Lab Updates

Sirat Samyoun Recognized for Outstanding Research in Smart and Connected Health Systems

Sirat Samyoun, a computer science Ph.D. candidate who earned his master’s in computer science from UVA this May, was recipient of the Link Lab Outstanding Graduate Research Student Award. The award recognizes Sirat’s work to advance smart devices for healthcare.

Vaibhav Verma Earns Link Lab Outstanding Graduate Research Award

Verma earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering, specializing in hardware for artificial intelligence and the internet of things.

Computer Science Graduate Student Group Research Symposium

The Computer Science Graduate Student Group hosted a research symposium on Wednesday, Dec. 8.

The keynote speaker was John A. Stankovic, BP America Professor of Computer Science and director of the Link Lab for cyber-physical systems. Stankovic, who received a University of Virginia Research Mentor Award for being a role model who is always willing to offer guidance, presented “Real-Time and Cyber Physical Systems: Interwoven Advice and Results.”

Devin Harris to Lead Multidisciplinary UVA Team on Digital Twinning Project

The Department of Engineering Systems and Environment’s Devin Harris, a professor of civil engineering, and collaborators from UVA Engineering’s Department of Computer Science and UVA’s School of Education and Human Development have received a new award for $300,000 under the National Science Foundation’s Early-Concept Grants for Exploratory Research Program.

The project, “Adaptive Digital Twinning: An Immersive Visualization Framework for Structural Cyber-Physical Systems,” aims to explore the power of artificial intelligence in the formation of digital twins for large-scale structural systems. Co-principal investigators on the project are assistant professor of computer science Brad Campbell, who holds a secondary appointment in electrical and computer engineering; assistant professor of computer science (teaching track) Panagiotis Apostolellis; and Jennifer Chiu, an associate professor of education. Harris and Campbell are members of UVA Engineering’s Link Lab, a multidisciplinary center for research in cyber-physical systems.

The team’s research will address the need to preserve existing, often aging, physical infrastructure systems on which society relies for essential needs – such as transportation, energy, water and sanitation, and communication – while modernizing these systems to serve as the smart and agile cyber-physical systems we need to meet demands of the future.

The NSF program funding the project, which is known by its acronym EAGER, is designed for untested but potentially transformative research approaches.

NASA Committee Taps Venkat Lakshmi to Help Advance Space-Based Observation of Earth and Pioneering Analysis Methods to Better Inform Policy

Venkataraman “Venkat” Lakshmi, a civil and environmental engineering professor in the Department of Engineering Systems and Environment at the University of Virginia, has been appointed to the NASA Earth Science Advisory Committee.

Lakshmi, whose career began at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is known for his expertise in hydrological sciences. He specializes in using data collected from space, aircraft and in situ systems along with hydrological and ecological models to make observations about the terrestrial water cycle and to better understand weather, climate and ecology.

The Earth Science Advisory Committee supports the director of the Earth Science Division in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters, providing advice and recommendations on earth science programs, policies, plans and priorities, to include informing decisions about the scope and implementation of programs. The committee also will provide a regular forum for broad discussion of earth science and the role of earth science within and outside of NASA.

Wenqiang Chen Recognized for Excellence in Cyber-physical Systems Research

Wenqiang "Winston" Chen, a computer science Ph.D. candidate, will give the prestigious Link Lab Student Seminar in recognition of his work to advance smart devices to improve user experience. The seminar is the preeminent talk given by a student in the 280+ person lab; being chosen as the presenter is also a hallmark Link Lab award for excellence in research.

Jonathan Goodall Elected Member of Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine

Jonathan L. Goodall, professor in the Department of Engineering Systems and Environment, has been elected as a member of the Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine. Goodall leads the UVA Hydroinformatics group at UVA Engineering. Goodall’s team collaborates with cities facing climate change-induced flooding challenges based on their research and exploration of advancements in computing and data science for solving challenging water resource management problems.

Students Present: Link Lab Opens Year with Poster Session

On Aug. 24 classes began at UVA’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. It was the first opportunity for face-to-face collaboration in over a year. Faculty and students got together in the Link Lab to catch-up and share progress on cyber-physical systems research. From humorous robots, to climate resilience through crowdsourced data, to robotic surgery and even self-powering hardware for IoT, peers and faculty were excited to share ideas while contemplating the important work that will happen in the upcoming year.

Engineering Systems and Environment Ph.D. Students Recognized for Cyber-Physical Systems Research

Benjamin Bowes and Esen Yel have received the Link Lab Outstanding Graduate Research Award, presented by Link Lab faculty members to students who have demonstrated excellence in cyber-physical systems research.

Bowes and Yel are Ph.D. candidates in the Department of Engineering Systems and Environment at the UVA School of Engineering and Applied Science. Bowes is researching methods to make cities smarter in the UVA Hydroinformatics lab led by professor Jonathan Goodall, who also is associate director of the Link Lab. Yel is researching ways to make autonomous systems safer in assistant professor Nicola Bezzo’s Autonomous Mobile Robots Lab.

Making it Safer to Gather Indoors

UVA and Virginia Tech engineering collaborators aim to optimize HVAC systems to eliminate viruses and harmful particles in the air

In response to COVID-19, a team of University of Virginia and Virginia Tech researchers are working together to make indoor spaces healthier — a development sure to be welcomed by all those heading back to work, school and other indoor spaces after a year of stay-at-home orders. The team’s research evaluates strategies for reducing indoor transmission of harmful particles and viruses, such as the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19, through new methods using sensors, air cleaners, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning — or HVAC — systems.