School of Basic, Applied Science, and Technology

 Dr. Dawitt Aberra, Associate Professor for the Department of Mathematics at Virginia Union University, has over ten years of experience in teaching college level mathematics courses. Dr. Aberra earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics while attending the University of Arkansas, his G.D. from the International Center for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy and both his M.S. and B.S. in Mathematics from Addis Ababa University. His research interests include: Complex Functions Theory and Differential Equations.
Dr. Mahmoud Abu-Joudeh has a Ph.D. in Surface Physics from West Virginia University, a M.S in Physics from Ohio University, a M.S. in Math and Computer Science from Ohio University, and a B.S. in Physics and Mathematics from Jordan University. Dr. Abu-Joudeh has more than 20 years of teaching experience in the areas of Physics, Mathematics and Computer Science. His main interest is curriculum development.
Dr. Phillip Wesley Archer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Sciences. He also serves as Executive Director of the Mid-Eastern Alliance for Minority Participation Program (MEAMP), and Director of Minority Health Initiatives. Dr. Archer graduated from Hampton Institute with a B.A. degree in biology in 1977. He earned a master's degree from Central Michigan University in management and supervision in 1981, with a concentration in health care management. In 1988 he earned a doctorate in physiology and biophysics from Howard University's College of Medicine. In 1997 he published his book Key Concepts of Physiology, which for a time was adopted as a textbook at several universities across the country. Currently his research interests involve investigations on ethnic differences in susceptibility to disease and hereditary/environmental linked neurobiological factors associated with pre-maturity and low birth weight.
Dr. Jeffrey Clark obtained his undergraduate degree in psychology from West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, West Virginia. He went on to earn a master’s and doctoral degree in experimental psychology from the University of Cincinnati in Ohio. Dr. Clark has wide ranging interests in psychology. In recent years, he has focused his attention on helping students conduct independent research projects in preparation for graduate work. He has supervised research on homesickness, the quality of the father-daughter relationship for African American women, the characteristics of children awaiting adoption, and the impact of participation in the Upward Bound on the mentors and tutors.

Dr. Dorothy N. Eseonu is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Virginia Union University. She received her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1989, her M.S. in Organic Chemistry from Howard University in 1981, and her B.A. in Chemistry from East Stroudsburg State University in 1977.

 
 
 
 
   
Since 1993 William M. Gibson has served as a member of the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department faculty at Virginia Union University. Professor Gibson earned a Juris Doctor degree from Boston University School of Law, Masters of Social Work from the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work, and Masters of Divinity from Virginia Union University Graduate School of Theology. A former member of the Massachusetts Bar, he engaged in the private practice of law, served as an Assistant United States Attorney, Director Law and Poverty Project at Boston University School of Law and Tuft's University Lincoln Filene Center, and Adjunct Professor Boston University School of Afro-American Studies.
Mr. James M. Johnson has been employed by Virginia Union University since January 1994. He started as an adjunct instructor in forensic accounting and was hired fulltime in September 1999 as assistant professor in Criminal Justice. Jim is a retired senior IRS Criminal Investigations Special Agent with 21 years of experience and a retired Army Division Command Sergeant Major with 30 years of active and reserve service. He holds a BS degree in business administration from Virginia Union University, a MS degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Criminal Justice and is a certified fraud examiner (CFE). Jim has served as the department chair from September 2001 to May 2005 during which he was also awarded the Scott Stringfellow Professor of the year award.
Dr. Shaheen Islam joined Virginia Union University in the fall of 1992 as an associate professor and chair of the Mathematics Department, and was promoted to the rank of professor in May, 2000. Dr. Islam received her PhD from the University of Notre Dame in experimental condensed matter physics. Her areas of research interest are semiconductor alloys, magnetic material, biological material, catalyst and environmental science. She has been using Xray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) as an experimental tool to study the local structure of various materials. Most of the XAFS data have been collected at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. She is a member of the Participant Research Team (PRT) of National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS). Dr. Islam has submitted more than 30 grant proposals in the past 20 years, many of which were funded.
Dr. Anthony C. Madu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Sciences, and Director of the MARC U*STAR Program. He earned his Ph.D. in Microbial Genetics from Meharry Medical College School of Graduate Studies and Research in 1985. Prior to joining the faculty at VUU in 1991, he completed a post-doctoral training in Molecular Biology at The University of Michigan (1985-1990), and served as Senior Research Associate at Emory University (1990-1991). At both institutions, he mentored graduate and undergraduate students in the classroom and laboratory. Dr. Madu’s current research focuses on the molecular regulation of antibiotic biosynthesis in Streptomyces with a purpose to activate silent pathways, or/or modify others to produce novel antibiotics. .
Dr. Shyamal Premaratne is a native of Sri lanka. He has a BS with honors in Biochemistry and an an MS in Tropical Medicine from the University of Liverpool, England. He obtained his MD degree from the North Colombo Medical School in Sri Lanka and his PhD in Genetic Engineering from the University of Hawaii. He has published 33 papers in peer reviewed journals and won numerous awards for his presentations both in the US and in Europe. He has over 10 years of experience teaching Anatomy, Biology and Physiology. Presently, he is an Assistant Professor in the Natural Sciences at VUU - a position he has held since 2002.
Dr. David S. Torain II is the Chair of the Department of Mathematics. Dr. Torain has published papers on Analytical Approaches to the Bio-economic Dynamics of a Fishery which includes Simultaneous Harvesting of other Species. He also published “A Catch-Rate Model for Fisheries” Maters Thesis from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is currently writing a Calculus Series for Maple Books and a Maple Manuel for Complex Variables. Dr. Torain has a Doctorate of Philosophy degree in Mathematics; a Master of Science degree in Applied Mathematics and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Dr. Heidi F. Villanueva is Chair of the Department of Psychology at Virginia Union University. Dr. Villanueva received her Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. Her B.A. in Biology was earned at University of Virginia. Dr. Villanueva teaches courses in Biopsychology, Learning and Cognition, and Psychology of Women.
Dr. Leslie Y. Whiteman-Richardson’s professional credentials include a B.S. in Mathematics from the College of William and Mary in 1983, and a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University (MCV/VCU) in 1988. As an Assistant Professor at MCV/VCU and an Associate Professor at VUU, she has mentored graduate and undergraduate students in the classroom and laboratory at both universities, and has over 15 years of teaching experience. She serves as an advisor and mentor to science majors, and was instrumental in innovating the general biology, genetics, and microbiology curricula with cooperative group-learning and computer-based technology. Her research publications reflect her interests in immunological responses to microbial infections, and the molecular basis of pathogenicity. Dr. Whiteman is the Program Director of the Minority Biomedical Research Support - Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (MBRS RISE) program at VUU.
Dr. Hasan Ziaie, an associate professor of psychology, has more than 16 years of teaching experience. He specializes in the field of human development. Dr. Ziaie earned the Master of Science degree in community health from Minnesota State University, Mankato; and the Doctor of Philosophy degree in educational psychology from the
University of Oregon, Eugene. He is a member of the Virginia Psychological Association.