Experts Guide

Weitzenfeld is director of the USF Biorobotics Laboratory. He studies biologically-inspired robotics, cognitive robotics, multi-robot systems, human-robot interaction, robot learning, robot navigation, spatial cognition, reinforcement learning, spatio-temporal learning and computational neuroscience.

Ami is an award-winning researcher and software security expert. He focuses on systematic evaluation of vulnerability-detection tools, reliability of AI-assisted coding and the intersection of secure programming practices with developer-centric security needs. With a public policy background, he bridges the gap between technical rigor and real-world impact, providing analysis on digital infrastructure security and emerging technologies governance.

Mali studies theoretical foundations of AI, including neuroscience-inspired learning, neuro-symbolic computation and memory-augmented neural architectures. His research also includes predictive coding, dynamical systems and information theory, and he works at the intersection of language, memory, and computation. His research lab builds interpretable, generalizable AI systems capable of continual learning/lifelong learning, learning from minimal supervision and data, having better structured memory control.

Chhabra is a computer scientist with expertise in next-generation AI models across multiple domains: from Natural Language Processing (e.g. LLMs such as ChatGPT) to Computer Vision. He leads the PALM Lab at USF where he and his team develop approaches that can augment the safety of AI models and systems (e.g. security, privacy, and robustness), safeguarding users from potential negative outcomes. He teaches courses on Large Language Models and Fair/Trustworthy AI.

Qiao teaches an undergraduate course in algorithms, a foundational subject that introduces students to the design and analysis of efficient computational methods for solving real-world problems. He also studies machine learning and AI. Before USF, Qiao conducted research in the Deep-REAL Lab at the University of Delaware, where he focused on out-of-distribution generalization. He also interned at AWS AI Labs, where he worked on vision-language models.

Ligatti is an expert in runtime security mechanisms, authentication, policy composition, injection attacks, enforceability theory, type systems, subtyping and policy-specification languages.

Huang leads the High Performance & Intelligence Lab (π Lab), which focuses on building high-performance systems for large-scale artificial intelligence and scientific applications. He is developing a new course in high-performance computing, a critical specialty area that powers modern AI and scientific applications. He also teaches undergraduate computer architecture, which helps students understand the fundamentals of computing systems and their real-world hardware and software challenges.

Licato is a foremost expert on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. His research focuses on AI, NLP, human reasoning, cognitive modeling and legal/regulatory reasoning, with over 100 peer-reviewed publications. He is founder/director of the Advancing Machine and Human Reasoning (AMHR) Lab and owner of the startup company Actualization.AI.

Woodward studies human-computer and child-computer interaction. Her research has focused on the impact of artificial intelligence and smart technologies such as virtual and augmented reality on the development of younger children and adolescents — and the role of parents and educators.

Chagal-Feferkorn is a legal scholar and an attorney whose work explores the intersection of artificial intelligence, law and public policy. She can discuss AI ethics, legal liability and damages related to AI product development, the risks AI poses to children and how to mitigate them, and how scientists, engineers and policymakers can work together to improve AI designs.

Hall is an expert in artificial intelligence and teaches courses in data mining, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. He can discuss AI regulation, AI in image processing and AI and its effects on jobs and the workplace. His research interests include integrating multimodal foundation models into medical image analysis, large language model stability, robust learned models for vision recognition tasks and explainable AI.

Pazos Revilla is an engineer with expertise in critical infrastructure cybersecurity, who researches consumer, industrial and enterprise cybersecurity. He can discuss those topics in addition to the Internet of Things and advancements in cybersecurity and engineering education, including his involvement with USF's CyberHerd student competitive team and Whitehatters Computer Security Club.

Kermani's research interests are fault diagnosis and tolerance in cryptography, cryptographic engineering and computer arithmetic.

Karam's research focuses on hardware security, Internet of Things, biomedical implants and reconfigurable computing. He is founder/director of the USF Interface Research Lab and can discuss energy-efficient and secure hardware design, including low-power design for on-chip AI/ML and signal processing with a focus on IoT and healthcare applications.

Pandey teaches computer architecture, a core subject that explores how hardware and software interact to execute computing tasks efficiently and reliably. Before joining USF, he held research positions at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and, most recently, Google, where he contributed to projects focused on accelerating microarchitecture simulation with machine learning.

Canavan studies the intersection of psychology, math, and computer science. He is an expert in computer vision, affective computing and human-computing interaction. He research explores these areas as well as biometrics and image processing and pattern recognition.

Zhang develops courses that reflect emerging areas in the field, including an integrated sensing and communication course that explores how existing wireless infrastructure can be repurposed for sensing applications. Before USF, he collaborated on projects spanning millimeter-wave networking to contactless RF-based health monitoring.

Katkoori's research focuses on embedded system design, smart transportation, smart health, hardware security and Very-Large-Scale Integration (VLSI) chip design Automation.

Chellappan is an expert who can speak to issues related to AI and public health. He teaches courses related to Autmata theory and information security and privacy. He leads a research lab examines how to overcome critical emerging problems when societies and

computing technologies interact, while simultaneously enabling new applications.

Sarkar is the launch dean for the newly established Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing. He is an expert in computer vision, predictive learning, biometrics, and AI. He has varied research interests, ranging from AI involving images and videos to biometrics and gait recognition to collaborative efforts mixing computer science with psychology, linguistics, medicine, and more. He has worked on projects to build computer vision/AI algorithms to anticipate and proactively assist with daily living activities, such as using a robotic arm on a wheelchair.

Liu is an NSF CAREER Award recipient who studies computer and network security with an emphasis on designing and implementing defense approaches that protect mobile, network and computer technologies from being undermined by adversaries. Her research interests also include security applications for cyber-physical systems, Internet of Things and machine learning.

Tu's research interest is in scientific data management, energy-efficient computer systems, high performance computing and data stream management systems. He is conducting research on accelerating key algorithms in various computational biology areas with modern parallel hardware systems. He is the recipient of a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation.

Sun the director of USF Center for Innovation, Technology and Aging who is an expert in robotics, AI, deep learning, biomarkers, healthcare applications, and technology for aging. He teaches courses in these areas.

Han studies human-robot interaction, robotics, artificial intelligence and augmented reality. He designs, develops and evaluates novel robotic systems and experiences with a focus on improving their interaction and collaboration with humans.