OBU welcomes Inman, John and Foster to James E. Hurley School of Science and Mathematics

August 26, 2025

OBU is pleased to welcome three new faculty members this fall in the James E. Hurley School of Science and Mathematics.

Dr. Paul Inman joins the faculty as an assistant professor of physics while Dr. Raveen John will serve as an assistant professor of mechanical engineering. OBU’s physics program and engineering program are housed in the Division of Science. In the Division of Math, Dr. Larry Morris Foster comes to OBU as a visiting professor of math.

Dr. Paul Inman

An OBU alumnus, Inman joins the faculty after serving as a research scientist in computing at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. His work has focused on modeling and simulating radiation interactions with biological systems and artificial intelligence applications in imaging.

Inman will teach physics courses and introduce students to research while integrating physical sciences within a broader Christian worldview. He also aims to prepare students for careers and further study in fields that increasingly rely on computational physics.

A 2014 magna cum laude graduate of OBU in physics and mathematics, Inman earned a Ph.D. in physics from Oklahoma State University, where he researched the ionizing radiation environment of Earth’s atmosphere using Monte Carlo simulations. His previous work includes developing computational radio dosimetric models and studying radiation transport codes.

His experience spans multiple research roles, including a postdoctoral position in artificial intelligence and machine learning at Oak Ridge, research assistantships at Oklahoma State, and lab instruction at Vanderbilt University.

Inman’s addition to the faculty aligns with efforts to enhance the department’s emphasis on computational and applied physics.

Dr. Raveen John

John is a materials and manufacturing engineering professional with experience in research, industry and academia. He began his career in 2010 as a research engineer at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, working on rapid prototyping and weld deposition techniques. He later served as a development process engineer at Oerlikon Fairfield, addressing production, quality and heat-treatment issues for global clients. John earned a Master of Technology in manufacturing in 2015 from the National Institute of Engineering, India, graduating as a gold medalist.

He taught at a Visvesvaraya Technological University-affiliated college before earning a doctorate in 2021 from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, focusing on composites manufacturing, characterization, and processing (machining) techniques. He completed postdoctoral research at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, part of the U.S. Department of Energy, before joining OBU.

Dr. Larry Morris Foster

Foster holds a Ph.D. in mathematics and master’s degrees in both mechanical engineering and civil engineering. He is also a baccalaureate graduate of OBU. During his non-academic career, he worked on space-based microgravity solidification, missile propulsion and aerodynamics, reentry and orbital dynamics, mathematical economics modeling, environmental impact and pollution discharge studies, groundwater remediations, and patent development.

He then returned to academia in 1999 at the University of Alaska Anchorage where he held both professorial and administrative positions through 2023.