Conference Program Chairs & Scientific Committee
Kyungseok Choo (K.C), PhD- Conference Scientific Committee Co-chair
K.C. (Kyungseok) Choo, Ph.D., is the Associate Dean of the School of Social Science, Communication, and Humanities at Endicott College, where he also serves as a Professor and Director of the Homeland Security Graduate Program and Cybercrime Forensics Lab. He recently completed two major U.S. Department of Justice grants: the Computer Forensics and Digital Evidence Program and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Training Development Program. With a strong background in grant management, he has been involved in securing over $12 million in external research funding, directly overseeing approximately $4 million of that budget. Dr. Choo is currently co-chairing the AI curriculum committee for the Public Interest Technology in New England group and leading the Pan America and Eastern Europe Justice and Security Consortium. Prior to joining Endicott College, he was a Professor in the Criminal Justice Program and Director of the Financial Crime Management and Compliance Program at Utica University.
Jolly Upadhyaya Ph.D - Conference Scientific Committee Co-chair
Program Director MSIT, Department of Computer and Data Sciences Merrimack College
Dr. Jolly Upadhyaya is a computer scientist and educator with over 20 years of experience in Computer Science and Information Technology across India and the United States. She currently serves as Program Director and Professor at Merrimack College, where she leads curriculum development in Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, and Information Technology.
Her expertise spans Cybersecurity, AI, Cloud Computing, and IT systems, with contributions to federally funded projects, international research, and K–12 to graduate-level education. She has played a key role in developing innovative curricula, advancing workforce development initiatives, and promoting cybersecurity awareness and education.
Dr. Upadhyaya holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science and has published research in reputed journals and IEEE conferences. She is actively engaged in academic leadership, industry collaboration, and global initiatives focused on cybersecurity and emerging technologies.
Joseph K. Assan, PhD - Conference Scientific Committee Member
Joseph K. Assan is the director of the Sustainable International Development Program at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University. He is also the Division Director of Livelihood and Cybersecurity at the Center for Global Development and Sustainability at the Heller School. Joseph was an Assistant Professor of Development Practice at Trinity College Dublin where he acted as the Associate Director of the Masters in Development Practice Program. Prior to this, Dr. Joseph Assan served as the Director of the International Development Program at the University of Liverpool. Joseph’s expertise and interests range from livelihood security, political economy employment security, resilience, and the application of new cyber technologies and AI. He has published extensively in leading peer-reviewed journals on sustainable livelihoods, exploitative employment, and development. He has organized and spoken at several academic and policy conferences, including Capitol Hill, discussing policy strategies for growth, livelihood security, and reducing poverty and inequality.
Leon Deligiannidis, Ph.D. - Conference Scientific Committee Member
Professor, School of Computing and Data Science, Wentworth Institute of Technology
Dr. Leonidas Deligiannidis is a Professor of Computer Science at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, MA. His foundation in Computer Science was first established when he earned his B.S. from Northeastern University College of Computer Science. He then went on to obtain two advanced degrees in the field from Tufts University. He has been active in the field since then, investigating subjects like Security Surveillance, Brain Computer Interfaces, Business-oriented Visualizations, AI, and STEM Education. He has also served in industrial positions outside the scope of his academic work, using his acumen for several companies. His industry experience includes both entrepreneur startups in healthcare and high-tech networking companies. He has received multiple awards for his efforts, including multiple Achievement Awards for his contributions to Imaging Science by the World Congress in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Applied Computing, IEEE best paper awards, as well as a University Presidential award for his scholarly achievements. In addition, he has served as a referee for many journals in computer science and is a member of the program and organizing committees for notable conferences in his field. Dr. Deligiannidis teaches courses such as Security, Operating Systems, Quantum Computing for Security, System/Network Administration, Senior Design. Dr. Deligiannidis is the editor of the Journal of Supercomputing: Section of Quantum Computing.