Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering

Many of today’s artificial intelligence, or AI, systems waste enormous computational resources repeating the same work.

Jia Zou, an assistant professor of computer science and engineering in the ASU School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of , is developing new ways to make AI significantly more efficient by rethinking how databases and AI models work together. Her team’s projects, InferF and CactusDB, reduce redundant computation, minimize unnecessary data movement and speed up AI processing.

The research was presented at major international conferences including the IEEE International Conference on Data Engineering and the ACM SIGMOD/PODS Conference.

As systems consume growing amounts of energy and infrastructure resources, Zou’s work highlights an increasingly important challenge for the future of AI: not just building better models but building systems efficient enough to scale sustainably in the real world.

The hidden waste inside AI Jia Zou’s systems rethink how databases and AI models work together to reduce computational waste.

What happens when communication networks, autonomous systems and smart infrastructure need to make decisions in unpredictable environments?

Eirini Eleni Tsiropoulou, an associate professor in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering at ASU, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, is developing the mathematical and AI-driven tools that help complex systems learn, adapt and make decisions under uncertainty.

In the PROTON Lab, her team explores challenges ranging from next-generation wireless networks and resilient communication systems to autonomous drones and intelligent infrastructure to help future technologies operate more efficiently, reliably and securely.

Beyond research, Tsiropoulou is also helping train the next wave of innovators, mentoring students and creating opportunities for them to publish, collaborate and engage with the global research community. Tsiropoulou also serves as advisor to the recently formed IEEE Student Branch Chapter for Communications Society at ASU, which aims to bolster technical knowledge and professional development opportunities.

As intelligent systems become increasingly embedded in everyday life, the challenge is no longer simply connecting devices, rather enabling them to coordinate, learn and perform responsibly. That future is being built at ASU today.

Making hidden networks smarter ASU researcher Eirini Eleni Tsiropoulou is shaping intelligent systems that support the next generation of critical networks like 6G.

What happens when data visualizations tell the whole truth?

New research from the ASU School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of , reveals a surprising paradox. When maps show uncertainty in their underlying data, people trust the maps less.

In a study presented at the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, industrial engineering doctoral student Varun Srivastava and collaborators found that visual cues designed to communicate uncertainty, including blurred or softened map features, consistently reduced perceptions of a map’s accuracy. Yet those same cues had little effect on how participants viewed the honesty or integrity of the mapmaker.

The findings raise important questions for journalists, scientists and policymakers who rely on data visualizations to communicate complex information. If transparency about uncertainty makes audiences doubt the data, how should we present the realities of an uncertain world?

The map that finds the truth and loses you Showing uncertainty should build trust. Instead, new ASU research shows it makes people doubt the data they’re seeing.

Calling all Sun Devils with a creative spark. The Polytechnic campus is celebrating 30 years, and you’re invited to design the commemorative artwork. If you’re a current student or alum who spent time at Poly, this is your chance to leave your mark on a big anniversary moment. https://innercircle.engineering.asu.edu/2026/05/celebrate-30-years-of-asus-polytechnic-campus-by-designing-commemorative-artwork/

Assistant Professor Sandhya Susarla recently received the U.S. Army DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory Early Career Program Award to prove it.

In her new project, Sandhya Susarla studies materials at the mesoscale, roughly 100 to 200 nanometers, where she believes hidden topological defects could pave the way for faster, lower-power technologies.

“Today, if you copy 200 gigabytes of data to your hard drive, it might take like 30 minutes,” Susarla says. “If this technology is realized, it could only take like three minutes. These numbers are examples, but we’re talking about orders of magnitude of change.”

Not all defects in semiconductors are bad Sandhya Susarla receives the Army Research Office Early Career Program Award to discover hidden defects with unexpected influence on materials behavior.

⛏️ Assistant Professor Hamed Khodadadi Tirkolaei and his team test ways to stabilize mining waste and reduce erosion that could carry contaminants into nearby waterways.

“By using an enzyme-based process to form natural mineral bonds within the soil, we can create a protective crust that helps limit erosion and dust generation while avoiding more chemically intensive treatments,” Khodadadi Tirkolaei says.

This Arizona Department of Environmental Quality supported project, is an example of how researchers across the ASU School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment explore ways to advance responsible critical-mineral production, reduce environmental impacts and strengthen domestic supply chains.
It also reflects the ASU Mining Innovation Initiative’s priorities to collaborate with industry to identify research, sustainability and workforce development needs and raise awareness about mining careers among K-12 students.

Recovering critical minerals from waste ASU researchers develop ways to refine and reuse discarded materials to reduce reliance on imports.

Tech companies and related business ventures interested in boosting their capabilities in the booming semiconductor industry and its manufacturing ventures could benefit from skills being learned by students in the School of Integrated Engineering, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. A recent Innovation Day/STEM Day event at ASU’s West Valley campus spotlighted what valuable knowledge and skills students are acquiring in their studies and related research pursuits.

School of Integrated Engineering showcases tech solutions for industry Students showcased projects aimed at supporting West Valley companies, the semiconductor industry and advanced manufacturing employers.

From wearable devices to electronic records, the health care system is generating more data than ever. But much of it remains fragmented and underused.

In the ASU School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of , Bing Si, an associate professor of industrial engineering, is working to change that.

Using artificial intelligence and systems engineering, Si is designing tools that turn complex health data into actionable insights for clinicians. Her work spans everything from automating sleep apnea diagnosis to identifying hidden cardiovascular risks in teens, helping providers catch problems earlier and make more informed decisions.

Rather than focusing on individual data points, Si’s research looks at the bigger picture: how information flows through the health care system and how it can be used more effectively.

The goal is better systems, better decisions and ultimately, better patient outcomes.

Solving health care’s growing data problem Bing Si uses machine learning and engineering to turn fragmented health data into tools for precision medicine and better clinical decisions.

Cyber threats aren’t slowing down, and they’re no longer just coming from human actors.

Artificial intelligence, or AI, systems are already capable of discovering software vulnerabilities and generating exploits at a speed and scale that traditional defenses can’t match. That shift raises an urgent question: How do we secure systems when the attackers operate autonomously?

A new, first-of-its-kind conference led by Yan Shosh*taishvili and Adam Doupé, both assistant professors of computer science and engineering in the ASU School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of , is tackling that challenge head-on. This October at the Conference of Synthetic Security Research, or SynSec, experts across industry and academia will converge in Scottsdale, Arizona, to explore what happens when AI becomes part of the research process itself, designing experiments, identifying weaknesses and accelerating discovery.

The goal isn’t to replace human researchers, but to help them keep pace with a rapidly evolving threat landscape.

When hackers are no longer human As AI accelerates cyber threats, a first-of-its-kind conference examines how research must evolve to stay ahead.

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