AI leader Mohamed Abdel-Mottaleb named founding chair of computer science at IU Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS - Mohamed Abdel-Mottaleb will serve as the founding chair of the new Department of Computer Science at the Indiana University Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering in Indianapolis beginning this fall.

Mohamed Abdel-Mottaleb. Photo courtesy of Mohamed Abdel-Mottaleb

An established leader in the areas of image processing, computer vision and machine learning, Abdel-Mottaleb has made significant research contributions to 3D face and ear recognition, biometric recognition, visual tracking, digital mammography and medical image processing. Previously, he served 15 years as professor and chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Miami's College of Engineering, where he led the creation of cutting-edge undergraduate and graduate programs in software engineering, AI and cybersecurity.

At the Luddy School, Abdel-Mottaleb will also receive the prestigious Luddy Professorship, the first on the Indianapolis campus.

"With more than 9,000 technology firms generating an economic contribution exceeding $53 billion, Indiana is rapidly emerging as a hub of technological innovation in the Midwest, and we are thrilled to welcome a technological innovator of Abdel-Mottaleb's stature to campus at this pivotal time," IU Indianapolis Chancellor Latha Ramchand said. "He will bring the vision and leadership to create a strong computer science program in Indianapolis that will foster a robust talent pipeline for these industries and set up our students for career success."

The new computer science program was established in 2023 as part of IU's commitment to build one of the nation's premier urban research universities in Indianapolis. The department will welcome new and transfer students to its Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, Master of Science and Ph.D. degree programs in computer science in the fall semester.

Students enrolled in the program will gain an accessible, interdisciplinary and hands-on education in the field, with the opportunity to pursue courses in rapidly growing, high-demand areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, software engineering, human-centered computing and sensors networks.

The new courses and degrees support the strategic goals of IU Indianapolis, including doubling enrollment in the Luddy School, offering degree programs preparing students for in-demand careers, investing in new STEM faculty and contributing to the vitality of central Indiana.

"Dr. Abdel-Mottaleb brings many years of astonishing scholarship and leadership to IU," Luddy School Dean Joanna Millunchick said. "His leadership will help develop the future of the new computer science department at Luddy Indianapolis, ensuring that we are able to educate students with the important skills to match the workforce needs of our state and beyond."

An Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Fellow, Abdel-Mottaleb also has been a principal member of the research staff at Philips Research in New York, where he participated in the development the MPEG-7 standard for multimedia description. His research has received funding from numerous industries and federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Justice, Department of Defense and FBI.

"Dr. Abdel-Mottaleb's research leadership and administrative experience, encompassing renowned contributions to AI to both academia and industry, brings vital expertise to the future growth and strategic direction of our new computer science department," said Davide Bolchini, executive associate dean and professor at the Luddy School in Indianapolis. "His AI research in computing for biomedical imaging and biometrics, as well as his leadership vision, are especially aligned to the new IU Indianapolis research institutes - the Institute of Human Health and Wellbeing and the Convergent Bioscience and Biotechnology Institute - and will be instrumental to advance the interdisciplinary research mission of our campus."

Abdel-Mottaleb is the author of more than 170 journal and conference papers, and he holds 21 U.S. patents and more than 30 international patents. He was also a board member of the journal Pattern Recognition and editor-in-chief of the IEEE Biometrics Compendium.

"I am excited about joining the IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering in Indianapolis as the founding chair of the Department of Computer Science," Abdel-Mottaleb said. "I look forward to working with IU's administration, especially the dean, executive associate dean and associate deans, as well as the distinguished faculty, staff and students in establishing a top-tier department that can effectively serve our community. Moreover, the school's strong partnerships with schools across campus provides a unique opportunity for interdisciplinary research collaborations.

Abdel-Mottaleb holds a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a master's degree and bachelor's degree from Alexandria University in Egypt.

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