Biography
Joanna F. DeFranco earned her Ph.D. in computer and information science from New Jersey Institute of Technology, M.S. in computer engineering from Villanova University, and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Math from Penn State University. She is an Associate Professor of Software Engineering with the Pennsylvania State University. She has worked as an Electronics Engineer for the Navy as well as a Software Engineer at Motorola. Dr. DeFranco is a guest researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) working with the Secure Systems and Applications group. She is a senior member of the IEEE and on the advisory board for IEEE Computer Magazine. Her research interests include software engineering, software security, distributed networks, and Internet of Things.
Research Interests
- Software engineering
- Software security
- Distributed networks
- Internet of Things
Publications
Selected Publications
Speicher, T. L., & DeFranco, J. (2025). "A Systematic Literature Review of Digital Twins in Manufacturing." International Journal of Engineering Education.
Laplante, P., DeFranco, J., Kuhn, R., Voas, J., & Kassab, M. (2024). "Proxy Validation and Verification for Critical AI Systems: A Proxy Design Process." NIST White Paper, 31, 16. DOI: doi.org/10.6028/NIST.CSWP.31
DeFranco, J., Roberts, J., Ferraiolo, D., & Compton, D. (2024). "An Infrastructure for Secure Data Sharing: A Clinical Data Implementation." JAMIA Open, 7(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jamiaopen/ooae040
Roberts, J. D., DeFranco, J., & Kuhn, D. R. (2023). "Data Block Matrix and Hyperledger Implementation: Extending Distributed Ledger Technology for Privacy Requirements." Distributed Ledger Technologies: Research and Practice, 2(2), 1-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3585539
DeFranco, J.F., Ferraiolo, D., Kuhn, R., Roberts, J., “A Trusted Federated System to Share Granular Data Among Disparate Database Resources,” IEEE Computer, vol. 54. No. 3, March 2021.
Ferraiolo, D., DeFranco, J.F., Kuhn, R., Roberts, J., “A New Approach to Data Sharing and Distributed Ledger Technology: A Clinical Trial Use Case,” IEEE Network, January/February 2021.
DeFranco, J., Kshetri, N., Voas, J., “Rearchitecting the Malls: The Shifting U.S. Retail Landscape,” IEEE Computer, Vol. 54, February 2021, pp. 86-90.
Kshetri, N., DeFranco, J., “The Economics Behind Food Supply Blockchains,” IEEE Computer, Vol. 53, No. 12, December 2020, pp. 106-110.
Sangwan, R.S., Jablokow, K.W., DeFranco, J.F., “Asynchronous Collaboration: Bridging the Cognitive Distance in Global Software Development Projects,” IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, December 2020, Vol. 63, no. 4 (2020): 361–71.
Kshetri, N., Voas, J., DeFranco, J., “Is Privacy Dead” IT Pro, Vol. 22, No. 5, pp. 4-12, September 2020, DOI: 10.1109/MITP.2020.2992148.
Kshetri, N., DeFranco, J., “The Economics of Cyberattacks on Brazil,” Computer, Vol. 53, No. 9, pp. 85-90, September 2020, DOI: 10.1109/MC.2020.2997322.
Saidkhodjaev, T., Voas, J., Kuhn, R., DeFranco, J., and Laplante, P., “Aggregating Atomic Clocks for Time-Stamping, IEEE International Conference on Service Oriented Systems Engineering SOSE 2020, August 3-6, 2020, UK. DOI: 10.1109/SOSE49046.2020.00008.
DeFranco, J., Kassab, M., Voas, J., “How do you Create a Internet of Things (IoT) Workforce?,” IEEE IT Professional, Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 8-12, July/August 2018, DOI: 10.1109/MITP.2018.043141662.
DeFranco, J.F., Laplante P.A., “A Software Engineering Team Research Mapping Study,” Team Performance Management, 2018, Vol. 24, No ¾, pp.203-248 DOI: 10.1108/TPM-08-2017-0040.
Education
B.S., Electrical Engineering and Math, Penn State University
M.S., Computer Engineering, Villanova University
Ph.D., Computer and Information Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology