Damon L. Woodard, Ph.D.

Dr. Woodard serves as the Director of the Florida Institute for National Security (FINS), where he leads applied research and workforce development efforts focused on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in national security contexts. He is a Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Florida. He directs the Applied Artificial Intelligence Group, which focuses on translating AI research into capabilities that support complex, real-world decision environments.

Before joining the University of Florida, Dr. Woodard completed a Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) postdoctoral fellowship. This experience shaped his perspective on how advanced technologies intersect with policy, risk, and operational constraints. This background informs his current work, which emphasizes practical, deployable AI systems rather than purely theoretical advances. His research centers on applied artificial intelligence, including machine learning, deep learning, reinforcement learning, computer vision, and natural language processing, with a focus on national security and law enforcement applications. His work prioritizes robustness, adaptability, and system assurance, particularly in settings characterized by uncertainty, evolving conditions, and high consequences for error.

In addition to research, Dr. Woodard is actively involved in training and advising technical and non-technical audiences on AI capabilities, limitations, and governance considerations relevant to national security missions. His goal is to help decision makers understand how AI systems should be evaluated, integrated, and constrained to support informed and responsible use.

Dr. Woodard received his Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, an M.E. in Computer Science and Engineering from Penn State University, and a B.S. in Computer Science and Computer Information Systems from Tulane University. He is a Senior Member of IEEE and ACM, a Kavli Frontiers Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, and a member of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence.