John Palesis

Background

About John Palesis

I have a Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of Virginia, a Ph.D. in Romance Languages & Literatures from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and French from Dickinson College.Self-Directed Artificial Intelligence (AI) Skill Acquisition, September 2025 to present- Proactively expanded my machine learning and AI technical skillset with a primary concentration on Generative and Agentic AI. Mastered core concepts and hands-on deployment strategies through online tutorials and courses, including the Google/Kaggle 5-Day Generative AI Intensive Course and the 5-Day AI Agents Intensive Course. Visiting Assistant Professor and Lecturer, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Virginia, 2021 to 2025- I taught introduction to computer science with Python and developed and taught two new undergraduate courses: Exploratory Quantitative Analysis (a basic data analytics course) and Introduction to Data Analytics (a more advanced course focusing on data-mining and machine learning). Adjunct and Term Faculty, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), 2009 to 2020- As Adjunct Faculty in the Computer Science Department, I taught Algorithm Analysis and Design and Social Network Analysis (graduate courses) and Object-Oriented Programming with Python (undergraduate course)- As Adjunct and Term Faculty in the Information Systems Department, I taught Business Intelligence (grad course) and Introduction to eBusiness Technologies and Social Network Analysis (undergraduate courses)- Worked on multiple Social Network Analysis projects collaborating with a team of VCU doctors and psychologists to mine a wide variety of medical records and discover how inter-professional collaboration in a hospital impacts healthcare outcomes.Research Scientist, Altria Corporate Services, 1989 - 2008 (took early retirement)- My main role in this position was to conduct Information Technology (IT) research, identify promising IT-based innovation opportunities, and initiate and manage cross-disciplinary IT development projects. For example, I led a project which implemented a process automation expert system using fuzzy logic technology. One of my primary focus areas in this job was data-mining. Working with cross-disciplinary teams, I initiated many data-analysis and knowledge-discovery projects using machine learning, artificial neural networks, and other technologies in areas such as marketing, consumer modeling, product design, and others. I have received both a Fulbright Scholarship and a Mellon Foundation Grant.