Speaker: Dr. Maryna Veksler, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Computer Science, Virginia Commonwealth University
Topic: “Trustworthy AI for Autonomous Systems and Cybersecurity”
Abstract: Artificial intelligence is increasingly deployed in safety-critical computing environments such as cyber-physical systems, networked infrastructure, and defensive computing pipelines, where model failures or adversarial manipulation can lead to system compromise, safety risks, or loss of trust. My research develops methods for trustworthy AI that emphasize adversarial robustness and resilience, explainability, and rigorous validation for models operating under uncertainty and attack. In this talk, I will share representative work on adversarial testing of AI-based intrusion detection for autonomous drone sensors, explainable learning for video source device attribution, and methodological frameworks for systematic evaluation and responsible use of AI in forensic and defensive contexts, concluding with a research vision focused on scalable assessment protocols and standardized validation methodologies for dependable AI deployment in complex computing systems.
Biography: Dr. Maryna Veksler is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Computer Science at Virginia Commonwealth University, working with Dr. Kemal Akkaya. She received her PhD from the Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences at Florida International University in Summer 2025. Her research focuses on trustworthy AI for safety-critical systems, including drones and digital forensics. Her work aims to develop methods that enhance robustness, resilience, and explainability of AI models, and structured and scalable framework for trustworthy AI deployment. She has prior industry experience as a full stack mobile developer at General Motors. She has been active on the program committees of several conferences including USENIX, ISC, and SAFE-ML.
The Research Presentation is open to the public free of charge.
*For further information, please contact Dr. Liudong Xing
Lester W. Cory Conference Room, Science & Engineering Building (SENG), Room 213A
Liudong Xing
5089998883
lxing@umassd.edu