Defense Notices


All students and faculty are welcome to attend the final defense of EECS graduate students completing their M.S. or Ph.D. degrees. Defense notices for M.S./Ph.D. presentations for this year and several previous years are listed below in reverse chronological order.

Students who are nearing the completion of their M.S./Ph.D. research should schedule their final defenses through the EECS graduate office at least THREE WEEKS PRIOR to their presentation date so that there is time to complete the degree requirements check, and post the presentation announcement online.

Upcoming Defense Notices

Vinay Kumar Reddy Budideti

NutriBot: An AI-Powered Personalized Nutrition Recommendation Chatbot Using Rasa

When & Where:


Eaton Hall, Room 2001B

Committee Members:

David Johnson, Chair
Victor Frost
Prasad Kulkarni


Abstract

In recent years, the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and healthcare has paved the way for intelligent dietary assistance. NutriBot is an AI-powered chatbot developed using the Rasa framework to deliver personalized nutrition recommendations based on user preferences, diet types, and nutritional goals. This full-stack system integrates Rasa NLU, a Flask backend, the Nutritionix API for real-time food data, and a React.js + Tailwind CSS frontend for seamless interaction. The system is containerized using Docker and deployable on cloud platforms like GCP.

The chatbot supports multi-turn conversations, slot-filling, and remembers user preferences such as dietary restrictions or nutrient focus (e.g., high protein). Evaluation of the system showed perfect intent and entity recognition accuracy, fast API response times, and user-friendly fallback handling. While NutriBot currently lacks persistent user profiles and multilingual support, it offers a highly accurate, scalable framework for future extensions such as fitness tracker integration, multilingual capabilities, and smart assistant deployment.


Arun Kumar Punjala

Deep Learning-Based MRI Brain Tumor Classification: Evaluating Sequential Architectures for Diagnostic Accuracy

When & Where:


Eaton Hall, Room 2001B

Committee Members:

David Johnson, Chair
Prasad Kulkarni
Dongjie Wang


Abstract

Accurate classification of brain tumors from MRI scans plays a vital role in assisting clinical diagnosis and treatment planning. This project investigates and compares three deep learning-based classification approaches designed to evaluate the effectiveness of integrating recurrent layers into conventional convolutional architectures. Specifically, a CNN-LSTM model, a CNN-RNN model with GRU units, and a baseline CNN classifier using EfficientNetB0 are developed and assessed on a curated MRI dataset.

The CNN-LSTM model uses ResNet50 as a feature extractor, with spatial features reshaped and passed through stacked LSTM layers to explore sequential learning on static medical images. The CNN-RNN model implements TimeDistributed convolutional layers followed by GRUs, examining the potential benefits of GRU-based modeling. The EfficientNetB0-based CNN model, trained end-to-end without recurrent components, serves as the performance baseline.

All three models are evaluated using training accuracy, validation loss, confusion matrices, and class-wise performance metrics. Results show that the CNN-LSTM architecture provides the most balanced performance across tumor types, while the CNN-RNN model suffers from mild overfitting. The EfficientNetB0 baseline offers stable and efficient classification for general benchmarking.


Mahmudul Hasan

Assertion-Based Security Assessment of Hardware IP Protection Methods

When & Where:


Eaton Hall, Room 2001B

Committee Members:

Tamzidul Hoque, Chair
Esam El-Araby
Sumaiya Shomaji


Abstract

Combinational and sequential locking methods are promising solutions for protecting hardware intellectual property (IP) from piracy, reverse engineering, and malicious modifications by locking the functionality of the IP based on a secret key. To improve their security, researchers are developing attack methods to extract the secret key.  

While the attacks on combinational locking are mostly inapplicable for sequential designs without access to the scan chain, the limited applicable attacks are generally evaluated against the basic random insertion of key gates. On the other hand, attacks on sequential locking techniques suffer from scalability issues and evaluation of improperly locked designs. Finally, while most attacks provide an approximately correct key, they do not indicate which specific key bits are undetermined. This thesis proposes an oracle-guided attack that applies to both combinational and sequential locking without scan chain access. The attack applies light-weight design modifications that represent the oracle using a finite state machine and applies an assertion-based query of the unlocking key. We have analyzed the effectiveness of our attack against 46 sequential designs locked with various classes of combinational locking including random, strong, logic cone-based, and anti-SAT based. We further evaluated against a sequential locking technique using 46 designs with various key sequence lengths and widths. Finally, we expand our framework to identify undetermined key bits, enabling complementary attacks on the smaller remaining key space.


Masoud Ghazikor

Distributed Optimization and Control Algorithms for UAV Networks in Unlicensed Spectrum Bands

When & Where:


Nichols Hall, Room 246 (Executive Conference Room)

Committee Members:

Morteza Hashemi, Chair
Victor Frost
Prasad Kulkarni


Abstract

UAVs have emerged as a transformative technology for various applications, including emergency services, delivery, and video streaming. Among these, video streaming services in areas with limited physical infrastructure, such as disaster-affected areas, play a crucial role in public safety. UAVs can be rapidly deployed in search and rescue operations to efficiently cover large areas and provide live video feeds, enabling quick decision-making and resource allocation strategies. However, ensuring reliable and robust UAV communication in such scenarios is challenging, particularly in unlicensed spectrum bands, where interference from other nodes is a significant concern. To address this issue, developing a distributed transmission control and video streaming is essential to maintaining a high quality of service, especially for UAV networks that rely on delay-sensitive data.

In this MSc thesis, we study the problem of distributed transmission control and video streaming optimization for UAVs operating in unlicensed spectrum bands. We develop a cross-layer framework that jointly considers three inter-dependent factors: (i) in-band interference introduced by ground-aerial nodes at the physical layer, (ii) limited-size queues with delay-constrained packet arrival at the MAC layer, and (iii) video encoding rate at the application layer. This framework is designed to optimize the average throughput and PSNR by adjusting fading thresholds and video encoding rates for an integrated aerial-ground network in unlicensed spectrum bands. Using consensus-based distributed algorithm and coordinate descent optimization, we develop two algorithms: (i) Distributed Transmission Control (DTC) that dynamically adjusts fading thresholds to maximize the average throughput by mitigating trade-offs between low-SINR transmission errors and queue packet losses, and (ii) Joint Distributed Video Transmission and Encoder Control (JDVT-EC) that optimally balances packet loss probabilities and video distortions by jointly adjusting fading thresholds and video encoding rates. Through extensive numerical analysis, we demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed algorithms under various scenarios.


Past Defense Notices

Dates

ASHWINI BALACHANDRA

Implementation of Truncated Lévy Walk Mobility Model in ns-3

When & Where:


246 Nichols Hall

Committee Members:

James Sterbenz, Chair
Victor Frost
Fengjun Li


Abstract

Mobility models generate the mobility patterns of the nodes in a given system. Mobility models help us to analyze and study the characteristic of new and existing systems. Various mobility models implemented in network simulation tools like ns-3 does not model the patterns of human mobility. The main idea of this project is to implement the truncated Lévy walk mobility model in ns-3. The model has two variations, in the first variation, the flight length and pause time of the nodes are determined from the truncated Pareto distribution and in the second variation, Lévy distribution models the flight length and pause time distributions and the values are obtained by Lévy α-stable random number generator. The mobility patterns of the nodes are generated and analyzed for the model by changing various model attributes. Further studies can be done to understand the behavior of these models for different ad hoc networking protocols. 

 

 


MOHSEN ALEENEJAD

New Modulation Methods and Control Strategies for Power Converters

When & Where:


1 Eaton Hall

Committee Members:

Reza Ahmadi, Chair
Glenn Prescott
Alessandro Salandrino
Jim Stiles
Huazhen Fang

Abstract

The DC to AC power Inverters (so-called Inverters) are widely used in industrial applications. The multilevel Inverters are becoming increasingly popular in industrial apparatus aimed at medium to high power conversion applications. In comparison to the conventional inverters, they feature superior characteristics such as lower total harmonic distortion (THD), higher efficiency, and lower switching voltage stress{Malinowski, 2010 #9}{Malinowski, 2010 #9}. Nevertheless, the superior characteristics come at the price of a more complex topology with an increased number of power electronic switches. As a general rule in a Inverter topology, as the number of power electronic switches increases, the chances of fault occurrence on of the switches increases, and thus the Inverter’s reliability decreases. Due to the extreme monetary ramifications of the interruption of operation in commercial and industrial applications, high reliability for power Inverters utilized in these sectors is critical. As a result, developing fault-tolerant operation schemes for multilevel Inverters has always been an interesting topic for researchers in related areas. The purpose of this proposal is to develop new control and fault-tolerant strategies for the multilevel power Inverter. In the event of a fault, the line voltages of the faulty Inverters are unbalanced and cannot be applied to the three phase loads. This fault-tolerant strategy generates balanced line voltages without bypassing any healthy and operative Inverter element, makes better use of the Inverter capacity and generates higher output voltage. This strategy exploits the advantages of the Selective Harmonic Elimination (SHE) method in conjunction with a slightly modified Fundamental Phase Shift Compensation technique to generate balanced voltages and manipulate voltage harmonics at the same time. However, due to the distinctive requirement of the strategy to manipulate both amplitude and angle of the harmonics, the conventional SHE technique is not the suitable basis for the proposed strategy. Therefore, in this project a modified Unbalanced SHE technique which can be used as the basis for the fault-tolerant strategy is developed. The proposed strategy is applicable to several classes of multilevel Inverters with three or more voltage levels. 


MOHSEN ALEENEJAD

New Modulation Methods and Control Strategies for Power Converters

When & Where:


1 Eaton Hall

Committee Members:

Reza Ahmadi, Chair
Glenn Prescott
Alessandro Salandrino
Jim Stiles
Huazhen Fang

Abstract

The DC to AC power Inverters (so-called Inverters) are widely used in industrial applications. The multilevel Inverters are becoming increasingly popular in industrial apparatus aimed at medium to high power conversion applications. In comparison to the conventional inverters, they feature superior characteristics such as lower total harmonic distortion (THD), higher efficiency, and lower switching voltage stress{Malinowski, 2010 #9}{Malinowski, 2010 #9}. Nevertheless, the superior characteristics come at the price of a more complex topology with an increased number of power electronic switches. As a general rule in a Inverter topology, as the number of power electronic switches increases, the chances of fault occurrence on of the switches increases, and thus the Inverter’s reliability decreases. Due to the extreme monetary ramifications of the interruption of operation in commercial and industrial applications, high reliability for power Inverters utilized in these sectors is critical. As a result, developing fault-tolerant operation schemes for multilevel Inverters has always been an interesting topic for researchers in related areas. The purpose of this proposal is to develop new control and fault-tolerant strategies for the multilevel power Inverter. In the event of a fault, the line voltages of the faulty Inverters are unbalanced and cannot be applied to the three phase loads. This fault-tolerant strategy generates balanced line voltages without bypassing any healthy and operative Inverter element, makes better use of the Inverter capacity and generates higher output voltage. This strategy exploits the advantages of the Selective Harmonic Elimination (SHE) method in conjunction with a slightly modified Fundamental Phase Shift Compensation technique to generate balanced voltages and manipulate voltage harmonics at the same time. However, due to the distinctive requirement of the strategy to manipulate both amplitude and angle of the harmonics, the conventional SHE technique is not the suitable basis for the proposed strategy. Therefore, in this project a modified Unbalanced SHE technique which can be used as the basis for the fault-tolerant strategy is developed. The proposed strategy is applicable to several classes of multilevel Inverters with three or more voltage levels.


SIVA RAM DATTA BOBBA

Rule Induction For Numerical Data using PRISM

When & Where:


2001B Eaton Hall

Committee Members:

Jerzy Grzymala-Busse, Chair
Bo Luo
James Miller


Abstract

Rule induction is one of the basic and important techniques of data mining. Inducing a rule set for symbolic data is simple and straightforward, but it becomes complex when the attributes are numerical. There are several algorithms available that do the task of rule induction for symbolic data. One such algorithm is PRISM which uses conditional probability for attribute-value selection to induce a rule. 
In the real world scenario, data may comprise of either symbolic or numerical attributes. It becomes difficult to induce a discriminant ruleset on the data with numerical attributes. This project provides an implementation of PRISM to handle numerical data. First, it takes as input, a dataset with numerical attributes and converts them into discrete values using the multiple scanning approach which identifies the cut-points for intervals using minimum conditional entropy. Once discretization completes, PRISM uses these discrete values to induce ruleset for each decision. Thus, this project helps to induce modular rulesets over a numerical dataset. 

 

 


NILISHA MANE

Tools to Explore Run-time Program Properties

When & Where:


246 Nichols Hall

Committee Members:

Prasad Kulkarni, Chair
Perry Alexander
Gary Minden


Abstract

The advancement in the field of embedded technology has resulted in its extensive use in almost all the modern electronic devices. Hence, unlike in the past, there is a very crucial need to develop system security tools for these devices. So far most of the research has been concentrated either on security for general computer systems or on static analysis of embedded systems. In this project, we develop tools that explore and monitor the run-time properties of programs/applications as well as the inter-process communication. We also present a case studies in which these tools are be used on a Gumstix (an embedded system) running Poky Linux system to monitor a particular program as well as print out a graph of all inter-process communication on the system.


BRIAN MACHARIA

UWB Microwave Filters on Multilayer LCP Substrates: A Feasibility Study

When & Where:


317 Nichols Hall

Committee Members:

Carl Leuschen, Chair
Fernando Rodriguez-Morales
Chris Allen


Abstract

Having stable dielectric properties extending to frequencies over 110 GHz, Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) materials are a new and promising substrate alternative for low-cost production of planar microwave circuits. This project focused on the design of several microwave filter structures using multiple layers for operation in the 2-18 GHz and 10-14 GHz bands. Circuits were simulated and optimized using EDA tools, obtaining good results over the bands of interest. The results show that it is feasible to fabricate these structures on dielectric substrates compatible with off-site manufacturing facilities. It is likewise shown that LCP technology can yield a 3-5x area reduction as compared to cavity-type filters, making them much easier to integrate in a planar circuit.


Md. MOSHFEQUR RAHMAN

OpenFlow based Multipath Communication for Resilience

When & Where:


246 Nichols Hall

Committee Members:

James Sterbenz, Chair
Victor Frost
Fengjun Li


Abstract

A cross-layer framework in the Software Defined Networking domain is pro- posed to study the resilience in OpenFlow-based multipath communication. A testbed has been built, using Brocade OpenFlow switches and Dell Poweredge servers. The framework is evaluated against regional challenges. By using differ- ent adjacency matrices, various topologies are built. The behavior of OpenFlow multipath-based communication is studied in case of a single path failure, splitting of traffic and also with multipath TCP enabled traffic. The behavior of different coupled congestion algorithms for MPTCP is also studied. A Web framework is presented to demonstrate the OpenFlow experiment by importing the network topologies and then executing and analyzing user defined regional attacks.


RAGAPRABHA CHINNASWAMY

A Comparison of Maximal Consistent Blocks and Characteristics Sets for Incomplete Data Sets

When & Where:


2001B Eaton Hall

Committee Members:

Jerzy Grzymala-Busse, Chair
Prasad Kulkarni
Bo Luo


Abstract

One of the main applications of rough set theory is rule induction. If the input data set contains inconsistencies, using rough set theory leads to inducing certain and possible rule sets. 
In this project, the concept of a maximal consistent block is applied to formulate a new approximation to a concept in the incomplete data set with a higher level of accuracy. This method does not require change in the size of the original incomplete data set. Two interpretations of missing attribute values are discussed: lost values and “do not care” conditions. The main objective is to compare maximal consistent blocks and characteristics sets in terms of cardinality of lower and upper approximations. Four incomplete data sets are used for experiments with varying levels of missing information. The next objective is to compare the decision rules induced and cases covered by both techniques. The experiments show that the both techniques provide the same lower approximations for all the datasets with “do not care” conditions. The best results are achieved by maximal consistent blocks for upper approximations for three datasets and there is a tie for the other data set. 


PRAVEEN YARLAGADDA

A Comparison of Rule Sets Generated by Algorithms: AQ, C4.5, and CART

When & Where:


2001B Eaton Hall

Committee Members:

Jerzy Grzymala-Busse, Chair
Bo Luo
Jim Miller


Abstract

In data mining, rules are the most popular symbolic representation of knowledge. Classification of data and extracting of classification rules from the data is a difficult process, and there are different approaches to this process. One such approach is inductive learning. Inductive learning involves the process of learning from examples - where a system tries to induce a set of rules from a set of observed examples. Inductive learning methods produce distinct concept descriptions when given identical training data and there are questions about the quality of the different rule sets produced. This project work is aimed at comparing and analyzing the rule sets induced by different inductive learning systems. In this project, three different algorithms AQ, CART and C4.5 are used to induce rule sets from different data sets. An analysis is carried out in terms of the total number of rules and the total number of conditions present in the rules. These space complexity measures such as rule count and condition count show that AQ tends to produce more complex rule sets than C4.5 and CART. AQ algorithm has been implemented as a part of project and is used to induce the rule sets.


DIVYA GUPTA

Investigation of a License Plate Recognition Algorithm

When & Where:


250 Nichols Hall

Committee Members:

Glenn Prescott, Chair
Erik Perrins
Jim Stiles


Abstract

License plate Recognition method is a technique to detect license plate numbers from the vehicle images. This method has become an important part of our life with an increase in traffic and crime every now and then. It uses computer vision and pattern recognition technologies. Various techniques have been proposed so far and they work best within boundaries.This detection technique helps in finding the accurate location of license plates and extracting characters of the plates. The license plate detection is a three-stage process that includes license plate detection, character segmentation and character recognition. The first stage is the extraction of the number plate as it occupies a small portion of the whole image. After tracking down the license plate, localizing of the characters is done. The character recognition is the last stage of the detection and template matching is the most common method used for it. The results achieved by the above experiment were quite accurate which showed the robustness of the investigated algorithm.