From Concert Hall to Cyber Lab: Morgan State University Appoints Two New Endowed Professors, Advancing Artistic Excellence and Emerging Technologies

Through New State and Private Investments, University Deepens its Commitment to Cutting-Edge Research, Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Societal Impact

BALTIMORE—Underscoring its continued commitment to interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary academic collaboration, research excellence, and the enduring societal value of the fine and performing arts alongside emerging fields of advanced technological study, Morgan State University welcomes the installation of two newly established endowed professors and announces the establishment of a new Google Endowed Chair of Computer Science in Artificial Intelligence supported by new state-backed investment from the Maryland Department of Commerce to expand Morgan’s capacity in artificial intelligence.

The appointments—James Lee III, D.M.A., as Endowed Professor in Composition and Theoretical Studies, and Farzad Moazzami, D.Eng., as Endowed Professor of Wireless, Networks and Security (WiNetS)—represent a significant milestone in Morgan’s strategic efforts to meet the demands of tomorrow’s professions while cultivating well-rounded graduates equipped with critical thinking, creativity, technical savvy and cultural awareness for a global marketplace.

Additionally, in the state’s ongoing effort to spur basic and applied research in scientific and technical fields, the Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund (MEIF) awarded $767,004 to Morgan to help establish a future Google Endowed Chair of Computer Science in Artificial Intelligence. The Google Endowed Chair will allow the University to attract and retain an elite faculty researcher in AI who is engaged in solving nationally relevant scientific and technical challenges.

“These endowed appointments speak to Morgan’s conviction that innovation does not require choosing between the arts and the sciences—innovation is not a zero-sum equation,” said David K. Wilson, president of Morgan. “At Morgan, we understand that creativity, humanistic inquiry, and cultural expression are not in competition with scientific advancement and technological discovery. They are essential to it. By making bold, concurrent investments across the liberal arts and advanced research fields, Morgan continues to strengthen its standing as an anchor public impact research institution and a national leader in inclusive, impactful scholarship. In these two individuals, Dr. James Lee and Dr. Farzad Moazzami—and our yet to be named Google Endowed Chair, we have a level of experience and talent that we can build upon.”

Celebrating Artistic Excellence and Cultural Leadership: Endowed Professor in Composition and Theoretical Studies

Seeded from funding gifted to Morgan from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the Endowed Professor in Composition and Theoretical Studies stands as a powerful affirmation of Morgan’s belief in the transformative role of the arts and music in higher education and society. Among the highest honors a university can bestow upon a faculty member, the endowed professor is designed to elevate artistic scholarship, inspire creative innovation, and ensure that the fine and performing arts remain central to Morgan’s academic and cultural mission.

Dr. James Lee III, professor of music theory and composition in the James H. Gilliam, Jr. College of Liberal Arts, and an internationally celebrated composer, has been appointed to the inaugural role. His selection reflects both his extraordinary artistic achievements and his deep commitment to education, mentorship and the advancement of musical expression within the liberal arts.

As the Endowed Professor, Dr. Lee will support leadership in music composition, theory, and instrumental studies, while reinforcing the arts as a vital force in developing imaginative thinkers, engaged citizens and cultural immersion. Working alongside the Fine and Performing Arts Chairperson, Eric Conway, D.M.A., Morgan’s newly endowed professor will help shape the artistic and intellectual direction of the University’s symphonic, music theory and music composition programs, mentor students and faculty, expand curricular and creative opportunities, and elevate the University’s national and international profile as a center for artistic excellence.

Dr. James Lee III is a world-renowned composer whose more than 80 works span orchestral, chamber, vocal, choral, and solo repertoire. Admired for his “bright, pure music” (The Washington Post), his compositions have been performed by major orchestras across the United States and internationally, including the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and National Symphony Orchestra. A recipient of honors from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Dr. Lee is currently composer-in-residence with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and has served as a Fulbright Scholar. He holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from the University of Michigan.

Endowed Professorship in Wireless, Networks and Security (WiNetS): $2M Endowment to Advance Cybersecurity, Telemetering and Wireless Innovation

Complementing the University’s investment in the arts, Morgan has also established a $2 million Endowed Professorship in Wireless, Networks and Security, supported by a $1-million philanthropic gift from the International Foundation for Telemetering (IFT), and a matching $1 million University Foundation contribution. The endowment advances research in cybersecurity, telemetering, secure data transmission, and critical infrastructure protection.

The award backs the work of Dr. Farzad Moazzami, who has devoted his academic and research career to advancing telemetry and wireless security through student mentorship, industry collaboration, and sustaining research excellence. The WiNetS Professorship represents a strategic investment in critical infrastructure protection, secure data transmission and next-generation telemetering solutions.

The endowment is designed to support: 

• Faculty-led research in network infrastructure security, cyber defense technologies and applied telemetering;
• Recruitment and support of graduate and undergraduate research fellows;
• Acquisition and maintenance of specialized laboratory infrastructure and computing environments; and
• Funding for national and international research dissemination, including travel to conferences, collaborative research symposia, and strategic convenings with government and industry partners.

Dr. Moazzami, an accomplished academic leader, interdisciplinary researcher and Morgan alumnus, has been appointed the inaugural endowed professor in Wireless, Networks and Security. Most recently, he served as associate professor in the Department of Information Science and Systems in the Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management, and previously held key leadership positions across the University, including associate vice president for Academic Affairs and founding dean of the College of Interdisciplinary and Continuing Education.

As the academic and operational director of the WiNetS Research Lab, he will facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration across Morgan’s School of Engineering, School of Business and Management and School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences. Dr. Moazzami will also be responsible for cultivating research collaborations with state and federal agencies and private-sector cybersecurity firms to support investigative studies, provide infrastructure development, and cultivate knowledge transfer. 

In addition to cyber defense strategies research, including the development of Network Intrusion Detection Systems (NIDS) and a Cyber Testbed for secure network simulation, the Lab’s investigative study will integrate cryptographic algorithms, data analytics and innovative Cyber Maturity models to develop secure communication protocols and threat mitigation frameworks.

The endowed funds supporting the two newly appointed positions, the Endowed Professor in Composition and Theoretical Studies and the Endowed Professor of Wireless, Networks and Security (WiNetS) will be administered by the Morgan State University Foundation (MSUF), stewarding the long-term vitality of the professorships in perpetuity.

The appointments follow the recent Endowed Professor in Brain Science designation, all in congruence with key faculty ascendency and institutional excellence goals established in the Transformation Morgan 2030: Leading the Future, 10-year strategic plan.

About Morgan

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering more than 150 baccalaureate, master’s degree, doctorate and certificate programs. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu. 

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Larry Jones, Dell Jackson or Cheryl Stewart for Morgan State University PR
443-885-3022