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L3Harris Engineering Center

The new faculty are part of a larger hiring initiative for the college.

The UCF College of Engineering and Computer Science has witnessed unprecedented faculty growth over the past few years and the spring 2025 semester is no exception.

Eleven additional faculty members, including one with a joint appointment, will join the college this semester, after 17 new hires in fall 2024. The increase in faculty is part of an initiative to hire 100 new faculty over three years. Close to 30 new faculty joined the college during the previous academic year and 18 new positions have already been posted for the 2025-26 academic year.

“We are thrilled to welcome 28 new faculty members to our college plus another 36 next year. Their diverse expertise and innovative approaches will undoubtedly drive our institution forward, fostering a vibrant academic environment,” says Michael Georgiopoulos, the dean of CECS. “These additions will enhance our research capabilities, enrich our curriculum, and inspire our students to reach new heights. Together, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of knowledge and making significant contributions to our fields.”

Meet the new faculty who are joining the department this semester:

Paulo Eduardo de Faria Jr.
Assistant Professor

De Faria has a joint appointment with the Department of Physics as his research covers theoretical condensed matter physics with an overlap in materials science. He earned his doctoral degree, master’s degree and bachelor’s degree in computational physics from the University of Sao Paulo. Prior to joining UCF, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow for the University of Regensburg in Germany.

Siyuan Niu
Assistant Professor

Niu joins the ECE department from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where she recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship. Her research focuses on quantum computing, specifically on quantum compilation, quantum error mitigation and correction, quantum algorithm optimization, and benchmarking and characterization of quantum systems. Her research has been published in leading journals and conferences in the field of quantum computing, including QuantumQuantum Science and Technology, and IEEE Transactions on Quantum Engineering. She earned her doctoral degree from the University of Montpellier in France, her master’s degree from Polytech Nice Sophia in France and her bachelor’s degree from Xidian University in China.

Story by Marisa Ramiccio