Dr. Brent Waters stands as a preeminent figure in theoretical computer science and cryptographic systems development. He currently serves as Professor of Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin and Distinguished Scientist at NTT Research, where he directs the Cryptography and Information Security Laboratory. After earning his PhD from Princeton University in 2004 under Edward Felten and Amit Sahai, he completed postdoctoral studies at Stanford University hosted by Dan Boneh. He subsequently worked as a computer scientist at SRI International before joining the University of Texas faculty in 2008, establishing himself as a transformative leader in cryptographic research.
Dr. Waters pioneered the groundbreaking concepts of attribute-based encryption and functional encryption in 2005, fundamentally reshaping how cryptographic systems handle fine-grained access control to encrypted data. His seminal work introduced a paradigm shift from traditional all-or-nothing access models to sophisticated frameworks that enable selective decryption based on user attributes or functions. This research has been cited more than 68,700 times and has provided the foundational architecture for modern cybersecurity systems requiring precise data access control. His contributions to identity-based cryptography and code obfuscation have catalyzed significant advancements in secure computation and privacy-preserving technologies across both academic and industrial applications.
As a recipient of the prestigious Grace Murray Hopper Award, Packard Fellowship, and ACM Fellowship, Dr. Waters has profoundly shaped the trajectory of modern cryptography research worldwide. He has mentored numerous doctoral students who now hold prominent positions at institutions including the University of Wisconsin-Madison and NTT Research, while continuing to advance the field through his leadership at the Simons Institute and the International Association for Cryptologic Research. His ongoing research explores the frontiers of functional encryption and post-quantum cryptographic systems, with his laboratory at UT Austin serving as a nexus for innovation in secure computing. Dr. Waters remains at the vanguard of cryptographic research, driving the development of next-generation security protocols that will underpin digital trust in the emerging computational landscape.
