Shak Hossain, PhD
Professor and Interim Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Dr. Shak Hossain is a computer science faculty member with over 25 years of industry experience in Silicon Valley, bringing extensive applied expertise to computing education and research. His professional background includes leadership and technical roles in early-stage technology startups in the United States and Bangladesh, with specialization in intelligent information systems, document and data management platforms, cross-platform software development, cloud computing, web application security, and scalable distributed infrastructures.
His academic training includes studies in engineering at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and a dual major in Computer Science and Physics from the University of Southern California. His early research in experimental physics examined quantum interference phenomena on alkali metal surfaces and resulted in publications in peer-reviewed journals, including Physical Review, Physical Review Letters, and the European Physical Journal.
Dr. Hossain earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science with a research focus on entity resolution, master data management, and large-scale data analysis using mathematical and algorithmic modeling. His current research interests include data-intensive systems, data governance, and the application of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and blockchain technologies to policy management and enterprise-scale computing systems.
Prof. Ahmed Banafa, PhD
Director of Continuing Education & Special Programs
Prof. Ahmed Banafa is a distinguished expert in IoT, Blockchain, Cybersecurity, and AI with a strong background in research, operations, and management. He has been recognized for his outstanding contributions, receiving the Certificate of Honor from the City and County of San Francisco, the Haskell Award for Distinguished Teaching from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and the Author & Artist Award from San Jose State University. LinkedIn named him the No.1 tech voice to follow in 2018, acknowledging his predictive insights and influence. His groundbreaking research has been featured in renowned publications like Time, Nature, Forbes, IEEE, and the MIT Technology Review. He has been interviewed by major media outlets including ABC, CBS, NBC, Bloomberg, BBC, NPR, NHK, and FOX. Being a member of the MIT Technology Review Global Panel further highlights his prominence in the tech community.
Prof. Banafa is an accomplished author known for impactful books. His work "Secure and Smart Internet of Things (IoT) using Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence (AI)" earned him the San Jose State University Author and Artist Award and recognition as one of the Best Technology Books of All Time and Best AI Models Books of All Time. His book on "Blockchain Technology and Applications" also received acclaim and is integrated into curricula at prestigious institutions like Stanford University. Additionally, he has contributed significantly to Quantum Computing through his third book, and his fourth book on Artificial Intelligence in 2025. Prof. Banafa's educational journey includes Cybersecurity studies at Harvard University and Digital Transformation studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he is holding a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering and a PhD in Artificial Intelligence.
Meet our Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty
Engineering Faculty Directory
Chester He, DCE
Dr. Chester He holds a PhD in Computer Engineering and brings over 25 years of industry experience in computer networks and network security, spanning both startup environments and public companies. Known for his strong analytical and problem-solving skills, he also has more than 20 years of teaching experience in computer networking, network security, and network testing.
Jack Ho
Mr. Jack Ho is a seasoned software development professional with over 20 years of experience in networking security, network device management, electronic design automation, and cybersecurity. He has held various roles, including leadership positions managing international teams of over 20 people. Mr. Ho has consulted with companies like Apple and Microsoft, advising on design methodologies, hardware/software co-simulation, and tool usage. Currently, he works at a cybersecurity startup, helping companies identify vulnerabilities in their systems.
Shak Hossain, PhD
Dr. Shak Hossain is a computer science faculty member with over 25 years of industry experience in Silicon Valley, bringing extensive applied expertise to computing education and research. His professional background includes leadership and technical roles in early-stage technology startups in the United States and Bangladesh, with specialization in intelligent information systems, document and data management platforms, cross-platform software development, cloud computing, web application security, and scalable distributed infrastructures.
Emdad Khan, PhD
Dr. Khan worked in both academia and industry for over 20 years. He has taught various courses including AI, Gen AI, Intelligent Agents, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Algorithms, Human Computer Interactions, Software Engineering and Software Architecture.
Ragnar Lesch, PhD
Dr. Ragnar Lesch is an AI and machine learning leader with over 20 years of industry experience designing and deploying large-scale data and ML systems across retail, marketing, logistics, and financial domains. He has held senior leadership roles at organizations including Kohl’s, Tiger Analytics, and Sephora, where he led teams building recommender systems, causal inference models, demand forecasting and optimization engines, and enterprise ML infrastructure used at scale.
Kamala Marepalli, PhD
Dr. Kamala's experience spans over 20 years teaching courses like Data Science, Machine Learning, Big Data Analytics, Data Engineering and Data Visualisation. She earned B.Tech(CSE) from Nagarjuna University and M.Tech(CSE) from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University from India. Her Ph.D work is from University of Hyderabad and awarded from AKNU, India. Her research area is on Redescription Mining Algorithms and now her interests include Deep Learning, LLMs, Vision Transformers and Vision Language Architectures.
Charles Mori
With over 20 years of experience as a Software Quality Assurance Engineer at Silicon Valley, and more than 10 semesters of teaching experience, Charles is dedicated to sharing real industry knowledge with students. Specializing in the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), Continuous Integration (CI), and Continuous Delivery (CD), Charles focuses on manual and automation testing using API and UI frameworks. His goal is to help students quickly grasp and gain hands-on skills in software development and testing.
Degree & Academic Institution:
Hamid Rajabi, PhD
Dr. Hamid Rajab has five years of experience teaching and mentoring diverse and first-generation students. He teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses including Computer Organization, Programming Fundamentals, and introductory systems-level computing, emphasizing project-based, hands-on learning aligned with ABET student outcomes in problem solving, system design, and professional practice.