Meet the Faculty

    • Meet the Faculty

    Meet the Computer Information Technology faculty members.

    Fathima James

    Fathima James, PhDAssistant Professor and Chair of Computer and Information Technology Department

    Dr. Fathima James is an Assistant Professor and Chair of Computer Information Technology at Franklin Cummings Tech. She has been working for the college since 2019. She earned her Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science and Engineering from MS University in India, a Master of Engineering in Computer Science and Engineering at Anna University in India, a second Master of Science from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and her Doctor of Philosophy in Cyber Security Management of Smart Home Internet-of-Things from The University of Missouri at Kansas City. Her areas of expertise include computer networking, IoT security management, finite-state automata based cyber-attack modeling, risk assessment, and worst attack vulnerability analysis. Her interest also lies in the area of programming languages, ranging from theory to design to implementation. She is a member of IEEE and a Semantic Scholar, and her work has been published at various IEEE Conferences, such as the Computing and Communication Workshop and Conference (CCWC), Cyber Security in Networking Conference (CSNet), the Conference on Trust, Privacy, and Security in Intelligent Systems and Applications (TPS-ISA), and the Network Operations and Management Symposium (NOMS). She also completed a Diploma in Programming – C, C++ and JAVA and is certified in NET Framework Professional.

    Prior to working at Franklin Cummings Tech, she was a Computer Science Instructor at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, where she was responsible for designing IT courses and taught classes in the design and analysis of data structures and algorithms, network architecture, and discrete structures. She also taught as an Assistant Professor at Chattanooga State Community College and Lecturer for Computer Science at Anna University in India. In addition to her teaching experience, she was a Software Engineer for Centralized Showing Services where she was part of the web app development team. In addition to her professional experience, she has published the following peer-reviewed articles:

    1. Worst Attack Vulnerability and Fortification for IoT Security Management: An approach and An Illustration for Smart Home IoT (2023)
    2. Situational Awareness for Smart Home IoT Security via Finite State Automata Based Attack Modeling (2021)
    3. IoT Cybersecurity based Smart Home Intrusion Prevention System (2019)
    4. A Risk Management Framework and A Generalized Attack Automata for IoT based Smart Home Environment (2019)
    5. Demodulation of Faded Wireless Signals Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (2018)

    Her passion for teaching leads her to strongly believe that teaching connects learning in ways that inspire students to learn more and strive for excellence.

    Olumide AdebayoLecturer

    Dr. Olumide Adebayo currently serves as Director of Knowledge Management & Collaboration at Collective, where he is responsible for managing all data streams that come into the organizations data warehouse. He is new to teaching, however his experience is invaluable. He earned Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, Master of Science in Technology Management and Ph.D in Technology Management, all from the University of Bridgeport.

    Richard Azzi Professor

    Professor Azzi earned his BS in Mathematics, Chemistry and Computer Science from Texas Pan American and his MS in Mathematics from Texas Tech University. Azzi is a member of American Mathematical Society and Computer of America. Azzi enjoys finding an answer to a mathematics formula by using Java, C++, C sharp and Pythons. His passion for the field keeps him seeking new adventures to share with his students.

    Rashian Burns

    Rashian BurnsLecturer

    With over 20 years’ experience as a technical business solutions expert, Rashian Burns has been regarded as, “The IT Pro you can actually talk to!”.

    Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, he credits his work ethic and ability to adapt, to his childhood upbringing. A devoted husband, father, and mentor of many, he prides himself on living up to his core values instilled from his family. “Growing up in Brownsville Brooklyn, the home of Mike Tyson, you learn to pay attention to your surroundings as things can happen very quickly. Those lessons taught me the importance of thinking ahead and operating outside of the norms.”

    In his professional career, he has provided solutions for many organizations, including The New York Times, American Home Mortgage, Hedge Fund groups, and many others. His experience in resolving organizational complexities, which spans across a variety of diverse industries, has equipped him with the knowledge and mentality to adapt to the needs an organization strategic goals.

    He holds professional certifications in AWS (Amazon Web Services) as a Certified Solutions Architect, CNCF (Cloud Native Computing Foundation) as a Certified Kubernetes Administrator, RHCSA (Redhat Inc.) as a Redhat Certified Systems Administrator, and an A+ (CompTIA) A+ ce Certification. He also has an AAS (Technical Careers Institutes, NY) in Electrical Engineering.

    “You don’t choose your purpose, it chooses you..” – Akiroq Brost

    Rachid Elaafer

    Rachid ElaafarInstructor

    Rachid Elaafer is the Principal IT Consultant and President of IT Solutions Provider, LLC, with more than 20 years in the information technology field. He is not just an IT Expert, but also a professor, a guest speaker and a columnist at Wicked Local News in Medford, MA.  He been teaching IT for over 8 years. As a business owner and a professor, he teaches real-world IT scenarios and best practice to students to help them succeed in their career, land a job, and pass some of the major IT certifications.  

    He holds the following certifications:

    MCT (Microsoft Certified Trainer), CTT+ (Certified Technical Trainer), MCSE Windows Certified, MCTS, CCENT, MCAS Excel, MCP Certified, Apple Certified Help Desk Specialist, Apple Certified Technical Coordinator, Network+ Certified, A+ Certified.  

    Oscar EtienneLecturer

    Oscar Etienne comes to Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology from Roxbury Community College, where his is an adjunct and tutor within the Information System Technology department. He earned his associate degree in Chemical Science, bachelor’s degree in Applied Math, and a Master in Business Administration from Curry College. He has also earned his certifications in CompTIA A+, CCNA Network Fundamentals, and BMGI innovation and Design.

    Timothy FredericksonLecturer

    Margaret GoodwynAssistant Professor

    Margaret Goodwyn earned a Master of Science in Information Assurance from Regis University and a Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement with a Minor in Psychology from Worcester State University.

    David Lafond

    David LaFondLecturer

    David Lafond is a principal in the practice of cybersecurity and privacy strategy at LAFOND CONSULTING. He has more than 20 years of experience developing and managing complex infrastructure in highly regulated industries on the protection, operation, and compliance of their networks, systems, applications, data, devices, people, and property.

    His competencies as an industry expert include cybersecurity risk management, policies and procedures, legal and regulatory compliance, Software Development Lifecycle (SDL) security, big data, incident response and digital forensics, secure cloud strategy, security education, secure mobile computing and vendor governance. His previous roles include CISO, CTO, and Head of Technical Operations and Infrastructure for organizations like Amazon, Etsy, Dow Jones & Co, Marsh Inc., and Collective Intelligence.

    He is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, where he majored in Marine Engineering Systems with a minor in Nuclear Engineering and served in the Navy Reserve for 11 years. He is certified as a CISSP, a registered professional with the CMMC, and a member of IAPP.

    He holds a Masters in Computer Engineering, an MBA, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership. As an adjunct professor, he participates in comprehensive hands-on, online, interactive, programs and products that deliver immersive, intensive, and lab driven technical training of cybersecurity methods and procedures.

    His goal is to prepare cybersecurity students, teachers, and practitioners with professional and career assistance.

    Instructor Michael Lord

    Michael LordInstructor

    Michael Lord graduated from Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology in 2022 with summa cum laude distinction. He received the Computer Information Technology Department’s 2022 Award for Academic Excellence, as well as the 2022 Franklin Award for Academic Excellence—a prestigious recognition of the graduate with the highest GPA in the college.

    In addition to his Associate Degree in Computer Information Technology degree, he holds a B.A. in Social Work from Bridgewater State University and was featured in the Massachusetts Chapter of Social Work for being the first undergraduate in the state to organize and perform an international internship placement.

    He has earned the following computer technology-related industry certifications: CompTIA A+ ce, CompTIA Linux+ ce, CompTIA Network+ ce,  CompTIA Security+ ce, CompTIA Secure Infrastructure Specialist, CompTIA IT Operations Specialist, CompTIA Systems Support Specialist, CompTIA Linux Network Professional, MTA Networking Fundamentals, MTA Windows Server Administration Fundamentals, AWS Academy Cloud Foundations, Oracle Java Foundations Associate, and Google IT.

    In addition, he currently serves as Web and Outreach Chairperson for the nonprofit Southeastern Massachusetts Round-Up Committee.

    Ritesh Mukherjee_faculty

    Ritesh Mukherjee, PhDLecturer

    Dr. Ritesh Mukherjee is a dedicated and passionate educator. With a PhD in Computer Science, he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the classroom.

    He is an accomplished leader focusing on global communications and technology. He leads product and solutions engineering as Senior Vice President at Inseego. Before Inseego, Dr. Mukherjee led product teams at Reliance Jio, 128 Technology (acquired by Juniper Networks), and Cisco. Ritesh has engineered some of the largest deployments of enterprise networks globally. He is a sought-after speaker and thought leader.

    He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses at Concordia University, Montreal. His teaching philosophy stems from the belief that education is a collaborative effort between the teacher and the student. He believes that students should be active participants in the learning process and that the teacher’s role is to facilitate their understanding and growth.

    His passion for teaching and commitment to student success has quickly made him a beloved faculty member and a valued mentor to many students.

    Larry Riverde Jr.Lecturer

    Larry Riverde Jr. holds a Master of Science in IT Management from Western Governors University and Bachelor of Science in Software Development from Western Governors University.

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