Umit Karabiyik

Umit Karabiyik joined the Department of Cyber Security Engineering at George Mason University as an associate professor, where he brings extensive expertise in cyber forensics, cybersecurity, and forensic intelligence. Before joining George Mason in 2025, he was an associate professor in the Department of Computer and Information Technology at Purdue University and the founding director of the Ubiquitous and Mobile Investigative Techniques and Technologies (UMIT²) Lab. Karabiyik’s research focuses on the intersection of digital forensics and emerging technologies, including IoT, mobile devices, AI/LLMs, and cyber-physical systems. His work is distinguished by its practical application to law enforcement, homeland security, and digital evidence triage.

He has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and conference papers, holds two U.S. patents, and has received multiple best paper and research excellence awards. He has served as Principal Investigator or Co-PI on externally funded research projects totaling more than $7 million, with support from the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, Air Force Research Laboratory, and industry partners like Lockheed Martin. He has led federally funded national training initiatives for criminal justice professionals and contributed to the development of tools and frameworks used in real-world forensic investigations. An award-winning educator, Karabiyik has developed and taught over a dozen undergraduate and graduate courses across the U.S. and internationally, with a strong emphasis on experiential, interdisciplinary learning.

He is also a committed mentor, having advised more than 20 graduate students, several of whom have gone on to win prestigious fellowships and pursue academic and government careers. Karabiyik is active in professional service, serving on editorial boards, technical program committees, and leadership roles in national and international cybersecurity and digital forensics conferences. His appointment at George Mason strengthens the university’s leadership in applied cybersecurity research and workforce development.

Degrees

• PhD, Computer Science, Florida State University

• MS, Computer Science, Florida State University

• BS, Computer Systems Teaching, Sakarya University