“Fairfield students are creative problem solvers and I see a lot of potential in them; I hope to guide them in their future success. My favorite part about working at Fairfield is the sense of community and the ability to contribute to the future of humanity through engineering.”

— Danushka Bandara, PhD, Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering

Dr. Bandara is originally from Sri Lanka, where he received his BS in electrical engineering with honors from the University of Moratuwa in 2009. He earned both his MS in computer engineering and PhD in electrical and computer engineering from Syracuse University in 2013 and 2018, respectively.

Prior to joining Fairfield University, Dr. Bandara worked as a data scientist at Corning Incorporated. The focus of his PhD research was on the application of machine learning to brain activity data. His current research interests include machine learning, human-computer interaction, computer vision, pattern recognition, and signal processing. Outside of class, Dr. Bandara loves spending time outdoors; he is an avid biker, runner, and skier.

“I was impressed to learn that mechanical engineering majors are encouraged to pursue a math minor; I believe this is an excellent strategy to train a better-educated generation of engineers. My favorite parts about working here are the well-equipped laboratories and the very helpful workshops and peer review sessions regularly presented by the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), which continually improve my teaching methodologies.”  

— Naser Haghbin, PhD, Visiting Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Dr. Haghbin obtained his BS from the Iran University of Science and Technology and subsequently worked for 14 years in design, machinery installation/ commissioning, and production start-up/ramp-up in large-scale multidisciplinary projects and manufacturing processes, industrial robotics, and electromechanical systems in the automotive, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing industries. He went on to earn his MS and PhD in mechanical engineering from Ryerson University in Toronto, where he focused on on MEMS and power harvesting, as well as micro-machining processes.

Dr. Haghbin was previously director of the Center for Global Advanced Manufacturing (CGAM) at SUNY Poly, in Utica, New York, where he was also a faculty member of the mechanical engineering technology department. He has published several journal and conference articles in the fields of manufacturing processes and micro-machining technology.

“I have been very impressed with the collegiate nature of the faculty and staff at Fairfield, particularly across the different schools. My favorite part is the underlying social mission focus. This is sometimes missing from technical programs, but I believe helps put engineering the wider social context.”

— Peter Kootsookos, PhD, Visiting Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering

Dr. Kootsookos earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and master’s in engineering science from the University of Queensland, before going on to pursue his PhD in systems engineering from the Australian National University. He also completed a graduate certificate in system design and management at the Engineering Systems Division of MIT’s Sloan School of Management.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Kootsookos’s background is in signal processing research and commercial software engineering, across a variety of industries. He most recently worked in mobile application development as a software architect for Noster Mobile, and in interactive digital television at eMuse, where he developed their Advertising Decisioning System (ADS) component of Raven.

“I am inspired by the commitment of all our students, and their active participation in (the virtual) classroom, especially during these difficult times.”

— Mirco Speretta, PhD, Professor of Practice, Computer Science and Engineering

Dr. Speretta received a BS in computer science from the University of Udine in Italy. He received his PhD in Computer Science from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. His early research was focused on information retrieval and personalization. He has now moved his interests toward information visualization and cybersecurity.

Currently also a technology consultant for UsableNet, Dr. Speretta was previously Director of Technology Engineering for the global technology company and digital accessibility consultancy. In this role, he managed a team of engineers and acted as main solution engineer, working with clients and partners to create dynamic digital experiences that are accessible and usable. Dr. Speretta also teaches at Gateway Community College.