CRSIS

Spotlight on Faculty at Partner Institutions
Dr. Constance G. Bland
Constance Bland is an Associate Professor of Computer Science and Chair of the Department of Mathematics, Computer & Information Sciences at Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, Mississippi. Her dissertation research was based on the delivery of instruction using Hypermedia. She has written numerous proposals and is the current Director of an NSF HBCU-UP grant and the NSF Odyssey Scholarship Program. Her research interests include software engineering, Programming Languages, and Computer Science Education. Her research has been presented at a number of conferences including ITiCSE, SIGCSE, ADMI, Mississippi Academy of Sciences and numerous others. Dr. Bland’s current classes include, Programming I, Software Engineering, and Database Systems.
Dr. Linda Hayden, Principal Investigator
Linda Hayden is the Director of the Elizabeth City State University Center of Excellence in Remote Sensing Education and Research. She is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and recalls graphing functions at home for hours as a high school student “because they were beautiful to me.” Today, in addition to regular teaching duties she also serves as Co-Director for an NSF CI-Team Project and Co-Principal Investigator for PolarGrid Project. Her research interests include Remote Sensing and Grid Networks.

Dr. Thorna Humphries
 Thorna Humphries, Ph.D. joined the faculty of Norfolk State University as an Associate Professor of Computer Science in August, 2005. She taught previously at Florida A&M University. Before joining the Florida A&M University faculty in 1990, Dr. Humphries was a Software Engineer at Wang Laboratories, Inc. She received the M.S. degree in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology at Cambridge, Massachusetts. She received the Ph. D. in Computer Science from University of Colorado at Boulder, Colorado. Professor Humphries' research interest is directed toward the discovery of principles and developmental technologies to support the management and representation of data. Areas of interest include tools for evaluating performance on persistence object systems, data modeling, transaction models, and ambient intelligence. In her doctoral work she investigated and developed an infrastructure to evaluate the performance of persistent object systems, which was funded by the National Science Foundation.
Dr. Elva Jones
Elva Jones is a Professor of Computer Science at Winston-Salem State University and the Chair of the Department of Computer Science. Dr. Jones received her B.S. from Winston-Salem State University, her M.S. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a second M.S. from North Carolina State University, and her Ph.D. from North Carolina Stae University. Her research interests include Visualization, Data Retrieval (Space Science), Multimedia Systems, System Design & Development, Human Computer Interaction, and Computer Science Education.
Dr. Andrea Lawrence
Dr. Andrea W. Lawrence is an Associate Professor at Spelman College and is the current Chair of the Computer Science Department. Dr. Lawrence teaches Directed Studies (Variables) and Computer Graphics at this time and maintains a special teaching interest in Programming Languages, Artificial Intelligence, Human Computer Interaction, and Beginning Programming. Dr. Lawrence received her Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Her M.S. in Computer Science from Atlanta University, and her B.S. in Mathematics from Purdue University. Her current research interests include Human Computer Interaction, particularly using computer animations to teach computer algorithms.
Dr. Loretta A. Moore
Loretta Moore is a Professor and Chair in the Department of Computer Science at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi. Dr. Moore received her Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1991, her M.S. in Computer Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1986, and her B.S. in Computer Science from Jackson State University in 1985. Her research interests include Intelligent Systems, Software Systems Design, Data and Information Management, Computer Security and Forensics.
Dr. Alfred Watkins
Alfred R. Watkins currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Spelman College where he teaches Computer Organization & Design, Computer Graphics, Database Design and Introduction to Computers. He has also served as an instructor of Database Design at Georgia Institute of Technology’s College of Computing. Dr. Watkins is a member of the Association of Computing Machinists (ACM), the director of the Bronner Business Institute, a member of the Board of Directors of the PACE Youth Development Corporation, a not-for-profit youth science and engineering organization, and a member of the Board of Directors of Our Family Table Foundation. Dr. Watkins earned his Ph.D. degree in Computer Science from Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. He earned his Masters degree in Computer Science from Howard University in Washington D.C., his B.E.E. degree from Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, and his B.S. of Computer Science from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Aurelia Williams
Dr. Williams is currently an Assistant Professor at Norfolk State University where she also serves as the Undergraduate Program Director. Aurelia Williams received her Doctor of Professional Studies Computer Science with an emphasis in Computer Science pedagogy from Pace University, White Plains, NY in 2006. She received her M.S. in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD and her B.S. in Computer Science from Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA graduating as a DNIMAS Scholar.