computer science / en One AI model, trillions of variants: Breaking mass attacks on voice assistants /news/2026-10/one-ai-model-trillions-variants-breaking-mass-attacks-voice-assistants <span>One AI model, trillions of variants: Breaking mass attacks on voice assistants</span> <span><span>Nathan Kahl</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-10-15T12:16:20-04:00" title="Thursday, October 15, 2026 - 12:16">Thu, 10/15/2026 - 12:16</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span class="intro-text">Imagine sitting in your home, listening to what you think is a run-of-the-mill advertisement or perhaps a piece of music you enjoy. But while you hum along, that audio file is sending a secret, malicious audio message—imperceptible to human ears—telling your home assistant to unlock your door or maybe transfer money from your bank account.</span></p> <p>It is this stealth threat that 911±¬ÁÏ <a href="https://cs.gmu.edu/">Department of Computer Science</a> associate professor <a href="/profiles/zeng">Qiang Zeng</a> is investigating.</p> <p>"You hear one thing, but what the AI interprets is something else," Zeng said.&nbsp;</p> <p>Zeng and PhD student Ying Meng developed a technique that could make such attacks&nbsp;<span> </span>more difficult, without slowing down devices or requiring companies to spend millions of dollars retraining their artificial intelligence (AI) systems.</p> <p>He presented a paper outlining their approach, called DivNet, this summer at the prestigious <a href="https://www.sigmobile.org/mobisys/2026/">2026 ACM International Conference on Mobile Systems, Applications, and Services (MobiSys)</a> in Cambridge, England.&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2025-08/qiang-zeng-1x1-profile.jpg?itok=EH-H-_Yk" width="350" height="350" alt="headshot of man in jacket and tie"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Zeng is working on a patent for DivNet, given its broad usefulness. Photo provided</figcaption> </figure> <p>The dangers of this melodic, malicious hack are magnified because manufacturers commonly install identical AI models across millions of devices. It would be as if every house in a neighborhood had the same lock, someone possessing one key could access each home. An attacker who successfully manipulates one device could potentially use the same recording against several others.</p> <p>Training sophisticated models is expensive, so companies have little incentive to create a different one for every customer. DivNet creates numerous slightly different versions of an AI model, preventing attackers from using the same malicious audio to fool multiple devices; rather than giving every device an identical defense, it makes each AI model slightly different.</p> <p>The researchers accomplish this by examining the millions of numerical values, called weights, that help a neural network process information. Some weights are important for accurately recognizing ordinary speech. Others contribute little to normal recognition but are important to the success of audio attacks. DivNet identifies and selectively changes the latter.</p> <p>By modifying different combinations of these weights, the researchers produce an enormous number of distinct models that continue recognizing legitimate speech accurately but respond differently to malicious recordings.</p> <p><span>Tests using established speech-recognition systems found that DivNet substantially reduced the success of attacks while causing minimal reductions in normal recognition accuracy. Unlike many existing defenses, DivNet also adds no processing time when a device recognizes speech. After an initial analysis, generating a new variant takes only milliseconds. The number of possible variants exceeds the estimated number of atoms in the observable universe, offering an enormous pool of alternatives. Even a single voice assistant can periodically switch variants, making attacks even harder to develop and reuse.</span></p> <blockquote><p>And perhaps its biggest practical advantage is cost. "Every time you train the AI system, it's very expensive because you need the GPU," Zeng said, referring to the powerful processors used to develop AI models.</p> </blockquote> <p>The researchers created the <a href="https://divnet-gmu.github.io/">DivNet project website</a> with demonstrations and technical information, including audio examples showing how identical malicious recordings produce different results across model variants.</p> <p>Zeng, who started a recent meeting about this research by casually addressing his home assistant with "Alexa, good morning," activating the lights in his home, recognizes the benefits as a consumer himself; he owns five Alexa speakers, by his count.&nbsp;<span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p>He said the team is pursuing commercialization, believing the approach could interest major technology companies. "We are applying for patents because we think it has some value."</p> <p>And for users of the ever-expanding AI assistants, that’s music—and ONLY music—to their ears.&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="c50b2824-1a19-41e8-9b05-5a9f697b9842"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="/research/AI"> <p class="cta__title">Explore AI at 911±¬ÁÏ <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="0861b768-83b9-45d8-8163-b91ae37ca0a6"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="/research"> <p class="cta__title">Research in Action <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/zeng" hreflang="en">Qiang Zeng</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="441c0b21-adae-43c3-a890-2845231589c6" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><hr> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:news_list" data-inline-block-uuid="621f7985-6c72-4118-a39d-d9c9900ee17b" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocknews-list"> <h2>Related Stories</h2> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-news view-id-news view-display-id-block_1 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Explores Making AI a Teammate Rather Than a Threat</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">September 22, 2026</div></div></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2186" hreflang="en">computer science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/21906" hreflang="en">AI hacking</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/4656" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/271" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3081" hreflang="en">patent</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div> </div> </div> Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:16:20 +0000 Nathan Kahl 346250 at Microgrids meet the market /news/2026-10/microgrids-meet-market <span>Microgrids meet the market </span> <span><span>Nathan Kahl</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-10-02T08:47:36-04:00" title="Friday, October 2, 2026 - 08:47">Fri, 10/02/2026 - 08:47</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">For a large organization, cutting the electric bill isn't necessarily as simple as using less electricity. In fact, avoiding one brief spike in demand can save far more money than reducing overall consumption.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW197588298 BCX4 intro-text">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-05/alex_brodsky_feature_image.jpg?itok=mPsuWXrS" width="448" height="560" alt="A man in a dark suit and tie stands at the stair railing. Behind him, large glass windows view outside."> </div> </div> <figcaption>Alex Brodsky, a professor in the Department of Computer Science. Photo provided</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Alex Brodsky, a professor in the 911±¬ÁÏ Department of Computer Science, and his research team developed technology that can help organizations make complex decisions about how to manage energy resources and evaluate potential investments.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW197588298 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">A $50,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant through its Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program is helping Brodsky explore how to move that technology from research to market. I-Corps teaches researchers to evaluate the commercial potential of technologies developed through academic research. Participants identify possible markets and customers and conduct at least 100 interviews with those potential customers.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW197588298 BCX4">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“The interviews are instrumental,â€� Brodsky said. “Some of your hypotheses turn out to be false, while other things you hadn't considered turn out to be true.â€�</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW197588298 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Much of this I-Corps work is being led by Xu (Ethan) Han, a former PhD student of Brodsky's who is now a faculty member in 911±¬ÁÏ's Department of Computer Science. Han serves as an entrepreneurial lead for the project, called Microgrid Optima.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW197588298 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Microgrids coordinate multiple energy resources within a local energy system. They can integrate electricity from the power grid with on-site generation, energy storage, building systems, and other energy resources.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW197588298 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Microgrid Optima helps determine how those resources should work together. Instead of relying primarily on preset operating schedules, the system can recommend what individual components should do at intervals throughout the day. It can also help organizations decide which new energy resources make financial sense before making potentially expensive investments. Many commercial and industrial customers’ electric bills are determined not by just how much electricity they use, but also by what their peak demand is; a short period of unusually high demand can significantly affect future bills.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW197588298 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">An organization might thus choose to use a battery during a demand </span><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">spike</span><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> and recharge it later. “Energy </span><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">storage by</span><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> itself doesn't save the total amount of energy you use,â€� Brodsky said, but this strategy may reduce peak usage enough to produce substantial savings. As a result, investing in an expensive battery can sometimes quickly pay for itself.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW197588298 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The challenge is figuring out when such an investment makes sense and how it interacts with everything else in the system. “</span><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Thinking of</span><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> how you invest in each component in isolation is a bad approach, because the components have a very strong operational interaction,â€� he said.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW197588298 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The team is exploring a range of potential markets for the technology, with the I-Corps interviews helping identify which types of organizations and energy environments present the strongest opportunities. One seemingly obvious market, data centers, is less promising because their operators place a much higher priority on securing enough electrical capacity than on reducing costs.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW197588298 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Microgrid Optima draws on decision-guidance technology</span><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US"> Brodsky's</span><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> research group developed over many years and applied to problems ranging from energy and autonomous vehicles to pandemic response. During the COVID pandemic, Brodsky worked with 911±¬ÁÏ epidemiologist Amira Roess in the College of Public Health to develop a system for evaluating combinations of testing, contact tracing, symptom reporting, and other mitigation measures. The university adopted many of the team's recommendations.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW197588298 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW197588298 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW197588298 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The I-Corps program could be an early step toward bringing the latest application of that technology to customers. After the team's interviews help identify its most promising market, Brodsky said, other federal programs, including Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer funding, could provide routes toward commercialization.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW197588298 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="beb77936-6e6e-45bb-b063-b42a7d2bb66a"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="/research"> <p class="cta__title">Explore Research at 911±¬ÁÏ <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="8b62a6f4-b100-49c2-8dbd-10b5bd2c8932" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:news_list" data-inline-block-uuid="85f1cef4-8f92-40eb-85d8-ac383f992bd4" 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class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3071" hreflang="en">College of Engineering and Computing</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div> </div> </div> Fri, 02 Oct 2026 12:47:36 +0000 Nathan Kahl 346216 at Patriot parking predictions putting students in the proper spot /news/2026-09/patriot-parking-predictions-putting-students-proper-spot <span>Patriot parking predictions putting students in the proper spot</span> <span><span>Nathan Kahl</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-09-23T18:30:56-04:00" title="Wednesday, September 23, 2026 - 18:30">Wed, 09/23/2026 - 18:30</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p class="Paragraph SCXW204216858 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">College students are already under a load of stress with classes, tests, and presentations. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed intro-text" lang="EN-US">So</span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US"> when something as “easyâ€� as finding a parking spot is anything but, it can cause a bad start to an already challenging day.&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP SCXW204216858 BCX4 intro-text">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW204216858 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">With that in mind, a team of 911±¬ÁÏ students developed an app that uses data and artificial intelligence (AI) to remove the guesswork and save students from those interminable trips to the top of a parking garage, only to find </span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">it’s</span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> completely full.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW204216858 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW204216858 BCX4"><a href="https://www.parkeye.app"><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Parkeye</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> predicts parking availability, helps users find lots that match their permits, and provides information about parking changes and closures. The app was created by </span><a href="https://cs.gmu.edu"><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">computer science</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> students Tona </span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Otoro</span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> and Sami Saleh, with support from computer science students Shabeer </span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Manalai</span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, Trong-Tin Mai, and Rafsan Islam, and Aayusha Sapkota from the </span><a href="https://business.gmu.edu"><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Costello College of Business</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">.&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW204216858 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <div class="align-left"> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2026-09/600x300pix_parkeye_landscape-16to9_png.jpg?itok=X71rmZ7w" width="350" height="175"> </div> </div> <p class="Paragraph SCXW204216858 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The idea grew out of a familiar student experience: arriving on campus without knowing where to park. “</span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Everyone's</span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> kind of having this similar problem,â€� </span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Manalai</span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> said. The team did market research by surveying students around campus and found that many students struggled with everything from finding open spaces to understanding parking regulations.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW204216858 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW204216858 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The team then approached </span><a href="https://transportation.gmu.edu/parking/"><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">911±¬ÁÏ's Parking and Transportation office</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, which provided five years of parking data that became a foundation for the app.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW204216858 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“We frequently partner with students on class projects and what made the </span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Parkeye</span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> team unique was that they pursued this project independently, outside of a formal class or research program,â€� said Josh Cantor, director of Parking and Transportation. “We applaud the students' initiative and innovative approach; their crowdsourcing model reflects the kind of creative thinking that can contribute to future parking technology solutions. We are evaluating a variety of approaches, including crowdsourcing, camera-based technologies, and space sensors to help improve the parking experience for our campus community."</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW204216858 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW204216858 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The app considers about two dozen factors when predicting parking availability, including historical data, class schedules, weather, the distance between lots and buildings, and the number of classes taking place during </span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun AdvancedProofingIssueV2Themed" lang="EN-US">particular time</span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> periods. As more people use the app, the team can incorporate additional data and retrain its models.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW204216858 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW204216858 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Saleh said the initial model achieved approximately 91% accuracy against the parking data provided by the university. The developers also have testers visit parking areas to compare actual availability with the app's predictions, using those results to continue refining the model.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW204216858 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW204216858 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">And the app does more than predict whether a lot is crowded. Users can filter parking by space type, including electric vehicle charging spaces, and receive updates about lot closures and other changes that could affect </span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun CommentStart CommentHighlightPipeRest CommentHighlightRest" lang="EN-US">parking</span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun CommentHighlightPipeRest" lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW204216858 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW204216858 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Users appear interested. The app launched September 2 and has around 600 users as of this writing. Much of that early growth came through social media, including an </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dc3dqaTRHwo/"><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Instagra</span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun CommentStart" lang="EN-US">m</span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> video</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> with more than 30,000 views.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW204216858 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW204216858 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The team is already looking beyond Fairfax. The app includes parking information for James Madison University and Virginia Tech, and the students are reaching out to other universities about potential partnerships.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW204216858 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW204216858 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">They are also beginning to think like entrepreneurs. The students </span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">registered</span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> an LLC and are working toward becoming a Virginia vendor, which could eventually allow them to establish a formal partnership with 911±¬ÁÏ. They have also met with </span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">leadership</span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> of 911±¬ÁÏ's </span><a href="https://www.mix.gmu.edu/incubator-2"><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">MIX Incubator</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> about joining its entrepreneurship program.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW204216858 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW204216858 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“Meeting Sami and Tona underscored the energy and determination they bring to their </span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">parking</span><span class="NoBreakHyphenBlob BlobObject DragDrop SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW204216858 BCX4">‑</span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">prediction</span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> app,â€� said Gisele Stolz, senior director, entrepreneurship programs. “We are thrilled to support students with this level of motivation and vision, and we hope their journey mirrors the successes achieved by other standout MIX teams.â€�</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW204216858 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW204216858 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Stolz explained that through the MIX Innovators Launchpad, students receive mentoring, structured entrepreneurial guidance, some funding to support early discovery work, and the opportunity to compete for prize money as they advance their ideas. Paired with the NSF </span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">I</span><span class="NoBreakHyphenBlob BlobObject DragDrop SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW204216858 BCX4">‑</span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Corps</span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> short course, the program teaches teams how to translate technical insights into </span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">market</span><span class="NoBreakHyphenBlob BlobObject DragDrop SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW204216858 BCX4">‑</span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">ready</span><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> solutions with the help of seasoned mentors.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW204216858 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW204216858 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW204216858 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Eventually, Saleh sees applications well beyond college campuses, including hospitals, malls, stadiums and other places where drivers face the same basic question. “It's not just being able to see where parking is, it's being able to see the right parking spot for each user.â€�</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW204216858 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/14886" hreflang="en">Apps</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/21889" hreflang="en">student businesses</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1406" hreflang="en">Parking and Transportation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2186" hreflang="en">computer science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6691" hreflang="en">entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/336" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3071" hreflang="en">College of Engineering and Computing</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 23 Sep 2026 22:30:56 +0000 Nathan Kahl 346178 at Why did the AI agent cross the road? /news/2026-06/why-did-ai-agent-cross-road <span>Why did the AI agent cross the road? </span> <span><span>tdonnel</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-06-08T14:31:17-04:00" title="Monday, June 8, 2026 - 14:31">Mon, 06/08/2026 - 14:31</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p class="Paragraph SCXW65192075 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW65192075 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">Workshopping, an iterative process where creators share ideas, test what works, and refine what doesn’t through collective feedback, is at the heart of any writers’ group. This collaborative dynamic inspired 911±¬ÁÏ PhD students Shiwei Hong to explore whether artificial intelligence (AI) could benefit from a similar approach.</span><span class="EOP SCXW65192075 BCX0 intro-text">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW65192075 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW65192075 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Hong developed a novel multi-agent system that simulates a collaborative comedy writing environment in which AI agents generate, critique, and refine humorous content together. </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW65192075 BCX0" href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.14770" target="_blank"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCXW65192075 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Her research</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW65192075 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, recently accepted to the prestigious 64th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics, investigates how structured interaction among AI agents can improve creative output.</span><span class="EOP SCXW65192075 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2026-06/413_1.jpeg?itok=1oCEP8J8" width="233" height="350"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Shiwei Hong. Photo provided.</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW65192075 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW65192075 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Humor remains challenging for artificial intelligence. “Generating a joke or something that is very funny is actually a very tricky question, because it requires </span><span class="TextRun SCXW65192075 BCX0 NormalTextRun CommentStart" lang="EN-US">a lot of how humans interpret the generated piece</span><span class="TextRun SCXW65192075 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">,â€� said Hong, who is working on a degree in computer science.&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP SCXW65192075 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW65192075 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW65192075 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">She created a “sandboxâ€� environment to mirror real-world creative collaboration, populated by 35 AI agents assigned distinct roles and personalities powered by GPT-4.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW65192075 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW65192075 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“Five agents acted as performers. The rest acted as critics or audience members,â€� said Hong.</span><span class="EOP SCXW65192075 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW65192075 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW65192075 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Designing 35 unique agent personas required imagination as well as technical expertise. Drawing on her interest in writing fiction, Hong created characters with varied social and cultural backgrounds, adding depth to the simulated interactions.</span><span class="EOP SCXW65192075 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW65192075 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW65192075 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">In one experimental environment, the performer agents generated two scripts in sequence without feedback; in another, they engaged the audience members in critique and discussion between the rounds of generation. The difference was significant.</span><span class="EOP SCXW65192075 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW65192075 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW65192075 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Human evaluators compared outputs across multiple criteria, such as humor, coherence, and social tone. In more than 70 percent of cases, evaluators preferred scripts produced in the second round of the discussion-based environment.</span><span class="EOP SCXW65192075 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW65192075 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW65192075 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The improvement appears to stem from collective learning. As agents interact, they build on shared insights, identifying patterns in audience </span><span class="TextRun SCXW65192075 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">preferences</span><span class="TextRun SCXW65192075 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> and refining their outputs accordingly. Technically, this process is supported by a shared conversational memory stored in a vector database, allowing agents to retrieve relevant past exchanges and incorporate them into new content. The result is an iterative, emergent form of creativity that begins to resemble human collaboration.</span><span class="EOP SCXW65192075 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW65192075 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW65192075 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Looking ahead, Hong and her advisor, Assistant Professor </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW65192075 BCX0" href="https://cec.gmu.edu/profiles/zlu6" target="_blank"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCXW65192075 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Zhicong Lu</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW65192075 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, aim to expand the system by incorporating human participants and richer modes of interaction. Future directions include integrating voice, gestures, and immersive technologies such as virtual and augmented reality to better capture the nuances of live performance.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW65192075 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW65192075 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“In real comedy, we have faces, gestures, and real voices,â€� she said. “We hope to bring more of that into the system.â€�</span><span class="EOP SCXW65192075 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW65192075 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW65192075 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">By demonstrating that workshopping can significantly enhance machine-generated humor, Hong’s work suggests the future of artificial intelligence may lie not only in more advanced individual models, but also in communities of agents learning, creating, and perhaps even laughing together.</span><span class="EOP SCXW65192075 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/extra_large_content_image/public/2026-06/ai-joke-workshop-boost.jpg?itok=LiipGyTG" width="1480" height="807"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Overview of Multi-Agent Comedy Club. Credit: <em>arXiv</em> (2026). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2602.14770</figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="cafd701d-d4b7-4164-8794-fcf659de63a3"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="/research/AI"> <p class="cta__title">Learn about Artificial Intelligence at 911±¬ÁÏ <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="9efa9b9f-beb6-42b2-b4f8-8221255febaa"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="/research"> <p class="cta__title">Explore Research at 911±¬ÁÏ <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="753bb947-6d12-4de2-baf1-9eed36e045a7" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> <div class="field field--name-body 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href="/news/2026-09/george-mason-receives-top-ai-readiness-score-virginia-airedexai" hreflang="en">911±¬ÁÏ receives top AI readiness score in Virginia from AIReDex.ai</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">September 21, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-09/gci-catalyst-project-aims-tackle-human-rights-issues-help-ai" hreflang="en">GCI Catalyst Project aims to tackle human rights issues with help of AI </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">September 10, 2026</div></div></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="665aeb43-c308-4fa3-b869-78d4806e29dd" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><hr> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/20396" hreflang="en">Human Computer Interaction</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2186" hreflang="en">computer science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3071" hreflang="en">College of Engineering and Computing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/4656" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/436" hreflang="en">doctoral students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/271" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div> </div> </div> Mon, 08 Jun 2026 18:31:17 +0000 tdonnel 345895 at 911±¬ÁÏ PhD student recognized for blockchain privacy research /news/2026-06/george-mason-phd-student-recognized-blockchain-privacy-research <span>911±¬ÁÏ PhD student recognized for blockchain privacy research</span> <span><span>Nathan Kahl</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-06-02T06:51:19-04:00" title="Tuesday, June 2, 2026 - 06:51">Tue, 06/02/2026 - 06:51</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p class="Paragraph SCXW179876562 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW179876562 BCX4 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">911±¬ÁÏ computer science doctoral student Aayush Yadav co-authored a paper that received a Distinguished Paper Award from the </span><a href="https://sp2026.ieee-security.org" title="IEEE SP"><span class="TextRun SCXW179876562 BCX4 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW179876562 BCX4 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">, one of the industry’s premier conferences in the security field. The conference typically accepts around 13 percent of submissions.</span><span class="LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop SCXW179876562 BCX4 intro-text">&nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-06/aayush_yadav_thumbnail.jpg?itok=O85MPUXf" width="500" height="500"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Aayush Yadav. Photo provided</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW179876562 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW179876562 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The paper addresses a growing challenge in blockchain technology—how to protect sensitive transaction information before it becomes public, focusing on improving privacy protections within blockchain systems while maintaining the transparency and decentralized structure that define the technology.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW179876562 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW179876562 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW179876562 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">His research grew out of an internship last summer with </span><a href="https://www.category.xyz" title="Category labs"><span class="TextRun SCXW179876562 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Category Labs</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW179876562 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, a company developing blockchain tools and infrastructure. The work addresses a vulnerability tied to how blockchain transactions are processed before they are officially added to the chain. Traditionally, blockchain transactions are publicly visible before they are finalized. That visibility allows entities responsible for processing transactions to potentially manipulate their order for financial gain.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW179876562 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW179876562 BCX4" lang="EN-US"><span class="TextRun SCXW179876562 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“These entities can act maliciously in some way,â€� Yadav said. “Because this information is public, these actors know the direction of the order of the transactions before the rest of the public. And they can take advantage of that.â€�&nbsp; Consider that if an actor sees that someone is about to make a major purchase or sale, they can quickly place their own trade first, causing the market price to change. The original user then receives a worse price than expected, while the actor profits from the price movement, effectively creating a hidden cost for the user.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW179876562 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW179876562 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW179876562 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The team’s research focuses on encrypting transactions while they are waiting to be processed, helping prevent that kind of exploitation. The goal is to encrypt or hide transactions as they are sent, revealing them later.&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW179876562 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW179876562 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW179876562 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The paper introduces new approaches to what researchers call “</span><span class="TextRun SCXW179876562 BCX4 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">mempool</span><span class="TextRun SCXW179876562 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> privacy,â€� referring to the protection of transaction data before it becomes part of the public blockchain ledger. The work also explores “threshold encryption,â€� which requires multiple parties to work together to decrypt transaction data, helping eliminate single points of trust or failure.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW179876562 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW179876562 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW179876562 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Yadav, who is completing his PhD in computer science this year, said his interest in theoretical computer science and algorithms started early in his academic career. “I enjoyed the process of solving problems that were algorithmic in nature,â€� he said. “Thinking about these abstract things, but then also being able to solve them concretely using an algorithm, is very satisfying.â€�</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW179876562 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW179876562 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW179876562 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">He chose 911±¬ÁÏ in part because of the university’s large computer science faculty and breadth of expertise. After arriving at 911±¬ÁÏ in 2021, Yadav took his first cryptography course with </span><a href="https://www.baldimtsi.com" title="Baldimtsi"><span class="TextRun SCXW179876562 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Foteini Baldimtsi</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW179876562 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, an experience that shaped the direction of his research. “It had the right mix of theory and practice. The problems are very theoretical in some sense, and the way you solve them is theoretical, but at the same time they are grounded in real applications.â€�</span><span class="EOP SCXW179876562 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW179876562 BCX4" lang="EN-US"><span class="TextRun SCXW179876562 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“I am very proud of Aayush,â€� said Baldimtsi. “Throughout his PhD, he has worked on some of the most important challenges in modern cryptography, including signature protocols and privacy-preserving authentication for digital identities, while also focusing on post-quantum security. The award is a well-deserved recognition of his talent, dedication, and impact on the field.â€�</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW179876562 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW179876562 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW179876562 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Later this year he will start a tenured-track faculty position at his alma mater, Rutgers University–Camden.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW179876562 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW179876562 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW179876562 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/foteini" hreflang="und">Foteini Baldimtsi</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="ecb7ef57-f5b0-40c7-b05c-21cdef68e848"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://cec.gmu.edu/"> <p class="cta__title">More from the College of Engineering and Computing <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:news_list" data-inline-block-uuid="33d18cf6-8d05-44e1-a891-00add796cba8" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocknews-list"> <h2>Related News</h2> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-news view-id-news view-display-id-block_1 js-view-dom-id-3af3e618dae11f61f067bf228f1b9c7bc84ac7942dc8860be1341f74d119610b"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="news-list-wrapper"> <ul 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</div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2186" hreflang="en">computer science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8276" hreflang="en">Blockchain</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/21873" hreflang="en">Internships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/271" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/436" hreflang="en">doctoral students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3071" hreflang="en">College of Engineering and Computing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/336" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Tue, 02 Jun 2026 10:51:19 +0000 Nathan Kahl 345888 at 911±¬ÁÏ students fly into first place with no GPS, no grade, and (almost) no problems /news/2026-05/george-mason-students-fly-first-place-no-gps-no-grade-and-almost-no-problems <span>911±¬ÁÏ students fly into first place with no GPS, no grade, and (almost) no problems </span> <span><span>tdonnel</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-05-04T14:53:10-04:00" title="Monday, May 4, 2026 - 14:53">Mon, 05/04/2026 - 14:53</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p class="Paragraph SCXW53354428 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">Driven by passion, persistence, and what they call “the love of the game,â€� a group of 911±¬ÁÏ students affiliated with the </span><a href="https://marc.gmu.edu/"><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center </span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">(MARC) claimed first place at the 2026 Raytheon Autonomous Vehicle Competition at Eagle</span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun CommentStart intro-text" lang="EN-US">Bank Arena on April 24, 2026.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW53354428 BCX0 intro-text">&nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-05/260422838.jpg?itok=g7ziC4YJ" width="560" height="420"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Meah Chambers and Gagan Manjunatha at the competition. Photo by Andani Munkaila/Office of University Branding</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW53354428 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The competition </span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun CommentStart" lang="EN-US">challenged</span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> student teams to design and deploy autonomous aerial and ground vehicle systems capable of executing a series of increasingly complex missions. Unlike prior outdoor iterations, the 2026 competition eliminated access to GPS, forcing teams to rely on advanced onboard sensing and visual navigation techniques to orient themselves in space. EagleBank Arena has been hosting national robotics competitions since 2023 with support from an Office of Naval Research grant to transform the venue into a robotics experimentation and sporting </span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">venue.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW53354428 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW53354428 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun CommentStart" lang="EN-US">911±¬ÁÏ’s </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW53354428 BCX0" href="https://gmu.autonomousrobotics.club/" target="_blank"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">autonomous robotics team</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> rose to the challenge. Over the course of the competition, their system </span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun CommentStart" lang="EN-US">successfully completed all three mission </span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">objectives, earning the top overall score and securing first place. The win capped months of late nights and creative problem-</span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">solving by</span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> a team that was not competing for a grade, credit, or formal requirement, but purely out of enthusiasm for robotics.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW53354428 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW53354428 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“This isn’t even an official club yet,â€� said computer science major Gagan Manjunatha. “We’re here for the love of the game.â€�&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW53354428 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW53354428 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">For many teams at the competition, participation counts as a senior design project. 911±¬ÁÏ’s team, however, had no such structure. “A lot of teams do use this as their senior design project, but the nice thing about us not doing it is that we have people that can come back year after year,â€� said team lead Meah Chambers, a junior majoring in electrical engineering.&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW53354428 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-05/260430607.jpg?itok=ZWQ6hAyF" width="560" height="374"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW53354428 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“I like the hands-on experience,â€� she said. This was Chambers’ third robotics team competition, each of which she found rewarding. “It’s like I’ve done three mini senior designs. I like the design team experience, working on a team for an end goal.â€�</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW53354428 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The technical demands of the competition were steep. Challenge one required a drone to autonomously take off from a moving ground vehicle and land back on it. The second challenge layered on autonomous search and detection, requiring the drone to identify a visual tag, communicate its location, and guide the ground vehicle to the target. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun CommentStart" lang="EN-US">A third challenge added obstacle detection and avoidance for both aerial and ground systems.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW53354428 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW53354428 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">To meet those demands, the team divided into drone and ground </span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">sub</span><span class="NoBreakHyphenBlob BlobObject DragDrop SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW53354428 BCX0">‑</span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">teams</span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, with students specializing in software, hardware, mechanical design, and systems integration. Majors across electrical engineering, computer engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer science were represented. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Visual</span><span class="NoBreakHyphenBlob BlobObject DragDrop SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW53354428 BCX0">‑</span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">inertial</span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> simultaneous localization and mapping (VSLAM) replaced GPS, allowing the drone to understand its position using cameras and onboard sensors.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW53354428 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW53354428 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“We were given the challenges in September and two semesters to plan and work on our system,â€� said electrical engineering major Emma </span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Misevschi</span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">. Without senior design funding or course integration, students </span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">volunteered</span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> their time over the academic year to design, build, test, and refine their system. “Everything just happened to come together this week,â€� she said.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW53354428 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW53354428 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-05/260422843.jpg?itok=o5DexL8J" width="560" height="420"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Some members of 911±¬ÁÏ's 2026 Raytheon Autonomous Vehicle Competition team. Photo by Andani Munkaila/Creative Services/911±¬ÁÏ.&nbsp;</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW53354428 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Funding constraints added another layer of difficulty. While funding for system components were provided by competition sponsor Raytheon, the money arrived late in the academic year, forcing the team to borrow equipment, lean on shared research lab resources, and compress months of testing into intense overnight sessions.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW53354428 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW53354428 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW53354428 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Despite many team members having stayed up testing into the wee hours of the night before the competition, spirits were high at the end of the first day of the two-day competition. Chambers joked, “Two hours is like a nice nap instead of sleeping for the night.â€�&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW53354428 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Computer engineering major and ground team lead Logan </span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Teyema</span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> added the (understandably tired) motto of hustle culture, “Water is life, food is fuel, and sleep is a crutch.â€�</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW53354428 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW53354428 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW53354428 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">In the end, their teamwork paid off. When the judges arrived, 911±¬ÁÏ’s system performed cleanly and consistently, earning top marks across the challenges and finishing first overall.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW53354428 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW53354428 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The full team includes Luis Anchundia, James Daniel, </span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Konraad</span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> Ludwig, Hassan Youssef, Emma </span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Misevschi</span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, Thomas Fletcher, Christopher Romero-</span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Klevisha</span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, Toan Do, Meah Chambers, Gagan Manjunatha, Connor Roberts, William Maynard, Logan </span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Teyema</span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, Ellie Kwon, Rico Rodriguez, Nick Kasa, and Yousif Alani. Faculty advisors include Cameron Nowzari, </span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Xuesu</span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> Xiao, and </span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Ningshi</span><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> Yao.</span><span class="EOP SCXW53354428 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW53354428 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW53354428 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Are you interested in joining the team? Learn more on </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW53354428 BCX0" href="https://gmu.autonomousrobotics.club/" target="_blank"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">the team’s website</span></a> and watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIVQBmexkuU">a video about their experiences</a>.</p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW53354428 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW53354428 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="187b574b-a77e-4b52-805c-003f3644d671"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://marc.gmu.edu/"> <p class="cta__title">Learn about MARC <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="fa21c9d4-3736-4fee-ac2a-aa6438790de4" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:news_list" data-inline-block-uuid="2aff7a12-e436-455c-a830-7ac373853229" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocknews-list"> <h2>Related Stories</h2> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-news view-id-news view-display-id-block_1 js-view-dom-id-da1d7ec45b38c427d6bbd81ea2bdb248656790371de75170558c25ae4608abdf"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="news-list-wrapper"> <ul class="news-list"> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-09/autonomous-blimps-take-flight-eaglebank-arena-2nd-annual-airborne-robotics-cup" hreflang="en">Autonomous blimps take flight at EagleBank Arena: 2nd annual Airborne Robotics Cup inspires future STEM innovators </a></span></div><div class="views-field 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class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/cnowzari" hreflang="und">Cameron Nowzari</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/nyao4" hreflang="en">Ningshi Yao</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/xiao" hreflang="en">Xuesu Xiao</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/7831" hreflang="en">robotics and autonomous systems</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/15806" hreflang="en">competitions</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/4696" hreflang="en">Electrical Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2406" hreflang="en">Computer Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2186" hreflang="en">computer science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/336" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3071" hreflang="en">College of Engineering and Computing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/16401" hreflang="en">robotics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/18121" hreflang="en">Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div> </div> </div> Mon, 04 May 2026 18:53:10 +0000 tdonnel 345810 at NVIDIA-powered partnership accelerates AI at 911±¬ÁÏ /news/2026-04/nvidia-powered-partnership-accelerates-ai-george-mason <span>NVIDIA-powered partnership accelerates AI at 911±¬ÁÏ</span> <span><span>Nathan Kahl</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-04-06T08:55:13-04:00" title="Monday, April 6, 2026 - 08:55">Mon, 04/06/2026 - 08:55</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><a href="https://cec.gmu.edu/profiles/kzhou6" title="Zhou"><span class="intro-text">Keren Zhou’s</span></a><span class="intro-text"> relationship with </span><a href="https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/" title="NVIDIA"><span class="intro-text">NVIDIA</span></a><span class="intro-text"> spans more than a decade, evolving alongside the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) itself. What began as an early academic collaboration has become a sustained partnership centered on advancing the performance and efficiency of AI systems—work that now directly supports research and students at 911±¬ÁÏ.</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2026-08/zhou-photo.jpg?itok=s4MLdU39" width="350" height="350"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Keren Zhou. Photo provided</figcaption> </figure> <p>Zhou, an assistant professor in the <a href="https://cs.gmu.edu" title="CS ">Department of Computer Science</a>, traces his connection to NVIDIA back to his graduate studies. “I started collaboration officially with Nvidia about 12 years ago,â€� he said, describing a period when AI was in its infancy. “The only thing it could do is be used for image recognition…Is it a cat? A dog? That’s it.â€�&nbsp;</p> <p>At the time, Zhou's focus was not on AI applications themselves, but on the systems that make them possible. “I was never a native AI guy. What I was really thinking is, how do we make this system more efficient.â€�</p> <p>That focus aligned naturally with NVIDIA’s strengths. Known for designing specialized chips that power modern AI, the company plays a central role in enabling the field’s rapid growth. Zhou, emphasizing that connection, said, “The theories behind AI was proposed many, many years ago, but it only works because of NVIDIA’s powerful chips, designed specifically and tailored for AI workloads.â€�</p> <p>Over the years, Zhou’s collaboration with NVIDIA expanded, covering time across multiple institutions, including two separate internships he had with the company. Along the way, NVIDIA provided access to computing resources that supported his research into optimizing performance for scientific computing and AI workloads.</p> <p>That relationship continues today at 911±¬ÁÏ. Zhou recently received access to NVIDIA’s powerful DGX B200, a unified AI platform equipped with eight advanced graphics processing units (GPUs), which he uses to push forward his research. “We want to use it to train large models that can automatically generate efficient code,â€� he said. “Not only use like useful code, but also efficient code for AI systems.â€� The machine enables students to experiment with large-scale models and cutting-edge infrastructure that would otherwise be difficult to access.</p> <p>Zhou’s work is consistently working toward improving the underlying systems that make AI possible. Even as his research incorporates AI more directly, that systems-oriented perspective remains central. “Even like until two years ago, what I was thinking about is just how to make AI run faster and more efficient and more robust.â€�</p> <p>Now, with NVIDIA’s latest technology in place at Mason, that work continues with growing reach.&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2186" hreflang="en">computer science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8416" hreflang="en">Computer Science faculty</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/19046" hreflang="en">C-TASC</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/4656" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/271" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/19541" hreflang="en">partnerships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3071" hreflang="en">College of Engineering and Computing</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:55:13 +0000 Nathan Kahl 346048 at Navy veteran charts a new course with 911±¬ÁÏ robotics /news/2026-03/navy-veteran-charts-new-course-george-mason-robotics <span>Navy veteran charts a new course with 911±¬ÁÏ robotics </span> <span><span>tdonnel</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-03-09T11:28:39-04:00" title="Monday, March 9, 2026 - 11:28">Mon, 03/09/2026 - 11:28</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/xiao" hreflang="en">Xuesu Xiao</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p class="Paragraph SCXW29394607 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW29394607 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">As a scientist for the federal government, Naval Reservist David Eichinger’s path to a master’s degree in computer science at 911±¬ÁÏ was less than traditional. A microbiology major turned technologist, Eichinger is now a graduate researcher in robotics. He represents the motivated, resilient students 911±¬ÁÏ empowers, balancing academics with the demands of life beyond the classroom.</span><span class="EOP SCXW29394607 BCX0 intro-text">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW29394607 BCX0" lang="EN-US"><span class="TextRun SCXW29394607 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW29394607 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW29394607 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">After noticing patterns in his work, Eichinger realized he needed computational tools to solve complex problems. Over the course of nine years—first in a post‑baccalaureate certificate, now in the master’s program—Eichinger built the foundation he needed.&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP SCXW29394607 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2026-03/untitled-2_9_copy.png?itok=2uaRo4ht" width="350" height="350"> </div> </div> <figcaption>David Eichinger. Photo provided.</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW29394607 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW29394607 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“I chose the computer science program because I was interested in learning computer vision, machine learning, deep learning, and robotics to understand pattern recognition in data,â€� he said.</span><span class="EOP SCXW29394607 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW29394607 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW29394607 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">When he began exploring graduate programs, he sought proximity to his job and support for veterans in addition to an excellent program. That support system at 911±¬ÁÏ has been critical as he balances graduate studies with military life, work, and family. It’s also one reason he believes 911±¬ÁÏ is such a strong fit for veterans and nontraditional students like himself.</span><span class="EOP SCXW29394607 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW29394607 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW29394607 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“911±¬ÁÏ’s [Computer Science Program] was just very flexible as far as the time of day they offer their classes,â€� he said, adding that classes can be either online or in person. Even more important to him was faculty access.</span><span class="EOP SCXW29394607 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW29394607 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW29394607 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Today, Eichinger works in </span><span class="TextRun SCXW29394607 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Xuesu</span><span class="TextRun SCXW29394607 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> Xiao’s robotics lab in Fuse at Mason Square, working on off-road mobility and social navigation robotics. The lab is lively, collaborative, and hands‑on. “It’s like a little makerspace to geek out on with different toys,â€� he said. “It is a joy to play with these robots and try to program them to move on their own.â€�</span><span class="EOP SCXW29394607 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW29394607 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW29394607 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">As a nontraditional student, Eichinger appreciates that 911±¬ÁÏ creates space for varied pathways and goals. For veterans, career changers, and those returning to school later in life, his path demonstrates how 911±¬ÁÏ’s computer science master’s program meets students where they are and takes them where they hope to go.</span><span class="EOP SCXW29394607 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW29394607 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW29394607 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“It is not a walk in the park,â€� he said, “but it is worth doing if you believe in it."</span><span class="EOP SCXW29394607 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2186" hreflang="en">computer science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/4066" hreflang="en">Tech Talent Investment Program (TTIP)</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2076" hreflang="en">Military</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/16766" hreflang="en">Fuse at Mason Square</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/16401" hreflang="en">robotics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/336" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:28:39 +0000 tdonnel 345626 at Students use AI to solve everyday challenges at recent Fail-a-Thon  /news/2026-01/students-use-ai-solve-everyday-challenges-recent-fail-thon <span>Students use AI to solve everyday challenges at recent Fail-a-Thon  </span> <span><span>sbrown79</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-01-12T12:35:24-05:00" title="Monday, January 12, 2026 - 12:35">Mon, 01/12/2026 - 12:35</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun Highlight SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">911±¬ÁÏ is preparing students to transform setbacks into </span><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed intro-text" lang="EN-US">stepping stones</span><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US"> with a “Fail-a-Thon," a hackathon event where failing forward is the goal.</span><span class="EOP TrackedChange SCXW121389951 BCX0 intro-text">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">The event, hosted by the </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW121389951 BCX0" href="https://cec.gmu.edu/" target="_blank"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">College of Engineering and Computing</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">, encouraged students to explore bold ideas under two themes: artificial intelligence (AI) for everyday challenges and tech for well-being and creativity.</span><span class="EOP TrackedChange SCXW121389951 BCX0 intro-text">&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP SCXW121389951 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Junior </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW121389951 BCX0" href="https://computing.gmu.edu/" target="_blank"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">computer science</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> major Oluwatomisin Badmus and his partner, junior </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW121389951 BCX0" href="https://cec.gmu.edu/program/applied-computer-science-bs" target="_blank"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">applied computer science major</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> Chesney Noye, working under the </span><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">team</span><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> name “</span><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">AfroHacks</span><span class="TrackChangeTextInsertion TrackedChange SCXW121389951 BCX0 TextRun NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">â€� took first place. &nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-01/afrohacks_present.jpg?itok=xiZVibIG" width="560" height="373"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Chesney Noye (center) and Oluwatomisin Badmus presenting at the Fail-a-thon. Photo provided.</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Badmus and Noye are international students and wanted to emphasize the importance of checking in with one another within their community. The duo used an AI coding tool to build an application that allows users to log their current mood over the course of the day, and the system then uses the logged mood when responding to questions.</span><span class="EOP TrackedChange SCXW121389951 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“You might describe it as a mood-aware AI chatbot,â€� explained Badmus.&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP TrackedChange SCXW121389951 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">They were able to complete a working version of the application to present to the judges. The team 808s won 2nd place and the Three Musketeers won 3rd. </span><span class="EOP SCXW121389951 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“I'm very passionate about AI, so I make sure to take advantage of every educational opportunity regarding AI. I hope to apply that knowledge in my work to make an impact both in and out of school,â€� said Badmus, </span><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">an </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW121389951 BCX0" href="https://honorscollege.gmu.edu/" target="_blank"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Honors College</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> student. </span><span class="EOP SCXW121389951 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Badmus said he has participated in other 911±¬ÁÏ hackathons and competitions at other institutions such as Morgan State, John Hopkins University, and online. Badmus encouraged Noye to participate in the event with him in hopes that he would also find the experience rewarding. </span><span class="EOP SCXW121389951 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph TrackedChange SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“I’ve always wanted to participate in a hackathon, so when I saw the flyer for the Fail-a-thon, I knew it would be a great opportunity to gain experience in a relatively low-stakes environment,â€� said Noye, who has a concentration in software engineering.</span><span class="EOP TrackedChange SCXW121389951 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph TrackedChange SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph TrackedChange SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Noye said hackathons always seemed too intimidating, but he was encouraged by the fail-a-thon's easygoing approach.&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP TrackedChange SCXW121389951 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph TrackedChange SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph TrackedChange SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“Having an event centered around failing gave people room to go out there with their ideas, and getting to see all the projects everyone else came up with was great,â€� he said.</span><span class="EOP SCXW121389951 BCX0"> &nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph TrackedChange SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“Getting to share stories with the other participants there on where our projects failed, what weird bugs we had, and how different our initial ideas and final products ended up was a great bonding moment and really helped normalize the idea that failing is okay,â€� said Noye.</span><span class="EOP TrackedChange SCXW121389951 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The students had two hours to build real-world practical projects using provided AI tools. Many of the project features were built and working, and judges and attendees could see them live during the presentations. </span><span class="EOP SCXW121389951 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-01/hackathon_humaira.jpg?itok=0dVhqmzb" width="560" height="373"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Humaira Akhtari (left) with Christi Cartwright Wilcox, director, Office of Outreach Student Success and Engagement. Photo provided.</figcaption> </figure> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“Watching students turn ideas into functional solutions in just two hours was genuinely exciting and inspiring,â€� said </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW121389951 BCX0" href="https://ist.gmu.edu/profiles/hakhtari" target="_blank"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Humaira Akhtari</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, a term instructor in the </span><a class="Hyperlink SCXW121389951 BCX0" href="https://ist.gmu.edu/" target="_blank"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Department of Information Science and Technology</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> and one of </span><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun CommentStart" lang="EN-US">three faculty judges </span><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">at the event.</span><span class="EOP SCXW121389951 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Other judges included professors Socrates Dimitriadis and Maha </span><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Shamseddine</span><span class="EOP TrackedChange SCXW121389951 BCX0"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">from the </span><a href="https://cs.gmu.edu/"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Department of Computer Science</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="EOP TrackedChange SCXW121389951 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“I kept telling the teams, ‘I would be the first person to use your app’ because their ideas were genuinely useful. Seeing students build practical solutions, collaborate across disciplines, and confidently present their work made the experience incredibly rewarding,â€� said Akhtari. “It brings me so much joy seeing my students grow beyond the classroom. Whether it’s capstone presentations, Fail-a-Thon, or Engineering Week, I love seeing how my students are thriving.â€� </span><span class="EOP SCXW121389951 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Students from electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, IST, and cyber</span><span class="TrackChangeTextInsertion TrackedChange SCXW121389951 BCX0 TextRun NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">security engineering participated. The mix of backgrounds really elevated the ideas and discussions, said Akhtari. </span><span class="EOP SCXW121389951 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">When evaluating projects, judges looked at creativity, risk-taking, learning through failure, and how well teams communicated their ideas.  </span><span class="EOP SCXW121389951 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“Rather than penalizing mistakes, we looked for evidence of iteration, reflection, and growth. The goal was to celebrate experimentation and meaningful learning,â€� said Akhtari. </span><span class="EOP SCXW121389951 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“Events like Fail-a-Thon create a safe space where students learn that failure is not something to avoid—it’s part of the process. This mindset is essential not only in academics, but also in entrepreneurship and real-world problem solving,â€� said Akhtari.</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">One team built a study management tool where students could upload their course syllabus, and the app would automatically generate a personalized study plan based on upcoming assignments and deadlines.</span><span class="EOP TrackedChange SCXW121389951 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Another team designed a nutrition app that helps users track dietary preferences like Halal, vegan, and other restrictions. </span><span class="EOP SCXW121389951 BCX0"></span><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCXW121389951 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW121389951 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW121389951 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">There were also projects focused on productivity, motivation, and wellness—apps that help users stay on track with their schedules, motivate them to stay consistent at the gym, or even guide users while grocery shopping based on their calorie goals. &nbsp; </span><span class="EOP SCXW121389951 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3071" hreflang="en">College of Engineering and Computing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/15806" hreflang="en">competitions</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8986" hreflang="en">Hackathon</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/20811" hreflang="en">Applied computer science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/2186" hreflang="en">computer science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/4656" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/821" hreflang="en">Honors College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/336" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/21256" hreflang="en">CEC students</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/hakhtari" hreflang="en">Humaira Akhtari</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/socrates" hreflang="und">Socrates Dimitriadis</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/maha" hreflang="en">Maha Shamseddine</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="7f3b9bfe-2189-41e6-9a3a-c2209aa7a43e"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="/AI"> <p class="cta__title">Artificial Intelligence at 911±¬ÁÏ <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:news_list" data-inline-block-uuid="47fa24a1-1e06-496c-be7b-0911bea4aca0" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocknews-list"> <h2>Related News</h2> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-news view-id-news view-display-id-block_1 js-view-dom-id-5f1f83705aa0a197169dfb88675c6966a25c31e9269939d06a2abfb23aee4d15"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="news-list-wrapper"> <ul class="news-list"> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-10/one-ai-model-trillions-variants-breaking-mass-attacks-voice-assistants" hreflang="en">One AI model, trillions of variants: Breaking mass attacks on voice assistants</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">October 15, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-10/board-visitors-members-approve-six-year-operating-plan-and-get-updates-ai-grand" hreflang="en">Board of Visitors members approve six-year operating plan and get updates on AI, Grand Challenge Initiative, quantum, enrollment and athletics </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">October 7, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-09/odkm-workshop-explores-making-ai-teammate-rather-threat" hreflang="en">ODKM Workshop Explores Making AI a Teammate Rather Than a Threat</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">September 22, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-09/george-mason-receives-top-ai-readiness-score-virginia-airedexai" hreflang="en">911±¬ÁÏ receives top AI readiness score in Virginia from AIReDex.ai</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">September 21, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-09/gci-catalyst-project-aims-tackle-human-rights-issues-help-ai" hreflang="en">GCI Catalyst Project aims to tackle human rights issues with help of AI </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">September 10, 2026</div></div></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 17:35:24 +0000 sbrown79 344916 at Anonymity’s ARX nemesis /news/2025-10/anonymitys-arx-nemesis <span>Anonymity’s ARX nemesis</span> <span><span>Nathan Kahl</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-10-20T11:12:08-04:00" title="Monday, October 20, 2025 - 11:12">Mon, 10/20/2025 - 11:12</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span class="intro-text">A team of faculty and students from 911±¬ÁÏ recently discovered a vulnerability in a widely used anonymization tool. They presented their findings last week in Taiwan at the </span><a href="https://www.sigsac.org/ccs/CCS2025/" title="ACM CCS"><span class="intro-text">Association for Computing Machinery Conference on Computer and Communications Security (ACM CCS)</span></a><span class="intro-text">, one of the world’s most prestigious computer security conferences, with a very low paper acceptance rate.</span></p> <p>The problem they discovered was with ARX, an open-source data anonymization tool, which provides what is referred to as <em>k</em>-anonymity. It is a commonly used tool in clinical settings to maintain data privacy. The discovery is particularly important at a time when more and more private data is being used in a variety settings and systems.</p> <p>Evgenios Kornaropoulos, an assistant professor in the <a href="https://cs.gmu.edu" title="Computer science">Department of Computer Science</a>, said, “Sometimes this type of microdata is very valuable. Tools like ARX anonymize the data so it’s compliant with HIPAA, and then that data can be shared with policymakers, engineers, scientists, and others who will make policy decisions and scientific studies based on this information.â€�&nbsp;</p> <p>While many people receiving medical care are comfortable with their information being included in larger data sets for purposes of medical discovery, they likely do not want personal, identifiable information released.</p> <div class="align-left"> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2025-10/somiya_presenting.jpeg?itok=Dl0nhZVa" width="350" height="263" alt="Somiya Chhillar speaking at the ACCESS Academy"> </div> </div> <p>“For patients, and especially those from more vulnerable or marginalized communities, data privacy is not an abstract concern, it’s deeply tied to trust in the health care system," said paper co-author Rebecca Sutter, a professor in the <a href="https://nursing.gmu.edu" title="Nursing">School of Nursing</a>, and director of the <a href="https://publichealth.gmu.edu/mapclinics" title="MAP">MAP Clinics</a>. "The integrity of tools like ARX matters because they underpin how we protect patient information while advancing public health research. When anonymization fails, it’s not only a technical vulnerability, it’s a human one."</p> <p>Computer science PhD student Somiya Chhillar, lead author on the paper, said that the ubiquity of ARX was a reason they chose to study it. “We wanted to see how ARX really operates and how the algorithm works. While we were doing that, we realized that a few of the steps that it takes are very opportunistic, and because of that, it leaks information that we shouldn't be finding out by just looking at the anonymized data.â€�</p> <p>Chhillar said that ARX follows a “greedy strategy,â€� explaining that there is a tension between privacy and utility. When data is shared, it should be useful without leaking information. The best metric for deciding the data usefulness is measured by information loss while the data is being made private. “The algorithm tries to minimize information loss while anonymizing the data, and ideally, we want the least possible information loss. And that's the greedy aspect of it; it's not always going for the most private, it’s just going for the most utilit<strong>y.â€�</strong></p> <p>This is what backfires, said Kornaropoulos, because experts (or attackers) can reverse engineer the anonymization steps the algorithm took throughout its execution to maximize utility and figure out properties of the data that were there before and after this anonymization step.</p> <p>Kornaropoulos praised his student’s dedication to the discovery, noting that Chhillar “worked on this project for a while, and this code base of ARX is an elaborate tool, with thousands of lines of code. She had to go through it to truly internalize understand everything that's going on there,â€� he said.</p> <p>The project was supported by a <a href="https://cyberinitiative.org" title="CCI">Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI)</a> grant from the program, “Securing Interactions between Humans and Machines,â€� and as a requirement of the grant, the project crossed different parts of the university. The College of Engineering and Computing collaborated with Mason and Partners (MAP) Clinics, which provided <strong>the data.</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/rsutter2" hreflang="und">Rebecca Sutter, DNP, APRN, BC-FNP</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="8ef98303-35f1-4073-ae4d-1f1a562f856d"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://cec.gmu.edu/strengths/cybersecurity"> <p class="cta__title">Learn more about Cybersecurity at 911±¬ÁÏ <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:news_list" data-inline-block-uuid="b4a204af-9cf8-4501-8c96-e0ad82cc5004" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocknews-list"> <h2>Related Stories</h2> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-news view-id-news view-display-id-block_1 js-view-dom-id-6f560f32bad03df55a3acb52f08c206368d7a9856c2752a70bb7822a7048182b"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="news-list-wrapper"> <ul class="news-list"> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-10/alexandre-barreto-selected-national-em-fuel-leadership-program" hreflang="en">Alexandre Barreto selected for national EM-FUEL leadership program&nbsp;</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">October 19, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-09/designing-deeper-data-center-defense" hreflang="en">Designing deeper data center defense </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">September 3, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-02/protecting-production-through-physics-powered-detection" hreflang="en">Protecting production through physics-powered detection </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">February 24, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2025-10/george-mason-and-kings-college-london-win-google-award-fight-ai-driven-romance-scams" hreflang="en">911±¬ÁÏ and King’s College London win Google Award to fight AI-driven romance scams targeting older adults </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">October 26, 2025</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2025-10/anonymitys-arx-nemesis" hreflang="en">Anonymity’s ARX nemesis</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">October 20, 2025</div></div></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="6c502135-b66e-4810-b4cc-e9cd81ab94e1" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>This content appears in the Spring 2026 print edition of the Mason Spirit Magazine.</em></p> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="ca6ff69a-0d74-4826-913f-c8aef91416ba"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="/spirit-magazine"> <p class="cta__title">More from Mason Spirit Magazine <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 20 Oct 2025 15:12:08 +0000 Nathan Kahl 343951 at