The College of Engineering and Polymer Science is pleased to welcome its newest faculty and staff members for the 2026-27 academic year.

Dr. Debopriya Roy Dipta

Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Dr. Debopriya Roy Dipta joined The University of Akron in Fall 2026 as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Iowa State University in 2026. His research lies at the intersection of artificial intelligence, computer architecture and systems security, with a focus on microarchitectural side-channel vulnerabilities, AI-driven security detection and defense and automated security analysis. His work has been published in venues including ACSAC, IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security, IEEE European Symposium on Security and Privacy and IEEE Journal on Emerging and Selected Topics in Circuits and Systems.

Dr. Diogo Oliveira

Assistant Professor of Instruction, Department of Computer Science

Dr. Diogo Oliveira joined The University of Akron in 2026 as an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Department of Computer Science. He brings extensive teaching and research experience in networking and cybersecurity, including reverse engineering, malware analysis, ethical hacking, digital forensics and resilient large-infrastructure networks. His research interests include machine and federated learning for cybersecurity, malware analysis, reverse engineering, digital forensics, risk management and network resilience and survivability.

Darien Ketterer

Polymer Process Engineer, School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering

Darien Ketterer joined The University of Akron in May 2026 as the Polymer Process Engineer for the School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Plastic and Polymer Engineering Technology from Pennsylvania College of Technology in 2020. Ketterer brings six years of industry experience with companies ranging from machine manufacturers to polymer resin producers. His expertise includes equipment troubleshooting, technical training and process development.

Lauren Trexler

Administrative and Student Support Specialist, Department of Biomedical Engineering

Lauren Trexler joined the Department of Biomedical Engineering as an Administrative and Student Support Specialist. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Allied Healthcare Administration from The University of Akron in 2023. In her role, she provides administrative and student support to the department. Outside of work, Lauren enjoys traveling, gardening and hiking with her husband.