From the time researchers at Iowa State University invented the world’s first electronic digital computer, Iowa State has been a leader in computing technology. The department recognizes that the world’s computing and networking infrastructure, embodied in the Internet, has dramatically altered the technological, scientific, and sociological landscape. Our department aims to help this technology realize its full potential, particularly with respect to embedded devices.

To this end, the department’s research focuses on seamlessly integrating new capabilities into existing computing infrastructure, as well as advancing the state-of-the-art in this area.

Specifically, the department’s research efforts have a strong emphasis on:

  • Cybersecurity and information assurance
    • Android-based anti-malware systems
    • Internet-scale modeling for cyber defense
    • Cyber-physical systems security for critical infrastructure
    • Accountable anonymity systems
  • High performance computing
    • Reconfigurable computing for accelerating Big Data applications
    • CPU/GPU architecture
    • Energy efficiency and power management
  • Networks
    • Cloud and Fog network design
    • Self-healing 4G and 5G cellular networks
    • Spectrum‐energy efficiency optimization
    • Polymorphic and mobile embedded systems

The ECpE department’s cyber infrastructure research has applications in Internet security, privacy, security policy, systems biology, and electric power infrastructure.

Faculty Expertise

Graduate Student Research Focus Areas

Research in this strategic area also encompasses graduate study in electrical and computer engineering.