BAASANA

Track Chairs
Dr. A.Z. Bashet
Dean of Instruction and Online Learning at Dallas College, Dallas, TX
Track Chair: Instructional Technology and Online Learning

Dr. AbuZafar (A.Z.) Bashet has served as a Dean of Instruction and Online Learning at Dallas College-Eastfield Campus from 2016-2021. He also served more than 10 years as an instructional designer and a technology expert at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (2010-2016) and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (2006-2009) before he joined Dallas College. During his tenure with Alcorn State University (2004-2006), he coordinated with deans and directors from 18 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to lead a United States Department of Agriculture grant entitled, “1890 Libraries Integrated Virtual Environment” for producing Digital Learning Objects for the Agricultural Sciences which earned national recognition from the National Agricultural Library (Beltsville, MD) and later this effort served as the catalyst for the design of a national digital library for agriculture in 2005.
Dr. Bashet is passionate about integrating innovative technologies with best practices of effective pedagogies for continuous improvement of teaching and learning, increase access and personalize student-focused services to ensure equitable student success. He has published several academic publications. Recently, he co-authored a book chapter-”Personalized and Adoptive Learning” that was published In Innovative Learning Environments in STEM Higher Education book in February 2021. Dr. Bashet holds a PhD in Learning Technologies from the University of North Texas, an MS in Computer Science from Alcorn State University, and a BS in Agriculture from Bangladesh Agricultural University. He earned leadership and professional certificates from Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Wharton School of Pennsylvania, Educause, Quality Matters, Online Learning Consortium, and Global Citizenship Alliance. He can be contacted at bashet@hotmail.com.
Dr. Avinash Thombre
Professor of Applied Communication. University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR
Track Chair: Applied Communication

Dr. Avinash Thombre is a Professor of Communication Studies. He is Online Program Coordinator at the University of Arkansas Little Rock. Since 2001, he has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in Nonverbal Communication, Small Group Communication, Intercultural Communication, and Communication and Change and Communication Theory. A native of Pune, India, he previously taught and has guest lectured in India, Trinidad and Tobago and Argentina. He received his bachelor and Master’s degree from Bangalore University and his Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico in 2004. In his first career, he has worked as a reporter with the Times of India newspaper covering health, environment, education, and new technology beats. He worked for the Pune and Bangalore editions.
Dr. Thombre has co-authored a book, Intercultural Communication: The Indian context, used in the US and internationally. He has published numerous articles in communication journals and presented scholarly papers in national and international conferences. He is passionate about issues of personal transformation and facilitating social change using positive communication strategies.
He has conducted intercultural training with Heifer International and with students from Pakistan as part of a U.S. AID Grant. He received 2010, U.A.L.R. College of Social Science and Communication, Faculty Excellence Award in Research and Public Service in 2019.
Dr. Thombre is a practitioner of yoga, uses Ayurveda knowledge for self-treatment, and loves sauntering – walking aimlessly. He meditates regularly. Dr. Thombre is married to Vaishali Thombre, the love of his life for 20 years. Their children, Aditya and Anushka love to travel internationally and very interested in intercultural communication. His reflective writing can be accessed at https://avithombre.medium.com/ He can be contacted at axthombre@ualr.edu
Dr. Imran Hasnat
Assistant Professor Digital Journalism, Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Oklahoma.
Track Chair: Digital Journalism

Imran Hasnat is an assistant professor of digital journalism inGaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Oklahoma. His research interests are in the use of digital media in public diplomacy, and grass-root media such as community radio. He has published and presented on these issues at both national and international level. Imran teaches multimedia, digital reporting, data and visualization to future journalists. He can be reached at im@ou.edu.
Dr. Raihan Jamil
Associate Professor of Business at University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh
Track Chair: Health Communication

Dr. Raihan Jamil is an Associate Professor in the School of Business at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where he teaches Business, and Corporate Communication. Prior to joining ULAB, Dr. Jamil served as an Assistant Professor at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi, UAE. He completed his B.Sc. degree in Economics with a minor in Economics and Computer Science from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (EUP), Edinboro, PA, USA. He then completed his M.A. from the same school in International and Intercultural Communication. He followed his passion in teaching for a year in New York City before moving on to complete his Ph.D. in Health Communication from Purdue University’s Brian Lamb School of Communication. His research interests include health, culture, marginalization, and migrant population. He considers his best achievement in being a father to a baby girl. He can be contacted at raihan.gmail@gmail.com.