Partnership Contacts

Alla Kemelmakher

Alla leads initiatives to provide students and faculty with dynamic engagement opportunities. With a focus on fostering collaboration between academia and industry, Alla orchestrates capstones, industry projects, and showcase events to enrich the educational experience and drive innovation within the CCSE community.

Prior to her role at KSU, Alla accrued over 25 years of expertise in software application development and support, notably within the telecom and billing sectors. Her career highlights include leading teams at major corporations like Amdocs, where she championed digital transformations and ensured operational excellence for clients such as T-Mobile, Sprint, and Metro.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Alla is deeply committed to volunteer work, including fostering homeless dogs and volunteering for Angels Among Us Pet Rescue and organizing team-building events for nonprofit organizations like Ronald McDonald House Charities, Trees Atlanta, Meals on Wheels, and more. Her dedication to both professional excellence and community service underscores her mission to make a meaningful impact in all facets of her life.

akemelma@kennesaw.edu; (404) 452-9373; J-305D

Will McKenna

Will McKenna spent a decade working in several different retail and sales roles before graduating with a BS in Anthropology from Kennesaw State University in 2012. After earning his MBA from Kennesaw State in 2016 he began fundraising for the Georgia Tech Parents Fund in support of the Georgia Tech Division of Student Affairs. In 2022 he returned to Kennesaw State University and now serves as the Director of Development for the College of Computing and Software Engineering.

wmckenna@kennesaw.edu; (470) 578-6533; J-221

Bill Franks

Bill Franks is the Director of the Center for Data Science and Analytics at Kennesaw State University while also serving on several corporate advisory boards. He is the author of Winning the Room, Taming The Big Data Tidal Wave, The Analytics Revolution, and 97 Things About Ethics Everyone In Data Science Should Know. He is a sought after speaker and frequent blogger who has been ranked a top global big data influencer, a top global artificial intelligence and big data influencer, a top AI influencer, and was an inaugural inductee into the Analytics Hall of Fame. His work, including several years as Chief Analytics Officer for Teradata (NYSE: TDC), has spanned clients in a variety of industries for companies ranging in size from Fortune 100 companies to small non-profit organizations. You can learn more on his website.

wfranks3@kennesaw.edu; (678) 463-5166; J-324

Taylor Cuffie

Taylor graduated with a B.S. in Information Technology from Kennesaw State University in 2021. Afterwards, she worked as an Instructional Design Technologist at Produhktiv LLC., where she was able to blend her passions for education and technology. In 2024, she returned to Kennesaw State and now serves as a Program Coordinator for the College of Computing and Software Engineering. 

 

She looks forward to supporting students throughout their own journeys at KSU.