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Imad L. Al-Qadi is the Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering and Director of the Illinois Center for Transportation (ICT) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). He holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Penn State and has held faculty positions at Virginia Tech and Penn State. His research focuses on sustainable transportation infrastructure, pavement mechanics, and advanced materials. Al-Qadi leads initiatives like the Illinois Autonomous and Connected Track (I-ACT), a high-speed test facility for autonomous vehicles and energy harvesting systems. Key roles include: Director of ICT, advancing multimodal transportation infrastructure Pioneer of the Smart Road and full-scale pavement testing Founder of the Academy of Pavement Science and Engineering Research interests span: Highway/airfield sustainability Tire-pavement interaction Energy harvesting Electric vehicles' infrastructure impact Leadership roles include past presidency of ASCE's Transportation and Development Institute and editorship of the International Journal of Pavement Engineering. He has authored over 1,000 publications, including 390 refereed papers, and secured over 180 research grants from federal agencies and industry. Awards include NSF Young Investigator Award (1994), TRB Crum Award (2023), and 2024 Executive Leadership Fellow. His work is internationally recognized, with honorary professorships at institutions in China, Sweden, and the UK.

• Transportation Engineering
• Pavement Mechanics
• Sustainable Infrastructure
• +7 more

Rachel Pottinger is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia within the Faculty of Science. She has been at UBC since 2004, progressing from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor in 2012 and to full Professor in 2021. She is affiliated with research centers including CAIDA (Centre for Artificial Intelligence Decision-making and Action) and DFP (Designing for People), and is part of ICICS (Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems). Her research focuses on data management, particularly semantic data integration, metadata management, and making data more accessible and understandable to users. She leads the Data Management and Mining Lab and has supervised numerous doctoral and master's students. Her work addresses three main areas: helping people understand and explore their data, managing data not well supported by databases, and coordinating data across multiple databases. Her recent publications demonstrate strong trends in database usability, data provenance visualization, query recommendation systems, and building information modeling integration. Her work bridges theoretical database concepts with practical human-centered applications, particularly in making complex data systems more accessible to non-expert users. UBC Computer Science Department Faculty Teaching Award 2013 Computer Science Department Teaching Award 2010 CS Department Teaching Award Denice Denton Emerging Leader Award 2007 Pottinger has supervised numerous PhD and Master's students, with research focusing on data provenance, database usability, and data coordination. She has been involved in significant research projects related to data lakes, open data navigation, and query recommendation systems. Her current research explores table annotation and discovery in data lakes, query refinement for aggregation queries, and query prediction based on past user behavior. She is actively involved in the academic community, serving as Secretary-Treasurer for SIGMOD, on the VLDB Journal editorial board, and as a member of the Computing Research Association's Board of Directors. She previously served as General Co-Chair of SIGMOD 2020 and as Associate Head for the Undergraduate Program of the Department of Computer Science from 2018-2020.

• Data Management
• Database Systems
• Data Integration
• +7 more

Sonia A. Fahmy is a Professor of Computer Science and Associate Department Head at Purdue University's Department of Computer Science (College of Science). She holds a PhD from The Ohio State University (1999). Her research focuses on network architectures, protocols, and security, with over 100 refereed publications. Key areas include virtual reality networking, cellular network optimization, and network experimentation tools like NFV-VITAL and ENVI. Her work is supported by NSF, DHS, industry partners, and she leads Purdue's CERIAS cybersecurity initiatives. Education: PhD in Computer and Information Science from The Ohio State University (1999). Research Interests: Network security, distributed systems, wireless sensor networks, and network function virtualization. Notable contributions include the HEED clustering algorithm and Contain-ed latency management system. Awards: NSF CAREER Award (2003), IEEE Fellow. Grants: NSF, DHS, AT&T, Cisco, Juniper, and Meta-funded projects. Professional service includes leadership roles in IEEE ICNP, INFOCOM, and editorial roles in top journals. Advising: Mentored over 20 PhD students and postdocs. Current advisees include Umakant Kulkarni and Yufeng Chen. Research teams collaborate with industry partners like Hewlett-Packard and Sandia National Labs. Labs/Teams: Active in Purdue's CERIAS, leading projects on secure network protocols and experimentation frameworks. Tools developed include EMIST, Testbed Mapping, and iHEED for sensor networks.

• Networking and Operating Systems
• Information Security and Assurance
• Network Architecture and Protocols
• +3 more

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Schulte is a Full Professor at Hamburg University of Technology, leading the Institute for Data Engineering and the Christian Doppler Laboratory Blockchain Technologies for the Internet of Things (CDL-BOT). He holds a diploma in Economics and a Bachelor's in Computer Science from the University of Oldenburg, followed by a Master's in Information Technology (with Merit) from the University of Newcastle. After completing his PhD at TU Darmstadt in 2010, he held roles as Postdoctoral Researcher at TU Wien, Assistant Professor (tenure-track), and eventually Associate Professor before joining TU Hamburg in 2021. His research focuses on data engineering, blockchain technologies applied to IoT, elastic computing, and quality-of-service (QoS) aspects in smart systems. Notable contributions include work on fog computing, federated learning, and cross-blockchain interoperability. He has published over 140 papers in top-tier venues like IEEE Transactions on Services Computing and ACM Computing Surveys. Key awards include Best Paper Awards at the IEEE International Conference on Blockchain (2020) and the European Conference on Service-Oriented and Cloud Computing (2023). Prof. Schulte chairs major conferences such as the IEEE International Conference on Fog and Edge Computing (ICFEC 2025) and serves on editorial boards for journals like IEEE Transactions on Services Computing. He leads CDL-BOT, a lab exploring blockchain applications in IoT and manufacturing. His industrial collaborations include projects like SIMPLI-CITY (smart mobility) and CREMA (cloud-based manufacturing). Current research emphasizes blockchain interoperability, federated learning frameworks, and edge-AI systems. He actively reviews proposals for the German Research Foundation, EU programs, and industry initiatives.

• Data Engineering
• Blockchain Technologies
• Internet of Things (IoT)
• +4 more

Márk Jelasity is a Full Professor in the Department of Algorithms and AI at the University of Szeged, Hungary, where he has been working since 2016. Previously, he served as a research advisor (equivalent to full professor) and senior research scientist at the Research Group on Artificial Intelligence (RGAI) of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. His career includes numerous international research positions at institutions in Sweden, Norway, France, Italy, and the Netherlands. Professor Jelasity's research spans distributed systems, peer-to-peer computing, gossip protocols, and decentralized machine learning. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications, particularly in the areas of self-organizing systems and privacy-preserving computation. His research has significant implications for smart grid technologies, secure distributed systems, and robust machine learning. His publication record shows a clear evolution from foundational work in gossip protocols and peer-to-peer systems toward cutting-edge research in decentralized machine learning, adversarial robustness, and privacy-preserving AI. Recent publications demonstrate his leadership in comparing gossip learning with federated learning approaches and exploring novel techniques for enhancing robustness in neural networks. Bolyai Plaquette (2015) 10 years best paper award at ACM/IFIP/USENIX Middleware Conference (2014) Best paper award at IEEE International Conference on Peer-to-Peer Computing (2014) Best paper award at IEEE International Conference on Self-Adaptive and Self-Organizing Systems (2013) Scientific Award of the Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged (2013) Fulbright Scholarship to visit Cornell University (2013) Multiple Bolyai Scholarships (2007-2014) Professor Jelasity has been actively involved in the academic community as an organizer of major conferences including DAIS'16 (TPC co-chair), SASO 2010 (General Co-Chair), and SASO 2007 (TPC co-chair). His leadership in the field is evidenced by his extensive publication record in top venues and his role in editing special issues and conference proceedings.

• Distributed Systems
• Peer-to-Peer Computing
• Gossip Protocols
• +7 more

Habib Tabatabai is a Professor and Director of the Structural Engineering Lab in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's College of Engineering & Applied Science. He holds a PhD, ME, and BCe from the University of Florida. His research focuses on bridge reliability, construction materials, structural health monitoring, and infrastructure durability. He is currently on sabbatical for Fall 2024. Research interests include: reliability analysis of bridges, utilization of industrial byproducts in construction, damage detection methods, and rehabilitation techniques for aging infrastructure. His publications primarily explore themes in structural mechanics, materials science, and infrastructure sustainability, with recent articles focusing on concrete technology, bridge safety assessments, and recycled construction materials.

• Structural Engineering
• Bridge Reliability
• Infrastructure Durability
• +2 more

Marina Papatriantafilou is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg. Her research focuses on distributed computing, fault-tolerance, parallel algorithms, and concurrency control. She has contributed to methods for fault-tolerant distributed systems, visualization tools for distributed algorithms, and scalable overlay networks. Her academic roles include teaching advanced courses on distributed systems, computer communication, and operating systems. She advises graduate students in areas like distributed algorithms and parallel computing. Key research interests include lock-free synchronization, memory reclamation, and self-stabilizing systems. She has authored over 100 publications in top-tier conferences and journals, with recent work on data streaming frameworks, energy-sharing optimization, and vehicular network processing. Professional involvement includes roles in program committees for conferences like OPODIS, SWAT, and SSS, plus membership in research evaluation boards for Swedish and European funding agencies. She pioneered educational tools like the Lydian environment for distributed algorithm visualization.

• Distributed Computing
• Distributed Algorithms
• Fault-Tolerance
• +8 more

Antonio Corradi is a Full Professor of Computer Networks and Infrastructures supporting Cloud and Big Data at the University of Bologna's School of Engineering, within the Department of Computer Science - Science and Engineering. His roles include President of the regional CLUSTER RER for service innovation, President of the Alma Mater FAM Foundation, and Director of the UNIBO High Studies Center in Buenos Aires. He previously served as Director of the DISI department (2018–2021) and International Delegate for Latin America (2014–2018). His research focuses on distributed systems, middleware for pervasive computing, cloud solutions, mobile systems, smart cities, Industry 4.0/5.0, and 5G communication standards. Education: Laurea cum laude in Electrical Engineering (University of Bologna, 1979) and a Master's in Computer Engineering from Cornell University (1981, supported by a Fulbright-Hayes grant). He joined the University of Bologna as a Researcher in 1983 and became Full Professor in 2000. Research interests span distributed/parallel systems, middleware for mobile agent systems, cloud computing, smart city monitoring, and Industry 4.0 protocols. He emphasizes QoS-aware solutions, edge computing, and IoT integration. His work includes designing frameworks for big geospatial data and novel architectures for serverless and fog computing environments. Selected scientific awards include the 1980 'Cavalieri del Lavoro' prize for his thesis. He actively contributes to institutional duties, including the CCIB (Computer Services Centre of the Engineering School) and CINI Bologna University Section (Italian Interuniversity Consortium). In advising and grants: He coordinates PhD programs and has led projects funded by MIUR, CNR, and European initiatives. Notable collaborations include industry grants with Jakala, OTConsulting, ENAV-Sicta, and the Zefiro Consortium. His projects address challenges in energy efficiency, smart manufacturing, and healthcare management during crises. Labs/Teams: Developed platforms like SOMA and REDMAN middleware. Involved in initiatives such as ParticipAct (mobile crowdsensing), COLOMBO (vehicular traffic monitoring), and the Audit4Cloud platform for cloud performance auditing.

• Distributed Systems
• Computer Networks
• Middleware
• +13 more

Nikita Borisov is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). He also holds Research Associate Professor positions at the Coordinated Science Laboratory and the Information Trust Institute. His affiliations include the Department of Computer Science as an affiliate and the Advanced Digital Sciences Center. His research focuses on network security, online privacy, and anonymous communication systems. He teaches courses in computer security, distributed systems, and computer systems engineering. Education: B.Math in Computer Science and Pure Math from the University of Waterloo (1994–1997), M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science from UC Berkeley (1998–2005), advised by Eric Brewer. His thesis explored anonymous routing in structured peer-to-peer overlays. Research interests span privacy-enhancing technologies, anonymous communication (e.g., Tor improvements), botnet detection, watermarking for network flows, and social network privacy. He has advised numerous Ph.D. and M.S. students, many of whom now hold academic and industry roles globally. Notable contributions include the Off-the-Record Messaging protocol, uncovering vulnerabilities in 802.11 WEP security, and developing frameworks like Ninja for scalable Internet services. His work has been recognized with best paper awards and invited journal publications. He has served on program committees for conferences like NDSS, PETS, and CCS, and co-edited books on privacy technologies. Current and past projects include cryptographic protocols, secure aggregation in publish-subscribe systems, and covert botnet detection in social networks.

• Network Security
• Online Privacy
• Cryptography
• +5 more

William Culhane is a Post-doctoral Research Associate working with the Large-Scale Distributed Systems (LSDS) research group at Imperial College London under Dr. Peter Pietzuch. His research focuses on big data processing in cloud computing environments, with expertise spanning distributed systems architecture, network-aware algorithms, and practical implementation of theoretical models. His academic credentials include: PhD in Computer Science from Purdue University (2015), Thesis: "Optimal 'Big Data' Aggregation Systems – From Theory to Practical Application" Masters in Computer Science from Purdue University (2011) BS in Computer Science and Engineering with Music minor from Ohio State University (2008), Cum Laude with Distinction Culhane's research program bridges theoretical computer science with practical systems implementation. His early work established mathematical models for optimal aggregation overlays, demonstrating how specific properties of aggregation functions guide theoretically optimal overlay construction. This evolved into practical systems like LOOM that implement these models for real-world big data processing. His current research on Meta-Dataflows (MDF) enables users to specify solution spaces of data analysis approaches and automatically discover optimal outcomes without code changes. The SquirrelJoin project addresses network skew in distributed joins by dynamically rerouting traffic to underutilized network segments. His publication record shows consistent progression from theoretical foundations (INFOCOM'15, SIGCOMM'14) to applied systems (VLDB 2017, Middleware'14) with practical impact. His professional trajectory includes significant industry exposure through a Google Techstop internship and research at Qatar University, where he explored anonymized database relations for third-party cloud processing. These experiences informed his approach to balancing theoretical purity with practical constraints in distributed systems design. Culhane has developed numerous open-source tools for the research community including LaTeX macros for consistent document formatting, Linux deployment scripts for distributed system management, and JavaScript interactive graphing utilities. These practical contributions demonstrate his commitment to improving research infrastructure beyond his primary publications.

• Big Data Processing
• Cloud Computing
• Distributed Systems
• +7 more

Imad Al-Qadi is the Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering and Director of the Illinois Center for Transportation (ICT) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Penn State University and has held academic positions at Virginia Tech and Penn State. His research focuses on sustainable transportation infrastructure, pavement mechanics, and autonomous vehicles. Al-Qadi is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and has served as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Pavement Engineering . Education: B.S. (1984) Yarmouk University, M.Eng. (1986) and Ph.D. (1990) Penn State University. Affiliations: Past president of ASCE's Transportation and Development Institute, founder of the Academy of Pavement Science and Engineering. Key Projects: Illinois Autonomous and Connected Track (I-ACT), Illinois Center for Transportation, Smart Road research. His research emphasizes pavement sustainability, recycling optimization, and tire-pavement interaction. He has authored over 1,000 publications and led 180+ research projects funded by federal agencies and industry partners. Recent work includes energy harvesting from pavements and assessing impacts of electric vehicles on infrastructure. Al-Qadi has received prestigious awards including the NSF Young Investigator Award (1994) and TRB Roy W. Crum Distinguished Service Award (2023). He chairs international conferences and serves on technical committees, driving advancements in pavement science and transportation innovation.

• Transportation Engineering
• Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Systems
• Pavement Mechanics
• +5 more

Jimmy McGibney is a Lecturer in the Department of Computing and Mathematics at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT), now part of South Eastern Technological University (SETU). He holds a Master of Engineering from Dublin City University (1995) and a Bachelor of Engineering (Electronic) from University College Dublin (1992). His research focuses on network security, AI-driven cybersecurity solutions, trustworthiness in service compositions, and resource-constrained environments. External roles include serving as a Researcher at the Telecommunications Software and Systems Group (2000), a Research Assistant at Dublin City University (1996–1997), and a Systems Engineer at Aldiscon (1994–1996). His work emphasizes applied research in intrusion detection systems, network forensics, and trust management frameworks. Key research interests include AI applications in cybersecurity, trust metrics for service compositions, and securing edge computing environments. He has organized workshops on digital forensics and incident response, and his recent work explores AI methodologies for resource-limited systems. McGibney’s publications span over 38 works, including peer-reviewed chapters and conference contributions. Notable areas include network forensic readiness frameworks, deep learning-based intrusion detection, and trust overlays for spam protection. He has contributed to projects funded by industry and academic collaborations, focusing on practical cybersecurity solutions.

• Network Security
• Artificial Intelligence
• Cybersecurity
• +5 more

Evaggelia Pitoura is a Professor in the Department of Computer Engineering and Informatics at the University of Ioannina, Greece, and a Lead Researcher at the Archimedes Research Unit, ATHENA Research Center. Her work spans data management, distributed systems, and mobile computing, with a strong focus on database personalization and diversity. Her research interests include data diversity, contextual preferences, XML data management, peer-to-peer systems, and mobile computing . She has pioneered work in result diversification, preference-aware querying, and distributed data indexing, publishing extensively in top venues such as PVLDB, ICDE, SIGMOD, and IEEE TPDS. The recent publications highlight a consistent trend in personalized, context-aware database systems , with emphasis on improving user experience through intelligent query processing, recommendation, and efficient data organization in distributed environments. Best Paper Award, SIGMOD 1999 Best Paper Award, PVLDB 2013 She has advised several PhD students, including Georgia Koloniari, Kostas Stefanidis, Marina Drosou, and Konstantinos Semertzidis, who now hold positions in academia and industry. She teaches courses in Databases and Information Retrieval and actively contributes to the academic community through program committee roles in major conferences like ICDE, VLDB, SIGMOD, and WWW. She leads the Distributed Management of Data Group , fostering innovation in scalable and intelligent data systems.

• Data Management
• Distributed Databases
• Database Systems
• +7 more

Dr. Mario Kolberg is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computing Science at the University of Stirling. He holds a PhD from the University of Strathclyde and has held roles at institutions including Humboldt University in Berlin and the University of Strathclyde. His research focuses on Peer-to-Peer (P2P) overlay networks, Home Automation, and IP Telephony, with contributions to areas like distributed feature interaction management and network protocol optimization. Key roles include co-investigator in ESRC’s Interlife and MATCH projects, exploring P2P networks in virtual worlds and healthcare integration. He leads initiatives such as the Sysnet Knowledge Transfer Partnership, developing P2P overlays for mobile devices. Kolberg is an IEEE Senior Member and Series Editor for the IEEE Communications Magazine’s Consumer Communication and Networking series, previously serving as TPC Chair for IEEE CCNC 2011. His research spans P2P multicast, home automation systems, and network efficiency, with recent work addressing IoT protocols (e.g., 6TiSCH), mobile network optimization, and integrating social media data for transport prediction. Over 79 publications highlight his technical depth, including influential papers on feature interaction detection and hybrid multicast systems. Education: PhD in Computer Science from University of Strathclyde Key Projects: Interlife (P2P in 3D virtual education), MATCH (healthcare networks), Sysnet KTP (mobile P2P) Awards: IEEE Senior Member, Series Editor role His work bridges academia and industry, addressing real-world challenges in networking and distributed systems.

• Peer-to-Peer Overlay Networks
• Home Automation
• IP Telephony
• +3 more

Mostafa Elseifi is the Occidental Chemical Corporation Distinguished Professor at Louisiana State University (LSU), affiliated with the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering in the College of Engineering. He holds roles as the East Baton Rouge (EBR) Parish Engineer and Surveyor Selection Board member and the CEE Junior Faculty Mentor. His educational background includes a Ph.D. from Virginia Polytechnic Institute (2003), an M.S. (1999), and a B.S. (1996) in Civil Engineering from Cairo University. A licensed Professional Engineer in Virginia and a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Elseifi specializes in pavement engineering, particularly in asphalt materials, pavement instrumentation, and tire-pavement interaction. His research focuses on constitutive modeling of flexible pavements, laboratory characterization of hot-mix asphalt, and mitigation strategies for cracking and moisture damage. Key contributions include developing machine learning frameworks for pavement performance prediction and evaluating emerging additives like graphene nanoplatelets. Notable awards include the 2019 ASCE Journal of Transportation Engineering Editor’s Choice Award and the 2013 Michael R. Mangham Teaching Award. Elseifi’s work integrates computational methods (e.g., finite element modeling) with field studies to address infrastructure challenges. He has pioneered studies on E-scooter impacts, recycled materials in asphalt mixtures, and cost-effective preventive maintenance strategies in Louisiana’s hot and humid climate. His research also explores sustainable practices, such as superhydrophobic asphalt mixtures and self-healing mechanisms via induction heating. He has advised numerous projects funded by state and federal agencies, focusing on pavement management systems, structural health monitoring, and interlayer bonding. His contributions span over 100 peer-reviewed articles and have directly influenced Louisiana’s pavement maintenance guidelines. Current research includes optimizing chip seal applications and evaluating the environmental and economic impacts of microsurfacing.

• Pavement Engineering
• Asphalt Materials Science
• Transportation Engineering
• +3 more