Meet Healthcare & Science Faculty

Paul Allenza

Adjunct Associate Professor, The Graduate School

Paul Allenza is a specialist and former director for the biotechnology research and education program at University of Maryland, College Park. The program is part of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute and assists researchers and growing companies as they scale up bioprocesses, evaluate new products, and train employees. Before joining the faculty at UMUC in 2007, Allenza held various management positions in research and development at Honeywell International and FMC Corporation. He earned a BS in microbiology from Cornell University and a PhD from University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Denise N. Baken

Associate Professor of Biotechnology

Denise N. Baken earned her PhD from George Mason University. Her firm, Shield Analysis Technology, focuses on domestic and international terrorism analysis. Her research investigates Al Qaeda's pursuit of biological agents. A retired Army colonel, Baken most recently served as director of biodefense programs for the Center for Innovative Technology. She is a member of the World Medical and Health Policy Journal editorial board.

Shaojian James Gao

Professor of Biotechnology

Shaojian "James" Gao is a principal system architect at Digicon Corporation. He earned his PhD from University of Kentucky and he has worked on contractual bioinformatics projects at the National Institutes of Health for nearly 10 years. Recently, he has been working at the National Human Genome Research Institute to support their NextGen DNA sequencing facility. He is an Oracle-certified database administrator and a Sun-certified system administrator.

Joshua Gray

Professor of Biotechnology

Joshua Gray earned his PhD from Pennsylvania State University. He is an assistant professor of chemistry at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Gray's research focuses on the biology of chemical weapons and the development of medical countermeasures. He teaches courses focused on biological and chemical weapons.

Katherine Im

Chair and Associate Professor of Sociology, Behavioral Sciences, and Gerontology

240-684-2850
katherine.humber@umuc.edu

Katherine Im has been with UMUC's Undergraduate School since 2005. Her academic interests are in the interdisciplinary study of issues related to aging, gender, social inequity, and health.

Prior to joining UMUC, she worked at the University of Maryland School of Medicine as part of a research team investigating neuropsychological correlates in schizophrenia. She has over 20 years of experience in the field of mental health both as a clinician and as a research associate.

Im serves as the faculty advisor for Pi Gamma Mu, the international honor society for the social sciences, as well Sigma Phi Omega, the national professional and honor society for gerontology. She is also on the board of the Maryland Consortium for Adjunct Professional Development (MCAPD), a group dedicated to providing quality professional development opportunities for local adjunct faculty.

She is currently a doctoral candidate in gerontology at UMBC and is concurrently pursuing a master's degree in applied sociology. She earned a master's in clinical/community psychology from University of Maryland College Park and a bachelor's degree in psychobiology and English from Wellesley College.

Rana Khan

Chair of Information and Technology Systems Programs
Director of Biotechnology Programs

240-684-2400
rana.khan@umuc.edu

Rana Khan is the chair of the Information and Technology Systems department and the director of UMUC's MS in Biotechnology program specializations in biodefense and biotechnology management. She earned her PhD from University of Maryland, College Park. Khan has extensive research experience in molecular biology and has worked in both academia and the government. Her research has been published in numerous peer-reviewed science journals.

Donald Zimmerman

Professor of Health Care Administration

240-684-2471
don.zimmerman@umuc.edu

Donald L. Zimmerman is a professor in the Graduate Health Care Administration program at UMUC. Prior to joining UMUC, Donald Zimmerman spent 15 years as a faculty member and program director at Fairleigh Dickinson University, the University of the Sciences, and Towson University. Before turning to full-time academic work, he was actively engaged in national and state health policy developments for 18 years as a senior researcher at Research Triangle Institute International, lead policy analyst at The George Washington University’s National Health Policy Forum, executive director (rank of deputy secretary) of the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, and as a consultant to the U.S. Congress; international, federal, and state agencies; national associations; and publicly-traded healthcare organizations. 

Zimmerman earned his doctorate and master’s degree at the State University of New York at Stony Brook University and his bachelor’s degree (with distinction) at the University of Washington—all in sociology. He currently serves as a member of the International Commission for Dalit Rights, a global human rights NGO. In addition, he is a member of the Society for International Development and the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA), an active participant in several national committees focused on program accreditation, and the faculty advisor for UMUC’s chapter of Upsilon Phi Delta, the AUPHA honor society. 

Zimmerman is an avid cyclist and thoroughly enjoys his family and friends, including a new grandson.