Stefan Savage, PhD

Stefan Savage is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where he holds the Irwin and Joan Jacobs Chair in Information and Computer Science. 

Savage earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree in Applied History from Carnegie Mellon University. 

His research interests lie at the intersection of distributed systems, networking, and computer security, with a current focus on embedded security and the economics of cybercrime. 

Throughout his career, Savage has received numerous accolades, including:

• ACM Prize in Computing (2015): Recognized for innovative research in network security, privacy, and reliability.
• MacArthur Fellowship (2017): Awarded for identifying and addressing the technological, economic, and social vulnerabilities underlying internet security challenges and cybercrime.
• Election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2021): Honored for his contributions to the field of computer science.
• Election to the National Academy of Engineering (2022): Recognized for contributions to the security, privacy, and reliability of network systems, transforming approaches to problems in these areas. 

At UC San Diego, Savage serves as the Director of UC San Diego’s Center for Networked Systems (CNS) and as Co-director of the Center for Evidence-based Security Research (CESR), a collaborative initiative between UC San Diego and the International Computer Science Institute.