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Mason's living lab pumps up power research

Tama Moni — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 21:47:13 +0000

Mason's living lab pumps up power research Tama Moni Mon, 03/06/2023 - 16:47

You've seen it in the movies—a massive wall of monitors in a dark room displaying blinking charts and graphs while busy staffers press buttons and shift levers.

The new Smart Grid Lab, opening in 2023 in ��AV's Van Metre Hall at Mason Square, will recreate a modest version of this control center. This state-of-the-art facility will offer hands-on experience to undergraduate and graduate students and professional practitioners. College of Engineering and Computing Associate Professor Liling Huang reports the lab will include three workstations with a Real-Time Digital Simulator (RTDS) and a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, among other features. These stations can either be linked together to imitate the entire grid or used independently to examine particular subjects. Huang believes this lab will make Mason's power engineering program unique, as few universities offer this immersive educational experience.

"The new Smart Grid Lab is critical to training and modeling, simulation, and digital twin research. It will support a secure next-generation power grid," said Liza Wilson Durant, associate provost for strategic initiatives and community engagement at Mason.

The new lab will also be used for security and resiliency testing, ensuring power systems are equipped to manage and mitigate potential cyberthreats or disruptions—photo courtesy of iStock.

The lab's primary purpose is to enable students and researchers to conduct various hands-on experiments, work with hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulations, and analyze simulation data related to power and energy systems. These activities will encompass various aspects of power systems, smart grid technology, microgrid, renewable energy, electric machines, and energy management systems. Beyond that, Huang says that when using the SCADA system and display wall, students and faculty in the lab will collect consumption data and display energy flow at the Fairfax, Mason Square, and SciTech Campuses.

"This will be a unique living lab for Mason students. We can start observing the campus energy flow and collect data. That can support our future research in data analytics, machine learning, digital twins, computing, or cybersecurity of the smart grid and smart cities. It allows us to reach beyond the 4,000 square feet of the lab." - Liling Huang, associate professor CEC

Many power engineering programs have shuttered over the last 20 years, causing an industry workforce shortage, making the lab even more valuable to Mason's students by rounding out their education. Further, the nation is struggling with an aging power grid infrastructure and an increasing electricity demand. Combine all of that with a global initiative of Net Zero by 2050, and Huang says Mason is an ideal place to pursue this type of research and education, particularly with the campus' location in the Washington metropolitan area, near the federal government and one of the largest data center markets in the world. The lab will also be used for security and resiliency testing, ensuring that our power systems are adequately equipped to manage and mitigate potential cyberthreats or disruptions.

"The Van Metre Lab is the precursor to a larger lab capability in Fuse, a net-zero ready facility which will serve as a living laboratory. This lab will enable real-time data collection to facilitate smart cities innovation and research to improve quality of life and moderate technology's impact on the environment," said Wilson Durant.

This powerful lab will help position Mason as a leader among Virginia universities in hands-on learning and research in power engineering.

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Drawing a diverse cybersecurity applicant pool

Martha Bushong — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 12:54:47 +0000

Drawing a diverse cybersecurity applicant pool Martha Bushong Thu, 10/06/2022 - 08:54

If you’re developing a program or event and want to learn how to attract a diverse audience, take a lesson from a recent Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) success story. This spring, the CCI Northern Virginia Node sponsored a traineeship and apprenticeship program that attracted about 400 diverse applicants for 21 positions.

On October 27 at 11 a.m. CCI NoVa Node Program Manager Jordan Mason will describe his successful outreach strategy, and provide a possible blueprint for you to follow, CCI’s Inclusion & Diversity Committee is sponsoring the event as part of its mission of workforce development which includes a commitment to increasing the number of underrepresented groups in the cybersecurity field.

Mason’s discussion will focus on strategies that the NoVa Node uses to field diverse cohorts in its programs, with a focus on its Cybersecurity Traineeship and Apprenticeship Program. These topics will include the identification of an ideal threshold in program representation and building relationships.

About Jordan Mason
Mason is a certified Project Management Professional who cares deeply about building systems and processes that promote equity and accessibility. Before working in his current role, he spent six years working in Student Affairs at George Washington University, helping the university’s portfolio of student organizations navigate institutional financial policies and processes.

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The Daily Beast: Biden Warns a ‘Real Shooting War’ Could Come from Cyber Breach

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 20:47:42 +0000

The Daily Beast: Biden Warns a ‘Real Shooting War’ Could Come from Cyber Breach Andrew J Schappert Thu, 08/19/2021 - 16:47

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When Joe Biden said a cyber breach such as recent ransomware incidents could precipitate a “real shooting war,” Michael V. Hayden Center director Larry Pfeiffer agreed. “He is putting Russia and China and others on notice that we are not bound to limit our response to a cyber attack to solely the cyber domain,” Pfeiffer, advisor to three presidents, told the Daily Beast. Read more

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Mason's living lab pumps up power research

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