Dr. Kofi Nyarko is a tenured Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Morgan State University, a premier HBCU and R2 research institution. He is the founding Director of the Center for Equitable Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Systems (CEAMLS), a multidisciplinary research hub committed to advancing responsible and inclusive AI development. Under his leadership, CEAMLS has become nationally recognized for pioneering research, outreach, and capacity building aimed at ensuring AI technologies are designed and deployed with equity and social impact in mind.

As Director of CEAMLS, Dr. Nyarko organizes the annual International Symposium on Equitable AI, which brings together thought leaders in policy, academia, and industry. He plays an active role in state-level AI strategy as a member of the Maryland Responsible AI Council (MRAC), advising on public-sector AI deployment and data governance.

Beyond research and policy, Dr. Nyarko is committed to education and workforce development. He has developed inclusive AI curricula at the undergraduate and graduate levels, co-leads the Summer AI Research Institute for high school teachers and undergraduate students, and supports cross-institutional mentoring through private and public funding initiatives.

Dr. Nyarko is the recipient of the 2020 US Black Engineer HBCU STEM Innovation Award, honoring his contributions to STEM innovation and institutional development. A frequent speaker, evaluator, and consultant, he has presented nationally on AI ethics, autonomous systems, and equity in technology innovation. He continues to serve as a mentor, advocate, and trailblazer in creating pathways for underrepresented scholars in AI and data science.

Dr. Nyarko also directs the Data Engineering and Predictive Analytics (DEPA) Research Lab, where his research spans computer vision, neurosymbolic machine learning, multimodal AI, and generative models. His work bridges fundamental research and real-world application, including the use of AI in unmanned aerial and ground systems for remote sensing, autonomous navigation, infrastructure monitoring, and traffic coordination. He has also contributed to advancements in visible light communication and biologically inspired optimization, earning three U.S. patents in those areas.

A core aspect of Dr. Nyarko’s research portfolio is developing AI tools that enhance decision-making under uncertainty. He is currently advancing efforts in neurosymbolic AI frameworks that integrate probabilistic reasoning with symbolic representations to support robotic autonomy, explainability, and real-time response in dynamic environments. He also leads or contributes to projects funded by NSF, NIH, and DoD, including efforts to assess AI fairness, measure cultural representation in foundation models, and evaluate responsible AI integration in digital infrastructure for underserved communities.