August’s New Hawks at Work

October 8, 2025

Published in: Hawks at Work, Recruiting

Banner Image for the Office of Human Resources

Join us in welcoming our newest team members to the University of North Dakota!

This month, we’re excited to introduce 67 new benefited employees who bring diverse skills, fresh perspectives, and a shared commitment to excellence.

HIGHLIGHTED HAWKS

To help you get to know them better, we’ve highlighted ten of our new Hawks at Work and include their shared short introductions.

Sharon Heley

Sharon started at UND on August 1 as an aviation assistant teaching professor. After spending 32 years in the airline industry as a front line employee, instructor, safety investigator and leader of people, she is looking forward to sharing the knowledge and experiences she gained with the people who will be the next generation of aviation leaders.

Having grown up in the airline industry (my dad was an airline employee also),Sharon always wanted to be a pilot and even completed ground school in high school. She had the privilege of traveling all over the United States as well as Great Britain and Scotland for work, but visiting Hawaii and the USS Arizona Memorial are still on her bucket list.

Priyanka Ravi

Dr. Priyanka Ravi joined UND on August 1 as a public health education assistant professor for CEHD. She is joining the University of North Dakota after completing her Ph.D. in Health Behavior and Health Promotion from the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona in 2025. She is passionate about cancer prevention and global tobacco control research. She also holds a Master of Dental Surgery in Public Health Dentistry from Manipal Academy of Higher Education and a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University.

Prior to UND, she worked with national public health programs in India, including serving as a Scientist at the ICMR-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research and as a Senior Resident at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. She was drawn to UND’s mission of community engagement and health equity and looks forward to contributing through teaching, mentorship, and research.

Outside of work, Priyanka enjoys hiking, connecting with nature, and exploring the outdoors. She also values quiet moments at home, often relaxing after a busy day with a walk in the park or by watching a good movie. She’s passionate about cultural exploration and has a long-standing goal of traveling the world to experience diverse cultures and cuisines.

Corey Lichtman

Corey began at UND on August 4 as an athletics sports communication specialist. Corey graduated with a degree in Communications and Media from Utica University in December of 2023. Corey worked as a student intern at Colgate University from January of 2023 through December of 2023, then became a Communications Assistant at the University of Florida from January of 2024 through June of 2025.

Corey is from Bellmore, New York in Long Island. Corey’s dream job growing up was to be a professional athlete.

Melanie Kamp

Melanie became one of UND CNPD’s nursing clinical instructor on August 16. She became a nurse in 2017 and have worked in long-term care, clinic nursing, employee health, care coordination, and Tribal Health nursing. Melanie received her nursing degrees from Lake Region State College and Mayville State University, and is looking forward to growing as a nurse educator at UND!

While a “ND grown” nurse, Melanie is originally from Tampa, FL and moved to ND in 2015. She loves all kinds of music, especially live shows, and goes to concerts often.

“My favorite way to wind down after a busy day is to listen to music, preferably outside or in a cozy blanket.”

Linqi Lu

Linqi joined UND on August 16 as an assistant professor for strategic communication for A&S. Her research is highly interdisciplinary, exploring the intersection of communication, artificial intelligence, and public health, with a particular emphasis on multimodal communication and health technology. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a Ph.D. in Communication, with doctoral minors in Computer Science and Educational Psychology (Quantitative Methods).

She enjoys playing with her two adorable cats Lilo & Stitch, playing piano, scuba diving, fencing, hiking, and exploring culinary food recipes for friends.

Whitney Miller

Whitney started at UND on August 19 as the project coordinator for the State Office of Rural Health. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of North Dakota (UND), where she had the privilege of working with UND Housing and the TRIO Programs. With three years of experience in project management, she had the opportunity to work with Grand Forks Public Health and the Blue Zones Project, which has strengthened her ability to drive impactful initiatives. She is excited to continue contributing to rural communities across North Dakota and look forward to connecting with colleagues who share my commitment to fostering positive change.

Originally from Wyoming, Grand Forks is where Whitney calls home now. If there’s one thing that never changes, it’s her love for pasta—comfort food all the way! Growing up, her dream job was to be a teacher. When it comes to travel, she is all about that western vibe—places like Jackson, Wyoming, or Nashville are her go-to spots. She is also a proud dog mom to Hattie. She’s a fuzzy golden doodle who’s practically human. When she is not working, you’ll find her either hanging out with friends or going on long walks with Hattie to unwind.

“As a first-generation college student, I am deeply passionate about higher education and its power to transform lives.”

Gamze Ersan

Gamze began at UND on August 20 as an engineering teaching assistant professor for CEM. Dr. Ersan is a Teaching Assistant Professor in the College of Engineering and Mines at University of North Dakota. Before joining UND, Dr. Ersan served as an Assistant Research Professor and ASEE eFellows in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at Arizona State University.

She has a strong academic foundation, having earned a Master’s in Civil Engineering from KSU, Türkiye, in 2010, following a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Istanbul University, Türkiye, in 2014, . During her Ph.D. appointment, she received “Overseas Graduate Scholarship” from Turkish-National Science Foundation (NSF) and worked as a visiting researcher at Clemson University, US. After graduation, she earned “Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey grant fellowship” and re-joined Clemson University as a postdoctoral researcher and worked on the adsorption and Linear Solvation Energy Relationship (LSER) modeling of organic contaminants on several conventional and novel materials. After her parental leave, she has started as a postdoctoral researcher at Arizona State University, later awarded ASEE efellowship with funding provided by NSF. Dr. Ersan current research interests include novel hybrid electrochemical processes for the regeneration of PFAS-loaded carbon-based materials and predicting adsorption efficiency using machine learning on nanomaterials. She brings a diverse academic background and industry-relevant research experience to the classroom, enriching her teaching with practical insights and cutting-edge advancements.

In the classroom, Dr. Ersan emphasizes interdisciplinary problem-solving, data-driven engineering, and sustainability-focused design. She is passionate about mentoring students and fostering a collaborative learning environment that prepares future engineers to tackle real-world challenges. She is originally from Turkiye. Outside of academia, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her family. She is a mother of two and loves hiking, camping, and reading.

Blake Johnson

Blake became UND Athletics’ assistant athletic director for operations on August 25. He previously worked in baseball operations for the Kansas City Royals, where he gained hands-on experience coordinating game-day logistics, managing equipment, and supporting both players and staff to ensure smooth operations behind the scenes.

Blake was drawn to this position as he has always enjoyed the operational side of sports and athletics. He is excited to contribute to the continued development and success of the UND Athletics Department by bringing his dedication, strong work ethic, and passion for sports operations to every task. He looks forward to collaborating with the team to enhance game-day experiences, streamline operations, and ensure that every event reflects the high standards and traditions of UND Athletics.

Blake was born and raised in Overland Park, Kansas. He went to the University of Kansas and was a member of the Delta Chi Fraternity. Being from the KC area, his favorite food is barbecue. He grew up going to many different lakes all around the US. His favorite thing to do to unwind is to relax on a boat with friends and family. He hopes to buy a boat one day to be able to take friends and family out and watch sunsets and fireworks.

“When you think about any big event, not many people consider all the hard work it takes to put on that show, game, or match. It requires preparation and coordination from the staff to deliver the experience that fans come to enjoy and watch.”

Hailey VonEnde

Hailey started at UND on August 25 as the Marketing & Creative Services’ marketing coordinator. Previously, she worked with UND Housing and Dining Marketing team during her undergrad studies , which led her to this position and pushed me into becoming a better and stronger marketer. Hailey graduated with my Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Major in Marketing and am looking forward to furthering her marketing skills and continuing to learn from those around her.

Hailey is originally from Badger, Minnesota. She stated if she had a plane ticket to anywhere in the world she would go back to Greece and explore more of the country. Last summer she was fortunate enough to get the experience of studying abroad and it completely changed her perspective on not only the world, but also on business, culture, and who she wants to become.

Kristen Waechter

Kristen joined UND on August 25 as the administrative assistant for Social Work. She has a Bachelor of Science in Child Development and Family Relations. Throughout her career, she has had many experiences working with young children and families. The past 24 years she worked for Tri-Valley Opportunity Council as a Head Start Manager. Kristen held many different positions with Head Start, the last being a Program Operations Manager. She am a Child Passenger Safety Technician, and I also hold a national certification as Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP). She stated she is looking forward to this new position with UND as she loves continuing to learn new things.

Kristen grew up in a small town called Salem, South Dakota. After graduating college, her husband and her have lived in seven other states since then, including North Dakota. She added she has a large, sweet tooth and her favorite comfort food is ice cream. She loves to add many toppings and candy bars into ice cream to make it even sweeter.

In addition to our highlighted Hawks at Work, we’re pleased to introduce the rest of our new employees who’ve joined campus this month.

Each of them is a valuable addition, and we’re excited to see the positive contributions they’ll make!

Academic Affairs & Provost

Katie Sims, Instructor, Atmospheric Sciences
Katie Adams, Assistant Teaching Professor – Air Traffic Management (ATM), Aviation
Michael Estomo, Assistant Teaching Professor, Aviation
Ian Morrow, UAS Associate, Aviation
Melissa LeClerc, Academic Core Advisor, AVP Student Success
Marie-Laure Reese, Administrative Assistant, AVP Student Success
Matt Fuka
Hannah Correia, Assistant Professor, Biology
Avery Shikanai, Teaching Assistant Professor, Biology
Wen Sun, Teaching Assistant Professor, Chemistry
Heather Cooper, Archivist, Chester Fritz Library
Mohamed ElFaham, Teaching Assistant Professor – Engineering, College of Engineering & Mines
Matt Fuka, Lecturer – Engineering, College of Engineering & Mines
Kirby Folkers, Clinical Assistant Professor, Communication Sciences and Disorders
Mohammad (Ali) Ali, Assistant Professor of Communication
Moones Alamooti
Shannon Lee, Teaching Assistant Professor, Communication
Darshil Ashwinbhai Patel, Assistant Professor, Forensic Science, Criminal Justice
Dong Eun Oh, Lecturer, Economics and Finance
Yuchang Yuan, Research Analyst, Education & Human Development
Tina Yeo, Assistant Professor, Higher Education, Education, Health & Behavior
Moones Alamooti, Teaching Assistant Professor, Energy & Petroleum Engineering
Nejma Djabelkhir, Teaching Associate Professor, Energy & Petroleum Engineering
Stanley Tomomewo, Assistant Professor, Energy & Petroleum Engineering
Mohammad (Ali) Ali
Rodger Belyea, Teaching Assistant Professor, English
Hediye Matz, Teaching Assistant Professor, English
Colette Martin, Lecturer of Management, Entrepreneurship & Management
Yue Jing, Assistant Professor, Geography & Geographic Information Science
Shishay Kidanu, Teaching Associate Professor, Geology/Geological Engineering
Jayne Kinney, Assistant Professor, American Indian Studies, History & American Indian Studies
Seth Glasser, Teaching Assistant Professor, Mathematics
Ganesha Kalyani Hewa Thondilege, Teaching Assistant Professor, Mathematics & Statistics
Shishay Kidanu
Michael Preheim, Teaching Assistant Professor, Mathematics
Casey Behm, Assistant Professor, Director of Choral Activities, Music
Andrew Domzal, Teaching Assistant Professor, Philosophy & Ethics
Julianne Mann, Assistant Professor, Philosophy & Ethics
Gokay Adabasi, Post Doc Research Fellow, Physics & Astrophysics
Jaad Tannous, Teaching Assistant Professor, Physics& Astrophysics
Shelby Bandel, Assistant Professor, Psychology
Robyn Bancroft, Associate University Registrar, Registrar
Jayne Kinney
Bethany Gullman, Assistant Professor of Law – Lawyering Skills/Legal Writing, School of Law
Erick Resek, Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Law
Katie Furl, Assistant Professor, Sociology
Ian Grande, Clinical Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership, Teaching & Leadership
Adriene Grigsby, Technical Director, Theatre Arts
Lauren Dahl, Regional Admissions Rep, University Admissions
Kaleb Gilson, Software Engineer, University IT
James Omotoyinbo, Web Developer, University IT
Ganesha Thondilege