Director and Ph.D. Students
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.
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.
Anna Corbitt
Anna Corbitt is an NCREPT Senior Research Assistant and currently working on her PhD here at the University. Her research focus is on power electronics and controls, particularly for electric vehicle applications. She is a joy to have on staff and we are glad to have her at NCREPT!
Graduate Students
Gideon Sutterfield
Gideon Sutterfield is a Computer Science Master’s Student in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) department at the University of Arkansas and plans to graduate in December 2024. He recently graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Arkansas. His research includes Cybersecurity for Operational Technology and Critical Infrastructure, Real-Time Simulation, workforce development, and virtualized testbeds. Gideon has been apart of NCREPT since Summer 2022 where he developed Modbuster, a python attack script for ModbusTCP. Other projects have included physical critical infrastructure demo boards and IT/OT testbeds. Gideon is a CyberCorps Scholarship for Service student, former officer for CyberHogs, and one of the Gamemasters for the RazorHack Cyber Challenges. In his free time, he enjoys learning, exercising, and music.
Grant Wilkins
Grant Wilkins is a 2023 graduate from the University of Arkansas with a B.S. in Computer Science. He is currently pursuing a M.S. in Computer Science with a concentration in Cybersecurity. Grant is a Scholarships for Service recipient under CyberCorps. Grant joined NCREPT part-time in fall of 2023. He is an active member in CyberHogs as a CTF planner.
Henry Schmidt
Henry Schmidt is a CyberCorps Scholarship for Service Master’s student in Computer Science in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) department at the University of Arkansas. Henry joined the University of Arkansas in August 2020 and received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a Minor in Physics in May 2023. His research interests include Cybersecurity for critical infrastructure, workforce development, intrusion detection systems using machine learning, and NIST compliant testbeds. Henry is the Co-Founder and former President of the CyberHogs Cybersecurity Club at the University of Arkansas, the Lead Gamemaster for RazorHack Cyber Challenge, and the President of the University of Arkansas CyberCorps Scholarship for Service cohort. Henry plans to graduate in December 2024 with an M.S. in Computer Science and a Concentration in Cybersecurity following the presentation of his Master’s thesis titled TROY: Testbed for Resilient Operational sYstems.
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 May 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.