Public Affairs

Dr. Mounib Khanafer, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the American University of Kuwait (AUK), completed his fellowship at Dartmouth College this summer.

Dr. Mounib joined a project led by Professor David Kotz, Dartmouth provost and Professor in the Department of Computer Science, along with Dr. Tim Pierson, a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science. His research focused on the growing field of the Internet of Things (IoT) which describes how objects like cars, phones, TVs, cameras, homes, etc. can come to be smart and get linked to the internet to exchange information. The primary focus of the project was studying and developing security algorithms and secure communication technologies for IoT-based smart homes.

Dr. Mounib collaborated with representatives from a project known as SPLICE: Security and Privacy in the Lifecycle of IoT for Consumer Environments. This project is funded by the National Science Foundation and involves seven institutions.

Sharing insights with SPLICE colleagues in his talk at Dartmouth opened new dimensions for Dr. Mounib, enabling him to further his research and hone his professional skills. He discussed some of his publications on teaching an introductory course on IoT and stimulating research projects through teaching a course on IoT. 

Reflecting upon his experience there, Dr. Mounib stated, “At Dartmouth I joined Prof. David Kotz’s team that is actively researching privacy aspects in smart home environments. Through extensive meetings and discussions, I collaborated with Prof. Kotz and his team of researchers with an aim to develop platforms and technologies that make the home environment benefit from the innovations of the Internet of Things (IoT) without breaching the privacy of home occupants. Since 2018, I have been active in researching IoT technologies and joining Prof. Kotz this last summer came as a golden opportunity to keep myself up to date in such a very dynamic area of research. Prof. Kotz is the Pat and John Rosenwald Professor in the Department of Computer Science and the Provost of Dartmouth College; a renowned researcher in the fields of security and privacy in smart homes as well as wireless networks. Through the knowledge and skills I acquired by working with him I’m currently preparing the drafts for two research papers that focus on the problems of device discovery and privacy platforms in smart homes.”  

This fellowship program is an extension of the AUK and Dartmouth partnership that has been running since 2004 and it is granted to an AUK faculty member on an annual basis. This allows professors to grow and expand their research by using the latest equipment in laboratories, collaborate with highly regarded professionals, and utilize resources needed to publish their research in top journals and international conferences.
 

Dr. Mounib Khanafer