USFRF Board Members
Giti Javidi
Giti Javidi, Ph.D.
Professor of Cybersecurity
Academic Director of the Undergraduate program in Information Assurance & Cybersecurity
Management
Muma College of Business
University of South Florida
Dr. Giti Javidi is a leader in the field of cybersecurity, currently serving as a Professor of Cybersecurity at the School of Information Systems and Management within the Muma College of Business. She also serves as the academic director of the Information Assurance and Cybersecurity Management undergraduate program, shaping the next generation of cybersecurity and AI professionals. With an illustrious career spanning over many years, she brings a wealth of expertise and experience to her role.
Dr. Javidi frequently shares her insights as an invited speaker at various local, regional, national and international conferences and events. Prior to joining USF in 2016, she held a position as a Professor of Computer Science at College of Engineering, Virginia State University. To remain relevant in the constantly shifting technology landscape, she continually pushes the boundaries of interdisciplinary collaboration exploring new avenues and approaches to address emerging cybersecurity and AI challenges.
Dr. Javidi's research interests cover areas such as Applied Artificial Intelligence in Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity Solutions for Secure Smart Devices, Cybersecurity Intrusion Detection and Incident Response, and Cybersecurity Policy and Governance. Her research has been published in leading journals, and she has been awarded a number of prestigious grants from external agencies including NSF, NASA, Google and Microsoft. At USF, Dr. Javidi leads the Applied Research Collaborative (ARC) lab on the Sarasota-Manatee campus, fostering an environment where interdisciplinary faculty, students, and industry partners collaborate on cutting-edge research and on-demand training initiatives. Her most recent impactful contributions in the region have been acknowledged with several prestigious awards, including the 2017 and 2020 Sarasota Women of Influence Awards, and the 2018 USF Women in Leadership and Philanthropy Award. Dr. Giti Javidi's remarkable leadership in AI and cybersecurity continue to make a profound impact on both academia and the broader community.