MALVERN, Pa. — Three new faculty members, each with extensive research experience, have joined Penn State Great Valley this fall: Thao Minh Le, assistant professor of artificial intelligence (AI); Thien Dong, assistant professor of management and organization; and Oguz Toragay, assistant professor of engineering management.
Thao Minh Le, assistant professor of artificial intelligence, Engineering Division
Thao Minh Le completed his doctorate in computer science at Deakin University, writing his thesis on deep neural networks for visual reasoning, and winning the Alfred Deakin Medal for best doctoral thesis.
Le completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Deakin University’s Applied Artificial Intelligence Institute, where he collaborated with colleagues and international researchers to write multiple conference papers and journal articles in the fields of machine learning, computer vision and its applications, including applications in critical domains such as health care and safety services.
Le holds a master’s degree in computer science from Tokyo Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in electronics and communication engineering from Hanoi University of Science and Technology. His professional experience includes working as a software engineer at Samsung, developing new features for smartphone apps and improving their performance.
This fall, Le is teaching classes in analytics programming in Python, where he will guide students through practical applications of data analytics and machine learning techniques using Python programming.
“I’m excited to join Penn State Great Valley's engineering division, where I can collaborate with talented faculty and students on research projects while preparing the next generation to develop and apply emerging technologies,” said Le. “I look forward to bridging the gap between theoretical AI concepts and practical applications that will shape our technological future.”
Thien Dong, assistant professor of management and organization
Thien Dong recently completed her doctorate in management at Georgia Institute of Technology’s Scheller College of Business. Her research focuses on the challenges startup companies face, and her work bridges strategy, innovation and applied economics, with a strong emphasis on causal inference and machine learning.
Using a mix of quantitative methods and machine learning techniques to build novel datasets that help answer a range of questions, Dong researches how emerging technologies and strategic investment shape entrepreneurial ecosystems. Specifically, she studies how corporate venture capital and generative AI influence which startups get funded and how founding teams are built.
Dong earned her undergraduate degree in international business and economics from Foreign Trade University, Ho Chi Minh City Campus. She has professional experience working as an advisory analyst for PricewaterhouseCoopers in deals valuation, and she worked as an assistant manager in fashion sourcing and production. She completed a research master’s degree in business at the University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
This fall, she is teaching courses at Penn State Great Valley such as human resource management, positive organizational behavior and well-being and behavioral science in business.
“What draws me in are the exciting, collaborative initiatives happening here on the Great Valley campus,” Dong said. “I had heard about the world-class researchers we have here, and during my campus visit — and after receiving lots of high-quality feedback on my research — I realized I want to work alongside and with these people. They’ll make amazing colleagues! I also felt energized after talking with some of the students, who seem like a driven bunch, which is exactly the kind of people I love working with.”
Oguz Toragay, assistant professor of engineering management, engineering division
Oguz Toragay comes to Penn State Great Valley after serving for three years as an assistant professor of industrial engineering at Lawrence Technological University in Michigan, where he taught graduate-level classes in advanced optimization techniques and applied stochastic optimization, along with undergraduate classes in operations research techniques and statistical methods for process improvement.
Toragay holds a doctoral degree in industrial and systems engineering from Auburn University in Alabama, a master’s degree in industrial engineering from Gazi University in Turkey and a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics from Khayyam University in Iran.
His primary research focuses on applying operations research techniques to real-world challenges, particularly in advanced manufacturing, transportation, logistics, supply chain management and humanitarian operations. He said he is dedicated to conducting research, mentoring students and publishing articles in peer-reviewed journals.
This fall, Toragay is teaching engineering management science, both online and in person.
“I am honored to join Penn State Great Valley’s Engineering Division and become part of such a vibrant academic community,” said Toragay. “I look forward to fostering meaningful collaborations with colleagues and students to contribute to the division’s impact locally and globally.”