[{"id":1936,"date":"2026-10-29T18:19:54","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T18:19:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/?p=1936"},"modified":"2026-10-29T18:19:56","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T18:19:56","slug":"nbc-news-and-today-feature-vcus-stephen-fong-in-report-on-data-centers-and-public-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/2026\/10\/29\/nbc-news-and-today-feature-vcus-stephen-fong-in-report-on-data-centers-and-public-health\/","title":{"rendered":"NBC News and \u2018Today\u2019 feature VCU\u2019s Stephen Fong in report on data centers and public health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The environmental researcher highlights concern about air pollution in a Northern Virginia community.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Sian Wilkerson<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week, Virginia Commonwealth University professor and environmental researcher Stephen S. Fong<\/a> spoke with NBC News correspondent Stephanie Gosk about the impact of data centers on the environment and community health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Northern Virginia\u2019s Loudoun County, about an hour west of the nation\u2019s capital, Discovery Elementary School is located within a half-mile of 11 data centers. With as many as 264 backup diesel generators helping to power the massive facilities, community members have expressed concern about the effects on the school\u2019s students and residents in the surrounding neighborhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fong, Ph.D., a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering in VCU\u2019s College of Engineering<\/a> and associate director of research and graduate studies in the School of Life Sciences and Sustainability<\/a>, part of the College of Humanities and Sciences, has been studying air pollution<\/a> and the environment for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Fong\u2019s calculations, just one generator running at full capacity emits more pollution than 100 18-wheelers. With the quantity and size of the diesel generators being installed for data centers, \u201cthey\u2019re producing enough air pollution that there are concerns about what kind of health impacts this would have on students,\u201d he told Gosk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked if the state should be continuously monitoring the air quality near Discovery Elementary School, Fong said, \u201cPersonally, I think they should.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fong added to VCU News that the number of backup generators and the frequency with which they’re turned on is not publicly known, so “having some instruments that continuously measure air pollutants would give students and residents some real-time information on the air quality,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, Fong and an interdisciplinary team of VCU researchers were awarded a VCU Breakthroughs grant. Their project, titled \u201cUnderstanding the Environmental and Community Impacts of Data Centers in Virginia through Modeling, Measurement and Participatory Research,\u201d will test air quality around data centers in the Richmond region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fong and Damian Pitt, Ph.D., an associate professor in the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, are co-principal investigators on the project, which also includes Wilder School associate professor I-Shian (Ivan) Suen, Ph.D.; Beth Kreydatus, a professor in the Department of Focused Inquiry in the College of Humanities and Sciences; and Carly Muir, an assistant professor in the School of Life Sciences and Sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch Fong\u2019s<\/em> NBC News<\/em><\/a> and<\/em> \u201cToday\u201d<\/em><\/a> appearance on \u201cElementary school in middle of 11 data centers.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Originally posted on VCU News: https:\/\/news.vcu.edu\/article\/nbc-news-and-today-feature-vcus-stephen-fong-in-report-on-data-centers-and-public-health<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The environmental researcher highlights concern about air pollution in a Northern Virginia community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2033,"featured_media":1937,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[114,1152],"class_list":["post-1936","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cbe","tag-stephen-fong","tag-smee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1936","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2033"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1936"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1936\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1938,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1936\/revisions\/1938"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1936"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1936"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1936"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1933,"date":"2026-10-29T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/?p=1933"},"modified":"2026-10-28T19:57:06","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T19:57:06","slug":"the-php-security-crisis-heres-why-you-recently-may-have-failed-to-reach-some-websites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/2026\/10\/29\/the-php-security-crisis-heres-why-you-recently-may-have-failed-to-reach-some-websites\/","title":{"rendered":"The PHP security crisis: Here\u2019s why you recently may have failed to reach some websites"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Vulnerabilities were discovered in the widely used PHP coding language, and the impact has been dramatic. Computer science professor Lukasz Kurgan explains what is happening.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Leila Ugincius<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even for most of us who know little about computer coding, a name like JavaScript (or perhaps Python and C++) might ring a bell. But in the realm of coding languages, even fewer of us may have heard of PHP, which is in the news this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PHP, a language that tells servers how to process code, is used by nearly 70% of websites worldwide. This week, vulnerabilities discovered in PHP have been wreaking havoc on the internet. PHP\u2019s security team released patches to fix the issue, but millions of websites went offline during the exposure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Virginia Commonwealth University, Lukasz Kurgan<\/a>, Ph.D., is the Dean Robert J. Mattauch Endowed Professor in the Department of Computer Science in the College of Engineering. He answered some of VCU News’ questions about the PHP crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are these vulnerabilities in PHP?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These vulnerabilities are in the code that implements the core functionality of the widely used PHP language, which is, in turn, utilized to build websites and other online-facing code. This means that they affect many, if not most, of the websites that we interact with daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are known as the PHP2Shell vulnerabilities, and they originate in the foundational code that implements PHP. They allow unauthorized access to the computer running the flawed PHP codebase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fascinating aspect is that while a given website itself can be perfectly well-built and secure, these vulnerabilities still allow breaking into the computer on which it resides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What dangers do the PHP vulnerabilities pose?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Skilled hackers can exploit PHP2Shell vulnerabilities to insert their code into a computer running the flawed PHP software \u2013 and even run it. This is particularly problematic for websites that host critical services and store sensitive data, as hackers can potentially disrupt or hijack these services and steal the data. The problem is so severe that some key websites were taken offline in recent days before a fix became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can the PHP vulnerabilities be addressed?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The interesting part is that these vulnerabilities were originally discovered in mid-August and were kept secret until recently. There is nothing sinister about this secrecy, as this is meant to give time to build a fix before hackers find out. They were leaked to the public a few days ago, prompting an acceleration of efforts to fix them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By now, they can be fixed by applying the PHP security updates posted on Oct. 21, but it will take some time for these patches to be applied. So, in the meantime, we can expect these vulnerabilities to create problems, especially since they are now so widely publicized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Originally posted on VCU News: https:\/\/news.vcu.edu\/article\/php-programming-language-security-vulnerabilities<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vulnerabilities were discovered in the widely used PHP coding language, and the impact has been dramatic. Computer science professor Lukasz Kurgan explains what is happening.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2033,"featured_media":1934,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1150,53],"class_list":["post-1933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cs","tag-aasc","tag-lukasz-kurgan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1933","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2033"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1933"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1933\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1935,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1933\/revisions\/1935"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1934"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1933"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1933"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1933"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1929,"date":"2026-10-28T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/?p=1929"},"modified":"2026-10-27T15:41:40","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T15:41:40","slug":"meet-the-faculty-syed-irfan-ali-meerza-department-of-computer-science","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/2026\/10\/28\/meet-the-faculty-syed-irfan-ali-meerza-department-of-computer-science\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Faculty: Syed Irfan Ali Meerza, Department of Computer Science"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Syed Irfan Ali Meerza, Ph.D.<\/strong><\/a>, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, joins the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) College of Engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In this Q&A series, we get to know faculty who recently joined VCU Engineering. Meerza shares his thoughts on why he joined VCU, his research, teaching and what he enjoys doing outside the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What attracted you to the VCU College of Engineering?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What attracted me most to VCU Engineering was the opportunity to build an independent research program in an environment that strongly supports interdisciplinary work. My research sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, privacy and multimedia, so being part of a college where I can collaborate across computer science, engineering and other disciplines was particularly appealing. I was also excited by VCU\u2019s growing emphasis on AI and cybersecurity and the opportunity to work with students on emerging problems in these areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the application of your research? How are you planning to continue that work with VCU Engineering?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

My research focuses on making AI systems more secure, trustworthy and responsible, particularly when they interact with digital content such as images, music and other media. One major direction of my work is developing techniques that give creators greater control over how their content is used by generative AI. For example, I study methods for protecting data from unauthorized AI training and for tracing the provenance of AI-generated or AI-modified content, including where it originated and how it has been transformed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At VCU, I am building the Artificial Intelligence and Multimedia Security (AIMS) Lab to continue this work. I plan to work with students and collaborators on problems involving AI security, generative AI, data privacy, content provenance and trustworthy machine learning, while also exploring applications across different disciplines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you hope to accomplish during your first five years at VCU?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During my first five years, I hope to establish a strong research program in AI security and trustworthy generative AI and build the AIMS Lab into an active environment where undergraduate and graduate students can develop into independent researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would like our work to address important, real-world problems surrounding the rapidly growing use of generative AI, particularly questions of data ownership, provenance, attribution and security. I also hope to develop strong collaborations within VCU and with researchers at other institutions, build sustained externally funded research projects and contribute to the growth of VCU\u2019s programs in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did you get into your field of research?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

My background has always been at the intersection of computing systems, security and machine learning. As AI systems became increasingly capable of generating and manipulating digital content, I became interested in a different side of AI security. Instead of only asking how we can attack or defend a model, I started asking how we can protect the data and people interacting with these systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That led me to research problems involving privacy-preserving machine learning, adversarial machine learning, generative AI and digital content protection. More recently, I have become particularly interested in understanding how we can give creators meaningful control over their work as generative AI systems become more powerful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How would you describe your teaching style, and what can students expect when they step into your classroom?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I try to make my classes concept-driven and practical. I want students to understand not only how something works, but why it was designed that way and what problem it is trying to solve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I introduce a difficult topic, I usually start with the underlying intuition and then gradually move toward the technical details. I also like using examples, diagrams, experiments and real systems to connect theoretical ideas with what students will encounter in practice. Students can expect me to ask questions and encourage discussion rather than simply presenting material for them to memorize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, I want students to leave the classroom able to reason about unfamiliar problems rather than only reproduce solutions they have already seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you enjoy most about your field and about working with students?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What I enjoy most about my field is how quickly it evolves. Generative AI has introduced questions we were not seriously considering even a few years ago, and many of them do not yet have established solutions. That makes research exciting because there is a genuine opportunity to define new problems and develop fundamentally new approaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working with students is especially rewarding because research is also a learning process. I enjoy seeing a student move from initially learning about a topic to questioning existing approaches, developing their own ideas, running experiments and eventually becoming confident enough to drive a research project themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides your academic work, what is something you’re passionate about or like to do in your free time?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I enjoy technology even outside of research. I like experimenting with computers, home servers, smart-home systems and home automation projects. I find it relaxing to build something, troubleshoot it and gradually make the whole system work together. I also enjoy reading whenever I have some free time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How are you liking Richmond so far? Have you discovered something in particular you enjoy, a place or an event?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I have really enjoyed Richmond so far. I am still relatively new to the city, so there is a lot left for me to explore, but I like that Richmond has the energy of a city while still feeling manageable and accessible. Since starting at VCU, much of my time has naturally been centered on campus and getting my research and teaching established, so I am looking forward to discovering more of the city over the coming months.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Syed Irfan Ali Meerza joins VCU Engineering as an assistant professor in Computer Science, focusing his research on AI security, trustworthy generative AI, data privacy, and digital content provenance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1829,"featured_media":1930,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1150,1145,1241],"class_list":["post-1929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cs","tag-aasc","tag-new-faculty","tag-syed-irfan-ali-meerza"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1829"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1929"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1929\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1931,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1929\/revisions\/1931"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1926,"date":"2026-10-27T15:20:28","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T15:20:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/?p=1926"},"modified":"2026-10-27T15:20:30","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T15:20:30","slug":"vcu-project-will-prepare-future-nurses-for-ai-driven-healthcare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/2026\/10\/27\/vcu-project-will-prepare-future-nurses-for-ai-driven-healthcare\/","title":{"rendered":"VCU project will prepare future nurses for AI-driven healthcare"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Eyuphan Bulut secures grant to bring AI and cybersecurity training to the next generation of nurses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in healthcare, nurses will need to understand more than how to use the technology. They also will need to know how to protect patients, their data and the systems on which modern care increasingly depends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new interdisciplinary project at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) aims to prepare them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eyuphan Bulut, Ph.D.,<\/strong><\/a> a professor in the College of Engineering\u2019s Department of Computer Science, has received a $100,000 grant from the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative for \u201cSecuring AI-Driven Healthcare: Experiential Cyber Learning for Next-Gen Nursing Workforce.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project brings together VCU\u2019s College of Engineering and School of Nursing to provide nursing students with practical experience in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and emerging healthcare technologies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAI is transforming healthcare, but its benefits can only be fully realized when healthcare professionals understand both its capabilities and its risks,\u201d said Bulut. \u201cBy equipping future nurses with AI and cybersecurity skills, we are helping build a safer, more resilient healthcare system.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project begins this fall with the creation of a Smart Healthcare Security Lab, a hands-on learning environment where nursing students can explore AI-enabled healthcare technologies while learning about cybersecurity, privacy risks and emerging medical devices. The lab will serve VCU students as well as nursing students from other Virginia institutions, particularly community colleges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In spring 2027, the project will launch a Nursing Cyber Fellows track for 15 students \u2014 10 from VCU and five from partner institutions. Fellows will receive advanced training in topics including AI in healthcare, healthcare data and privacy, and cybersecurity for AI-driven medical systems. They also will complete hands-on assignments and interact with experts in healthcare and cybersecurity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In early summer 2027, fellows will complete two- to three-week externships at VCU Health and, when possible, other regional healthcare organizations. Students will work alongside nurses, nursing informaticists and clinical IT and security professionals, gaining firsthand experience with AI-enabled clinical systems and technology-supported patient care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amy Salisbury, Ph.D., RN, associate dean for research in the School of Nursing, serves as co-principal investigator. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Bulut, what makes this project unique is its emphasis on hands-on learning: not only teaching students how to use AI tools, but also how to use them safely, responsibly and with an understanding of cybersecurity and patient privacy.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also sees the project as a model that could grow, with the grant representing an initial step toward a larger training initiative designed to build a pipeline of nursing professionals prepared to navigate AI and cybersecurity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe hope this model can be expanded to benefit healthcare education across Virginia and beyond,\u201d Bulut said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The Department of Computer Science provides undergraduate<\/a> and graduate<\/a> students with the opportunity to perform real-world research<\/a> as soon as they enroll. From designing algorithms to solving complex computing problems to working with cutting-edge AI technology, students gain understanding of many important computing topics. Browse videos and recent news from the Department of Computer Science<\/a> to discover how the College of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University prepares the next generation of scientists and engineers for the challenges of the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Eyuphan Bulut secures grant to bring AI and cybersecurity training to the next generation of nurses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2033,"featured_media":1927,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,165,15],"tags":[1150,122],"class_list":["post-1926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cs","category-faculty-awards","category-grants","tag-aasc","tag-eyuphan-bulut"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1926","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2033"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1926"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1926\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1928,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1926\/revisions\/1928"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1923,"date":"2026-10-27T15:10:59","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T15:10:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/?p=1923"},"modified":"2026-10-27T15:11:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T15:11:01","slug":"exploring-efficiency-in-machine-learning-with-computer-science-faculty-at-the-vcu-college-of-engineering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/2026\/10\/27\/exploring-efficiency-in-machine-learning-with-computer-science-faculty-at-the-vcu-college-of-engineering\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring efficiency in machine learning with computer science faculty at the VCU College of Engineering"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Thang N. Dinh, Ph.D. and Nan Xi, M.D., Ph.D.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From data centers to delivery routes, learn what efficiency in machine learning looks like, why it matters, and how it\u2019s being improved<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Sarah Murphy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mention \u2018machine learning\u2019 today, and you\u2019ll be met with a full spectrum of responses: sharp skepticism, awe and excitement, curiosity about what the future has in store. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, it is likely you are already using machine learning in your daily life. Unlock your phone using facial recognition? That is machine learning. Allow your email to filter out spam? That is machine learning, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organizations are also using machine learning, but on a much larger scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, predictive models are used to route shipping trucks, flag urgent hospital scans and forecast power grid demand. A decade ago, this software was the exclusive domain of tech giants; now, even local water utilities have the ability to run it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That shift, from a few big players to nearly everyone, is driving a new urgency for efficiency in machine learning\u2014something that the faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) College of Engineering are actively contributing to in their own research studies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Four Jobs of Machine Learning<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When data becomes too vast for the human eye and systems defy simple logic, machine learning steps in to find the patterns and stories hidden in the noise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thang N. Dinh, Ph.D.<\/strong><\/a>, associate professor of computer science at the VCU College of Engineering, offers a simple way to think about machine learning through four big jobs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n