Cicek Cavdar is an Associate Professor at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) at KTH Royal Institute of Technology , Sweden. She leads the Intelligent Network Systems research group and specializes in Telecommunication Networks , with a focus on Beyond 5G/6G Mobile Networks , Energy Efficiency , and AI-Assisted Network Management . PhD in Computer Science (2009) from University of California, Davis and Istanbul Technical University Her research spans Cell-Free Massive MIMO , Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) , UAV Communication Systems , and Green Network Technologies . She actively contributes to 6G Network Architecture and Non-Terrestrial Networks , including satellite and aerial systems. Recent publications highlight AI-driven network optimization for handover management, energy-aware resource allocation , and multi-agent reinforcement learning in complex communication environments. She teaches advanced courses in Communication Systems , Machine Learning , and Software Engineering at KTH.
Kristofer Pister is a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. He co-directs the Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center (BSAC) and the Ubiquitous Swarm Lab. His career spans groundbreaking innovations in Micro/Nano Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS), Control Systems, and Low-Power Circuits, with a focus on Smart Dust and synthetic insects. Education: Ph.D. and M.S. in EECS from UC Berkeley (1992, 1989); B.A. in Applied Physics from UC San Diego (1986). His research areas include MEMS , Control Systems , Robotics , and Integrated Circuits , with recent work on self-powered micro-sensors, crystal-free radios, and interplanetary swarm networks. Key awards include the ISA Albert F. Sperry Founder Award (2009) , Alexander Schwarzkopf Prize (2006) , and the NSF CAREER Award (1996) . He has authored numerous influential publications in wireless sensor networks and microrobotics. His lab, Ubiquitous Swarm Lab , explores distributed robotics and swarm intelligence. Pister emphasizes open collaboration in research, ethical conduct in academia, and efficient resource utilization for graduate students.
Dr. Kanchana Thilakarathna is a Senior Lecturer in Distributed Computing at the University of Sydney's School of Computer Science, and a member of the Centre for Distributed and High Performance Computing. They hold a PhD from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and a B.Sc. Eng (Hons) from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. Prior to academia, they worked as a Research Scientist at CSIRO/Data61 and had industry experience as a Mobile Radio Network Engineer. Research Interests : Dr. Thilakarathna focuses on cybersecurity, privacy in mobile and IoT systems, mixed reality privacy, and distributed computing platforms. Their work emphasizes user-centric solutions like the Yalut social media app, which enables decentralized data sharing. Key themes include privacy-preserving techniques, edge computing, and secure federated learning frameworks. Recent Work : Recent articles (2023–2025) explore machine unlearning for large language models, federated learning security, and IoT network slicing using P4 programmability. Their work on synthetic video traffic generation (VideoTrain++) and drone detection (DronePrint) demonstrates cross-disciplinary innovation. Awards : Malcolm Chaikin Prize (2015), Meta Research Awards (2020/2022), and Heidelberg Laureate Fellowship (2019). Grants : ARC Research Hub for Future Digital Manufacturing (2024), NSW Defence Innovation Network Projects (2024/2021), and Facebook Research Awards (2022/2020). Students : Advising 4 current PhD students on topics like wireless trust establishment and machine unlearning. Labs/Teams : Part of the Centre for Distributed and High Performance Computing and Sydney Nano Institute.
Raouf Boutaba is a Professor at the University of Waterloo , serving as Director of the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science since July 2020. He holds prestigious fellowships including FRSC , FIEEE , FIEC , and FCAE . 2024: Inaugural Rogers Chair in Network Automation 2024: Ontario Research Fund–Research Excellence (ORF–RE) $2M grant for next-gen mobile networks 2021: University Professor title, University of Waterloo Research Interests span network automation, resource management in wired/wireless networks, network function virtualization (NFV), software-defined networking (SDN), cloud computing, blockchain, future Internet architecture, and cybersecurity. His work focuses on zero-touch networks, 5G/B5G slicing, and AI-driven orchestration. Scientific Contributions include 15+ recent publications on topics like reinforcement learning for RAN slicing, encrypted traffic classification, quantum network optimization, and self-driving infrastructure. His projects 5G LEAP and 5G ELITE explore network isolation and Open RAN principles. 2024: IFIP/IEEE CNOM Test of Time Paper Award 2024: Graduate Supervision Excellence Award 2021: Kenneth C. Sevcik Outstanding Student Paper Award (advisor) Teaching includes co-developing the NSERC CREATE Network Softwarization program, offering courses like Network Softwarization: Principles and Foundations (Winter 2024) and Technologies and Enablers since 2018. He emphasizes hands-on training in SDN, NFV, Open RAN, and 5G. Students and Collaborations : Supervised PhD students such as Shihabur R. Chowdhury (2021), Nashid Shahriar (2020), and undergrad Leni Aniva (2022 Gov. Gen. Silver Medal ). His team includes researchers working on 5G, blockchain, and AI-driven network management. Professional Leadership : Organized Rogers TEP Workshops (2024-2025), delivered keynotes at IEEE Globecom, ColCom, and BalkanCom, and served on expert panels for AI orchestration and 5G cybersecurity at major symposia.
Francis Y. Yan is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), holding an affiliate appointment in Electrical & Computer Engineering within the Grainger College of Engineering. He leads the Illinois Networked Systems and AI (NSAI) research group, focusing on building intelligent networked systems that are safe, robust, and performance-optimized through practical machine learning integration. Prior to joining UIUC in January 2025, he served as a Senior Researcher at Microsoft Research Redmond under Victor Bahl. His educational background includes: Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford University (2020), advised by Keith Winstein and Philip Levis B.S. in Computer Science (Yao Class) and B.A. in Economics from Tsinghua University (2015) Additional undergraduate studies at MIT Yan's research adopts a holistic approach to practical machine learning for networked systems, emphasizing judicious application rather than indiscriminate use. He builds real-world systems and research platforms to lay ML foundations, devises deployable algorithms using domain insights, and validates performance through extensive empirical evidence. His work consistently addresses operator concerns regarding ML deployment—focusing on safety, robustness, generalization, and efficiency—while strategically combining ML with classical networking and systems techniques. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2023-2025) reveals dominant themes in resource allocation for microservices (DeDe, Autothrottle), real-time video optimization (Mowgli, GRACE), and LLM-driven network algorithm design. His work bridges theoretical advances with industrial deployment, evidenced by platforms like Puffer (400,000+ users) and OpenNetLab that have become community standards for validating congestion control algorithms. His research has been recognized with top honors: USENIX NSDI Outstanding Paper Award (2024) for Autothrottle APNet Best Paper Award (2022) IRTF Applied Networking Research Prize (2021) USENIX NSDI Community Award (2020) USENIX ATC Best Paper Award (2018) for Pantheon Yan actively recruits master's and undergraduate researchers for his NSAI group, prioritizing self-motivated students for projects in networked systems and AI. His research is supported by industry collaborations (notably Microsoft) and manifests in deployable platforms like Puffer—which has enabled award-winning research at NSDI and SIGCOMM—and OpenNetLab for real-time communications. His work directly impacts production systems including Microsoft Teams and Bing. He founded and directs the Illinois Networked Systems and AI (NSAI) research group, which operates critical infrastructure including Puffer (a live TV service and research platform) and OpenNetLab. These platforms facilitate community-wide validation of novel algorithms, with Puffer alone supporting multiple best-paper awards at top conferences. Current workstreams span cloud resource management (Teal, Autothrottle, DeDe), low-latency video (Puffer, Tambur, Mowgli), and LLM-augmented systems (Nada, Designing Network Algorithms via LLMs).
Prof. Slawomir Stanczak is a Full Professor in Network Information Theory at Technische Universität Berlin and Head of the Wireless Communications and Networks department at Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institut (HHI). His expertise spans wireless communications, signal processing, and machine learning, with a focus on 5G/6G networks and reconfigurable intelligent surfaces. He has held visiting roles at RWTH Aachen University and Stanford University, and leads initiatives like the 6G Research & Innovation Cluster and the xG-Incubator project. Education: Dipl.-Ing. in Electrical Engineering, TU Berlin (1998) Dr.-Ing. (summa cum laude), TU Berlin (2003) Habilitation (venia legendi), TU Berlin (2006) Research & Awards: Recipient of the Best Paper Award from the German Communication Engineering Society (2014) Research grants from the German Research Foundation Co-authored over 200 peer-reviewed papers and two books Chair of the ITU-T Focus Group on Machine Learning for Future Networks (2017-2020) Leadership & Projects: Chairman of 5G Berlin association since 2020 Coordinator of 6G Research & Innovation Cluster and CampusOS flagship project Project lead of xG-Incubator (StartUpConnect initiative) Teaching: Offers courses on Machine Learning and Wireless Communication at TU Berlin.
Marco Di Renzo is a CNRS Professor (Directeur de Recherche Titulaire) at University of Paris-Saclay, affiliated with CentraleSupelec and the Signals and Systems Laboratory (L2S). He serves as Coordinator of the Communications Networks Area at the DigiCosme Laboratory of Excellence and Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Communications Letters. His academic leadership includes membership in the Ph.D. School on ICT Admission Committee at Paris-Saclay University. His educational background includes a Laurea (cum laude) and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from University of L'Aquila, Italy (2003, 2007), and a Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches from University Paris-Sud (2013). Laurea (cum laude), Electrical Engineering, University of L'Aquila (2003) Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, University of L'Aquila (2007) Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches, University Paris-Sud (2013) Di Renzo's research focuses on next-generation wireless communications, particularly reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), 6G technologies, and stochastic geometry modeling. His work bridges theoretical communication theory with practical implementations in cellular networks, millimeter-wave communications, and ultra-wide band systems. Recent publications demonstrate leadership in holographic metasurfaces, integrated sensing and communication (ISAC), and AI-empowered network design, establishing him as a pioneer in electromagnetic wave manipulation for future networks. His award-winning publications span RIS-aided communications, channel modeling, and security frameworks. Analysis of his recent work reveals consistent focus on three pillars: (1) fundamental electromagnetic theory for wave manipulation, (2) practical RIS implementations across frequency bands, and (3) integration with AI for network optimization. His articles frequently address industrial applications including factory automation and space-air-ground networks. Di Renzo's scientific recognition includes: IEEE Fellow (2020) and IET Fellow (2020) Highly Cited Researcher (Web of Science, 2019) SEE-IEEE Alain Glavieux Award (2017) Multiple Best Paper Awards (IEEE ICC, EURASIP) Nokia Foundation Visiting Professorship (2020) As Principal Investigator for CNRS, he coordinates multiple Horizon 2020 projects including SURFER, PathFinder, and MetaWireless. His leadership extends to serving as Project Coordinator for H2020 5Gwireless, 5Gaura, MAPNET, and REDESIGN. With over 350 publications, 17,000+ citations, and h-index of 66+, his research group maintains strong industry partnerships with Nokia and other telecommunications leaders. Di Renzo directs the Signals and Systems Laboratory (L2S) at Paris-Saclay and coordinates the DigiCosme Excellence Lab's Communications Networks Area. His team specializes in electromagnetic modeling for wireless networks and has pioneered the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) Industry Specification Group on RIS. The group maintains active collaborations with Aalto University (Finland), University of Technology Sydney (Australia), and University of L'Aquila (Italy).
Prof. Zheshen Zhang is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Michigan College of Engineering . He leads the Quantum Engineering Lab , focusing on harnessing quantum mechanical resources like entanglement to advance sensing, communication, and computing systems. Academic Rank: Professor Institution: University of Michigan School: College of Engineering Department: Electrical and Computer Engineering Research Interests: His work spans quantum engineering, emphasizing: Quantum computing architectures using continuous-variable cluster states Quantum communication via entanglement-assisted protocols Quantum sensing for precision metrology and dark matter detection Hybrid photonic circuits with Scandium Aluminum Nitride and Silicon Nitride Application of machine learning to quantum information processing Publications Trends: Recent articles highlight: Advances in integrated photonics for scalable quantum devices Development of entanglement-enhanced sensors for covert and precision applications Exploration of exceptional points in optical cavities for metrology Quantum network prototypes enabling open-access quantum computing Machine learning integration with quantum data acquisition
Andrea Fumagalli is a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science , The University of Texas at Dallas. He earned his Ph.D. (1992) and Laurea (1987) in Electrical Engineering from Politecnico di Torino, Italy. Research Interests: All-Optical Network Architectures, Photonic Slot Routing, Wavelength Routing and Protection, Sensor Networks, Cooperative Wireless Networks, Network Optimization, Next Generation Internet (NGI), and Multi-hop Optical Networks. Education: Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, Politecnico di Torino (1992) Laurea, Electrical Engineering, Politecnico di Torino (1987) Key Research Trends: His recent publications focus on 5G networking, optical network automation, elastic optical networks, network reliability, and cross-layer optimization. He explores FPGA acceleration in 5G Low-PHY functions, live migration of containerized network components, and spectral fragmentation mitigation in EONs. Scientific Awards: Best Teaching Award, Electrical Engineering, UTD (2002) Best Thesis Award for Ph.D. Advisee Isabella Cerutti (2002) IEEE ComSoc Distinguished Lecturer Tour (2000) Best Paper Award (1999): 'An Optimal Design Algorithm for Photonic Slot Routing Networks Migrating to Optical Packet Switching' Advising and Grants: He advised Ph.D. student Isabella Cerutti. In 2001, he secured a $300,000 grant from FUNDACAO CPqD for optical network reliability research. He leads the Optical Networking Advanced Research (OpNeAR) Lab at UTD, collaborating on international projects like the Italian government-funded grid computing initiative (2002) and the OMEGA Test-bed for differentiated reliability. Laboratories and Teams: He directs the OpNeAR Lab , which develops tools for optical network emulation and reliability testing. His projects involve partnerships with institutions in Brazil (Unicamp), Sweden (KTH), Italy (Politecnico di Torino, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna), and CNR/CNIT.
Dr. Hatem Abou-Zeid is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Software Engineering at the University of Calgary, directing the WAVES Research Group. He holds adjunct positions at Queen’s University, Carleton University, and Ontario Tech University. His research focuses on AI-driven 6G networks, wireless sensing, extended reality (XR), and brain-computer interfaces (BCI). Prior to academia, he spent 7 years in industry at Ericsson and Cisco, leading projects in 5G radio access and network intelligence, resulting in 20+ patents and $3.5M+ collaborative research projects. Education: PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering (Queen’s University), M.Sc. and B.Sc. in Electronics and Communications Engineering (Arab Academy, Egypt). Research interests span trustworthy AI for 6G, joint sensing & communication systems, and AI for immersive networking. Notable work includes foundational models for 6G radios, self-supervised learning for spectrograms, and safe reinforcement learning for network slicing. His lab explores pediatric BCI, IoT edge computing, and low-power wireless prototyping. Publications highlight contributions to AI-driven resource allocation, 5G/6G slicing, and federated learning in tactical networks. Awards include the 2023 Early Research Excellence Award and 2023 Software Engineering Professor of the Year. Advising involves 15+ students and postdocs, with collaborations spanning academia (e.g., Hotchkiss Brain Institute) and industry (Ericsson, Telus). Current openings exist for PDF/PhD researchers in AI/6G wireless systems and pediatric BCI. Labs/Teams: Director of WAVES Lab; collaborates with Ericsson Canada, Alberta Innovates, and Canadian Space Agency on applied research projects. Teaching includes advanced networking, machine learning systems, and IoT courses.
Vijay K. Shah is an Assistant Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at North Carolina State University, leading the NextG Wireless Lab. His research focuses on advancing wireless communication and network technologies for beyond 5G/6G systems, including O-RAN architecture, spectrum management, and AI-driven network optimization. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science, University of Kentucky (2019) Bachelor's in Computer Science and Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Durgapur (2013) Research emphasizes open radio access networks (O-RAN), mmWave testbeds, and cross-layer optimization. Recent work highlights include ORAN-Bench-13K (LLM benchmarking), ZT-RIC (zero-trust security frameworks), and Milli-O-RAN (reconfigurable mmWave networks). His contributions span O-RAN applications (xApps/rApps), satellite-terrestrial coexistence, and AI-driven positioning systems. Experimental validations include 3GPP-compliant 5G positioning and adversarial attack defenses. Publications reflect expertise in O-RAN architecture evolution, spectrum policy tools (ASCENT), and UAV-based network coordination (GLIDE). Current projects explore LEO satellite constellations and resilient disaster response networks. Labs/Teams: Head of the NextG Wireless Lab at NC State, focusing on prototype development in O-RAN, 6G, and secure AI-driven networks.
Kristian Lasslett is a Professor of Criminology at Ulster University , affiliated with the School of Applied Social and Policy Sciences and the Faculty of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences . He serves on the Executive Board of the International State Crime Initiative and co-founded UzInvestigations , a research center focused on transnational crime analysis. Research Focus: Criminogenic intersections of state and corporate power, elite criminality, land-grabbing, and decolonial theory Media Collaborations: BBC, The Guardian, Radio Free Europe Recent Research Trends include anti-corruption enforcement in Uzbekistan's telecommunications sector, land rights resistance in Bangladesh, and public value creation in forensic science. His work bridges criminology, political economy, and media activism. Scientific Awards: Distinguished Research Fellowship Award (2017) Justice Prize (2017) Editorial & Media Contributions: Joint Editor-in-Chief of State Crime Journal , producer of Ophir documentary, and director of The Colonial Syndrome web-documentary series.
Dr. Ying He is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Electrical and Data Engineering, University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Her research focuses on wireless communication networks, particularly integrating machine learning with satellite and terrestrial systems. She holds a BEng from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (2009) and a PhD from UTS (2017). Prior to her academic role, she worked on TD-LTE chip design at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Affiliations : Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology Global Big Data Technologies Centre (GBDTC) Education : BEng in Telecommunications Engineering, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (2009) PhD in Engineering (Telecommunications), UTS (2017) Her research interests include satellite communication (GEO-LEO integration), spectrum sharing, vehicular communication, and applying machine learning to physical layer algorithms. Notable contributions include optimizing beam design in LEO networks and developing secure IoT systems. She supervises PhD/Master’s students and teaches courses like CCNA and capstone projects. Funded projects span satellite networks, IoT security, and supply chain tracking. Recent grants include SmartSat CRC initiatives and collaborations with industry partners like Intel and Ericsson. Her work addresses challenges in 6G, UAV-enabled computing, and resilient quantum algorithms.
Daehyeok Kim is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at The University of Texas at Austin, where he co-leads the UT Networked Systems Research Group and participates in the Wireless Networking and Communications Group and 6G@UT. He serves as co-PI for the LDOS NSF Expeditions in Computing project, a major initiative rethinking operating systems through AI. His educational background includes a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University under advisors Vyas Sekar and Srinivasan Seshan, where his dissertation introduced abstractions for elastic in-network computing. He also earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Computer Science and Engineering from POSTECH, South Korea, followed by research scientist work at KAIST prior to his Ph.D. Kim's research centers on hardware-software co-design for cloud and edge data centers, targeting speed, efficiency, and resilience. Key projects include resource management for programmable infrastructure, robust cellular network design, end-to-end network transport frameworks, and learning-directed operating systems. His work bridges computer networks, operating systems, distributed systems, and 5G/6G technologies, with emphasis on virtualized radio access networks (vRAN) and edge computing challenges. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a dominant focus on enhancing 5G/6G infrastructure reliability—particularly in virtualized RANs—through innovations in failover mechanisms, integrity protection, and latency-sensitive resource allocation. His research consistently addresses critical industry pain points like sub-second availability requirements, fronthaul security vulnerabilities, and end-to-end service-level objective (SLO) guarantees for mobile-edge applications. Notable scientific awards include: NSF CAREER Award (2025) for advancing cloud hardware efficiency Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship (2019) Bronze Award at Samsung HumanTech Paper Awards (2018) Qualcomm Innovation Awards (2016) His grant portfolio features leadership in the $10M+ LDOS NSF Expeditions project and the NSF CAREER award, both driving transformative work in AI-integrated operating systems and resilient network infrastructure. These projects demonstrate strong industry-academia collaboration with Microsoft Research, wireless vendors, and cloud providers. Kim co-leads the UT Networked Systems Research Group, which operates within the Wireless Networking and Communications Group and 6G@UT consortium. These labs maintain a 5G/6G testbed for Open RAN validation and focus on solving real-world problems in cellular infrastructure, edge computing, and network security through close partnerships with industry leaders.
Pleros Nikos is a Professor in the Department of Informatics at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), leading the Photonics Systems and Networks (Phos-Net) research group and co-founding the interdisciplinary Wireless and Photonic Systems and Networks (WinPhoS) research group in 2016 at AUTH’s Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation (C.I.R.I.). His office is located in Kalamaria, Office 15, with office hours Tuesday/Wednesday 10:00-12:00 and Thursday 16:00-17:00. His research spans optical and photonic systems, specializing in Optical Packet/Burst Switching, High-Speed Optical Signal Processing, Wireless Optical Networks (including Radio-over-fiber access networks), and High-Speed WDM/OTDM Optical Transmitters. The WinPhoS group, which integrates departments of Physics, Informatics, and Electrical Engineering, advances applications in integrated photonics, plasmonics, optical interconnects for DataCenters, neuromorphic photonics, and 5G mmWave fiber-wireless systems, supported by state-of-the-art laboratories for optical interconnects and mmWave testing. WinPhoS has participated in over 30 FP7 and Horizon EU research projects during the last 15 years, frequently serving as project coordinators, and maintains global collaborations with institutions and industry across Greece, Europe, the USA, and Japan. Professor Nikos actively mentors PhD students, with current openings in “Photonic Neural Networks and Photonic AI processors”, and oversees research grants focused on next-generation optical networking technologies.
