New UC faculty continues work on Ohio Cyber Range

Marty Emmert comes to the University of Cincinnati from Wright State University, where he had served as a professor in the electrical engineering department since 2001.

His research interests include application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, embedded systems, hardware security and trust, fault tolerance for integrated circuits, electronic warfare, and automated tools for integrated circuit design and trust.

One of Emmert’s current projects in EECS is in support of the Ohio Cyber Range, a collaborative effort to improve cybersecurity infrastructure and provide innovative training and education to strengthen Ohio’s cyber workforce. Emmert continues his work to set up an (industry-funded) NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC): the Center for Hardware and Embedded-systems Security and Trust (CHEST).

The mission of CHEST is “to address the research challenges that industry faces in the design, protection, and resilience of hardware from the security vulnerabilities associated with embedded hardware and embedded systems and develop the much needed workforce for government and industry.”

Emmert is directing a total of six universities in the establishment of CHEST: University of Cincinnati, University of Virginia, George Mason University, University of Connecticut, Northeastern University, and University of Texas at Dallas. They currently have support from over 70 companies and federal agencies including the Air Force Research Laboratory, and they will hold their Planning Grant meeting later in August. If all goes as planned, the Center should be established sometime early next year.

An alumnus of UC, Emmert received his PhD from the University of Cincinnati in 1999, a master’s degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky. He has six United States patents and has directed over $5M in research funding. In addition, he and colleagues have been awarded five phase II Small Business Innovative Research contracts from the Department of Defense.

He is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and he has received the IEEE Harold Nobel Award, the Air Force Research Laboratory Officer Reservist of the Year Award, and the AFRL Sensors Directorate James B. Tsui Award for best patent.

Emmert served on active duty and as a reservist in the United States Air Force from 1989-2015. In the Air Force, he held various positions, from unmanned air vehicle (UAV) pilot to reserve wing commander, and he retired after 26 years as a colonel. He has been awarded the Air Force Legion of Merit and five Meritorious Service Medals.

If you would like more information about research at CEAS, please visit the CEAS research page. For more information about CHEST or Emmert’s research, contact professor Emmert or visit the CHEST website.