Razi Iqbal
I am currently associated with the Department of Computer Science, Central Michigan University (CMU) as a Faculty Member. Prior to working at CMU, I served as a faculty member at Ontario Tech University and University of the Fraser Valley, Canada. I also served as a Department Chair, Director ORIC (Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization), and a Research Scientist at various institutes throughout the world.
About Me
As a Computer Science professor and researcher, I have spent over a decade looking at how we can push the boundaries of what technology can do. But recently, I have been studying a different problem: AI is getting too big and too expensive. My current work in Neural Network compression is all about shrinking those massive models so they can run on the devices we carry in our pockets.
I am an Assistant Professor and a Senior Member of the IEEE. I have chaired departments and led accreditation teams, but my favorite part of the job is still being in the lab or the classroom. I am also a certified NVIDIA and Azure instructor, which means I spend a lot of time translating complex deep learning theories into practical tools that developers can actually use.
I am passionate about upskilling the next generation of engineers and founders whether that's through formal university advising, leading professional workshops, or mentoring early-stage startups and professionals on how to build "Tiny AI". I find that I learn just as much from the people I mentor as they do from me.
When I am not teaching or coding, you can usually find me contributing to the tech community, mentoring aspiring developers, or looking for new ways to make AI more transparent and ethical.
The journey so far
Before "deep learning" was on every headline, I was already fascinated by the idea that machines could improve from experience. That idea never stopped being interesting to me.
During my PhD, Internet of Things (IoT) caught my attention and applications like Internet of Vehicles became focus of my PhD research. I got a chance to work on a funded project that aimed at making transportation buses smarter.
Teaching is at the heart of my academic career. For over 12 years, I have enjoyed creating engaging learning experiences for students, and my enthusiasm for the classroom continues to grow with every semester.
Working with universities and industry partners across different countries has been one of the most enriching parts of my career. Through teaching, research, and professional collaborations, I have been fortunate to contribute to meaningful projects while learning from diverse academic and industrial communities around the world.
Joining Central Michigan University has been an enriching chapter in my academic journey. My current work focuses on Artificial Intelligence, deep learning, LLM compression, and fairness in Large Language Models, with an emphasis on building efficient and responsible AI systems. Alongside research, I remain passionate about teaching and mentoring students in this rapidly evolving era of AI.
ADSC, FairDeploy, EANN and Hybrid GA-BTE all have the same mission: AI that is smaller, faster, and fairer where it actually matters.
Ongoing Research Projects
ADSC uses learnable attention scheme to compute filter importance using lightweight neural network making it computationally efficient unlike other compression techniques that require intensive retraining.
A framework that helps in quantifying fairness through two constructs: the Deployment Fairness Function (DFF) that maps deployment policies to group level outcome disparities, and Configuration Envy (CE) that captures individual level inequality across different tiers.
A novel class of artificial intelligence architectures, referred to as Cognitrons, that are constructed from biologically inspired computation units called Neuroids are being worked and evaluated in this project.
The STE fails on ternary networks in a predictable way. This project builds a hybrid genetic algorithm that sidesteps STE failure entirely by ternary training without gradient approximations.
Publications
Teaching & Training
Scholarly Services
Working together and Mentoring
I am currently looking for motivated MS students interested in research in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Ongoing research projects in my group focus on Large Language Model (LLM) compression and efficient AI systems, fairness and responsible AI for LLMs, the use of evolutionary algorithms for training neural networks, and Evolutionary Artificial Neuroidal Networks (EANNs). Students joining the group will have opportunities to work on cutting-edge research problems with potential for publications and collaborative projects. Students with strong programming, mathematical, and analytical skills, and an interest in AI/ML research are encouraged to get in touch.
I also supervise undergraduate capstone projects in areas related to Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Evolutionary Computation. Capstone students work on applied and research-oriented projects involving modern AI technologies, intelligent systems, optimization methods, and emerging applications of large language models. These projects are designed to provide hands-on experience in problem solving, software development, experimentation, and collaborative research while preparing students for graduate studies and industry careers in AI and computer science.
I welcome research collaborations with academic institutions, industry partners, and researchers from both local and international communities. My research interests span Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Large Language Models, Evolutionary Computation, and Responsible AI, and I am particularly interested in interdisciplinary collaborations that combine theoretical innovation with practical impact. I am open to collaborative research projects, joint publications, grant proposals, student co-supervision, and industry-driven applications of AI technologies.
Contact Me
what's next.
Whether you're considering a research or a capstone project or have an interesting idea to share, just write to me. I'm genuinely interested.
✉ iqbal1r@cmich.eduCentral Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI 48859