Research

My general research interests are in the area of wireless sensing and localization technologies supporting mobile applications. The diagram below summarizes three main topics and their subtopics. The main topics are: (a) wireless localization methods for mobile applications; (b) sensor data/signal collection and processing in mobile devices, their communication, and enabled applications; (c) implementation approaches and platforms supporting the two aforementioned topics. In addition, I chair the annual SPIE conference on mobile technologies as well as integrate my research with educational activities.

Research Projects

1. Federal

  • Agency: NIH R01
    Title: Healthy Frio: a rural community partnership to advance obesity research. UTSA portion: designing interactive applications tailored for trials with control groups, interactivity and analytic support
    Date (start-end): Oct 2016 – Sep 2020
  • Agency: NIH R01
    Title: Pediatric Obesity Management Intervention Trial for Hispanic Families. UTSA portion: designing tailored text messaging system tailored for trials with control groups, interactivity and analytic support
    Date (start-end): Apr 2014 – April 2019
  • Extending GPS Operation in GPS denied Areas through Cross-Correlation Jamming Cancellation”, Sponsored by USAF/USAFA, Federal, November 2015 – Dec 2017
  • Acquisition of Small Unmanned Aerial Systems for Advancing Cooperative
    Man-Machine Systems Research and Education”, Sponsored by US Dept of the Army, Federal, (February 1, 2015 – January 31, 2016).
  • UAV Operation in GPS-denied Environments”, Sponsored by AFRL/ONR, Federal, (September 2014 – December 2016).
  • Agency: Navy, NAVSEA. Title: UTSA Naval Engineering Education Center
    Date (start-end): Apr 2010 – Oct 2015
  • Agency: NSF
    Title: CCLI: Template-Based Undergraduate Education Concept in Wireless Application Development
    Date (start-end): Oct 2010 – Oct 201
  • Agency: NSF
    Title: CREST: Integrating High Performance Computing in Research and Education for Simulation, Visualization and Real-Time Prediction (SIVIRT)
    Date (start-end): 2009 – 2013
  • Agency: NIH R24
    Title: Partnership to Address Physical Activity among Low-Income Latino Adolescent Girls
    Date (start-end): Sep 2009 – Feb 2012
  • NSF Award #0833852
    Title: IP-Assisted GPS positioning
    Date (start-end): Nov 2008-Nov2009
  • NSF Award #0551501
    Title: CRI: Experimental Research in High-Performance Computing and Wireless Networking
    Date (start-end): May 2006 – May 2010
  • Navy STTR Phase I Contract No. N00014-08-M-0307
    Title: Navy STTR FY2008A – Topic N08 – Extensible Affordable Software Defined Radio with Cross-Band Cross-Protocol Capability”
    Date (start-end): July 2008 – Feb 2009
  • AFRL/UTSA Grant
    Title: Using advanced wireless and positioning technologies for intrusion detection and preventive security information systems
    Date (start-end): Dec 2006 – Dec 2007

2. State

  • (Active) Agency: SALSI (Collaborative UTHSCSA-UTSA)
    Title: Tobacco Cessation Services for Bi-Lingual and Spanish Speaking Young Adult Latinos in South Texas
    Date (start-end): May 1 2016 – Apr 30 2017
  • Agency: CPRIT (Collaborative UTHSCSA-UTSA)
    Title: Tobacco Cessation Services for Bi-Lingual and Spanish Speaking Young Adult Latinos in South Texas
    Date (start-end): Aug 31 2014 – Aug 30 2017
  • Agency: CPRIT (Collaborative YMCA-UTHSCSA-UTSA)
    Title: Y Living. Subcontract to set up a tailored messaging system
    Date (start-end): Sep 2011 – Aug 2013
  • Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) Grant
    Title: Engineering Core Curriculum Redesign for Increasing Preparedness and Retention
    Date (start-end): Aug 2007- Aug 2009

3. Industry

  • Agency: HealthCheck
    Title: Gift to promote advanced health data collection research
    Date (start-end): Sep 2014 – May 2015
  • Agency: LiveOakLogic
    Title: Gift to promote advanced WLAN research
    Date (start-end): Sep 2012 – May 2013
  • Agency: NI
    Title: Data Analysis of NI GPS simulator
    Date (start-end): Dec 2007-May 2008

4. Other including sub-contracts, internal UTSA funding, institutional grants etc.

  • UTSA Tech POP funding
    Title: Enabling Robust Indoor Localization for Security and Emergency Applications
    Date (start-end): Sep 6. 2016 – Aug 31 2017
  • UTSA AT&T iTEC Center’s faculty member
    Duration: 2007-2012, currently remaining as a faculty mentor
  • Course Redesign Award, UTSA College of Engineering
    Title: Internet-based teaching of communication systems
    Date (start-end): Aug 2008 – Dec 2008
  • 2005 UTSA Faculty Research Award
    Title: Development of Assisted GPS Receivers for Weak Signal Conditions
    Date (start-end): Nov. 2005 – May 2006