Fardina Alam

Fardina Alam is a Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Maryland, College Park. She holds a Ph.D. from George Mason University (2023), where she specialized in Structural Bioinformatics and Machine Learning. Her academic rank reflects UMD's Professional Track Faculty, equivalent to an Assistant Professor of Teaching. Dr. Alam's research focuses on deep learning applications in protein structure prediction, generative AI, and ethical data practices. She has contributed to projects funded by an NSF FET Grant (#1900061) and published in journals like Biomolecules. Awards include the 2023 Outstanding Dissertation Award and 2022 Editor's Choice Article recognition.

Education: Ph.D. (Computer Science, George Mason, 2023); M.S. (Computer Science, George Mason, 2019); B.S. (Computer Science and Engineering, Military Institute of Science and Technology, Bangladesh, 2013). Her teaching emphasizes data science ethics and interdisciplinary applications, including a new course for UMD's Data Science minor. Professional roles include Associate Guest Editor at Bioinformatics Advances (2024), Faculty Advisor to the Bangladeshi Graduate Student Association, and Program Co-Chair for the ACM-BCB Computational Structural Bioinformatics Workshop (2023).

Research Interests: Structural Bioinformatics, Generative AI, Responsible AI Ethics, Deep Learning, Machine Learning, and Data Science. Her work bridges computational biology and AI, with a focus on equitable data practices and protein structure analysis. Recent projects address challenges in generating physically-realistic protein structures and improving question-answering systems through equitable data strategies.

Awards: Recipient of the 2023 Outstanding Dissertation Award (George Mason University), 2023 Best Paper Award, and 2022 Biomolecules Editor's Choice Article. These accolades highlight contributions to protein structure prediction and bioinformatics methodology.

Advising & Grants: NSF FET Grant #1900061 supported her computational biology research. She advises the Nobanno graduate student group and chairs workshops in her field. Her teaching and research aim to promote inclusivity, particularly for underrepresented groups in STEM.

Labs/Teams: Active contributor to the Computational Biology Lab at George Mason University and collaborates with UMD's interdisciplinary teams on data ethics and AI applications. Her work aligns with UMD's vision for data-driven education and innovation.