Faculty and Staff

Dr. Soren Ashmall coordinates the university's new degree programs. He is also a seasoned professor who has taught many of the Business, English, Humanities, and Social Science courses at Capitol Technology University. In addition to his career in academia, Dr. Ashmall has worked as a Senior Director of Business Development for General Dynamics Information Technology and in senior positions at other companies and U.S. government agencies. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the United States Marine Corps in 2009 following over 21 years of continuous active duty service. He received his B.A. from the University of California Los Angeles, M.A. from the University of Southern California, and Ph.D. from Capitol Technology University.

Chandra Bajracharya received the PhD degree in electrical and computer engineering from Old Dominion University, USA, in 2014. She is a faculty member within Capitol Tech's Department of Electrical Engineering. She was associated with the Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics and worked on several projects funded by U.S. Air Force and National Institute of Health. Her research interests include wireless networking, cyber-physical systems, power electronics, alternative energy, communication systems, numerical electromagnetics, UWB antenna design, and signal and image processing.

Dr. Richard Baker is Associate Dean of Graduate Programs at Capitol Technology University. He previously served as associate professor in Indiana State University’s Department of Aviation Technology, and as executive director of the Center for Unmanned Systems and Human Capital Development.  Richard holds a BS in mathematics and an MS in computer science from Indiana State University. He received his doctorate in information systems from Nova Southeastern University.  

Gary Burke has an MBA from Southern Methodist University and a BS in Building Science from Auburn University.  He has extensive experience in business operations and management, commercial and residential construction, real estate and land development, residential and commercial property.  Professor Burke has a passion for education and has mentored hundreds of students in the construction management field.  

Dr. Bill Butler is currently Director, Center for Cybersecurity Research and Analysis (CCRA) at Capitol Technology University. Prior to this appointment in 2013 Bill worked in the networking and IT industries as a network engineer and consultant for over 20 years. Bill also served as a joint qualified communications information systems officer in the U.S. Marine Corps and retired as a Colonel with 30 years of service (active and reserve). Bill holds a Doctorate in cybersecurity earned from Capitol focusing on preserving cellphone privacy and countering illegal cell towers (IMSI catchers).

Dr. Coray Davis is the Chair Engineering and a Professor within the Engineering Department at Capitol Technology University. Dr. Davis brings nearly 18 years of experience in both higher education and industry as a Transportation Engineer. Most recently, he held numerous administrative leadership roles in academic, athletics, and student affairs at Elizabeth City State University after serving as Professor and Chair of the Department of Technology at Virginia State University.

A native of Louisville, KY. Dr. Michael Fain, currently serves as a Professor. When not working with students and faculty, Fain spends time mentoring several African American undergraduate students on campus. He brings over 25 years of higher education experience to Capitol Tech.

Rick Hansen is a Professor of Practice in Cybersecurity. He mentors and supports student projects from the university’s Cybersecurity program, the Cybersecurity Competition Team (“Signal 9”) and the Astronautical Engineering Program. He also provides outreach to government and industry. Rick has a Masters Degree in Computer Science from the Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelors Degree in Electronic Engineering from Capitol College. His research interests include Cybersecurity for the Internet of Things, application of Socratic Learning for technology training & education, autonomous vehicle communications & countermeasures, and Entrepreneurship. Professor Hansen is a military veteran and serves as the CEO of a Cybersecurity and Research firm.

Dr. Hill is an IT/Cyber SME and Instructor with over 15 year of experience in the field. He has supported missions for several government agencies including US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Energy (DOE), Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of Education (DOE), US Agency for International Development (USAID), Defense Information Systems Agency(DISA), and several other entities within the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Justice (DoJ). He has also taught as an Adjunct Instructor at several other schools to include ITT Technical Institute, Howard Community College, University of Arizona-South, Morgan State University, and University of the Cumberlands.  Dr. Hill is currently a Full Time Cybersecurity Instructor at Capitol Technology University. In addition, he manages the cyber labs in the McGowan Academic Center, teaches graduate courses and serves as a Chair on the Dissertation Committee. Dr. Hill also assists with curriculum development, assessment and grant writing.

Dr. Jones is an award-winning, risk strategist who helps others think strategically about the future of technology and cybersecurity, and how to address potential barriers to success. Laura also served for 10 years as a global management consultant where she developed quality assurance and risk management programs for organizations such as The Pentagon, Department of Homeland Security, Department of the Treasury and various Army agencies. In the corporate sector, Laura led the development of cybersecurity risk management programs for two publicly traded companies; a Fortune 500 company, a newly publicly traded company experiencing hyper growth in their industry and a privately held conglomerate organization comprised of over 360 businesses. She is known driving programs from conceptual framework to global execution. Dr. Jones previously served as an Associate Dean of Students for Academic Affairs. A United States Army veteran, Dr. Jones served 21 years on active duty and earned the rank of Master Sergeant/E8- before achieving an honorable retirement. Dr. Jones is an educator, speaker, author and entrepreneur. She serves as a mentor to other professionals seeking to learn more about risk management.

Professor Mabson graduated Mergenthaler Vo-Tech High School in 2005 and began his freshmen year at Capitol Technology University in Astronautical Engineering (AE).  In the fall of 2006, he was selected to intern at the Space Operations Institute (SOI), where his first job was to act as a flight controller for the TOMS mission.  Professor Mabson continued his internship with the SOI until he graduated from Capitol in 2010. After graduation he was hired full time by the Hammers Company where his job includes software release testing, software training, and providing on-site to mission operations during development and early launch operations. In early 2016 the Hammers Company donated software and equipment to establish the Space Flight Operations Training Center (SFOTC) at Capitol Tech, and Professor Mabson led the effort to install, configure, and test the initial release at the university. It was then, that Professor Mabson's mentor, Prof. Walters (a previous AE department chair) hired him for his current role as an Adjunct Professor for Autonomous Ground Systems. Professor Mabson also provides mentorship to AE students both academically and as they enter professional life.

Chair, Safety
Dr. Linda F. Martin has a PhD in Occupational Health and Safety from Capitol Tech, an MS in Occupational Safety Management, an MBA, and a BS in Geology. Dr. Martin has 30 years of professional experience in construction and occupational safety and has a strong background in all aspects of the environmental health and safety disciplines. Dr. Martin is the former Chief Learning Officer at the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, where she previously served as a two-term President of the Board of Directors. She holds several highly regarded industry credentials, such as the Certified Safety Professional and the Certified Industrial Hygienist certifications. Dr. Martin is the 2018 National Safety Council Marion Martin award winner for women in safety who have achieved professional excellence in their area of specialty and helped pave the way to success for other women in the profession.

Through his consultancy, Dr. Ron Martin maintains professional relationships with a diverse mix of businesses. He served as a board of directors for-profit and non-profit organizations. Dr. Martin retired from the United States (U. S.) Army in 1999 and the U. S. Government in 2011. In between his tours of Federal Service, he served five years as a civilian police officer in the Commonwealth of Virginia. During his Federal Service, he served with the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services as the program director for the development and implementation of the department’s Identity, Credentialing and Access Management (ICAM) Program.

An internationally recognized leader in research and expert on low-speed flight, Dr. McAndrew has five degrees: a PhD, two master’s degrees and two bachelor’s degrees. He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Dr. McAndrew chairs several international conferences and journals and is invited to give keynote speeches all over the world. He started his career in the automotive industry as an engine designer, and has worked at several universities across the globe. Dr. McAndrew is Dean of doctoral programs at Capitol Technology University. An external examiner on the world wide stage (UK USA, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Japan, Australia, Greece and Kenya) his experience includes over 115 successful Doctorate successes.

Dr. McCaskey developed a solid background in aviation during his twenty years in the United States Navy. As a C-130 and P-3 Flight Engineer with over 5,000 flight hours, he became an expert in aircraft systems, weight and balance, emergency procedures, aircraft flight profiles, safety of flight, and aircrew flight equipment. This considerable systems knowledge allowed him to obtain an FAA Airframes and Power Plant license. 

Jessica Richardson, CSP, CIT is the Professional and Organizational Advancement Manager for the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP). She has comprehensive experience developing and managing occupational health and safety management systems, training, and performance improvement programs in construction & energy. She also specializes in instructional design in the workplace and at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Jessica has a BS in Safety and Environmental Management from Slippery Rock University, MS in Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning from Boise State University and is a PhD Candidate (ABD) in Safety Sciences at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In 2017, Jessica was awarded the American Society of Safety Professional’s (ASSP) Utilities Practice Specialty Safety Professional of the Year.

Dr. Sims has always been involved with technology starting with receiving a Commodore 64 for his birthday and teaching himself basic programming to do more with the Commodore 64.  He went on to obtain a BS in Building Construction Management from Purdue University and worked coast to coast in the United States and briefly in Europe in the project management area of industrial construction and by default of his experience with technology being involved with the computer systems as well at each company.  Later, he went back to Higher Education to obtain an MS in Building Construction from the University of Florida and a Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction from Purdue University that lead him to his first position as an Assistant Professor at the University of Florida.  As he moved to different universities, he advanced in the administrative positions becoming a Department Head, Dean, Chief Academic Officer, and President.  Now at Capitol Technology University, he is bringing together his background in construction and technology along with Capitol Tech’s strong cybersecurity to build the first degree programs in Critical Infrastructure design to help protect the nation.  This is an area of special interest to Dr. Sims as he sees the needs of those protecting are critical infrastructure from cyber attacks to also understand how these facilities operate to better defend against such attacks.

Based in the Washington, DC region, Dr. Sinai has more than 30 years’ experience in international security/national security/homeland security studies, assessments, and curriculum development for the U.S. government, academia, and the corporate sector.

Dr. Robert Steele serves as Chair and Professor of the Computer Science Department. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science, has authored more than 140 peer-reviewed publications, and his work has been patented and successfully commercialized. He also has extensive administrative experience in large, complex and leading institutions nationally and internationally and at all levels of program leadership, curriculum development and teaching.

Dr. Ronald Wakeham’s career encompasses over 40 years working and teaching emergency and protective services. After joining law enforcement following military service, his career track shifted to fire and emergency services. There he rose through the ranks from firefighter to fire chief and served in that capacity for three different departments. As his formal education progressed further opportunities led him into emergency management and teaching. From 1996 – 2016 he was a course developer and contract faculty member (1996 – 2016) for the Department of Homeland Security/National Emergency Training Center/National Fire Academy. He also served as undergraduate faculty at several universities before taking a position as Department Chair of Security Emergency Services for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University from 2011-2019. He earned an Associate in Applied Science in Fire Science from Tidewater Community College, a Bachelor of Science in Governmental Administration from Christopher Newport University, a Master of Public Administration from Old Dominion University and a Doctorate in Public Administration from NOVA Southeastern University. He also has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals.