Jiazhen Zhou

Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Computer Science

zhouj@uww.edu

(262) - 472-5172

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Bio

Jiazhen Zhou is an Associate Professor and Chair in the Department of Computer Science at UW-Whitewater. His research interests include Internet of Things Security and Privacy, Cryptography, Machine Learning based Attack and Defenses, and Emergency Communications.

Education

University of Missouri – Kansas City, USA.

Ph.D., Computer Science

Chinese Academy of Sciences – Shenyang Institute of Automation, P. R. China.

M.S., Intelligent Control Engineering

Shandong University, P. R. China

B.S., Mathematics

Recently Taught Courses

  • CYBER 101 – Introduction to Cybersecurity
  • COMPSCI 354 - Intrusion Detection and Incident Response
  • COMPSCI 455 - Cryptography and Network Security
  • COMPSCI 460 - Computer Networking
  • COMPSCI 750 - System and Software Security
  • CYBER 754 - Intrusion Prevention and Detection
  • COMPSCI 755 - Cryptography and Security Protocols

Undergraduate Research Advising

I created the Wireless Systems Lab at UW-Whitewater in 2012, and have since supervised over 30 undergraduate students (including four summer research fellowship winners) for research in wireless systems and security. Together they contributed to one published journal paper, nine posters, three class projects, and two demonstrations for high school students. The main projects are listed as follows.

Security attacks and defense in medical IoT devices

Jesse Ostrander, Jackson Richman

2022 - present

We will research on security attacks against medical IoT devices and defense on them.

Privacy in medical IoT devices

JT Anderson, Bryce Erdman, Joey Imhof, Matthew Carrasco, Shamik Patro

2021 - 2022

We built a platform to examine the wearable medical IoT devices in terms of their security and privacy protection. We found out problems such as vagueness of privacy policy, overcollection of data, and susceptibility of Man-in-the-middle attacks among most apps for the devices we have checked.

Secure real-time monitoring systems

Phoebe Miller, Josh Bolstad

2014 - 2019

Stage 1: We developed a sensor triggered monitoring system composed of monitoring end system (Raspberry Pi, camera, and sensors), a server, and management client terminals. Utilizing a client-server architecture, the system is implemented with self-designed application layer networking protocols. Main research students: Scott Rupprecht, Trevor Sigmund Stage 2: Solutions to address the security leaks in the system. The main focus include enhanced protocol that can defend physical attacks, authentication attacks, replay attacks, and privacy attacks.

Optimal cache deployment for emergency communications

Lauren Shirley, Sanjeewa Senanayaka

Summer 2016

We investigated the optimal cache deployment in terms of power efficiency and optimal bandwidth usage under an information centric network paradigm.

Internet of things demo

Nick Schneider, Trevor Sigmund, Dineth Gunawardena

2014 - 2015

We developed an Internet of Things demo that integrates sensors, Arduinos, small robots, and Zigbee antennas to perform sensing and actuation. It has been used as a project for the course Mobile Computing Architecture since 2015.

Graduate Research Advising

Tilak Basnet, “Machine Learning based Privacy Attacks and Defenses for Internet of Medical Things”

Thesis, December 2022

Anmol Karki, "Detecting and Preventing Leakage of User Private Information Through Application Collusion in Android Operating System"

Thesis, December 2020

Matt Allbee, "An Approximation Algorithm with Additive Error for Extensive-Form, Pure Stackleberg Games with a Chance Player"

Thesis, December 2018

Selected Publications

  • L. Roger Yin, Jeannie Rowe, and Jiazhen Zhou, "Smart Medical Devices and Older Adults", HIMSS 2023 Global Health Conference and Expo.
  • Jiazhen Zhou, Cory Beard and Yi Qian (2018), “Distributed Device Caching for Information Updating in Emergency Communications”, The 27th International Conference on Computer Communications and Networks, July 30 – August 2, 2018, Hangzhou, China
  • Jiazhen Zhou, Jennifer Fox (student), Rose Qingyang Hu and Yi Qian, “Scaling of On-Demand Broadcast Scheduling in Stressed Networks”, IEEE Transactions on Communications, Vol. 64, No. 8, pp.3419-3429, AUGUST 2016.
  • Jiazhen Zhou, Rose Qingyang Hu, and Yi Qian, “A Scalable Vehicular Network Architecture for Traffic Information”, IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, Vol. 31, No. 9, pp.85-93, SEPTEMBER 2013.
  • Jiazhen Zhou, Sankardas Roy, Jiang Li, Rose Qingyang Hu, and Yi Qian, “Optimization Methods for Minimizing the Average Delay of Messages in Pigeon Networks”, IEEE Transactions on Communications, Vol. 61, No. 8, pp.3349-3361. AUGUST 2013.
  • Jiazhen Zhou, Jiang Li, Yi Qian, Sankardas Roy, and Kenneth Mitchell, “Quasi-Optimal Dual-Phase Scheduling for Pigeon Networks”, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology , Vol. 61, No.9, pp.4157-4169, Nov. 2012.
  • Jiazhen Zhou, Rose Qingyang Hu, and Yi Qian, “Scalable Distributed Communication Architectures to Support Advanced Metering Infrastructure in Smart Grid”, IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems, Vol. 23, No.9, pp.1632-1642, Sept. 2012.
  • Jiazhen Zhou and Cory Beard, “Balancing Competing Resource Allocation Demands in a Public Cellular Network that Supports Emergency Services”, IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications (JSAC), Vol. 28, No. 5, Pages: 644 - 652, June 2010.
  • Jiazhen Zhou and Kenneth Mitchell, “A Scalable Delay Based Analytical Framework for CSMA/CA Wireless Mesh Networks”, Computer Networks, Vol. 54, No. 2, Pages: 304-318, Feb. 2010
  • Jiazhen Zhou, Jiang Li, and Kenneth Mitchell, “Adaptive Scheduling of Message Carrying in a Pigeon Network”, International Journal of Ubiquitous Systems and Pervasive Networks, Vol.1, No.1, Pages: 29-37,2010
  • Jiazhen Zhou and Cory Beard, “A Controlled Preemption Scheme for Emergency Applications in Cellular Networks”, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, Vol. 58, No. 7, Pages:3753–3764, Sept. 2009

Grants

  • Jiazhen Zhou (PI), Jeannie Rowe (Co-PI), Roger Yin (Co-PI), Haijian Sun (Co-PI), Ruzhen Wei (Consultant), “Privacy Protection among Community-Dwelling Older Wisconsinites in the Age of Internet of Things”, Tommy Thompson Center grant, $105,757 awarded, July 2021-June 2022.
  • Haijian Sun (PI), Jiazhen Zhou (Co-PI), Hien Nguyen (Co-PI), “ A multimodal deep sensor fusion system for reliable and faster next-gen wireless vehicle communications”, UW System Regent Scholar grant, $50,000 awarded. Jan. 2021 – June 2022.
  • Brian Dennis (PI), Roger Yin (Co-PI), Kevin Kauffman (Consultant), and Jiazhen Zhou (Consultant), U.S. Department of Labor Cybersecurity Apprenticeship: Bridging the Skills Gap grant, $1,999,961 awarded, 2020 –2024.
  • Jiazhen Zhou, UWW Faculty Initiative for Research/Scholarly/Creative Excellence grant ($5,000). awarded, 2017, 2018.
  • Jiazhen Zhou, Grant writing fellowship ($5,000). Awarded, 2013.
  • Jiazhen Zhou, Summer research fellowship advisor award ($2,500 each). 2016, 2018, 2019.