Academic Experience

Research and teaching contributions spanning cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and cyber-physical systems security

Research Positions

Cybersecurity Researcher

Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
August 2023 - Present
Conducting advanced research at the Cyber-Physical Systems Security Lab (CSL) under the supervision of Prof. Selcuk Uluagac. Research focuses on adversarial machine learning, malware detection systems, web security, UAV security, and cybersecurity education.
Key Responsibilities & Achievements:
  • Leading research in adversarial machine learning and robust AI security systems
  • Developing automated vulnerability assessment frameworks for ML models (U.S. Patent granted)
  • Creating novel malware detection systems with enhanced robustness against evasion attacks
  • Conducting security analysis of WebAssembly modules and browser-based threats (U.S. Patent granted)
  • Mentoring 19+ undergraduate researchers on cybersecurity and AI projects
  • Teaching graduate courses in IoT Security & Privacy and Network Security
  • Contributing to grant proposal development and securing federal research funding

Visiting Research Scholar

University of Padua - SPRITZ Security and Privacy Research Group, Padua, Italy
January 2019 - July 2021
Conducted research on Industrial Control Systems (ICS) security and cyber threat intelligence under the supervision of Prof. Mauro Conti. Awarded the prestigious Fondazione Ing. Aldo Gini Fellowship for outstanding research performance.
Research Contributions:
  • Designed new security architectures and protection measures for critical infrastructures
  • Analyzed ICS malware including TRISIS, establishing comprehensive threat models
  • Conducted cyber threat intelligence for industrial cyber attacks in Industry 4.0
  • Evaluated security of Cyber-Physical Systems and identified novel threat vectors

Research Associate

Moulay Ismail University - Laboratory of Computer Networks and Systems, Meknes, Morocco
January 2017 - December 2022
Conducted research on security and privacy issues of Cyber-Physical Systems.
Research Activities:
  • Investigated malware detection and analysis in Industrial Control Systems
  • Analyzed security and privacy challenges in Cyber-Physical Systems
  • Taught courses on computer systems and networks, network security, and virtualization
  • Mentored graduate and undergraduate students in various research projects

Teaching Experience

Guest Lecturer

Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
2023 - 2024
Delivered specialized guest lectures on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity topics to undergraduate and graduate students.
Teaching Contributions:
  • Delivered 7+ guest lectures on AI and Cybersecurity for undergraduate and graduate courses (80+ students)
  • Presented "AI, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning: From Theory to Practice" lecture to students from an NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program
  • Assisted instruction for graduate courses: EEL 6787 Network Security and EEL 5718 IoT Security & Privacy

Cybersecurity Instructor

Liceo Scientifico Statale "France Prešeren", Trieste, Italy
February 2019 - March 2019
Taught cybersecurity and data privacy courses to high school students and teachers, promoting cybersecurity awareness and best practices.
Courses Taught:
  • Cybersecurity fundamentals and data privacy for students and teachers
  • Designed hands-on cybersecurity labs challenging students on online safety
  • Taught basic concepts of cryptography and secure communication
  • Integrated cybersecurity awareness training within computer science classes

Assistant Lecturer

Moulay Ismail University, Meknes, Morocco
2017 - 2020
Taught computer science courses to graduate students, focusing on systems, networking, and security topics.
Courses Taught:
  • Computer systems and networks for MSc students

  • Network security and communication protocols

  • Cloud computing and virtualization technology

  • Practical laboratory sessions on system administration and security

Research Mentorship

Supervised and mentored 19+ undergraduate researchers from Florida International University and Miami Dade College in advanced cybersecurity and machine learning research projects. Mentees have successfully transitioned to positions at leading companies and graduate programs.
Notable Mentee Achievements:
  • Software Engineers at: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Zoox Inc., UKG Inc., OneWell Health Care
  • Graduate students at: Florida International University, New York University (NYU), University of Florida
  • Research interns at: Idaho National Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
  • Co-authored publications with undergraduate mentees in ACM SIGCSE and IEEE venues