RANCS Research Group

Resilient, Autonomous, Networked Control Systems

Director

ARMAN SARGOLZAEI, Director

Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering

University of South Florida (USF)

Education

Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of Florida, 2016 – 2020.

M.Sc., Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, 2016 – 2019.

Ph.D., Electrical  Engineering, Florida International University (FIU), 2012 – 2015.

M.Sc., Electrical Engineering, Florida International University (FIU), 2011 – 2012.

Professional Experience

Assistant Professor, University of South Florida, Aug 2022- Ongoing

Assistant Professor, Tennessee Technological University, Aug 2020- July 2022

Director, Advanced Mobility Institute (AMI), Florida Polytechnic University (FPU), Jan 2020 – July 2020.

Assistant Professor, Florida Polytechnic University, Aug 2016 – July 2020.

Research Assistant Professor, Florida International University, Sep 2015 – Aug 2016.

System Development Engineer, PLC International Inc, Nov 2013 – Sep 2015.

Graduate Assistant, Florida International University, Aug 2012 – Nov 2013.

Software and Hardware Developer, PLC International Inc, May 2012 – Nov 2013.

Research Assistant, Florida International University, May 2011 – Feb 2012.

Teaching assistant, Oakland University, Aug 2010 – Jan 2011.

Electrical Engineering Inter, Renewable Energy Sources Organization, Apr 2009 – Aug 2009.

Bio

Dr. Arman Sargolzaei’s expertise is in applying linear and nonlinear control methods, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to the field of Networked Control Systems (NCSs). His mission is to enhance the quality of life for people, with assuring the safety, security, and privacy concerns through extensive collaboration among multi-disciplinary fields. He is the recipient of the NSF CAREER award for his research on testing and verifying the security of connected and autonomous vehicles. His research on the security of NCSs and resiliency of Multi-agent systems, particularly his doctoral dissertations entitled “Control of Multi-Agent Systems under Cyberattack” and “Time-Delay Switch Attack on Networked Control Systems, Effects, and Countermeasures,” combined with the knowledge of control theory, system identification, mathematics, and statistics carried significant practical implications in better understanding the pathways of faults, failure, and attack detection and compensation for NCSs. He followed his vision in securing NCSs by leading several funded projects. He is recognized with the honor of the “Faculty Research Excellence Award” for two consecutive years. He holds three years of industrial experience as a system development engineer and supervisor of the internship program at PLC International Inc., a multinational corporation specialized in telecommunications for electrical substations and smart grid applications. In this position, he was a lead engineer for a product called Rugged Smart Machine-to-Machine platform, which received the best of show innovation award at ITEXPO for two years in a row. He believes in the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration as the key to success. He serves as a chair for several university committees such as faculty hiring and program assessment. Dr. Sargolzaei’s peer-reviewed research on the theory and applications of cyber-physical systems, control systems, and embedded systems has been published in more than 70 articles [H index = 26]. Dr. Sargolzaei has two active patents for his research efforts on the security of NCSs. He has presented extensively in international and national conferences and workshops, chaired industrial and research workshops and training events, received research awards, grants, and reviewed top-quality journal papers. He serves as a reviewer for high impact ISI journals such as IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Applications, and IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics. He also serves as the editorial board of the International Journal of Instrumentation and Control Systems and International Journal of Machine Learning and Applications. He is a senior member of IEEE young professionals, IEEE control systems society, and IEEE power and energy society. He is largely involved in national and international fund-raising events for improving the educational and training on cyber-physical systems. He is a proud splash instructor who volunteers and actively participates in outreach events.

Specialties:

Dr. Sargolzaei has interdisciplinary expertise in testing and verification of connected autonomous vehicles, the security of networked control systems, nonlinear control, and unmanned ground and aerial vehicles.

Patents:
Service activities:
  • Member of Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. 2022-Ongoing
  • Member of Program Assessment Committee, 2021-2022
  • Chair and Program Assessment Coordinator, 2018-2020.
  • Chair ECE Research Committee, 2019-2020.
  • Chair of Electrical Engineering Search Committee, 2018, 2019.
  • Institutional Effectiveness Committee Member, 2016-2020.
  • Curriculum Committee Member, 2018-2020.
  • Control system program coordinator, ECE, Fall 2016-2020.
  • IT Policies Committee Member, 2017-2018.
  • Member of Faculty screening committee, Computer Science and Information Technology, 2017.
  • Member of Faculty screening committee, Electrical Engineering, 2016.

Shirin Noei, Co-Director

Bio:

Dr. Noei is skilled in intelligent transportation systems, cooperative driving automation, cyber security, vehicle dynamics, traffic simulation, and traffic operations. She earned her Ph.D. in transportation engineering and has three master’s degrees in transportation engineering, construction management, and business administration. Dr. Noei is currently a research assistant professor at a multi-disciplinary center engaged in smart grid, resilient infrastructure, and wireless power. She has been awarded multiple USDOT projects as a principal investigator and has been involved in multiple Florida DOT projects as a research assistant. Dr. Noei has developed a tool to estimate longitudinal control variables for autonomous and cooperative autonomous vehicles, considering driver characteristics, vehicle body, powertrain, operating conditions, operating mode, communication vulnerabilities, and traffic conditions. She has developed a ramp-metering module for a traffic microsimulation tool (SwashSim). Dr. Noei is affiliated with Resilient, Autonomous, Networked Control Systems research lab as a co-advisor, Women’s Transportation Seminar at Middle Tennessee Chapter as a mentor, and Women in Engineering and Computing at Tennessee Technological University as a faculty mentor. She has received multiple awards, including Helene M. Overly Memorial Graduate Scholarship, University-Wide Scholarship, Student Government Association Scholarship, and Dean’s Scholarship Award. Dr. Noei has published 20+ journals and conference papers with high-impact factors, such as IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, Transportation Research Part C, and Association for Computing Machinery.