Dr. Samar Swaid is a Palestinian American Computer Scientist who has over 15 years of experience in leadership positions in higher education. She is currently the Dean of Information Technology and Engineering at Broward College, FL. She is the PI, Co-PI  for several funded projects that are focused on promoting the integration of inquiry-based learning environments in STEM disciplines, the application of computational thinking and cyberinfrastructure in STEM,  developing data science educational ecosystem by defining a combination of model programs, degrees, pedagogy, and curriculum for K20 educators, & increasing participation in health-related professions.   

Dr. Sweid’s research interests span areas of human-computer interaction, data science and STEM Education. Her research is well disseminated through national and international conferences, books, and journals. Dr. Swaid  implemented several collaborative projects with national agencies such as the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the Center for Accelerating Operational Efficiency (CAOE) – Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence. Prior to serving higher education, Dr. Swaid worked in IT workforce for over nine years, managing medium-large scale projects and supervising over 40 developers and software engineers.