Zhixiong Chen
- PoC, NSA CAE CDE (https://www.nsa.gov/Academics/Centers-of-Academic-Excellence/))
- Director, Mercy Cybersecurity Education Center (https://tinyurl.com/Mercy-CSEC-Edu-Center))
Dr. Chen is a professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. He played a pivotal role in establishing Mercy’s Cybersecurity degree programs, the first in the region in 2007, as well as the Mercy Cybersecurity Education Center in 2010. Since then, he has served as the Director of the Cybersecurity Education Center and the primary PoC to the NSA Center of Academic Excellence (CAE). He served as the Department Chair and Program Directors for both the undergraduate and graduate Cybersecurity programs.
Dr. Chen holds the CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) credential and is a senior member of IEEE and ACM, two of the world’s largest organizations dedicated to advancing technology and science. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers. His recent research focuses on cryptography and blockchain technology, operating systems, AI Powered Bots, and Cybersecurity
Dr. Chen was a Senior Research Scientist at IBM T. J. Watson Research Center and IBM Pittsburgh Research Lab, where he specialized in autonomic computing, network monitoring, and transaction server interoperability.
Dr. Chen earned his PhD in Mathematics and MS in Computer Science from the University of Pittsburgh. He also holds MS and BS degrees in Mathematics from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. His doctoral research focused on neuronal signal propagation modeling, while his Computer Science master’s thesis explored compiled parallel computing, and his Mathematics master’s thesis examined soliton systems.
Ph.D. and M.S., University of Pittsburgh
M.A. and B.A., Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Dr. Chen's research is centered around cybersecurity, cryptography, blockchain technology, AI Powered bot security and network security. He has been actively involved in multiple externally funded research projects, including those supported by the NSA, DHS, DoD, NSF and NIH. His recent projects focus on blockchain-based trust mechanisms, embedded security and cybersecurity education innovations. He has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications, contributing significantly to the fields of cybersecurity, cryptography, and computing systems.
In addition to his research, Dr. Chen has served as NSF grant review panelists, a member of the College Expert Group to the New York State Cyber Security Advisory Board, and a committee member and program chair in various international academic conferences.
Dr. Chen has a broad teaching portfolio spanning both undergraduate and graduate courses in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, and Mathematics. He has developed and taught cryptography, applied cryptanalysis, AI & ML, database systems, web programming, computer networks, digital forensics, IT auditing, and cybersecurity research methodology. His teaching also extends to mathematics, including calculus, number theory, linear algebra, and differential equations. In addition to his university teaching roles, he serves as an IBM-certified instructor for blockchain and data science,
Check google Scholar for over 50 papers with citations, click the link on the right side panel or https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=hVDIMPMAAAAJ
Dr. Chen holds the CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) credential and is a senior member of IEEE and ACM. He has received multiple grants and funding awards from major agencies such as the NSA, DHS, DoD, NIH and NSF, recognizing his contributions to cybersecurity research and education. His professional distinctions include Rutgers CAIP Visiting Scholar, CMU IACBP Fellow, Fudan Fellow, Fudan University and IBM Skills Academy Instructor, specializing in Blockchain and Data Science. Additionally, Additionally, Dr. Chen played a pivotal role in developing Mercy's Cybersecurity degree programs and establishing the Cybersecurity Education Center, which contributed to Mercy University’s designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cyber Defense Education. His leadership extends to editorial and conference roles, including serving as Program Chair for the International Conference on Blockchain and as an editorial board member for IEEE publications.