• Website: The Critical Infrastructure Security Institute (CISI)

• Brenda Connor - Dr. Connor’s research focus is on "doming" critical infrastructure with Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC), an emerging capability of cellular telecommunications networks. ISAC essentially adds RADAR sensing capability into the existing Cellular Radio Access Network (RAN). We are researching energy-aware object detection (e.g., there is a blip), tracking (e.g., the blip is moving), identification (e.g., is the blip a drone or a vehicle), and classification (e.g., is the object a threat?) to protect critical infrastructure such as microgrids, oil and gas, and water/wastewater. In remote/rural environments, where critical infrastructure is at risk, energy efficiency is a challenge and necessitates mobile network enabled Agentic AI energy-aware sensing optimization to balance the power consumption and generation of passive and active sensing elements at remote/rural sites. We focus on use-cases for national security entities and critical infrastructure operators with dual use relevance for DOD. We innovate feasible methods for adaptive energy optimizing radar sensing capability to provide use cases such as object detection and tracking e.g., drone detection and pattern of life analysis e.g., animal herds, via a telecommunication network.
• Dr. Brian Nutter,  https://www.depts.ttu.edu/ece/faculty/brian_nutter/

Telecommunication Networks Facilities:

• Critical Infrastructure Telecom Ecosystem Incubator (CITEI) – This outdoor full power commercial grade environment provides sensing and intelligence that “domes” a Microgrid facility and airfield located at TTU Reese National Security Complex. CITEI includes collaboration with a tier 1 operator for telecom best practices and access to licensed spectrum and includes collaboration with a world class O-RAN compliant telecom vendor.
• Critical Infrastructure Telecom Rapid Prototyping (CITRaP) Lab – CITRaP includes an open source 5G SA system, and an NVIDIA based AI engine. The Indoor Open RAN 4×4 MIMO 100 MHz 5G network includes a CBRS radio. The NVIDIA AI Engine is used for “Telecom Network for AI” agentic AI embedded energy aware research. Reusable AI model-enabled use cases are targeted for deployment in CITEI. TTU ISAC research includes reusable AI models for object identification and classification and for pattern of life analysis in energy challenged remote/rural environments. 

In the News:
https://www.ttu.edu/now/posts/2025/10/texas-tech-researcher-s-work-focuses-on-rural-remote-critical-infrastructure.php