Panel Discussion: Women in Computing
Title: Women in Computing in the Era of AI and Blockchain
About the Panel
Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming computing, research, industry, and the way we work. As this transformation accelerates, it creates new opportunities while also introducing new challenges for women building careers, conducting research, and taking leadership roles in computing and technology.
Similarly, blockchain is reshaping computing, finance, research, industry, and the way we build trust and exchange value in the digital world. As blockchain technologies continue to evolve, they create new opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership while also presenting challenges for women seeking to build careers, conduct research, and take on leadership roles in this emerging field.
The 4th IEEE Women in AI, IoT, and Blockchain Panel, under the 2026 theme “Women in Computing in the Era of AI,” brings together accomplished women from academia, industry, and technology leadership to share their experiences, perspectives, and visions for the future.
The panel will explore how women can navigate the rapidly changing AI landscape, identify emerging research and career opportunities, develop leadership pathways, and contribute to shaping the next generation of computing and intelligent technologies.
The panel is hosted in collaboration with the IEEE Women in Blockchain Committee, an initiative within the IEEE Blockchain community dedicated to advancing the participation, leadership, and impact of women in blockchain and distributed ledger technologies. Through education, mentorship, collaboration, and professional development, the committee works to create opportunities for women to connect, contribute, and grow within the global technology community.
Discussion Topics
The panel discussion will address topics such as:
- How AI is changing career and research opportunities for women in computing
- Emerging opportunities in AI and AI-enabled technologies
- Challenges women face as computing professions evolve in the era of AI
- Leadership and career advancement in academia and industry
- Building successful interdisciplinary research and professional careers
- Mentorship, sponsorship, collaboration, and professional networking
- Skills and strategies for adapting to rapid technological change
- Opportunities for early-career researchers, students, and professionals
- The role of women in shaping responsible and impactful AI innovation
- Visions for the future of women in computing
Panelists
Dr. Nelly Elsayed
Chair & ModeratorAssociate Professor in the School of Information Technology at the University of Cincinnati and founder and leader of the Applied Machine Learning and Intelligence (AMLI) Lab. She is an IEEE Senior Member whose research focuses on artificial intelligence and machine learning, with particular emphasis on trustworthy and explainable AI and healthcare informatics. Her healthcare research spans AI-driven clinical documentation, medical imaging, physiological-signal analysis, chronic-disease prediction, mental-health informatics, and intelligent assistive technologies. Her recent work examines the socio-technical challenges of integrating AI into healthcare, including reliability, transparency, privacy, human oversight, and responsible adoption. Through her research, Dr. Elsayed seeks to develop AI systems that enhance human decision-making while remaining trustworthy, explainable, and appropriately governed in high-stakes environments.
Dr. Anastassia Gharib
co-Chair & Chair of IEEE Women in BlockchainAssistant Professor with the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, American University of Sharjah (AUS), Sharjah, UAE. She received the M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical and computer engineering from Sensor Systems and the Internet of Things (IoT) Lab, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada, in 2018 and 2023, respectively. Her research focuses on IoT, sensor networks, and wireless systems, with an emphasis on network management, localization, integrated sensing and communication, and security-by-design. She is the recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Research and Creative Works Achievement Awards at AUS under the category of publications in the top 1% of Scopus-indexed journals and the 2018 Carleton University Student Association Teaching Excellence Award. She is also the winner of the Data Day 5.0 at Carleton University. Dr. Gharib is a 2025–2026 Voting Member-at-Large at IEEE Future Directions Committee, the Chair of IEEE Women in Blockchain, and the Secretary of IEEE ComSoc UAE. She is the first to receive the IEEE WIE Committee Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award in 2021, and is the winner of the 2019 IEEE Canada WIE Prize. Dr. Gharib was featured in the June 2022 issue of the IEEE WIE Magazine in an article titled “Myriad Applications: Gharib Finds Her Calling (Women to Watch).”
Dr. Tala Mirzaei
PanelistAssociate Professor in the Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics in the College of Business at Florida International University, where she serves as Director of the Master of Health Informatics and Analytics program. Her research lies at the intersection of information systems, health informatics, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies, with a focus on how digital innovations can improve health system performance, enhance the quality and efficiency of care delivery, and support patient engagement in health management. Her work has been published in leading information systems and health informatics journals, including Information & Management, the International Journal of Medical Informatics, and the Journal of Medical Internet Research. She has also been appointed as a Knight-Ridder Center Research Fellow since August 2021. Dr. Mirzaei serves on the HIMSS South Florida Board, organizes AI in Healthcare events, leads a structured mentorship program, and contributes as an Associate Editor and reviewer for journals and conferences.
Neeharika Sompalli
PanelistStaff Software Engineer at Hashgraph with 12 years of software engineering experience, including 8 years specializing in blockchain and distributed systems. She was part of the early Hedera engineering team and contributed to the development of the Hedera network and the open-source Hiero ecosystem. She is an active maintainer of the Hiero Consensus Node, an open-source project under LF Decentralized Trust. Her work spans blockchain protocol engineering, tokenization, validator incentives, staking and rewards, network reliability, and distributed-ledger infrastructure. She is passionate about advancing women’s participation and leadership in blockchain and emerging technologies.
Prof. Nagham Saeed
PanelistHas been actively engaged in the field of expert systems since 2007, seamlessly combining teaching, research, and leadership. Her research spans areas such as resilient and green communications networks, sustainable Industrial IoT, and digital twins for agriculture, with particular emphasis on combining data-driven methods with energy-aware design. These efforts have led to numerous publications in prestigious journals across telecommunications, vehicular technology, industrial applications, and smart power systems. At the University of West London, Nagham is a Professor in Expert Systems and leads the Industrial IoT (IIoT) Research Group. She plays an active role in the international research community, serving on IEEE Technical Programme Committees and conferences committee as well as journals including IEEE ComSoc and IoT Magazine. She is a Chartered Engineer (CEng), a Senior Member of the IEEE, a member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Beyond academia, Nagham has held significant leadership roles and currently serves as Chair-Elect of the IEEE UK & Ireland Section (2026–2027). She is deeply committed to mentoring early-career engineers and academics and actively promotes STEM outreach, having initiated impactful WIE programmes such as Early Career Talks and Challenges and Opportunities series.
Dr. Abeer Al-Humaimeedy
PanelistAssociate Professor of Software Engineering at King Saud University, founder of the Blockchain & Web3 Lab, and CEO of AdvancedEra.tech. Dr. Abeer works at the intersection of emerging technologies, digital transformation, and governance across the public and private sectors. She holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from King’s College London and an Executive Certificate in Digital Business from MIT Sloan School, combining academic expertise with strategic and executive experience. She serves on the HumanAIx Scientific Committee and the IEEE Women in Blockchain Technical Committee and is a co-founder and board member of WASA. Her work and research focuses on blockchain, decentralized AI, AI governance, and the development of trustworthy digital ecosystems.
