Our People

Alexei Kolesnikov is professor of Mathematics and founding Director of the Towson AI Institute. His research spans mathematical logic and theoretical machine learning. He has directed the Applied Mathematics Laboratory, which partners student teams with industry and community sponsors, and previously served as Director of Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry. He is a recipient of the 2025 USM Board of Regents Faculty Award for mentoring.

Jal Irani is a Lecturer in the Computer and Information Sciences, where he teaches introductory computing and AI literacy courses. As Assistant Director, he leads TAI’s community engagement portfolio, including the AI Clinic, hands-on AI trainings, and partnerships with regional organizations.

Pamela Lottero-Perdue is Professor of Science and Engineering Education in the Department of Physics, Astronomy & Geosciences. A mechanical engineer by training, she studies how teachers learn to teach science and engineering, with National Science Foundation-funded work on simulated classroom environments and teacher preparation. As Associate Director, she leads TAI's education and workforce development portfolio.

Wei Yu is Professor of Computer and Information Sciences. His research focuses on applied machine learning, cybersecurity, and cyber-physical systems, and has been supported by the National Science Foundation — including through an NSF CAREER award — and other federal agencies. As Associate Director, he leads TAI's research and innovation portfolio, connecting faculty across disciplines with AI research infrastructure and collaborations.

Hua Chang, PhD, is a Professor in the Marketing Department and Program Director of the M.S. in Marketing Intelligence program in the College of Business and Economics. His research examines consumer and marketing applications of artificial intelligence (AI), with a particular focus on human-AI collaboration in customer service, AI-driven personalization, and consumer responses to AI-generated content. Current projects include experimental investigations of how consumers evaluate and trust human-only, AI-only, and hybrid human-AI service configurations, as well as studies on perceived authenticity in AI-generated advertising and AI-personalized social media communication. At the Towson AI Institute (TAI), he will build cross-disciplinary research collaborations on human-AI interaction in consumer and organizational contexts, including joint grant proposals, co-authored empirical work, and a cross-college workshop series connecting marketing, computer science, and information systems researchers on applied AI and consumer behavior.