Kien A. Hua is a professor of computer science at the University of Central Florida and director of the Data Systems Laboratory. He earned a doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1987.

Hua’s research focuses on data management, multimedia computing, wireless communications, and intelligent systems. He has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications and holds editorial positions with several academic journals. Before joining UCF in 1990, he served as a lead architect at IBM Mid-Hudson Laboratories, where he led the development of a parallel computing system that became a precursor to IBM’s SP series.

He is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and has received multiple best paper and teaching awards. At UCF, he has been recognized with the Research Incentive Award and has been named a Distinguished Lecturer by the College of Engineering and Computer Science.