USF experts available for interviews on artificial intelligence- and cybersecurity-related topics

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.

rphughes@usf.edu

Phone: 215-704-3182

John Dudley works with national and international media outlets.

jjdudley@usf.edu

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