Professor · Computer Science & Engineering · University of Nevada, Reno
Director, Evolutionary Computing Systems Lab (ECSL)
I work in Genetic Algorithms, Evolutionary Computing and their applications to AI, Machine Learning, and Optimization. My lab builds simulation-based adaptive training systems for naval operators, autonomous surface vessel path planners, cybersecurity training games, and evolves AI for real-time strategy games. We investigate interaction design for controlling large numbers of heterogeneous, semi-autonomous agents.
Nevada AI Research Institute (NAIRI)
I explain how AI works and help Nevada organizations use AI responsibly to advance research, education, economic development, and public benefit. I am especially interested in how we can use AI to accelerate scientific discovery and innovation. My unnofficial web page for NAIRI with current AI projects at UNR, funding opportunities, and other news.
📍 WPEB 409 · UNR, Reno NV 89557
Ph.D., Indiana University, 1993
M.S. / B.S., Delhi University
Evolutionary Computing Systems Lab · ECSL
Featured · ONR-Funded
We designed and built a ship driving simulation trainer that uses knowledge tracing to adapt scenario difficulty in real time. A comparative study showed adaptive training is statistically significantly more effective (p < 0.0001), with 73% of students preferring it. The system trains naval officers on COLREGs — the international rules governing ship encounters — with scenarios set in Singapore and San Diego.
Read the paper →
Autonomous Navigation
VORRT-COLREGs combines velocity obstacles (VO) with rapidly-exploring random trees (RRT) to plan COLREGs-compliant trajectories for autonomous surface vessels in dynamic multi-ship environments. Published in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters.
IEEE paper →
Serious Games · Cybersecurity
TAISER is a multiplayer Unity-based cybersecurity training game where human and AI players take WHITEHAT or BLACKHAT roles defending or attacking a city network. A CyberAI teammate provides real-time firewall rule recommendations to guide player learning.
Serious Games · Naval Training
A simulation-based game for training Naval Surface Warfare Officers to rapidly identify target angle — the bearing of a ship relative to an observer. Combines realistic 3D ship rendering with adaptive difficulty. Presented at IEEE CoG 2024.
IEEE paper →
Game AI · Evolutionary Computing
Using potential field-based co-evolutionary algorithms to develop sophisticated unit micro for StarCraft II. Recent work investigates NEAT-based neuroevolution and multi-objective approaches for generalizable, emergent combat tactics.
More ECSL projects →
Evolutionary Computing · Networks
Genetic algorithms evolve dynamic topologies for UAV-hosted mesh networks, optimizing communication coverage and reliability under changing conditions. Presented at IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation, 2020.
See publication →Ph.D. students interested in game AI, adaptive training, or autonomous systems: contact me · ecsl.cse.unr.edu
Selected Recent Publications