My research builds intelligent, secure, and resilient next-generation wireless systems: combining 5G/6G networking, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), UAV-enabled communications, energy-efficient IoT, and AI-driven network optimization. A second strand applies generative AI and large language models to engineering education and rural broadband.
Research Areas
- 5G and 6G wireless networks: self-healing, X-haul, cell-outage compensation
- Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS): passive, active, and STAR-RIS
- UAV-enabled and tethered/untethered aerial communications
- Wireless and cellular security; cybersecurity education
- Energy harvesting and batteryless IoT
- Multimodal and agentic LLM frameworks for wireless perception, beam prediction, blockage, and handover
- AI-enabled course assistants and educational technology (CourseGPT, ZenEra, ALAN AI)
- Rural broadband testbeds: ARA Wireless Living Lab
Active Funded Projects
- ArMORED: Architecture for Massive-MIMO Open RAN Energy-efficient Devices: Co-PI, NTIA, Jan 2025 – Dec 2027. Total award: $2,000,000.
- ACCoRD: Acceleration of Compatibility and Commercialization for Open RAN Deployments: Co-PI, NTIA, Feb 2024 – Jan 2028. Total award: $1,000,000.
- NeTS: SRI²: Software-defined STAR-RIS for Robust and Intelligent Internet of Things: PI, NSF, Oct 2024 – Sep 2026. Total award: $200,000.
- ARA Launchpad: Open Wireless Platforms, Data and Prototypes for Integrative Research, Education and Innovation: Co-PI, NSF, Oct 2023 – May 2026. Total award: $784,000.
- On Impact of Grade School Math Tutoring by MI-STEM Graduate Students and Faculty: Co-PI, ISU VPR Community Vitality RIR, May 2024 – Jun 2025. Total award: $70,000.
Recently Completed Projects
- ARA: Wireless Living Lab for Smart and Connected Rural Communities: Co-PI, NSF, May 2021 – May 2025. Total award: $1,000,000.
- ARA: Conference and Symposia Grants: ARAFEST Workshop: Co-PI, NSF, May 2024 – Dec 2024. Total award: $117,998.
- POSE: Phase I: OPERA: An Open-Source Ecosystem for Broadband Prairie: Co-PI, NSF, Sep 2022 – Aug 2024. Total award: $299,999.
- Flipping Student Ability Differences from a Liability to an Advantage: A TBL Approach for Freshman Computer Engineering: PI, ISU DELTG Grant, Jul 2019 – Jul 2020. Total award: $16,874.
Pending Proposals
- VINES Track 2: AgSlicing: Predictable RAN and Spectrum Slicing for Precision Agriculture: Co-PI, NSF (under review).
- CyberTraining: ARAcademy: ARA-Based Workforce Development for Rural Broadband: Co-PI, NSF (under review).
- CyGPT: A Scalable, Course-Embedded AI Platform for Guided Learning and Assessment: PI, ISU (under review).
For project collaborations or sponsored research inquiries, please see the contact page.