Welcome to the Advanced WirelEss Systems and Multimedia Networking Lab (AWESM Lab)


[ Research Interest | Group | Projects | Awards and Honors | Acknowledgments ]


Research Interest [back to top]

Research Group [back to top]

Projects [back to top]

Awards and Honors [back to top]

  • Keynote/Plenary/Distinguished Speaker, ECIS'25, IEEE PSWN'24, MLN'24, ICEA'24, IEEE HealthCom'24, EAI WiSATS'24, IEEE Cybermatics Congress'24, IEEE/CIC ICCC'24, IEEE/CIC EWCN-GAI'24, IEEE AIOT'24, SPML'24, DeepWireless'24, GCECN'24, ICAIIC’24, ICNC’24, ICBD'24, ADSSS'23, BDSME'23, IEEE ComSoc eHealth School'23, GSEEE'23, IEEE MASS'23, MobiMedia'23, ICUFN'23, Kennesaw State University (Speaker of the Year), IEEE ESCI'23, ICNC'23, CONFLUENCE'23, ICBD'23, ICSC'22, CSCSG'22, IEEE ICCT'22, MobiMedia'22, ICT-DM'21, IEEE RFID-TA'21, MobiMedia'21, AdhocNets'20, SPDE'20, WCSP'20, IEEE CVPM'20 (in conjunction with IEEEE CVPR'20), AdhocNets'19, SSC'19, IEEE CyberEdge'19 (in conjunction with IEEE SECON'19), CCCIoT'19, IEEE ICEICT'19, IEEE SmartIoT'18, NSF NEMO'18, SSC'18, MobiMedia'18, IEEE CIT-2017, IEEE C-IoT 2017 (in conjunction with IEEE ICC 2017), IEEE SCAN-2015 (in conjunction with IEEE ICC 2015), and MobiMedia'15

  • Certificate of Appreciation/Merit, IEEE Communications Society: 2024 (three), 2022 (three), 2021 (three), 2020 (two), 2019, 2018 (three), 2017 (three), 2016 (four), 2015 (four), 2014, 2013, 2012 (two), 2011, and 2010; IEEE Vehicular Technology Society: 2021; IEEE Signal Processing Society: 2020; IEEE Computer Society: 2021 (two), 2020 (two), 2007; IEEE Multimedia: 2022; IEEE Access Journal: 2018; EAI: 2021 (three), 2020, 2019, 2018 (two), 2017; ICST: 2009; Springer Journal of Communications and Networks: 2018

  • Best Paper Award, The 2024 International Conference on Wireless Communications and Signal Processing (WCSP), Oct. 2024, Hefei, China [paper]

  • Best Demo Award, IEEE INFOCOM 2024, May 2024, Vancouver, Canada [paper]

  • Ranked among the world’s Top 2% Scientists, according to a recent Stanford University study, Dec. 2023

  • Best Paper Award (two), The 2023 IEEE Global Communications Conference (GLOBECOM’23), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Dec. 2023 [paper1][paper2]

  • IEEE Communications Society Multimedia Communications Technical Committee (MMTC) Outstanding Researcher Award, Dec. 2023

  • Frontrunner 5000 - Top Articles in Outstanding S&T Journals of China, Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China, Sept. 2023 [paper]

  • The Southeastern Conference (SEC) 2023 Faculty Achievement Award for Auburn, Mar. 2023

  • Fellow, The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Mar. 2023

  • Featured Cover Article, IEEE/CIC China Communications, Jan. 2023 [paper]

  • Distinguished Service Award, IEEE Communications Society eHealth Technical Committee, Dec. 2022

  • Best Journal Paper Award, IEEE Communications Society eHealth Technical Committee, Dec. 2022 [paper]

  • Fellow, The Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association (AAIA), May 2022

  • Best Paper Award, The 2022 IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC'22), Seoul, South Korea, May 2022 [paper]

  • Best Demo Award, IEEE International Conference on Computer Communications (INFOCOM'22), Virtual Conference, May 2022 [paper]

  • Runner-up of the Best Paper Award, IEEE Consumer Communications & Networking Conference (CCNC'22), Virtual Conference, Jan. 2022 [paper]

  • The 2021 Best Paper Award, Elsevier/KeAi Digital Communications and Networks Journal [paper]

  • Outstanding Associate Editor Award, Elsevier/KeAi Digital Communications and Networks Journal, Dec. 2021

  • The 2021 IEEE Internet of Things Journal Best Paper Award, Oct. 2021

  • The 2021 IEEE Communications Society Outstanding Paper Award, May 2021

  • Distinguished Lecturer: (i) IEEE Communications Society (2021 ~ 2023), (ii) IEEE Council of RFID (2021 ~ 2023), (iii) IEEE Vehicular Technology Society (2014 ~ 2018); Distinguished Speaker: (i) IEEE Vehicular Technology Society (2018 ~ 2021); (ii) European Alliance for Innovation (EAI) (since Mar. 2021)

  • Earle C. Williams Eminent Scholar, Auburn University, Oct. 2020 ~ present

  • IEEE Vehicular Technology Society 2020 Jack Neubauer Memorial Award, Oct. 2020 [paper]

  • IEEE Access Journal “Article of the Week,” Apr. 2020

  • Best Paper Award, The 2019 IEEE Global Communications Conference (GLOBECOM'19), Waikoloa, HI, Dec. 2019 [paper]

  • The 2018 Best Journal Paper Award, IEEE Communications Society Multimedia Communications Technical Committee (MMTC), Dec. 2019 [paper]

  • Distinguished Technical Achievement Award, IEEE Communications Society Communication Switching and Routing Technical Committee (TC-CSR), 2019, citation: for advancing the field of communications switching and routing

  • Distinguished Service Award, IEEE Communications Society Multimedia Communications Technical Committee (MMTC), 2019

  • Fellow of the IEEE, effective Jan. 1, 2019, citation: for contributions to wireless multimedia networking

  • Fellow of the EAI (European Alliance for Innovation), Jan. 1, 2019, citation: in recognition of leadership in advancing and organizing research

  • Auburn Author Award, Auburn University Libraries and The Graduate School, Auburn University, 2019, 2016, 2015, and 2011 (two)

  • Creative Research & Scholarship Award, Office of the Vice President for Research, Auburn University, 2018 [news]

  • Outstanding Service Award, IEEE Communications Society Internet Technical Committee (ITC), 2018

  • The 2017 Best Conference Paper Award, IEEE Communications Society Multimedia Communications Technical Committee (MMTC), May 2018 [paper]

  • Best Student Paper Award (Xuyu Wang and Xiangyu Wang), The 28th IEEE International Symposium on Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications (IEEE PIMRC 2017), Montreal, Canada, Oct. 2017 [paper]

  • Best Demo Award, The 2017 IEEE International Conference on Sensing, Communication and Networking (SECON'17), San Diego, CA, June 2017 [paper]

  • Best Paper Award, The 2016 IEEE Global Communications Conference (GLOBECOM'16), Washington, DC, Dec. 2016 [paper]

  • Best Paper Award, The 2015 IEEE Global Communications Conference (GLOBECOM'15), San Diego, CA, Dec. 2015 [paper]

  • Distinguished Service Award, IEEE Communications Society Communication Switching and Routing Technical Committee (TC-CSR), 2015

  • Auburn Alumni Engineering Council Research Awards for Excellence—Senior Award (2015) and Junior Award (2011)

  • Best Paper Award, The 2015 IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conference (WCNC'15), New Orleans, LA, Mar. 2015 [paper]

  • Samuel Ginn Endowed Professorship, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, Auburn University, 2015 ~ 2020

  • Early promotion to the rank of Full Professor, 2015

  • Exemplary Editor, IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, 2014 and 2012

  • Runner-up of the 2013 Fabio Neri Best Paper Award, Elsevier Optical Switching and Networking Journal, 2013 [paper]

  • Best Paper Award, The 2013 IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC'13), Budapest, Hungary, June 2013 [paper]

  • Outstanding Leadership Award, IEEE Communications Society Multimedia Communications Technical Committee (MMTC), 2013

  • McWane Endowed Professorship, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, Auburn University, 2012 ~ 2015

  • National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award, 2010

  • Runner-up of the Best Paper Award, International Conference on Heterogeneous Networking for Quality, Reliability, Security and Robustness (QShine 2008), Hong Kong, P.R. China, July 2008 [paper]

  • The 2004 IEEE Communications Society Leonard G. Abraham Prize in the Field of Communications Systems

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 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering | Auburn University | Auburn, Alabama 36849-5201 | (334) 844-1845 | smao@auburn.edu
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