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Naja A. Mack, Ph.D.
Career at a glance

Curriculum Vitae

Education, appointments, funding, honors, talks, and service. The full CV includes complete publication and service records.

Download full CV (PDF)
Ph.D.Human-Centered Computing, University of Florida
$1.8Min funded research and sponsored initiatives
27publications
2026Instructional Innovator of the Year

Education

2021
Ph.D., Human-Centered Computing
University of Florida · Dissertation: ICon History: An Intelligent Conversational History Tutor · Advisor: Juan E. Gilbert, Ph.D.
2013
M.S., Computer Science
Clemson University · Concentration: Interactive Computing · Advisor: Larry F. Hodges, Ph.D.
2010
B.S., Computer Engineering
Claflin University · Alice Carson Tisdale Honors College

Academic and research appointments

2021 – present
Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD
2022 – present
Founding Director, Human-AI eXperience (HAX) Lab
Morgan State University
2023 – present
Education & Outreach Advisor and Faculty Researcher
Center for Equitable AI and Machine Learning Systems (CEAMLS), Morgan State University
2021
Postdoctoral Researcher
Culturally Relevant Computing Lab, Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA
2018 – 2020
Research Scientist
Culturally Relevant Computing Lab, Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA
2015
Research Intern
Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Ocala, FL
2014 – 2018
Graduate Research Assistant
Human-Experience Research Lab, University of Florida
2010 – 2014
Graduate Research Assistant
Virtual Environments Group, Clemson University

Research funding

$1.8Min funded research and sponsored initiatives at Morgan State
As Principal Investigator
2024 – 2025
Targeted Infusion Project: Infusing Learning Initiatives for Improving the Programming Proficiency of Computer Science Majors at Morgan State University
National Science Foundation · PI from July 2024, following transfer of the award · Morgan State amount: $399,636
2024
MathWiz
Google · $30,000
2023 – 2024
CodeBears
Transform Morgan ($15,000 in 2023 and 2024) · Google ($10,000 in 2023, $5,000 in 2024) · Lincoln Financial Group ($5,000 in 2023)
As senior personnel or faculty fellow
2023 – 2028
Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law & Society (TRAILS)
National Science Foundation · Senior Personnel · Total award: $18,190,048 · Morgan State amount: $1,249,644
2025
NSF VISION Faculty Fellows Program: Visiting Innovative Scholar Research Program for Institutions Orienting to National Needs
National Science Foundation · Faculty Fellow · Morgan State amount: $52,000
2022 – 2023
Convergence Accelerator Track G: Secure Texting over Non-Cooperative Networks and Anti-Jamming Enhancement in 5G
National Science Foundation · Senior Personnel · Morgan State amount: $18,786
Earlier funding, Morehouse College
2018 – 2021
Cyber Spectrum Collaborative Research Environment (C-SCoRE), two awards
Department of Defense, prime: Georgia Tech Research Institute · Gosha, K., & Mack, N. · Morehouse College amounts: $437,814 and $247,418

Honors & awards

2026Instructional Innovator of the Year, Morgan State University
2026Excellence in Student Success Award, Department of Computer Science, Morgan State University
2025Technical.ly RealLIST Innovators, Maryland honoree
2022 – 2025PowerLIVE Faculty/Staff Award, Morgan State University
2022Create with VR Grant Recipient
2021NSF VISION Faculty Fellow
2019RESPECT 2019 Distinguished Paper Award
2019National Society of Blacks in Computing (NSBC) Facebook Spotlight Scholar
2011 – 2024Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Scholarship (2011, 2013, 2023, 2024)
2013 – 2015National Science Foundation (NSF) S-STEM Scholarship
2011 – 2014Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Fellowship; Clemson University Graduate School Diversity Fellowship

Invited talks

Oct 2025
Integrating Research and Teaching
CRA-WP Virtual Early and Mid-Career Mentoring Series, Computing Research Association · Virtual
Mar 2022
ICon History: An Intelligent Conversational History Tutor
Computer Science Colloquium, Morgan State University · Virtual

To invite me to speak, email [email protected].

Media coverage

2026

Service

To the profession
2026Poster Chair, CEAMLS N-SEA Symposium (41 posters across two sessions)
2025 – nowAdvisory Board Member, NSF LEVEL UP AI
2025Mentoring Chair, AAAI-25 Undergraduate Consortium
2024Research Paper Track Co-Chair, RESPECT 2024
2024 – 2025Technical Program Committee Member, Black Issues in Computing Education (BICE)
2023 – 2026Reviewer and Judge, ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing
OngoingPanel Reviewer, National Science Foundation (Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship, Future of Work, and Improving Undergraduate STEM Education programs)
To Morgan State University
2023 – 2026Founder and Program Director, CEAMLS Summer AI Research Institute (SAIRI): 192 undergraduate research placements across 57 AI projects
2026Organizer, Inaugural Artificial Intelligence Summit (September 10, 2026), with the University of Florida
CurrentMember, Institutional Review Board (IRB) Review Committee
2021 – nowMember, Computer Science Department Scholarship Committee
2021 – 2022Member, Search Committee for the Assistant Vice President/Dean, College of Interdisciplinary and Continuing Studies
2021Chair, Inaugural Computer Science Faculty Research Symposium
To the community
2025Organizer and Host, Inaugural HBCU Brain Drone Race, the first held at an HBCU (200+ attendees)
2023 – nowFounder and Director, CodeBears AI, computing, and robotics outreach

Student advising and program leadership are listed under Teaching & Mentoring.