Clarkson University Professor Chen Liu Selected as National Science Foundation Program Director
Clarkson University Professor Chen Liu has been selected to serve as a program director at the National Science Foundation (NSF), where he will help guide federal research investments in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and emerging computing technologies.
Liu, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Clarkson, will join the Cyber, Physical, and Intelligent Systems (CPIS) section within NSF's Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE). The directorate supports fundamental research and education in computer science, information science, and computer engineering.
In his new role, Liu will help advance research focused on developing intelligent technologies that operate safely and reliably across physical, digital, and human environments. The CPIS section supports research in robotics, cybersecurity, autonomous systems, and emerging technologies, with applications that strengthen public safety, economic competitiveness, and national security.
“It is an honor to serve the research community in this capacity and play a meaningful role in directing federal research investments toward the future of computing—particularly in securing the computing systems and cyberspace in the age of AI,” Liu said.
Liu joined Clarkson in 2012 and was promoted to associate professor in 2018 and full professor in 2024. Liu directs the Cybersecurity, Autonomous Systems, and Machine Learning Engineering Lab (CAMEL), with a focus on developing technologies that improve the security, intelligence, and reliability of complex computing systems.
From 2022 to 2026, Liu also served as Clarkson's site director for the Center for Electric, Connected and Autonomous Technologies for Mobility (eCAT), an NSF-funded Industry-University Cooperative Research Center focused on advancing next-generation electrification, sensing, computing, and wireless communication technologies for electric and autonomous vehicles.
Liu’s appointment builds on more than a decade of research at Clarkson in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and autonomous systems. He will maintain his faculty appointment and continue his research at Clarkson while serving in his new role at NSF.
