2023 2023: Liudong Xing receives $420K NSF grant

Professor of electrical and computer engineering awarded $420K for research on modeling and mitigating cascading failures in the Internet of Things.

Dr. Liudong Xing, professor of electrical and computer engineering in the College of Engineering, recently received a $420,766 award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for her research project "Cascading Failures Modeling and Mitigation in the Internet of Things."  

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the vast network of devices that are connected to the internet and can exchange data with one another. Beyond smartphones and computers, these devices can include automobiles, appliances, medical equipment, and more. Cascading failures occur when a single incident triggers a chain reaction of successive malfunctions in a system. Without timely and effective mitigation mechanisms, cascading failures often cause catastrophic results.  

Dr. Xing's project aims to enhance the reliability and robustness of IoT-based systems by developing efficient cascading failure modeling and analysis methods as well as effective mitigation strategies to strengthen IoT systems' resilience to cascading failures. In addition, the project has educational components with the goals to help increase participation of underrepresented minorities, particularly women in computing and engineering, and to integrate research and education through new curriculum development and research training of both graduate and undergraduate students. 

Dr. Xing has served as the electrical and computer engineering graduate program director since 2018. She is an internationally recognized scholar in the reliability field; according to Research.com in April 2023, Dr. Xing was named among the "Best Scientists in Computer Science" in the world and the U.S., and the AD Scientific Index lists her among the "World’s top 2% of scientists for 2023." 

Learn more about Professor Liudong Xing.