Akshaye Dhawan

Assistant Professor
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
Ursinus College
601 E. Main Street
Collegeville, PA 19426

Office: Pfahler 101 L

Email:

Phone: 610-409-3154

Teaching

• CS 100 Computer Science for the Liberal Arts
• CS 174 Data Structures
• CS 371 Design and Analysis of Algorithms

Education

• Ph.D., M.S.Computer Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 2009
• Bachelor of Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Visvesvaraya Technological University, Karnataka, India. 2003.

Research Interests/Projects

• Wireless Sensor Networks
  A key challenge in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is that of extending the lifetime of these networks while maintaining certain coverage goals. Existing work has studied scheduling sensors into a sleep-sense cycle based on simple greedy criteria or using centralized optimization techniques. We look beyond these greedy heuristics to study the problem structure that exists between different cover sets. We propose a model for capturing the dependencies between different cover sets, examine ways of dealing with the exponential nature of the solution space and discuss other improvements that can be made in picking a schedule that maximizes the lifetime of the network. This work takes a fundamental look into the problem structure and gives new ways to explore the problem.
  
  
• Neuronbank
The NeuronBank project is an online reference source and informatics tool for exploring our vast knowledge of neurons and the circuits that they form. Broadly speaking the project comprises of NB-Central as a central interface and BranchKB's as the individual branches that host species specific data. My contribution has been in working on the team for the design and development of NB-Central. NB-Central is a central entity whose design is based on a service oriented architecture. NB-Central manages users, collates searches and provides and uses services with the BranchKB's. Please see the project homepage for more details.

Publications

2010

P.S. Katz, R.J. Calin-Jageman, A. Dhawan, C. Frederick, et. al., "NeuronBank: a tool for cataloging neuronal circuitry", In Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, 4:9. doi:10.3389/fnsys.2010.00009  link

Akshaye Dhawan, Aung Aung and Sushil K. Prasad, "Distributed Scheduling of a Network of Adjustable Range Sensors for Coverage Problems", In ICISTM'2010, International Conference on Information Systems, Technology and Management, 2010   link

2009

Akshaye Dhawan and Sushil K. Prasad, "Taming the Exponential State Space of the Maximum Lifetime Sensor Cover problem", In HiPC'09 Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on High Performance Computing, 2009. (Acceptance Rate ~18%)

Akshaye Dhawan and Sushil K. Prasad, " A Distributed Algorithmic Framework for Coverage Problems in Wireless Sensor Networks ", In International Journal of Parallel, Emergent and Distributed Systems(IJPEDS), Volume 24, Issue 4, 331, 2009.  link

Akshaye Dhawan On Distributed Algorithms for Maximizing the Network Lifetime in Wireless Sensor Networks based on Cover Set Dependencies, In IPDPS 2009 Ph.D. Forum (Short Paper).

2008

Akshaye Dhawan and Sushil K. Prasad, " Energy Efficient Distributed Algorithms for Sensor Target Coverage based on Properties of an Optimal Schedule", In HiPC'08: Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on High Performance Computing, Springer, 2008.(Acceptance Rate ~15%)link pdf

Akshaye Dhawan , "On Distributed Algorithms for Maximizing the Network Lifetime in Wireless Sensor Networks", In HiPC'08 Student Symposium Winner Best Presentation Award

Akshaye Dhawan and Sushil K. Prasad, "A  Distributed Algorithmic Framework for Coverage Problems in Wireless Sensor Networks", APDCM, In Proceedings of the 22nd IEEE Parallel and Distributed Processing Symposium, 2008 (IPDPS'08) Link pdf

2007

Sushil K. Prasad and Akshaye Dhawan, "Distributed Algorithms for lifetime of Wireless Sensor Networks", In HiPC'07: Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on High Performance Computing, Springer, 2007.(Acceptance Rate ~20%) Link pdf

Robert J. Calin-Jageman, Akshaye Dhawan, Hong Yang, Hsiu-Chung Wang, Hao Tian, Piyaphol Phoungphol, Chad Frederick, Janaka Balasooriya, Yan Chen, Sushil K. Prasad, Rajshekhar Sunderraman, Ying Zhu, Paul S. Katz: Development of NeuronBank: A Federation of Customizable Knowledge Bases of Neuronal Circuitry. IEEE SCW 2007: 114-121 Link pdf

2006

 A. Dhawan, C.T. Vu, A. Zelikovsky, Y. Li and S.K. Prasad, "Maximum lifetime of sensor networks with adjustable sensing range.", SAWN'06: Proceedings of the International Workshop on Self-Assembling Wireless Networks, 2006. Link pdf

Research Students

• Stephan Hennion - Fault Tolerant Clustering in Wireless Sensor Networks
• Ali Nolan - Semantic Knowledge Models for Biological Data
• Brian Lim - Congestion Control in WSNs

Student Posters

• Stephan Hennion, "Fault Tolerant Clustering in Wireless Sensor Networks", CCSCNE'2010, Hartford, CT

Awards/Honors

• Brains and Behavior Fellow, Fall 2006-2009
• Outstanding Research by a Graduate Student Award, 2008
• Outstanding Teaching by a Graduate Student Award, 2006
• Georgia Rotary Student Program (GRSP) Scholar, 2003-04

Talks

• Bits, Brains and Behaviors, Biology Department Seminar, Ursinus College, 2010   slides
• Distributed Scheduling of a Network of Adjustable Range Sensors for Coverage Problems, ICISTM'2010   slides
• NeuronBank v2.0, Brains and Behavior Annual Retreat, May 2009 slides
• On Distributed Algorithms for Maximizing the Network Lifetime in Wireless Sensor Networks, HiPC-SS 2008 (Best Presentation Award)
• 'Energy Efficient Distributed Algorithms for Sensor Target Coverage based on Properties of an Optimal Schedule', HiPC 2008
• 'A Distributed Algorithmic Framework for coverage problems in Wireless Sensor networks', APDCM, IPDPS 2008 , Miami pdf
• 'Neuronbank: An Introduction', Invited Speaker, Chalk-Talk Series, Integrative Biosystems Institute, Georgia Tech, Spring 2008, Atlanta
• 'Maximum Lifetime of Sensor networks with adjustable sensing range', SAWN 2006, Las Vegas pdf

Personal

• Interests: Running - I've done a few half marathons and one marathon.Results
• An incomplete list of what I have been reading lately.