TIEC University Experts

Meet The Experts:
TIEC Universities Scholars

Expertise to Fit Your Specific Needs

A sampling of the quality scholarship and ingenuity Texas has to share

TIM DALLAS, TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY

Expertise: MEMS, Nanocoatings, Microelectromechanical Systems, Engineering Education

Tim Dallas, Ph.D., is an Associate Dean of the Graduate School and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas Tech University. As an Associate Dean, he oversees internal and external graduate fellowship programs. Dr. Dallas’ research includes developing MEMS-based education and research tools. Currently, he is working with colleagues in the College of Education on the development of an education portal, Classroom on a Chip, and the Solar Powered Digital Classroom in a Box (SPDCB). The SPDCB technology has been deployed to off-the-grid locations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to provide much needed educational content to entire classrooms using pico projectors. Each summer he teaches a class entitled Solar Energy, which includes a hands-on solar energy design project. In 2008, he established Class on a Chip, Inc. to commercialize an array of micro-devices for use in engineering, physics, and MEMS classes and labs. His course, Technology Startup Lab, teaches entrepreneurship and commercialization to engineering students. Dr. Dallas serves as the principal investigator on a National Science Foundation sponsored Scholarships in STEM (S-STEM) project, co-PI on a NSF I-CORPS Site, and co-PI of a Department of Education GAANN project. He has served as an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Education and is a Senior Member of IEEE.

 Dr. Dallas worked with TIEC to conduct an evaluation of Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University’s Master of Science program in Electrical Engineering degree program with a focus on widely adopted, internationally recognized standards.

VENKI UDAMERI, TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY

Expertise: Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering; Sustainable Water

Venki Uddameri, Ph.D., is a professor in the department of civil, environmental and construction engineering at Texas Tech University where he also serves as the director of the TTU Water Resources Center. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief, of the Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) a pre-eminent publication on multidisciplinary water resources issues, published by Wiley Interscience.  His research and teaching interests are in the areas of sustainable water resources management with a particular emphasis on food‐energy‐water nexus in groundwater‐dependent systems. His current research projects are focused on characterization of brackish and other alternative sources of water in arid and semi‐arid landscapes. His research has been funded through several federal, state, and local agencies. He has published extensively in the area of ground water modeling and management as well as in the areas of water resources management and sustainability.

Dr. Uddameri worked with TIEC to conduct an evaluation of Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University’s Master of Science in Civil Engineering degree program with a focus on widely adopted, internationally recognized standards.

JAMES PETRICK, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

Expertise: Tourism & Hospitality Industry

James Petrick, Ph.D., is a Full Professor, Research Fellow, and the Associate Department Head for Graduate Studies in the Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism Sciences at Texas A&M University. His research interest focuses on applying marketing and psychology principles in the context of tourism services. Pursuant to this interest, his research has been concentrated on understanding tourists’ purchase behaviors to assist in properly marketing to them as well as the physiological effects travel has on the tourist.  Recent research projects conducted under his Tourism Marketing Lab have included: a strategic marketing plan for the National Park Service, comprehensive work related to the benefits of travel for the U.S. Travel Association, national visitor studies for the United States Department of Agriculture, multiple accountability and advertising effectiveness studies, tourism website evaluations for 22 states and 18 cities, visitor/non-visitor studies for more than 25 cities, and 9 national cruise ship passenger studies, including six-panel studies.

Dr. Petrick worked with TIEC to conduct an evaluation of Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University’s undergraduate Hospitality & Tourism Management Engineering degree program with a focus on widely adopted, internationally recognized standards.

SHOUHUAI XU, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO

Expertise: Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity Data Analytics, Cybersecurity Metrics, Computer and Information Security, Cryptography, Intrusion Detection

Shouhuai Xu, Ph.D., is a full professor in the Department of Computer Science at The University of Texas at San Antonio and is the founding Director of the Laboratory for Cybersecurity Dynamics (LCD).

Dr. Xu worked with TIEC to conduct an evaluation of Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University’s undergraduate and Master of Science program in Cybersecurity degree program with a focus on widely adopted, internationally recognized standards.

BEVERLY IRBY, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

Expertise: Social Responsibility, Bilingual and ESL Education, Administrative Structures, Curriculum, Instructional Strategies

Beverly Irby, Ph.D., is a Professor and Associate Dean in the department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development, College of Education and Human Development, at Texas A&M University. She has served as Graduate Faculty in the Department of Educational Psychology and has served on numerous doctoral dissertation committees related to second language acquisition. Dr. Irby has also taught masters and doctoral classes in the area of second language acquisition curriculum and program development and research.  She has over 30 years’ experience in various leadership roles in Texas universities relating to the field of education as well as assisting with international relations development, recruitment, mentoring, and professional development.

MARK KROLL, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS RIO GRANDE VALLEY

Expertise: Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship, General Management

Mark Kroll, Ph.D., is a professor in International Business and Entrepreneurship at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.  He currently holds the Doc and Gertrude Chair for Entrepreneurship.  Prior to this, he acted as dean of the Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship, having transitioned from deanship of the college of business at The University of Texas at Brownsville.  Dr. Kroll has over 30 years’ experience working in higher education.

Dr. Kroll worked with TIEC as the leader of a multiple-Texas-university team to conduct an evaluation and update of existing academic programs, as well as design of new programs, for Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University’s College of Business Administration.