Dr. Adel Elmaghraby is the Winnia Endowed Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Louisville. He initiated and leads the HIVE AI Innovation Studio which serves as a model for Industry-University collaboration. He has expertise in leading coalitions of partnerships between universities. He has led strategic initiatives at UofL by creating online programs and dedicated certificates in Data Science and Cybersecurity and Deep Learning courses before they became popular at other universities. He is an IEEE Senior Life member and was recognized as a Golden Core Charter member of the IEEE-Computer Society in June 1996.
Recently, in an exclusive interview with Higher Education Digest, Dr. Elmaghraby shared his professional trajectory, significant career milestones, future plans, words of wisdom, and much more. The following excerpts are taken from the interview.
Hi Dr Adel Elmaghraby. You have so many years of experience in the field of education and academics. How do you see the changes which have taken place in the higher education sector over the last 5 years?
Certainly, many changes have occurred, and some were expected, and others were not. For one, COVID accelerated the online delivery of classes and that was something that I have anticipated and started offering an online master’s degree in computer science since 2007. A new trend that I observed but did not anticipate as much is the increased interest in badging and certifications which are useful, but I also believe can be misleading to recipients and employers.
What do you love the most about your current role?
My biggest satisfaction is in working with the students and challenging them to be independent learners and innovators and then observing their careers takeoff.
What are some of the things you’re most excited about right now in your field?
The intersection of AI with fields such as Healthcare and cybersecurity.
The meaning of leadership can change from one era to the other, how would you define the meaning of leadership today?
Leadership is best observed rather than defined as it may show in different ways and at different stages of personal and institutional growth. A challenging dimension in these times is that organizations are heavily focused on immediate rewards and top leadership is becoming less involved, interested, or knowledgeable about the core business and institutional history. Focus is becoming on financial and political success which are understandably intertwined.
How do you keep yourself skilled and relevant in terms of knowledge?
My willingness to learn from all sources continuously keeps me relevant and up to date. I have been known to say that in my profession you are behind and need to catch up whenever you blink. I learn from professional sources, non-technical news, my students, my colleagues, and my son.
In your academic or work career, were there any mentors who have helped you grow along the way? What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received?
I enjoy people and value each person as a source of learning and inspiration. Early on in my life, as a child and young adult, I observed and learned a lot from my parents and their friends. In college, throughout my high school and undergraduate career there were teachers and coaches, eventually my doctoral advisor became a role model and after he died, I was on my own again learning and observing and charting my path.
What do you feel has been your ‘career-defining’ moment?
We make decisions in every day and when I was volunteered to be an interim department chair, I took on myself a commitment to grow and started reading, reaching out, and thinking about my strengths and weaknesses and how to create a balance to be an effective leader to an aspiring department waiting for growth.
What are your passions outside of work?
People, food, and travel define me as a human.
Where would you like to be in the next 5 years?
I always had dreams of living a quiet life near a sea or an ocean with mild weather. However, every day goes by and my love for work makes me wonder if that is really what I want.
What is the one piece of advice that you can share with other professionals in your industry?
Stay current and accept change and be ahead rather than chasing the trends.