Professor Leonardo Flores is the chair of the Department of English at Appalachian State University and the president of the Latin American Electronic Literature Network – Lit(e)Lat. His research areas are electronic literature, with a focus on e-poetry, digital writing, and the history and strategic growth of the field. He is known for “I ♥ E-Poetry”, the “Electronic Literature Collection, Volume 3”, “Third Generation Electronic Literature”, and the “Antología Lit(e)Lat, Volume 1”. He was a member of the MLA-CCCC Joint Task Force on AI and Writing and is now part of the MLA Task Force on Generative AI Initiatives. He is available to offer talks and workshops on AI and its impact on education, policy, scholarship, and creativity. Professor Flores is also a cyborg digital writer with a thriving creative coding practice. For more information on his current work, visit leonardoflores.net.
Archives: Meet Our USA Fulbrighters
Bharat Bhushan
Dr. Bharat Bhushan is an academy professor (San Jose, California), and has served as an Ohio Eminent Scholar and Howard D. Winbigler Professor, and as director of the Nanoprobe Laboratory for Bio/Nanotechnology and Biomimetics at Ohio State University, Ohio. From 2013 to 2014, he served as an ASME/AAAS science and technology policy fellow of the U.S. Congress. He holds a BS, two MS degrees, and a PhD in mechanical engineering, as well as an MBA and five honorary doctorates, a total of 10 college degrees. His research interests include fundamental studies in the interdisciplinary areas of bio/nanotribology/nanomechanics, nanomaterials characterization, scanning probe techniques, magnetic storage, bio/nanotechnology, nanomanufacturing, bioinspired liquid repellency, self-cleaning, anti-icing, anti-fouling, and water harvesting, science and technology policy.
Dr. Bhushan has authored 11 scientific books, over 100 handbook chapters, and over 900 scientific papers. He is one of the 1,248 highly cited researchers in all fields on Google Scholar, with an h-index of over 150 and with over 115,000 citations; Scopus’s one of 401 scientists for career-long citation impact across all fields out of over eight million scientists from around world; the fourth highly cited researcher in mechanical engineering; 149th most cited researcher in materials science; and an ISI highly cited researcher in materials science and in the cross-field category. He has made over 400 invited presentations, including over 300 keynote/plenary addresses at major international conferences across six continents. In 2019, he also delivered a TEDx lecture.
Dr. Bhushan is the recipient of numerous awards and international fellowships, and is a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts and the International Academy of Engineering (Russia). He has worked for various industrial research labs, including Mechanical Technology Inc., SKF, and the IBM Almaden Research Center. He is an alum of BITS, Pilani, and a recipient of the 2015 BITS (Pilani) Distinguished Alumnus Award. He can be contacted via: (bhushan100@outlook.com); (linkedin.com/in/dr-bharat-bhushan-48011871); and (facebook.com/bhushanb100).
Alicia Rubio
Dr. Alicia Rubio is a professor of finance at the University of the Incarnate Word’s H-E-B School of Business and Administration in San Antonio, Texas. She holds a PhD in family and consumer economics from Purdue University, an MBA in finance from ITESM Guadalajara, and a BS in actuarial sciences from Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara. Her teaching and research focus on personal financial planning, financial well-being, financial behavior, and the intersection of cultural values and household financial behavior, with a particular emphasis on Hispanic households. Dr. Rubio has published in peer-reviewed journals and has presented her work internationally. Alongside her academic roles, she is an accredited financial counselor® and an accredited behavioral finance professional®.
Frank Barnas
Mr. Frank Barnas is one of the leading global scholars in developing programs in broadcast journalism and mass media. His academic history includes teaching in Bulgaria and Lithuania, delivering seminars in Russia, developing online coursework in Germany, and working with study abroad programs in Russia and Ireland. He has also professional experience as a television news reporter and news/talk radio host.
As an active documentary producer with credits ranging from Antarctica to Moldova, his projects have received nearly 60 awards from festivals, including from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Telly Awards, and Worldfest Houston. His latest documentary, The Cost of Caring, examines the high suicide rate within the veterinary community. It has been distributed on PBS stations throughout the U.S. as well as on Vimeo and Amazon Prime.
Mr. Barnas holds degrees from the University of Missouri, the University of Texas, and Florida State University. His ninth and tenth textbooks will be released in 2026. When he is not in the studio, he hikes the Appalachian Trail, enjoys rock climbing, and produces the Voca Vacay travel podcast with his wife Marie.
John C. Lore III
Professor John Lore is the director of Trial Advocacy at Rutgers Law School. He trains law students and attorneys throughout the U.S. and internationally. He has also trained judges, lawyers, social service agency workers, law enforcement personnel, and students in countries such as Kenya, India, Ireland, Nigeria, Tanzania, Japan, Singapore, and China. In May 2019, Professor Lore was a visiting faculty at Jilin University in Changchun, China. He also provides training to advocacy instructors and consults with law schools, universities, and government agencies, to create effective teaching programs.
Professor Lore is the co-author (with Steven Lubet) of Modern Trial Advocacy: Analysis and Practice(published by NITA and Wolters Kluwer), which is one of the leading trial advocacy books used by lawyers and students throughout the world; it is taught in over 90 U.S. law schools and has also been translated or adapted for use in Japan, Canada, Israel, Taiwan, China, and Chile.
In 2011, Professor Lore established and now directs the Center for Public Interest Training at Law School which provides free training for public interest lawyers. His commitment to teaching has been recognized by Rutgers where he has received a major teaching award each year since 2012.
Before pursuing a teaching career, Professor Lore was an assistant public defender at the Defender Association of Philadelphia and at the Cook County Public Defender’s Office in Chicago. Over the course of his career, he has litigated hundreds of trials and motions before a wide variety of courts and administrative agencies.
Professor Lore serves on several committees and boards, including the New Jersey Supreme Court Civil Practice Committee. Apart from trial advocacy, he is an expert on children’s rights and juvenile law. He has been a frequent contributor to various U.S. media outlets.
Merideth M. Sellars
Ms. Merideth Sellars, MS, is a professor in the Department of Biological and Physical Sciences at Columbus State Community College, where she has dedicated over 20 years to advancing STEM education, outreach, and student success. She has also served as the principal investigator for the Future Scientists of Ohio Scholars Program, as faculty advisor to the STEM Club, and as coordinator for STEM Community Outreach and Engagement. Currently, she leads her college’s participation in the Destination Ohio State University (DOSU) and Researcher Mentor Teacher (RMT) programs, which support student pathways into research and higher education.
Ms. Sellars has co-authored 11 interactive iBooks and three laboratory manuals in human anatomy and physiology. She has also served as her department’s distance learning lead instructor. She is an active member – and past five-year vice-chair – of the Ohio State University’s Biomedical Engineering External Advisory Council and also contributes to the STEM Industry Council’s Career Readiness Program for Columbus city schools. Additionally, she coordinates the “We Are STEM” annual event, which connects high school students to hands-on STEM experiences and career exploration opportunities.
Her commitment to teaching excellence has been recognized through multiple awards, including the Columbus State Distinguished Teaching Award (2002, 2011, and finalist in 2024) and the Outstanding Woman Leader Award (2016). Ms. Sellars is especially passionate about mentoring new faculty and championing innovative, inclusive teaching practices that foster student engagement and success.
Ram Mohan
Professor Ram Mohan earned his BSc in chemistry from Hansraj College in Delhi, India, an MSc in organic chemistry from the University of Delhi, India, and a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Maryland, Baltimore (under Professor Dale Whalen), USA. He did his postdoctoral work at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (in Professor Robert Coates’s lab) and started his independent academic career at Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU). He is currently the Wendell and Loretta Hess Professor of Chemistry at IWU.
Professor Mohan’s research, carried out exclusively by undergraduate students, focuses on environmentally friendly organic synthesis using bismuth compounds. To date, he has supervised over 140 IWU undergraduates and published 68 manuscripts co-authored by them. He is especially committed to raising awareness about green chemistry in rural India and often travels to remote parts of India.
He is also the recipient of several awards, such as: the University of Maryland, Baltimore County 2002 Distinguished Alumni Award; the Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award; the Pfizer Pharmaceuticals (St. Louis Green Chemistry Team) Green Chemistry Award; Chemist of the Year 2011 (Illinois Heartland Section of the American Chemical Society); the American Chemical Society’s Committee on Environmental Improvement Award for incorporating sustainability into chemistry education; the 2023 Kemp Award for Teaching Excellence (from IWU); and the Fulbright Teacher Scholar Award in 2012, 2019, and 2023.
Feler Bose
Dr. Feler Bose is an economics and finance professor at Indiana University East. His undergraduate studies culminated in degrees in engineering physics and chemistry from Hope College, Michigan. He then completed his MS in mechanical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia. He worked for a few years in the paper industry before realizing his interests were not in engineering. He returned to school and received his PhD in economics from George Mason University, Virginia.
Dr. Bose’s research is multifaceted, encompassing applied microeconomics, political economy, law and economics, and the economics of religion. His current investigations delve into the impact of legislative structures on power dynamics, the significance of culture in societal development, and the opportunity cost associated with sexual freedom. His scholarly contributions extend beyond the academia. He has numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals and has authored book chapters, law briefs, a book, and regulatory analyses. He has also presented his research at several national and international outlets, addressing a diverse audience of both professionals and lay people. He is a member of various professional organizations, and his outstanding contributions to teaching and research have earned him multiple awards at his university.
Ramasamy Perumal
Dr. Ramasamy Perumal is the professor of sorghum and pearl millet breeding at Kansas State University. He is associated with the release of several seed and pollinator parents tolerant to drought and chilling stresses, and also with mapping such populations. He completed his PhD in plant breeding and genetics in 1993 from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India. Dr. Perumal is the recipient of several awards: the Fulbright Specialist Award (2025); the Rockefeller Foundation postdoctoral fellow award in sorghum biotechnology (1998–2000); and the senior research fellowship of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (1988–1990). He is currently serving as an adjunct faculty in four Universities: Texas A&M University, Texas; Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Tamil Nadu; SRM University, Tamil Nadu; and SKUAST-Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir. Dr. Perumal was the chief editor of a pearl millet monograph and is currently the editor of The World Millets: Crops for Food, Nutrition and Sustainability (Wiley Publishers). He is also serving as a member of the advisory committee for the compendium of sorghum diseases (third edition, a publication of the American Phytopathological Society). Dr. Perumal has published 124 research articles, 20 book chapters, 73 abstracts/posters, and six extension materials. He is also serving as a potential reviewer for 21 journals and has reviewed over 200 research manuscripts.
Karan S. Surana
Dr. Karan Surana, born in India, received his BE in mechanical engineering from Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, India, in 1965. He then attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he obtained his MS and PhD degrees in mechanical engineering in 1967 and 1970, respectively. For 15 years, he worked in industry in research and development in various areas of computational mechanics and software development: SDRC, Cincinnati (1970–1973); EMRC, Detroit (1973–1978); and McDonnell-Douglas, St. Louis (1978–1984). In 1984, he joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering faculty at the University of Kansas, where he is currently the Deane E. Ackers University Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering.
Dr. Surana’s areas of interest and expertise are computational mathematics, computational mechanics, and continuum mechanics. He is the author of over 350 research reports, conference papers, and journal articles. He has served as advisor and chairman of 50 MS students and 25 PhD students in various areas of computational mathematics and continuum mechanics. He has delivered many plenary and keynote lectures in various national and international conferences and congresses on computational mathematics, computational mechanics, and continuum mechanics.
Dr. Surana has also served on international advisory committees of many conferences and has co-organized mini symposia on the k-version of the finite element method, computational methods, and constitutive theories at the U.S. national congresses of Computational Mechanics organized by the U.S. Association of Computational Mechanics (USACM). He has also organized a mini symposium on classical and non-classical continuum mechanics at the Society of Engineering Science (SES). He is a member of the International Association of Computational Mechanics (IACM), USACM, and SES, as well as a fellow and life member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
Dr. Surana’s most notable contributions to his field include: large deformation finite element formulations of shells; the k-version of the finite element method; operator classification and variationally consistent integral forms in methods of approximations for BVPs and IVPs; and ordered rate constitutive theories for solid and fluent continua. His present research work is on non-classical continuum theories for solid and fluent continua and associated constitutive theories. He is the author of recently published textbooks: Advanced Mechanics of Continua (CRC/Taylor & France); The Finite Element Method for Boundary Value Problems: Mathematics and Computations (CRC/Taylor & Francis); The Finite Element Method for Initial Value Problems: Mathematics and Computations (CRC/Taylor & Francis); and Numerical Methods and Methods of Approximation in Science and Engineering (CRC/Taylor & Francis).