Stephanie Forrest

External Professor




Stephanie Forrest is Professor of Computer Science at Arizona State
University, where she directs the Biodesign Center for Biocomputation,
Security and Society.  Her interdisciplinary research focuses on the
intersection of biology and computation, including cybersecurity,
software engineering, and biological modeling.

Prior to joining ASU in 2017, she was at the University of New Mexico
and was Dept. Chair 2006-2011. At the Santa Fe Institute, she is currently a member of the External Faculty, is a past co-Chair and member of the SFI Science Board, and served one year as Interim VP for Academic Affairs. In 2013-2014 served at the U.S. Dept. of State as a Senior Science Advisor for cyberpolicy.  She was educated at St. John's College (B.A.) and the University of Michigan (M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science). She is currently on the board of the Computing Research Association and Chairs its Government Affairs Committee.

Some of her awards include: The 2020 Test of Time Award from the IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy (for a 1996 paper), 2019 Most Influential Paper Award from the International Conference on Software Engineering, the Santa Fe Institute Stanislaw Ulam Memorial Lectures (2013), the ACM/AAAI Allen Newell Award (2011), and the NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award (1991).  She is a Fellow of the IEEE.


Primary Institution: Arizona State University

Role/Title: Center Director and Professor of Computer Science

Topics of Interest: Agent-based Modeling - AI/Machine Learning - Biology - Defense - Diversity - Engineering - Evolution - Mathematics/Computer Science - Polarization/Misinformation/ Cyberhate - Scaling - Technology/Innovation - Complex Adaptive Systems

Other Affiliations and Institutions: University of New Mexico, Distinguished Regents Professor Emerita

When and how you first got involved with SFI: 1989: I was a Director's Fellow at CNLS and began visiting SFI and participating in SFI meetings in the convent.