Marcel Kyas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Systems and Telematics under the School of Computer Science. His research focuses on the intersection of smart home technologies, firmware automation, and network reliability. Research Interests: Designing robust firmware update mechanisms for heterogeneous smart home devices Evaluating trade-offs between energy efficiency and user convenience in smart home systems Testing cyber-physical resilience under network disruptions (e.g., DoS attacks on smoke detectors) User-centric metrics for smart home device usability Affiliations: Active member of research projects including RIOT, VIVE media, and X-CHECK. Previously involved in the Einstein Center Digital Future (ECDF) and SAFEST initiatives.
Massimiliano Albanese is a Professor and Associate Chair for Research in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology at George Mason University. He serves as the Executive Director of the Institute for Digital Innovation (IDIA) and Director of the Center for Infrastructure Security in the Era of AI (ISEAI). Previously, he was the Associate Director of the Center for Secure Information Systems (CSIS). Dr. Albanese earned his PhD and MS in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Naples Federico II. After completing a postdoctoral position at the University of Maryland, College Park, he joined George Mason University in 2011. His primary research focuses on Information and Network Security, with particular emphasis on Modeling and Detection of Cyber Attacks, Cyber Situational Awareness, Network Hardening, Moving Target Defense, Configuration Security, and Vulnerability Metrics. His recent work has expanded into election security, AI-enhanced cybersecurity, and vulnerability scoring frameworks. He has developed innovative approaches to cyber defense that integrate machine learning, game theory, and formal modeling techniques. Dr. Albanese's publication record shows a clear evolution from foundational work in moving target defense and attack modeling toward more applied research in vulnerability metrics, election security, and AI-assisted cyber defense. His recent publications demonstrate growing interest in practical security implementations, election infrastructure protection, and the intersection of AI with cybersecurity. 2014 Mason Emerging Researcher/Scholar/Creator Award Best Paper Award at IEEE CNS 2020 for SCIBORG Best Paper Award at SECRYPT 2018 Best Paper Runner-up Award at IEEE CNS 2015 Dr. Albanese has participated in 33 sponsored projects totaling $13.1M, with a personal share of $3.5M. His research has been funded by prestigious organizations including the National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, National Security Agency, and Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority. He has served as Principal Investigator on 18 projects, demonstrating strong leadership in securing research funding. His current projects focus on election security, cybersecurity scholarships, and AI-enhanced threat detection. Dr. Albanese leads multiple research centers and initiatives, including the Center for Infrastructure Security in the Era of AI. His work bridges academic research with practical applications, particularly in securing election systems and developing frameworks for vulnerability assessment. He actively collaborates with government agencies and industry partners to translate research into real-world security solutions.
Eleanor Birrell is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Pomona College, where she has been affiliated since 2018. She holds a Ph.D. and M.S. from Cornell University and a B.A. in Computer Science and Mathematics from Harvard University. Currently on sabbatical until Spring 2026, her office is located in Edmunds Hall 221 at Pomona College's Claremont, California campus. Her research specializes in human-centered security and privacy, examining intersections with psychology, law, and political science. Key investigations include: Human cognition patterns in security/privacy interactions Impact of privacy regulations on Internet privacy Public perceptions of privacy threats Usability of privacy interfaces and policy language comprehension Generational differences in privacy understanding Publication analysis reveals strong focus on empirical studies of privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA, CPRA), usability of privacy interfaces (consent banners, app labels), and user comprehension of technical privacy terminology. Recent work emphasizes mobile ecosystems, regulatory compliance mechanisms, and cross-cultural comparisons. While no scientific awards are documented, Dr. Birrell maintains an active research program though is not currently accepting new students until 2026. No specific lab or team affiliations are mentioned in available materials.
Daniel Takabi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Georgia State University, with a courtesy appointment in the Department of Computer Information Systems at the J. Mack Robinson College of Business. He serves as the founding director of the INformation Security and Privacy: Interdisciplinary Research and Education (INSPIRE) Center. He earned his PhD from the University of Pittsburgh. Research Focus: Dr. Takabi specializes in cybersecurity and privacy, with emphasis on: Privacy-preserving and adversarial machine learning Applied cryptography and privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) Cyber deception tactics and advanced access control systems Usable security and privacy frameworks His interdisciplinary work bridges computer science, data privacy, and AI security. Achievements: Recognized with: Microsoft Research Investigator Fellowship Multiple Best Paper/Poster awards at ACM/IEEE conferences Funding & Leadership: His research is supported by grants from: National Science Foundation (NSF) National Security Agency (NSA) Department of Defense (DoD) Microsoft and NVIDIA As INSPIRE Center director, he leads interdisciplinary security research and educational initiatives.
Olivia Thomassen Harre is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the IT University of Copenhagen specializing in Digitalization, Democracy, and Governance. Her work bridges service design theory with practical applications in organizational transformation and sustainable systems development. Her research focuses on Service Design and Organizational Design, examining how materiality shapes organizational practices and how paradox theory resolves competing systemic demands. She investigates strategic agility through design interventions and explores new materialism's role in multispecies futuring for sustainable built environments. Her methodology integrates user experience design within agile development frameworks to enhance organizational service design maturity. Recent publications (2022-2025) reveal a trajectory from organizational materiality studies toward ecological design futures. Key patterns include applying design thinking to governance challenges, developing service design maturity models, and pioneering frameworks for multispecies futuring. Her upcoming 2025 work represents a significant shift toward ecological design through artistic practices and new materialism. Harre leads the ongoing Planetary Personas project (2025) addressing green transition through digital design for urban sustainability. She previously co-led the Innovation Fund Denmark-supported project Integrating User Experience Design in Scaled Agile Development (2018-2022), demonstrating consistent success in securing competitive research funding for interdisciplinary work spanning digital governance, sustainable design, and organizational transformation.
Dr. Alisa Frik is a Research Scientist at the International Computer Science Institute (ICSI) and a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of California, Berkeley's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences. As a member of the Usable Security and Privacy (BLUES) research group, she integrates behavioral economics and experimental methods to study privacy and security behaviors across vulnerable populations and emerging technologies. Ph.D. in Economics from University of Trento Consulting services for user experience and privacy Expert witness in legal cases involving user privacy Her research spans privacy in smart home devices, IoT security for seniors, behavioral interventions in digital advertising, and the economics of privacy protection. She employs mixed-method approaches including lab experiments, surveys, and experience sampling to analyze how trust, cognitive biases, and contextual factors shape technology interactions. Key article trends include privacy dynamics in smart homes, behavioral economics applications to security compliance, and human factors in emerging technologies like AR and AI. Her work addresses both primary users and bystanders' perspectives across healthcare, domestic, and commercial contexts. Alisa's expertise combines quantitative and qualitative methodologies with a focus on: Behavioral economics Privacy threat modeling User-centered security design Contextual integrity theory Security nudges Smart technology adoption
Prof. Jasmina Baraković Husić is a Full Professor at the University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Electrical Engineering , while also serving as a specialist at the Department for Planning and Development of Technologies and Services in BH Telecom, Sarajevo. Her academic career spans over 15 years of research leadership in multimedia networks, quality management frameworks, and 5G-IoT communications. Principal Investigator for international projects (NATO, Erasmus+, COST actions IC1304/IC1303/CA16226/CA19136) Global collaboration network across EU, SEE region, and NATO countries Research Focus Her work bridges theoretical and applied research in: Quality of Service/Experience/Life (QoS/QoE/QoL) management Multimedia communication systems 5G-IoT integration Network signaling security Smart environments for aging populations Recent Research Trends The 15 most recent publications (2021-2025) reveal: Systematic focus on QoE modeling for video/WebRTC Interdisciplinary approach to elderly care technology Security impact analysis on multimedia systems Machine learning applications in network performance Editorial leadership in quality-of-life improvement
Prof. Dr. Rainer Herpers is a full Professor at the Department of Computer Science within the Graduate Institute at Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences . He serves as Scientific Director of the Graduate Institute and Director of the Institute of Visual Computing (IVC), leading interdisciplinary projects that bridge Computer Vision , Human Perception , and Real-Time Systems . His research explores gravitational effects on spatial orientation, serious games for medical training, and FPGA-based computer vision solutions. Research Interests: Computer Vision and Machine Vision Face and Gesture Recognition Artificial Neural Networks Robotics and Real-Time Systems Medical Informatics Usability in Work Safety Article Trends: Recent work focuses on gravity perception (2023-2024), neural network applications in environmental monitoring, and machine learning for network traffic analysis. Collaborations with York University and DLR highlight his interdisciplinary approach. Scientific Awards: Best Paper Award, IBM Centre for Advanced Studies in Computer Science (2020) Labs: Leads the Computer Vision Lab (C065) and Immersive Visualization Lab (C061) , developing systems like the FIVIS Bicycle Simulator and SimuBridge platform for education and safety evaluation.
Fredrik Forsman is an Instructor at the Maritime Human Factors Unit of Chalmers University of Technology. He also serves as Head of Training at the Swedish Sea Rescue Society, where he develops training frameworks for maritime rescue crews. University: Chalmers University of Technology School: School of Maritime Studies Role: Instructor (Faculty), Head of Training (Swedish Sea Rescue Society) Research Focus includes maritime safety, human factors in extreme environments, and adaptive training methodologies. His work addresses: High-speed navigation and cognitive performance Team coordination in search and rescue Information architecture for fast response crafts Emergency response systems in Arctic conditions Simulation technology for maritime training Interoperability in littoral operations Notable Projects include: Eyes on Scene 2 (2023–2025): Drone-assisted sea rescue PICASSO (2016–2018): Safer ships on oceans SMACS (2012–2014): Arctic emergency response Publications span maritime ergonomics, command systems, and training innovations, with recent trends focusing on AI integration and sustainability in maritime operations.
Alicia Fernandez, MD is Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in the School of Medicine, Department of Medicine. She serves as Associate Dean of Population Health and Health Equity for the UCSF School of Medicine and is a general internist at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG). Dr. Fernandez is the founding Director of the UCSF Latinx Center of Excellence and the director of the Latinx and Immigrant Health Research Program at the UCSF Action Research Center (ARC) for Health Equity, also at ZSFG. Dr. Fernandez's research expertise includes language and literacy barriers in healthcare, Latinx health, immigrant health, health care equity in chronic disease (particularly diabetes), and racism in medicine. Her work focuses on understanding social drivers of health and developing strategies for reducing health disparities through systems-level and community-based approaches. She has published extensively on these topics with over 100 publications in high-impact journals. Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on language barriers in healthcare settings, digital health equity, and social determinants of health. The research spans multiple disciplines including internal medicine, public health, and implementation science, with particular attention to vulnerable populations and health disparities across numerous clinical settings from surgery to obstetrics to chronic disease management. Elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2024 Appointed to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in January 2025 Board of Governors, Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) (2014-present) Distinguished Professor of Health Equity, Society of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting (2020) Thomas N. Burbridge Award for Public Service, UCSF (2021) COVID Heroes Award, California Senate District 11 (2021) Dr. Fernandez has secured significant research funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Russell Sage Foundation, and The Greenwall Foundation. She has served on the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Board of Directors and has participated in advisory committees for numerous national health organizations. Her editorial work includes co-editing the Lange textbook, Medical Management of Vulnerable and Underserved Patients (2nd edition). She leads the UCSF Latinx Center of Excellence, a HRSA and UCSF-funded initiative to increase academic diversity, and the Latinx and Immigrant Health Research Program at the UCSF Action Research Center for Health Equity, which generates actionable research to increase health equity and reduce healthcare disparities through evidence-based interventions.
Dr Nitish Chooramun serves as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Digital Technologies within the School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering at the University of East London. With extensive industry and academic experience, he teaches core computing modules across undergraduate and postgraduate programs while supervising numerous student projects and MPhil/PhD candidates. His research centers on Intelligent Systems with specialized focus on Multi-Agent Systems for evacuation dynamics modeling, pedestrian behavior simulation, and Internet of Things applications. He develops algorithms for representing movement in complex environments, bridging theoretical AI with practical safety solutions. His work spans Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and real-world implementations in urban planning and emergency response scenarios. Recent publications demonstrate strong interdisciplinary trends applying AI to diverse domains: Natural Language Processing for low-resource language translation, Affective Computing for emotion-aware e-commerce and music recommendation systems, Mobile Health interface design for elderly users, and Federated Learning for critical infrastructure security. These works consistently address practical societal challenges through computational intelligence. Dr Chooramun actively supervises postgraduate research students and has secured participation in multiple funded projects including European Union initiatives. His teaching portfolio encompasses foundational and advanced computing modules such as Software Development, Web Technologies, Data Structures, and Mobile Application Development across BSc Computer Science and specialized degree pathways.
Carlos Rubio-Medrano is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science specializing in Cybersecurity at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi's College of Science and Engineering. He leads the Cybersecurity Research and Innovation Laboratory (CSRIL) and has established himself as a prominent researcher in access control, authorization systems, and cyber-physical security. Dr. Rubio-Medrano earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Arizona State University (2016), following an MS from The University of Texas at El Paso (2008) and BS from Instituto Tecnologico de Chihuahua II (2005). His research focuses on the intersection of cybersecurity and software specification, verification, and validation, with particular expertise in access control models and their implementation at the source-code level. His work spans multiple domains including mobile security, industrial control systems, drone security, and energy delivery systems. He has secured substantial research funding including a $500,000 site award as part of the $10 million CYBER-CARE Transportation Cybersecurity Center and multiple NSF grants totaling over $2 million for projects related to zero-trust access management, drone security, and high-performance computing infrastructure. His recent publications demonstrate a strong trajectory in top-tier security venues including IEEE Security & Privacy (S&P), USENIX Security, and ACM conferences. His research shows an evolving focus from traditional access control systems to emerging challenges in cyber-physical systems, reflecting the expanding scope of cybersecurity threats in interconnected environments. Cybersecurity Fellow by the Computing Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institutions (CAHSI), December 2024 Dr. Rubio-Medrano actively mentors students, with multiple current PhD candidates and numerous past MS and BS students who have completed their degrees under his supervision. His teaching portfolio includes graduate courses in Advanced Software Engineering, Computer Forensics, and Advanced Information Assurance. He has been featured in TAMU-CC's 'Why I Teach' series and has received positive student evaluations highlighting his teaching excellence. His laboratory, CSRIL, focuses on innovative approaches to cybersecurity challenges, particularly in authorization frameworks for emerging technologies and mission-critical cyber-infrastructures.
Mona Mohamed is an Associate Professor in the Department of Business Analytics and Technology Management at Towson University's College of Business and Economics. She teaches courses such as Principles of e-Business and Problem Solving for Business, while conducting research on human-computer interaction, cybersecurity, and open government data analysis. Education: Ph.D. in Information Technology (2018, Towson University), MS in Management Information Technology (2007, The George Washington University) Her research focuses on how cultural factors influence technology usability and security, particularly in areas like microchip implantation and graphical password design. Recent work explores the intersection of machine learning and health risk concerns in implantable technologies. Mohamed's publications highlight trends in open government data utilization, cloud computing collaboration, and inclusive technology design. Grants from the College of Business and Economics have supported her investigations into microchip implant acceptance and minority faculty challenges. She emphasizes equipping students with critical e-commerce skills for modern business environments, advocating for systems that balance security with user accessibility.
Associate Professor Shannon Rutherford is a transdisciplinary researcher at Griffith University’s School of Medicine & Dentistry – Public Health, where she co-leads the Ethos digital heat-health early-warning project and the Queensland Heat-Health Community of Practice. Her work spans climate epidemiology, health-system adaptation and postgraduate teaching in the Master of Public Health. Education & Qualifications: Environmental science foundation with subsequent specialisation in public health and climate-risk translation; detailed CV entries not supplied. Research Interests: Rutherford’s programme integrates three pillars: (i) extreme-heat epidemiology and wearable/digital warning technologies, (ii) climate-sensitive infectious-disease dynamics (dengue, malaria, TB), and (iii) policy-ready adaptation strategies for health services in Australia, Asia-Pacific and Africa. She uses mixed-methods, citizen-science and co-design to move from exposure assessment to implementation. Publication Trends: Her 2023-2025 output reveals concentrated innovation in heat-warning systems for older adults, occupational heat stress in Bangladeshi garment factories, and systematic reviews on ambulance call-outs during Australian heatwaves. A complementary stream addresses social determinants—fast-food marketing to Nigerian adolescents, COVID-19 mental health in Bangladeshi students—demonstrating breadth across NCDs and emergent threats. Scientific Recognition: While named awards are not listed, her research has directly informed Queensland Health’s 2023 Heatwave Management Sub-Plan and produced video resources adopted by Metro South Health and Get Ready Queensland campaigns. Grants & Supervision: She has secured >AUD 5 M since 1999 (Wellcome, DFAT, NEMA, Queensland Government) and supervised 35 postgraduate projects (15 as principal supervisor) on topics from climate-justice heat action plans to TB IPC in Papua New Guinea. Teams & Labs: Rutherford sits within the Griffith Climate Action Beacon, Griffith Institute for Human & Environmental Resilience, and formerly the Cities Research Institute and Griffith Asia Institute, fostering cross-faculty collaborations with engineers, data scientists and social marketers.
Justin M. Pelletier is a Professor and Director of the GCI Cyber Range and Training Center at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) within the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences . He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the Department of Cyber Security and leads security assessments for critical infrastructure and national defense partners. He founded the NSA-funded National Consortium for Cyber Governance, Risk, and Compliance. Education : BS in Computer Science (Stonehill College), MBA in Entrepreneurship (RIT), PhD in Information Assurance and Security (Capella University) Pelletier's research spans cybersecurity , penetration testing , security economics , and critical infrastructure protection . His work includes analyzing ransomware responses in nuclear power plants, blockchain attack taxonomies, and medical device vulnerabilities. His recent publications focus on cyber-physical systems , social engineering , voting infrastructure security , and business intelligence integration . He also explores e-learning user experiences and attacker behavior modeling. Professor Pelletier has authored over three dozen articles, book chapters, and patents. He is a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, a combat veteran, and a lay member of the Dominican Order. He lives with his wife and five children.
