William Regli Receives Fulbright Specialist Award

As artificial intelligence becomes more widely used in national security, government operations and other critical areas, questions about its safety and reliability are drawing increased attention. University of Maryland computer science Professor William Regli (Ph.D. '95, computer science) will examine these challenges through an international collaboration in Australia.

Regli has received a Fulbright Specialist Program award from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Through the program, he will conduct educational and training activities in computer science and information technology at the University of Melbourne, focusing on risks associated with AI and autonomous systems.

During his appointment, Regli will work with Melbourne National Security and Defence (MNSD), a new function to strengthen the University of Melbourne’s capability to partner on research and education supporting Australia’s national security. His activities will support research into the risks of using AI in mission-critical environments, where system failures or unintended outcomes could have significant consequences.

“My specific activity will be supporting their research on AI and the nature of AI and Autonomy risks, especially in the context of mission-critical applications,” Regli said. “I hope to contribute to the development of policy frameworks that decision-makers can deploy to analyze AI use cases and emerging applications.”

MNSD Executive Director Professor Michael Webb said the partnership brings together vital expertise, research and leadership in areas of increasing global significance.

“Professor Regli is highly regarded as an academic leader in the fields of AI and national security – both rapidly evolving challenges and strategic priorities for our nation and our University as we support sovereign defense capabilities with openness and integrity,” Professor Webb said.

The collaboration aligns with Regli's research on AI safety, intelligent systems and the relationship between technology and human decision-making. Regli’s work examines how organizations can assess the reliability of AI technologies while accounting for the environments and circumstances in which they operate.

“Given that AI is everything, everywhere, all at once, we are being overwhelmed with AI's application and insertion into all manner of human activity,” Regli said.

In recent years, Regli has approached AI safety from a systems-level perspective, examining technical performance alongside human and social factors. Rather than evaluating AI in isolation, his work considers how risks emerge in specific applications and the broader systems in which they are deployed.

His research draws on his academic and federal science policy experience. From 2014 to 2017, Regli served in leadership positions at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), including deputy director and acting director of its Defense Sciences Office.

He later served as founding executive director of UMD's Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security from 2018 to 2023. From 2023 to 2024, he worked as a senior adviser for AI risk in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

In addition to his government service, Regli has conducted research spanning artificial intelligence, engineering design, manufacturing and computational modeling. Since rejoining the department in 2018, he has mentored several doctoral students working in areas as diverse as transfer learning in robotic systems, orchestration of computational workflows, and multi-agent coordination.  

The Fulbright Specialist Program connects U.S. faculty members and professionals with institutions abroad for short-term projects involving education, research and professional development. More than 400 Americans participate annually, with recipients selected based on their professional experience and potential to contribute to international institutional cooperation.

The program is part of the broader Fulbright Program, established in 1946, which supports international educational and cultural exchange in more than 160 countries.

“As a Fulbright Scholar, it is an honor to be supporting the State Department's international scientific diplomatic efforts and represent the University of Maryland in this way,” Regli said. “I hope that these activities open opportunities for international collaboration for our students and faculty, as well as for those at the University of Melbourne.”

—Story by Samuel Malede Zewdu, CS Communications