Thomas Ristenpart

Thomas Ristenpart is a professor in the Department of Computer Science at Cornell Tech and a member of the Computer Science Department at Cornell University. His research spans a wide range of topics in computer security, with a focus on digital privacy, cryptography, machine learning privacy issues, and technology abuse in intimate relationships. His work has been recognized with multiple international awards, including the ACM CCS and USENIX Security "Test of Time" awards, an NSF CAREER Award, and a Sloan Research Fellowship. His research has had a significant impact both in academia and industry, particularly in evaluating and improving privacy-preserving algorithms.

• 2026–Present·University of Toronto·Professor
  • Focused on research in computer security and privacy.
• 2015–2026·Cornell Tech, Cornell University·Professor
  • Led the Security, Trust, and Safety (SETS) project, with research covering cryptography and technology abuse in intimate relationships.
• 2010–2015·University of Wisconsin-Madison·Assistant Professor
  • Conducted research across various topics in computer security and cryptography.

• 2005–2010·University of California, San Diego·PhD
  • Specialized in computer security and cryptography.
• 2003–2005·University of California, Davis·Master’s
  • Focused on computer science and engineering.
• 2000–2003·University of California, Davis·Bachelor’s
  • Major in Computer Science and Engineering.