SUNY Poly Expands with Cutting-Edge Cybersecurity and Tech Research Hubs

Summary

• SUNY Polytechnic Institute has launched four new research centers.
• The centers cover electromagnetics, cybersecurity, intelligent manufacturing and nature-inspired engineering.
• The goal is to strengthen SUNY Poly’s position in technology education and innovation.
• The school expects the centers to build ties with industry and support regional growth.
• Each center is led by a faculty member in its field.

Four new centers in Utica

SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica announced on June 11, 2025, that it is launching four new research centers. They focus on applied electromagnetics, cybersecurity, AI-driven intelligent manufacturing and nature-inspired engineering, and they come only seven months after the school set up ten new centers in November 2024, bringing a lot of new research capacity to a small campus.

Why SUNY Poly is expanding

SUNY Poly says the centers line up with national priorities and industry needs. Students get research experience.

Electromagnetics and cybersecurity

The Applied Electromagnetics and Radio Frequency Circuits Research Center, led by Dean of Engineering Dr. Abdullah Eroglu, works on antennas, RF systems, 5G radar and AI-driven modeling. The Center for Cybersecurity Research and Innovation, led by Dr. Mahmoud Badr, focuses on protecting critical infrastructure. An earlier version of this article quoted a “Dr. Christopher Ashcroft” as the cybersecurity center’s director; that could not be verified and has been corrected.

Manufacturing and nature-inspired engineering

The other two centers are about how things get made. The Center for Intelligent Manufacturing, led by Dr. Jasim Uddin, uses AI to improve production through real-time decisions and predictive analytics. The Center for Nature Inspired Engineering, led by Dr. Xinrui “Sarah” Niu, develops materials and structures modeled on nature for uses such as dental materials, flexible electronics and robotics. An earlier version of this article wrongly listed quantum technology among the four centers.

Industry ties

“SUNY Poly continues to invest in areas that align with national priorities and industry needs,” said Dr. Michael Carpenter, Vice President for Research. The school expects the centers to create partnerships with industry and government and help build a skilled regional workforce.

What the centers could mean

SUNY Poly’s four new centers add to a fast-growing research portfolio. The cybersecurity center could help train people to protect critical infrastructure in New York and beyond. Funding will decide the rest.

Fred Templeton, CISA, CASP, SEC+

Fred Templeton is a practicing Information Systems Auditor in the Washington DC area. Fred works as a government contractor and uses his skills in cyber security to make our country's information systems safer from cyber threats. Fred holds a master's degree in cybersecurity and is currently working on his PHD in Information Systems.