[Editor’s note: The Center for Information Technology Policy (CITP) is delighted to welcome Arvind Narayanan as an Assistant Professor in Computer Science, and an affiliated faculty member in CITP. Narayanan is a leading researcher in digital privacy, data anonymization, and technology policy. His work has been widely published, and includes a paper with CITP co-authors Ed Felten and Joseph Calandrino. In addition to his core technical research, Professor Narayanan will be engaged in active public policy topics through projects such as DoNotTrack.us, and is sought as an expert in the increasingly complex domain of privacy and technology. He was recently profiled on Wired.com as the “World’s Most Wired Computer Scientist.”]
I’ve had a wonderful first month at Princeton as an assistant professor in Computer Science and CITP. Let me take a quick moment to introduce myself.
I’m a computer scientist by training; I study information privacy and security, and in the last few years have developed a strong side-interest in tech policy. I did my Ph.D. at UT Austin and more recently I was a post-doctoral researcher at Stanford and a Junior Affiliate Fellow at the Stanford Law School Center for Internet and Society.
Some of my better-known work is on showing how data anonymization can be reversed, and challenging the validity of the notion of Personally Identifiable Information. You can find more on my website. More recently I’ve been involved in analyzing the technical and policy aspects of Do Not Track. I consider it important for technologists studying privacy to stay informed of scholarship in law, economics and other fields. I’m a PLSC regular, for example.
As a new faculty member, one of my main priorities is starting and growing a research group. If you are a student looking to start a Master’s, Ph.D, or post-doctoral research program, you should apply to Princeton!
This semester I’m teaching a graduate seminar on privacy technologies. We’re trying something novel — study technologies in depth, but also understand technology’s place in society. Talk to me if you’re interested in teaching (or have already taught!) something similar.
Some of you may have seen my main blog 33 Bits of Entropy, which I will continue to maintain, but I will also be posting here on Freedom to Tinker every now and then. Let me end by pointing you to CITP’s luncheon series and other events which you should consider attending if you’re in the area.
Welcome to Princeton!!!!