Biography
Lagos is an Associate Professor at FIU's Moss School of Construction, Director of Research at FIU’s Applied Research Center, and Director of FIU’s Science & Technology Workforce Development Initiative (DOE Fellows Program). Lagos is also a Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) on several sponsored research projects. Lagos has over 28 years of hands-on experience in executing, managing, and leading research programs sponsored by federal agencies and private industry. As a PI and Director of Research, Lagos executes, and directs research efforts of a multi-disciplinary team composed of 23 full-time staff (scientists, engineers), Post-Doctoral Associates, and over 30 STEM students including undergraduates, Master’s and Ph.D.s. Since 2012, Lagos has been the Principal Investigator for the DOE-FIU Cooperative Agreement conducting multi-disciplinary research in areas of robotics and remote systems, AI/LM, generative AI, cyber security, natural language processing, radiochemistry, environmental chemistry, decommissioning, digital decommissioning.
Other current and past research funding include, the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy’s University Program (research area: robotics), National Science Foundation (robotics, sensors, big data/data analytics, predictive maintenance, STEM workforce development and training), Department of Energy (research areas: robotics, sensors development and deployments), Sandia National Laboratory Exoskeleton program (research areas: wearable robotics), Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (blockchain and machine learning technologies applied to fossil power plants), National Science Foundation Convergence Program (research areas: project management/5G technology development), Department of Education Title III HIS STEM Grant (research areas: Cybersecurity STEM training) and National Nuclear Security Administration (research areas: advanced manufacturing for small modular reactors). The above research portfolio has a value of approximately $8M a year.
Lagos is an active member of the Waste Management Symposia (WMS) and American Nuclear Society. For the WMS, Lagos serves as a Program Advisory Committee Member (PAC) As a PAC member, he supports STEM initiatives and contributes to various Tracks, including Tracks 9 (Robotics), and Track 10 (STEM). He has also actively contributed to Track 8 (Communication, workforce development and training, and stakeholder’s involvement) and Track 6 (Deactivation & Decommissioning). Lagos serves as a member of the Roy G. Post Foundation Board of Trustees. In 2024 Lagos was names a Waste Management Symposia Fellow.
Lagos also is a member of the American Nuclear Society’s (ANS) Robotics & Remote Systems Division (RRSD) and has served in various roles including treasurer (2016), vice Chair (2017) and Chair (2018-2020) of RRSD’s Executive Committee. Lagos has led Florida International University’s Applied Research Center international efforts and has developed active working relationships with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) of France, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) and the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), Halden, Norway, And University of Porto, Portugal.
Lagos is also an adjunct professor in FIU’s Biomedical Engineering Department and previously an adjunct professor in FIU’s Mechanical and Materials Engineering Department. Lagos is also a Graduate Faculty within the Department of Civil/Environmental Engineering and Moss School of Construction Management. As a Graduate Faculty Lagos has participated over 33 Masters and Ph.D.s committees since 2009. As a major professor or co-major professor, Lagos is supervising a total of 10 Ph.D.s and 17 Master students.
Awards & Honors
- Certificate of Achievement – Research Recognition – Office of the President, Office of the Provost (2025)
- FIU Presidential Excellence Award – Certificate of Appreciation (2025)
- Waste Management Symposia Fellow (2024)
- American Nuclear Society’s Robotics and Remote Systems Division Service Award - Chair Award (2022)
- FIU Presidential Excellence Award finalist (2020, 2019, 2017, 2016)
Education
- Ph.D. Civil/Environmental Engineering (2007)
- Masters Mechanical Engineering (1996)
- Bachelors Aerospace Engineering (1991)