Biography
Dr. Malek Adjouadi is a Ware Professor and Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Florida International University (FIU). A pioneering researcher and educator, he is the founding director of FIU’s Center for Advanced Technology and Education (CATE), continuously funded by the National Science Foundation since 1993.
Dr. Adjouadi earned his B.S. from Oklahoma State University and his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Florida—all in Electrical Engineering. His early work developing computer-vision technologies to assist individuals with blindness led to his testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs in 1987, marking the beginning of a career committed to advancing accessibility, health, and human-centered engineering.
His research spans image and signal processing, assistive technologies for individuals with motor and visual disabilities, and neuroscience with applications to epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease. Under his leadership, the CATE Center advances FIU’s strategic pillars of Experience, Research Excellence, and Strategic Alliances, providing students and researchers hands-on access to cutting-edge computational and imaging technologies.
Dr. Adjouadi has mentored a significant STEM workforce pipeline, supporting:
- 52 Ph.D. graduates,
- 54 M.S. graduates, and
- 109 undergraduate researchers,
many of whom now hold leadership roles in academia, healthcare, and industry—including one who became President of Marymount University.
He has also supervised postdoctoral scholars, research scientists, and engineers whose work has strengthened the center’s national impact. His research portfolio includes 150 peer-reviewed journal articles, 254 conference papers, 6 U.S. patents, and more than $70 million in competitive research funding as PI or Co-PI. His work has earned multiple NSF and DoD fellowships for his students.
Dr. Adjouadi’s research influence spans biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, neurology, and imaging science, reflecting the interdisciplinary reach of his 279 Web of Science–indexed publications.
Through longstanding strategic collaborations—including the 1Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Mount Sinai’s Wien Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, Baptist Hospital’s Neuroscience Center, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Oregon Health & Science University, and the Computing Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institutions (CAHSI)—Dr. Adjouadi has built robust clinical, academic, and industry partnerships that advance translational research and national STEM priorities.
Across more than three decades of scholarship, leadership, and innovation, Dr. Adjouadi has elevated FIU’s research enterprise, advanced assistive and neuroimaging technologies of national importance, and trained generations of engineers who continue to shape the future of science, health, and technology.
Awards & Honors
- President’s Council Outstanding Faculty Award, 2025
- Distinguished University Professor, 2021-present
- Ware Professor, March 2017-Present
- Top researcher, College of Engineering and Computing, 2015-2016
- Finalist, Healthcare Hero, Bio-Medical, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, 2013 and 2014
Education
- Ph.D. Electrical Engineering, University of Florida, August 1985 – June 1988
- M.S. Electrical Engineering, University of Florida, June 1981
- B.S. Electrical Engineering, Oklahoma State University, June 1978.