Vancouver Faculty Win University-Sponsored Research Awards in New Program

Pictured from left: Arman Bonakdarpour, Amin Milani Fard, Eric Mazzi, and Sara Khanchi

New York Tech has created a new research program specifically to support Vancouver faculty. The Global Impact Research Grant (GIRG) program has been developed to keep Vancouver-based faculty connected to faculty and research projects being conducted on the university's New York campuses. Jared Littman, Ph.D., vice provost for research and an architect of this internal research program, says the ultimate goal is to have a "global impact on research."

This new program intends to seed Vancouver faculty research, scholarship, and creative activity. Under Littman's leadership, the Office for Sponsored Projects and Research (OSPAR) will provide administrative support, which includes managing and monitoring research progress and expenditures and providing budget and project guidance throughout the grant period and beyond.

New York Tech-Vancouver faculty were encouraged to submit proposals showing potential for advancing the reputation of the university and/or the principal investigator. "Ensuring that our faculty and administration on all campuses are connected is vital to our success in making broader impacts in our research in order to benefit society and contribute to achieving specific, desired outcomes in high research activity," Littman adds.

The winning projects in this first-time program are:

AI-Assisted Malware Behavior Analysis

This project is led by Principal Investigator (PI) Sara Khanchi, Ph.D., assistant professor,and co-PI Amin Milani Fard, Ph.D., associate professor, in the Department of Computer Science. Their research aims to address the escalating threat of cyberattacks, particularly malware. In Canada, ransomware and malware pose significant risks, causing financial losses and service disruptions across a variety of organizations. The research project's objectives involve developing AI models for malware detection, emphasizing key features to outpace emerging threats.

The project integrates cybersecurity and AI expertise and includes roles for two students as graduate research assistants. Seeking to extract crucial features for constructing effective detection models, the project ideally will advance malware analysis techniques and emphasize behavioral analysis and threat adaptation with transparent decision-making, all the while moving toward a more resilient and proactive cybersecurity landscape as part of New York Tech's dedication to pushing the boundaries of knowledge in cybersecurity.

Exploration and Simulation of the Feasibility of Grid-Connected and Net-Metered Hybrid Solar Wind and Thermal Storage in the Province of British Columbia

The other selected project is led by PI Arman Bonakdarpour, Ph.D., assistant professor, and co-PI Eric Mazzi, Ph.D., adjunct faculty, in the Department of Energy Management.

This research project, which will include four students as graduate research assistants, aims to examine the techno-economic viability of small (less than 100 kilowatts) and behind-the-meter wind projects, along with hybrid small wind and solar PV (photovoltaic) projects across various locations in British Columbia. The proposed study is particularly timely as major utilities in British Columbia are actively diversifying their electricity generation portfolios, incorporating renewable sources on the supply and demand sides. The research will also examine the techno-economic aspects of thermal energy storage to mitigate peak demand. The PIs have active connections with BC Hydro, the primary utility provider in British Columbia, and will leverage their expertise and data for this project.

As there is currently a shortage of relevant feasibility studies, this project presents an excellent opportunity to engage in original and applied research, modeling the techno-economics of renewable energy for British Columbia and delivering meaningful results for the utility, given that there is an urgent need for a better understanding of energy generation and delivery in British Columbia.

The next call for entries for the GIRG internal research program will be in spring 2025.

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