Wang Named IEEE Fellow


Written by Ken Birkoff and originally posted in SICE News

XiaoFeng Wang, a James H. Rudy professor of computer science at the School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, has been named an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Fellow (Computer Society).

Wang is being recognized for contributions to system security and genomic privacy. His research helps elevate the design and implementation of many real-world systems, from web-based payment systems to mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and it lays the foundation for effective and privacy-preserving sharing and analysis of human genomic data, which is becoming increasingly important for biomedical research (e.g., precision medicine), technology development, and their wide applications (e.g., disease risk tests).

Wang has made important contributions to system security, particularly in the areas of side channel analysis, Web API integration, mobile, and IoT security. His research has led to the discovery of security weaknesses in the design of mainstream computing systems ranging from online payment and single-sign-on systems to mobile computing systems including Android and iOS. It has also changed the ways the industry builds these systems and also fostered a line of research seeking practical protection under real-world constraints (e.g., business models, utility requirements).

“I think that this is not only an honor for myself but also an honor for IU security,” Wang said. “This demonstrates that SICE is among the top players in system security research, which is important to the university’s engineering initiative.”

Wang is among the earliest and most prominent researchers working on human genome privacy. His papers on re-identification threats and solutions are among the work that is laying the foundation for this area. He also has been contributing to building this important interdisciplinary area as a founder of the GenoPri Workshop and is one of the founding members of the high-impact iDASH genome privacy competition that brings the security and biomedical communities together.

Wang earned his Ph.D. in Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. He has received numerous awards, including Award for Outstanding Research in Privacy Enhancing Technologies (the PET Award) and the Best Practical Paper Award at the 32nd IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy.

“We’re thrilled XiaoFeng has been named an IEEE Fellow,” said Raj Acharya, dean of SICE. “His work on security has been innovative and has made an impact in so many areas of research. His vision and determination to secure such important data make him a leader in his field.”

The IEEE Grade of Fellow is conferred by the IEEE Board of Directors upon a person with an outstanding record of accomplishments in any of the IEEE fields of interest. The total number selected in any one year cannot exceed one-tenth of one- percent of the total voting membership. IEEE Fellow is the highest grade of membership and is recognized by the technical community as a prestigious honor and an important career achievement.

Dedicated to the advancement of technology, the IEEE publishes 30 percent of the world’s literature in the electrical and electronics engineering and computer science fields, and has developed more than 1300 active industry standards. The association also sponsors or co-sponsors nearly 1700 international technical conferences each year. If you would like to learn more about IEEE or the IEEE Fellow Program, please visit www.ieee.org.

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