Ting He is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, specializing in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of network sciences, energy systems, and cybersecurity. Their work addresses critical challenges in network tomography, software-defined networking, and cyber-physical systems, with a strong emphasis on advancing edge computing and decentralized learning paradigms. NSF-funded research on Distributed Edge Intelligence (2024–2025) Collaborative projects on Overlay Networks and Adversarial Reconnaissance in SDN Recent publications analyze network topology inference, energy-efficient decentralized learning, and secure cloud file systems. Their research aligns with UN SDGs through contributions to sustainable energy systems and secure IT infrastructure. Key collaborations with Silvestri, La Porta, and Chaudhuri Active in Smart Grid resilience and cascading failure mitigation
Andrew Pavlo is a Professor in the Computer Science Department at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science. His research focuses on database management systems, particularly in the areas of transaction processing, in-memory databases, and self-driving database systems. He leads a productive research group that has published extensively in top database venues including VLDB, SIGMOD, and CIDR. Pavlo's research interests span database management systems, transaction processing, in-memory databases, non-volatile memory databases, and self-driving database systems. His work often bridges theoretical database concepts with practical system implementation, focusing on performance optimization, query processing, and system architecture. Recent work has explored machine learning applications for database tuning, novel storage techniques, and innovative approaches to transaction processing. An analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on self-driving database systems, with significant work on the Database Gym framework for training machine learning models to optimize database performance. His research also examines columnar storage formats, transaction scheduling, and novel approaches to user-defined function optimization. The work demonstrates a consistent trajectory toward making database systems more autonomous and efficient through a combination of systems techniques and machine learning. Pavlo has been instrumental in mentoring numerous PhD students who have become active contributors to the database research community. His research has been supported by significant grants that have enabled the development of innovative database technologies and frameworks. His research group operates within CMU's vibrant database ecosystem, collaborating with other researchers on projects related to database systems, storage engines, and query processing frameworks. The group maintains close connections with industry partners to ensure practical relevance of their research contributions.
Walid G. Aref is a Professor of Computer Science at Purdue University since Fall 1999. His research focuses on database systems, spatial and spatio-temporal data management, query processing, and indexing. He has led projects funded by NSF, NIH, and industry partners. Aref is a Fellow of the IEEE and has received awards including the NSF CAREER Award (2001) and VLDB’s Ten-Year Best Paper Award (2016). He serves as Editor-in-Chief of ACM Transactions on Spatial Algorithms and Systems and has authored numerous influential papers. Education: BSc/MSc from Alexandria University (Egypt), PhD from University of Maryland (1993). Research Interests: Extending database functionality for emerging applications like spatial, graph, and sensor databases. Notable contributions include the Chameleon project, AQWA system for big spatial data, and privacy-preserving Casper framework. Selected Projects: NSF-funded work on multi-predicate spatial queries, in-memory graph relational systems, and adaptive spatio-textual processing. Systems like Tornado (spatio-textual streams) and LocationSpark (distributed spatial data) exemplify his contributions. Awards: Multiple best paper awards, IEEE Fellow, and leadership roles in ACM SIGSPATIAL.
Dr. Song Jiang is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). He holds a PhD from the College of William and Mary (2004) and has held academic positions at institutions such as Wayne State University and Los Alamos National Laboratory. His research focuses on system infrastructure for large language models (LLMs) and big data processing, including GPU/CPU memory systems, file and storage systems, and high-performance computing (HPC) I/O systems. He has received significant funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and industry partners like VMware and Tencent. Education: B.S. and M.S. from University of Science and Technology of China (1993, 1996), Ph.D. in Computer Science from College of William and Mary (2004). Postdoctoral research at Los Alamos National Laboratory (2004–2006). Research interests include file and storage systems, data management, big data analytics, and optimizing computing architectures for AI/ML. Key contributions include the LIRS replacement algorithm (adopted in MySQL and NetBSD), CLOCK-Pro page replacement (used in Linux), and swap token algorithms (Linux kernel). Awards include the 2022 ACM SIGMETRICS Test of Time Award and 2009 NSF CAREER Award. His work has led to 15+ patents and impactful industry collaborations with Facebook, Baidu, and others. Advising: Supervised 14+ PhD/Master’s students, including current advisees Chen Zhong and Sujit Maharjan. Active roles in doctoral committees and thesis supervision. Grants: Over $2.5M in NSF funding for projects like 'Software Defined Cache for Index Search' and 'Taming Small Data Writes'. Industry grants include VMware’s $240K project on distributed key-value storage. Labs/Teams: Leads research on persistent memory systems, key-value stores, and LLM infrastructure through UTA’s CSE department and collaborations with industry partners.
Jim Dowling is a distributed systems researcher at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, focusing on large-scale distributed systems, machine learning, and big data. His work emphasizes improving system dependability, performance, security, and scalability through middleware, peer-to-peer systems, and cloud-native solutions. He leads courses such as Advanced Course in Large Scale Machine Learning and Deep Learning and Scalable Machine Learning and Deep Learning , demonstrating his commitment to education in AI and distributed computing. His research spans topics like feature stores, Kubernetes integration, and AI-driven environmental analytics (e.g., ANIARA project for edge infrastructure automation and ExtremeEarth for Copernicus data analysis). He has contributed to scalable ML pipelines, cloud storage systems (HopsFS-S3), and hyperparameter optimization tools like Maggy. Key projects include the Hopsworks platform for machine learning operations and the development of cloud-native tools for big data analytics. His work bridges theoretical distributed systems research with practical applications in AI, healthcare, and environmental science. He has advised on numerous collaborative initiatives but no formal students are listed. His grants and lab activities are centered around Hopsworks and the ANIARA project, reflecting his focus on scalable, self-managing systems.
Mendel Rosenblum is the Cheriton Family Professor and holds dual appointments as Professor in the Departments of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. He is a co-founder of VMware Inc. and served as its Chief Scientist for its first decade, playing a pivotal role in designing foundational virtualization technologies. Rosenblum's research focuses on system software, distributed systems, and computer architecture, with notable contributions to virtualization, data center networks, and operating systems. He leads the Platform Lab at Stanford, exploring next-generation data center technologies and high-performance computing systems. Administrative Role: Faculty Director of Stanford Computer Forum (2012–present) Education: PhD (UC Berkeley, 1992), MS (UC Berkeley, 1989), BA (University of Virginia, 1984) His research interests span disk storage management, computer simulation, scalable operating systems, and security. Recent work emphasizes deployable consensus algorithms, programmable smartNICs, and self-programming networks. Rosenblum has authored over 80 publications and holds multiple patents in virtualization and system software. Awards & Recognition: ACM System Software Award (2009) IEEE Computer Entrepreneur Award (2011) ACM Thacker Breakthrough in Computing Award (2018) Member, National Academy of Engineering (2013) He advises PhD and Master's students, including current advisees Sina Jandaghi Semnani and Zixi Liu. Rosenblum teaches advanced courses on web applications, distributed systems, and independent research projects.
Prof. Dr. Viktor Leis is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), leading the Chair for Decentralized Information Systems and Data Management. His research focuses on cost-efficient data systems, particularly in cloud environments, with expertise in core database topics like query processing, transaction management, and storage optimization. He earned his PhD from TUM in 2016 and previously held professorships at Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg before returning to TUM in 2022. His work has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the ACM SIGMOD Dissertation Award, VLDB Early Career Research Contribution Award, and an ERC Starting Grant. Research Interests: Cloud computing, database systems, query optimization, storage engines, transaction processing, and NVMe-optimized systems. Key Projects: Developed the LeanStore storage engine and contributed to the Hyper database system. His recent publications emphasize cloud-native architectures, high-performance storage solutions, and hybrid transactional/analytical processing. He actively teaches courses on distributed systems, cloud databases, and blockchain technologies.
Dr. Feng Yan is an Associate Professor at the University of Houston's Computer Science Department, leading the Intelligent Data and Systems Lab (IDS Lab). He previously held an Associate Professor position at the University of Nevada, Reno. His research focuses on bridging Big Data, Machine Learning, and Systems, with interdisciplinary applications in wildfire science, materials engineering, and civil infrastructure. He has received prestigious awards such as the NSF CAREER Award and the Regents' Rising Researcher Award. Education: Ph.D. (2016) and M.S. (2011) in Computer Science from College of William and Mary; B.S. (2008) in Computer Science from Northeastern University. Research experience includes roles at Microsoft Research and HP Labs. Research Interests: Large Language Models (LLM), Distributed Deep Learning, AutoML, Serverless Computing, Federated Learning, and AI-driven domain sciences. His work emphasizes real-world impact through collaborations with industry and national labs. Publications: Over 60+ papers in top-tier venues like NeurIPS, ICLR, KDD, AAAI, SOSP, SC, and VLDB. Key contributions include ZeRO++ (collective communication optimization), Gradient Compression techniques, and Federated Learning frameworks like TiFL and HDFL. Awards: NSF EPSCoR Award ($20M), NSF CAREER Award, FAA BAKFAA Grant, and multiple best paper awards (IEEE CLOUD 2018, CLOUD 2019). Active in program committees for HPDC, ICAC, ICPE, and AAAI. Advising: Supervised over 30+ graduate/undergraduate students, with placements at Microsoft Research, IBM, Oak Ridge National Lab, Facebook, and MathWorks. Runs a vibrant lab with a focus on interdisciplinary AI/Systems research.
Daniel J. Abadi is a prominent researcher in database systems at Yale University. With over two decades of impactful research, he has made significant contributions to the fields of distributed databases, transaction processing, and column-oriented database systems. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical implementations that have influenced both academia and industry. Dr. Abadi's research primarily focuses on database system architecture, with particular emphasis on: Distributed and geo-replicated database systems High-performance transaction processing Column-oriented and analytical database systems Stream processing and real-time analytics Cloud and serverless database technologies Integration of machine learning with database systems His recent work shows a continued focus on addressing scalability challenges in modern database systems, with particular attention to multi-region transaction processing, automated data management, and the integration of machine learning techniques. The trend in his publications indicates a strong emphasis on practical, deployable systems that solve real-world problems faced by industry. Dr. Abadi has been instrumental in several major research initiatives and reports that have shaped the direction of database research, including the Seattle Report and the Cambridge Report on Database Research. Throughout his career, Dr. Abadi has mentored numerous students and collaborated extensively with leading researchers in the field. His work has received significant recognition through widespread citations and adoption of his ideas in both academic and industrial database systems.
Mostafa Ammar is a Regents' Professor and Interim Chair at the School of Computer Science , Georgia Institute of Technology. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo and degrees (S.B., S.M.) from MIT. His career spans academia, industry collaboration, and leadership in networking research. Research Interests : Network architectures, protocols, and services; multicast communication; multimedia streaming; content distribution networks; disruption-tolerant networks; mobile cloud computing; network virtualization; HTTP adaptive streaming; video quality of experience (QoE); encrypted traffic analysis; vehicular networks; peer-to-peer systems; overlay networks. Funding : Supported by NSF, DARPA, AFOSR, CISCO, IBM, Intel, BellSouth, Sprint, and others. His research focuses on video QoE estimation using network measurements, mobile cloud computing , and network agility through virtualization. Recent work includes machine learning approaches for encrypted traffic analysis and scalable techniques for network performance. Key scientific awards include: IBM Faculty Partnership Award (1996), Best Paper at WWW '98, IEEE Fellow (2002), ACM Fellow (2003), GT Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Advisor (2006), IEEE TCCC Service Award (2010), ACM Mobihoc Best Paper (2012), College of Computing Awards (2015, 2018), IFIP Best Paper (2018), and multiple teaching excellence awards (2013-2017, 2022 CIOS Award). Dr. Ammar has advised 39 PhD students , many of whom hold prominent positions at institutions like UC Santa Barbara, Emory University, and companies including Google, Microsoft, and Facebook. His editorial leadership includes Editor-in-Chief of IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking (1999-2003) and roles in conference committees.
Dr. Gowri Sankar Ramachandran is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Information Systems at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), specializing in cybersecurity and distributed systems. She holds a PhD from KU Leuven (Belgium) and a postdoctoral position at the University of Southern California (USC). Her research focuses on open-source software security, runtime threat detection, blockchain applications, and IoT vulnerabilities. Notable contributions include the FUSE tool for detecting malicious packages and the discovery of hyperlink hijacking vulnerabilities affecting millions of domains. Research interests span software supply chain security, metadata-based risk analysis, and generative AI for cyber risk modeling. Awards include Best Paper Awards at ACM CBSE (2016), Mobiquitous (2017), and BigMM (2019). Collaborations include projects with CSIRO, the City of Los Angeles, and the University of São Paulo. She teaches courses on cybersecurity, database management, and network security, and actively supervises PhD students in cybersecurity and blockchain domains. Recent publications address blockchain-based data governance, quantum-resilient IoT protocols, and decentralized identity systems. Her work bridges academic research with real-world impact, addressing critical challenges in digital systems security and privacy.
Flavio Esposito is an Associate Professor in the Computer Science Department at Saint Louis University's School of Engineering. He also serves as a Research Institute Fellow and CS Graduate Coordinator. His office is located in ISE 234D at 3450 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO. Dr. Esposito's research focuses on cyber-physical systems and networked systems, including network virtualization, network management, Software-Defined Networks (SDN), network architectures, and wireless networks. He has a strong interest in interdisciplinary applications of these technologies to medicine and agriculture. His work bridges theoretical networking concepts with practical implementations. His publications span key areas in networking research, with recent work focusing on congestion control algorithms, virtual network embedding, recursive network architectures, and edge computing applications. The research trends show a progression from foundational networking protocols toward more sophisticated applications integrating machine learning, edge computing, and cyber-physical systems, with increasing emphasis on real-world applications in diverse domains. Outstanding Graduate Mentoring Faculty Award from the School of Engineering (2021) Finalist for the Undergraduate Mentoring Award in the College of Arts and Sciences Multiple NSF research awards including US Ignite, ICE-T, CNS Core, CC* Integration, CPS:TTP, and ModernCARE projects COMCAST Innovation Fund Award (January 2020) International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG) Award ($150K) Dr. Esposito actively mentors PhD and MS students, with numerous current and past students who have gone on to positions at major tech companies, universities, and research institutions. He has been a Principal Investigator on multiple significant research grants totaling millions of dollars. He co-founded Spaghetti Code Labs with former PhD student Alessandro Sangiorgi, whose cybersecurity educational app WeeNet has achieved 5.7M+ downloads. He leads several research labs and teams focused on cyber-physical systems, with current openings for PhD students, visiting researchers, and postdocs working on networks, learning, edge computing, and applications to medicine and agriculture. His teams have developed numerous software systems including Software Mutant, Neighborhood Method Prototype, VINEA, ProtoRINA, and BUtorrent.
Andreas Ekelhart is a Researcher at TU Wien's Department of Information and Software Engineering. His work focuses on cybersecurity, cyber-physical systems, and industrial control systems. He specializes in developing frameworks like SLOGERT for automated log analysis and Kyrstal for attack discovery using knowledge graphs. His research also explores digital twin technology for threat detection and semantic web applications in machine learning systems. Key contributions include the VloGraph framework for distributed security log analysis and the QualSec approach for automated security risk identification in production systems. He collaborates on standards like AutomationML and emphasizes privacy-preserving data analysis through semantic architectures.
Nickolai Zeldovich is the Joan and Irwin M. Jacobs Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT, and a member of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). He received his PhD from Stanford University in 2008 and focuses on building practical secure systems, including encrypted databases, undefined behavior detection tools, formally verified file systems, and cryptocurrency protocols. His work spans both theoretical and applied aspects of computer security and distributed systems. Research interests include: Secure system design Distributed consensus mechanisms Formal verification of software/hardware Cryptographic protocols Privacy-preserving web technologies Publications & Verification Tools Recent work focuses on modular verification of complex systems, including: Shipwright (2025): Byzantine-fault-tolerant distributed system verification PoWER (2025): Crash consistency verification framework K2 Architecture (2023): Trustworthy hardware security modules Grove (2023): Separation-logic-based verification library Tiptoe (2023): Private web search protocols Major Awards Best paper award, ACM SOSP (2011, 2015, 2017) Sloan Research Fellowship (2010) NSF CAREER award (2011) MIT Jamieson Award for Teaching (2024) Active in multiple startup ventures including Algorand (cryptocurrency), MokaFive (virtualization), and PreVeil (end-to-end encryption).
Dr. Omar Alhussein serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Khalifa University. Previously, he worked as a Senior Research Engineer at Huawei Technologies Canada (2020-2023), where he developed machine-learning solutions for networks and filed six patent applications. His educational qualifications include: Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo (2020) M.A.Sc. in Engineering Science, Simon Fraser University (2015) B.Sc. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Khalifa University (2013) Research focuses on the convergence of networks and artificial intelligence: Network Automation and Intelligence Network Resource Management and Optimization AI and Networking NFV/SDN Wireless Networks He employs interdisciplinary methods to advance network intelligence through fundamental research principles. Scientific recognition includes: Outstanding Individual Award (Huawei Technologies) Quality Research Award (Huawei Technologies) Dr. Alhussein mentors PhD candidates and holds six patent applications for probabilistic/distributed AI in next-generation networks and AI trustworthiness. He actively recruits PhD students for ongoing research. He maintains active affiliations with Khalifa University's 6G Research Center and Center for Cyber-Physical Systems.
