UTA doctoral student earns Google Dissertation Award
Rodrigo Augusto Dos Santos, a doctoral candidate in the Computer Science and Engineering Department at The University of Texas at Arlington, is one of 10 students nationwide to win a Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI) Google Dissertation Award.
The CAHSI Google Dissertation Award recognizes promising doctoral research from computer science students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. The award allows recipients to complete their dissertation requirements in the final year of their doctoral studies. CAHSI is hosted at UT El Paso (UTEP) and was established in 2006 to address the low representation of Hispanics in computing in both higher education and the workforce.
Dos Santos’ research focuses on neural networks and how they can be used for safety-related sound detection. Devices that run services such as Alexa and Nest can detect such sounds and are becoming ubiquitous as part of security frameworks for that reason. These same services, however, make extensive use of neural networks, which are known to be vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks. Dos Santos’ research involves attacking these networks to find security flaws and shoring them up to make the services using them less susceptible to hacking.
“I am extremely honored and happy to receive the Google Dissertation Fellowship,” Dos Santos said. “I’m thankful to my supervisor, Dr. Shirin Nilizadeh, and to Dr. Bahram Khalili, who has been a mentor to me since Day One. I’m also thankful for Ginger Dickens, an advisor in the department who was the first person to think of me as a good candidate for the award, and for Dr. Ann Gates at UTEP, who was very welcoming and was available to walk me through the application process.”
Prior to coming to UTA to pursue his doctoral degree, Dos Santos worked for 16 years in the software industry, occupying posts that ranged from software development to project and program management. He has drawn on that experience for his research and teaching in the Computer Science and Engineering Department. When he finishes his degree, he looks forward to serving as a bridge between industry and universities.
“Through my teaching experience at UTA I came to realize that I want to continue to be a mentor, a guide, to students and others who are just getting started,” Dos Santos said. “It’s very clear that neural networks have lots of vulnerabilities, and until those vulnerabilities are reasonably dealt with, we won’t fully realize their potential on actual practical applications. I hope I can somehow contribute to the rise of the next generation of researchers in this area.”
Nilizadeh, an assistant professor of computer science, said Dos Santos’ work as a lecturer in the department is helping broaden participation of women and undergraduates in computing research.
“This is a well-deserved recognition for Rodrigo, as he is working on a cutting-edge project at the intersection of artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and security,” Nilizadeh said. “I am proud of him, and I hope that this award opens new opportunities for him.”
- Written by Jeremy Agor, College of Engineering