Webinars

Spring 2026 CINSER Webinar Series

 

Treading Lightly: A Risk-Informed AI/ML Innovation and Adoption in Critical Infrastructures and Public Safety Technologies

Speaker: Dr. Eman Hammad, Assistant Professor & Director, Innovations in Systems Trust and Resilience (iSTAR) Lab, Texas A&M University

Date and Time: February 25, 2026, 11:30 AM CST

Abstract

Amidst the accelerated innovations across all fields empowered by AI/ML, responsible, reliable, safe, ethical, secure, and trustworthy AI in the loop is a critical enabler for sustained innovation. However, establishing trust in complex and interconnected systems remains an elusive moving target, and even more challenging when integrating intelligence layers. This is particularly challenging in critical infrastructures and public safety domain due to their inherent risk profiles, motivating the development of frameworks for systematic understanding of the threat model, attack vectors, and mitigations. In this talk, we expand on challenges and opportunities, present recent work on risk-informad frameworks for AI/ML innovation. 

Biography - Eman Hammad

Dr. Hammad is a cybersecurity expert specializing in large-scale network, critical infrastructures and complex systems. Her research focuses on leveraging in-depth knowledge of the systems to improve cyber resilience by-design. Dr. Hammad received her PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto and has gained a considerable industrial experience working for one of the big technical consulting companies. She is currently the director of the iSTAR lab (innovations in Systems Trust and Resilience) at Texas A&M University. Dr. Hammad is the co-chair of the IEEE Future Networks Security Working Group, and is the Co-Chair for the IEEE P1950.1 Standard for Communications Architectural Functional Framework for Smart Cities. Dr. Hammad has over 90 publications and is a recognized expert in the domain of cyber-physical systems' security and resilience, and security-by-design. Dr. Hammad is an IEEE Senior member and has delivered numerous keynotes and invited talks on engineering resilience and security by design for critical infrastructures. She is the recipient of best-paper awards, best poster awards, and junior faculty award.

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From Code to Care: A Roadmap to Navigating AI in Healthcare

Speaker: Andrew Wong, MD, MS, Assistant Professor & Director, National Clinician Scholars Program
Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation  & Clinical Instructor, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Health System

Date and Time: April 23 2026, 11:30 AM CST

Abstract

The rapid advancement of clinical AI systems over recent years offers potential to revolutionize our approach to healthcare in the U.S. This talk will explore the rapid evolution of clinical AI tools, evaluate their impact on clinical care, and highlight essential considerations for governance and oversight before and after real-world implementation.

Biography - Andrew Wong

Dr. Wong is a Research Fellow in the National Clinician Scholars Program and a Clinical Instructor of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan. His research focuses in applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to solve real-world problems in clinical practice, hospital operations, and medical education. He was a recent recipient of the national Felicia Hill-Briggs GIM Research Award, and his research has been widely cited, including in the White House Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights. He currently serves on the Michigan Medicine Clinical Intelligence Committee, the University of Michigan Task Force for Generative AI in Research, and the IHPI committee for AI in Health Policy.   Register

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Past Events

Spring 2026 Artificial Intelligence Initiative Webinar Series

AI for Science: Accelerating Chemistry and Materials‬ Discovery

Speaker: Dr. Muhammed Shuaibi Research Engineer, Fundamental AI Research (FAIR), Meta

Date and Time: January 28, 2026 11 AM CST

Abstract

Scientific discoveries have traditionally been constrained by costly and time-consuming experiments. Although computational advances now allow researchers to study atomic systems using quantum mechanical simulations, these methods remain limited by feasible time and length scales. In this discussion, we will explore how AI is accelerating research in materials and molecular science. We will highlight our team's recent progress, from building datasets to training large-scale models, and discuss key challenges that lie ahead for AI-driven scientific discovery.

Biography Muhammed Shuaibi, is a research engineer on the FAIR Chemistry team at Meta. His work focuses on building open data sets, models and tools for the scientific community. With his team, some of their most prominent releases include UMA, OMol25, OMat24 and OC20 – spanning molecules, materials and catalysts. While large computational efforts are critical, bridging the gap to experiments has become more pressing. Shuaibi is actively exploring ways to bring the models and tools they develop to make real scientific discoveries. He received his PhD degree in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

 

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AI in Criminal Justice is Nothing New

Speaker: Chris Edley III, Executive Director of the AI and Justice Consortium

Date and Time: Nov 19, 2025, 11 AM CST

Abstract

AI has already entered our criminal legal and justice systems. From risk assessment, to facial recognition, to automated report writing, AI presents new challenges and opportunities for our access to and administration of justice. In this talk, Chris Edley III will use real world examples of discriminative and predictive AI in our justice systems to introduce the potential dangers, benefits, and limitations of these emerging technologies. He will conclude with an empowering counterargument to the dominant narrative: AI is really nothing new in terms of the technology itself, the harms and biases it might impose on Black and other criminalized peoples, and in terms of our ability to challenge and regulate it.

Biography

Chris Edley III is the Executive Director of the AI and Justice Consortium, a nonprofit working to ensure that AI improves justice for all. For nearly a decade, he has been a criminal justice reform strategist, advising nonprofit and academic organizations dedicated to evidenced-based criminal justice research, practice, and policy. Since 2019, he has also been engaged in machine learning and AI development, first with a focus on narrative framing, then moving into designing practical applications that improve outcomes for impacted communities and justice systems practitioners. Chris is a glass-half-empty optimist.

 

Speaker: Dr. Safwan Wshah, Associate Professor, University of Vermont; Founder & Lead AI Scientist at Maplyzer LLC

Date and Time: Dec 3, 2025, 11 AM CST

Abstract

This talk highlights the transformative role of AI in geospatial analysis for the transportation sector. By leveraging computer vision, cross-view geo-localization, and advanced machine learning models, our work enables robust detection of road assets, evaluation of roadway safety, and integration of multi-view data sources (street-level, aerial, and satellite). We present methodologies that go beyond traditional asset management to deliver comprehensive insights into road quality, safety risks, and long-term infrastructure resilience. The discussion will also touch on broader applications in land cover mapping and environmental monitoring, emphasizing the potential of AI-driven geospatial tools to enhance decision-making across domains.

Biography - Safwan Wshah Dr. Safwan Wshah is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Vermont and the founder of the Vermont Artificial Intelligence Lab (VaiL). He is also the founder and lead AI scientist at Maplyzer LLC, a startup originated from UVM that specializes in AI-powered road-asset recognition and safety assessment. His research focuses on machine learning, computer vision, and cross-view geo-localization, with applications in transportation, environmental monitoring, and healthcare. Dr. Wshah has published extensively in top journals and conferences, holds multiple patents, and has secured over $2.8M in research funding from agencies such as NSF, NIH, NOAA, and state DOTs. He is also a Fulbright Global Scholar, advancing AI research in Jordan and internationally.

 

Fall 2025 CINSER Webinar Series

Computational Devices and Applications of 2D Materials

Speaker: Dr. Shaloo Rakheja, Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Advanced Semiconductor Chips with Accelerated Performance (ASAP), University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Date and Time: November 5, 2025 11:00 AM - 12:00 Noon Central Time

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have emerged as promising candidates for beyond-silicon channel materials in gate-all-around (GAA) transistor architectures, thanks to their exceptional performance at the atomic scale. Their atomically thin nature gives rise to strong coupling between electronic, optical, and mechanical properties, enabling functionalities that are difficult to achieve with bulk materials. Thousands of 2D materials with intriguing electronic characteristics have been computationally predicted, offering a vast design space for next-generation devices.

In this talk, the focus is on a particularly important class of 2D materials—transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs)—which are not only integral to beyond-silicon logic transistors but also hold significant potential for emerging technologies such as memristive devices for neuromorphic computing and reconfigurable electronics for hardware security. The webinar will cover recent advances in TMD-based transistors, emphasizing the role of mechanical strain in enhancing carrier mobility and device performance, and will present benchmarking results against projected silicon-based technologies. Furthermore, the speaker will share latest research on non-volatile devices that combine 2D ferroelectrics with TMD channel materials in Schottky barrier transistor architectures. These devices are reconfigurable, that is, they can dynamically alter their functionality, enabling logic locking and offering a lightweight, robust solution for integrated circuit security. Finally, the speaker will outline a vision for a "More-than- Moore" future, where 2D materials and devices unlock entirely new functionalities and computing paradigms beyond conventional scaling.

Biography - Shaloo Rakheja Shaloo Rakheja is an Associate Professor and Intel Alumni Endowed Faculty Fellow in the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Previously, she was Assistant Professor of ECE at New York University (2015 – 2019) and a Postdoctoral Associate at the Microsystems Technology Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2012 – 2014). She leads the Center for Advanced Semiconductor Chips with Accelerated Performance (ASAP) – an Industry-University Cooperative Research Center, funded by the NSF, industry, and government and addressing the energy challenge of computing systems.  She is also the Director of Illinois Semiconductor Workforce Network (ISWN), a collaboration between academic institutions, national labs, industry, and IL ecosystem to address the workforce needs of the semiconductor industry. Shaloo is an expert in physics-based modeling of nanoelectronic devices for energy-efficient computing and communication. She has developed multi-scale models that enable materials-to-circuits co-design for a wide range of technologically relevant applications.

 

Aerial and RIS-assisted Edge Computing for Intelligent Transportation Services

Speaker: Dr. Wael Jaafar

Date and Time: Oct 1, 2025, 11 AM CST

Abstract

The emergence of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) has driven the deployment of connected and autonomous vehicles that support computation-intensive and delay-sensitive applications. This development has highlighted the challenges posed by the limited resources of user devices in vehicular networks. To address these challenges, innovative solutions are needed, particularly in the context of 6G, enabled by aerial platforms of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and High-Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS), and by reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS). In this context, we will formulate the task offloading problems of vehicular networks when supported by aerial platforms equipped or not with RIS, then we will discuss different solutions that can be adopted to enhance the tasks success rate while preserving energy. Our proposed methods represent a significant advancement in managing ITS services through cooperative UAV-HAPS-RIS frameworks.

Biography - Wael Jaafar Wael Jaafar (S’08, M’14, SM’20) is an Associate Professor at the Software and IT Engineering Department of École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS), University of Quebec, Montreal, Canada since September 2022. He holds Masters and PhD degrees from Polytechnique Montreal, Canada. Between 2019 and 2022, Dr. Jaafar was an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow with the Systems and Computer Engineering Department of Carleton University. From 2014 to 2018, he pursued a career in the telecommunications industry where he has been involved in designing telecommunication solutions for projects across Canada and abroad. During his career, Dr. Jaafar was a visiting researcher at Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE in 2019, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan in 2013, and UQAM, Montreal, Canada in 2007. He received several prestigious grants including (the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Alexander-Graham Bell scholarship, the Fonds de recherche du Québec–Nature et technologies (FRQNT) scholarship, and best paper awards at CIoT 2024, IEEE ISCC 2023, and IEEE ICC 2021. His research interests include wireless communications, integrated terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, resource allocation, edge caching and computing, and machine learning for communication and networks.

Spring 2025 CINSER Webinar Series

The Malicious Manipulation and Use of AI Algorithms in the Hands of Extremist Groups

Speaker: Spiros Bamiatzis, Department Chair, and Professor of Cybersecurity, IvyTech Community College, Lake County

Date and Time: April 2, 2025 11 AM – 11:45 Central Time

Abstract

Extremist groups have increasingly spread dangerous content by exploiting AI tools such as ChatGPT. Any attempt to block these groups’ content is challenging due to "jailbreak" mechanisms and the flexibility these models have in continuously learning and adapting to new data. In this presentation, we will describe the existing general landscape of AI, along with some necessary definitions pertaining to machine learning, deep learning, and narrow and general intelligence. Furthermore, we will develop the concept of how new technologies contextualize the malicious use of AI.

Following that we will demonstrate the impact of AI in three categories of threat: cyber, physical and political. We will attempt to outline the response, the inventory of cybersecurity tools for the prevention of the malicious use of AI, and the presentation will close with an investigating look into the future malicious uses of AI by extremist groups and individuals.

This webinar was hosted by the Illiana Consortium for Intelligence and Critical Technology (IC2Tech)

Fall 2024 CINSER Webinar Series

Careers in Semiconductors: Opportunities and Resume Preparation

Speaker: Jessica Voss, Campus Relationship Manager, Intel Corporation

Date and Time: December 4, 2024 11 AM – 11:45 Central Time

Are you interested in a career in the semiconductor industry? Join us to talk about career pathways in the semiconductor industry and to discover the tips and tricks of resume preparation.