people. Many of my new colleagues are world-renowned scientists and educators, and I am eager to be a part of this growing community. I am most excited about the collaborative opportunities available at ±«Óătv, and I can't wait to get started,” he said.
Xiaomin Lin
In the College of Engineering, will join the Department of Electrical Engineering as an assistant professor. He will lead the Embodied Robotic Automation Lab, advancing perception-enabled autonomy for real-world robotic systems in challenging and unstructured environments. His research sits at the intersection of perception and autonomy, focusing on developing intelligent robotic systems for underwater exploration, environmental monitoring and real-time decision making in situations where computing power is limited, such as natural disasters.
Learn more about the new faculty joining the College of Engineering.
Serene Hasan
±«Óătv alumna Serene Hasan is joining the College of Education’s Department of Leadership, Policy, and Lifelong Learning as an assistant professor from the University of Central Florida. She plans to further her research in counselor burnout, including studying the wellness and self-care practices of counselors.
“I chose ±«Óătv because it is a university with high-quality research and education. I also graduated from ±«Óătv with my bachelor's and master's degrees and really appreciated the education, relationships and experiences I had while at ±«Óătv,” Hasan said. “I believe ±«Óătv has a positive impact on students and the community. I am most looking forward to making a difference in the lives of students and professionals through education and research.”
Classes begin Aug. 25. | | 207 new faculty as of August 12, 2025
President Law welcoming new faculty during orientation and teaching them how to do the "Go Bulls" hand gesture