I am an Assistant Professor of Computer Science & Engineering at Louisiana State University (LSU), with a joint appointment in the LSU Center for Computation & Technology (CCT). I lead two overlapping research thrusts: (1) modern and emerging deep learning applied to national security, particularly nuclear nonproliferation and cybersecurity; and (2) neuromorphic computing algorithms (spiking neural networks), spanning both applied work on ultra-low-power, spike-native models for edge sensing and foundational work on training methods, robustness, and design principles for spike-based architectures. I am the lead designer and developer of MikeGPT, LSU’s in-house LLM agent for interacting with the university’s broad data ecosystem. Prior to LSU, I was a staff research data scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), where I led applied deep learning and neuromorphic projects for federal sponsors. At LSU, I teach an upper-division capstone-style course on LLMs as well as graduate courses on advanced deep learning and LLMs. Across my projects, I’m motivated by mission-driven AI that advances capability while approaching the efficiency of biological neural systems.

Research Areas

1. Applied deep learning for national security and cybersecurity
2. Neuromorphic computing algorithms - spiking neural networks

MSc Thesis

A Neuroscience-inspired Approach to Training Spiking Neural Networks

PhD Dissertation

A Datacentric Algorithm for Gamma-ray Radiation Anomaly Detection in Unknown Background Environments