Efrén López- Morales: A Rising Star of Computer Science

Efrén López-Morales, a fourth-year Geospatial Computer Science Ph.D. student at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC), has been making significant contributions to the field of computer science with his research of Cyber-Physical Systems.   

López-Morales and his team were featured in the online version of Communications of the ACM for their research of the cybersecurity of Cyber-Physical Systems, which are systems that integrate computing elements with physical processes like controlling automated assembly lines and smart power grids. Communications is a top-tier publication in the computing and information technology fields. It is widely read by top professionals in these fields and is considered one of the most reliable sources of computing industry information.  

Not only has López-Morales been featured in this prestigious magazine for his substantial contributions, but he was also one of the recipients of the 2025 CPS Rising Star Award, presented by the National Science Foundation. He was one of 30 individuals selected for this award from more than 180 applicants.  

López-Morales is very proud of this accomplishment.  “From the applicants that were selected, you have big names like Princeton and Duke- then you have me, representing TAMU-CC,” López-Morales said.  “I think this shows that TAMU-CC is producing people that are on the same level as some of these big institutions that normally get the spotlight.”  

López-Morales has had a great impact on the field of computer science during his time here at TAMU-CC, and that impact will only continue to grow as he continues his research at TAMU-CC and beyond.  

View the Communications of the ACM article here: Security Research Gaps Leave Critical Infrastructure Open to Cyberattack – Communications of the ACM