Dr. Ilia Nika, is a Professor and Coordinator of Software programs in the School of Engineering Technology and Applied Science, at Centennial College. Ilia has a Ph.D. in Applied mathematics, and more than 30 years of experience in mathematical modeling, software development, teaching, applied research, and curriculum development. His main areas of expertise include mathematical modeling, Java and .NET platforms, modern web frameworks, and mobile application development. Dr. Nika has built several mathematical models and automated systems for signal processing of geophysical data including the solution of inverse resistivity problem in resistivity logging. He is very interested in emerging software technologies and applications of machine learning. Dr. Nika is also involved in applied research through Centennial’s Applied Research, Innovation and, Entrepreneurship Services (ARIES), and has developed machine learning models for predicting student retention using institutional data and ensemble learning. Ilia has been principal investigator and/or co-investigator in several applied research projects. He has developed and taught courses in Software Systems Design and Computer Communications & Networking degree programs, as well as courses in Software Engineering Technology program. He is also a part-time instructor in The Ted Rogers School of Information Technology Management at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University).