Pulse Research Fellowship and Mentorship > 2026 Fellows

2026 Fellows and Mentors

Fellows

Amit Samanta
(United States)

I am a PhD student at the Kahlert School of Computing at the University of Utah, working with Professors Ryan Stutsman and Rohan Basu Roy. I’m associated with the Utah Scalable Computer Systems and SysHPC Labs. I build smarter scheduling and resource management techniques for cloud, high-performance computing, and networked systems to make them faster and more sustainable. My background is in computer science, with a master’s from IIT Kharagpur, India. I’ve worked at places like Lawrence Livermore and Argonne National Labs, HPE Labs, Yale University, and MPI-SWS in Germany.

I’m especially interested in the environmental cost of computing including energy, water, and carbon and how we can design systems that don’t force a trade-off between performance and the planet.

Hospice Alfred Afolabi Arouna
(Norway)

I am a PhD student in the final year of my program at OsloMet and SimulaMet in Oslo, Norway. My research lies at the intersection of Internet measurement and large-scale data analysis. Specifically, my work characterizes various DNS datasets and highlights the crucial role of reverse DNS in ensuring that DNS functions well as a whole, which supports essential user activities. Before joining SimulaMet, I had 10 years of experience working for the largest private Internet service provider (ISP) in Benin, where I held several technical positions, including software engineering and critical infrastructure management.

In my spare time, I enjoy participating in hackathons, testing solutions in my homelab, and bettering metadata mapping of African and Caribbean music.

Hugo Rimlinger
(France)

I am a PhD student in computer networks at LIP6, Sorbonne Université. My research focuses on Internet security and cartography, but what I enjoy most is building tools and methodologies to uncover hidden yet deeply important insights into how the Internet works. I’m still early in my research journey, but I’m eager to grow and pursue a long academic career. I’m now involved with the Internet Society and its Internet Society Pulse program, which I see as a wonderful opportunity to connect and collaborate with others to build a more secure and accessible Internet.

Malte Rudi Friedrich Tashiro
(Japan)

I am a researcher at the IIJ Research Laboratory and a PhD candidate at the Graduate University for Advanced Studies in Japan. My research focuses on Internet measurements. I analyze the structure of the Internet to improve its resilience. The complexity of the Internet makes it easy to miss dependencies, and my goal is to find them. I’m also a big proponent of open data, and most of my work is open source. Given the huge number of Internet-related datasets, I’m participating in a project that makes them more accessible. I believe open data really shines once it’s used to create insightful outputs, and I strive to make this easier for everyone.

When I’m not working, I like listening to heavy metal or playing taiko.

Syed Tauhidun Nabi
(United States)

I am a PhD candidate in computer science at Virginia Tech, where I broadly study computer networks and Internet measurement. My research focuses on bettering independent visibility into critical Internet infrastructure using large-scale public measurement data. I’m currently working on NetBreakout, a project that maps mobile network egress infrastructure to better understand resilience, structural risk, and how outages impact communities. Before starting my PhD, I worked in the telecommunications industry on LTE network optimization and performance analytics. This shaped my interest in bridging operational network practice with public-interest research.

I’m motivated by the belief that a more open, resilient, and trustworthy Internet begins with better visibility, transparency, and evidence. Outside of research, I enjoy mentoring students and exploring data-driven stories about how networks shape everyday life.

Weitong Li
(United States)

I am a postdoctoral researcher at Virginia Tech. My work focuses on measuring and securing Internet infrastructures. My research combines large-scale security measurement, protocol design, and policy analysis to understand how core Internet infrastructure behaves in practice and how it can be strengthened against emerging threats. My research lies at the intersection of systems, security, and governance. I care deeply about making Internet infrastructure more transparent, accountable, and resilient for everyone everywhere. Outside of research, I enjoy hiking, especially in the Appalachian Mountains.

A woman in navy blue shirt with white dots in front of panoramic view

Yevheniya Nosyk
(France)

I am a cybersecurity researcher at KOR Labs, where I work at the intersection of Domain Name System (DNS) operations, large-scale Internet measurements, and network security. I divide my time between academic research and outreach to the operational community, giving analysis and data on real-world deployments. I earned a PhD in computer science from Université Grenoble Alpes, where I studied DNS as both a core component of Internet infrastructure and a large-scale distributed measurement platform.

In 2024, I received the Applied Networking Research Prize from the Internet Research Task Force (IRTF) for my work on Extended DNS Errors. Outside of work, I’m an enthusiastic language learner.

A man standing on a balcony holding a mobile phone in its hand

Yu Shing Hung
(Thailand)

I am transitioning into AI safety research after earning my PhD from the University of Cambridge. I’m a multiple-time book author and the founder of AI in Society. I expect to start a postdoctoral fellowship at Chulalongkorn University. My career focus is to shift from being a researcher to a researcher-builder, bridging the gap between society and technology. Outside of conducting social science, applied policy, and technical AI research, I spend a lot of time writing and reading.

Zahra Yazdani
(United States)

I am a third-year PhD student in computer science at Georgia Tech, where I study Internet measurement and network security. My research focuses on how Internet infrastructure and services evolve over time, especially during and after real-world events like outages. Through large-scale measurements and data-driven analysis, I examine how disruptions and configuration changes affect traffic flows, service availability, and network behavior.

I aim to identify vulnerabilities and better the resilience and reliability of the Internet. I’m motivated by the goal of building a more secure, reliable, and robust Internet. Outside of research, I enjoy experimenting with new recipes and traveling to experience different cultures.

Zeynep Arslan
(France)

I am currently a master’s student at Sorbonne Université studying computer science, where I also work as a researcher mapping global network topology and routing patterns. My background is in biomedical engineering and cloud infrastructure, with nearly 10 years of industry experience. I’ve worked in consulting, FinTech, and HealthTech. I’m especially interested in distributed systems, data visualization, and the way networks shape how information moves around the world. I believe in building things that are robust, well-documented, and maintainable for the humans who inherit them.

When I’m not deep in a research pipeline or untangling a Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery/Deployment (CI/CD) workflow, you can find me hiking a local trail or wandering around an art gallery.

Mentors

Cecilia Testart
(United States)

I am an assistant professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), where I hold a joint appointment between the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy and the School of Computer Science.

My research lies at the intersection of Internet measurements, security, and policy. I focus on improving Internet security and reliability through quantitative and qualitative approaches that address both technical and policy challenges.

My work has led to publications in top-tier conferences, and I’ve received a Distinguished Paper Award from the ACM Internet Measurement Conference. My research projects have been helped by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and Google.

I earned my PhD in computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2021. I also hold a master of Science in Technology and Policy and a master of Science in Computer Science from MIT. Before that, I received an engineering degree from Ecole Centrale Paris in France and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the Universidad de Chile.

Ioana Livadariu
(Norway)

Ioana Livadariu is a research scientist at SimulaMet in Norway, focusing on network measurement and telemetry. She develops novel techniques for measuring and analyzing Internet routing and topology.

Previously, she completed her PhD on IPv6 adoption at the University of Oslo, in collaboration with the Center for Applied Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA) at the University of California, San Diego. She’s published in top academic venues and was a 2022 MANRS fellow.

Romain Fontugne
(Japan)

Romain Fontugne is the deputy director of the IIJ Research Laboratory, where he leads the Internet Health Report and Internet Yellow Pages projects. He’s also an active member of the WIDE Project. His current research interests include network measurement, networked data analytics, and network security.

Udit Paul
(United States)

I am a research scientist at Cisco ThousandEyes, where my work focuses on event detection, anomaly identification, and performance degradation analysis. My research centers on large-scale Internet measurement, resilience, and real-world network performance benchmarking. Before transitioning to industry, I completed my PhD at the University of California, Santa Barbara, focusing on broadband performance measurement and the economics of Internet infrastructure.

Vaibhav Bajpai
(Germany)

Vaibhav Bajpai is a professor and head of the data-intensive Internet computing research group at the Hasso Plattner Institute and the University of Potsdam. He received his PhD and master’s degrees from Jacobs University Bremen. He’s the recipient of several awards, including the ACM SIGCOMM best paper award and the IEEE CNOM best dissertation award. His current research focuses on bettering the design and operation of networked systems using data-intensive methods.

Disclaimer: The Internet Society reserves the sole right to decide if an applicant proposal meets the eligibility requirements.

2026 Fellows and Mentors

Fellows

Amit Samanta (United States)

Hospice Alfred Afolabi Arouna (Norway)

Hugo Rimlinger (France)

Malte Rudi Friedrich Tashiro (Japan)

Syed Tauhidun Nabi (United States)

Weitong Li (United States)

Yevheniya Nosyk (France)

Yu Shing Hung (Thailand)

Zahra Yazdani (United States)

Zeynep Arslan (France)