Dr. Nathan Johnson, Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Dr. Nathan P. Johnson joined the faculty at Bellarmine University’s expanding Computer Science department in the fall of 2020 bringing a varied background that includes academic and work experience in technology and communications. Dr. Johnson worked
for many years at the University of Louisville’s Speed School of Engineering helping researchers write parallel programs and administering the university’s first “supercomputer,” an IBM RS600 that was 235th on the list of the
world's top 500 fastest computers. Dr. Johnson also brings a lot of varied experience in the education field, having taught computer science classes at UofL, Indiana University Southeast, Embry Riddle Aeronautics University, and Sullivan University.
Dr. Johnson holds doctoral and master’s degrees in Computer Science from the University of Louisville as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Western Kentucky University. During the 1980s and early 1990s he worked as a newspaper
reporter and editor for various publications.
Dr. Johnson’s current research involves the use of swarms of mini-drones. His previous research papers focused on reliability in high performance computing on desktop grids.
Dr. Johnson and his wife, Shelley Catharine Johnson, live near Simpsonville, KY, and have a college-age son of their own, Patrick.
Dr. Andrew Karem, Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Dr. Andrew Karem joined Bellarmine University's Computer Science faculty in the fall of 2024. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Louisville in 2019. For his dissertation research, he investigated the use of
multiple instance learning to enhance clustering of high-dimension data under the supervision of Dr. Hichem Frigui, with an applied focus on algorithms to detect and identify buried explosive objects (e.g., landmines) using subterranean imaging data.
Dr. Karem’s teaching interests include, but are not limited to, courses dealing with computer science fundamentals, databases, data structures, programming languages, quantitative computing, and data science. His research and publication interests
center around data science and machine learning, and he collaborates regularly with the University of Louisville Psychology Department’s EAT Laboratory (Director Dr. Cheri Levinson, Assistant Director Dr. Christina Ralph-Nearman) on research
related to diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders.
Dr. Sayani Sarkar, Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Dr. Sayani Sarkar joined Bellarmine University's Computer Science department in the fall of 2021. She earned her Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from the School of Computing and Informatics at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2021. For her dissertation
research, she investigated intelligent energy-efficient drones in the area of path planning, monitoring, and real-time decision making under the direction of Dr. Michael Totaro.
She received her Bachelor of Technology and Master of Technology in the year 2009 and 2011, respectively, in Electronics and Communication Engineering from West Bengal University of Technology, West Bengal, India. After working as Assistant Professor
at West Bengal University of Technology for more than four years, she pursued her graduate studies at Louisiana State University. She received her Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Louisiana State University in 2017.
Dr. Sarkar's current research interests include intelligent UAV path design, modelling, and analysis using deep learning algorithms.
Dr. Muzaffar Ali, Emeritus Professor of Computer Science
Dr. Muzaffar Ali joined the Department of Math, Computer Science, and Physics at Bellarmine College on August 15, 1982. He finished 40 years of service at Bellarmine University on May 14, 2021. He served as a chair of the combined departments for three
years. When the Department of Computer Science was created, he was appointed the first chair. He served in that capacity for more than 28 years.
He received his Bachelor of Science (Honors) in 1970 and Master of Science in 1972 in Physics from Aligarh Muslim University in India.
Dr. Ali has taught courses in discrete math, calculus, differential equations, statistics, numerical analysis, and operation research. He has most of the courses in computer science. He has been instrumental in changing the programming languages for freshman
classes from BASIC to PASCAL to C to C++, and ultimately to JAVA.
Dr. Sima Shafaei, Assistant Professor of Computer Science
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Dr. Sima Shafaei is an Assistant Professor at Bellarmine University. She holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering with a focus on Human-Computer Interaction and Data Science from the University of Louisville. She also earned a Master’s degree in
Artificial Intelligence and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Software Engineering from Isfahan University and Isfahan University of Technology, respectively.
Dr. Shafaei brings over ten years of academic experience and six years of industry experience as a software and database designer and analyst. Her interdisciplinary research interests include artificial intelligence, machine learning, human-computer interaction,
and data-driven design. She is a recipient of several honors, including the IE Research Competition and Innovation Award, and the IE Outstanding GTA Award from the University of Louisville.