NetML Lab

The people behind the research

Curious minds. Shared purpose.

NetML is a team of student researchers and their advisor working across AI, networking, and cybersecurity. Meet the people shaping the lab's work and the alumni who helped build it.

Meet current studentsView alumni

Lab leadership

Guiding the questions we ask.

Ahmet Aksoy

Director

Ahmet Aksoy, Ph.D.

Associate Professor · Computer Science & Cybersecurity

Dr. Aksoy directs NetML Lab at the University of Central Missouri. His research connects network traffic analysis, machine learning, optimization, explainable AI, and large language models to practical cybersecurity problems.

Professional Service & Research Leadership

  • Program Committee Member, IEEE ICTAI 2026 (conference peer review)
  • Session Chair, Network Threat Detection and Defense, ISC @ ACNS 2026 (June 23, 2026)
Email Dr. AksoyGoogle Scholar

Current students

Research in progress.

Our students investigate LLMs for security and the signals in network and user behavior.

Jasurbek Ilkhombekovich Ibragimov

Student researcher

Jasurbek Ilkhombekovich Ibragimov

Context-Constrained Optimization of Large Language Models for Cybersecurity

jxi80040@ucmo.edu
Yaman Shrestha

Student researcher

Yaman Shrestha

Leveraging Large Language Models for Efficient Incident Classification in Cybersecurity

yxs33220@ucmo.edu
Khursaid Ansari

Student researcher

Khursaid Ansari

Leveraging Large Language Models for Efficient Incident Classification in Cybersecurity

kxa45490@ucmo.edu
Mayank Dembla

Student researcher

Mayank Dembla

AI-Driven User Behavior Fingerprinting for Enhanced Security and Threat Detection

mxd08640@ucmo.edu
Joshua Kiran Yajjala

Student researcher

Joshua Kiran Yajjala

AI-Driven User Behavior Fingerprinting for Enhanced Security and Threat Detection

jxy55130@ucmo.edu

Alumni

People who helped shape NetML.

Former students and the research topics they explored in the lab.

Sundeep Varma

Former student

Sundeep Varma

Comparative Analysis of Feature Selection Algorithms for Automated IoT Device Fingerprinting

Luis Valle

Former student

Luis Valle

Automated Network Incident Identification through Genetic Algorithm-Driven Feature Selection

Sachin Rana

Former student

Sachin Rana

Automated Fast-flux Detection using Machine Learning and Genetic Algorithms

Emiline Stewart

Former student

Emiline Stewart

Network Traffic Fingerprinting using Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm

Enya Pan

Former student

Enya Pan

Comparative Analysis of Feature Selection Algorithms for Automated IoT Device Fingerprinting

Sharwin Reddy

Former student

Sharwin Reddy

Network Traffic Fingerprinting using Ant Colony Algorithm

Join NetML

Could your work be next?

We welcome motivated students interested in AI, machine learning, networking, and cybersecurity research.

Learn how to apply