Nitesh Saxena

Nitesh Saxena is a Full Professor of Computer Science & Engineering at Texas A&M University, serving as Associate Director of the Texas A&M Global Cyber Research Institute (GCRI) and 2022-23 Engineering Dean’s Research Fellow. His research focuses on cybersecurity, privacy, applied cryptography, and neuro security, with interdisciplinary approaches bridging computer science, psychology, and criminal justice. He leads the SPIES Lab, exploring security in emerging systems like IoT, AR/VR, and AI. Saxena is a key figure in cybersecurity education, having directed NSF-funded programs such as CyberCorps Scholarship for Service and M.S. cybersecurity initiatives. His work has been supported by NSF, DOD, NSA, Google, and industry partners.

• Education: Ph.D. (UC Irvine, 2006), M.S. (UC Santa Barbara, 2002), B.S. (IIT Kharagpur, 2000)

Research interests emphasize transformative cybersecurity solutions, including privacy-preserving AI, device security, and human factors. Over 20 grants total over $10M, including a 2023 MURI award for neuro security. Awards include the Mark Weiser Best Paper Award (2019) and 2025 Dean’s Excellence Award. He serves on editorial boards for IEEE TIFS and ACM TOPS.

Grants include $4.5M NSF Scholarship for Service (2022), $6.2M MURI (2023), and $75K MxD grants (2021, 2023). Advises on workforce development and chairs major conferences like CNS and WiSec. SPIES Lab innovations span secure messaging, biometric authentication, and AR/VR privacy.