7th International Conference on Advances in Distributed Computing and Machine Learning

Prof. Priyadarsi Nanda

Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney (UTS)

Prof. Priyadarsi Nanda is an Associate Professor at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) with over 34 years of academic and research experience in computer science. He is internationally recognized for his expertise in cybersecurity, IoT security, Internet traffic engineering, and wireless sensor network security. His pioneering contributions include intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS) using image processing techniques, Sybil attack detection in IoT-based applications, and the design of intelligent firewalls. With more than 130 high-quality publications in leading journals and ERA Tier A/A* conferences such as IEEE Transactions on Computers, TPDS, and FGCS, Prof. Nanda has established himself as a leading researcher in cybersecurity.

At UTS, he has supervised 23 higher degree research students, including 20 PhD and 3 Master's graduates, and continues to mentor 15 PhD candidates. His research leadership extends beyond academia, serving as Senior Member of IEEE, Managing Editor for special issues on security and privacy in journals such as FGCS and CCPE, and General Chair of IEEE SIN 2024. He is also a regular keynote speaker at prestigious international conferences and an active reviewer and program committee member for several top-tier journals and conferences.

Before joining UTS, Prof. Nanda held academic positions at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, and the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela, India. He has also served as Visiting Professor or Research Fellow at leading global institutions, including the University of California, Davis; University of Plymouth, UK; INRIA Nancy, France; University of Auckland, New Zealand; and University of Minnesota, USA.

Prof. Nanda's career reflects a strong commitment to advancing cybersecurity research and mentoring future leaders in the field. His work continues to shape global discussions on trust, privacy, and resilience in digital systems.

Prof. Ting Wang

Associate Professor, Software Engineering Institute, East China Normal University

Title: Heterogeneity-Aware Personalized Federated Learning via Hierarchical RL and Model Distillation

Prof. Ting Wang is an Associate Professor and Ph.D. Supervisor at the Software Engineering Institute, East China Normal University, where he has been serving since April 2020. He is the Deputy Director of the Department of Software Science and Technology, Academic Leader of the Large Models and AI Applications at Dishui Lake International Institute of Software, and a member of the Intelligent Computing and Industrial Unmanned Systems Laboratory. He is a Senior Member of IEEE. He is affiliated with the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Trustworthy Computing and the Engineering Research Center of Software/Hardware Co-design Technology and Application, Ministry of Education. He leads the Intelligent Computing and Networking (ICN) Lab, with research focusing on Datacenter Networking, Machine Learning Systems, AI-driven Intelligent Networking, Fog/Edge Computing, and Cloud Computing.

He obtained his M.Sc. degree in Computer Information System Engineering from Warsaw University of Technology, Poland (sponsored by China Scholarship Council) in 2011 under the supervision of Prof. Jacek Wojciechowski, and his Ph.D. degree in Computer Science and Engineering from HKUST in 2015 under the supervision of Prof. Mounir Hamdi (IEEE Fellow). Prior to joining ECNU in 2020, he worked at Bell Labs as a research scientist from 2015 to 2016, and at Huawei as a senior engineer from 2016 to 2020. His research interests include: Artificial Intelligence: Distributed Machine Learning, Federated Learning, Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning, Embodied Intelligence, Brain-Inspired Computing, LLM-oriented Edge-Cloud Collaboration Systems Edge/Cloud Computing: Edge AI, Intelligent Cloud, Data Center Networks, AI-assisted Intelligent Information Networks.

Prof. G. G. Md. Nawaz Ali

Assistant Professor, Bradley University

G. G. Md. Nawaz Ali is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems at Bradley University, where he joined in fall 2021. Before that, he was a postdoctoral fellow at Clemson University and a research associate at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the City University of Hong Kong and his B.Sc. in Computer Science and Engineering from Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh. His primary research interests include vehicular networks, V2X communications, wireless and mobile computing, data analytics, sentiment analysis, and network coding. Dr. Ali has published widely in prestigious journals and conferences and received several honors, including best paper awards and an outstanding academic performance award during his Ph.D. studies. At Bradley, he continues to pursue research in next-generation communication technologies while mentoring students and contributing to the department's academic and research growth.

Prof. Ashok Kumar Turuk

Professor and Dean (Academic), Department of Computer Science and Engineering, National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela, Odisha, India

Prof. Ashok Kumar Turuk is a distinguished academic and researcher currently serving as a Professor and Dean (Academic) in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela, Odisha, India. With a career spanning over two and a half decades, he has made significant contributions to both academic leadership and research in the field of computer science, particularly in networking, cybersecurity, and emerging computing paradigms.

Professor Turuk began his academic journey at NIT Rourkela, where he earned both his Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Engineering degrees in Computer Science. His pursuit of academic excellence led him to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, where he completed his Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering in 2005. He joined NIT Rourkela as a faculty member in July 1997.

His research interests are diverse and impactful, encompassing optical networks, software-defined networking (SDN), blockchain technologies, and secure system architectures. He has published more than 170 research papers in peer-reviewed journals and international conferences. Recent publications have explored critical topics such as performance architectures for software-defined optical networks, federated learning in optical communication, and cybersecurity in cyber-physical systems. Notable journals that have featured his work include Optical Switching and Networking, Computers and Electrical Engineering, and Concurrency and Computation: Practice and Experience.

In addition to his publications, Professor Turuk is an innovator and holds a patent titled "Auto Aligned Free Space Optical System," granted in 2023. He has led numerous sponsored research projects funded by prestigious national bodies such as the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and the Indian Statistical Institute. His leadership has been crucial in the execution of projects related to secure network architecture, energy-efficient wireless protocols, and routing optimization in optical systems.

Professor Turuk has supervised 18 Ph.D. scholars and numerous M.Tech (Research) scholars, guiding them through complex research topics ranging from cloud computing and DDoS mitigation in SDN to fault detection in cyber-physical systems. He has taught a wide array of undergraduate and postgraduate courses including data structures, computer architecture, network security, blockchain technology, and high-performance computing. He is affiliated with leading professional organizations including IEEE, the Computer Society of India, and the Institution of Engineers (India).

Prof. Aparajita Ojha

Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, PDPM Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing (IIITDM) Jabalpur, India

Prof. Aparajita Ojha is a distinguished Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at PDPM Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing (IIITDM) Jabalpur, India. With an academic career spanning over 37 years, she has made exceptional contributions to computer science and engineering through her teaching, research, and leadership.

She served as Director of PDPM IIITDM Jabalpur from February 2009 to February 2015, where her visionary leadership significantly advanced the institute's academic and research profile.

Her research interests cover diverse and emerging areas, including machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, steganography, steganalysis, and robot path planning. Prof. Ojha is the author/co-author of over 150 research publications in reputed international journals and conferences, and she has guided numerous Ph.D. and M.Tech. scholars. Her scholarly work has earned wide recognition in the academic and research community.

Prof. Ojha has successfully led and contributed to several nationally funded projects, including initiatives supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Currently, she is spearheading a pilot project under MeitY aimed at training college faculty in cutting-edge IT and electronics technologies. Through the EICT Academy program, she has trained more than 11,000 participants across India, significantly contributing to skill enhancement and knowledge dissemination.

She is also a sought-after speaker, having delivered invited lectures on Blockchain Technology, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Computer Vision at several universities and professional forums in India and abroad.

Prof. Ojha's career is marked by her dedication to academic excellence, her pioneering work in emerging technologies, and her commitment to nurturing the next generation of innovators.

Prof. Chiranjeev Kumar

Professor (HAG) and Head, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (ISM), Dhanbad

Prof. Chiranjeev Kumar is a distinguished academician and researcher in the field of Computer Science and Engineering, currently serving as Professor (HAG) and Head, Department of Computer Science & Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (ISM), Dhanbad. With an illustrious career spanning over two decades, he has contributed significantly to higher education, research, administration, and academic leadership.

At IIT(ISM) Dhanbad, he has served in multiple academic and administrative capacities, rising to the rank of Professor (HAG) in 2023. Over the years, he has taught a wide range of courses including Advanced Computer Networks, Advanced Data Structures, Software Engineering, Distributed Systems, and Artificial Intelligence. His research interests span Wireless Networks, Databases, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Software Engineering. Prof. Kumar has supervised 22 Ph.D. scholars and is currently guiding 4 more. His scholarly output includes over 100 international journal papers, 70 conference papers, 8 books, and 5 book chapters. He also holds a patent on "An Integrated UMTS Wireless LAN System and Method for Location Management." He has successfully led research and consultancy projects worth over 15 crore, funded by organizations such as Coal India Limited, DRDO, CSIR, UGC, and MCIT. His in-house software products the Student Feedback System (2012) and the Management Information System (2015-2022) brought significant technological transformation to IIT(ISM).

In his administrative journey, Prof. Kumar has served as Dean (Academic), Dean (Information Systems), Head of Department, Training & Placement Officer, and Chairman of several strategic committees. He played a pivotal role in implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) at the institute, designing innovative programs such as Executive M.Tech., Integrated PG-PhD, and Collaborative Ph.D. He also led the digital transformation of the institute by designing and executing the Management Information System. Internationally, he has collaborated with Oxford Brookes University (UK) and the University of Waterloo (Canada), and has delivered keynote lectures at reputed conferences across India and abroad.

His excellence has been recognized with several awards, including the Best Paper Award at the World Congress on Engineering and Computer Science (WCECS-2007) in San Francisco, USA, the Gold Medal in M.E. (CSE), and a Certificate of Appreciation from IIT(ISM) Dhanbad. Prof. Chiranjeev Kumar's career is a testament to his dedication as a teacher, researcher, innovator, and leader. His lifelong mission has been to advance knowledge, technology, and education, while inspiring the next generation of engineers and researchers to push the boundaries of innovation.