Jiazhen Zhou

Jiazhen Zhou is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. His research focuses on Internet of Things security and privacy, cryptography, machine learning-based attack and defense mechanisms, and emergency communications. He teaches courses in cybersecurity and computer networking including CYBER 101, COMPSCI 354, and COMPSCI 455.

His educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Missouri–Kansas City, USA
• M.S. in Intelligent Control Engineering from Chinese Academy of Sciences–Shenyang Institute of Automation, P. R. China
• B.S. in Mathematics from Shandong University, P. R. China

Dr. Zhou's research centers on IoT security vulnerabilities in medical devices, cryptographic solutions for privacy protection, and machine learning applications for attack detection. His emergency communications work develops caching strategies for stressed networks during disasters, with recent emphasis on protecting older adults using smart medical devices. The Wireless Systems Lab he founded in 2012 serves as the primary research hub for these investigations.

His publication record spans 14 years with 11 significant works, showing an evolution from fundamental networking research (2009-2013) toward applied IoT security (2016-2023). Recent publications demonstrate increasing focus on healthcare applications and privacy concerns for vulnerable populations, particularly in his 2023 HIMSS conference paper on medical devices for older adults.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Grant writing fellowship ($5,000) in 2013
• Summer research fellowship advisor awards ($2,500 each) in 2016, 2018, and 2019

Dr. Zhou has supervised over 30 undergraduate researchers and three graduate students through the Wireless Systems Lab, producing journal publications, conference posters, and educational demonstrations. His secured funding includes a $105,757 Tommy Thompson Center grant for IoT privacy in older adults (2021-2022), a $50,000 UW System Regent Scholar grant for wireless vehicle communications (2021-2022), and a $2 million U.S. Department of Labor Cybersecurity Apprenticeship grant (2020-2024).

The Wireless Systems Lab, established in 2012, conducts hands-on research in medical IoT security, emergency communication protocols, and real-time monitoring systems. Current projects include security attacks on medical IoT devices with Jesse Ostrander and Jackson Richman, while past work has resulted in classroom demonstrations for K-12 students and novel cache deployment solutions for disaster scenarios.