Chunyi Peng

Chunyi Peng is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Purdue University's College of Science, where she leads the Mobile System, Security and Networking (MSSN) lab. She joined Purdue in Fall 2017 after serving as an Assistant Professor at the Ohio State University.

Dr. Peng earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science from UCLA in 2013, with additional M.Eng and B.Eng degrees in Automation from Tsinghua University, both with highest honors. Prior to her academic career, she worked as an Associate/Assistant Researcher at Microsoft Research Asia.

Her research focuses on mobile networking, systems, and security, with recent emphasis on innovating 5G/6G mobile network architecture, mobile network analytics, network verification, and security. She also explores efficient visual sensing and computing for IoTs, particularly through computer vision techniques for autonomous drones, vehicles, and robots. Her work bridges theoretical networking concepts with practical implementations, often developing tools like MobileInsight for cellular network analysis.

Her recent publications reveal a clear research trajectory toward securing and optimizing next-generation mobile networks, particularly focusing on 5G/6G security vulnerabilities, emergency service reliability, drone-based network applications, and performance optimization. The work shows increasing integration of AI techniques with networking protocols and a growing emphasis on practical, real-world network measurement and validation.

• ACM Distinguished Member (2024)
• Best Community Paper Award at MobiCom'16
• Best Demo Award at MobiCom'18
• Best Community Paper Runner-up at MobiCom'22

Dr. Peng actively mentors numerous graduate students through the MSSN lab, with current research projects including AI for Networks, Mobile Network Security, AirLab for autonomous drones, and MI-LAB for network data analysis. She has secured significant research funding including NSF AI Institute for Future Edge Networks and Distributed Intelligence (AI-EDGE, CNS-2112471), Evolving Mobile Network Security (Cellular-911 Security: CNS-2246051), and Diagnostic Testing of Next-Generation Radio Access Network (CNS-2403048).

The MSSN lab maintains an active research agenda with multiple ongoing projects that bridge academic research with practical applications, evidenced by numerous student successes including PhD defenses, conference awards, and industry placements at companies like Bytedance, Meta, and Amazon.