Faculty Positions in Cyber Security, Privacy and Digital Investigations

Look through the information below, and give some serious thought to applying for a faculty position at Purdue University in information security.

Tenure-Track/Tenured Positions Available in CS

The Department of Computer Science at Purdue University is entering a phase of sustained expansion — expected to be an increase in capacity of 27% over the next few years. Applications for tenure-track and tenured positions at the Assistant, Associate and Full Professor levels beginning August 2014 are being solicited. You can find the full position announcement on the CS Department website. There is also a parallel search for faculty with expertise in big data. Please refer to those ads for specific details, including how to apply.

Both of these searches are for multiple positions --- and senior applicants (including at the most senior level) are invited. All of these positions may be filled with personnel who work in areas of cyber security, privacy, or digital investigations as their primary focus, or who are involved in multiple areas of computing including security and/or privacy. Candidates with multidisciplinary interest -- which would thus fit in well with CERIAS (see below) -- are of particular interest.

Applicants should hold a PhD in Computer Science, or related discipline, be committed to excellence in teaching, and have demonstrated excellence in research. Successful candidates will be expected to teach courses in computer science, conduct research in their field(s) of expertise, and participate in other department and university activities. Salary and benefits are competitive.

The environment at Purdue is particularly supportive for faculty in security and privacy within an outstanding, pioneering department of computer science and a world-renowned interdisciplinary research institute devoted to security and privacy.

About CERIAS

Faculty in information security would probably be interested in working with CERIAS, as it provides an inclusive, synergistic environment for faculty and students working in cyber security, privacy, and digital investigations. Internationally renowned, CERIAS is the oldest, largest, and most highly regarded multidisciplinary institute of its kind in academia. (NB., CERIAS is a university institute, but is referred to as a center.)

www.cerias.purdue.edu

The research conducted through CERIAS includes faculty from six of the ten different colleges at Purdue, and 18 departments across campus. The six areas below summarize the research focus areas for the faculty involved with CERIAS:

Network Security
End-System Security
Prevention, Detection, and Response
Cryptology, Authentication, Assured Identity, and Privacy
Human Centric Security
Policy, Law, and Management

CERIAS is not an academic department, and thus does not hire faculty directly. 90 faculty have self-associated with the institute from academic departments across the university. New hires are especially welcome to become involved in CERIAS activities.

CERIAS also does not enroll students or offer courses, but does help coordinate education across the university. The nation's first graduate degrees established in cyber security -- interdisciplinary degrees at the MS and PhD level -- are coordinated through CERIAS, and the Fellows of CERIAS constitute the graduate faculty of that program. Since the mid 1990s, CERIAS (and its precursor, COAST) has been the leading source of PhD degrees in information security in the US, producing ⅓ of the graduates in that time. CERIAS has served as the point for Purdue achieving Center of Academic Excellence certification, starting as one of the original seven institutions.

Purdue has a large, active base of external partners that provide resources, guidance, and collaboration opportunities for faculty and students. A small, professional staff at CERIAS provide coordination and support for these activities, and for faculty initiatives of all kinds.

CERIAS-affiliated faculty are among the most senior and recognized in the field. Our faculty are involved as leaders in most major conferences in the field, as members of editorial boards (including the editors-in-chief of two of the four most respected journals in the field), and in many of the major standards activities in the field. Faculty serve on scores of high profile boards and advisory positions, as officers in international organizations, and as thought leaders in the field, including over 30 designations as Fellows in major professional societies. There is a strong sense of mentorship and collaboration within this community that welcomes new colleagues.

Our faculty members are also highly successful with research, producing both theoretical and applied results that are highly cited. Research by the faculty is well funded, with frequent support from nearly every Federal funding source, as well as significant, on-going support from commercial entities. Several start-up companies have resulted from (or benefited from) research results by these faculty.

More information is available at the CERIAS website.

About Computer Science at Purdue

Lawson Computer Science Building - West Lafayette, Indiana

One of the Oldest in the World, and the First Department of Computer Sciences in the United States

Formed in 1962, the department has gone through many transformations, led over the years by Sam Conte, Peter Denning, John Rice, Ahmed Sameh, Susanne Hambrusch, Aditya Mathur, and now, Sunil Prabhakar. These leaders, with support from faculty, staff, students, administrators, and our generous alumni and corporate partners, have built a strong foundation on which to continue to grow and lead in many areas of computing.

The department has almost 50 FTE faculty covering many of the sub disciplines in computer science, with approximately ⅓ of the faculty involved in information security, privacy, and digital investigations; these same faculty participate in CERIAS, and also constitute a portion of its leadership. Classes in security, cryptography, authentication, networks, operating systems, software engineering, computer languages, databases, and many other topics are regularly offered to both undergraduate and graduate students. New faculty will be encouraged to help institute new courses as well as strengthen existing courses.

The department is within the College of Science at Purdue, but CS faculty (currently) have joint and courtesy appointments in the Colleges of Engineering, Technology, and Liberal Arts; faculty from across the university have courtesy appointments in Computer Science, too. The department has many senior faculty, and this provides a nurturing environment for junior faculty, and a collegial environment for senior personnel.

The department has a robust curriculum, close relations with other university departments (including ECE) and institutes, and strong support from the university administration. Graduates are strongly recruited by academia and corporations, leading to a strong and supportive external community.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a vast laboratory for discovery. The university is known not only for science, technology, engineering, aviation, agriculture, and management programs, but also for our imagination, ingenuity, and innovation. It’s a place where those who seek an education come to make their ideas real — especially when those transformative discoveries lead to scientific, technological, social, or humanitarian impact.

Founded in 1869 in West Lafayette, Indiana as a land-grant university, the university proudly serves its state as well as the nation and the world. Academically, Purdue’s role as a major research institution is supported by top-ranking disciplines in pharmacy, business, engineering, and agriculture. More than 39,000 students are enrolled at the main campus in one of 10 colleges. All 50 states and 130 countries are represented within the student body and faculty. Regional campuses and one of the top research parks in the nation further enhance the environment. Add about 950 student organizations, Big Ten Boilermaker athletics, and a setting in a small, friendly midwestern town, and you get a college atmosphere that’s without rival.

Facts & Figures

Working at Purdue

About The Greater Lafayette Indiana Area

The twin cities of Lafayette and West Lafayette have a population of around 100,000 people including Purdue University students. Residents enjoy an excellent quality of life at a lower-than-average cost of living. The public schools, public safety, and health services in the area are all excellent, while the surroundings still have a friendly, "small town" feel. Unlike at universities elsewhere in the US, Purdue faculty can afford multi-bedroom homes with real yards without going massively into debt -- and some even have multi-acre farms! Over 90% of graduates of the public West Lafayette High School (ranked #2 in Indiana acceding to US News) go on to college. Residents regularly bike and walk along the 24 miles of designated pedestrian trails -- many paved -- that connect multiple parks and neighborhoods. Farmer's markets are open several times a week in the area except for winter, bringing goods from local farms directly to consumers. Two local hospitals -- one affiliated with the nationally ranked IU medical school -- are within a short drive of the historic center of town. Weekly festivals and events featuring music, food, and performances occur throughout the year, providing entertainment and community fellowship. Local sports leagues, theater and music groups, and various community organizations provide alternatives to faculty and their families in addition to their counterparts offered through the university.

The towns, separated by the historic Wabash River, have a diversified economy including high-tech companies related to the university, and modern manufacturing. This includes major plants for Caterpillar Corp., Subaru North America, and Alcoa Aluminum. They draw on the low cost of operation, highly-skilled labor pool, and excellent logistics (there is a reason that Indiana is the "Crossroads of America"). Indiana, as a state, has a positive economic outlook despite modest taxes, and is seeing economic growth and lower unemployment than much of the rest of the country. The midwestern ethic of honesty and hard work makes the area a great place to live and work.

#11 on Forbes’ List of Best Small Places for Business and Careers
3rd in Smartest City List - Lumosity.com
6th Most Educated Small Town in the US - Forbes
25th Best City in the US -- Frommer's
#16th Greenest US City - Newsweek Daily Beast
WL High School is #2 in IN, US News Gold Medal class