Utica, NY –The newly merged SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) / SUNY Institute of Technology (SUNYIT) today announced the addition of three faculty members, bringing a wealth of experience to its Computer Information Science, Business and Nursing departments. Dr. Roopa Viswanathan, Dr. Marie-Odile Richard and Dr. Kathleen Fischer Sellers will arrive at the Utica campus for the fall 2014 semester.

“Governor Andrew Cuomo has correctly identified education as New York’s number one resource, and the growth of our faculty is evidence of the ongoing commitment to the cutting-edge academic programs that make the newly merged CNSE/SUNYIT institution a top choice for both students and educators,” said Dr. Robert Geer, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the newly merged CNSE/SUNYIT institution. “From the classroom to the research laboratory and beyond, our faculty creates an innovative, one-of-a-kind educational environment that prepares students for unique 21st-century careers. We congratulate and welcome Dr. Viswanathan, Dr. Richard and Dr. Sellers.”

Dr. Roopa Viswanathan joins the Computer Information Science Department from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, where she performed post-doctoral research in security and privacy. Specifically, Dr. Viswanathan’s focus was cryptographic protocol design and hardware-assisted cryptography, in respect to its applications in areas such as remote and cloud storage and location-based services. She earned a Ph.D. and master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of North Texas.

“The Computer Science department is adding new faculty to support the strong growth of our undergraduate cybersecurity program and our new MS program,” said John Marsh, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator for Network and Computer Security. “Dr. Viswanathan is a cryptographer with a strong research portfolio including both theoretical and applied cryptography. Her research includes protocols to ensure privacy with mobile location-based services, and her postdoctoral research has focused on design of protocols using trusted hardware components such as the Trusted Platform Module chip found in many computers today. Such knowledge and experience will be of tremendous value to our department and our students.”

Dr. Kathleen Fischer Sellers returns to the Utica campus where she served as Associate Professor of Nursing from 2000 to 2011. During that time she was the faculty advisor to Project Brazil, the campus’s first international clinical initiative, and received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. She has since been serving as Professor and Director of the undergraduate Nursing program at Alfred State College, working on the final development and implementation of the RN/BS completion program and preparation for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accreditation, which she helped the school attain in 2013. She holds a Ph.D. in Nursing Administration from Adelphi University; a MSN in Administration, Oncology Nursing from The Catholic University of America; and BSN from Niagara University.

“We couldn’t be happier to have Dr. Sellers returning to the Utica campus,” said Dr. Louise Dean-Kelly, Chair of the Nursing & Health Professions Department. “Her commitment to students and the Nursing profession is evident in all of her distinguished work. Having her return to our faculty is evidence of how committed the newly merged CNSE/SUNYIT is to readying the next generation of healthcare providers. Our nursing student population continues to grow remarkably, and Dr. Sellers joining our ranks will help us serve the students in these much sought-after degree programs.”

Dr. Marie-Odile Richard joins the faculty of the newly merged CNSE/SUNYIT in the fall as an Assistant Professor of Marketing. She completed her post-doctoral Fellowship in neuroscience at the University of Montreal where she successfully defended her dissertation on “Modeling the Internet Behavior of Visitors by the Study of Cognitive Variables and Moderators.” Dr. Richard received a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and a master’s degree in Physiology before going on to study Marketing and Management, earning a Ph.D. in Business Administration from HEC-University of Montreal.

“Marie is both energetic and passionate about marketing and her students, and is an exciting addition to our department,” says Dr. Laura Francis Gladney, Chair of the Business Management Department. “We look forward to working with her to develop programs that will help students meet new challenges in the marketplace, particularly in the area of nanotechnology.”

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About SUNY CNSE. The SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) is the world leader in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience, nanoengineering, nanobioscience, and nanoeconomics. CNSE represents the world’s most advanced university-driven research enterprise, with more than $20 billion in high-tech investments and over 300 corporate partners. The 1.3 million-square-foot Albany NanoTech megaplex is home to more than 3,100 scientists, researchers, engineers, students, and faculty. CNSE maintains a statewide footprint, operating the Smart Cities Technology Innovation Center (SCiTI) at Kiernan Plaza in Albany, the Solar Energy Development Center in Halfmoon, the Photovoltaic Manufacturing and Technology Development Facility in Rochester, and the Smart System Technology and Commercialization Center (STC) in Canandaigua. CNSE co-founded and manages the Computer Chip Commercialization Center (Quad-C) at SUNYIT and is lead developer of the Marcy Nanocenter site in Utica, as well as the Buffalo High-Tech Manufacturing Complex, Buffalo Information Technologies Innovation and Commercialization Hub, and Medical Innovation and Commercialization Hub. For information, visit www.sunycnse.com.

About SUNYIT. SUNYIT, the State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome, is New York’s public polytechnic, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in technology and professional studies. Its academic offerings in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies, and its programs in professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing, are complemented by athletics, recreational, cultural and campus life programs, events and activities. Founded in 1966, SUNYIT is a unique high-tech learning environment on hundreds of acres, offering degree programs online as well as on campus. The SUNYIT family of alumni now numbers 25,000. For information, visit www.sunyit.edu.

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Media Contact:

Jerry Gretzinger, VP of Strategic Communications and Public Relations (518) 956-7359 | ggretzinger@albany.edu