Dr. Harry T. Conway is the Alternate Permanent Representative of Liberia and Chair of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) at the International Maritime Organization (IMO). He leads global maritime environmental policy initiatives, including the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy. His academic affiliations include guest lecturing at the International Maritime Law Institute's special course on marine environmental protection and opposing a WMU PhD candidate's thesis. Education: PhD in Politics and International Relations (Cardiff University, UK), MA (Distinction) in International Maritime Policy (University of Greenwich, UK), and MBA (Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands). His research focuses on environmental politics, with emphasis on climate agreements and maritime decarbonization. Professional Experience: Policy Officer and Officer-in-Charge of Liberia's IMO Permanent Mission (2012–present), Chief of Staff at Liberia Maritime Authority (pre-2012), and finance roles in Liberian banking institutions. He contributed to the 2050 Africa Integrated Maritime Strategy for the African Union and serves on the International Quality Assessment Review Body (IQARB). Publications include contributions to 'The African Union and the Law of the Sea' and peer-reviewed articles on maritime innovation and decarbonization. He frequently speaks at international shipping conferences and advises on maritime regulatory frameworks.
Professor Omer Rana serves as Professor of Performance Engineering and International Dean for the Middle East at Cardiff University's School of Computer Science and Informatics. He also holds the prestigious position of Cross-Council Research Director for the UK National Edge AI Hub, demonstrating his leadership in national research initiatives. Previously, he led the Complex Systems research group and served as Dean of International for the Physical Sciences and Engineering College at Cardiff University. Professor Rana is a Fellow of both the Learned Society of Wales and the Higher Education Academy, and serves on the Advisory Board of the Welsh Ethnic Minority Professors Initiative (WEMPI). His research expertise centers on the intersection of intelligent systems and high performance distributed computing, with particular focus on applying intelligent techniques to resource management in distributed systems. His scholarly contributions span edge computing, cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, federated learning, privacy-preserving systems, and sustainable computing. Professor Rana has published extensively in top-tier journals and conferences, with recent work emphasizing practical applications in industrial automation, smart buildings, and sustainable computing solutions. Professor Rana's publication record demonstrates consistent leadership in edge computing and distributed systems research, with a growing emphasis on practical implementations across diverse application domains. His work bridges theoretical computer science with real-world technological challenges, particularly in industrial automation, smart environments, and sustainable infrastructure. Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Professor Rana actively supervises postgraduate students and has secured significant research funding for projects related to edge computing, IoT, and distributed systems. His international collaborations span Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, reflecting his global influence in the field. He serves as a sought-after keynote speaker, workshop chair, and panel moderator at major international conferences including IEEE/ACM Utility and Cloud Computing (UCC) and IEEE Edge Computing. He leads multiple research initiatives, most notably as Cross-Council Research Director for the UK National Edge AI Hub, where he shapes national research directions in edge computing and AI. His work has practical applications across industrial automation, smart building management, electric vehicle infrastructure, and sustainable computing solutions.
Chee-Wooi Ten is a tenured Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Michigan Technological University, where he has served since 2010 and achieved tenure in 2016. He concurrently holds an Affiliated Professor appointment in Applied Computing and directs both the PSERC Site and ICC CPS Center. His institutional roles emphasize cyber-physical security integration within power infrastructure. His educational background includes: PhD in Electrical Engineering from University College Dublin (2009) MSc in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University (2001) BSc in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University (1999) Ten's research pioneers cyber-informed security engineering strategies for bulk power systems, focusing on quantifying rare events through system risk models and data science. His work bridges power grid interactions with robotics and transportation systems to advance decarbonization and electrification. Key methodologies include validating cyber-physical security frameworks against steady-state and dynamic grid approaches, with emphasis on attack/defense combinatorics and smart home technologies. This transdisciplinary approach supports the fourth industrial revolution's resilience requirements. His publication trends reveal strong focus on risk-aggregated substation testbeds using generative adversarial networks, cyber insurance models for power systems, and cascading failure analysis from switching attacks. Recent works increasingly integrate machine learning with physics-based modeling to address cybersecurity threats in inverter-based resource integration and distribution emergency operations. Ten has secured over $6.5M in active funding including: $2M DOE grant (MTU portion $105,000) for CyDERMS Center on DERs/Microgrids cybersecurity $704,409 CyManII award for secure digitalization in smart manufacturing $1.05M DOE ARPA-E grant for decarbonized freight transportation modeling NSF CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program ($3.38M) His grants consistently address risk management through data-driven and physics-based modeling, with industry partnerships through PSERC and utility collaborations. As ICC CPS Center Director, he leads research on cyber-physical security testbeds and coordinates the PSERC Summer Transformation School. His team develops validation frameworks for NERC CIP compliance while addressing practical pain points in OT cybersecurity for grid operators.
Pardis Emami-Naeini is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Duke University, with joint appointments in the Sanford School of Public Policy and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. She serves as the Director of the Duke Interdisciplinary Security, Privacy, and Interaction Research (InSPIre) lab and is a Duke Science and Technology Scholar. Her interdisciplinary work bridges computer science, public policy, and electrical engineering, with a focus on developing usable privacy and security solutions that empower individuals from diverse sociodemographic backgrounds. Dr. Emami-Naeini earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University in 2020, followed by postdoctoral research at the University of Washington (2020-2022). Her research sits at the intersection of security, privacy, and human-computer interaction, with particular expertise in IoT security, technology-enabled abuse, reproductive health privacy, and smart city security. She has published extensively at flagship venues including IEEE S&P, CHI, CSCW, and SOUPS, with her work covered by major media outlets such as Wired and The Wall Street Journal. Her recent publications reveal a clear trajectory toward examining the human dimensions of security and privacy in emerging technologies, from LLM chatbots for mental health to social robots and period-tracking apps in the post-Roe v. Wade landscape. Her work consistently emphasizes the need for privacy-aware design that accounts for diverse user needs and contexts, particularly for vulnerable populations. Google Systems and ML Research Gift Award (2025) Google AI Research Scholar Program Award (2024) Top 5% Instructor in Duke Trinity College (2024) ORAU Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award (2023) Duke Science and Technology Scholar (2022) IEEE S&P paper highlighted in IEEE Security and Privacy Magazine (2021) CyLab Presidential Fellowship (2019) Dr. Emami-Naeini actively mentors several Ph.D. students including Jabari Kwesi, Jessie Cao, and Hiba Laabadli, as well as undergraduate and master's students. Her research has influenced key organizations including the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Consumer Reports, and the World Economic Forum in creating usable security and privacy labels for smart devices. She serves on numerous program committees including USENIX Security and CHI, and has participated in NSF grant review panels, demonstrating her growing leadership in the security and privacy community. Her InSPIre lab conducts user-centered research to uncover security and privacy needs of diverse stakeholders, with a particular focus on marginalized communities. The lab's work spans multiple domains including intimate partner violence, reproductive health, virtual reality, and smart cities, always with a strong emphasis on translating research findings into practical tools and policy recommendations.
Miroslav Pajic serves as a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering. He also holds joint appointments as Associate Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Associate Professor of Computer Science. As Director of Master's Studies, he oversees the graduate program in Electrical and Computer Engineering and teaches numerous courses spanning embedded systems, cyber-physical systems design, and robotics. Education: Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from University of Pennsylvania (2012) Miroslav Pajic's research focuses on the design and analysis of cyber-physical systems (CPS) with varying levels of autonomy and human interaction. His work spans the intersection of embedded systems, artificial intelligence, machine learning, control theory, formal methods, and robotics. He specializes in developing high-assurance autonomous systems with applications in robotics, automotive systems, and medical devices, with particular emphasis on CPS security and resilient autonomy. His research addresses fundamental challenges in creating systems that can operate reliably in uncertain environments while maintaining security against potential cyber attacks. Analysis of Pajic's recent publications reveals a strong interdisciplinary research program bridging theoretical foundations with practical applications. His work spans secure sensor fusion for distributed autonomy, medical applications of CPS (particularly deep brain stimulation for neurological disorders), and innovative sensing technologies for autonomous vehicles. A significant portion of his research addresses security challenges in cyber-physical systems, including stealthy GPS attacks on UAVs and methods for attack-resilient state estimation. His publications increasingly integrate machine learning techniques with traditional control theory to create more adaptive and robust autonomous systems. Pajic actively mentors graduate students and leads research groups focused on cyber-physical systems security and high-assurance autonomy. His research is supported by multiple grants, including the NSF AI Institute for Edge Computing (Athena), which he co-leads. He has received funding from various sources to support his work on secure and resilient cyber-physical systems, medical device security, and autonomous vehicle technologies. Pajic collaborates extensively with medical researchers on applications of cyber-physical systems in healthcare, particularly in deep brain stimulation for neurological disorders. His work bridges the gap between theoretical control systems and practical implementations in safety-critical domains, with a growing emphasis on translating research into real-world applications that improve system security and reliability.
Professor Kunal Mankodiya is a faculty member in the Department of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Rhode Island. He holds the rank of Professor and is affiliated with the College of Engineering. His research focuses on wearable technologies, smart textiles, and medical IoT systems, with notable contributions in neural engineering and body sensor networks. Education Ph.D., University of Luebeck, Germany (2010) M.S., Biomedical Engineering, University of Luebeck, Germany (2007) B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Saurashtra University & C.U. Shah College (2003) Postdoctoral Researcher, Carnegie Mellon University (2011-2014) Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Pittsburgh (2011) Research Interests Mankodiya’s work emphasizes innovative wearable sensor systems for healthcare applications, including smart textiles for medical monitoring and IoT-enabled telemedicine solutions. His research integrates electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, and computer science to address challenges in neurological disorders, neonatal care, and movement disorders. Grants & Awards 2017 NSF CAREER Award 2017 40 under 40 Award, Providence Business News Lead PI on grants totaling over $5M, including NSF CAREER and NIH-funded projects Labs & Teams Mankodiya leads the Smart Wearable and IoT Lab at URI, focusing on interdisciplinary research in healthcare technology. His team collaborates with clinical partners on projects like neonatal monitoring systems and Parkinson’s disease tele-assessment tools.
Professor Michael Milford is a robotics and computer vision expert at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), serving as Joint Director of QUT's Centre for Robotics. His research bridges robotics, neuroscience, and computer vision, focusing on biologically inspired navigation systems for autonomous vehicles and drones. He has pioneered projects like SeqSLAM and RatSLAM, emphasizing the synergy between biological intelligence and robotic systems. Research Interests: Milford explores navigation algorithms inspired by animal behavior, energy-efficient neural networks, and autonomous systems. His work aims to create robots capable of operating in dynamic environments through interdisciplinary collaboration with institutions like MIT, Harvard, and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Awards & Recognition: Awarded the 2019 Batterham Medal and a $2.7M Australian Laureate Fellowship for his project on GPS-independent positioning systems. His work has produced highly cited papers in robotics and computer vision, including breakthroughs in visual SLAM and place recognition under varying conditions. Teaching & Collaboration: Milford mentors students in robotics and AI, launching initiatives like the STEM Storybook to inspire youth. He collaborates globally, emphasizing cross-disciplinary research to bridge gaps between fundamental and applied sciences. Labs & Projects: Leads QUT's Centre for Robotics, advancing technologies for autonomous systems. His projects explore neuromorphic computing, SLAM systems, and bio-inspired navigation, with applications in defense, transport, and environmental monitoring.
Stephanie Gil is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Her research focuses on artificial intelligence, robotics, and distributed systems, particularly addressing challenges in multi-agent coordination, resilience to adversarial attacks, and wireless communication for autonomous systems. She leads the REACT Lab, advancing research in resilient multi-robot networks and cyber-physical systems. Her work integrates machine learning, control theory, and wireless sensing to solve problems such as whale tracking via autonomous robots, proactive multi-robot routing, and decentralized exploration without explicit information exchange. She has received prestigious awards, including the DARPA Young Faculty Award (2024) and the Amazon Research Award (2021). Key research areas include resilient distributed optimization, trust-centered coordination in multi-agent systems, and leveraging wireless signals (e.g., WiFi-CSI) for sensing and bearing estimation. Her contributions span both theoretical frameworks and practical implementations, with a focus on real-world applications like autonomous rideshare routing and environmental monitoring. Dr. Gil’s research also explores trust and cybersecurity in dynamic networks, with publications on crowd vetting, malicious robot detection, and adaptive communication strategies. She collaborates on interdisciplinary projects, such as Project CETI, combining AI and robotics for ecological studies.
Zhibo Pang is an Adjunct Professor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology's Department of Intelligent Systems (EECS) and Senior Principal Scientist at ABB Corporate Research Sweden. His work focuses on digital transformation in industry and healthcare, spanning robotics, AI, control systems, and wireless communication. He leads projects in embodied intelligence, Industry 4.0, and Healthcare 4.0, with 23 granted patents and over 120 journal papers. Education: PhD in Electronic and Computer Systems (KTH, 2013), MBA in Innovation & Growth (University of Turku, 2012). Key Roles: IEEE Technical Committee Chair, Editor of 6 IEEE journals, ABB Inventor of the Year (2016, 2018, 2021). Research Interests: Robotics safety, wireless automation, federated learning, digital twins, and IoT security. Recent Projects: Cloud-fog automation frameworks, robot skin systems for healthcare, and latency-aware industrial control. His work bridges academia and industry through cross-functional collaborations.
John Hale, Ph.D., is a Professor and Chair of Computer Science at The University of Tulsa's Tandy School of Computer Science, where he holds the Tandy Endowed Chair in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. He is a founding member of the TU Institute of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (IBCB) and a faculty research scholar in the Institute for Information Security (iSec). Education: Ph.D., Computer Science, The University of Tulsa (1997) M.S., Computer Science, The University of Tulsa (1992) B.S., Computer Science, The University of Tulsa (1990) Dr. Hale's research spans cybersecurity , bioinformatics , cyber-physical systems , and applied formal methods . His work focuses on neuroinformatics, cyber trust, attack modeling, secure software development, and information privacy. Recent publications highlight trends in large-scale graph analysis for cybersecurity, attack graph generation on high-performance computing clusters, and security frameworks for nuclear reactor control systems. His research also explores hybrid attack graph modeling, reflective deception strategies, and compliance methods for cyber-physical infrastructures. Scientific Awards: 2000 National Science Foundation CAREER Award Dr. Hale has advised numerous research projects and received funding from the U.S. Air Force, Army, NSF, NIH, DARPA, NSA, and NIJ. He has testified before Congress on cybersecurity and holds a patent for anti-piracy technology. His lab work includes developing cyber-physical testbeds and science DMZ security solutions.
Clémence Poirier is a Senior Researcher in the Cyberdefense Project within the Risk and Resilience Team at the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich. She previously served as a Research Fellow at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) in Vienna and as a Researcher for Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia. She also holds the position of Space Generation Advocacy and Policy Platform's Lead on Responsible Space Behavior at the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC). Her educational background includes a Master's degree in International Relations, International Security and Defense and a Bachelor's degree in Foreign Applied Languages (English, Russian, Spanish), both from University Jean Moulin Lyon III, France. Dr. Poirier is multilingual, which supports her international research collaborations. Dr. Poirier's research focuses on the critical intersection of space operations and cybersecurity, with particular emphasis on geopolitical implications of cyber conflict in outer space. Her work examines how terrestrial conflicts like the Ukraine war impact space security architecture and explores policy frameworks for protecting space infrastructure from cyber threats. She has conducted extensive research on space cybersecurity policy across multiple jurisdictions including Australia, Europe, and the United States. Analysis of her publication record reveals a clear progression from foundational space policy research toward increasingly specialized work on space cybersecurity. Her recent publications demonstrate growing attention to practical policy implementation challenges, with several papers addressing specific national and regional approaches to space cybersecurity governance. There's also a notable trend toward multidisciplinary collaboration, particularly with technical experts in space systems engineering. Dr. Poirier has established significant research partnerships with major space institutions including the European Space Agency, with whom she collaborated on climate policy research examining the integration of space-based data in European environmental policies. Her work with SmartSat CRC in Australia demonstrates international research coordination on space infrastructure security. She leads research initiatives focused on responsible space behavior and has contributed to policy development through her work with the European Economic and Social Committee. Her current Cyberdefense Project at ETH Zurich's CSS represents the culmination of her expertise in space security policy development.
Dr. Dennis Buckmaster is a Professor in Agricultural & Biological Engineering at Purdue University, serving as Dean's Fellow for Digital Agriculture. He holds a B.S. from Purdue University and M.S./Ph.D. from Michigan State University. His research focuses on digital agriculture, machine systems engineering, and data science applications in farming. He co-coordinates the Agricultural Systems Management program and teaches courses like Computing Technology with Applications and Ag Tech and Innovation. He leads the Open Ag Technology and Systems Center (OATS Center), advancing open-source solutions for agriculture through platforms like ISOBlue and OADA. His work integrates IoT, robotics, and machine learning to optimize crop production, livestock management, and farm decision-making. He has authored over 150 publications on precision agriculture technologies. Professional memberships include American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers and Fluid Power Society. He emphasizes data interoperability, edge computing, and bridging engineering with agricultural practices through collaborative frameworks like LATTICE and Meta Ag.
Jun Zhuang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Boise State University. He holds a Ph.D. from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), M.S. degrees in Computer Science (University at Buffalo) and Finance (Rochester Institute of Technology), and a B.E. in Safety Engineering (South China University of Technology). His research focuses on trustworthy and robust AI systems, Bayesian inference, generative models, quantum computing, and medical imaging. Education: Ph.D., Computer Science, IUPUI (2023) M.S., Computer Science, University at Buffalo (2018) M.S., Finance, Rochester Institute of Technology (2013) B.E., Safety Engineering, South China University of Technology (2011) Research Interests: Jun investigates robust machine learning algorithms, particularly in quantum information, medical imaging, and graph-based systems. He emphasizes mitigating adversarial attacks, enhancing model interpretability, and integrating blockchain for AI security. His work spans theoretical foundations and practical applications, including generative adversarial networks (GANs) and trustworthy AI frameworks. Recent Articles: His recent work addresses jailbreaking vulnerabilities in large language models (LLMs), quantum computing optimization challenges, and robust graph structure learning. These studies highlight interdisciplinary approaches to advancing AI reliability and security. Awards & Grants: Recipient of the SIGIR Student Travel Grant for CIKM 2022. Active in grant activities through research collaborations and institutional funding. Advising & Labs: Advisor to Ph.D. student Maqsudur Rahman and M.S. students Chia-Ying Wu and Shipra Kumari. Leads the T rustworthy and R obust AI L ab (TRAIL), focusing on developing resilient AI systems.
Ming Cao is a Full Professor at the University of Groningen (Netherlands), holding positions in the Department of Discrete Technology and Production Automation, the Engineering and Technology Institute Groningen, and serving as Chair of the Jantina Tammes School of Digital Society, Technology and AI. His academic roles include Director of the Jantina Tammes School and membership in prestigious organizations such as the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC) and the European Commission’s DG CNECT. Cao’s research focuses on multi-agent systems, autonomous robotics, complex networks, and cooperative control, with applications in robotics, epidemic modeling, and biomimetic sensors. Education: PostDoc in Mechanical Engineering from Princeton University (2008), PhD in Electrical Engineering from Yale University (2007). Research Interests: Multi-agent systems, distributed decision-making, cooperative control, robotic teams, seal whisker-inspired flow sensing, and privacy-preserving control systems. Recent Trends in Articles: Recent work emphasizes co-evolutionary dynamics in social-technical systems, privacy in control systems, and biomimetic robotics. Key topics include feedback mechanisms in cooperation, hypergraph-based epidemic models, and seal whisker mechanics for underwater sensing. Awards: European Control Award (2016), Manfred Thoma Medal (2017), ERC Grant (2012). Grants: Vidi Grant from NWO (2015) for agent coordination research. Labs/Teams: Jan C. Willems Center for Systems and Control, Research Center for Data Science and Systems Complexity (DSSC). Active in editorial roles for journals like Artificial Life and Robotics and the SIAM Journal on Control and Optimization .
Zhong-Ping Jiang is an Institute Professor at New York University Tandon School of Engineering, affiliated with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and holds cross appointments in Civil and Urban Engineering. He leads the Control and Network (CAN) Lab and contributes to research centers like the Center for Advanced Technology in Telecommunications (CATT) and C2SMARTER. His work focuses on nonlinear control, adaptive dynamic programming, and learning-based control with applications to autonomous systems, urban mobility, and computational neuroscience. He serves as Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica and has held editorial roles in multiple journals. Research interests include model-based and learning-based control for network systems, with emphasis on robotics, connected vehicles, and urban infrastructure. His contributions to nonlinear small-gain theory and robust reinforcement learning have advanced control methodologies for complex systems. Recent publications highlight trends in resilient control under cyberattacks, data-driven optimal control, and reinforcement learning applications in traffic signal optimization and autonomous driving. His work bridges theoretical advancements with real-world challenges in transportation and cyber-physical systems. Awards: Elected to the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (2024). Grants/Projects: Includes RAPID-funded studies on high-resolution agent-based modeling of epidemic spread and NSF-supported research on urban traffic networks. Labs/Teams: CAN Lab (focusing on control theory and networked systems), CATT (telecommunications innovations), and C2SMARTER (urban mobility solutions).
