Texas Tech University

It is no stretch to say the research of Brenda Connor will not only make the world a better place, but will also make it safer, starting right here in our own backyard.

Connor is one of the first new hires at Texas Tech University as a result of the Texas University Fund (TUF) initiative voters resoundingly approved in November 2023. The initiative created a $3.9 billion endowment to support the collective research enterprise at the state’s public universities.

“A stable and secure telecommunications network that ensures government agencies can send essential notifications and citizens remain able to communicate during national and regional crises is foundational to our national security,” said Joseph Heppert, vice president for research and innovation at Texas Tech.

“Telecommunications is now an essential part of nearly all aspects of community and private sector activity and is also key to ensuring the readiness of our armed forces. Dr. Connor’s innovative research will greatly increase the security of the nation’s critical infrastructure. Support for her groundbreaking research is a wonderful example of how TUF is helping Texas Tech recruit outstanding researchers that serve the needs of Texas citizens, while growing the national prominence of our research enterprise.”

Connor’s work dovetails nicely with the strategic-research-focused mission of TUF dollars. Her research centers on the use of private telecommunication networks and artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen critical infrastructure. The research is as practical as it is vital in the rural, wide-open spaces that characterize West Texas and other areas throughout the country.

“This is not a case of working on technology for technology’s sake,” Connor said. “We are working on technology for societal impact. Critical infrastructure is super important to West Texas because a lot of people here in Lubbock and here at Texas Tech have come from smaller communities, and what we’re working on here is going to help those communities.”

Connor holds a doctorate in engineering and industrial management and is a certified information systems security professional (CISSP) who teaches in the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering after a long career with telecommunications giant Ericsson in the private sector. At Texas Tech, she holds a dual appointment as senior technical managing director of the Critical Infrastructure Security Institute and as professor of practice in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

The work allows for collaboration across a number of disciplines, including petroleum engineering and animal sciences and Texas Tech enterprises such as the New Deal Farm and the Global Laboratory for Energy Asset Management and Manufacturing (GLEAMM).