University of South Florida faculty experts can provide reporters with perspective and analysis for ongoing coverage related to AI and cybersecurity. This is not an exhaustive list, so please contact a USF media relations representative to schedule an interview or to inquire about an area of expertise not listed below.
USF is home to the new Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing. Opening in fall 2025, the college is the first in Florida and among the first in the country for AI and cybersecurity.
Media contacts:
Ryan Hughes works with media outlets in the Tampa Bay region and Florida.
Phone: 215-704-3182
John Dudley works with national and international media outlets.
Phone: 814-490-3290
Natural language processing and large language models
John Licato
Associate professor of computer science and engineering
- Combining AI, cognitive science and natural language processing to create systems capable of advanced reasoning and decision support
- The use of AI agents – systems or programs used to perform tasks autonomously without human intervention
- AI tools to enhance human reasoning and improve workflows
Security and identity verification
Sudeep Sarkar
Distinguished university professor of computer science and engineering
- Computer vision and machine learning in biometric recognition methods like gait and face analysis
- AI-powered medical imaging to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient care
Tempestt Neal
Assistant professor of computer science and engineering
- Applied AI, human-centered AI, biometric verification
- AI systems that analyze facial attributes, body gestures, typing patterns and other biometric data for identity verification in such areas as health care, transportation and defense
Xinming (Simon) Ou
Professor of computer science and engineering
- AI-enabled tools to predict, detect and respond to sophisticated threats
- Machine learning and automated reasoning to identify network vulnerabilities
AI and robotics
Yu Sun
Professor of computer science and engineering
- AI-driven robotics for daily living, object handling and manufacturing tasks
- AI-driven biomarkers and interventions for health care
AI and society
Triparna De Vreede
Assistant professor of information systems and management
- How AI can be harnessed to benefit society
- Human responses to AI and its impact on workplace behavior
- AI consciousness and ethics in human-AI collaboration
AI and health care
Nishit Patel
Professor of dermatology and cutaneous surgery
- How AI is transforming health care
- Using algorithms to assist with patient placement
- Detecting life-threatening conditions using predictive tools
Larry Hall
Distinguished university professor of computer science and engineering
- AI regulation and policy
- Using AI and machine learning to improve combined prediction techniques for medical use
- AI-driven innovation in medical diagnosis, bioinformatics and remote sensing
AI and the environment
Brian Barnes
Assistant research professor of physical oceanography
Machine learning for:
- Satellite data analysis
- Sargassum forecasting
Yonggang Liu
Associate professor of physical oceanography and director of the Ocean Circulation Lab
Machine learning for:
- Ocean circulation analysis
- Red tide prediction
- Hurricane intensification forecast
- Fisheries data analysis and forecast
Cybersecurity and cybercrime
George Burruss
Professor of criminology
- Victimization in cyberspace
- Developing a chatbot to help train law enforcement and end users to recognize cybercrime and cyberfraud, particularly for older adults
- Cyber hygiene practices to protect devices, networks and data from threats
Giti Javidi
Professor of cybersecurity
- Cybersecurity governance and policies
- Cyber threat intelligence and risk management
- Security for smart cities, smart utility grids and smart vehicles
Thomas Hyslip
Assistant professor of criminology
- Computer hacking
- Cybercrime
- Digital forensics
Stephen Gary
Associate professor of information and intelligence studies
- Cyber threats to political elections
- Cyber threat actors and reasonings
- Cyber threats to public and private sectors
Nathan Fisk
Assistant professor of cybersecurity education
- Cybersecurity
- Cyberbullying
- Cybersecurity awareness and education