Our Team
Meet the experts driving the future of automotive innovation!
Huirong Fu, Ph.D.
Founding Director of the OU Center for Cybersecurity and Professor of Engineering in Computer Science and Engineering
Dr. Huirong Fu is the Founding Director of the OU Center for Cybersecurity and a Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Oakland University. Her research focuses on cybersecurity, particularly in the areas of network security, data privacy, and secure software development. Dr. Fu has contributed extensively to the field through her research on enhancing security protocols and developing innovative methods for protecting sensitive data. She is also deeply committed to education, playing a key role in guiding students and professionals in the evolving field of cybersecurity. Dr. Fu’s work is characterized by its practical impact, bridging the gap between theoretical research and real-world security challenges, making her a respected figure in both academic and professional circles.
Darrin Hanna, Ph.D.
Director of the Engineering Institute and Professor of Engineering in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Bioengineering
Dr. Hanna is a Professor at Oakland University, Director of the Engineering Institute, and the Director of the High-Performance Embedded Systems Laboratory. His work focuses on artificial intelligence and embedded systems, where he has contributed to both academic research and practical applications. Dr. Hanna is involved in the development of AI-driven technologies and the optimization of computing systems, bridging the gap between hardware and software in innovative ways. In addition to his research, he plays a vital role in mentoring engineering students, preparing them for careers in a rapidly evolving technological environment. His work in bringing technology to market has been recognized with the 2003 Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) Commercialization Success Award, highlighting his ability to translate research into impactful, real-world applications.
Weisong Shi, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair of the Department of Computer and Information Sciences
Weisong Shi is an Alumni Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Computer and Information Sciences at the University of Delaware (UD), where he leads the Connected and Autonomous Research (CAR) Laboratory. He is an internationally renowned expert in edge computing, autonomous driving, and connected health. His pioneer paper, "Edge Computing: Vision and Challenges,” has been cited more than 7700 times. Before joining UD, he was a professor at Wayne State University (2002-2022). He served in multiple administrative roles, including Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies at the College of Engineering and Interim Chair of the Computer Science Department. Dr. Shi also served as a National Science Foundation (NSF) program director (2013-2015). Dr. Shi is the Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Internet Computing Magazine and Elsevier Smart Health. He is the founding steering committee chair of three conferences, including the ACM/IEEE Symposium on Edge Computing (SEC), the IEEE/ACM International Conference on Connected Health (CHASE), and the IEEE International Conference on Mobility (MOST). He is the General Chair of ACM MobiCom'24, the flagship conference on Mobile Computing and Wireless Networking. He is a fellow of IEEE, a distinguished scientist of ACM, a member of the NSF CISE Advisory Committee and CCC Council.
Xing Gao, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor in Computer and Information Sciences
Xing Gao is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences at the University of Delaware. Before that, he worked as an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Memphis. He obtained his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the College of William and Mary in 2018. His research interests lie in the areas of cybersecurity, with specific focuses on cloud and system security, software supply chain security, autonomous driving security, and Internet measurement. He has published papers on leading system security venues, and is the recipient of the NSF CAREER award, NSF CRII award, and the Distinguished Poster Award in NDSS 2016.
Yueqiang Cheng, Ph.D.
Chief Security Architect at MediaTek
Yueqiang Cheng is the Chief Security Architect at MediaTek, where he leads strategic initiatives in cybersecurity architecture and risk mitigation. He holds a Ph.D. in Information Security and Trust and brings over 16 years of specialized cybersecurity experience across diverse domains, including automotive, autonomous driving, and confidential computing. An accomplished researcher and inventor, Yueqiang has authored over 50 publications in top-tier journals and conferences and holds more than 70 patents across the US, China, and Europe. His contributions to the field have been recognized through multiple innovation and annual achievement awards, as well as three best paper awards, highlighting his commitment to advancing security standards and technological innovation in critical industries.
Paul Richardson, Ph.D.
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Paul Richardson has been a professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department at the University of Michigan-Dearborn (UMD) since 2000. From 2015 to 2022 he was chair of the ECE Department. He has been active in the area of vehicular networks and intervehicle communications, receiving numerous grants from the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and vehicle related companies such as General Motors and Ford Motor Company. He has studied diverse issues such as network capacity, wireless channel capacity, fault tolerance in vehicular networks, and ad hoc networks to support autonomous aircraft and ground vehicles. Prior to this, he was a senior researcher for the U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Center.
Sridhar Lakshmanan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Sridhar Lakshmanan is an Educator, Researcher, Mentor and Entrepreneur. He is on the faculty of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Michigan – Dearborn. His expertise lies in intelligent systems: autonomous-connected vehicles, robots, intelligent transportation systems, and smart cities. He has won many awards for his work at the University. His publications on automotive radar won the 2001 Best Paper Award from the IEEE Vehicular Electronics Society, on semi-truck platooning won the 2019 GVSETS Conference Best Paper Award from NDIA, and on lightweight transport robot the 2021 GVSETS Conference Best Paper Award from NDIA. He has served as a Project Director and Principal Investigator on a number of grants and contracts from various U.S. Government agencies, Defense Contractors, and Automotive Companies. Sridhar got his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst in 1991.
Weidong Xiang, Ph.D.
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Weidong Xiang is a professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Michigan-Dearborn (UMD). He established and led the Center for Vehicular Communications and Network Laboratory at UMD, focusing on applying machine learning to wireless communications, the Internet of Things, vehicular networks, and autonomous robotics. His research is particularly pertinent to the local auto industry in the Detroit region, known for automotive innovation. Collaborations with major companies such as General Motors, Ford, LGE and CISCO, along with support from institutions like the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy (DoE), demonstrate the practical impact of his work in advancing vehicular communications and networks.
Jun Dai, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Computer Science
Dr. Jun Dai is currently an Associate Professor in Department of Computer Science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). His research interests mainly lie in the intersections of network and distributed system, AI, and cybersecurity, with recent focus on intrusion detection, vulnerability analysis, secure programming, and cybersecurity education. Dr. Dai has published papers in prestigious academic venues, such as NDSS, ACM SIGMOD, IEEE TIFS, and ACM SIGCSE. He is the Workshop Chair of ACM CCS 2023, and has been a reviewer for top journals like TIFS, TDSC, TVT, and TMC. His projects are mainly funded by NSF and other federal agencies.
Xiaoyan (Sherry) Sun, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Computer Science
Xiaoyan (Sherry) Sun is an Associate Professor with Department of Computer Science, Worcester Polytechnic Institute. She received her Ph.D. degree in Information Sciences and Technology from the Pennsylvania State University in 2016. Her research interests lie in cybersecurity and digital forensics. She is currently also serving as the Vice President for Silicon Valley Cybersecurity Institute, a non-profit organization that promotes cybersecurity research and education.
Xiaozhong Liu, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Computer Science and Data Science
Dr. Xiaozhong Liu is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Computer Science and Data Science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Prior to this role, he served as an Associate Professor at the School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering at Indiana University Bloomington. Dr. Liu's research spans a wide array of areas, including natural language processing (NLP), healthcare AI, large language models (LLMs), AI security, text and graph mining, information retrieval and recommendation systems, and computational social science. In addition to his academic contributions, Dr. Liu maintains strong industry connections. Notably, he served as a Senior Consultant and NLP Research Director at Alibaba DAMO Academy, where he led prestigious projects tackling cutting-edge, market-driven challenges. His dual engagement in academia and industry allows him to bridge theoretical advancements with real-world applications.
Ye Zhu, Ph.D.
Professor of Computer Science
Dr. Zhu is a professor in the Department of Computer Science at Cleveland State University. His main research areas are IoT and wearable devices, security and privacy, and networking and distributed systems. Dr. Zhu is a dedicated researcher and educator passionate about advancing the field of vehicle technologies. Dr. Zhu is committed to pushing the boundaries of automotive innovation through rigorous research, extensive experiments, and collaboration with industry partners.
Andrew Sheperd, Ph.D.
Chief Research Officer, Sinclair College
Dr. Andrew Shepherd serves as the Chief Research Officer at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio. With over 22 years of experience in the defense industry and academia focused on modeling and simulation, research, course development, accreditation, instruction, and mentorship, Shepherd offers expertise in many areas of technology, higher education, and workforce training and development. He has served as Managing Editor for the Journal of Unmanned Aerial Systems, President of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Wright Brothers Chapter, Chairperson of the National Science Foundation Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Industry Advisory Board, principal or co-principal investigator and senior personnel for multiple National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, and Department of Defense grants and contracts, and as First Vice President of the Aviation Trail Board of Trustees, a non-profit corporation in partnership with the National Park Service to promote Aviation Heritage in the Dayton region. Named by the Dayton Business Journal to Dayton’s Forty under 40 in 2014, the Who’s Who in Aerospace and Defense list seven times from 2014 through 2023, and a recipient of the Aerospace and Defense Award 2024, Shepherd is an active member of his community and broader aerospace industry. He earned his Associate of Applied Science degree in Aviation Technology – Professional Pilot and Airway Science Option from Sinclair Community College. He went on to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where he earned both a Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Aeronautics with dual minors in Management and Aviation Safety and a Master of Aeronautical Science with dual specializations of Space Science and Human Factors in Aviation. He most recently earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration with a specialization in Management of Engineering and Technology from Northcentral University.
Joshua Bohun
Deputy Director, Unmanned Aerial Systems, Sinclair College
Joshua Bohun serves as the Deputy Director for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio. He has over 14 years of total military service and is presently assigned as an Executive Officer to the 445th Maintenance Group at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in the United States Air Force Reserve. He leads in facilitating partnerships as a liaison to industry, academia, and the government for UAS and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). He has experience in curriculum development as he has been co-principal investigator and project manager for National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and United States Air Force funded UAS, AAM, and Digital Thread credit and non-credit courses. He also led and conducted flight testing and evaluation for remote eVTOL aircraft operations advancing various government applications. He has an extensive background and experience in conventional aviation, having served as an active-duty instructor and evaluator pilot and officer in the United States Air Force for 12 years. He earned his Multi-Engine Instructor, Certified Flight Instrument Instructor, and Airline Transport Pilot ratings and became a First Officer for Delta Air Lines, flying the Boeing 737. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Philip Bohun
Director for Applied Modeling and Simulation, Unmanned Aerial Systems, Sinclair College
Mr. Philip Bohun serves as the Director for Applied Modeling and Simulation in the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) department at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio. He has over 17 years of experience in software design, development, and engineering in service of the defense sector, private industry, and academia. He spent five years working in the Modeling and Application Development Lab at Riverside Research working on projects including a satellite mission planner, a satellite orbit prediction algorithm, and software to analyze terrorist social networks. His other notable projects include a communication system utilizing a satellite constellation, an indoor gunshot alert system, and a RFID tracking system. Philip earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems in 2007 and subsequently completed a Master of Science in Computer Science in 2017 from the University of Dayton. He currently is providing expertise in modeling and simulation for Sinclair’s customers and partners.
Justin Fessenden
Coordinator for Design and Rapid Prototyping, Unmanned Aerial Systems, Sinclair College
Justin Fessenden currently serves as the Coordinator for Design and Rapid Prototyping following an initial role of Technician in the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) department at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio. In his current role, he assists in the design and prototyping of custom UAS and components using additive and subtractive manufacturing technologies. Additionally, he has five years of industry experience working at Hewlett Packard, DXC, and GE Aviation with cyber security focuses. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Assurance – Network Security/Administration from Eastern Michigan University, as well as a Computer Information Systems/Network Manager Associate of Applied Science, Computer Information Systems/Microsoft Security Specialist Associate of Applied Science, Digital Thread Engineering Technology Short-Term Technical Certificate, Computer Aided Manufacturing Precision Machining Short-Term Technical Certificate, and Welding and Metal Joining Short-Term Technical Certificate from Sinclair College.
William Mayo
Software Developer, Unmanned Aerial Systems, Sinclair College
William Mayo serves as a Software Developer in the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) department at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio. With a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from Wright State University and work experience in the contracting industry focused on research, development, simulation, and quality assurance, Mr. Mayo offers knowledge in many areas of front-end and back-end programming and application development. He has served as an Engineer in the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base internship program and as an Associate Engineer at Nextgen Federal Systems, both focusing on application development for Department of Defense contracting.