From earning a 3.98 GPA across 75 Ph.D. credits to securing a tenure-track faculty position, Alvi Khalil’s path reflects both scholarly excellence and purposeful impact. A Ph.D. candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Florida International University, he pairs deep expertise in cybersecurity and machine learning with a drive to serve, mentor, and lead.
“Alvi is one of the most driven and intellectually curious students I’ve worked with,” says Dr. Mohammad Ashiqur Rahman, his Ph.D. advisor. “His ability to translate complex theory into impactful solutions is rare.”
His academic accomplishments are matched by an impressive record of teaching and mentorship. Alvi has served as a teaching assistant and instructor in ten courses—most notably Senior Design and Digital Forensics—guiding dozens of undergraduate teams from raw ideas to competition-ready prototypes.
His research speaks for itself: 17 peer-reviewed publications (with 12 as first author), more than 300 citations, and a U.S. provisional patent for a novel UAV defense system based on federated deep reinforcement learning. His areas of focus include intrusion detection systems for cyber-physical systems such as smart grids, UAVs, and healthcare devices—making the digital world safer, one algorithm at a time.
Recognition has followed. He was named Outstanding Graduate Scholar of the Year 2024 by FIU’s Division of Student Affairs, selected for the highly competitive global scholarship from the Upsilon Pi Epsilon Honor Society, and awarded second place at the FIU UGS GSAW Scholarly Forum in 2023. He also received the University Graduate School’s Dissertation Year Fellowship, multiple ECE Publication Incentive Awards, and an NSF student travel grant.
Leadership and service are foundational to Alvi’s experience. As Secretary of the Bangladesh Student Organization and RSO Representative of the IEEE FIU Student Branch, he organized multicultural STEM events that reached over 200 students and helped double club membership. His commitment to staying current is evident in his Microsoft Azure certifications in cloud, AI, and security—ensuring his research can translate into real-world, deployable solutions.
Motivation
During his first semester, multimillion-dollar crypto-exchange breaches captured his attention—and shifted his future.
“I remember reading the headline and thinking—this isn’t just a tech failure. It’s a trust failure,” Alvi recalls.
That moment sparked his mission to secure what he calls the “digital nervous system” of our modern world: blockchain-powered finance and AI-powered mobility.
“If money and movement are going digital, then safeguarding the code that runs them is a moral obligation,” he says.
Favorite FIU Experience
Presenting Panther research at the Academy of Science, Engineering & Medicine of Florida (ASEMFL) annual meeting—an opportunity to share FIU innovations with statewide leaders in science and technology.
What’s Next
Alvi has accepted a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Computer Science at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, beginning Fall 2025. There, he will launch a cybersecurity and blockchain research lab and continue mentoring the next generation of engineers.
Advice to Fellow Panthers
“Say yes to challenges that scare you a little—whether it’s a conference talk, a leadership role, or a new certification. Growth follows courage.”