Tara Hong
Will Rice Residential College

Tara Hong, an electrical and computer engineering major, worked with Dr. Ed Knightly, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice, and Technology for All, a non-profit located in Houston’s East End whose mission is to empower under-resourced communities through tools of technology.  Tara’s project allowed her to uncover security threats and vulnerabilities in the wireless mesh network that provides free internet service to the residents of the under-resourced Pecan Park neighborhood. She will work with Jim Forrest, managing director at Technology for All.  The wireless mesh network was developed in partnership with Rice’s Networks Group and Technology for All, and was first deployed in 2004.  Since that time, students in Dr. Knightly’s Wireless Networking for Under-Resourced Urban Communities course (ELEC 438) have worked to refine and improve the network.  Tara’s research project built on recent network refinements and identified opportunities to improve the service provided to residents of Pecan Park.