Research
The iSTAR Lab works on the security, trust and resilience of cyber-physical and networked systems. Current work is grouped into the six areas below. Work with outside partners is described under Projects.
Research areas
Smart Grid and Power Systems Resilience
Control, stability and security of distributed, data-driven power grids.
Trustworthy and Agentic AI
Trust and assurance for AI systems, including agentic AI in critical systems.
Multi-Agent Systems
Communication, attention and situational awareness for teams of autonomous agents.
Network Security and Future Networks
Detecting and limiting attacks on networks and connected devices, from Internet of Things (IoT) devices to Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) and 6G systems.
Public Safety Communications
Interoperability and security of public safety and 911 communication systems.
Cybersecurity Education and Workforce Development
Cybersecurity and engineering education, including experiential learning and undergraduate research.
Recent publications
Lab members are shown in bold.
- Evaluating Interpretable Kolmogorov-Arnold Network Controllers for Smart Grid ResilienceIEEE Texas Power and Energy Conference (TPEC), 2026 · Smart Grid and Power Systems Resilience
- Causal–Structural Dynamic Graph Learning for Online Transient Stability Trajectory Prediction in Power SystemsIEEE International Conference on Communications, Control, and Computing Technologies for Smart Grids, 2026 · Smart Grid and Power Systems Resilience
- Composable Trust in Agentic AI: Bridging Architectural Capability and System-Level AssuranceIEEE International Conference on Dependable Systems and Networks Workshops (DSN-W), 2026 · Trustworthy and Agentic AI
- Towards Cyber-Physical Cognition: A Unified Ontology-Driven Knowledge Graph for Real-Time Autonomous Grid OperationsIEEE Annual Conference of the Industrial Electronics Society (IECON), 2026 · Smart Grid and Power Systems Resilience
- Parameters Overshadowed by Price Lags: Load, Climate, and Calendar Effects in ERCOT Day-Ahead Price FormationIEEE International Conference on Communications, Control, and Computing Technologies for Smart Grids, 2026 · Smart Grid and Power Systems Resilience
- Thermal aging analysis of 138-kV underground XLPE cables considering renewable penetration, voltage regulation, and installation design: A Texas case studySustainable Energy, Grids and Networks, 2026 · Smart Grid and Power Systems Resilience