Dr. Gabriela Ciocarlie Named Interim Director of the Stevens Institute for Artificial Intelligence

Stevens Institute of Technology is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Gabriela Ciocarlie, the Stephen Bloom Chair Associate Professor in Computer Science, as Interim Director of the Stevens Institute for Artificial Intelligence (SIAI) effective September 1, 2026.  

Ciocarlie, whose appointment runs through August 31, 2028, succeeds Dr. Brendan Englot, who was recently appointed Interim Dean of the Stevens School of Computing. 

“I am delighted to join the Stevens Institute for Artificial Intelligence at such an exciting, yet consequential, moment,” said Ciocarlie. “The potential of AI to drive technological progress is undeniable. Its impact is already evident in areas ranging from accelerated drug discovery and large language models that support tasks across industries to automated code generation and prompt-based application and website development. 

“At the same time, realizing the full benefits of AI requires careful consideration of the security, privacy, reliability and ethical properties that matter in each context,” added Ciocarlie. “We must understand when human oversight is essential, select the appropriate frameworks and infrastructure, and design systems that align with societal and organizational needs.” 

Ciocarlie brings extensive expertise in AI, cybersecurity, network analytics and cyber-physical systems to the role. Prior to joining Stevens, she held key academic and industry leadership positions, including associate professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio; chief technology officer at the Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute; chief product officer at Elpha Secure and senior technical manager at SRI International, where she founded its New York City research hub in cyberanalytics.  

Ciocarlie holds a Ph.D. and an M.S. in Computer Science from Columbia University and a B.Eng. from the Polytechnic University of Bucharest.  

Reporting to Stevens’ Office for Research and Innovation, Ciocarlie will work closely with faculty and administration across campus to elevate SIAI’s success and impact. Key priorities will include expanding SIAI research, securing external funding and increasing student engagement by involving undergraduate and graduate students directly in SIAI research and educational activities.  

“Artificial intelligence is transforming how we discover, create and solve problems, and Stevens is exceptionally well positioned to help shape what comes next,” said Vice Provost for Research and Innovation Edmund Synakowski. “Dr. Ciocarlie brings the depth of expertise, interdisciplinary perspective and leadership experience needed to build on SIAI’s strong foundation and expand its impact across research, education and innovation.” 

“I also thank Dr. Englot for his outstanding stewardship of SIAI and for helping establish the strong foundation on which the institute will continue to grow,” Synakowski added. 

Founded in 2018, SIAI has grown into an interdisciplinary hub uniting faculty researchers and students across all of Stevens’ academic units to advance transformative AI applications in computing, healthcare, finance and many other fields while expanding the university’s leadership in machine learning research and AI-driven educational programs. 

“At SIAI, we will work together to unlock the potential of AI across disciplines while maintaining a strong commitment to safety, security and responsible innovation,” said Ciocarlie.