People

Graduate Students

Undergraduate Students

REU Students

Postdoctoral Researchers

Collaborators

Alumni

Companions

Alain Despeignes

PhD Student

Alain Despeignes is from New York city with a bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering and MS degree in Operation Research . He is currently pursuing a PhD in Operations Research. Alain has experience and has worked as a technologist to manager of neurodiagnostic (neurology department) at many healthcare institution , conducted research in statistics, and AI. His diverse background spans in the medical field, and technological support in that field.

Edmund Robbins

PhD Student

Robbie Breininger

PhD Student

I am an Operations Research PhD student. My interests are in machine learning, deep learning, Bayesian inference, wildlife ecology, and environmental science. I have experience in data science and analysis, particular with respect to machine learning in ecology and environmental science.

Daniel Breininger

PhD Student

I am an Operations Research PhD student modeling wildfires in California, and lung cancer survival. I received my bachelors degree in Biomathematics here at Florida Tech, and I am interested in applying statistical modeling techniques for ecological/environmental applications.

Dianeliz Ortiz Martes

PhD Student

Dianeliz Ortiz Martes is a Latina student from Puerto Rico with a bachelor’s degree in industrial and management engineering. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Operations Research. Dianeliz brings a wealth of experience, having worked as an Operational Excellence Engineer, conducted research in statistics, and taught mathematics. Her diverse background spans national laboratories and the medical devices, beverage, aerospace, and transportation industries.

Thu Thu Hlaing

PhD Student

I am a PhD student in Operations Research at the Florida Institute of Technology researching the application of artificial intelligence to oncological studies under the guidance of Dr. Kachouie. I received a B.S. in Mathematics from Ithaca College, where I participated in a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at Florida Tech during my junior year. This experience influenced my decision to also pursue graduate studies at Florida Tech. My current research interests include statistical modeling, data science, and machine learning.

Zarindokht Helforoush

PhD Student

She is presently a Ph.D. candidate in the Mathematics and Systems Engineering Department at the Florida Institute of Technology. She has been a part of FIT’s Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program since 2023, and it has greatly enhanced her knowledge and abilities in research. Her work has focused on applying different machine learningand deep learning approaches to identify the best solutions in a variety of sectors, such as transportation, environmental science, natural language processing, and medical applications.

Sathvik Jasti

Graduate Student

I am a graduate student pursuing a CIS degree. With a prior background in artificial intelligence, I am passionate about exploring emerging AI technologies and aspire to develop my own AI tool. Fun fact: I am the developer of this website.

Keval Patel

Graduate Student

Keval Patel is a graduate student pursuing an MS in Computer Science at Florida Institute of Technology, with a focus on data science and analytics. With a strong background in Python, machine learning, and data visualization, he has completed internships in data analytics and full-stack development. Keval is passionate about innovative projects like AI-powered solutions and Smart City Traffic Management, using technologies like Apache Spark, Delta Lake, and Power BI.

Audrey Eley

Undergraduate Student

I am a rising senior at Florida Tech studying for a bachelor's in Software Engineering. I am originally from Melbourne Florida.

Emmy Stevens

Undergraduate Student

Emmy is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and will be graduating in Spring of 2025. She has been accepted to fast track her Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and will graduate with her Master’s Degree in Spring of 2026. She hopes to work in the theme park industry as an engineer and designer in the future.When she isn't doing school work or research, she enjoys running, going to Disney, and competes in Ninja Warrior competitions!

Evan Gunderson

Undergraduate Student

Computer Science BS working on integrated conversational AI. Interested in neural networks, developing software, particle physics, and learning.

Jesu Munoz

Undergraduate Student

I am a bilingual Mechanical Engineering student set to graduate in December 2025. Currently, I contribute my knowledge and skills as a Mechanical Design & Project Research Engineer at NASA's L'SPACE Mission Concept Academy. With advanced proficiency in design tools such as Creo Parametric and Siemens NX, I have participated in high-level, complex projects.

Gwen Squires

REU Student

I am studying Mathematics - Actuarial Science with minors in Data Science and Finance at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, MO. I am interested in mathematics, statistics, and data science, and I have lengthy experience working with R and Microsoft Excel. I am considering pursuing a graduate degree in statistics, and I plan to establish a career in the actuarial field.

Jesu Munoz

REU Student

Joy Gao

REU Student

I am currently a Junior at Purdue University studying Data Science, Applied Statistics, and with minors in Economics and Management. I am a driven undergraduate student with a keen interest in data analytics fields, including quantitative analysis. At the SMAG REU, I am on a project using deep learning techniques to map the perimeter of glaciers to measure the area of glaciers in response to climate change.

Tim Wainscott

REU Student

I am a undergraduate senior double majoring in Astronomy & Astrophysics and Planetary Science and minoring in Computational Mathematics. My current career goal is to model the atmospheres of exoplanets through the use of global circulation models. Outside of academics, I am the Vice President of the Florida Tech Chess Club and an Eagle Scout since May 2021. I look forward to helping expand the knowledge of planets through my work and am always on the search for learning, experiencing, and using fascinating topics in life and in college.

Aubrey Ruts

REU Student

Michelle Madera

REU Student

Crishawn Gayle

REU Student

Justin Flemming

REU Student

Erica Gregg

REU Student

Alexis Cole

REU Student

Maxwell Jiang

REU Student

Mohamed Jaber

Alumni

PhD 2022

Wejdan Deebani

Alumni

PhD 2019

Meshal Shutaywi

Alumni

PhD 2019

Osita Onyejekwe

Alumni

PhD 2017

Farag Hamad

Alumni

PhD 2019

Elvira Erhardt

Alumni

MS 2014

Mahmoud Zamani

Postdoctoral Researcher

I am an AI professional with nearly two decades of experience in the software industry and academia developing advanced machine learning and deep learning and AI models. My expertise includes multimodal AI models, natural language processing and RAGs, graph neural networks, image processing, explainable AI (XAI), and automated reasoning. I received my PhD from the University of Texas at Dallas. I also specialize in designing cybersecurity and privacy-focused ML services, confidential computing, and data-driven products, with an emphasis on performance optimization, distributed training, and innovation. I have a versatile background across multiple domains and am currently working as a Postdoctoral researcher on advanced AI projects.

Mohamed Jaber

Postdoctoral Researcher

My name is Mohamed Jaber, and I hold both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Statistics, as well as a Master's and Doctorate in Operations Research. With extensive experience in data analysis using R and Python, I bring a versatile skill set to these fields. Additionally, I have taught statistics at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Currently, I am a Postdoctoral Researcher specializing in the application of artificial intelligence to oncological studies..

Olivier Herpe

Research Associate

Technology professional with 10+ years' experience specializing in software engineering, AI, and technical pre-sales. Proven track record of driving business success for enterprise clients. At Microsoft, spearheaded AI solution adoption, cloud security, and compliance technologies (DAX Copilot, Azure Virtual Desktop, Citrix, VMware) with a focus on HIPAA compliance for healthcare. Developed proofs of concept and solution demos resulting in increased customer satisfaction and deal closures. At Nuance, integrated AI-powered healthcare solutions, optimized Dragon Medical SpeechKit SDKs, and served as a technical escalation point. Expertise includes API development, SQL, JavaScript, JSON, virtualization, security compliance, and solution consulting. Bilingual (English/French) with strong problem-solving, collaboration, and leadership skills.

Mike

Dianeliz's Cat

Lilly

Robbie's & Daniel's Dog

Carly

Robbie's & Daniel's Cat

Rosie

Robbie's & Daniel's Cat

Drogon

Sathvik's Dog

Archie

Thu Thu's Cat