The Center for Aerospace Resilient Systems (CARS) has been established to amplify Embry-Riddle's contribution to the economic development of the region.
Mission
To be a world leader in the research and innovation of safe, secure and resilient aerospace system solutions that meet the needs of our global aerospace community.
Vision
Inspiring the next generation of aerospace systems professionals through innovative research and education, in collaboration with universities, governments and the leading aerospace companies around the world.
The Challenge
New and emerging cyber risks are confronting the aviation and aerospace (aero) domains.
- Once isolated and independent aero systems are evolving to become more interconnected and computationally intensive. Rising connectivity and computerization, which enhance efficiency, also increase the risks of compromise and catastrophic failure.
- Our national security and economic interests rely on the proper functioning and availability of the aero-infrastructure.
- The criticality of aero systems and their adaptation to evolving demands require focusing on innovative solution development rooted in safety culture.
The Center for Aerospace Resilient Systems (CARS) will address cyber threats to safety-critical aero systems and cultivate new areas of development through innovative applications of technologies such as Al and data science and analytics in aero systems.
The Impact
CARS will be the nexus of innovation for next-generation, high-assurance aero technologies and solutions. Bringing together Embry-Riddle experts in Al cybersecurity, data science, software and hardware with specialists from industry and government agencies, CARS provides a creative and collaborative environment to respond to the domain's greatest opportunities and challenges.
As the first center to integrate cybersecurity and data analytics R&D focused on aviation and aerospace, CARS advances the University's service to the aero community through providing:
- Multidisciplinary expertise in collaboration with industry, government and academic partners to address challenges facing aero systems and infrastructure.
- A partner in commercialization that will work with industry to license technology.
- A centralized knowledge base that shares findings through presentations and publications.
- Resources to support workforce development and customize training scenarios using physical and virtual tools.
CARS Labs
- Avionics and Data Link Resilience Lab
- NEAR
- WiDE Laboratory
- Space Technologies Laboratory
- CyBASE
Leaders
- Dan Diessner, CARS Executive Director
- Carlos Castro, PMP, CARS Director of Operations
Members
- Dr. Ilhan Akbas, Associate Professor
- Jesse Chiu, Assistant Professor
- Dr. Barbara Ciaramitaro, Assistant Professor
- Jayson Clifford, Software Engineer
- Dr. Sean Crouse, Assistant Professor
- Neill Fulbright, Avionics Expert
- Dr. Keith Garfield, Associate Professor
- Dr. Mark Grzegorzewski, Assistant Professor
- Dr. Vitaly Guzhva, Professor
- Dr. David P. Harvie, Assistant Professor
- Dr. Troy Henderson, Associate Professor
- Clint Hinrichs, Graduate Student Researcher
- Dr. Laxima Niure Kandel, Assistant Professor
- Abbayu Libabu, Project Manager
- Jake Neighbors, Software Engineer
- John Pesce, Software Engineer
- Ramin Rashedi, Software Engineer
- Dr. Eduardo Rojas, Associate Professor
- Dr. Krishna Sampigethaya, Associate Professor
- Dr. Dothang Truong, Professor
- Dr. Vijayanth Tummala, Assistant Professor
- Lauren Warner, Software Engineer
- Dr. Bryan Watson, Assistant Professor
- Dr. Scott Winter, Associate Professor
- Dr. Kenji Yoshigoe, Professor
Students
- Ivan Chavez
- Hannah Daren
- Francisco Diaz
- Benigno Digon
- Mai Evans-Lichtigfeld
- Quentin Goss
- Sakurako Kuba
- Jeremy Mog
Contact Us
CARS Director of Operations
Next-Generation ERAU Applied Research Lab
News
- 2024 ACI Cyber Rodeo: Aviation Week Op-Ed: Embry‑Riddle President Explores Front Lines of Aviation Cybersecurity (May 23, 2004)
- 2024 ACI Cyber Rodeo: Students Engage With Industry Leaders to Sharpen Aviation Cybersecurity Skills (March 5, 2024)
- Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, Embry‑Riddle Team Up to Explore Potential Advanced Air Mobility Impacts on Airspace (Feb. 28, 2024)
- 2024 President's Forum: Two Leaders Honored at Cybersecurity Symposium (Feb. 16, 2024)
- 2023 ACI Cyber Rodeo: Eagles Excel in Enabling Cross-Campus Effort in Aviation Cybersecurity (March 1, 2023)
- 2023 President's Forum: Two Cybersecurity Leaders Honored at Embry-Riddle Expert Symposium (Feb. 15, 2023)
- Center for Aerospace Resilient Systems Seeks Cyber Solutions (Spring/Summer 2022)
Events
- ACI Cyber Rodeo & CTF Competition: February 5-6, 2025, at Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach Campus
Select Publications
- Sharing Airspace: Simulation of Commercial Space Horizontal Launch Impacts on Airlines and Finding Solutions Launch Impacts on Airlines and Finding Solutions
- Building and Integrating an Information Security Trustworthiness Framework for Aviation Systems Framework for Aviation Systems
- Software Safety and Security Risk Mitigation in Cyber-Physical Systems