Staff Profile

Dr Hellen Maziku

Biography

I am a Senior Lecturer at the College of Information and Communication Technologies (CoICT) at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE). I received my PhD and M.Sc. in Computer and Information Systems Engineering in 2016 and 2012 respectively from Tennessee State University (TSU) in the USA. I received a B.Sc. in Computer Engineering and Information Technology from UDSM in 2009. I currently serve as a Gender Focal Point at the College of ICT.

My current research interests are in areas of Moving Target Defense, Cyber Deception, Attack Behavior Modeling,  Software-Defined Security for Critical Infrastructures, Machine Learning, Big Data Analytics, human-centred Design based Innovation. I am also keen on work related to cyber-physical infrastructure security; infrastructure that I have worked on include; Smart grids and the Cloud. I have worked on research projects funded by several agencies such as SIDA, UNICEF, DHS, Airforce Research Lab, DoE, and NSF. I have published in many recognized conferences and journals such as IEEE’s MILCOM and Elsevier’s COMCOM.

I also engage in innovation activities using the human-centred Design (HCD) approach for greater social impact, with the focus of bridging the digital and gender divide. In this regard, I manage and coordinate all project activities under the Youth for Children (Y4C) innovation hub.

Publications

1. Yona Andegelile, Hellen Maziku, Mussa Kissaka, Nerey Mvungi, “SDN-Based Cross-Layer Resilience Approach for Secondary Distribution Power Grid Automation: Review and Recommendation” International Journal of Smart Grid and Clean Energy, 2021
   
   
2. Bakiri Hussein., Maziku Hellen, Mvungi Nerey, Massawe Libe, and Ndyetabura Hamisi, “A Study to Investigate the Effect of Day Type on Electricity Consumption in Residential Buildings; A Smart Grid Initiative to Establish Efficient Load Forecasting Model in Tanzania”, Journal of Innovation and Social Science Research (JISSR), 2021
   
   
3. Bakiri Hussein., Maziku Hellen, Mvungi Nerey, Massawe Libe, and Ndyetabura Hamisi, “Towards the Establishment of Robust Load Forecasting Mechanism in Tanzania Grid: Effect of Air Temperature and Daytime on Electricity Consumption in Residential Buildings”. International Journal of Smart Grid-ijSmartGrid, 2021
   
   
4. Bakiri Hussein., Maziku Hellen, Mvungi Nerey, Massawe Libe, and Ndyetabura Hamisi, “Review on the State of Art of Electricity Load Forecasting: Research Agenda and Proposition of a Load Demand Forecasting Mechanism for Developing Countries” Journal of Innovation and Social Science Research (JISSR), 2021
   
   
5. Hellen Maziku, “Improved Data Accuracy Assessment Tool for Information Management Systems”, 12th International Conference on Information Management and Engineering, 2021
   
   
6. Yona Andegelile, Hellen Maziku, Nerey Mvungi, Mussa Kissaka, France Ruganyumisa, “Enhancing Communication Network Availability for Secondary Distribution Power Grid Management” IEEE PES/IAS PowerAfrica Conference, 2020
   
   
7. Kelati1, H. Maziku, J. Plosila2, N. Mvungi, H. Tenhunen, “Challenge Driven Education in Using Emerging Technology to Narrow the Gap Between the Ageing Population and Health Caregivers”, 12th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies, 2020
   
   
8. Andegelile, Yona, Hellen Maziku, Nerey Mvungi, and Mussa Kissaka. "Software Defined Communication Network Reliability for Secondary Distribution Power Grid." International Journal of Smart Grid-ijSmartGrid, 2020
   
   
9. Hellen Maziku, Sachin Shetty, and David. M. Nicol, “Security Risk Assessment for SDN-enabled Smart Grids”, Elsevier Security and Communication Networks Journal, 2019
   
   
10. Alcardo Alex Barakabitze, Richard Heeks, Anangisye, William-Andey Lazaro, Neterindwa Ainea, Michael Hamza Mkwizu, Hellen Maziku, Alex Xavery Matofali,, Aziza Iddi, Camillius Sanga, “Transforming African Education Systems in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) using ICTs: Challenges and Opportunities”, IEEE Transactions On Learning Technologies, 2019
    
    
11. Hellen Maziku, Cosmas Joseph, Norah Maki, Honest Kimaro and Charles Otine, “The Role of human-centred Design (HCD) and Challenge Driven Education in Enhancing the Innovation Capacity of Africa's Young People: Case of Youth for Children (Y4C) Innovation Hub in Tanzania” 15th International Conference on Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries, IFIP 2019
    
    
12. Hellen Maziku, Sachin Shetty, Charles Kamhoua, Laurent Njilla and Kevin Kwiat, “Diversity Modeling to Evaluate Security of Multiple SDN Controllers”, International Conference on Computing, Networking and Communications, 2018
    
    
13. Hellen Maziku, Sachin Shetty, “Software-Defined Networking enabled Resilience for IEC 61850-based Substation Communication Systems”, International Conference on Computing, Networking and Communications, 2017
    
    
14. Hellen Maziku, Sachin Shetty, “Towards a Network Aware VM Migration: Evaluating the Cost of VM Migration in Cloud Data Center”, IEEE CloudNet, October 2014, Luxembourg
    
    
15. Sachin Shetty, Biswajit Biswal and Hellen Maziku, "Auditing and analysis of network traffic in cloud environment", International Journal of Business Process Integration and Management, 2014
    
    
16. Hellen Maziku, Sachin Shetty, "Network Aware VM Migration in Cloud Data Centers", GENI Research and Educational Experiment Workshop, March 19-20, 2014, Atlanta, GA
    
    
17. Hellen Maziku, Sachin Shetty, Keesook J Han and Tamara Rogers, "Enhancing the classification accuracy of IP Geolocation", MILCOM Conference, Nov 2012, Orlando, Florida
    
    
18. Hellen Maziku, Sachin Shetty, Tamara Rogers, "Measurement-based IP geolocation of Routers on PlanetLab Infrastructure", First GENI Research and Educational Experiment Workshop, March 15-16, 2012, Los Angeles.

Research and Innovation Grants

1. Research Project – iGRID: Smart Grid Capacity Development and enhancement in Tanzania
   Team – UDSM Tanzania, KTH Sweden
   Funding Agency – SIDA [2016-Present]
   Role – Researcher and Supervisor

2. Innovation Project – SWASH Competition Platform for Promoting Health Awareness and Positive Behaviour Change
   Team – College of ICT, Y4C hub
   Funding Agency – UDSM [2021-Present]
   Role – Principal Investigaor 

4. Innovation Project – Youth for Children (Y4C) Innovation Hub
   Team – UDSM Tanzania, UNICEF Tanzania
   Funding Agency – UNICEF Innovation [2018- Present]
   Role – Hub Manager
   
   
5. Research Project – Security and Stability of microgrids and the smart grid
   Team – USA Cyber Resilient Energy Delivery Consortium (CREDC)
   Funding Agency – Department of Energy (DoE) [June 2015- 2017]
   Role – Researcher

5. Research Project - Develop Moving Target Defence policies to protect cloud applications
   Funding Agency – Air Force Office of Scientific Research [August 2012 – April 2015]
   Role – Researcher

6. Research Project – Enhancing Classification accuracy of IP Geolocation
   Funding Agency – National Science Foundation [August 2010- May 2012]
   Role – Researcher

Contacts Information

Department of Computer Science and Engineering
College of Information and Communication Technologies
University of Dar es Salaam
P.O. Box 33335, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Email: nahelna@gmail.com, maziku.hellen@udsm.ac.tz 
Mobile: +255717 743350
Office Number: Block A Room# 006