Open to opportunities

Joshua Birdsong

@joshuabirdsong

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Assistant professor and cybersecurity researcher specializing in deepfake detection and AI security.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I seek research-driven roles combining teaching and applied cybersecurity or AI research, collaborative teams, funding support, and opportunities to supervise students and translate research into deployable tools.

I am an assistant professor and researcher focused on AI security, deepfake detection, and mobile/machine learning-based cybersecurity. I hold a Ph.D. in Computational Science (Computer Science) and have led multiple research projects spanning deepfake detection, Android malware analysis, and IoT-enabled smart systems.

My work has produced novel datasets, detection techniques, and commercial-focused development efforts, including leading a Deepfake Detection project under CYBERETTE and initiating an AI & Cybersecurity Red-Teaming Lab. I have secured and managed internal research funds and fellowships, and I have pending and awarded grant activity at NSF and institutional levels.

I have a sustained publication and conference record, invited tutorials, and awards for presentation and research excellence. I regularly supervise graduate and undergraduate research, mentor students on dissertation and thesis work, and serve on curriculum and accreditation committees.

I bring practical software engineering experience from industry (senior and lead engineering roles) together with extensive teaching across undergraduate and graduate courses in software engineering, cybersecurity, AI, and data science. I prioritize explainability, human-centered evaluation, and building reproducible, secure systems.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Assistant Professor

Current

Georgia Southern University

Aug 2025 - Present (2 months)

Appointed as Assistant Professor focusing on AI, cybersecurity, and real-time systems with research on smart healthcare, quantum sensing, and multimodal fusion for preventive healthcare.

Deep Learning Cybersecurity Quantum Sensing Multimodal Fusion

Assistant Professor

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Jan 2025 - Aug 2025 (7 months)

Taught and conducted research in secure software development and AI-driven cybersecurity, initiated lab activities in adversarial red-teaming and deepfake analysis.

Software Security Teaching Lab Federated Learning

Assistant Professor

Florida Gulf Coast University

Aug 2023 - Jan 2025 (1 year 5 months)

Performed teaching and research in software engineering and data science; led projects on multimodal deepfake detection and secured funding for related research initiatives.

Software Engineering Data Science Grant Management Python

Assistant Professor

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Jun 2022 - May 2023 (11 months)

Served as Assistant Professor (Teaching) delivering courses in operating systems, algorithms, and software engineering while participating in curriculum and ABET committees.

Operating System Algorithms Software Engineering Curriculum Development Teaching Matlab

Visiting Assistant Professor

Northern Kentucky University

Aug 2021 - May 2022 (9 months)

Taught IT fundamentals and networking courses and contributed to the advanced software engineering program as instructor of record.

Information Technology Networking Teaching

Graduate Assistant

The University of Southern Mississippi

Aug 2017 - Aug 2021 (4 years)

Supported research and teaching while pursuing a Ph.D. in Computational Science with dissertation work on Android malware and deepfake detection.

Research Android Malware Detection Machine Learning

Senior Lecturer

Daffodil International University

Sep 2016 - Jul 2017 (10 months)

Delivered undergraduate courses in software engineering, programming, and project supervision while organizing academic events and serving on research committees.

Software Engineering Web Programming Project supervision Teaching

Senior Software Engineer

Orion Informatics Limited

Dec 2015 - Sep 2016 (9 months)

Served as Senior Software Engineer (Associate Lead) contributing to software design and team leadership on commercial projects.

C++ASP.NET SQL Server Team Lead Software Architecture REST APIs

Adjunct Faculty

Daffodil International University

Jan 2014 - Aug 2016 (2 years 7 months)

Taught courses in desktop and web programming, software projects, and lab-based programming classes supporting undergraduate education.

Lab Instruction C++.NET

Software Engineer

BRAC IT Services Limited

May 2014 - Nov 2015 (1 year 6 months)

Led software development activities as a lead engineer, delivering web and enterprise solutions and coordinating development teams.

C++T SQL Team Leadership MySQL Software Development

Software Engineer

Sarah Technologies Limited

May 2011 - Apr 2014 (2 years 11 months)

Worked as Jr. Software Engineer progressing to Team Lead, contributing to application development, feature delivery, and team coordination.

C++JavaScript Database Design Team Coordination Software Testing

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

The University of Southern Mississippi

Doctor of Philosophy, Computational Science / Computer Science

2017 - 2021

Completed a Ph.D. in Computational Science (major: Computer Science) with a dissertation on analyzing and detecting Android malware and deepfake.

Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University

Master of Science (Engineering), Computer Science and Engineering

2013 - 2014

Completed an M.Sc. (Engr.) in Computer Science and Engineering with a thesis on inpainting on digital images using a modified convolution method.

Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University

Bachelor of Science (Engineering), Computer Science and Engineering

2006 - 2010

Completed a B.Sc. (Engr.) in Computer Science and Engineering with a thesis on speckle noise reduction in ultrasound images using an anisotropic diffusion filter.