As the technology industry grows each year, so does the need for experts who create innovations that fuel this sector and educate the workforce that powers it.
With this demand in mind, UCF’s College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) has broken a hiring record with a total of 39 new faculty members joining the college’s seven departments in Fall 2025. This marks the third consecutive academic year that CECS has appointed more than 30 new faculty members, although it’s the first time this many have started in one semester.
The new professors, instructors and lecturers bring a wide range of expertise to the college, ranging from artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity to hypersonics and semiconductors. Michael Georgiopoulos, dean of CECS, says the new faculty’s breadth of knowledge aligns with the university’s strategic plan and enhances its reputation.
“The College of Engineering and Computer Science has hired several faculty members in the areas of AI, energy, digital twins and hypersonics, among others,” Georgiopoulos says. “It has expanded the college’s research and educational expertise in areas that are of national importance and are in line with UCF’s vision of being Florida’s Premier Engineering and Technology University.”
A total of eight new faculty are UCF alums, with three who graduated this past summer. Ali Gordon, the dean of graduate affairs, attributes this to the quality of the college’s graduates.
“In recent hiring cycles, applications for faculty positions here in CECS have been very high,” Gordon says. “Landing a professor or lecturer role here is more challenging every year. The success that our alumni have exhibited in attaining positions here speaks to the excellence of our college and its programs.”
The college is expected to bring aboard five additional faculty members in the spring semester, bringing the total number of new hires for the academic year to 44. Learn more about the civil, environmental and construction engineering hires below.
Stergios Emmanouil
Assistant Professor
Emmanouil joins UCF from the University of Connecticut, where he served as an assistant research professor, leading efforts on climate-informed risk assessment and grid resilience. His research involves close collaboration with stakeholders across government agencies, the industry and local communities to inform the development of adaptive strategies for critical infrastructure resilience. He earned his doctoral degree in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Connecticut and a master’s degree in hydraulic engineering from the Delft University of Technology. He is a licensed professional civil engineer in Greece and has been a member of the Technical Chamber of Greece since 2017.
Ivan Haigh
Professor and Director of the National Center for Integrated Coastal Research
Haigh is a prominent coastal and physical oceanographer. Born in Zambia, he moved to the U.K. at 19, earning his bachelor’s degree in oceanography and mathematics and a doctoral degree from the University of Southampton. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship in Western Australia, he returned to Southampton as a lecturer and eventually became a professor of sea level and coastal impacts. In 2022, he became the director of the UK’s Center for Doctoral Training for Resilient Flood Futures. Prior to academia, he also worked as a numerical modelling consultant with Associated British Ports Marine Environment Research.
Xishun Liao
Assistant Professor
Liao hails from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he worked in the UCLA Mobility Lab, conducting research related to artificial intelligence and mobility digital twins. He earned a doctoral degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of California, Riverside, and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park. His research focus is the development of AI-powered digital twins through interdisciplinary approaches that integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning with data science, control theory and optimization. His goal is to create human-centered, intelligent mobility systems that are safe, efficient, equitable and sustainable.
- Written by Marisa Ramiccio