This page provides details (in Q&A style) about what you can expect when you work with me. While this information applies primarily to PhD applicants to my group, many of the details are also useful for undergraduate and masters students that are interested in working with me.

I am always interested in working with motivated students with whom I share research interests. Go to the bottom of the page to figure out the best way to reach me!

What are your research interests?

My research interests lies in the intersection of computer security, privacy, and networking. This encompasses a large set of impactful problems that shape the future of an open and resilient Internet, all of which I am interested in working on. My group's current projects focus on using empirical methods to study and defend against large-scale network connection tampering attacks, especially those that impact Internet freedom. This includes detecting, measuring, and defending against attacks such as Internet censorship, geoblocking, and surveillance. However, my research interests extend far beyond these issues -- I am interested in working on a wide variety of network security problems, and I am always open to chatting about new projects in the area.

What research will I be doing?

We use the Internet for everything today. As the Internet's importance increases, powerful adversaries are trying to compromise user security and privacy, increasingly monitoring and restricting Internet traffic. Almost everybody in the world experiences some form of connection tampering, censorship, surveillance or other attacks that impact their digital security and privacy. Your research will help protect against these large-scale attacks, improving online security and freedom, paving the way for a more safe and accessible Internet.

You will be working on impactful and practical research problems in the network security area, broadly defined. Primarily, you will be developing skills and working on state of the art research in the networking and security areas. My group's work within these communities tend to focus on practical issues that address security and privacy concerns that users are facing today, rather than years into the future. I do not have a pre-set agenda for students' research: I'm investing in supporting your research interests and finding a good fit of problems.

Why should I join UCSC?

UCSC is a top public research institution located in beautiful Santa Cruz, CA, with a long history of impactful research that focuses on innovation, social justice, and sustainability. You will be working in one of the most beautiful campuses in the United States nestled in the redwood forests above the seaside city of Santa Cruz. If you're a fan of nature, there's no better place to be: imagine getting out of our lab and immediately entering hundreds of miles of trails through the redwood forests. Or go the other way to surf on the beautiful pacific ocean or lounge on one of the many beaches. And all in perfect weather, year around!! It's not all nature though - Santa Cruz has a vibrant downtown, and big cities like San Jose and San Francisco are very close (which means there are also great airports nearby).

Besides the trees and the beaches, UCSC and the Baskin School of Engineering has a lot more to offer:

• You will be working with a great group of faculty and students in CSE that are working on a wide variety of research problems, with many opportunities for collaboration. Particularly, the Security Research Lab, of which you will be a part, is significantly growing and provides a perfect opportunity for students to explore a wide range of research problems, and be part of a community.
• UCSC is situated close to Silicon Valley, thus paving the way for many industry collaborations and opportunities.
• UCSC and Baskin Engineering provides plenty of opportunities for career advancement, regardless of which path you choose at different points in your program.
• UCSC places a high value on education, which means that there are plenty of opportunities to develop skills in different areas.
• UCSC is a double minority-serving institution, with a diverse student population.

What is your advising style?

My advising style is flexible and centered around what works best for both my students and me. I highly value open communication and aim to work with each student to develop a personalized approach that meets their needs—and to stick to it. When working with me, you can expect these core principles:

• Be Communicative: As mentioned above, I believe that the key to successful mentorship lies in effective communication, particularly when it comes to addressing the unique challenges faced by students. I like to focus on establishing a clear and open communication policy with my students early. This will in turn allow me to identify roadblocks for students and remove them, and encourage my students to utilize the appropriate departmental and external support should they need it.
• Provide Feedback: By fostering effective communication, I aim to both obtain constructive feedback from my students that can contribute to my own growth and improvement as a mentor, as well as provide period feedback to my students that helps with their growth as a researcher. A student's time at university is significant and critical, and your needs and interest may (will) change across time. I will encourage you to provide periodic feedback regarding my advising style and what works for you. Similarly, I will schedule regular (once or twice a quarter) meetings with you to discuss your progress in research, in the program, in your career, and in your goals as a researcher.
• Be Part of a Supportive Lab: I’m committed to building a supportive and collaborative lab culture. The most important aspect of advising for me is to always have my students' back and be supportive, especially during challenging times. My (sometimes virtual door is always open to my students. Moreover, some of the best support I got during my time in graduate school was from my peers. I will try to emulate the same support for my students by organizing social events and co-working sessions, and providing them with opportunities to collaborate. I will also encourage students to explore internships in industry as well as other research labs.
• Have Work-Life balance: One of the most important skills you will learn during your graduate program is time management. Since there is always more research to do, and you are driving the research, it is really easy to work too much and forget about aspects of life outside of work. I am committed to helping my students establish work and outside-of-work practices that are ideal for them.

What skills do I need to have before I apply?

I primarily look for two important requirements: First, my ideal students are those that care deeply about the big-picture research problem my group works on, and are invested in creating positive impact through both research as well as their contributions to the group and community as a whole. More specifically, I’m looking for students who are passionate about making the Internet safer, and are interested in learning and participating in academic research. Second, students must have a strong foundation in computer science, preferably in topics such as networks and security. However, note that specific experience in netork security is not a neccessity -- I personally did not take a computer security course before starting my PhD in computer security. My goal is to take your interests and expertise and find research problems in the network security area that would benefit from them.

Okay, I'm in! How do I apply?

The best way to establish your interest in working with me is through email. Send me a note with your CV, a short description of your research experience and interests, and why you think we'd be a good fit (based on the above information!). For potential PhD students, you should also apply to UCSC CSE's PhD program and mark me as a potential advisor. For the 2025 Fall Cycle, the deadline for applying is December 20, 2024.