Biography
Ms. Mais Kayyali serves as the Associate Director of the Center for Development, Support, and Success in Engineering and Computing (CDSSEC) at Florida International University’s College of Engineering & Computing (CEC). As a higher education administrator and post-traditional doctoral candidate, she drives advancements in STEM education, student success, and workforce development through strategic, data-informed leadership and collaborative cross-functional partnerships.
In her role, Ms. Kayyali offers senior leadership across CDSSEC initiatives spanning K–12 to graduate education, integrating scholarly research with large-scale program administration to enhance support systems and pathways in engineering and computing. To strengthen the Center’s research and scholarly profile, she founded the Thriving in Research and Academics in Computing and Engineering Education (TRACE) research group. Through TRACE, our work examines CDSSEC programs and their impact across multiple stages of the K–20 educational pipeline. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Engineering and Computing Education in the Department of Multidisciplinary Engineering and Computing Education, Systems and Management (ESM), focusing her dissertation on how institutional agents support the thriving of post-traditional doctoral students in engineering and computing education programs.
Her administrative portfolio encompasses oversight of CDSSEC’s student-led initiatives (EoW, SPARK, and GEAR-UP), school-partnered programs (FLAME, ENLACE), student resources (peer tutoring and scholarships), and research programs (OURS and GROW). With an interdisciplinary background—including a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, a Master’s degree in Hospitality Management, and doctoral training in Engineering and Computing Education—she offers a distinctive blend of strategic program management, academic leadership, and research expertise.
Prior to her current role, Ms. Kayyali held progressive leadership and administrative positions within the CEC. She led the Graduate Education, Admissions, and Recruitment (GEAR) team and provided strategic administrative support to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Office of the Dean. Earlier, she served as Program Coordinator/Coordinator of Administrative Services in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and as Program Assistant in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). These cumulative experiences across graduate education, academic affairs, and departmental operations have equipped her with comprehensive institutional insight and a systems-level perspective that informs her leadership today.