Professor Thuraisingham Honored for Outstanding Record in Computer Science and Engineering Education

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif., 27 February 2023 - Dr. Bhavani Thuraisingham, Founders Chair in Engineering and Computer Science, will receive the 2023 IEEE Computer Society (IEEE CS) Taylor L. Booth Education Award for her leadership in cybersecurity education, data science education and mentorship of members of systemically marginalized groups.

IEEE CS will present the award on September 19 at its International Conference on Quantum Computing and Engineering in Bellingham, Washington. The award is one of several IEEE honors for Thuraisingham, an IEEE fellow who received the organization’s Edward J. McCluskey Technical Achievement Award in 1997 for her research in secure distributed data management.

“It is very gratifying to be recognized for contributing to cyber security and data science education as well as working with the systemically marginalized communities,” Thuraisingham said. “I am very honored to receive the Taylor L. Booth Education Award. for my work over 42 years including in the commercial industry, a federal research lab, U.S. government, and academia.”

Thuraisingham, who joined the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science in 2004, is a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the British Computer Society and the National Academy of Inventors and has received numerous professional awards for research innovation, leadership and technical achievement.

Thuraisingham has educated a global community including students in the U.S. and at the University of Dschang in Cameroon, Africa, members of federal agencies and industry contractors and the general public. Thuraisingham has graduated 22 Ph.D. students at UT Dallas – 11 women – including students from underserved communities.

“Dr. Thuraisingham, an internationally recognized cybersecurity expert who has received numerous honors from ACM, IEEE CS, and other organizations for her outstanding research work, is also a highly motivated and enthusiastic educator, committed to inspiring and mentoring students at all levels, from K-12 to Ph.D.,” said Dr. Ovidiu Daescu, department head and professor of computer science.

Thuraisingham, who served as founding executive director and senior strategist of the Cyber Security Research and Education Institute, and her research team pioneered machine learning algorithms for malware analysis and insider threat detection and developed a layered framework for a secure cloud. She has published more than 130 journal articles, 300 conference papers and 16 books and has delivered more than 200 keynote and featured talks including a featured address at the Women in Data Science Conference in 2018. She has seven U.S. patents.

About the IEEE Computer Society

Through conferences, publications, and programs, the IEEE Computer Society (IEEE CS) sets the standard for the education and engagement that fuels global technological advancement. By bringing together engineers, scientists, researchers, and practitioners from all areas of computing and at every career phase, the IEEE CS enables new opportunities and empowers not only its members but also the greater industry. Visit computer.org for more information.