Project Unlock's Team

Dr. Philip Parker

Ph.D. and Master of Science in Environmental Engineering and his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY. Dr. Parker currently serves as Acting Dean for the College of Engineering, Mathematics, and Science.  He proudly holds a faculty appointment in the civil and environmental engineering program.  He has served UW-Platteville in a number of leadership capacities, including program coordinator for environmental engineering, program coordinator for the online Master of Engineering program, Assistant Dean for New Initiatives, and Associate Dean. 

Dr. Parker directs the activities of the Center for Infrastructure Transformation and Education (CIT-E), an international online community of practice and funded by the National Science Foundation. He is a strong supporter of undergraduate research, and his own research interests lie in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL), infrastructure education, diversity, equity, and inclusion in Civil and Environmental Engineering, urban stormwater management, and agricultural runoff monitoring. He is a registered Professional Engineer and a member of the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He also serves as faculty advisor for the UW-Platteville ASCE Student Chapter. 

Jodi Prosise Ph.D.

Assistant Dean for the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science as well as Chair and Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering at University of Wisconsin-Platteville.  She earned her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at University of Minnesota and her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Iowa State University. She has taught courses in both Industrial and Mechanical Engineering, focusing in Graphics, Manufacturing, the Engineering Sciences, and Design. Previously, she led a study-abroad service trip for engineering students to Ilheus, Bahia, Brazil, where engineering students designed and built assistive technologies for people with disabilities there. Dr. Prosise’s passion is helping others, whether that is through designing assistive technologies for those with disabilities, encouraging young ladies to become engineers, or by supporting and developing undergraduate students into becoming socially conscious engineers.


 

Jessica P.M. Fick, Ph.D.

Professor and alumna of the Mechanical Engineering program and an assistant dean for the College of Engineering Mathematics and Science at UW-Platteville. Jessica typically teaches senior design but also has taught machine design, mechanics, material science, and numerical methods courses. She was introduced to KEEN at KNC in 2018 and then attended ICE in 2019. Since then, she has led the adoption of EM on her campus and the process to become a KEEN partner in 2020. Jessica has enjoyed not only seeing EM in her own courses, but helping other faculty incorporate EM as well. 


Dr. Jennifer Atchison

Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics (MEM) at Drexel University and the Senior Design Coordinator for MEM. Currently, she is researching creativity in Senior Design and is a co-recipient of the Reisman Award for Creativity to support the work. She is also a PI on a Kern Family Foundation grant “Building Better Bridges Between Academia and Industry: Leveraging IPBs to Infuse Entrepreneurial Mindset”, which is using Strategic Doing to engage Advisory Boards in undergraduate education. Dr. Atchison is committed to increasing participation in engineering and is a Co-PI on the NSF S-Stem grant “Awards to Increase Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Diversity” which will provide scholarships to academically talented, low income BIPOC students and women studying ME and EE at Drexel. She has her Ph.D. and undergraduate degrees from Drexel in Materials Science and Engineering. She is a member of the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN), ASEE, and an executive board member of ASME Philadelphia Section. 



Dr. JoAnn W. Rogers 

Dr. JoAnn Rogers is an accomplished academic and dedicated leader at Clarkson University, where she holds the position of Associate Professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. With a multifaceted role, she serves as the Chair of the Institutional Review Board, ensuring ethical research practices, and as the Interim Director of the HORIZONS Program, dedicated to STEM education for middle and high school students. Driven by a passionate commitment to understanding social inequality, her research delves into the complex intersections of gender, race, class, and sexuality in daily life, with a specific focus on gender roles in extremist movements, identity formation within multiracial families, patenting practices of women in agriculture, and health disparities in 'food deserts' with a racial lens. She is also affiliated with the Institute for STEM Education and the Institute for a Sustainable Environment, reflecting her dedication to STEM education and sustainability research. Throughout her career, Dr. Rogers has championed student retention and diversity and inclusion initiatives, both in academia and through her research, exemplifying her unwavering commitment to creating a more equitable and inclusive society.



Erik C. Backus 

 Erik C. Backus PE, LEED AP BD+C, ENV SP, FMP, is a Professor of Practice at Clarkson University and a Ph.D. candidate in Engineering Science with a focus on facilities & infrastructure construction decision making.  He is currently the Howard E. Lechler Director of the Construction Engineering Management (CEM) program, teaching and supporting undergraduate, graduate, and other students and trainees. Prof. Backus teaches courses in a variety of areas connected to both building and infrastructure construction, especially focused on sustainability, resilience, and long-term planning.  Erik has spearheaded the Clarkson Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE) Capstone design experience and the Clarkson CEM Consulting Group.  Both of these efforts use project teams as direct consultants with internal and external clients across the State and region.  These also connect students to the community, creating both learning and considerable community benefits. Before his time at Clarkson, Erik served in a variety of professional and educational roles, including: 

  • Engineering Planner for George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. 
  • US Army FEMA Liaison Officer at the Pentagon. 
  • Instructor/Writer for the US Army Engineer School (USAES). 
  • Engineering Division Chief at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, VA. 
  • Assistant Professor of Military Science at George Mason University. 
  • Project Manager within Facilities Administration at George Mason University. 
  • Lead Design Engineer for Multi-National Command-Iraq during the Iraq War surge. 
  • Company Construction Officer in Iraq during the initial phase of the conflict. 
For fun, Erik is an avid hockey player and is active in his faith life as a Lutheran Christian. 

Doug Dunston, DMA

Professor Emeritus in Humanities at New Mexico Tech and is a facilitator and faculty catalyst at University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he designs and leads workshops enabling School of Engineering faculty to leverage research and ideas from the areas of curiosity, motivation, empathy, listening, improvisation, systems thinking, and experiential learning. He is a Strategic Doing Fellow and Certified Workshop Leader. 

Janyce Fadden

Director of Strategic Engagement at the University of North Alabama College of Business. She is part of the university’s Agile Strategy Lab where she is part of a team advancing agile leadership and strategy initiatives. She is a co-author of the award-winning book, “Strategic Doing: Ten Skills for Agile Leadership” and serves as a certified fellow of the Strategic Doing Institute, a breakthrough process for doing more together. Fadden has facilitated many workshops and keynote talks about strategy development and implementation. Her role included an innovation pipeline strategy called Shoals Shift which builds a digital economy by enhancing the region’s competitiveness. This award-winning project recognized by the Appalachian Regional Commission with a significant grant to accelerate the results. The project has been recognized as outstanding by the University Economic Development Association, the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and the Deshpande Symposium Awards.   

In her previous role as President at the Rockford Area Economic Development Council she created and implemented innovative approaches to economic development. She also served in various capacities as President, Vice President, and General Manager for major multinational corporations including Honeywell, General Signal, Applied Power, Pacific Scientific, and Danaher.   

Fadden earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and Management from Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, and her Master of Business Administration degree from Northern Illinois University.  

Glenn Gaudette, Ph.D

Glenn Gaudette is the inaugural John W. Kozarich '71 Chair of the Department of Engineering at Boston College. Working together with his colleagues, they have developed the first Engineering program in the history of BC. His research has pioneered the use of plants as scaffold for heart regeneration. This work lead to significant recognition, including Prof Gaudette and his colleagues being featured throughout the world including Bill Nye Saves the World (on Netflix), CBS’s Innovation Nation, the BBC (live interview) and Popular Science. The work was displayed at the Centre Pompidou (Paris) as part of an exhibit entitled “The Factory of Life”. Recently, a children’s book (From Plant to Human: The Extraordinary Spinach-Leaf Heart by Oscar Silver) was published about this inspiring work. His recent research aims to develop cost-effective methods for growing meat in the laboratory setting, which could reduce our reliance on conventional animal agriculture.  

Dr. Gaudette also teaches engineering mechanics, design and innovation, biomechanics and physiology. He promotes the development of a mindset for helping others, especially in the technical courses he teaches. He was named the 2015 Faculty Member of the Year by the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network and is a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and the National Academy of Inventors.  

Kauser Jahan Ph.D.

Department Head and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rowan University. She completed her Ph.D. studies in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis in 1993. She holds a B.S. degree in civil engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and an M.S.C.E. from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. After completion of her graduate studies, she worked as an environmental engineer for the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP). Her research interests include bioremediation of contaminated groundwater and soils; the fate and transport of pollutants in the environment; biodegradation of industrial and municipal wastewaters; physicochemical treatment of water and wastewater treatment; applied microbiology in environmental engineering. Dr. Kauser Jahan has been one of the cornerstones of the College of Engineering at Rowan University. She is a leader and innovator in the area of curriculum development and has become a nationally and internationally known expert in teaching. She has directed four critical programs: the Attracting Women into Engineering Program, the National Science Foundation – Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program in pollution prevention, the Rowan Engineering Clinics for Teachers Program and the nationally recognized Engineers on Wheels program. She has worked at all levels to advance engineering especially the representation of women and minorities. Dr. Jahan is a registered professional engineer and a 2015 Fulbright Scholar. She has received many prestigious awards that recognize her contributions to engineering education.

Dr. Shane Rogers  

Shane Rogers is a Professor of Environmental Engineering at Clarkson University, owner of Rogers Environmental Consulting, LLC, and an indie rock artist with the band Bee Children. His research and development is driven by an exigency to improve access to life-bearing resources, achieve environmental sustainability, promote social and environmental justice, and develop healthy, vibrant global communities. He has been PI or co-PI on >$23M in scientific research, development, and education funding delivering new technologies and patents for biosensors, food and water sterilization, nutrient bioextractive aquaculture, and sustainable food and farm waste to energy systems. He is a Fulbright Scholar to Norway, a DAAD faculty fellow to Germany, recipient of the Positive Droplet Award for contributions to water testing from BioRad and McKee Groundwater Protection, Restoration, and Sustainable Use Medal from the Water Environment Federation. Dr. Rogers served on the board of directors for the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and directed programs including the NSF-REU Site: ASSETs to Serve Humanity, NSF-S-STEM: ASPIRE: Academic Success Program to Improve Retention and Education for Underrepresented Students in STEM, and immersive, field-based academic programs for high school students. His international development programs have included Clarkson’s Peace Corps Master’s International Program, Engineers Without Borders and Engineers for a Sustainable World with water and food security projects completed in Ethiopia, Uganda, and Ecuador. Recognitions for this work include the ASEE St. Lawrence Section Outstanding Teaching Award, Clarkson University’s Distinguished Teaching Award, Phalanx Commendable Leadership and Service Awards, and Martin Luther King Jr. Diversity Award. 

Liz Nilsen 

Associate Director of the Agile Strategy Lab at UNA, following four years at the Agile Strategy Lab at Purdue. Liz’s passion is for helping teams become engines of innovation for their organization, community, or region.  Liz teaches (online and in-person), shepherds the expansion of the Lab’s programming, and oversees partnerships with other organizations interested in deploying agile strategy tools. She is a co-author of Strategic Doing: Ten Skills for Agile Leadership (Wiley, 2019).

She is a former senior program officer at VentureWell, where she provided leadership to the Pathways program for the National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation (Epicenter), which guided 50 colleges and universities in redesigning undergraduate engineering education.

Prior to joining VentureWell, she led STEM initiatives at the Penn State Center – Pittsburgh, was the southwest regional coordinator for the Pennsylvania STEM Network, and served as Director of Outreach and New Economy Program Development at the Institute of Advanced Learning & Research, a Virginia Tech initiative. She earned her BA from Stanford and an MBA from Northeastern University, and is midway through study for a PhD in organizational leadership from Eastern University.

Jagadish Torlapati, Ph.D.

Senior Lecturer in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. He completed his Ph.D. from the Department of Civil Engineering at Auburn University in 2013. He is a faculty member and leads the Environmental Division for the Center for Research and Education in Advanced Transportation Engineering Systems (CREATES) at Rowan University. His research interests include air quality monitoring, fate and transport of pollutants, bioremediation, and resiliency of cold weather regions. He is currently the Faculty Advisor for the Engineers Without Borders Chapter at Rowan University. He is also a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI), and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) organizations.  

Building Better Bridges Between Academia and Industry: Leveraging IPBs to Infuse Entrepreneurial Mindset