Safa Messaoud
Scientist
Educational Qualifications
Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Master of Science in Computer Engineering
Entity
Qatar Computing Research Institute
Biography
Safa’s research is centered around safe AI, generative models (energy-based models) and reinforcement learning and motivated by applications in computer vision and health intelligence. Safa obtained her PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign working with Prof. Alexander Schwing. She graduated with Bachelor and Master degrees in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology from the Technical University of Munich. She obtained a Master degree in Computer Engineering from Virginia Tech advised by Prof. Sandeep Shukla. She was a visiting scholar at UC-Berkeley, where she worked on her Master thesis under the supervision of Prof. Alberto Sangiovanni Vincentelli and Prof. Andreas Herkersdorf.
Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2021
Master of Science in Computer Engineering
Virginia Polytechnic and State University
2014
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
Technical University of Munich
2013
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
Technical University of Munich
2011
- Safe AI
- Generative Models
- Reinforcement Learning
- Computer Vision and Health Intelligence
Scientist
Qatar Center for Artificial Intelligence, Qatar Computing Research Institute
2022 - 2023
Teaching Assistant
Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2017 - 2021
Research Assistant
Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2014 - 2017
- 2016 - 2019, IsDB Scholarship.
- 2015 - 2016, CompGen Fellowship at UIUC.
- 2015, The Grace Hooper Scholarship for Women in Computing.
- 2012 - 2013, The Heinrich and Muhlfenzl Scholarship.
- 2008 - 2013, Scholarship awarded by the Tunisian Government and the DAAD for Bachelor and Master degrees in Germany for ranking among the top 10 students in Tunisia in the national high school examination.