We invite you to join an international seminar dedicated to advancing the future of smart cities. The Seminar on Smart Cities (SCRES'26) is sponsored by Kraus/Fredonia Conversations in Discipline and co-sponsored by the IEEE Buffalo Section. This event will feature distinguished researchers from around the world presenting their latest work on critical topics such as artificial intelligence in urban systems, sustainable infrastructure, intelligent transportation, IoT-enabled services, and data-driven governance. The seminar aims to foster collaboration, share innovative solutions, and explore strategies for building resilient, efficient, and inclusive urban environments.
Date: April 27, 2026
Time: 1:30 pm- 5:30pm
Venue: S204ABC, Williams Center, SUNY Fredonia
Register here: Seminar of Smart Cities Registration Form – Fill out form
Organizers: Dr. Junaid Zubairi (chair), Dr. Megan Johnson (co-chair), Dr. Syed Haider (co-chair)
Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with thought leaders and contribute to shaping the cities of tomorrow!
Keynote Speakers
| The Design of an Adaptive Architecture for Autonomous All-Terrain Vehicles | |
| Dr. James M. Conrad Professor and Associate Chair Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering UNC Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd Charlotte, NC 28223 | |
Abstract: Many consider autonomous vehicles one of the most promised technologies that have still not yet been widely delivered. While this may be true of automobiles and robo-taxis, much work in autonomous navigation has been accomplished in the realm of farm equipment and construction equipment. Nonetheless, all of these implementations rely on maps, GPS and other technologies (LIDAR, camera) for localization and obstacle avoidance, but they typically do not build their own maps. Therefore, in GPS-denied environments, they are often “driving blind”. Dr. Conrad’s research concentrates on off-road vehicles suitable for city parks and urban recreational areas. He and his team use LIDAR and camera data to assist in navigation in GPS-denied environments, particularly in forest environments. He will present information about how his research team has created an inexpensive system using an All-terrain Vehicle (ATV) that can autonomously drive “off-road”. He will also present on the technology his team has developed to allow an ATV to follow people or vehicles in any environment. | |
Speaker biography: James M. Conrad received his bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of Illinois, Urbana, and his master's and doctorate degrees in computer engineering from North Carolina State University. He is currently Interim Department Chair and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has served as an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas and as an instructor at North Carolina State University. He has also worked at IBM, Ericsson/Sony Ericsson, and BPM Technology. Dr. Conrad is a Professional Engineer, a Senior Member of the IEEE and a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP). He served on the IEEE Board of Directors as Region 3 director for 2016-2017, and again as a director in 2020 when he also served as IEEE-USA President. He also served as IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu Honor Society President in 2022. He is the author of numerous books, book chapters, journal articles, and conference papers in the areas of embedded systems, robotics, parallel processing, and engineering education. | |
| Cyber-Secure Operation of Networked Microgrids for Enhancing the Power Grid Resilience in Smart Cities | |
| Professor Mohammad Shahidehpour IEEE Fellow Robert W. Galvin Center for Electricity Innovation Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL 60616 | |
| Abstract: The advances in artificial intelligence technologies for enhancing the operational methodologies in distributed power systems together with significant progress in utilizing the information technology have strengthened the resilience of networked microgrids (NMGs), while the increasing role of cyber-physical NMGs has exposed them to greater physical and cyber risks. To this end, this presentation will examine cyber-secure mandates for NMG operations in power grids. A taxonomy of cyber vulnerabilities is provided, and the operational consequences of cyber incidents will be analyzed. The presentation will include a discussion on cyber-physical networks in NMGs and describe how coordinated cyber-physical operations can support power grid resilience. The growing potentials for engaging advanced information technologies to strengthen the power system security will be evaluated and applications of software-defined networking, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and quantum technology will be discussed for secure and efficient control of NMGs. A layered defense in depth framework is proposed that assigns resilience measures across sensing, local control, distributed energy resources (DERs), aggregated multi-DER coordination, sub-system microgrid control, and system-level coordination. The illustrative case studies for cyber-secure operation of NMG will include cyber-physical contingency-based risk assessment, real-time co-simulation testbeds, human factors in cybersecurity analysis, and integration pathways for emerging technologies to increase power system resistance and operational flexibility. | |
| Speaker biography: Dr. Mohammad Shahidehpour is a University Distinguished Professor and Galvin Chair Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). He also serves as the Director of the Robert W. Galvin Center for Electricity Innovation at IIT. He has over 45 years of experience with power system operation, planning, and control and has completed several major projects for the electric energy sector throughout the world. His project on Perfect Power Systems has converted the entire IIT Campus to an islandable microgrid. Dr. Shahidehpour was the recipient of several technical awards including the IEEE Burke Hayes Award for his research on hydrokinetics, IEEE/PES Outstanding Power Engineering Educator Award, IEEE/PES Ramakumar Family Renewable Energy Excellence Award, IEEE/PES Douglas M. Staszesky Distribution Automation Award, and the Edison Electric Institute’s Power Engineering Educator Award. He has co-authored 6 books and over 1000 technical papers on electric power system operation and planning and served as the founding Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid and IEEE Energy Sustainability magazine. Dr. Shahidehpour is the recipient of the 2009 honorary doctorate from the Polytechnic University of Bucharest. He is a Fellow of IEEE, Chinese Society of Electric Engineers (CSEE), American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and National Academy of Inventors (NAI). He is an academician of the US National Academy of Engineering (NAE). He is also listed as a highly cited researcher on the Web of Science (ranked in the top 1% by citations demonstrating significant influence among his peers). | |
Invited Speakers
| Current solutions and emerging challenges in smart traffic management | |
| Dr. Sahar Idwan, Prof., Director of the Women's Studies in the Community Center Department of Computer Science and Applications Faculty of Prince Al-Hussein Bin Abdallah II for Information Technology The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan | |
Abstract: The increasing complexity of urban mobility has made intelligent traffic management a critical component of smart cities. Advances in sensing technologies, connected infrastructure, and data collection platforms have enabled the generation of large-scale traffic data, creating new opportunities for data-driven decision-making. However, effectively transforming this data into actionable and timely traffic control strategies remains a significant challenge. This talk reviews current solutions and emerging challenges in smart traffic management, drawing on a comprehensive survey of recent research. It examines major technological approaches used to analyze and manage traffic data, including machine learning, fuzzy logic, statistical methods, graph-based models, and hybrid systems. Each approach is discussed in terms of its strengths, limitations, and suitability for real-world deployment. The talk further highlights open challenges such as scalability, real-time responsiveness, handling heterogeneous and dynamic data, and the lack of standardized benchmark datasets. By synthesizing insights across multiple technical perspectives, this talk aims to support researchers and practitioners in understanding how traffic data can be transformed into intelligent decisions for more efficient, adaptive, and sustainable urban transportation systems. | |
| Speaker biography: Sahar Idwan is a Full Professor of Computer Science at The Hashemite University, Jordan. She earned her PhD from the Colorado School of Mines (USA) and has held several senior academic and administrative leadership roles, including Dean of the Prince Al-Hussein Bin Abdallah II Faculty of Information Technology, Director of the E-Learning Center. She currently serves as Director of the Women’s Studies in the Community Center. Her research has evolved from applied algorithms, mobile computing, and wireless technologies to encompass smart cities, intelligent transportation systems, IoT, machine learning, graph-based and hierarchical traffic management. She has published extensively in leading international journals and conferences, with recent contributions focusing on smart traffic congestion control and emerging technologies for urban mobility. | |