A New Doctor in the Lab: Dr. Nana Kwadwo Akrasi-Mensah Joins the Computer Engineering Department’s Record PhD Cohort

DIPPER Lab celebrates its newest PhD graduate from the Department of Computer Engineering, Dr. Nana Kwadwo Akrasi-Mensah. 

He is one of six students to complete the program this year, the largest PhD cohort in the department’s history.

His research, “A Multi-Objective Neural Combinatorial Optimization Method for Storage-Efficient Block Selection in Blockchain-IIoT Applications,” tackles the challenge of growing storage demands on blockchain peer nodes.

By applying neural combinatorial optimization, deep reinforcement learning, and attention-based models, Dr. Nana’s work reduces storage overhead in industrial IoT systems.

A key application is food supply chains.

By improving blockchain-IIoT systems, smaller producers can participate in collaborative networks, helping reduce contamination risks and strengthen trust in Sub-Saharan Africa’s food markets.

The DIPPER Lab celebrates Dr. Nana Kwadwo Akrasi-Mensah and the contribution his research brings to blockchain-enabled IoT systems.