Meet the Faculty - Zhangyu Guan

Tell us about your journey to the University of Minnesota. How did you become interested in computer science and your specific field?

I have always been interested in computers in general, but my background is in computer engineering. I really enjoy being able to work on the cutting edge of technology with computer and cellular networks. It’s amazing to see how this type of work can be adopted in the real world, and I enjoy being part of this fast-paced industry. I joined the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Minnesota in August of this year. I previously worked at the University of Buffalo for 7 years, first as an assistant professor and then as an association professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering. I was also a post-doctoral associate at Northeastern University in Boston after I finished my PhD program. 

My research is centered on networking and relies heavily on real-world field testing with UAVs. The University of Minnesota is a strong fit for this work, as the university-owned 4,000-acre UMore Park provides access to a large-scale outdoor test environment that supports realistic and repeatable experiments. I now work in the Rosemount Research Center (RRC) located at UMore Park and we have a flight range on a farm where we can do large-scale testing. I’m excited to keep expanding my work by collaborating with others in CS&E that work in different areas of the field.

Tell us more about your current research!

My work focuses on computational networks in general, and more specifically UAV networking. UAVs have a wide range of applications in the real world, like search and rescue, parcel delivery, land inspection, smart agriculture, and many other areas. Before we can deploy these applications at a large scale in the real world, there are some challenges that need to be addressed in controlling such UAV systems. The current wireless networks are not resilient, safe, nor efficient enough to support large-scale UAV use. The goal of my research is to expand the wireless network and enable it to accommodate the emerging applications in the real world. 

We are focusing on security, efficiency, resiliency, and scalability in networked UAV systems. In the meantime, we are also developing a test bed at UMore Park and hope to provide a safe testing facility for others to test their own work. Ultimately, we aim to advance computing networks that embody the 5A vision of communications: anyone, anywhere, anytime, using any device, for any application. This remains challenging in rural settings such as UMore Park, where limited cellular coverage makes it an ideal site for evaluating our approaches. I have also been actively establishing collaborations with my colleagues in CS&E toward this goal. 

Which courses do you typically teach? What can people expect to get out of those courses? 

I am teaching a new graduate-level course in the spring semester. It is a seminar-based course called “Machine Learning for Programmable Wireless Networks”. The student will work in small groups on a semester-long project using the platform I have developed at UMore Park and community platforms like the NSF PAWR Platforms. With these testbeds, students will be asked to design AI and machine learning algorithms to optimize coordinated resource management for these networks. These projects will be applied to networks in the real world. Students will get hands-on experience working with these test beds and seeing how a machine learning algorithm works in the real world. 

What do you do outside of the classroom for fun? 

I enjoy hiking and jogging in the parks and lakes of the Twin Cities, which provide valuable opportunities to reflect, recharge, and gain fresh perspectives. 

Do you have a favorite spot on campus or in the Twin Cities?

I have really enjoyed exploring new places in Minnesota, but if I had to pick one place, I really liked visiting the Mall of America. There are so many stores, restaurants, and entertainment options. I just moved here so I am still getting to know the area.  

Is there anything else you would like students to know?

I have established a UAV flight test site in UMore Park and my lab has very extensive facilities here. I would like to recruit more volunteer students to join us in testing and experiments. The farm is 30-40 mins of drive from campus. We welcome all UMN students who are interested in hands-on research in UAVs and related topics to join us.