RIOT Team – Resilient Information and Operational Technology (RIOT)

Director

Dr. Chris Farnell

Christopher Farnell is an Assistant Professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) Department at the University of Arkansas (UA). Chris received his Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Arkansas in 2020 and is an IEEE Senior Member. His research interests include Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure, Embedded System Design, FPGA Design, Advanced Control Algorithms, and Power Electronics. He is currently serving as an Associate Director for the National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission (NCREPT) located at the University of Arkansas. This 12,000 ft2 laboratory provides the equipment, technical staff, and instrumentation to test and evaluate power electronic circuits and systems at realistic industrial and distribution voltage levels up to 6 MVA power ratings. Chris is the current chair for the IEEE Ozark Section, treasurer for the newly formed IEEE Computer Society Chapter, the CyberHogs Registered Student Organization (RSO) faculty mentor, and remains active in K-12 outreach activities.

Ph.D. Students

Wesley Schwartz

Wesley Schwartz was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, USA in 2000. He received a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, USA in 2022, where he is currently pursuing a Ph.D in electrical engineering. He was the recipient of the Honors College Fellowship, the Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship, and the William E. Bush Endowed Scholarship in Electrical Engineering at the University of Arkansas from 2018 to 2022. From 2022 to 2023, he was a power systems engineer at Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, NM, USA. In 2023 he was hired as a full-time staff member at the National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission (NCREPT) at the University of Arkansas. His research interests include cybersecurity for critical infrastructure, embedded system design, and power electronics. He is a member of Eta Kappa Nu and Tau Beta Pi and is active in K-12 outreach activities.

Masters Students

Kate Kettler

Kate Kettler graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Arkansas in Fall 2023 and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in the same field, with an estimated graduation date of December 2025. In 2024, she joined the National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission (NCREPT). Additionally, she serves as the president of the CyberHogs Cybersecurity Club and is part of the Scholarship for Service program.

Thomas Winkle

Thomas Winkle graduated with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Computer Science from the University of Arkansas in the Spring of 2023. Currently, he is pursuing a M.S. in Electrical Engineering with an estimated graduation date of December 2025. Joining the Scholarship for Service (SFS) program in the Fall of 2022, his pursuit is increasing Cybersecurity in Critical Systems and Operational Technology (OT), such as the electric grid. In Fall of 2023, he joined the National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission (NCREPT) to deepen his knowledge under Dr. Chris Farnell.

Gabe Rea

This is Gabe. He does. Sometimes.

Matthew Butler

Matthew Butler graduated with a B.S. in Computer Engineering from the University of Arkansas in Fall 2024. He is currently pursuing his M.S. in Computer Engineering with a Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity with an estimated graduation date of December 2025. He was accepted in the Scholarship for Service (SFS) program in Spring 2024. and joined the National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission in Spring 2025. His interests in Cybersecurity range from Embedded Systems Security to Post-Quantum Cryptography and he also serves as an officer of the CyberHogs Cybersecurity Club.