Frequently Asked Questions

ABOUT ICASA

What is ICASA?

ICASA is the Institute for Complex Additive Systems Analysis, a division of New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, established in 2001 by the New Mexico legislature. The Institute is dedicated to protecting the nation’s infrastructure systems by using innovative solutions to modern-day problems. Additionally, ICASA provides data science services throughout the state of New Mexico to both public and private institutions. The Institute also trains and educates the next generation of analysts, engineers, and scientists through workshops, internships, seminars, and in-house developed training modules.

What products and services does ICASA provide?

ICASA provides opportunities for New Mexico Tech students, undergraduate and graduate, to participate in internships and sponsored-research projects with direct, real-world impact. Additionally, ICASA collaborates with various academic departments at the university, providing a cross-flow of academic instruction and experiential opportunities.

What capabilities does ICASA offer for technology development?

ICASA’s scientists and engineers’ studies of dynamical systems, control theory, mathematical physics, and economics lead to the development of key enabling technologies that non-experts can use and apply to real world problems.

What training and education resources are available from ICASA?

ICASA frequently provides seminars, workshops, and presentations in the area of complex systems, information security, and other areas of interest.

Where is ICASA located?

ICASA is located in Socorro, New Mexico on the New Mexico Tech campus.

Who can I contact for more information about ICASA and its programs?

Please direct all inquiries to the General ICASA email, or write to:

New Mexico Tech – ICASA

801 Leroy Place

Socorro, NM 87801

Who has ICASA previously worked with?

ICASA has developed a broad range of partners and collaborators since its inception including: Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratories, 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office, 1st Judicial District Attorney’s Office, New Mexico State University, Lucent Technologies, the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, The New Mexico Sentencing Commission, the Department of Defense, and the New Mexico Municipal League.

About Complex Additive Systems

What are complex additive systems?

Complex additive systems are evolving systems distinguished by their specially engineered components. These components are designed with a specific goal of robustness, yet they are still fragile, which allows the detection of vulnerabilities from accidents or malicious attacks.

How are complex additive systems' vulnerabilities analyzed?

ICASA scientists and engineers analyze complex additive systems by focusing on the additive effects, of unintended consequences, of a system’s efficient design. Through theoretical analysis and extensive modeling simulation, scientists and engineers are able to identify several types of vulnerabilities of the system. Algorithms for checking existing vulnerabilities, obviating the need to specify exploratation methods, are also identifies through interdisciplinary research.

What is the difference between complex adaptive systems and the complex additive systems that are researched at ICASA?

Complex adaptive systems are distinguished by the simplicity of their components, which interact in relatively simple ways to produce large-scale dynamics with rich, complex structures. In contrast, complex additive systems, such as those researched at ICASA, are typically engineered to work very efficiently, often by linking several systems together to form systems of systems.

What types of complex additive systems are studied at ICASA?

Electric Power Systems – ICASA’s Electric Power team works to understand, model, and, and analyze the operation of electric-power grids, including transmission and distribution, as well as to develop mitigations against malicious disruptions.

Compute Networks – Scientists and engineers study computer networks’ behaviors, vulnerabilities, and interactions in order to develop innovative methods to better understand computer networks.

Financial Systems – ICASA has modeled, analyzed, and studied both direct financial markets, as well as related socioeconomic systems, including the price-formation process, and a study of the US wholesale power-trader market.

Others – ICASA has significant experience in applying complex-systems theory to a number of other domains, including but not limited to: biological systems, social-system dynamics, social-networks, and criminal-justice systems.

About Faculty, Staff, and Students

How do I join ICASA's faculty or staff?

ICASA offers competitive staff research and development positions in a multitude of disciplines. For a list of currently available positions, please visit the New Mexico Tech Human Resources Page.

How do I join ICASA as a student?

Undergraduate and Graduate students at New Mexico Tech that are interested in working at ICASA can send a resume to jobs@icasa.nmt.edu.

Does ICASA offer scholarships to New Mexico Tech students

ICASA doesn’t offer direct scholarships, but is able to support undergraduate and graduate students through Student Work Authorizations, and can also offer Research Assistanceships to graduate students.