Alum named Microsoft New Faculty Fellow

Susan Hohenberger (BS, 2000) is one of five young faculty members named as Microsoft Research New Faculty Fellows 2008. Susan was chosen from a pool of approximately 100 nominees. She achieved this recognition for her work in cryptography. This award gives her $200,000 as well as access to other Microsoft resources, such as software, invitations to conferences, and engagements with Microsoft Research. This award is intended, according to Microsoft's web site, to give "recipients considerable freedom in planning the focus of their academic research. The funds can be applied to a wide variety of uses to pursue novel research."

Dr. Hohenberger was recognized as a talented research prospect early in her academic career. Dr. Bruce Weide invited her to join the Europa Undergraduate Research Forum before the end of the introductory course sequence. She then worked on a number of projects, including a senior thesis that used genetic algorithms to help solve manufacturing plant layout problems for Dr. Shahrukh Irani in Industrial and Systems Engineering."

Hohenberger's research interests lie in the cryptographic challenges in verifying authenticity of incoming messages and encrypting outgoing ones in energy, data and time constrained applications, computer security, algorithms and complexity theory. After leaving OSU-CSE in 2000, pursued her graduate studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) under the mentorship of Dr. Ronald Rivest. She received her doctorate in 2006 and accepted a tenure track position as an Assistant Professor with John Hopkins University.

Microsoft began this program in 2005. Recognizing that "the future of computing in academe rests with its newest faculty. In these early-career professionals lie the seeds of tomorrow's great innovations. However, while recognized faculty with well-established reputations are able to attract the financial support necessary for substantial research programs, young faculty often struggle to secure adequate support to allow them to realize their full potential.

Because new faculty are so vital to the future of academic computer science, the Microsoft Research New Faculty Fellowship Program identifies, recognizes, and supports exceptional new faculty members engaged in innovative computing research. The objective of this program is to stimulate and support creative research undertaken by promising researchers who have the potential to make a profound impact on the field of computing in their research disciplines. There are now 20 Microsoft Research Fellows advancing their careers and gaining recognition in their areas of endeavor."

There are now 20 Microsoft Research Fellows pursuing their dreams and gaining recognition in their respective fields of endeavor. OSU-CSE is proud one of our students is included in this elite group.