Written by: College of Engineering May 21, 2026 UAH College of Engineering is proud to announce the arrival of five new faculty members this fall: Tianyou Bao Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Villanova University, 2026 M. S. in Computer Science, The George Washington University, 2021 B. S. in Computer Science, Wenzhou-Kean University, China, 2019 Dr. Tianyou Bao is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). He obtained his Ph.D. (2026) in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Villanova University, where he worked in the Security and Cryptography (SAC) Lab as a Research Assistant. He earned his M.S. (2021) in Computer Science from The George Washington University, where he was a Research Fellow at the Cyber Security and Privacy Research Institute (CSPRI). Dr. Bao has authored more than 20 peer-reviewed publications in venues including IEEE Transactions on Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) Systems, IACR Transactions on Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems, and ACM Transactions on Reconfigurable Technology and Systems. His research interests include post-quantum cryptographic engineering, fully homomorphic encryption, digital signal processing, computer arithmetic, and VLSI design. Sukrith Dev Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Ph. D., Electrical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 2019 M. S., Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2016 B. S., Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2015 Sukrith Dev is an assistant professor in the electrical & computer engineering department at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). During his Ph. D., he was a Department of Defense SMART Fellow and a recipient of The Ben Streetman Prize in Electronics & Photonics. Prior to joining UAH, Dr. Dev worked at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), where he served as either the principal investigator or co-investigator for several basic research efforts and earned the Laboratory Scientist of the Quarter award. Currently, Dr. Dev is the founder and principal investigator of the MASER Lab at UAH, which conducts research in microwave photonics, quantum sensing, millimeter wave devices, and infrared materials. Lorenzo Federici Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Ph.D., Aeronautics and Space Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, 2022 M.Sc., Space and Astronautical Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, 2018 B.S., Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, 2016 Dr. Federici is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Before joining UAH, he was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Arizona. His research focuses on integrating model-based and data-driven methods, particularly AI and machine learning, to develop robust and efficient optimization and control frameworks for astrodynamics applications, including space trajectory design and optimization, autonomous spacecraft guidance, navigation, and control, space robotics, and sensor tasking for space domain awareness. John Morris Assistant Professor, Industrial and Systems Engineering & Engineering Management (ISEEM) PhD, Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, 2025 MS, Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, 2023 BS, Mechanical Engineering, Brigham Young University, 2021 John Morris previously worked as the Applications Engineer for the PLM Center at Clemson University, leading research and training initiatives in digital engineering for the center. His research focuses on mathematical frameworks underpinning modeling and simulation in model-based enterprises, especially in providing interoperable digital twins. Dr. Morris grew up in Utah. He and his wife have three boys. Research interests: systems modeling and simulation, digital twins, knowledge systems, and industrial implementation of model-based engineering. Xiaokang Wang Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Ph. D. Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, 2023 B. S. Engineering Mechanics, Xi’an Jiaotong University Dr. Wang is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Before joining UAH, he was a postdoctoral research associate at University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. His research program bridges solid mechanics, multiphysics modeling, and advanced electron/scanning probe microscopy to resolve and engineer strength–structure–property relationships across scales. By integrating in-situ experiments with theory, he studies organic semiconductors, nano catalysts, and electrochemically active systems, with the goal of linking nanoscale mechanisms to bulk performance. He is a reviewer of multiple peer-reviewed journals, and a member of SES and MRS.
