Biography

Dr. Ali Al-Sinayyid is an Assistant Professor in Computer Science and the Director of the Cybersecurity Innovation Center (CIC) at West Virginia State University (WVSU). He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, with over 17 years of combined experience in academia and industry. 

Dr. Ali’s expertise spans cybersecurity, IT management, and computer science, focusing on critical infrastructure protection, cybersecurity education, and innovation. He has designed and led various cybersecurity programs, including a newly proposed  Cybersecurity Bachelor’s degree at WVSU, and his research involves advanced topics like Industrial Control System (ICS) security, phishing attack defense, and the application of AI in cybersecurity. 

Under his leadership, the WVSU CIC has become a hub for workforce development, training students in hands-on cybersecurity practices through state-of-the-art labs like CyberHive, HoneyNet, and KITE which simulate real-world ICS environments. Dr. Ali also contributes to the development of specialized programs, such as the Agriculture Cybersecurity and AI Lab, aimed at tackling cybersecurity challenges in agriculture and related industries. 

Dr. Ali has been instrumental in securing over $4 million in grants and building partnerships with major tech companies, including Google, IBM, and Amazon. He has published multiple research papers in peer-reviewed journals and regularly delivers talks at different conferences.