Marcos Sanson of Clemson University is working to make autonomous vehicles safer, smarter and harder to hack as part of one of the nation’s most competitive graduate fellowships in computational science.
Sanson, a first-year Ph.D. student in computer science, is one of 29 students selected for the 2026 Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship.
His research is focusing on autonomous systems on the ground, in the air and in space, including cars and off-road vehicles, drones and satellites.
“They could help prevent a cyberattack if someone tries to take control of a vehicle, and more broadly, help make autonomous vehicles safer and better able to serve people.”
Sanson said the chance to work with Department of Energy national laboratories could also help shape his career after earning his Ph.D. Sanson came to Clemson after searching for universities doing strong work in autonomous systems.