Welcome to new faculty and congratulations to faculty promoted in the College of Health and Human Services and Lyles College of Engineering this fall.

The College of Health and Human Services welcomes:

• Dr. Qiang Li, associate professor, Department of Communicative Sciences and Deaf Studies. A nationally certified speech-language pathologist, Li’s research focuses on neurogenic communication disorders, particularly cognitive-communication disorders resulting from brain injuries and motor speech disorders associated with Parkinson’s disease.

• Dr. Erica Middleton, assistant professor, Department of Communicative Sciences and Deaf Studies. A nationally certified speech-language pathologist and scholar, Middleton’s research interests center on culturally and linguistically responsive assessment and intervention, with particular emphasis on African American English (AAE) and language variation.

• Dr. Johnny Jimenez, assistant professor, School of Nursing, with more than 14 years of health care experience as a registered nurse and dual board-certified family and psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner. Jimenez’s clinical interests include advanced practice nursing, evidence-based practice, health care access and preparing providers to deliver compassionate, patient-centered care.

• Dr. Alexis Ramirez, assistant professor, School of Nursing, with more than 20 years of experience in nursing practice, education and academic leadership. Ramirez’s scholarly interests include workforce and professional development, transition-to-practice outcomes and strengthening partnerships between academia and clinical practice.

The college also recognizes promoted and tenured faculty:

• Dr. Harkirat Bal, tenured and promoted to associate professor in the School of Nursing, where he also serves as vice chair and is program director of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program. Beyond his academic and clinical roles, Bal is the founding president of the California Indian Nurses’ Association, reflecting his commitment to nursing leadership and service.

• Dr. Miguel Perez, named associate dean of the College of Health and Human Services, effective Aug. 1. For more than 25 years, he has been a dedicated member of the Fresno State community, serving in numerous leadership roles, including two terms as chair of the Department of Public Health, director of the Master of Public Health Program and most recently as interim associate dean for the college. His career at Fresno State, which began in 1999, has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to student success, academic excellence and collaborative leadership.

• Dr. Denise Ramirez, tenured and promoted to associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology, where she currently coordinates the physical education program. Her work focuses on promoting physical activity through education and community outreach, while improving performance through mental skills training. She has published multiple articles and presented her work at numerous conferences.

• Dr. Kathi Rindahl, promoted to professor in the School of Nursing, where she currently serves as department chair. Her other leadership roles include previously serving as director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, chair of the University Council of Department Chairs and founder of the Fresno State Mobile Health Unit Program. A proud U.S. Navy veteran and Family Nurse Practitioner, Rindahl has devoted her career to nursing education, health care access and service to the community.

• Dr. Kammi Sayaseng, promoted to professor in the School of Nursing, where she also serves as the graduate program coordinator and recently completed a three-year term as assistant chair. A registered nurse for over three decades, Sayaseng is an international board-certified lactation consultant and an experienced pediatric nurse practitioner in hospital and private practice settings.

• Dr. Talar Terzian-Chekian, tenured and promoted to associate professor in the School of Nursing. Dedicated to supporting students, she serves as chair of the Student Success Committee and is the faculty advisor for the Fresno State chapter of the California Nursing Students’ Association. She is also an active member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

• Dr. Jason Whiting, promoted to professor in the Department of Recreation Administration, where he has taught since 2012. As the coordinator of the outdoor recreation and natural resource management option, he helps students connect theory with practice, while developing their leadership skills. He’s led his students on many adventurous sites, including Zion National Park, Peru and Yosemite.

The Lyles College of Engineering welcomes:

• Dr. Mara Figueroa, assistant professor, Department of Civil and Geomatics Engineering, whose research uses Global Navigation Satellite System observations to study surface deformation, earthquakes and South American geodynamics. Before joining Fresno State, she was a postdoctoral researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

• Jiaqiong (Joan) Li, assistant professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering and director of the Intelligent Measurement, Perception and Action (IMPACT) Lab. She engages students in developing reliable sensors, robotics and artificial intelligence-based technology for advanced manufacturing and agriculture, and hopes to expand this research within the Central Valley.

• Dr. Mohammad Teymouri, assistant professor, Department of Construction Management and Architectural Studies. He comes to Fresno State with more than six years of industry experience in civil engineering, project engineering, estimating and as a technical manager of a civil engineering lab.