OUR PEOPLE
Former Yao Group Members
Haipeng Cai, (Postdoc '15). First job as a tenure-track assistant professor at Washington State University.
Amiangshu Bosu, (Postdoc '15). First job as a tenure-track assistant professor at Wayne State University.
Miles Frantz, (PhD '24). First job at Peraton Labs.
Dissertation title: Measurement and development for automated secure coding solutions.
External committee member is: Dr. Raj Rajagopalan, Director and Fellow of Cyber Security at Resideo Technologies.
Ming Zhu, (PhD '23). First job at ByteDance.
Dissertation title: Neural Sequence Modeling for Domain-Specific Language Processing: A Systematic Approach.
Co-chair: Dr. Ismini Lourentzou.
Sharmin Afrose, (PhD '22). First job at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Thesis title: Methodology Development for Improving the Performance of Critical Classification Applications
Ya Xiao, (PhD '22). First job at TikTok.
Thesis title: Neural Network-based Methodologies for Securing Cryptographic Code
External committee member: Patrick Drew McDaniel (PSU), Xinyang Ge (Netflix).
Salman Ahmed, (PhD '21). First job at IBM Research.
Thesis title: Quantitative Metrics and Measurement Methodologies for System Security Assurance
External committee member: Patrick R. Schaumont (WPI), Gang Wang (UIUC), and Fabian Monrose (UNC).
Sazzadur Rahaman, (PhD '20). Tenure-track assistant professor at University of Arizona.
Dissertation title: From Theory to Practice: Deployment-grade Tools and Methodologies for Software Security
External committee member: Patrick R. Schaumont (WPI), Gang Wang (UIUC), and David Evans (UVa).
Xiaodong Yu (Ph.D. '19). First job at Argonne National Laboratory.
Thesis title: Algorithms and Frameworks for Accelerating Security Applications on HPC Platforms
External committee member: Michela Becchi, North Carolina State University; Xinming (Simon) Ou, University of South Florida
Long Cheng, (PhD '18). Tenure-track assistant professor at Clemson University.
Dissertation title: Program Anomaly Detection Against Data-oriented Attacks
External committee member: Raheem Beyah, Georgia Tech
Ke Tian, (PhD '18). First job at Microsoft.
Dissertation title: Learning-based Mobile App Analysis and Binary Customization for Security
External committee member: Gang Tan, Penn State University
Fang Liu, (PhD '17). First job at Palo Alto Networks.
Dissertation title: Mining Security Risks from Massive Datasets
External committee member: Dongyan Xu Purdue University
Xiaokui Shu, (Ph.D. '16). First job at IBM Research TJ Watson Center.
Dissertation title: Threat Detection in Program Execution and Data Movement: Theory and Practice
External committee member: Trent Jaeger Penn State University
Hao Zhang, (Ph.D. '15). First job at the database security group of Oracle.
Dissertation title: Discovery of Triggering Relations and Its Applications in Network Security and Android Malware Detection
External committee member: Xinming Ou Kansas State University
Karim Elish, (Ph.D. '15). Currently an assistant professor of computer science at Florida Polytechnic University.
Dissertation title: User-Intention Based Program Analysis for Android Security
External committee member: Xuxian Jiang North Carolina State University
Kui Xu, (Ph.D. '14). Currently at Google, Mountain View.
Dissertation title: Anomaly Detection Through System and Program Behavior Modeling
External committee member: David Evans University of Virginia
Hussain Almohri (Ph.D. '13), Assistant Professor at Kuwait University
Dissertation title: High Assurance Models for Secure Systems
External committee member: Michael Hsiao VT ECE
Huijun Xiong (Ph.D. '13), Currently at Google, Mountain View.
Dissertation title: Secure Data Service Outsourcing with Untrusted Cloud
External committee member: Xinwen Zhang Huawei Research US
Saman Zarandioon (Ph.D. '12), Amazon Cloud Services
Dissertation title: Improving the Security and Usability of Cloud Services with User-Centric Security Models
Vivek Pathak (Ph.D. '08), first job at Stevens Institute of Technology, Computer Science Department
Deian Stefan (REU '08), on faculty at UCSD's CSE Department
Sanjula Karanam (MS '23).
Thesis title: Behavioral Analysis of Ransomware Using Windows API Calls and Machine Learning
Emma Meno (MS '21).
Thesis title: Neural Cryptanalysis for Cyber-Physical System Ciphers
Hannah Roth, (MS '17). First job at Mitre Corporation.
Thesis title: Smartphone Privacy in Citizen Science
Alexander Kedrowitsch, (MS '17). First job at West Point Academy.
Thesis title: Deceptive Environments for Cybersecurity Defense on Low-power Devices
Daniel Barton, (MS '16). First job at Lockheed Martin.
Thesis title: Usable Post-classification Visualization for Android Collusion Detection and Inspection
Yipan Deng (MS '11), Intel Corp.
Thesis title: DeviceGuard: External Device-Assisted System and Data Security
Nitya Vyas (MS '10), VMTurbo
Thesis title: Usable Web 2.0 Privacy Management and Medical Imaging Search: An Ontology-Based Approach
Chehai Wu (MS '09), Appfolio.com
Brendan Avent, (BS '15) Ph.D. student at University of Southern California.
Amiangshu Bosu, (Postdoc '15). First job as a tenure-track assistant professor at Wayne State University.
Miles Frantz, (PhD '24). First job at Peraton Labs.
Dissertation title: Measurement and development for automated secure coding solutions.
External committee member is: Dr. Raj Rajagopalan, Director and Fellow of Cyber Security at Resideo Technologies.
Ming Zhu, (PhD '23). First job at ByteDance.
Dissertation title: Neural Sequence Modeling for Domain-Specific Language Processing: A Systematic Approach.
Co-chair: Dr. Ismini Lourentzou.
Sharmin Afrose, (PhD '22). First job at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Thesis title: Methodology Development for Improving the Performance of Critical Classification Applications
Ya Xiao, (PhD '22). First job at TikTok.
Thesis title: Neural Network-based Methodologies for Securing Cryptographic Code
External committee member: Patrick Drew McDaniel (PSU), Xinyang Ge (Netflix).
Salman Ahmed, (PhD '21). First job at IBM Research.
Thesis title: Quantitative Metrics and Measurement Methodologies for System Security Assurance
External committee member: Patrick R. Schaumont (WPI), Gang Wang (UIUC), and Fabian Monrose (UNC).
Sazzadur Rahaman, (PhD '20). Tenure-track assistant professor at University of Arizona.
Dissertation title: From Theory to Practice: Deployment-grade Tools and Methodologies for Software Security
External committee member: Patrick R. Schaumont (WPI), Gang Wang (UIUC), and David Evans (UVa).
Xiaodong Yu (Ph.D. '19). First job at Argonne National Laboratory.
Thesis title: Algorithms and Frameworks for Accelerating Security Applications on HPC Platforms
External committee member: Michela Becchi, North Carolina State University; Xinming (Simon) Ou, University of South Florida
Long Cheng, (PhD '18). Tenure-track assistant professor at Clemson University.
Dissertation title: Program Anomaly Detection Against Data-oriented Attacks
External committee member: Raheem Beyah, Georgia Tech
Ke Tian, (PhD '18). First job at Microsoft.
Dissertation title: Learning-based Mobile App Analysis and Binary Customization for Security
External committee member: Gang Tan, Penn State University
Fang Liu, (PhD '17). First job at Palo Alto Networks.
Dissertation title: Mining Security Risks from Massive Datasets
External committee member: Dongyan Xu Purdue University
Xiaokui Shu, (Ph.D. '16). First job at IBM Research TJ Watson Center.
Dissertation title: Threat Detection in Program Execution and Data Movement: Theory and Practice
External committee member: Trent Jaeger Penn State University
Hao Zhang, (Ph.D. '15). First job at the database security group of Oracle.
Dissertation title: Discovery of Triggering Relations and Its Applications in Network Security and Android Malware Detection
External committee member: Xinming Ou Kansas State University
Karim Elish, (Ph.D. '15). Currently an assistant professor of computer science at Florida Polytechnic University.
Dissertation title: User-Intention Based Program Analysis for Android Security
External committee member: Xuxian Jiang North Carolina State University
Kui Xu, (Ph.D. '14). Currently at Google, Mountain View.
Dissertation title: Anomaly Detection Through System and Program Behavior Modeling
External committee member: David Evans University of Virginia
Hussain Almohri (Ph.D. '13), Assistant Professor at Kuwait University
Dissertation title: High Assurance Models for Secure Systems
External committee member: Michael Hsiao VT ECE
Huijun Xiong (Ph.D. '13), Currently at Google, Mountain View.
Dissertation title: Secure Data Service Outsourcing with Untrusted Cloud
External committee member: Xinwen Zhang Huawei Research US
Saman Zarandioon (Ph.D. '12), Amazon Cloud Services
Dissertation title: Improving the Security and Usability of Cloud Services with User-Centric Security Models
Vivek Pathak (Ph.D. '08), first job at Stevens Institute of Technology, Computer Science Department
Deian Stefan (REU '08), on faculty at UCSD's CSE Department
Sanjula Karanam (MS '23).
Thesis title: Behavioral Analysis of Ransomware Using Windows API Calls and Machine Learning
Emma Meno (MS '21).
Thesis title: Neural Cryptanalysis for Cyber-Physical System Ciphers
Hannah Roth, (MS '17). First job at Mitre Corporation.
Thesis title: Smartphone Privacy in Citizen Science
Alexander Kedrowitsch, (MS '17). First job at West Point Academy.
Thesis title: Deceptive Environments for Cybersecurity Defense on Low-power Devices
Daniel Barton, (MS '16). First job at Lockheed Martin.
Thesis title: Usable Post-classification Visualization for Android Collusion Detection and Inspection
Yipan Deng (MS '11), Intel Corp.
Thesis title: DeviceGuard: External Device-Assisted System and Data Security
Nitya Vyas (MS '10), VMTurbo
Thesis title: Usable Web 2.0 Privacy Management and Medical Imaging Search: An Ontology-Based Approach
Chehai Wu (MS '09), Appfolio.com
Brendan Avent, (BS '15) Ph.D. student at University of Southern California.