About Mary Michaels
I am a New York-based policy researcher and educator working on AI governance, international cyber law, and the responsibilities institutions face when they use emerging technologies.
My work combines research and teaching with practical regulatory experience. Across these settings, I interpret requirements, assess evidence, and explain what a decision means for the people and institutions involved.
I co-teach International Humanitarian Law and Cyber Warfare through UNITAR and the University for Peace. Earlier in 2026, I co-taught AI Regulation and Governance as part of a teaching team with Professor Zhanna L. Shank, in collaboration with UNITAR and the Asian Institute of Technology. I previously supported Professor Shank's course development through research on cyber operations and international law.
Regulation in practice
At Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY, I serve as an International Student Immigration Compliance Officer / Designated School Official. I interpret federal requirements, review documentation, advise international students, and coordinate time-sensitive compliance matters across university offices.
As President of Lucca Medical, my experience has included healthcare product sourcing, regulatory documentation, adviser and supplier engagement, and contracting. The work has required translating external requirements and specialist input into decisions about products and U.S. market entry.
A documented regulatory project
During the 2022 infant-formula shortage, I prepared and submitted a request to FDA under its temporary enforcement-discretion process. My work included assembling product, nutritional, labeling, manufacturing, and testing documentation and responding to the agency's review process. FDA acknowledged the May 18 submission and confirmed active review in June. The documented result is a regulatory submission and agency review.
Research, education, and recognition
At Geneva Cyber Week 2026, I presented cyber-ethics work developed collaboratively with a research team including Professor Zhanna L. Shank, Peder Nelsen, and Nakeesha Van Wyk. I also received one of NYU's inaugural Doria Shafik Global Gender Justice Awards, supporting research on cyber ethics through a gender-justice lens.
I hold an M.S. in Global Security, Conflict & Cybercrime from New York University (2026) and a B.A. in Political Science from Baruch College, CUNY, with a minor in English. I work in English, Bulgarian, and Turkish.
