Divisional Vice Presidents
Division I
Bahram Nassersharif, Ph.D.
Bahram Nassersharif is a Distinguished University Professor, director of the Nuclear Engineering Program, and director of the Capstone Design Program at the University of Rhode Island. His research spans various areas, including nuclear systems, safety engineering, and simulation modeling. He holds a B.S. in mathematics and a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from Oregon State University. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has served multiple tenures as president of the Faculty Senate at URI. In response to the URI president's strategic investment initiative in 2023, he orchestrated the development of a new online graduate certificate in nuclear engineering that will launch this fall. Nassersharif has published research on the failures of nuclear power plants, including Three Mile Island, and has explored nuclear space reactor simulations. He was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi at Oregon State in 1981 and has served as the University of Rhode Island chapter president since 2022.
Click here for a video statement from Bahram Nassersharif.
Division II
John Emert, Ph.D.
John Emert, served as dean of the honors college and a professor of mathematics at Ball State University prior to his retirement as Dean Emeritus in May 2023. He holds three degrees from The University of Tennessee, where he was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi in 1980. He has held numerous posts at Ball State during his long career there, including service as chair of the math department, director of the university’s Worchester Center, and associate dean of the honors college. Emert has earned many awards for his teaching, including the C. Warren Vander Hill Award for Distinguished Teaching in Honors Education and the Access Award for dedication to inclusion on campus. He is a life member of the National Collegiate Honors Council and currently serves as treasurer. Along with his success as a teacher-scholar, Emert is a gifted musician with 20 original commercially published choral works. His service to Phi Kappa Phi includes a term as chair of the Fellowship Committee and as a member of the Budget and Program Review Committee.
Click here for a video statement from John Emert.
Division III
Jacqueline (Jackie) Coomes, Ph.D.
Jacqueline Coomes is interim vice provost at Eastern Washington University. Dr. Coomes began her career in higher education empowering first-generation low-income students to succeed mathematically. She then shifted to teacher education and worked as a co-learner with in-service and pre-service mathematics teachers to build deeper understandings and teaching repertoires that position students as mathematical sense-makers. Through this shift, she maintained a focus on equitable opportunities for all students, writing and leading grants to support this work. Coomes holds a B.S. in mathematics from the University of California Davis, an M.S. in mathematics from Eastern Washington University, and a Ph.D. in mathematics education from Washington State University. She was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi at UC Davis in 1993 and served as president of the Eastern Washington University chapter of Phi Kappa Phi from 2019-2020 and from 2022-2024.
Click here for a video statement from Jackie Coomes.
Division IV
Jim Mirabella, DBA
Jim Mirabella is a professor of decision sciences at Jacksonville University, where he’s the president of the campus’s Phi Kappa Phi chapter. He has a B.S. in operations research from the U.S. Air Force Academy, an MBA from Auburn University, and a DBA in management from Nova Southeastern University. He is an active community volunteer with the Fellowship of Christian Musicians and the Seamark Ranch program for families in crisis and is a substitute teacher in local schools. For many years, Mirabella operated his own research firm. He has served as the divisional vice president for division V since 2022 and as a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship Committee. He was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi at Jacksonville University in 2015.
Click here for a video statement from Jim Mirabella.
Division V
Margaret Kanipes, Ph.D.
Margaret Kanipes is the inaugural dean of the Honors College at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. As a proponent of creating a nurturing and inclusive academic environment that fosters student success, Kanipes’ leadership is characterized by a focus on providing students with the necessary resources and opportunities to excel academically, personally, and professionally. Under her leadership, the honors college has seen a significant increase in the number of honors students at the university, the college’s endowments, corporate funding, and grants. Kanipes holds a B.S. in chemistry from NC A&T and a Ph.D. in biological sciences from Carnegie Mellon University. In April 2023, Kanipes received the William C. Friday Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of North Carolina Association of Student Governments. The award honors one public figure who has demonstrated a lifetime of exemplary service to students in the UNC system. She was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi in 1996 at Carnegie Mellon University and currently serves as the NC A&T chapter president.
Click here for a video statement from Margaret Kanipes.