Anupam Joshi, professor of computer science and electrical engineering, has been named as the director of the UMBC Center for Artificial Intelligence (CAI), effective September 1, 2026. Complementing his role as vice provost and chief AI officer, Joshi will lead CAI’s transition to a campus-wide center reporting directly to Provost Manfred van Dulmen.

In his expanded capacity, Joshi will guide university-wide research strategy in artificial intelligence, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among more than 70 affiliated faculty and senior research staff. CAI will serve as an essential bridge between AI scholarship, innovative pedagogy, and campus operations, ensuring responsible and effective integration of AI tools across all academic disciplines. The center will also prioritize expanding external funding, enhancing graduate and undergraduate training, and deepening regional partnerships with federal agencies, national laboratories, and industry leaders.

As part of this transition, Joshi steps down as director of the UMBC Cybersecurity Institute (UCI), which he helped establish in 2012. Alan Sherman, professor of computer science and electrical engineering, will serve as interim director of UCI. Tim Finin, professor of computer science and electrical engineering and founding director of CAI, will transition to emeritus status, having provided 35 years of valued service to UMBC, COEIT, and CSEE.