Building the Future: Technology and Innovation with Kathleen Fisher
Join Kathleen Fisher, CEO of ARIA, for a discussion on the pursuit of transformative technologies and the research ecosystems that enable them. Fisher will share insights from her career spanning computer science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and national-scale innovation, exploring how ambitious ideas become impactful solutions.
Speaker Bio:
Kathleen Fisher is the CEO of ARIA, she joins from RAND, where she focused on applying AI and formal methods to cybersecurity. Previously, she served as Director of DARPA's Information Innovation Office (I2O) from May 2022 to September 2025, leading a portfolio of over 50 programmes and 20 programme managers. This was Kathleen’s second tour at DARPA. As a programme manager, her High-Assurance Cyber Military Systems (HACMS) programme created provably secure software for military vehicles and was designated DARPA's 2023 "Game Changer" – the most influential programme from a decade ago. Before joining DARPA, Fisher was a professor and chair of the Computer Science Department at Tufts University and a principal member of the technical staff at AT&T Labs. She holds a PhD in Computer Science from Stanford University and is an AAAS fellow and ACM fellow.
WHEN: Thursday, 26th November 2026
5.30 PM – 6.30 PM: Fireside discussion in Keynes Lecture Theatre
6.30 PM – 7.00 PM: Drinks reception and networking in King’s Bar
WHERE: King’s College, Cambridge
TICKETS: Registration will open closer to the time
Please note that there will be photography and recording at this event.
Please find our code of conduct here.