Nicholas Mastronarde

Nicholas Mastronarde is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, within the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He leads the WIRED Lab (Wireless Networking, Reinforcement Learning, and Drones Lab), which conducts cutting-edge research in wireless communications, AI/ML for networks, and UAV systems.

• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from UCLA (2011)
• M.S. in Electrical Engineering from UC Davis (2006)
• B.S. in Electrical Engineering from UC Davis (2005, Highest Honors)

Dr. Mastronarde's research focuses on wireless networking, reinforcement learning, and drone systems. His work spans AI/ML for wireless networks (reinforcement learning for energy harvesting wireless sensors, IoT, 5G scheduling), NextG wireless networks (active-passive coexistence, software-defined networking, mmWave networks), and modeling, simulation, and field experimentation for future networks. His research has significant applications in spectrum coexistence, digital twin technology, and UAV networking, with emphasis on practical implementation through platforms like UB-ANC and NeXT.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward integrating AI/ML techniques with wireless communications to develop more efficient, adaptive, and intelligent network systems, particularly focusing on spectrum coexistence between satellite and terrestrial networks, digital twin-enabled network simulation, and reinforcement learning applications for next-generation wireless systems.

• Dimitris N. Chorafas Foundation Award (2011)
• UCLA Graduate Division Dissertation Year Fellowship (2010-2011)
• IBM Research Watson Lab Graduate Intern Fellowship (2010)
• 2020 SEAS Senior Teacher of the Year Award
• UB's Teaching Innovation Award 2022

Dr. Mastronarde has successfully advised numerous graduate students, including current PhD candidates and multiple alumni who have gone on to work at companies like Qualcomm. His research is supported by prestigious organizations including the US Air Force Research Laboratory, US SOCOM, the National Science Foundation (including the NSF SWIFT award), GE Aviation, US Ignite, ARMOR-IIMAK, and SUNY. His extensive publication record includes over 100 peer-reviewed articles in top-tier journals and conferences.

As the leader of the WIRED Lab, Dr. Mastronarde oversees several key research initiatives including UB-ANC (unmanned aerial vehicle networking simulation/emulation), RF-SITL (software-defined transceiver and channel emulation), NeXT (digital twin-enabled multi-fidelity network simulator), and UnionLabs (cloud-based platform for testbed sharing). His team consists of current PhD students, research scientists, and undergraduate researchers working collaboratively on cutting-edge wireless communication projects.