Benjamin Johnson

I recently had the opportunity to guest lecture in Courtney Crooks’s Cyber Psychology course at Georgia Institute of Technology. We explored how generative AI lowers the barrier for scalable social engineering attacks and how AI security failures can erode trust in AI-enabled systems. What stood out most was the students’ focus on impact. Their questions centered on how they can enable positive social change and protect vulnerable populations from emerging AI-driven threats. It is amazing to see the next generation engage so deeply with both the technical and human dimensions of these challenges. Their commitment to enabling safer AI systems is exactly what this moment demands. #AISecurity #TrustworthyAI #GenerativeAI #CyberPsychology #ResponsibleAI #Cybersecurity #HumanCenteredAI #AIEthics

32

2 Comments

Graduate Award for Applied Innovation! Ph.D. student Kazuki Mizuta received recognition for his work on "Towards Safe and Predictable Social Navigation for Autonomous Ground Vehicles," a project that addresses one of the most critical challenges in autonomous systems: how to navigate safely around people in real-world environments. Working with Professor Karen Leung in the CTRL Lab, Mizuta developed a unified framework that combines two powerful computational approaches. His system uses a reward-guided conditional flow matching model paired with model predictive path integral control, creating a bidirectional information exchange where each component informs and improves the other. What makes this approach particularly innovative is its ability to adapt to dynamic environments in real-time without requiring retraining. The system incorporates safety rewards using control barrier functions – mathematical tools that ensure the vehicle maintains safe distances – while balancing the need to reach its destination efficiently. Testing across various scenarios including pedestrian environments, mixed obstacles, and dense crowd simulations, Mizuta's framework demonstrated superior performance in safety, goal-reaching, and smooth acceleration metrics. This research could be crucial for the deployment of autonomous delivery robots, wheelchairs, and other ground vehicles that must operate safely in human-populated environments. Access this research poster and the other graduate posters from the SHARC Showcase: https://lnkd.in/gNAYz4qi

16

While visiting ORNL, Darío Gil, Under Secretary for Science, emphasized the transformative impact of the Genesis Mission, which is charting a new path for scientific discovery. ORNL’s capabilities in exascale computing, integrated AI, and emerging quantum are supporting Genesis and the breakthroughs the nation needs, strengthening U.S. leadership. Learn more ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g7qHA2nH Office of the Under Secretary for Science, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science

159

1 Comment

Imagine if phones never got hot no matter how many apps were running. Picture a future where supercomputers use less energy, electric cars charge faster, and life-saving medical devices stay cooler and last longer. In a study published in Nature Materials, a team of engineers at the University of Virginia and their collaborators revealed a radical new way to move heat, faster than ever before. Using a special kind of crystal called hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), they found a way to move heat like a beam of light, sidestepping the usual bottlenecks that make electronics overheat. #engineering #innovation

7

1 Comment

Through the Genesis Mission, ORNL’s supercomputers will come together as a unified platform, linking world-class computing power with experimental facilities, #AI capabilities, and vital data resources. The goal: Amplify U.S. research and innovation at an unprecedented scale, with the potential to double its impact over the next decade. 💫

34

1 Comment

I’m looking forward to presenting our work from Purdue Applied Research Institute LLC, focused on advancing the capabilities of our applied microelectronics thermal management laboratory, at GOMACTech next week in New Orleans. On behalf of my co-authors, Gabe Velarde, Ph.D and David Halbrooks, I’ll be presenting in Session 33: On-Shore Packaging on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, from 3:30–5:10 PM. We’ll share our approach to integrating thermo-mechanical characterization of advanced device packaging with finite element analysis to better understand reliability and performance under mission-relevant conditions.   If you’re attending, I’d welcome the opportunity to connect. See the link to our paper below. https://lnkd.in/gb9DGiYs

39

Mina Mitry, Kepler’s CEO, said data was transferred using an optical ground station operated by French technology firm Cailabs at rates meeting standards set by the U.S. Space Development Agency, which is building a network of satellites connected by inter-satellite laser terminals to enhance space-based communications.

3

What can Mario Kart teach us about autonomous vehicle safety? 🎮🚗 University of Maryland researchers are using the classic video game to train and test AI driving systems. Mumu Xu, ISR joint appointee and associate professor of University of Maryland Department of Aerospace Engineering, is developing a simulation-based method to evaluate whether autonomous vehicles can operate safely before real-world testing. The work could also help improve safety testing for other AI-powered technologies. 🔗 Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/eXYMhJSJ #ArtificialIntelligence #AutonomousVehicles #WomenInSTEM #UMDResearch #ISRatUMD

5

Zeyun Wu, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at VCU, is reshaping the future of nuclear power. His research is enabling the development of safer, more efficient reactor designs without extensive physical testing – a crucial step forward as the industry transitions to advanced reactor technologies that produce less waste and operate more efficiently. Read more here: https://bit.ly/45OfQq7.

69

2 Comments