Join us at the 4th IEEE ICMI-2025 for an empowering panel discussion titled Women in Computing Research: Investigating New Horizons. This session brings together influential women who have made significant strides in both academia and research. Our panelists will explore the evolving landscape of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through groundbreaking contributions, systemic challenges, and opportunities for empowerment. They will share their experiences in academia while focusing on computing research, addressing unique challenges and opportunities. This discussion aims to inspire, educate, and drive meaningful change in the field of computing.
Dr. Nelly Elsayed is an Assistant Professor at the School of Information Technology. She is the Leader and Founder of the Applied Machine Learning and Intelligence Lab. She received a BS. and MS. degree in Computer Science from Alexandria University, and She received her MS. Eng. And Ph.D. degrees from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She is an IEEE Computational Intelligence Society active member. She has served as a principal investigator and co-principle investigator in different federal, educational, and industrial level-funded research projects. She received the Faculty Incentive Award for Research and Scholarship from the CECH, UC, recognizing her research contributions, journal and conference peer-reviewed publications, and professional presentations in 2020-2021. She received the Love of Learning Award from the Honor Society Phi Kappa Phi in 2019 and 2021. She received the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching (Graduate Level), CECH. She received the UCAADA Sarah Grant Barber Outstanding Advising Faculty Award for the academic year 2021-2022 University of Cincinnati. She has been an Ambassador for Goodwill of Lafayette, Louisiana, since 2017.
Dr. Allyson Kennedy is a program director for education and workforce in the National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE). In CISE, she evaluates and supports initiatives to make computer science education inclusive for all students. She was a 2022 Embassy Science Fellow, where she collaborated with the Thai government and U.S. Embassy to promote science diplomacy and address key issues around STEM education.
While receiving her Ph.D. in Integrative Life Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University, Allyson fostered a passion for educational equity through teaching, community outreach, and science communication. In addition to her current role as an NSF program officer, her experiences as a high school teacher in the Uthai Thani Province of Thailand and AAAS Science and Technology Policy fellow have honed her skills and knowledge of working across sectors to create inclusive and equitable education pathways.
Dr. Maria Kyrarini is an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and David Packard Jr. Faculty Fellow at Santa Clara University (SCU). She also leads the Human-Machine Interaction & Innovation (HMI2) Lab, supported by federal (NSF) and SCU internal grants. Her primary research interests are in the fields of Robot Learning from Human Demonstrations, Human-Robot Interaction, and Assistive Robotics with a special focus on enhancing Human Performance.
Before SCU, she was a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Texas at Arlington and the assistant director of the Heracleia Human-Centered Computing Lab. In 2019, Dr. Kyrarini received her Ph.D. in engineering from the University of Bremen under the supervision of Professor Axel Gräser. The title of her Ph.D. thesis is: “Robot Learning from human demonstrations for Human-robot Synergy”. Before that, she received a master’s in electrical and computer engineering and a master’s in automation systems, both from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) in 2012 and 2014, respectively.
Dr. Soon Ae Chun is a professor and director of the Information Systems and Informatics program at CUNY College of Staten Island (CSI), and a professor of Computer Science Ph.D Program and Data Science MS Program at the CUNY Graduate Center. She is the director of the Information Security Research and Education Lab (iSecure Lab). Her research area includes AI and Machine Learning; Security, Privacy and Trust; Semantic Web; Social Media Data Analytics; and Service Integration, focusing on applied areas in Digital Government and Digital Health. She worked on IT Innovations, Emergency Management and Scientific and Environmental Data Management projects in collaboration with the New Jersey State Government, NJ Meadowlands Environmental Center, NY/NJ Port Authority, Newark City Government, NASA as well as SAP, and Panasonic. She received the CSI President’s Dolphin Award for Outstanding Scholarly Achievement, a Fulbright Scholarship, and a Distinguished Service Award by the Digital Government Society. She served as the President for the Digital Government Society. She is a founding Editors-in-Chief for the ACM Digital Government Research and Practice. She is a senior member of IEEE and ACM Computing Society, and a member of the Digital Government Society and the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor.
Dr. Taghreed Alghamdi is currently an Assistant Professor at Al-Baha University in Saudi Arabia. She holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Ontario Tech University and a Master's degree from Southern Methodist University (2015). With a foundational background in Computer Science from Al-Baha University, she specializes in areas such as big data analytics and data mining. Dr. Alghamdi's recent work focuses on the practical applications of technology in improving urban living, particularly in the context of smart city services and the Internet of Things (IoT). She is dedicated to finding efficient ways to manage data in community settings, especially in busy urban regions. In her role as an educator and researcher, Dr. Alghamdi aims to contribute to the intersection of technology and society. Her commitment lies in making a positive impact through her work in the field of Computer Science.