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Dr Ayanna Howard is a globally respected authority in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and robotics, celebrated for her transformative contributions across academia, government, and the tech industry. As a TED speaker and one of Forbes’ “Top 50 U.S. Women in Tech”, Ayanna combines technical depth with visionary leadership. Her early career at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory saw her develop robotic systems for remote environments, laying the foundation for her groundbreaking work in human-robot interaction and AI bias mitigation—critical topics in modern cybersecurity discourse.
A prolific academic leader, Ayanna is currently the Monte Ahuja Endowed Dean of Engineering at The Ohio State University, where she oversees a $360M budget and leads strategic initiatives for more than 11,000 students and 950 staff. Prior to this, she was Chair of the School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech and Director of the Human-Automation Systems Lab. With over 250 publications and numerous keynote addresses at high-profile conferences including Grace Hopper and the Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing, she brings both technical expertise and a powerful voice to global cybersecurity conversations.
Ayanna’s commitment to ethical AI and secure technology is further reflected in her leadership of Zyrobotics, a startup she Co-Founded to make educational technologies accessible for children. Her research has directly tackled key cybersecurity concerns such as overtrust in automation and algorithmic bias—insights that are vital for securing systems reliant on machine learning and AI. As a board member at Motorola Solutions and Autodesk, she also provides strategic guidance on securing mission-critical systems at scale.
Named one of the “Most Powerful Women Engineers” by Business Insider and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, IEEE, AAAI, and the National Academy of Inventors, Dr Ayanna Howard is a trailblazer who bridges cutting-edge innovation with a deep ethical compass. To inspire, educate, and future-proof your organisation’s cybersecurity strategy, hire Dr Ayanna Howard via The Cyber Security Speakers Agency.
Ayanna Howard is regularly booked to engage audiences at events, read their latest feedback below:
“Ayanna was a great partner to work with for our event. She shared her story in an engaging way that hit on the key points I was hoping her talk would deliver. Her talk was very well received, with many of our attendees specifically appreciating the examples she shared. I was looking for Ayanna to provide a motivating and inspiring vision into the future of work for our community, and she definitely delivered on that. She was a fabulous addition to our event.”
The Cyber Security Speakers Agency is the UK’s top speakers’ bureau specialising in digital data protection experts – named as the No.1 cyber security speakers agency in 2025!
We supply cyber security speakers for in-person and virtual corporate conferences across the globe. With our roster including former hackers, Chief Information Security Officers and more, we ensure audiences of all industries receive tailored advice on cyber security.
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