Category: News

The Florida National Security Summit Now scheduled for Friday, March 26 through Saturday, March 27, 2026 Registration info coming soon. Bookmark this page to check back monthly for schedule, speaker, and other updates/announcements.

The Florida Institute for National Security (FINS) at the University of Florida took center stage at this year’s FES | ACEC Florida Annual Conference, delivering a landmark panel titled “Public Trust in AI, Digital Twin, Cyber‑Informed Engineers & Remote Access Side Channels.” The session, held on July 31, 2026, underscored how Cyber‑Informed Engineering (CIE) is reshaping the design, operation, and protection of critical‑infrastructure systems such as water, energy and transportation networks against today’s increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

“My experience at the University of Florida has been incredibly meaningful, both academically and personally. UF has given me an environment where interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation, and community engagement are truly encouraged. Working with Dr. Domenic Forte and contributing to Cyber-Informed Engineering research through FINS gave me the opportunity to apply my prior desalination infrastructure experience […]

At the Florida Institute for National security (FINS), we’re thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of one of our own — graduate student Enrique Medici. Guided by FINS faculty member Dr. Kyle Cameron Hartig, Enrique recently participated in the prestigious U.S. Air Force SMART Scholar Program and attended an immersive visit to the Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) at Patrick Space Force Base on June 26, 2025.

FINS is proud to share that its Associate Director, Dr. Domenic Forte, has been honored as an ACM Distinguished Speaker. This recognition is part of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)’s prestigious program, which highlights individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to computer science, technology, and information security.

The Florida Institute for National Security (FINS) proudly marked a significant milestone this January with the successful completion of the inaugural cohort of the FINS Talent Pipeline (FTP) Program. The conclusion ceremony, held on campus on the 17th, celebrated not only the achievements of the students but also FINS’ commitment to meeting its mission of producing a talent pipeline of AI and data science-knowledgeable professionals in support of national security.

FINS’ Talent Pipeline (FTP) Program continues to garner attention across campus and beyond.

The University of Florida (UF) has entered into an Education Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the National Security Agency (NSA). The partnership will seek to enhance Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) education at UF by enabling technical exchanges, as well as the sharing of educational materials and equipment between the two entities. Moreover, as a result of this agreement, any UF student or faculty would have access to a wide pool of resources and expertise – all while gaining invaluable work experience.

In a recent Tampa Bay Times article, FINS faculty, Dr. Sid Dobrin, weighs in on the impact that Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is having on higher education and how Florida colleges and universities, including the University of Florida (UF), are embracing and guiding its implementation, thus playing a pivotal role in ushering in the coming AI-savvy workforce.

FINS faculty, Dr. Bonnie J. Dorr and Sonja M. Schmer-Galunder, are among the recipients of a new, large, multi-institutional award from the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) agency – the research arm of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence- that delves into the psychology of cyber attackers.

The FINS leadership team “is an integral part of a groundbreaking $992,000 initiative at UF called Charting the Course to Preeminence in National Security Leadership.”

On February 20th, FINS Research Graduate Assistant and PhD Candidate, Olivia Dizon-Paradis, was awarded an honorable mention for the Madelyn Lockhart Fellowship by the Association for Academic Women (AAW).

FINS core faculty Member, Dr. Kyle Cameron Hartig, is among a team of UF researchers who have developed several nuclear forensics tools that can detect the presence of and track various hidden nuclear active materials.

FINS is happy to announce that it now counts among its ranks Dr. William Inboden, Director of UF’s new Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education.

FINS is proud to announce that we recently completed the formation of both our Strategic (SAB) and Technical Advisory (TAB) Boards. 

The Florida Institute for National Security (FINS) is proud to announce that it recently joined forces with Domino Data Labs (DDL).

If a tree falls in the forest, it may be a sign of something more drastic affecting the greater environment.

Congratulations to the University of Florida and NVIDIA for their announcement today of a transformational partnership to create higher education’s most powerful AI supercomputer and develop a workforce training program that will jumpstart the next generation of discovery and innovation.

Dr. Kyle Cameron Hartig and 5 other UF Faculty will take the lead in a -16-university team of 31 scientists and engineers-  project, funded by the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), that will aim to develop new techniques and the training of future nuclear forensics specialists in identifying and tracking nuclear materials to support global safety and national security.

Artificial intelligence has lurked behind the scenes in technologies people use every day, but the University of Florida is integrating AI into curriculum across disciplines to make it a core competency for students.

Deep Neural Network (DNN) is a type of machine learning model that closely resembles a human brain.