Candidates for Faculty Senate 2025-2026
Trambak Banerjee, Assistant Professor, Analytics, Information and Operations, School of Business
Trambak is a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Analytics, Information and Operations (AIO) academic area at the University of Kansas, School of Business. He joined KU in August 2020 and received his Ph.D. in Business Statistics from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California (USC). Before joining the Ph.D. program at USC, he was working in the financial services sector for companies such as FICO and Evalueserve. In these roles, he was mainly responsible for leading the development of statistical models for credit and operational risk management. This was also the time when he received a part-time MS in Mathematical Finance from the University of Oxford, U.K. His industry experience has had a significant impact on his research interests, which often have their genesis in a concrete applied problem originating in Health, Consumer behavior and Finance. He teaches an undergraduate course in Data Mining & Predictive Analytics and a graduate course in large-scale data analysis. Trambak relies on his extensive experiences of having lived and worked in disparate communities across the globe to develop effective communication strategies as an instructor. These experiences have allowed him to understand the challenges his students may encounter on the path to achieving their full potential and he continues to draw upon these experiences in establishing himself as their ally in fulfilling their academic and career goals.
Elizabeth Berghout, Associate Professor, School of Music
Elizabeth Egbert Berghout is University Carillonist and Associate Professor of Music at the University of Kansas, Lawrence campus. Her academic degrees in organ performance and church music are from the University of Kansas and Brigham Young University. Dr. Berghout performs weekly carillon recitals on the world-renown 53-bell Taylor carillon, housed in the historic World War II Memorial Campanile. In addition to her performing responsibilities, she teaches carillon courses and music theory. Dr. Berghout lectures, teaches and performs throughout North America and Europe, and performs regularly as a guest organist at the Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Francesco Carota, Assistant Professor, School of Architecture & Design
Francesco Carota, Ph.D, is Assistant Professor at the School of Architecture & Design, University of Kansas, and Affiliate Researcher at the China Room research group, Polytechnic University of Turin. His research, teaching and professional work focuses on the design and understanding of the intertwined relations that weave architecture and urban development process together, particularly in China and more recently in less developed countries. On these topics, he published a variety of academic articles and he coedited the volume China Goes Urban. The City to Come for Skira Editore. In addition to academic publishing, he dedicated a great deal of effort to disseminating research and architectural culture to the broader public. He was scientific director of an exhibition on Chinese architecture and urbanization held at the MAO, Museum of Oriental Art in Turin, Italy, co-curator of the Italian Pavilion at the Shenzhen Design Week – 2018 Edition, and co-curator of the exhibition "Design Assemblies" at the Singapore Design Week - 2023. Other than carrying on academic activities, he works as a licensed architect, and he is the cofounder and principal of the architecture and design firm Calibro Zero Srl. His work and voice as a curator and designer appeared in different media sources, and among the many the Italian magazine Domus, the Singapore based title d+a Design and Architecture, the fashion magazine Vogue and the architecture platform Archdaily.
Dallas Doane, Associate Professor of the Practice, Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, School of Education & Human Sciences
Dallas Doane is an associate professor of the practice in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies. Having joined KU in the fall of 2023, he coordinates the master’s degree in higher education administration and the Higher Education Graduate Assistant (HEGA) program, which places nearly 40 graduate students across units in Student Affairs, Academic Success, and Enrollment Management. Before joining KU, Dallas spent several years in administration, working in TRIO programs, first-year experience, academic affairs, and undergraduate admissions. Dallas has been recognized by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) as an Emerging Faculty Leader and the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) in its Executive Leadership Institute. As a scholar-practitioner, he engages in professional and scholarly activities broadly related to equity in higher education, and specifically to the success of first-generation/low-income college students, and students with disabilities. He currently serves on the Faculty Senate standing committee for Faculty Rights, Privileges, and Responsibilities (FRPR) at KU. He believes his experience in student affairs administration will bring a unique perspective to governance, promote graduate and undergraduate success, and enhance the academic experience at KU.
Chien-Ho Ko, Research Professor, Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, School of Engineering
Dr. Chien-Ho Ko currently serves as a Research Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental & Architectural Engineering and Director at the Craig and Diane Martin National Center for Construction Safety. Prior to the University of Kansas, he was a full Professor of Civil Engineering, a visiting scholar at MIT, and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California at Berkeley. Dr. Ko received his first Ph.D. in Construction Management and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Architectural Design at Clemson University. A registered Professional Engineer of Fire Protection, he has previously served as a project manager, managing design-build projects. Dr. Ko has been conferred numerous academic awards, including best paper, outstanding professor, research, and teaching awards. He has published over 55 refereed journal papers, 80 conference papers, and acts as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management (Scopus and Ei Compendex). He also has participated as a Principal Investigator in over 45 research projects. Additionally, he is an inventor with more than 30 patents. Dr. Ko has served as a president for several institutes, including ASCE Kansas Section, Taiwan Lean Construction Institute, Taiwan Industrial Robot Association, and the Association of Engineering, Project, and Production Management.
Glennda McKeithan, Associate Teaching Professor, Special Education, School of Education & Human Sciences
Dr. Glennda McKeithan is an experienced educator and academic leader with over 20 years of expertise in supporting students with autism across general and special education settings. As an Associate Teaching Professor and program associate for the KU ASD MSE and Graduate Certificate programs, she is committed to evidence-based instructional practices, curriculum development, and faculty mentorship. Dr. McKeithan has experience in teacher support, serving in roles such as faculty advisor, education consultant, teacher mentor, coordinating teacher, and college supervisor. Her research focuses on meeting the needs of students with autism in less restrictive settings, implementing high-leverage practices, and developing effective and innovative online instruction. With a BA in English, an MEd in Special Education, and a PhD in Curriculum & Instruction from North Carolina State University, Dr. McKeithan brings a well-rounded perspective on faculty development, student success, and academic policy. She is eager to contribute her expertise to the Faculty Senate, advocating for policies that support faculty engagement and instructional excellence.
Najarian Peters, Associate Professor, School of Law
Najarian R. Peters is an attorney, scholar, and associate professor of law at KU. Professor Peters researches privacy law, torts, education law, artificial intelligence, governance, and ethics. She teaches the following courses: Marginalized Bodies in Literature, Medicine, and Law; Torts; Privacy Law; and The Practice of Privacy Law. She has recently developed a course called AI Governance and Privacy for the Honors Program. Professor Peters has been a Faculty Associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University since 2019. In addition to the Kansas Personal Injury Law treatise for LexisNexis published in August 2024, she is working on two additional book projects: tentatively titled Privacy, Racial and Gender Marginality, and Marronage in Modernity: Privacy, Technology, and Black Liberation. Her law articles and essays have been published in national and international journals including the Michigan Journal of Race & Law, University of California Law Review, Washington & Lee Law Review, and Seton Hall Law Review, as well as the 5Rights Foundation’s Digital Futures Commission publication Education Data Futures: Critical, Regulator and Practical Reflections. Professor Peters created the privacy focused conference called PrivacyPraxis in 2020 and co-designed the Wellness in Democracy series at KU that she has co-hosted since 2022. The series centers the impact of misinformation and disinformation on democracy.
Levi Russell, Associate Teaching Professor, Finance Academic Area, School of Business
Levi Russell is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Finance Academic Area in the KU School of Business. He teaches Managerial Economics, Foundations of Business, and Futures and Options. Dr. Russell holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics from Kansas State University. Prior to joining KU, he was an Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University and the University of Georgia, and an Associate Professor at Ottawa University. His research interests are in political economy, the economics of risk, and the economics of regulation. He lives with his wife and their 3 children in Ottawa, Kansas.
Midori Samson, Assistant Professor, School of Music
Dr. Midori Samson (she/her/siya) サムソンみどり recently joined the School of Music faculty and is eager to engage in university service activities. With a background as both a bassoonist and a social worker, her research, artistic, and teaching practices focus on music, trauma, and healing. In addition to her efforts to grow the bassoon studio at KU, her recent work includes composing an electroacoustic album inspired by her Filipino and Japanese immigrant ancestors, researching the artistic contributions of atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima, co-writing a play with Kigali-based artists to commemorate the Rwandan genocide 25th anniversary, leading virtual arts therapy sessions for internally displaced high school students in Ukraine, collaborating with community members on the Turkey/Syria border to lead circus performances for refugee families, and co-chairing the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee at the International Double Reed Society. She brings to her work a consistent emphasis on intersectionality, social justice, and healing-centered strategies. She holds degrees from The Juilliard School, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Austin Sullivan, Assistant Professor of the Practice, School of Professional Studies - Health Sciences
Austin Sullivan is an Assistant Professor of the Practice in the Health Sciences program in the School of Professional Studies. His research centers on improving malnutrition identification in older adults with and without dementia using innovative methods such as bioinformatics.In his current role, Austin is dedicated to supporting undergraduate student success through teaching and mentoring, helping students achieve their highest level of proficiency as future health professionals.
As a PhD candidate, he represented the School of Health Professions at the University of Kansas Medical Center in student government, providing insight into policies to improve student life. During this experience, he developed a strong commitment to university governance and advocacy. As a Faculty Senate member, Austin will work to support policies that promote academic freedom, faculty wellness, and research opportunities at KU.
Kyoim Yun, Associate Professor, East Asian Languages and Cultures, CLAS
Kyoim Yun is an associate professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. An interdisciplinary scholar, she has published research in the fields of anthropology, folkloristics, Korean studies, human geography, and ritual studies. Her first book, The Shaman’s Wages: Trading in Ritual on Cheju Island, was published by the University of Washington Press in 2019. She is currently working on her second book project, tentatively titled Retreats in Mountain Monasteries: Buddhism and Wellness Tourism in South Korea.
Since arriving at KU, Yun has developed a nationally recognized Korean Studies program. Beyond Korea-related courses, she taught a brand-new course “Happiness in East Asia” for the first time in Fall 2024 and plans to offer it regularly. She developed the course during her tenure as a Keeler Intra-University Professor in the Department of Geography and Atmospheric Science in Spring 2023. Through her service, she hopes to promote well-being within the university community.