About Us

For well over a century, the UL enterprise has worked to make the world a safer place. Founded in the early days of electricity, our enterprise has been at the forefront of public safety, shepherding the innovations that shape and enhance our lives. Today, we are three organizations — UL Research Institutes, UL Standards & Engagement, and UL Solutions. To learn more about our journey, we invite you to dive in and explore our history.

DSRI is a proud member of the UL Research Institutes working to provide better safety at the human-digital interface.

Our Team

Jill Crisman

Vice President and Executive Director

As an expert in artificial intelligence (AI) research and development, Crisman has delivered practical, user-centered solutions to difficult challenges using state-of-the-art AI technologies. Before joining ULRI, Crisman was the principal director for AI and machine learning (ML) in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, where she was responsible for developing the DoD’s AI/ML research and development road map. She had previously served as chief scientist for the Department of Defense’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC), helping to grow the organization significantly. Dr. Crisman was a senior program manager for the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) where she led successful multidisciplinary research programs. She was a founding faculty member of the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in Massachusetts and was a tenured professor and the director of the Robotics and Vision Systems Laboratory at Northeastern University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Crisman earned her Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania where, for her thesis, she created some of the first computer vision perception algorithms for self-driving cars.

Sean McGregor

Director of Advanced Testing Research

Dr. Sean McGregor is an expert in artificial intelligence and machine learning.  Most recently, Dr. McGregor was the Founder of the Responsible AI Collaborative which is a leading index of AI experiences in the real world.  He was also a lead consultant for the XPRIZE Foundation where he audited the safety, ethics, and impacts of 150+ teams competing for the $5 million IBM Watson AI XPRIZE.  Dr. McGregor brings to DSRI a passion for AI and digital system safety through auditing and testing. 

Denise Rushing

Director of Communications and Outreach

Denise is a seasoned communications and outreach expert with specialization in strategic planning, campaign development, engagement strategies, and execution of partnership marketing efforts. Key areas of communication include health and human safety, B2B sales and promotional messaging, and end-user communications.

Advisory Board

DSRI has the privilege to gain insights from a stellar group of professionals through participation in our Advisory Board.

Dr. Jemin George

· Senior Advisor for Defense Research, National Science Foundation
· Research Engineer, U.S. Army DEVCOM, Army Research Laboratory

Patrick Hall

· Principle Scientist, HallResearch.ai
· Teaching Professor, GWSB

Dr. Anne Cope, PE

· Chief Engineer for the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety

Matt Abrams

· Founding Partner, Democracy Capital
· Investor, Advisor, Board Member

Dr. David Danks

· Professor of Data Science and Philosophy, University of California, San Diego