Posted on September 24, 2025 by Klesse College Staff
The Resilient, Intelligent, and Sustainable Embedded Computing and Networking (RISE) Lab is a fascinating lab housed in Klesse College that seeks to explore and expand the intersection of several unique areas of electrical engineering. Run by Assistant Professor Chen Pan, the lab features a diverse mix of students and is open to students of all educational levels, including Ph.D. students and undergraduates, creating a unique level of collaboration.
Read the full Q&A with Pan down below to learn more about the fascinating research being conducted in this space.
Which department is your lab in:
CP: Department of Electrical Engineering.
Name of your lab (location of lab building/room):
CP: Resilient, Intelligent, and Sustainable Embedded Computing and Networking (RISE) Lab.
Which students (major and level: UG, GRAD, PhD) use your lab?
CP: Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. students.
What is the thing in your lab that you are most proud of?
CP: I'm most proud of the interdisciplinary integration that spans across systems in a broad area of the Internet of Things (IoT), which lies at the intersection of machine learning (e.g., deep learning), computer architecture, design automation (EDA), and embedded systems. The goal of my research is to conduct system-level design and optimization to fully unlock the potential of IoT edge devices from computation, communication, and storage perspectives, enabling the next generation of IoT applications. For example, our drone-assisted flooding prediction system combines embedded sensing, edge computing, and machine learning, making it both technically sophisticated and highly impactful for real-world applications.
What type of research takes place in your lab?
CP: Our lab focuses on embedded systems for sensing, communication, and AI-driven automation. We work on applications such as autonomous agricultural systems, real-time environmental monitoring, and intelligent health sensing. A key aspect of our research is the integration of cyber-physical systems with machine learning to enable adaptive and autonomous decision-making in resource-constrained environments.
What type of funding did you receive to stock your lab with the existing equipment?
CP: Aside from start-up and STARS funds, my lab are currently funded by NSF and NOAA.
How does your lab help UTSA stand out from other engineering colleges?
CP: Our lab stands out by combining hardware and AI in practical, application-driven systems. We build complete solutions that integrate sensors, embedded platforms, and machine learning for real-time decision-making. This includes state-of-the-art projects like drone-assisted precision agriculture, smart dog for senior care, embedded AI for environmental monitoring and wearable sensors, prosthetic hands, and compressed sensing for EEG. The interdisciplinary work prepares students to handle both hardware design and AI development, giving them a unique edge. It also reflects UTSA’s strength in applied research that addresses real-world challenges.
— Klesse College Staff
