The UCF College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) has selected a new associate dean of graduate affairs. David Mohaisen, a professor of computer science, will step into the role following the appointment of Ali Gordon, the current associate dean of graduate affairs, as dean of the College of Engineering at Wichita State University. Mohaisen’s appointment goes into effect on June 8.
Mohaisen says that it is truly an honor to be selected for this role.
“I am grateful for the trust placed in me by the college leadership, faculty and colleagues,” Mohaisen says. “CECS has a strong graduate enterprise with exceptional students, faculty and programs, and I look forward to contributing to its continued growth and impact.”
Mohaisen was chosen based on his strong scholarly record, vision for the role, clear understanding of the key aspects of graduate education and his ability to translate complex challenges into clear, actionable plans.
“The search committee noted his balanced approach to growth, attention to both big-picture strategy and implementation, and his commitment to improving the student and faculty experience,” says Michael Georgiopoulos, the dean of CECS. “In my interactions with Dr. Mohaisen, I found him to be thorough, thoughtful, energetic, and ready to take on the challenge of leading our graduate programs, with support from faculty and staff, to new heights.”
Mohaisen’s vision for this position is centered on strategic and sustainable growth of the college’s graduate programs while maintaining academic quality, research excellence and student success. His goals include strengthening collaboration and alignment across graduate programs, supporting faculty and student research productivity, expanding opportunities in strategic areas such as AI and cybersecurity. He says he also hopes to build clear, collaborative and transparent processes that support the college’s mission.
“I see this role as highly collaborative and service-oriented,” Mohaisen says. “I value openness, accessibility and strong communication, and I look forward to working closely with faculty, staff and students across the college in support of their success. CECS already has exceptional momentum, talent and many strong initiatives underway, and I hope to contribute by supporting and building upon those efforts in ways that continue advancing the college’s strengths and opportunities.”
About David Mohaisen
David Mohaisen is a professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Central Florida, with courtesy appointments in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the School of Modeling, Simulation and Training. He joined UCF in 2017 after serving as an assistant professor at the University at Buffalo, SUNY and as a senior research scientist at Verisign Labs. He received his doctoral and master’s degrees in computer science from the University of Minnesota. His research interests span systems security, trustworthy AI and online privacy. Over the course of his career, he has secured external research funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, NVIDIA and more. His work has been recognized through multiple best paper awards and distinctions, including the NDSS 2026 Distinguished Paper Award, the WISE 2024 Best Paper Award and the 2025 UCF Faculty Excellence in Mentoring Doctoral Students Award.
At UCF, Mohaisen has played a leading role in graduate education, faculty governance and interdisciplinary research development. He recently served as chair of the Graduate Policy Committee and has served multiple terms on the Faculty Senate and Graduate Council, contributing to university-wide graduate policy initiatives involving academic standards, graduate certificates, dissertation procedures and student intellectual property.
- Written by Marisa Ramiccio '11