Research & Development

From pioneering advances that address critical healthcare and environmental challenges to the development of anti-hacking software, FIU engineers are trailblazers in evolving engineering and computer science arenas. In 2021, numerous grants were awarded by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health and U.S. Army, among others.

Anuradha Godavarty

Anuradha Godavarty, was named to the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Senior Members for her research that has positively impacted society.

Satheesh Bojja Venkatakrishnan

The NSF awarded Satheesh Bojja Venkatakrishnan a prestigious grant for his prototype of “smart” bandages that remotely send real-time information to physicians.

Selcuk Uluagac

A team of researchers within FIU’s Cyber-Physical Systems Security Lab, under the supervision of Selcuk Uluagac, created an innovative software that detects cryptojacking happening in real-time with an accuracy rate of nearly 99%.

Nikolaos Tsoukias

Nikolaos Tsoukias was awarded a $2.6 million grant by the NIH to research microvascular contributions to brain disorders, such as cerebral small vessel diseases and Alzheimer’s.

FIU Wall of Wind

Wall of Wind

The Wall of Wind (WOW) is a large-scale hurricane simulator capable of generating 157 mph wind speeds with rain intrusion. A $5.62 million grant was awarded to the WOW to continue as a national “Experimental Facility” to the U.S. scientific research community into late 2025. The research involved with the WOW aids in preventing massive losses of life and property during extreme natural events.

Standout patents

  • No. 20

    Patent producer in the nation among public universities

  • No. 42

    Globally in new utility patents issued

  • 60

    University patents, 44 from the College of Engineering & Computing

  • Systems and methods for forecasting battery state of charge (SOC)

    Arif Sarwat, Asadullah Khalid, Aditya Sundararajan

    Battery capacity identification is key to monitoring battery performance. The invention forecasts the State of Charge (SOC) of green energy batteries using machine learning techniques. 

  • Boron nitride nanotube-magnesium alloy composites and manufacturing methods

    Arvind Agarwal, Pranjal Nautiyal, Benjamin Peter Boesl

    The use of boron nitride nanotube (BNNT)- magnesium (Mg) alloy composites and fabrication methods that promote greater thermal stability for manufacturing metal matrix composites (MMCs).

  • Systems and Methods for Monitoring Activity in an HDMI Network

    Selcuk Uluagac, Luis C. Puche Rondon, Leonardo Babun, Kemal Akkaya, A.

    Protecting individuals, businesses and governments, the invention monitors activity within a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) consumer electronics control (CEC) network and identifies suspicious activity within the network.

  • Optical imaging for preterm birth assessment

    Jessica Ramella-Roman

    A system that uses light to examine the composition and structure of cervical tissue to measure preterm labor risk.

Research awards

  • $59.1M

    Total awards

  • $22.9M

    2021 Spotlight Award in support of the U.S. Army's modernization strategy

Inspiring change

  • FIU researchers develop ultra-high-performance concrete to bolster aging U.S. infrastructure

    Atorod Azizinamini
    Atorod Azizinamini

    The middle-of-the-night collapse of Surfside’s Champlain Towers South in 2021 spurred a recommitment across South Florida and the world to aging infrastructure. At FIU, Atorod Azizinamini, director of the Moss School of Construction, Infrastructure, and Sustainability, and a team of scientists are working to develop new solutions to make buildings and bridges safer by retrofitting rather than rebuilding them. One of these solutions is called ultra-high- performance concrete, and the research team is working to make it more accessible to builders everywhere.

  • U.S. Department of Labor awards professor grants on worker safety, health training

    Nipesh Pradhananga,
    Nipesh Pradhananga

    Nipesh Pradhananga, associate professor in the Moss Department of Construction Management, was awarded a total of $360,000 in grants from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The first grant is for Workplace Safety and Health Training on Infectious Diseases, including COVID-19. The second grant revolves around fall prevention and protection. Target trainees include small-business employers and underserved vulnerable workers in high-hazard industries. These grants are a critical element in supporting OSHA’s role in educating workers on their rights and assisting employers with providing safe workplaces.

Faculty spotlight


Arvind Agarwal

In 2021, the American Ceramic Society (ACerS) Board of Directors unanimously approved Arvind Agarwal’s selection as Fellow. Agarwal is Distinguished University Professor and chair of the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. He was recognized for outstanding contributions to the ceramic arts or sciences, broad and productive scholarship in ceramic science and technology, conspicuous achievement in the ceramic industry and for his outstanding service to the organization.

Shekhar Bhansali

Shekhar Bhansali, Alcatel-Lucent Professor and Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was elected to the 2021 Class of Fellows of the Electrochemical Society. Bhansali’s main research interests are in nanotechnology, biosensors and microfluidics. He holds 40 patents, has published more than 300 publications and has advised more than 40 doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows in research.

Mark Finlayson

Mark Finlayson, Eminent Scholar chaired associate professor of computer science in the Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences, received the 2021 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Young Faculty Award (YFA). The program identifies and engages rising stars in junior research positions, emphasizing those without prior DARPA funding, and exposing them to DoD needs and DARPA’s program development process.

Amin Kharraz

Amin Kharraz was awarded a Microsoft collaborative research grant, allowing him to serve as a lead collaborator in the tech giant’s M365 Security & Compliance Research Division. Kharraz, an assistant professor in the Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences, received a $150,000 grant to conduct innovative research in cybersecurity against social engineering attacks.

Berrin Tansel

Berrin Tansel, professor of environmental engineering and undergraduate program director in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was honored by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers & Scientists (AAEES) for her contributions to the field of environmental engineering. Honorees are chosen for their demonstrated leadership, originality and innovative solutions to current environmental challenges.