Faculty Spotlight: Fadi Mohsen of UM-Flint Computer Science
Fadi Mohsen, PhD, joined the UM-Flint College of Arts & Sciences in Fall 2016 as an assistant professor of computer science.
Read below to learn more about him and the field of computer science, or join him in one of his Winter 2017 classes:
- CIS 363 – Commercial Applications of Web Programming
(MW, 2:30pm-3:45pm) - CSC 370 – Intro to Information Security
(MW, 11am-12:15pm)
- CSC 570 – Cyber Security (M, 6pm-8:45pm)
Students can register now at sis.umflint.edu or find more information at umflint.edu/register.
Why are you passionate about your field?
Every day a massive amount of data is being generated, the data can be utilized to enhance our lives, but it can also be misused. In my field, we investigate the malicious ways of collecting personal data and propose solutions to defend against them.
What are your favorite courses/subjects to teach?
I prefer to teach upper level courses in information security and privacy, particularly in the network and mobile computing domains. Moreover, I have a particular interest in teaching application development courses in which students are inquired to develop complete desktop, web, and/or mobile applications.
What is your your latest or favorite research project?
My latest and favorite research project is called “The Danger of Android Broadcast Receivers.” There are two typical assumptions made regarding permissions and mobile applications security and privacy. The first one is that malicious applications need to retain dangerous permissions. Secondly, smartphone users assume that installed applications access data if they are only in the foreground. In this project, we show how malicious Android applications are able to orchestrate their attacks and collect users’ data with minimum permissions and while running in the background.
How did you fall in love with your discipline?
Well, when i started my graduate studies i wanted to specialize in data mining. So, in my first semester, I took a security course with a professor who then became my thesis advisor. He showed a lot of enthusiasm about the topic, the course also was very interesting and exciting. In my second semester, i took another course with the same professor, by the end of that semester i decided to specialize in security.
What do you hope for your time at UM-Flint?
I am interested in creating socially relevant computing courses that helps students develop skills in communication, leadership, and planning community outreach. I am also looking forward to integrate my research ideas into the curriculum of the courses that I teach. Finally, I am hoping to develop multiple online courses.
What do you hope for students in your field?
I hope for them to engage in real open source software and research projects, which would get them ready and well-equipped for the job market
What are three things you think people should know about you?
Soccer is my favorite sport, I love road trips, and I have lived in three different states: Colorado, North Carolina, and Michigan.
To learn more about engineering at UM-Flint, visit umflint.edu/computer-science. To register for courses, visit sis.umflint.edu or umflint.edu/register.
